Saipan

Saipan ( /saɪˈpæn/) is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10’51”N, 145°45’21”E) with a total area of 44.55 sq mi (115.4 km2). The 2000 census population was 62,392. The Northern Mariana Islands has a population of 80,362 (2005 estimate).

The Commonwealth's center of government is located in the village of Capital Hill on the island. As the entire island is organized as a single municipality, most publications term "Saipan" as the Commonwealth's capital.

Located at latitude of 15.25° north and longitude of 145.75° east, about 120 mi (190 km) north of Guam, Saipan is about 12 mi (19 km) long and 5.6 mi (9.0 km) wide. It is a popular tourist destination in the Pacific.

The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef which creates a large lagoon. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged rocky cliffs and a reef. Its highest point is a limestone covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,560 ft (480 m). Many people consider Mount Tapochau to be an extinct volcano, but is in fact a limestone formation. To the north of Mount Tapochau towards Banzai Cliff is a ridge of hills. Mount Achugao, situated about 2 miles north, has been interpreted to be a remnant of a stratified composite volcanic cone whose Eocene center was not far north of the present peak.

Besides English, the indigenous Chamorro language is spoken by approximately 19 percent of the inhabitants. The island also has many other large, strongly defined lingual and ethnic groups because of the large percentage of contract workers (60% of total population, as of 2001) from China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In addition, a large percentage of the island's population includes first-generation immigrants from Japan, China, and Korea, and immigrants from many of the other Micronesian islands.

The population figure being given as of 2001 is now out of date as a major portion of the population would have been present for the garment industry. While some garment workers remain working in other occupations more returned to their home countries, went to Guam or to the United States.

Agriculture, flora and fauna

Undeveloped areas on the island are covered with sword grass meadows and dense, dry-forest jungle known as Tangan-Tangan. Coconuts, papayas, and Thai hot peppers – locally called "Donne Sali" or "Boonie Peppers" – are among the fruits that grow wild. Mango, taro root, and bananas are a few of the many foods cultivated by local families and farmers. Sportfishing is excellent[citation needed] offshore, with numerous small boats catching tuna, wahoo, billfish and many other species.

A number of native birds are easily visible to visitors: among them, Melanesian Honeyeaters; Pacific Reef Herons; and collared kingfishers.

The island used to have a large population of giant African land snails, introduced either deliberately as a food source, or accidentally by shipping. It became an agricultural pest. In the last few decades, its numbers have been substantially controlled by an introduced flatworm, Platydemus manokwari. Unfortunately, possibly due to the flatworm, the native tree-snails also became extinct.

Music

Music on Saipan can generally be broken down into three categories: local, mainland American and Asian. Local consists of Chamorro, Carolinian, Micronesian and Hawaiian Reggae, Called (Jahwaiian) music and song, often with traditional dance for many occasions. Mainland American consists of many of the same varieties that can be found on U.S. radio, and Asian consists of Japanese, Korean, Thai and Philippine music among others. There are seven radio stations on Saipan, which play mainly popular and classic English-language songs as well as local and Philippine music.

Television

Local television stations on Saipan are the following:

KPPI-LP (ABC7), the ABC affiliate (repeats KTGM), which is owned by Sorensen Media Group.

KSPN 2, which is owned by the Flame Tree Network.

The Visitors Channel 3, which is owned by the Flame Tree Network.

WSZE-TV 10, the NBC affiliate (repeats KUAM-TV in Guam), which is owned by Pacific Telestations.

Economy

Tourism has long been a vital source of the island's revenue, although the industry has undergone a serious decline since the Asian Economic Crisis of the mid-to-late 1990s. Some major airlines have since ceased regular service to the island. Some internationally-known businesses which located to Saipan are struggling, and some have left.

In years past, the main economic driving force in Saipan was garment manufacturing, driven largely by foreign contract workers (mainly from China). As of March 2007, 19 companies manufactured garments on Saipan. In addition to many foreign-owned and run companies, many well-known U.S. brands also operated garment factories in Saipan for much of the last three decades. Brands included Gap (as of 2000 operating six factories there), Levi Strauss,Phillips-Van Heusen,Abercrombie & Fitch, L'Oreal subsidiary Ralph Lauren (Polo), Lord & Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, and Walmart.

Currently, there are no garment manufacturers on the island, with the last one having closed on January 15, 2009. On November 28, 2009, the federal government took control of immigration to the Northern Mariana Islands.

Current economic conditions (Jan 2011) in Saipan are bleak. The government of the Commonwealth of Mariana Islands, the biggest employer on Saipan, is frequently unable to make payroll on time, resulting in "payless paydays".There is a gulf that exists between wages offered by government agencies and those in private industry. The private industry employers frequently hire non U.S. Citizen contract workers who will work for significantly lower wages. (The minimum wage in Saipan and CNMI is $5.05). The local government opted out of the U.S. Social Security system, and instead implemented a pensioned retirement for government employees after 20 years of service. This system proved to be economically unfeasible and has been replaced by a mandatory 401K-like structure. The government retirement fund is underfunded for its liabilities.

Foreign contract labor abuse and exemptions from U.S. federal regulations

Excerpted from "Immigration and the CNMI: A report of the US Commission on Immigration Reform", January 7, 1998:

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) immigration system is antithetical to the principals that are at the core of the US immigration policy. Over time, the CNMI has developed an immigration system dominated by the entry of foreign temporary contract workers. These now outnumber US citizens but have few rights within the CNMI and are subject to serious labor and human rights abuses. In contrast to US immigration policy, which admits immigrants for permanent residence and eventual citizenship, the CNMI admits aliens largely as temporary contract workers who are ineligible to gain either US citizenship or civil and social rights within the commonwealth. Only a few countries and no democratic society have immigration policies similar to the CNMI. The closest equivalent is Kuwait. The end result of the CNMI policy is to have a minority population governing and severely limiting the rights of the majority population who are alien in every sense of the word.

