CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO

'Caguas' (KAH-gwahs) (founded in 1775) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto; west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo; and east of Aguas Buenas. Caguas is spread over eleven wards.
Caguas is located twenty minutes to a half-hour by car from San Juan and an hour and a half from Ponce.
It is known as ''El Valle del Turabo'' (''Turabo Valley'') or ''La Ciudad Criolla'' (''The Creole City'') and its name originates from the Taíno cacique Caguax.

Contents

History

Politics

Flag

Coat of Arms

Demographics

''Barrios'' (Districts/Wards)

Geo/Topography

Economic

Agriculture

Business

Transportation

Tourism

Sports

Notable "Cagüeños"

Sister Cities

References

External links

History

Originally called San Sebastián del Piñal de Caguax, Caguas derives its name from a local Indian chief (Caguax) who was an early Christian convert.

Politics

During the 1980s the city was directed by Mayor Angel O. Berrios and Miguel Hernández, and these days it is led by Mayor William Miranda Marin. Mayors Berrios and Miranda Marín are both members of the PPD which has led the city for many years. Previous mayors also include Manuel Seoane, and Angel Rivera.

Flag

The colors are blue and yellow. The cross stands for the Cross of San Sebastián, for this was the first Christian village that settled in the Caguas Valley together with the hermitage of San Sebastián del Barrero. Ten of the Caguas Barrios have their own flag using the Cross of San Sebastian, its own coat of arms and colors.

Coat of Arms

The colors blue and gold were chosen for the shield, distinctive of the city of Caguas. The figures symbolize the Indigenous and Christian origins of this city. The crown represents Chief Caguax, Monarch of the Turabo Valley, upon the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

Demographics

''Barrios'' (Districts/Wards)

★ Caguas Pueblo ★ Bairoa ★ Beatriz ★ Borinquen

★ Cañabón ★ Cañaboncito ★ La Changa ★ Rio Cañas ★ San Antonio

★ San Salvador ★ Tomás de Castro ★ Turabo

Geo/Topography

★ The Grande de Loíza river divides this municipality from Gurabo.

★ Rivers - The Turabo, Cagüitas, Cañaboncito, Bairoa and Cañas

Economic

In September 2005 City Mayor William Miranda Marin levied the first Municipal tax in Puerto Rico via city ordinance. Area Merchants now charge a one cent tax for every dollar spent on all retail businesses. The tax has become known around the island as the "Willie Tax". It has resulted in a $500,000.00 monthly estimated income for the city. Other mayors in the island are looking into the tax system.
During 2006, Miranda Marin began calling Caguas "El Nuevo Pais de Caguas" ("The New Country of Caguas"), a nickname that drew diverse reactions from Puerto Rican political critics. It is unclear whether Miranda Marin just uses the slogan to attract tourists and companies to the area, or whether he is actually looking for Caguas to become an independent country-municipality.

Agriculture

Its community has enjoyed one of the best economies among Puerto Rican cities since at least the 1980s. During the early part of the 20th century, Caguas hosted one of Puerto Rico's most important sugar manufacturers, which gave employment to thousands of cagüeños.

Business

Numerous business and important buildings have opened up there since then, including the imposing 23 story apartment building Caguas Tower, its adjacent competitors Bonneville Apartments, the 10 floor San Juan Bautista Medical Center, Plaza del Carmen Mall, Plaza Centro Mall, Las Catalinas Mall, and various other important structures.

Transportation

Public transportation in Caguas, as in most of Puerto Rico is limited to small, “Carros Públicos” (Mini Bus). There is service from and to San Juan and Rio Piedras, very inexpensive but slow. Within Caguas, there are several buses and taxis serving the town.
A light-rail system connecting Caguas to San Juan is in the planning stages.

Tourism

'Landmarks and places of interest:'

★ Cable Car

★ Caguas Historical Museum

★ Coquí Villa

★ Hacienda Catalina Ruins

★ Hacienda Cofresí

★ Hacienda Country Club

★ Turabo Park
'Festivals and events:'
Rosario Cantado a los Reyes - 4 January
Three Kings Festival - 5 January
Criolla Beatriz - February
Criolla Borinquen Fair - March
Criolla Cañabón Fair - April
Felipe "La Voz'' Rodríguez' Birthday - 8 May
Cross Festival - 23 - 31 May
Typical Criole Festival - 1 - 2 June

Sports

The Criollos de Caguas baseball team are considered the greatest of all-time in all of Latin America, having won 14 national Puerto Rico titles and 11 Caribbean World Series titles; both records. The team is a member of the LBPPR. Three of the first five Puerto Ricans that played Major League Baseball in the U.S. at one point in their careers played for the Criollos de Caguas (Luis Rodríguez Olmo, Victor Pellot Power, Roberto Clemente).
The Criollos de Caguas basketball team, founded in 1968 by Dr. Héctor "Tato" Dávila and Lcdo. Libertario Pérez Rodríguez, hasn't enjoyed as much success as their baseball counterparts, but in the early 2000s, they showed a lot of progress by reaching the national playoffs various times. The team is a member of the BSN. In 2006, the team won its first BSN national basketball championship, defeating Flor Melendez and his Santurce Crabbers in five games.
Caguas counts with the Bairoa Gym, one of the most important boxing gyms in all Puerto Rico and a place where many visiting champions have trained at; such as boxing prospect Miguel Cotto, his brother Jose Miguel, Alberto Mercado, Juan Carazo, Hector Camacho, Alfredo Escalera and others.
The Criollas de Caguas women's volleyball team has won 7 national Puerto Rico titles and has made it to the finals more than 15 times. The team is a member of the LVSFPR.

Notable "Cagüeños"

★ Abelardo Diaz Alfaro - Writer - Story teller

★ Agnes Tañón Correa- Miss Universe Puerto Rico 1980

★ Alex Cora - Boston Red Sox middle infielder

★ Carlos Manuel (Charlie) Rodriguez - First Puertorican named Blessed in the Catholic Church

★ Concha Meléndez (1895–1983) - Educator

★ David Quiñones - Coach of the Year Volleyball Superior League, Holds record of most consecutive victories undefeated (team was 25-0).

★ Edgardo Diaz - manager of Menudo

★ Florencio Morales Ramos (Ramito) Ramos (1915–1990) - Trovador

★ Herman Badillo (1929- ) - First puertorrican congressman

★ Jose Gautier Benitez - Poet

★ Jose Ignacio Quinton - pianist and composer of danzas.

★ Juan Carazo - Boxer

★ Julian Solis - Boxer

★ Dr. Libertario Pérez Rodríguez - Co-founder of the Caguas Basketball team.

★ Luis Felipe (La Voz) Rodríguez Quiñones (1926–1996) - Singer

★ Margot Arce de Vázquez (1904–1990) - Writer & educator

★ Miguel Cotto - Boxer

★ Raul Papaleo - Volleyball Player-Gold medalist in the Centroamerican games

★ Wilnelia Merced Cruz - Miss World 1975

Sister Cities

★ Hartford, USA

References

★ Caguas and its barrios, United States Census Bureau

External links

★ Official Web site

★ Eastern Center Virtual Library

★ Las Catalinas Mall

★ Caguas Community Portal

★ Huertas Junior College

★ San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

★ Columbia College

★ Map of Caguas Puerto Rico