| Toa Alta, Puerto Rico | |||
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| Nickname(s): "La Ciudad del Toa", "Cuna de Poetas", "Ciudad del Josco" | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Founded | 1751 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Hon. Luis Collazo "Jumbo" (PNP) | ||
| - Senatorial dist. | 2 Bayamon | ||
| - Representative dist. | 11 | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 27.4 sq mi (71.08 km2) | ||
| - Land | 27.4 sq mi (70.88 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (.20 km2) | ||
| Population (2008) | |||
| - Total | 81,959 | ||
| - Gentilic | Toalteños | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | No DST (UTC-4) | ||
| Website | Website | ||
| Anthem – "Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas" | |||
Toa Alta (TO-ah AHL-tah) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast of the island, north of Naranjito; south of Dorado and Toa Baja; east of Vega Alta and Corozal; and west of Bayamón. Toa Alta is spread over eight wards and Toa Alta Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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History
Toa Alta located west of the capital city of San Juan, the town was founded in 1751 making it one of the oldest towns on the Island. The construction of the San Fernando Rey church in the town square began in 1752. The name Toa Alta comes from the Taino word for valley, "Thoa". Over the years, agriculture became an important economic force in the area. At the peak of the agricultural economy, the town was also known as the "Granja de los Reyes Católicos" (the Farm of the Catholic Kings). The town is also called "Ciudad del Josco". The town is commonly known by its nickname "La Cuna de los Poetas," or "Cradle of Poets," due to the numerous Spanish-language poets who were born there, such as Abelardo Diaz Alfaro and the musician Tomás "Masso" Rivera.
Flag
Horizontally divided in three, the bottom and top red stripes double the size of the center yellow stripe. In the upper left corner a yellow eight point star. The original design was elaborated by professor Herman E. Perez and adopted by the City Council in 1983
Coat of Arms
The shield in gold, a red board with a silver sword topped with a gold crown of the same metal, to each side two small shields in red, the right-hand one with a tower in gold and the left-hand one with a gold eight point star, a three tower crown lined in black with red openings. Motto: Non Deserit Alta.
Anthem
By Israel Rivera Náter[1]
¡Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas;
Así es mi valle de verde tambor;
Valle hermosísimo, donde Abelardo
cinceló en lágrimas su gesta de amor!
¡Valle de luchas y de profundo llanto
donde Morales, nuestro héroe y cantor;
esculpió en letras de oro y de sangre
a libertad sagrada en nuestro corazón!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
tu gente levanta con orgullo
la radiante bandera de tu fundación!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
me abrazaré a tu escudo,
a la tierra y al honor!
Cuna de hermosas mujeres.
¡Oh tierra josca de mi ensoñación;
donde las cuerdas de un cuatro
encantado remolinó a los pájaros
y éstos en su empeño despertaron a Dios.
Revolcaron la cama
de un noble trovador
que una tarde de lluvia
le regaló una décima
como ofrenda de amor.
Vivan por siempre, por siempre vivan,
la raza, el empeño y el amor.
Vivan la fauna, el cielo, la montaña y el valle
en que se bañan con tus noches estrelladas
que amanecen galanas con la hermosa
sonrisa del inolvidable sol.
Demographics
Barrios (Districts/Wards)[2]
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Geo/Topography
Toa Alta Northern Coastal Plain and to the karst zone.
Landmarks and places of interest
- Legendary Tree "Bala de Cañón"
- Tomas "Maso" Rivera Municipal Teather
- Tomas "Maso" Rivera Statue
- Recreo Egozcué Plaza
- San Fernando Rey Parish
- Villa Tropical Recreation Center
- Plaza Aquarium Mall
- Valle "El Toa"
Festivals and events
- Chopa Marathon - March
- Festival de Bellas Artes - April
- Patron Celebrations - May
- Typical Music - November
Education
Toa Alta counts with several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the State Department of Education.
Elementary schools
- Alejandro Junior Cruz
- Heraclio Rivera Colón
- José De Diego
- José María Del Valle
- Luis Muños Rivera
- Manuel Velilla
- María C. Osorio
- Merced Marcano
- Secundino Díaz
- Violanta Jimenéz
- Virgilio Morales
Middle schools / Junior High schools
- Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
- Felipe Díaz González
- José Pablo Morales
- Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales
High Schools
- Adela Rolón Fuentes
- Nicolas Sevilla
- Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales (It was a High School and Junior High School only on 2006-2007 / now is only a Junior High School)
Notable "Toalteños"
- Sergeants Jose Díaz and Francisco Diaz: defended Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797.
- Dayanara Torres Delgado: Miss Universe 1993.
- Karem Negron: Miss Mundo Toa Alta 2008
- José Cortés Vergara: Mister Puerto Rico Teenager 2009 and Mister Teenager International 2009.
- Eddie Santiago: Salsa singer.
- Juan Carlos Diaz "El Rompe corazones": (Leading jockey at Camarero Race Track)
- Manuel Santiago Rivera (Manolo Santiago): Trovador, Writer, Poet.
- José Pablo Morales Miranda: Journalist, Educator and Progressist
- Pablo Morales Cabrera: Story writer and Essayist
- Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales: He brought the sound of the "Cuatro Puertorriqueño" to Europe (King of Spain).
- Felipe "Pipe" Cedeño Kuilan: Musician, Titled in Puerto Rico as "El Presidente del Cuatro Puertorriqueño".
Luis is from there.
References
External links
Coordinates: 18°23′18″N 66°14′54″W / 18.38833°N 66.24833°W
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