On March 31, 1998, US Senator Daniel Akaka said:

The Commonwealth shares our American flag, but it does not share the American system of immigration. There is something fundamentally wrong with a CNMI immigration system that issues permits to recruiters, who in turn promise well-paying American jobs to foreigners in exchange for a $6,000 recruitment fee. When the workers arrive in Saipan, they find their recruiter has vanished and there are no jobs in sight. Hundreds of these destitute workers roam the streets of Saipan with little or no chance of employment and no hope of returning to their homeland. The State Department has confirmed that the government of China is an active participant in the CNMI immigration system. There is something fundamentally wrong with an immigration system that allows the government of China to prohibit Chinese workers from exercising political or religious freedom while employed in the United States. Something is fundamentally wrong with a CNMI immigration system that issues entry permits for 12- and 13-year-old girls from the Philippines and other Asian nations, and allows their employers to use them for live sex shows and prostitution. Finally, something is fundamentally wrong when a Chinese construction worker asks if he can sell one of his kidneys for enough money to return to China and escape the deplorable working conditions in the Commonwealth and the immigration system that brought him there. There are voices in the CNMI telling us that the cases of worker abuse we keep hearing about are isolated examples, that the system is improving, and that worker abuse is a thing of the past. These are the same voices that reap the economic benefits of a system of indentured labor that enslaves thousands of foreign workers – a system described in a bi-partisan study as "an unsustainable economic, social and political system that is antithetical to most American values." There is overwhelming evidence that abuse in the CNMI occurs on a grand scale and the problems are far from isolated.

In 1991, Levi Strauss & Co. was embarrassed by a scandal involving six subsidiary factories run on Saipan by the Tan Holdings Corporation. It was revealed that Chinese laborers in those factories suffered under what the U.S. Department of Labor called "slavelike" conditions.[citation needed] Cited for sub-minimal wages, seven-day work week schedules with twelve-hour shifts, poor living conditions and other indignities (including the alleged removal of passports and the virtual imprisonment of workers), Tan would eventually pay what was then the largest fines in U.S. labor history, distributing more than $9 million in restitution to some 1200 employees. At the time, Tan factories produced 3% of Levi's jeans with the "Made in the U.S.A." label. Levi Strauss claimed that it had no knowledge of the offenses, severed ties to the Tan family, and instituted labor reforms and inspection practices in its offshore facilities.

Other local issues

Despite an annual rainfall of 80 to 100 inches (2,000 to 2,500 mm), the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC), the local government-run water utility company on Saipan, is unable to deliver 24-hour-a-day potable water to its customers in certain areas. As a result, several large hotels use reverse osmosis to produce fresh water for their customers. In addition, many homes and small businesses augment the sporadic and sometimes brackish water provided by CUC with rainwater collected and stored in cisterns. Most locals buy drinking water from water distributors and use tap water only for bathing or washing.

Saipan also has a negative place in many Irish people's minds after the “Roy Keane Incident”, a bitter and public falling-out between Republic of Ireland soccer star Roy Keane and Ireland manager Mick McCarthy which took place before the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Demographics

Commonwealth Health Center, Saipan, 2006, the island's only public hospital.

According to the last census in 2000, the population of Saipan was 62,392. Mono-racial people totaled 56,355, and their demographic breakdown in descending order by category was as follows:

Asians numbered 35,985, comprising 57.7% of the population.

Filipino: 16,280 (26.1%)

Chinese: 15,040 (24.1%)

Korean: 1,945 (3.1%)

Other Asian ethnicities: 962 (1.5%)

Japanese: 898 (1.4%)

Bangladeshi: 690 (1.1%)

Nepalese: 170 (0.3%)

Pacific Islanders numbered 18,781, comprising 30.1% of the population.

Chamorro: 11,644 (18.7%)

Carolinian: 2,645 (4.2%)

Palauan: 1,642 (2.6%)

Chuukese: 1,382 (2.2%)

Pohnpeian: 614 (1.0%)

Other Pacific Islander ethnicities: 502 (0.8%)

Yapese: 192 (0.3%)

Marshallese: 109 (0.2%)

Kosraean: 51 (0.1%)

People of two or more races or ethnic groups numbered 6,037, comprising 9.7% of the population.

Whites numbered 1,121, comprising 1.8% of the population.

Other races/ethnic groups numbered 435, comprising 0.7% of the population.

Blacks numbered 33, comprising 0.1% of the population.

45.2% of the population was male, 54.8% was female. The median age of the island's population was 28.7, which is higher than in most other Oceanic regions due to its volume of foreign workers.

The population rose 18% (9,694) since the previous census in 1995.

Education

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System serves Saipan.

Northern Marianas College is a two-year community college serving the Northern Mariana Islands.

Notable residents from the mainland United States

Larry Hillblom: 1980s–1995

Guy Gabaldon: 1926–2006

Appearances in fiction

Saipan was a major part of the plot in the Tom Clancy novel Debt of Honor. The island is invaded by Japan, as part of a systematic attack on the United States.

Much of the action in 2002 film Windtalkers takes place during the invasion of Saipan during World War II.

A significant part of the novel Amrita by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto takes place in Saipan with regular references to the landscape and spirituality of the island.

Appearances in television

Location for South Korean band,TVXQ's All About TVXQ! Season 3 Storybook in Saipan.

Saipan was the main site for a South Korean dating reality TV show "Kko Kko Tour".

Also the location for the South Korean Variety Show "Lets Go! Dream Team Season 2" Survival Special, which was used to find the true ace of the program.

