Naranjito, Puerto Rico

Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Municipality

Flag
Nickname(s): "La Ciudad de los Colores", "El Pueblo de los Changos", "La Cuna del Voleibol"
Motto(s): "Naranjito Brilla"
Anthem: Naranjito, mi hogar predilecto

Location of Naranjito in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°18′03″N 66°14′42″W / 18.30083°N 66.24500°W / 18.30083; -66.24500Coordinates: 18°18′03″N 66°14′42″W / 18.30083°N 66.24500°W / 18.30083; -66.24500
Country  United States
Territory  Puerto Rico
Founded December 3, 1824
Founded by Braulio Morales
Government
 • Mayor Hon. Orlando Ortíz Chevres (PNP)
 • Senatorial District VI - Guayama
Carlos J. Torres Torres (PNP)
 • Representative District 28
Rafael Rivera Ortega (PNP)
Area
 • Total 28.4 sq mi (73.54 km2)
 • Land 28.2 sq mi (73.0 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation 2,997 ft (700 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 30,402
 • Density 1,100/sq mi (410/km2)
Demonym(s) Naranjiteños
Time zone UTC−4 (AST)
Zip code 00719
Area code +1 (spec. +1-787 and +1-939)

Naranjito (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾaŋˈxito], Little Orange) is a municipality of Puerto Rico (U.S.) located in the central region of the island, south of Toa Alta; north of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Corozal; and west of Bayamón. Naranjito is spread over 15 wards and Naranjito Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The struggle to form the Naranjito town began in 1810. After a series of major incidents with powerful political interests of the time, on December 3, 1824, Don Braulio Morales successfully founded the town of Naranjito. The town was founded in the neighborhood of the same name, on a land donated by Doña Manuela Rivera and Don Braulio Morales. Morales was named "Captain Settler" and at the same time was appointed mayor of the town in development. The name "Naranjito" is derived from a small orange tree that served as a reference point for travelers looking for in the shortest way to the town of Toa Alta. At the time of its foundation, Naranjito consisted of five wards/districts, "Lomas", "Guadiana", "Achiote", "Nuevo" and "Cedro". "Cedro" was divided in 1853 in "Cedro Arriba" and "Cedro Abajo", also having the urban zone composed by "San Miguel", "San Antonio" and "San Cristobal" districts.[1]

Cityscape

Barrios

Tourism

Puente Atirantado Jesús Izcoa Moure.

Landmarks and places of interest

  • Anones Park
  • Cancha Gelito Ortega
  • Cedro Abajo Falls (Las Lagrimas Falls)
  • La Marina Boardwalk
  • La Plata Lake
  • Las Avispas Hills
  • Municipal Swimming Pool
  • Trovador Plaza
  • Mirador de Anones
  • Puente Atirantado Jesús Izcoa Moure
  • El Cerro Community

Economy

Traditionally the main agricultural crops of Naranjito are coffee and the tobacco. In recent years have borne fruits such as bananas, oranges, papayas, and other tropical fruits; also in the town the poultry factory has been very popular, specifically the dairy cattle (fresh milk). Naranjito has many factories, most of these factories make garments (clothing).[3]

Culture

Festivals and events

  • Mothers Day - May
  • San Antonio Day - June
  • Chango Festival - June
  • Anon Festival - June
  • Volleyball Tournament - February - June
  • San Miguel Arcangel Day - September
  • Patron Festivities - September - October
  • Turkey marathon - November

Sports

Naranjito Changos better known as Los Changos De Naranjito are a professional male volleyball team based in Naranjito. The team is one of the most successful sport's franchises in Puerto Rico.[4]

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. On November 4, 2008, Orlando Ortíz Chevres (of the New Progressive Party), won the elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.[5]

Symbols

Flag

Naranjito's flag consists of an orange flag crossed by two narrow green stripes close to the superior and inferior edges. The orange color in the flag symbolizes the town of Naranjito (little orange tree), while the green symbolizes its green mountains.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is a red cross, the symbol of San Miguel de Arcángel, Patron of Naranjito. The globe with the cross symbolizes the power and sovereignty of God. The gold and red stripes that appear in the second and third quarters, constitute the primitive baton of the Guadiana lineage. The lily twigs are a tribute of San Antonio de Padua, confessor and doctor of the Church. The orange tree represents the small tree that gave the town's name, Naranjito. The crown is symbol of moral unit of the town.

Education

Naranjito includes several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education

Elementary schools

  • Bernarda Robles De Hevia
  • Don Manolo Rivera
  • Felipa Sanchez Cruzado
  • Jose Archilla Cabrera
  • Jose Fina Marrero
  • Francisco Roque Muñoz
  • Rosa Luz Zayas
  • Silvestre Martinez

Middle and junior high schools

  • Coleen Vazquez Urrutia
  • Mercedes Rosado
  • S.U. Adolfo Garcia
  • S.U. Fidel G Padilla
  • S.U. Pedro Fernandez

High schools

  • Francisco Morales
  • Vocacional Rubén Rodríguez Figueroa

Private schools

  • Academia Santa Teresita (K-12)

Media

A foot pursuit of the movie Fast & Furious 5 in which Diesel, Brewster and Walker are chased across favela rooftops by Johnson and his team was filmed over the course of a week in the small hillside town of Naranjito, Puerto Rico. The scene was considered difficult to shoot, as pathways were slippery from moist tropical heat and the scene involved actors and stunt doubles running while avoiding dogs, chickens and other stray animals loose in the area. To capture the scene, a 420-foot cable-camera rig was used to allow for a fast moving, birds-eye view of the action, and cameras on cranes were set up on rooftops and in alleyways.[40] Walker and Brewster made multiple takes of the conclusion of the scene, requiring them to jump nearly 30 feet from a building onto a waiting safety mat.[11] In total the production employed 236 technicians, 13,145 extras, and generated 16,824 room nights at hotels, contributing $27 million to the Puerto Rican community.[29]

Notable People

  • Yazaira Lopez, the winner of Va por Ti co-production of Univision and Televisa 2014
  • Christian Nieves,an internationally known cuatro player
  • Barbara Serrano, recognized writer and first runner-up of Miss World Puerto Rico 2000

Books about Naranjito

  • El Chango. Apuntes Historicos del Pueblo de Naranjito-1824-1998, Author: Silvestre J. Morales 1999

See also

References

  • Morales, Papucho (2009). Manual informativo del Gobierno Municipal de Naranjito, Puerto Rico. Gobierno Municipal de Naranjito, PR.
  • Welcome to Puerto Rico! Naranjito
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