Cidra, Puerto Rico

Cidra (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsiðɾa]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Cidra

Municipio de Cidra
Town and Municipality
Flag
Nicknames: 
"La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera" (City of Eternal Spring), "El Pueblo de la Paloma Sabanera"
Anthem: "Del corazón de Puerto Rico nació Cidra"
Location of Cidra in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°10′33″N 66°09′41″W
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Founded1809
Government
 • MayorJavier Carrasquillo (PNP)
 • Senatorial dist.6 - Guayama
 • Representative dist.29 
Area
 • Total36.46 sq mi (94.42 km2)
 • Land36 sq mi (94 km2)
 • Water0.16 sq mi (.42 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total43,480
 • Density1,200/sq mi (460/km2)
Demonym(s)Cidreños
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
Zip code
00739
Major routes
GNIS feature ID1610092[1]

Cidra is known as "El Pueblo de la Eterna Primavera" ("The Town of Eternal Spring") and "El Pueblo de la Paloma Sabanera".

History

The region of what is now Cidra belonged to the Taíno region of Cubuy, which covered a portion of the center of Puerto Rico, towards the East coast.[2] The region was led by cacique Caguax.

There are not many records that show that the region was populated after the Spanish colonization. However, it is believed that around 1795, a Catalan named Frujols built a hermitage or shrine around which a small village settled. The settlement became a ward of Cayey, until 1807 when the residents gave the power to Victoriano de Rivera to ask the Governor for permission to found an independent town. In 1809, a landowner known as Bibiana Vázquez donated the land needed for the foundation, and Governor Salvador Meléndez approved the petition. Victoriano de Rivera was appointed to lead the town, but he was quickly replaced by Wenceslao Vázquez due to illness.[3]

At the time of its foundation, Cidra had 26 houses and 11 huts. It is believed that its name is derived from the citron fruit which was widely cultivated in the region.[4][5] During the years following its foundation, a church and city hall were built. By 1822, there were already two public schools in town. Two years later, a road communicating the town with Caguas was opened. In 1868, the population of Cidra was more than 5,000 residents, which included European immigrants and slaves.

The United States acquired Puerto Rico from Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898. In 1899, the US conducted its first census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Cidra was 7,552.[6]

In 1902, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a law for the consolidation of certain municipalities. As a result, Cidra was again incorporated to the town of Cayey. However, in 1905 a new law revoked the previous one, turning Cidra into an independent municipality again.[7]

Hurricane Maria
Much of Cidra suffered landslides

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Cidra with the significant amount of rainfall. Some areas of Cidra experienced more than 25 landslides per kilometer.[8][9] Citizens, with machetes in hand, worked to clear the roadways of debri after the hurricane hit, especially in Rabanal, Arena and Ceiba, barrios of Cidra located at high altitudes. 1500 homes were left without a roof and many would never receive funds for repairs. One local (analog) radio antenna survived the catastrophe allowing for some communication within the town to take place. Before the hurricane there had been plans to eliminate the radio tower, but when 92.7% of Puerto Rico's towers were destroyed by the hurricane, plans to eliminate the analog radio tower were scrapped. Puerto Rico Highway 172, the main highway into Cidra from the Metropolitican area had to remain closed for repairs for five months. It was not until six months after the hurricane struck that power was restored to Cidra.[10]

Geography
Paloma sabanera

Cidra is located at the top of a hill in the eastern part of the Cordillera Central. It is bordered by the municipalities of Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Cayey, Aibonito, and Comerío. Cidra is a small municipality, covering only 36.1 square miles (94 km2).[11][12]

Water features
Lago de Cidra, Cidra, Puerto Rico

Cidra's hydrographic system consists mainly of Lago de Cidra reservoir, located in the municipality. The reservoir, which was built in 1946, provides water to several areas in the island.[13] There are also several rivers and creeks that cross the town like Arroyata, Bayamón, and Río de la Plata.

Fauna

The town is known for being the nesting place of the paloma sabanera (plain pigeon). The bird, which is at risk of extinction, is currently found mostly in the town of Cidra and other nearby towns.[14] In addition, there is various species of fish residing in the Lago de Cidra, as well as the famous lizards, called Gallina de Palo, surrounding the area.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Cidra is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as "el pueblo", near the center of the municipality.[15][16][17][18]

  1. Arenas
  2. Bayamón
  3. Beatriz
  4. Ceiba
  5. Certenejas
  6. Cidra barrio-pueblo
  7. Honduras
  8. Monte Llano
  9. Rabanal
  10. Rincón
  11. Río Abajo
  12. Salto
  13. Sud
  14. Toíta

Sectors
Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Cidra, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)[19] in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (which means sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[20]

Special Communities
See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Of the 742 places on the list of Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico), the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods are in Cidra: Barriada Ferrer, Candela, Comunidad San José (Laberinto), La Línea, La Milagrosa, Río Abajo, and Santa Teresita.[21]

Tourism

Although Cidra is not known as a tourist main stop, it features several places of interest to visit. The town center features historic places like Nuestra Señora del Carmen Parish and the Iberia Theater, both built during the first half of the 20th Century.

In the outskirts of the town, tourists can visit Lake Cidra and Perico's Waterfalls. Frog's Rock and Hamacas Bridge are also landmarks frequently visited by tourists.[4]

The renovation of el Parque del Niño (children's park), which includes water features and a skatepark was completed in 2019.[22]

Economy

The economy of Cidra has relied mostly on agriculture, particularly coffee, tobacco, and minor fruits. Cattle ranching is also a source of economy in the town. In recent years, pharmaceutical and clothing industries have become participants of the economy of Cidra.[11][23]

Culture

A number of cultural events take place during the year, most prominently:[24]

Religion

There are a number of churches and chapels from several denominations in Cidra. The main parish, Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen, was established in 1813.[29] The original structure was destroyed by earthquakes in the 1860s, but completely rebuilt by 1952.[4] Cidra's patron saint is the Virgin Mary. Its festivities are held each July.