Also the location for the South Korean TV show "Hot Brothers" air date 6 October 2010 at Pacific Islands Club.

Saipan International Airport

Saipan International Airport (IATA: SPN, ICAO: PGSN, FAA LID: GSN), also known as Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, is a public airport located on Saipan Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airport is owned by Commonwealth Ports Authority.

Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Saipan International Airport is assigned GSN by the FAA and SPN by the IATA (which assigned GSN to Mount Gunson, South Australia, Australia).

History

Continental Micronesia (originally Air Micronesia) started service on May 16, 1968. The airline initially had its main hub in Saipan Airport. As time passed, the airline's general traffic to and from Saipan had decreased due to the breakup of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; because the territory was subdivided into smaller political units, less people needed to travel to Saipan, the former capital of the trust territory. On July 15, 2008, the airline's Manila-Saipan flight, the final remaining Continental Micronesia directly-operated flight, ended.

Saipan International Airport covers an area of 734 acres (297 ha) which contains one paved runway (7/25) measuring 8,700 x 200 ft (2,652 x 61 m).

For 12-month period ending December 31, 2005, the airport had 39,542 aircraft operations, an average of 108 per day: 61% air taxi, 19% general aviation, 18% scheduled commercial and 1% military.

Once in American hands, Isley Field was expanded considerably to support Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortress operations. The XXI Bomber Command had been assigned the overall responsibility of the B-29 operations out of the Marianas bases, and Isley Field was to be used by the 73rd Bombardment Wing (which consisted of the 497th, 498th, 499th, and 500th Bombardment Groups).

The first B-29 arrived on Saipan on October 12, 1944, and by November 22, over 100 B-29s were at Isley. The XXI Bomber Command was assigned the task of destroying the aircraft industry of Japan in a series of high-altitude, daylight precision attacks.

After several months of disappointing high level bombing attacks from Isley (and the other Twentieth Air Force airfields on Guam and Tinian), General Curtiss LeMay, Commander of Twentieth Air Force issued a new directive that the high-altitude, daylight attacks be phased out and replaced by low-altitude, high-intensity incendiary raids at nighttime, being followed up with high explosive bombs once the targets were set ablaze. These nighttime attacks on Japan proved devastatingly effective, and the Superfortress missions from Isley Field led to massive destruction of industrial targets in Japan, with large industrial areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka being repeatedly attacked by waves of American bombers flying from the Marianas until the war's end. In response to these attacks, most of the Japanese air attacks on the Mariana Islands between November 1944 and January 1945 targeted Isley Field.

Postwar

With the end of the war the wing's four bomb groups were all returned to the United States, with their B-29s either being flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines for scrapping, or were flown to storage facilities in Texas or Arizona. The 73d Bomb Wing was reassigned to the United States in December 1945. The airfield was returned to civil control and it reverted back to being called Aslito Field.

In 2005, Japan Airlines suspended its services from Japan to SPN. Routes to Osaka and Nagoya were taken over by Northwest Airlines. The airport was also renamed after former Lt. Gov. Francisco C. Ada that year.

Rota (island)

Rota (Chamorro: Luta) also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam. Songsong village is the largest and most populated followed by Sinapalo village (Sinapalu). In 1521, the first European to see Rota, was the lookout on Magellan's ship Victoria, Lope Navarro. However, Magellan's Armada of three ships didn't stop until they reached Guam, so the first European to arrive in Rota (in 1524), was Spanish navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano, who annexed it together with the rest of the Marianas Archipelago on behalf of the Crown of Spain. Rota has diverse flora and fauna. The current mayor is Melchor A. Mendiola, a local businessman.

Geography

Rota is approximately 11 miles (17 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide. Its coastline is about 38 miles (62 km) long. The highest point on Rota is Mt. Manira which is 1,625 feet (495 m) high. Rota is 47 miles (76 km) north of Guam, and is 63 miles (101 km) south of Tinian and is 73 miles (117 km) south of Saipan.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System operates public schools.

Rota has three public schools:

Rota High School (only high school on Rota) is located at the Liyo Area in Songsong village.

Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior High School (formerly known as Rota Junior High School) is located in Songsong village.

Sinapalo Elementary School is located in Sinapalo village.

Rota's elementary school and junior high school (middle school) were formerly located in the same area and shared class buildings at Songsong village. After the new elementary school was built in Sinapalo, the Songsong village school ground was reopened as Rota Junior High. In 2010, the junior high school was renamed for the former Commissioner of Education, Dr. Rita Hocog Inos.

Rota has two private schools:

Eskuelan San Francisco De Borja (ESFDB): Prep-9th Grade (Located in Songsong Village)

Grace Christian Academy (GCA): Prep-9th Grade (Located in Sinapalo Village)

Rota International Airport

Rota International Airport (IATA: ROP, ICAO: PGRO, FAA LID: GRO) is a public airport located on Rota Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), near the village of Sinapalo. The airport is owned by the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Rota International Airport is assigned GRO by the FAA and ROP by the IATA (which assigned GRO to Girona-Costa Brava Airport in Girona, Spain).

Facilities and aircraft

Rota International Airport covers an area of 820 acres (324 ha) which contains one paved runway (9/27) measuring 6,000 x 150 ft (1,829 x 46 m). For 12-month period ending March 31, 2006, the airport had 6,550 aircraft operations, an average of 17 per day: 94% air taxi, 4% general aviation and 2% military. Since the CNMI is a separate immigration and customs jurisdiction, Rota International Airport is a designated port of entry staffed by the CNMI Division of Immigration and the CNMI Division of Customs.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began its Rota operations in March 2006. After the creation of TSA in 2002 but before Rota Airport was "federalized" in 2006, passengers from Rota had to be screened upon arrival on Guam or Saipan.The lack of TSA at Rota Airport was a nuisance for passengers transiting from Guam through Rota to Saipan, who had to encounter screenings (either customs or security) at all three points.

