Juncos, Puerto Rico
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2010) |
Juncos, Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|
 Flag Coat of arms of Juncos, Puerto Rico Coat of arms | |
| Nickname(s): La Ciudad del Valenciano (The Valencian's City) Los Mulos del Valenciano (The Valencian's Mules) | |
| Anthem: "Juncos Mi Pequeño París" | |
 Location of Juncos in Puerto Rico | |
| Country | United States |
| Territory | Puerto Rico |
| Founded | August 2, 1797 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hon. Alfredo Alejandro Carrión (PPD) |
| • Senatorial dist. | 7 - Humacao |
| • Representative dist. | 33 |
| Area | |
• Total | 26.60 sq mi (68.89 km2) |
| • Land | 26.59 sq mi (68.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 40,290 |
| • Density | 1,500/sq mi (580/km2) |
| Demonym | Junqueño |
| Ethnicity | |
| • White | 97.4% |
| • Black | 7.3% |
| • American Indian/AN | 1.0% |
| • Asian | 0.1% |
| • Native Hawaiian/PI | 0.1% |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| Area code | 00777 |
| Website | juncos.net |
Juncos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuŋkos]) is one of the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region of the island, south of Canóvanas and Carolina; southeast of Gurabo; east of San Lorenzo; and west of Las Piedras. Juncos is spread over 9 wards and Juncos Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Juncos was founded on the request of Tomás Pizarro on August 2, 1797, having previously been a village which evolved from a small ranch, the Hatillo de los Juncos. This ranch was part of the Hato del Valenciano, which gave its name to the Río Valenciano which bisects the city before joining the Río Gurabo to the north of the settlement.
History
During the 17th century, large parts of the municipality were owned by the Hato Grande de los Delgado (The Delgados' Great Ranch). Another ranch, the Hato del Valenciano (Valencian's Ranch), was established and later divided into the Hatillo de los Lirios (Small Ranch of the Lilies) and the Hatillo de los Juncos (Small Ranch of the Reeds). This second one became the village of Juncos in the 18th century and was given the status of a town on August 2, 1797. Reeds, which gave the city its name, feature in the center of its flag and the bottom of its Coat of Arms. The Hato del Valenciano is remembered in the name of the Río Valenciano, as well as the Coat of Arms of Valencia featuring in Juncos' Coat of Arms, in addition to the city's two nicknames of La Ciudad del Valenciano (The Valencian's City) and Los Mulos del Valenciano (The Valencian's Mules).[2]
Symbols
On the flag of Juncos, on a gold field, blue waving stripes cross horizontally in the lower half. These represent the Río Valenciano which bisects the city. Green reeds with red buds appear in a central point above the stripes, representing the city's name (Juncos is Spanish for reeds).
Juncos' Coat of Arms is divided into four quarters, with the upper left and lower right containing vertical stripes gold (or yellow) and gules (red) in reference to the Spanish region of Valencia and to its denomination as "Town of Valencia". The upper right quarter is blue with twelve silver stars to represent the Virgin Mary, and also features a cross confirming the city as part of Christendom. The lower right is split vertically between an image of a tobacco plant to represent the city's agriculture and a chimney to represent industrialization and sugar cane processing. Like the flag, a waving blue line representing the Río Valenciano crosses the shield horizontally.
The shield is topped with a civic crown [3] in the shape of a three-towered castle. Underneath the shield lie the red-budded green reeds which gave the city its name, which features alongside its year of foundation (1797) at the very bottom.[4]
Cityscape
The municipality of Juncos is divided into ten wards:
- Caimito
- Ceiba Norte
- Ceiba Sur
- Gurabo Abajo
- Gurabo Arriba
- Lirios
- Mamey
- Valenciano Abajo
- Valenciano Arriba
- Juncos-Pueblo
Under the administration Of Alfredo "Papo" Alejandro, Juncos started a collective ferry-on-wheels transportation system.
Tourist sites in Juncos include:
- Juncos Sugar Mill
- Old Tobacco Farm
- Juncos Plaza Shopping Center
- Paseo Escuté
- El Tenedor Restaurant
- Teatro Junqueño (Juncos Theater)
- Hacienda Toro Al' Diente Restaurant
Events in Juncos include:
- Modesto Carrión International Marathon - November
- Patron Festivities - November
- La Mina Christian Music fest - July
- Plenazo Junqueño - February
Notable Natives
- Gisselle
- Alfredo Alejandro Carrión
- Rafael Celestino Benítez
- Juan Manuel López (boxer)
- Felicitas Mendez
- María de Lourdes Ramos Rivera
- José Luis Moneró
Economy
In the fertile plains of the Río Valenciano, coffee, fruits, sugar cane and tobacco are grown. The lower left quarter of the municipal Coat of Arms pay homage to tobacco cultivation and sugar cane processing.
Apparel, electronic machinery and electrical equipment, scientific instruments, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
Amgen has developed a biotechnology campus for bulk manufacturing in Juncos, with laboratories and manufacturing facilities. Amgen Puerto Rico received FDA approval for bulk manufacturing facilities for Nepogen (Filgrastim), Neulasta (pegfilgrastim), Aranesp and Epogen. Amgen is also adding manufacturing capacity in Juncos to produce Denosumab.
In addition to Amgen there is a Medtronic and Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd. in Juncos. The Colgate pharmaceutical facility has closed and production shifted to Mexico.
Government
Alfredo Alejandro Carrión of the People's Democratic Party is the incumbent mayor of the municipality of Juncos.
The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and José Luis Dalmau were elected as District Senators.[5]
Sports
Roberto Clemente Walker, later a double-World Series winner for the Pittsburgh Pirates, played baseball for Juncos before signing with the Santurce Crabbers in Puerto Rico's Professional League. As is the national norm, volleyball and basketball are biggest sports in Juncos. In the year 2006-2007 the Valencianas de Juncos won the women's basketball and volleyball superior league national championship. In 2009, Juncos became the home of the 2008 Puerto Rico Soccer League champions, Sevilla Bayamon FC. The club is now known as Sevilla-FC Juncos since being relocated to the city. The team moved to Juncos due to ownership and financial problems and currently play in the Alfredo "Papo" Alejandro Stadium.