Also in front of the town square is the First Baptist Church, which was established by American missionary Edgar Humphrey in 1903. The original wood structure was destroyed in 1928 by San Felipe Hurricane, but rebuilt in concrete, wood, and zinc.[4]

Sports

Cidra doesn't have a professional sports team. However, they have a successful amateur team, Bravos de Cidra, that participates in the Puerto Rican Amateur Baseball Federation.[30][31] The Bravos team has won nine championships, and as of 2014, are en route to win their third consecutive one.[32] The main baseball facility is the Jesús María Freire Stadium, where the Bravos play.

Cidra is also the birthplace of several important figures in the Puerto Rican sports scene. Some of them are former MLB players Luis Rivera and Luis López, as well as former coach of the Puerto Rico men's national basketball team Flor Meléndez. Boxer José Pedraza was also born in Cidra.

Famous Cidreños
  • Pura Belpré [33]
  • Vicente Carattini - Singer and Composer of Puerto Rican Christmas related songs
  • Isabel Freire de Matos - was a writer, educator, journalist, and activist for Puerto Rican independence
  • Antonio Torres Pérez (Pancholo) - Actor and Comedian
  • Ruth Evelyn Cruz - Writer and Poet
  • Felito Félix - Singer[34]
  • Carmen Navarro Barros - Public Librarian, they called "La bibliotecaria del pueblo". She wrote several information about the story of Cidra.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19007,552—
191010,59540.3%
192014,78939.6%
193019,66233.0%
194020,3923.7%
195020,4910.5%
196021,8916.8%
197023,8929.1%
198028,36518.7%
199035,60125.5%
200042,75320.1%
201043,4801.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[35]
1899 (shown as 1900)[36] 1910-1930[37]
1930-1950[38] 1960-2000[39] 2010[17]

The population of Cidra increased steadily during the 20th Century. Since 1899, the population has risen more than 200%. According to the 2010 census, the municipality currently has 43,480 inhabitants.[40]

According to the 2010 Census, 77% of the population identifies themselves as White, and 8.3% as African-American. Also, 48.9% of the population identified themselves as males, and 51.1% as females. Finally, 25% of the population is under 18 years old. The next biggest percentage of population (20.7%) is between 35 and 49 years old.[41]

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Cidra is Javier Carrasquillo, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He succeeded Angel L. Malavé Zayas in 2012, after Malavé was accused of lewd conduct in 2011. Malavé had served as mayor since being elected at the 1988 general 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.[42]

Symbols

Flag and coat of arms
Flag of Cidra

The flag of Cidra features one brown vertical stripe on the left side, with a width of about one-third the length of the flag. It also features two equal-sized horizontal stripes to the right side of the brown one. The above stripe is green, while the lower one is yellow, or golden. The golden color symbolizes the richness of the fruits and its hydrography, as well as the spiritual wealth of the region. The green symbolizes the green landscape that can be seen in Cidra throughout the year, which is also the reason why the town is called the "Town of the Eternal Spring". The brown symbolizes the Virgin, patron saint of the town, and also the Paloma sabanera that is widely seen in the area.[7]

Some versions of the flag also feature the coat of arms on the left hand side, over the intersection of the three stripes. The coat of arms was approved in the 1970s by the Municipal Assembly. It features a red band crossing the shield diagonally, from left to right. Over the red band lies a golden citrus, which is believed to be one of the reasons for the town's name, and a cornucopia of fruits, which alludes to Cidra's role as one of the major producers of fruits of the island. The upper field is either white or silver, and features two symbols: a black scapular representing the Virgin, and a black bishop hat referencing San Juan Nepomuceno, bishop and martyr. The lower field is mostly blue and features a brown pigeon flying over a mountain range, representing the location of the town in the Central Mountain Range, and a set of silver water waves. The whole seal is capped by a three-tower crown, which is usually seen in municipal seals in the island.[11]

Nicknames

Cidra is known mostly by two names. It is known as the "Town of the Eternal Spring" for its cool temperatures. It is also known as the "Town of the Plain Pigeon" because the abundance of that bird in the town.[11]

Education

There are around 15 public schools in Cidra. As with all other municipalities, education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

Elementary school
  • Ceiba Nueva - Ceiba
  • Ciprián Castrodad - Río Abajo
  • Luis Muñoz Rivera - Cidra
  • Escuela Regino Vega Martínez - (Anterior: Escuela Nueva Santa Clara, Escuela Nueva de Arenas)
  • Urbana (K-3) - Río Abajo

Junior high school
  • Jesús T. Piñero (7-8) - Cidra

Mixed (elementary/junior high)
  • Bilingüe - Certenejas
  • Clemencia Meléndez Santos - Rabanal
  • Certenejas (I & II) - Certenejas
  • Juan D. Stubbe - Bayamón
  • Pedro Díaz Fonseca - Beatriz
  • Pedro Maria Dominicci - Rincón

High school
  • Ana J. Candelas - Sud
  • Luis Muñoz Iglesias - Cidra
  • Vocacional Ruth Evelyn Cruz - Sud

Transportation

The main road to Cidra is Road 172, which branches out from the Puerto Rico Highway 52. Its distance from the capital is approximately 40 minutes.[11] Other roads that lead to the town are #787 and #173.

There are 19 bridges in Cidra.[43]

See also

References
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