Tinian

Tinian ( /ˈtɪniən/ or /ˌtiːniˈɑːn/) is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. It is perhaps best known for being the base from which the United States launched their atomic bomb attacks on Japan during World War II.

Tinian is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi. (101.01 km²). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguijan Island (2.74 sq mi, or 7.09 km²), it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern Marianas. The total area of the municipality is 41.74 sq mi (108.1 km²). Tinian's largest village is San Jose. The island has a variety of flora and fauna, as well as limestone cliffs and caves. There is also a variety of marine life and coral reefs surrounding the island. Its clear, warm waters are ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as sport fishing.

Tinian has two gas stations and a casino, The Dynasty, which includes a luxury hotel, shops and restaurants and is adjacent to Tachogna beach and Taga Beach. The village of San Jose has several smaller hotels and restaurants and bars. The airport is small and serviced by two airlines, Freedom Air, which operates daily scheduled flights, and Star Marianas Air, which operates by charter. There is also ferry boat service twice daily between Tinian and Saipan. The island also has the only intact Shinto shrine on the Mariana Islands.

Much of the local economy is dependent on tourism. The largest employers on the island are the government and the casino. As of March 2006, the island has plans to put in four new casinos. The 2000 census showed a population of 3,540 for the island.

House of Taga (Mariana Islands)

The House of Taga is a Latte stone site, one of the largest such structures in the Marianas. The stones are quarried limestone, each approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in length. Of the twelve large Latte structures, only one is still standing.

West Field

Airfield construction was originally built by the Japanese, and built with two parallel runways. It was repaired by the Americans, and then called West Field.

West Field, Tinian, 8 July 1945

When the United States turned the entire island, excepting its three highland areas, into a 40,000-personnel installation, Navy Seabees (107th NCB ) laid out the base in a pattern of city streets resembling New York's Manhattan Island and named the streets accordingly. The area south of West Field was developed from the main Japanese installation at Sunharon. This was nicknamed "The Village" because its location corresponded to that of Greenwich Village. A large square area between West and North Fields, used primarily only for the location of the base hospitals and otherwise left undeveloped, was called Central Park.

Post World War II, West Field was Tinian's airport called Gurguan Point Airfield; and today is Tinian International Airport.

North Field (Tinian)

This North Field (Ushi Point Airfield) is not to be confused with the prior name of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

The Japanese had constructed three small fighter strips on Tinian but none were suitable for bomber operations. Under the Americans, nearly the entire northern end of the island was occupied by the runways, nearly 11 miles (18 km) of taxiways and the airfield area, designed to accommodate an entire 313th Bombardment Wing of B-29 Superfortress bombers.

Enola Gay dropped Little Boy.

It was from Tinian that the bombers from the 509th Composite Group carrying the atomic bombs Little Boy and Fat Man were launched against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bomb had been delivered to the island by the USS Indianapolis on July 26, 1945.

North Field is where the remains of the US bomber base and Atom Bomb Pits, as well as the remains of Japanese fortifications, can be found. There is a memorial on the old airfield at the loading pits, which had been filled in for safety. Both pits were recently reopened in conjunction with the 60th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battles of Saipan and Tinian. Originally, the pits had been constructed to load the large bombs, since each bomb was too large to be loaded in the conventional manner. The planes were maneuvered over a pit with their bomb bay doors open to facilitate loading.

Tinian International Airport

Tinian International Airport (IATA: TIQ, ICAO: PGWT, FAA LID: TNI), also known as West Tinian Airport, is a public airport located on Tinian Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This airport is owned by Commonwealth Ports Authority.

Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Tinian International Airport is assigned TNI by the FAA and TIQ by the IATA (which assigned TNI to Satna, India). The airport's ICAO identifier is PGWT

Facilities and aircraft

Tinian International Airport covers an area of 1,416 acres (573 ha) which contains one paved runway (8/26) measuring 8,600 x 150 ft (2,621 x 46 m).

For 12-month period ending 31 March 2006 the airport had 17,829 aircraft operations, an average of 48 per day: 84% air taxi, 16% general aviation and <1% military.

Tinian, with its sister islands of the Marianas, had passed through Spanish and German hands prior to becoming a Protectorate of Japan following World War I. Under Japanese administration, Tinian was largely a sugar plantation. The island had three good airfields with a fourth under construction by the Japanese in 1944. Tinian International Airport originated as one of these airfields, having two parallel runways.

By mid-1944, the Americans had advanced inside the Japanese ring of defense in the Pacific Theater. On Tinian, the United States Army Air Forces could establish bases to conduct long-range strategic offensive air operations over the Japanese Home Islands with the new B-29 Superfortress, Assaulted on July 24, 1944 by United States Marines from Saipan, which had just been taken the previous month. After a fierce bombardment, the 4th Marine division landed. The Japanese were taken by surprise, and the offensive was regarded as one of the best-executed amphibious operation of the war.

Once under American control, a massive construction project was begun on the island, and the Japanese airfield was repaired and expanded, being named as West Field, or Gurguan Point Airfield due to its geographical location. West Field became operationally ready in the early spring of 1945, and the Twentieth Air Force XXI Bomber Command 58th Bombardment Wing was assigned to the field, being reassigned from Hijli Base Area, India.

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Aguadilla, founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is a principal city of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Aguadilla has been the recipient of the "Best Quality of Life Award", given by the National Mayor Association, in 2002 and 2004.

The present territory of the City of Aguadilla, was originally part of the territory of Aguada, which segregated around 1780 to form an independent party.

Formerly, all the section of Aguada's territory that today constitutes the Victoria and Higüey wards was known as Aguadilla. Long before 1770 in Higüey existed a village, which in 1776 Fray Iñigo Abbot, in his description of the towns of the island, mentions as the "new Town of San Carlos of the Aguadilla." Nevertheless, according to Dr. Agustín Stahl in his "Foundation of Aguadilla", it was not until 1780 that the town was officially founded. The construction of a new church and the proceedings to become independent from Puerto Rico and to constitute itself an independent party began in the 1775.

Aerial view of downtown Aguadilla.

The population in the Village of Aguadilla continued to increase constantly mainly due to its excellent port and strategic location in the route of the boats. In 1776, when Santo Domingo became independent for the first time, the loyals to Spain emigrated to Puerto Rico, mainly to Aguadilla, which caused the population to continue increasing significantly. In 1831, according to Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova, the party of Aguadilla belonged to Aguada. At this time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla was as follows: Pueblo Norte (North Town), Pueblo Sur (South Town), Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Montaña, Malezas, Aguacate, Dos Palmas, Camaseyes, Plainela, Borinquen, Arenales, Higüey, Corrales, Victoria, and Mangual.

Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova mentions the road of Aguadilla formed by the Point of Borinquen and the Point of San Francisco, as the "fordeadero of the ships that travel from Europe to Havana and Mexico". He adds that its "port is the most frequented in the Island due to the proportions that it offers to refresh all class of ship.

Ramey

Aguadilla was the site of the U.S. military's Ramey Air Force Base for almost five decades. During this period, Aguadilla was home to the Strategic Air Command 72nd Bombardment Wing, Heavy equipped with B-52s, a very strategic facility during the Cold War. During the early years of the base and throughout World War II, Puerto Ricans in the area became more Americanized than in remote locations, and the after effects are still apparent in Aguadilla, and other towns like Aguada, Moca and Isabela.

The military and Puerto Ricans from the surrounding communities generally had good formal relations, but the undercurrent of resentment in many aspects of the relationship was always just below the surface. The Ugly American attitude was far more prevalent in those days than today, and almost all Puerto Ricans have stories of abusive treatment or gross discrimination. They were often treated like second class citizens in their own homeland. In fact, many Americans stationed in the area didn't even realize that their fellow Americans were even American citizens. They expected the Puerto Ricans to treat them as if they were their great benefactors, rather than fellow American citizens.

Though the infrastructure still exists, it was handed over to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the 1973. The aerial facilities are now civilian controlled by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. The facilities now make up the Rafael Hernandez International Airport. The barracks now host the Faro Inn Suites, a 79-room hotel. The Officer's Club now hosts the Faro Conference Center, a 22000 sq. ft. (2044 sq. m.) meeting facility. The hospital is now the Courtyard by Marriott Punta Borinquen Resort & Casino, a 150-room hotel with a casino and the first Marriott in Puerto Rico out of the San Juan Metropolitan Area.

Ramey also hosts the University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla Campus and the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School (K-6). The High School became Ramey Job Corps Campus and the elementary school became the Esther Feliciano Mendoza Middle School. Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes (CABA) since 1979 has being the only plublic school of arts in Puerto Rico (7-12). In 138 Wing Road, Base Ramey you can find Alicia Sotomayor a well known watercolor artist.

Ramey is also the site of the new Ramey Skating Park and a new "mariposario" (butterfly farm).

There is still an active part of the base that hosts the Coast Guard Borinquen Air Station. There are also other government agencies based at Ramey. They include the United States Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, and the United States Border Patrol, the Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (United Forces for Rapid Action) of the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Puerto Rico National Guard.

Tragedy on election day in 1944

On the early morning hours of November 7, 1944, Puerto Rico suffered the most violent railroad accident in its history in Aguadilla. Train No. 3 was traveling from San Juan to Ponce carrying passengers to their different hometowns for the island general elections to be held that same day. It stopped at the Jimenez Station in Aguadilla for a routine engineer and boilerman exchange with Train No. 4 which was heading towards San Juan. The engineer assigned to Train No. 3's ride from Jimenez Station to Ponce was Jose Antonio Roman, an experienced freight train engineer, but who had never worked in passenger travel. When the train left the station at 2:00am, it was hauling 6 passenger cars with hundreds of commuters and two freight cars.

At 2:20 a.m. the train started to descend a hill section known as Cuesta Vieja (Old Hill) in Aguadilla at what some witnesses described as an exaggerated speed. When the train reached the leveling-off point at the bottom of the hill it derailed. The steam locomotive crashed into a ditch where it exploded and one of the freight cars crashed into one of the passenger cars, killing many inside. Witnesses described the scene as horrendous, with some accounts stating that parents were throwing their children out the windows to save them from the wreckage. Chief of Police Guillermo Arroyo stated that the locomotive (No. 72), the express car, and three second class passenger cars were completely destroyed. Oscar Valle, an Aguadilla correspondent to the local El Mundo newspaper, summarized the scene in a more dramatic way: "The locomotive suffered a terrible explosion as it derailed, and the impact was so strong that 3 passenger cars were converted into a fantastic mound of wreckage. In the end, 16 passengers lost their lives, including the engineer and the boilerman, and 50 were injured in the crash.

Tourism

Aguadilla is part of Porta del Sol, as the Puerto Rico west coast is now publicized by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Two of the main attractions of the town are Las Cascadas Water Park and the Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena, which is the only ice skating complex in the Caribbean.

Aguadilla is also known for its world class surfing beaches. Aguadilla's beaches, being the most numerous of all other municipalities, host a variety of amateur and professional surfing events every year. They have also hosted a variety of championships, including the ISA world championships in 1968 and 1988. Famous surfing spots in Aguadilla include "Surfer's Beach", "Table Tops", "Gas Chamber", "Las Ruinas", and "Survival".

Economy

Business

The retail sector has flourished with the building of the Aguadilla Mall along with Aguadilla Shopping Center, Aguadilla Town Center, Plaza Ferram, and Plaza Victoria. There are also stores on the downtown area.

Major banks are represented in Aguadilla. These include the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Citi bank, Banco Santander, Scotiabank, Westernbank and EuroBancshares, Inc.

[edit]Industrial

Aguadilla was once primarily a fishing village, but has changed with the times. Although there is still a great deal of commercial fishing in Aguadilla, the city is now also home to a variety of industrial plants ranging from Tyco, LifeScan, Symmetricom, Honeywell, and Hewlett Packard at San Antonio Technological Park. These industrial plants have drastically increased the income per capita of Aguadilla, giving rise to a robust middle class and upper-middle class, by Puerto Rican standards.

Aguadilla has two other industrial sites: Montaña Industrial Park and Camaseyes. Suiza Dairy, Micron Technology and Productos La Aguadillana are located in Camaseyes. While the Puerto Rico State Police Academy, Automeca Technical College, and another branch of Hewlett Packard are located in Montaña.

Communication

Radio

WABA WABA La Grande 850AM is located in Aguadilla.

WUNA-AM better known as Radio Una 1240AM is located in Aguadilla

Television

WOLE-TV Telemundo 12 both in Aguadilla.

WELU is a religious broadcast company.

WPRU-LP ABC 20 is an ABC affiliated station.

WSJP-LP CW 30 is a CW Television Network affiliated station.

WSJX-LP Fox 24 is a Fox affiliated station.

Demographics

Historical populations

Census Pop. %±

1960 15,943

—

1970 21,031 31.9%

1980 54,606 159.6%

1990 59,335 8.7%

2000 64,685 9.0%

As a whole, Puerto Rico is populated mainly by people from a Creole (born on the Island of European descent) or Spanish and European descent, with small groups of African and Asian people. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 83.6% of Aguadillanos have Spanish or white origin, 5.0% are black, 0.2% are Amerindian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 8.2% were Some other race, 2.8% Two or more races.

Rafael Hernández Airport

Rafael Hernández Airport, is a fast-growing airport located in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It is named after the Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández Marín. The airport is the second international airport in Puerto Rico in the region of Porta del Sol, Puerto Rico's west coast.

Rafael Hernandez Airport mainly serves Puerto Rican westerners living in the Eastern Region of the United States. The airport serves as focus city to PAWA Dominicana.

In the past, the airport has been served by major carriers like Capitol Air, Pan Am, Kiwi International Air Lines, TWA, American Airlines, Delta Connection, to mention a few. Mostly due to little planning, research or advertising[citation needed], some of these services have been suspended. Other services have been discontinued as part of the airlines restructuring plan, or as a result of airlines going out of business.

History

The airport has been long associated with the adjacent military base, Ramey Air Force Base. It used to receive domestic commercial flights by Prinair as well as service from JFK International Airport in New York City with Capitol Air , and 707 passenger flights from Miami with Southeast Airlines . It is also noted for being the place that large clothing company Wrangler uses to land their planes filled with company-related cargo.

In 1988, Rafael Hernández Airport started to surface as an alternative to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, when Carnival Air Lines and ATA began jet services there. In the 1990s, American Airlines joined those two airlines. Later on, Pan Am (2) and TWA also came.

In the early 1990s Carnival Air Lines operated the first intra-Puerto Rican jet service from the airport to Ponce, with Boeing 727s and Airbus A300s.

Prinair suffered various accidents and ceased operations.

In 2000, North American Airlines re-opened passenger service with a non-stop flight to New York-JFK three times a week. Later on Continental Airlines joined North American with a daily flight to their hub in Newark. The evident success of service from the Aguadilla, caught the attention of Boston-Maine Airways that opened a route to Orlando-Sanford and Santo Domingo.

In 2004, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced that it would be remodelling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. An expansion of the terminal building and a new parking lot were among the projects in mind. The expansion was inaugurated on July 12, 2005.

In 2005, continuous passenger traffic growth caught the attention of Jet Blue Airways, which opened a daily flight to their hub in New York. Soon after the arrival of Jet Blue to the airport, North American ceased operations at the airport. Soon after, Jet Blue announced that it will be adding a second daily flight to New York-JFK.

Recent News

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing performed its altitude tests on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner in late January 2011. The airport hosted the sea level test. From Aguadilla the aircraft departed to the highest major commercial airport located in Bolivia to continue its tests.

Governor Fortuño Announces Charter Flights to Spain

The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, announce at the International Fair of Tourism, in Madrid, that charter flights to the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona will commence on March 2011. The flights will begin in a weekly basis for a period of 6 months with goals of permanent service to the European cities. The flight to Madrid will be on Saturdays, while the one to Barcelona will be on Sundays. They will be on a Boeing 767 with capacity for 214 passangers in a 18/196 configuration.

Airport Transfer to City Government

A project that will allow the City of Aguadilla to operate and develop its airport was passed by the commonwealth's House and Senate and currently awaits the signature of the governor, Luis Fortuño.

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is studying expansion for the 3 main airports in Puerto Rico for 2011. Plans are underway to add service to Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa from the airport.

Seaborne Airlines

Seaborne Airlines studies Aguadilla-San Juan service. Service will be from Aguadilla to San Juan Isla Grande Airport.

FedEx Plans Distribution Hub

FedEx plans to expand its existing operations at the airport to make it its Caribbean distribution hub.

Act 67

Act 67 of May 22, 2008 establishes incentives for charter airlines offering service to the airport. It guarantees profit of up to 10%, 50% discount on landing fees, and matching dollar per dollar base on volume proyections/available seats.

To benefit from the act Charter Airlines must carry 75% of the passengers on board with a 3+ nights reservation in a hotel in the region of 130 or less rooms.

Ahrens Airborne

Ahrens Aircraft due to set up operations at Punta Borinquen in Aguadilla to manufacture an aircraft known as the AR 404, was promised money by the Puerto Rican government to develop the airliner, but an investigation by the United States government prevented the money from getting to the company, and the project was called off with only two AR 404 airplanes built at Rafael Hernandez Airport .

NASA Aviation Safety Program

Hernandez Airport will host the initial flights of the recently modified S-3 Viking. The Viking was modified to become state-of-the-art icing research aircraft. This flights will seek to characterize the icing conditions that exist in the tropical convective layer of the atmosphere.

Facilities

Rafael Hernández Airport covers an area of 1,600 acres (647 ha) which hosts the longest runway in the Eastern Caribbean.

Runway

Runway 08/26: 11,702 x 200 ft (3,567 x 61 m), Surface: Asphalt

With Blast Pads and Shoulders: 13,440 X 300 ft (4,097 X 91 m)

At the beginning of the airport, the runway was built in 1940 as part of the Borinquen Field Army Air Corps Base. In 1948 The base was renamed Ramey Air Force Base complex. Ramey was home to the Strategic Air Command and housed a number of B-36, B-47 and B-52s. Due to the size of the B-36 the runway at Ramey had to be built to a length of 11,702 ft and a width of 200 ft, added a 870 ft Blast Pad at each end and a 50 ft shoulder on each side.

North Side

The North side of the airport constitutes a passenger terminal with an international side capable of handling flights of over 200 passengers. It also hosts the Main Cargo Terminal, the FedEx Terminal, and the General Aviation Terminal. The North side also houses the Copeca Jet Center Executive Terminal, as well as five service hangars. The military side of the airport is also located on the North side, housing the Air Station Borinquen, a United States Coast Guard facility.

South Side

The South side of the airport is the largest portion of the airport, but is currently undeveloped. Since the airport was transferred to Puerto Rico Port Authority in 1973, the South side has been object of disputes and political campaign. Since then promises have been abundant, yet more than three decades later, the South side is still undeveloped. Under the administration of Sila M. Calderón and Aníbal Acevedo Vilá a master plan was conceived to turn the South side into a cargo hub for the Caribbean. Local residents object to the use of the South side for Cargo rather than a modern passenger terminal.

Passenger Terminal The passenger terminal was recently upgraded to include air conditioning, more space for modern airline ticket counters and car rental counters. It constitutes two "gates" gate 14 and 15. Gate 14 is use for departures, while Gate 15 is use for arrivals. The terminal is divided into two sections, the domestic and the international sides. The domestic side is equipped with a United States Department of Agriculture facility, while the international side constitutes a United States Customs capable of handling up to 200 passengers.

Future Expansion

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a master plan to redevelop the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla that will involve an investment of $1 billion over the next 20 years. PRPA plans call for the redevelopment of the Aguadilla airport on a scale that will rival LMM. The Aguadilla airport currently has two commercial passenger gates. The master plan calls for a total of 30 commercial passenger gates, 12 shy of the 42 commercial passenger gates that currently exist at LMM.

There are plans to expand the road that give access to the airport.

Martinair is expanding its air-cargo operations to Aguadilla Airport. The expansion to Aguadilla will facilitate more flights (up to 12 a week by 2010) to and from the island and serve as a value-added cold-chain hub for the transport of flowers and produce from South America for consumption in Puerto Rico, the mainland U.S., Europe and other parts of the world.

There are official plans to renovate the runway enroute to house FedEx expansion.

Cargo Airlines

The cargo section of the airport is divided in two sections, the Main Terminal and the FedEx Terminal. The FedEx Terminal is home to FedEx and its local affiliates. Talks are currently going for FedEx to increase their operations at Rafael Hernandez Airport and turn Aguadilla in a hub and distribution center for the Caribbean.The remaining Cargo Carriers are located in the Main Terminal.

Road Access

The airport can be accessed via two highways from PR-2.

Arecibo and Points East including Isabela and Camuy are connected to the airport via SR-110.

Mayagüez and Points south including downtown Aguadilla, Rincon, and Cabo Rojo are connected to the airport via SR-107.

Accidents and incidents

On 26 April 1991, Douglas DC-3C N136FS of Four Star Air Cargo was destroyed when a fire broke out in the cockpit whilst the aircraft was taxiing for take-off on a mail flight to Cyril E. King Airport, Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands.

Mercedita Airport

Mercedita Airport (IATA: PSE, ICAO: TJPS, FAA LID: PSE) is a commercial airport located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers 275 acres (111 ha) and has one runway. Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period. As of November 15, 2009, negotiations were underway to transfer control of the airport from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority to the Ponce municipal government. It was inaugurated as an international airport on November 1, 1990. Mercedita is Puerto Rico's largest airport in terms of military personnel volume and the second largest in terms of military freight

Early history

Built in 1939, Mercedita was originally a modest aerodrome used for the airborne irrigation of sugarcane fields belonging to the Serralles distillery.The airport took the name of the sugarcane plantation that it was part of, Hacienda Mercedita. The founder of the plantation, Juan Serrallés, had named his plantation in honor of his wife Mercedes. To commemorate this, a portrait of Mrs. Mercedes Serralles was unveiled in the airport on December 30, 1992, by then-governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon.

The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet (260 m) long by 50 feet (15 m) wide. During World War II it was turned into a military airport, and in 1947 the U.S. Navy ceded the airport to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. The airport officially started operations in April, 1948.

In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field no longer met the newer and more stringent minimum airport safety requirements, and airport operations were suspended. As a result, studies were initiated for the construction of a new airport in Ponce.

New airport

Since then and until today, the airport has been enlarged on various occasions. One major construction project, in particular, took place in 1963 when the runway was extended from 3,000 feet (910 m) to 3,900 feet. In 1967, a master plan was adopted for the systematic development of the airport. In 1971 the runway was again extended, to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to allow for the use by Boeing 727 aircraft. In 1987 the runway was once again extended, this time to 6,900 feet (2,100 m). The passenger terminal was also remodeled, a platform was built for use by general aviation as was a new building for the Air Rescue Unit of the Puerto Rico Police.

Air service history

International

International air service history at Mercedita has been as follows:

In 1965, Eastern Airlines, together with Caribair, started direct connecting service at the airport.

In 1971, Eastern Airlines held hearing in Ponce with the intention of starting non-stop service to the United States. The Puerto Rico Ports Authority, in anticipation of such service, extended the runway to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to permit the landing of B-727 aircraft.

In June 1975, Eastern Airlines started a weekly direct flight to New York City with a stop-over in San Juan. In the same year the Puerto Rico Ports Authority built a new runway, access road, parking lot, and shoulder.

In 1990, Eastern Airlines started operations in Ponce with a flight to New York, but it ceased a year later, in January, 1991.

In 1990, Carnival Airlines also started operations in Ponce, and flew to New York and Miami until February 1998.

Meanwhile, American Airlines started to flew to Miami from November 1, 1992, until March, 1994.

On November 17, 2005, Continental Airlines began daily non-stop service from Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce. This service ended on January 17, 2008.

In November 2007, Spirit Airlines started daily non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale. This service ended on September 2008.

On June 3, 2006, Delta Connection began servicing the airport, with twice-weekly, regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia. The service ended on January 20, 2007.

Jet Blue started service to New York in June 2005. Some time later it also started flying to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Recent events

After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.

On June 17, 2005, JetBlue Airways began daily, non-stop service between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Mercedita Airport. Shortly after this announcement, Continental Airlines also commenced non-stop service from Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce. This service ended on January 17, 2008. On June 3, 2006, Delta Connection began servicing the airport, with twice-weekly, regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia. The service ended on January 20, 2007. JetBlue has also added daily, non-stop service between Ponce and Orlando International Airport.

During 2007, more passengers passed through the airport than the population of the entire city of Ponce itself. "Ponce's Mercedita airport served 251,000 passengers in 2007, an increase of 28 percent over the previous year."

In early 2010, members of the Ponce Chamber of Commerce strongly criticized the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and its director Alvaro Pilar Villagran after failure to execute on a legally binding agreement of November 2008, whereby the Ports Authority agreed to an investment of $8 million to built an airport drainage system needed as part of any additional expansion work.

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority recently announced an investment of 7 million dollars to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet (2,400 m). Construction began in February 2011. Also this year the Authority will be installing two boarding bridges among other terminal improvements.

Disasters

On June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport.

[edit]Ownership and administration

In February 2009, the mayor of Ponce sought to transfer ownership of the airport from the central government in San Juan to the Ponce municipal government.

Carolina, Puerto Rico

Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Although Carolina is not technically part of San Juan, it is a short distance from San Juan. Along with San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Cataño, Toa Baja and Trujillo Alto it is considered to form part of the island's metropolitan area.

History

The town was founded in 1816 as Trujillo Bajo ("lower Trujillo"), along with its counterpart Trujillo Alto after Trujillo, Spain. In 1857 it was renamed to San Fernando de la Carolina, later shortened to Carolina, after Charles II of Spain.

The city is known as "Tierra de Gigantes" (Land of Giants) not only for well-known Carolina resident Don Felipe Birriel González (who was 7'11"), but also in honor of other eminent people from Carolina such as poet Julia de Burgos and baseball player Roberto Clemente. Carolina was also the home of Jesús T. Piñero, the first Puerto Rican governor to be appointed in that position by the United States government.

Flag

The flag consists of three vertical bands, the laterals white and the middle red. The laterals are seeded with black ermine tails in the heraldic way as for the coat of arms. The middle band of the flag shows a red field with the sword and crown of the coat of arms.

Coat of Arms

The crown over the sword is the main attribute for royalty and for that reason it occupies a privileged position in the Coat of Arms. The sword is not only a symbol for military service, but also one of justice, recalling the virtues of San Fernando. The Coat of Arms has a wide edge of silver, a cultivated field of small tails of ermine shown in the conventional heraldic manner. The red symbolizes the first patriotic developments made for Puerto Rico's freedom under Spanish dominion.

Economy

Carolina is the home of Plaza Carolina, one of Puerto Rico's largest shopping malls.

Executive Airlines, a regional airline and affiliate of AMR Corporation which operates under the brand American Eagle Airlines, is headquartered on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina.

Industrial

Manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and chemical) and commerce.

Tourism

Carolina, led between 1984 and 2006 by mayor José Aponte, is one of Puerto Rico's most important tourist centers. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, while incorrectly thought to be in San Juan, is actually located in an area, Isla Verde, that is geographically part of Carolina. Also located in Carolina are a large group of hotels, which sit by Carolina's large beach area.

There are several well known hotels on the coast of Carolina, including the El San Juan Resort and Casino, and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa, and Casino.

Landmarks and places of interest

Buena Vista Ruins

Carolina Beach

Grande de Loíza River

Isla Verde Club Gallístico

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport

Jesús T. Piñero Monument

Julia de Burgos Park

Piñones Beach

Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva

Festivals and events

Ladies Crafts Fair - April

San Fernando Patron Celebrations - May

Crafts Fair - July

Roberto Clemente Week - August