El Maní

El Maní is a community located along coast in the Sabanetas barrio of Mayagüez on the island of Puerto Rico. El Mani Pavilion is located there.[1]

Facilities inside El Maní

This community houses an elementary public school and the Esteban Rosado Baez Junior High School,[2] a municipal police and paramedical station, some Protestant churches, a Catholic chapel, a fishermen village and three baseball fields. Near its southern entrance is located one flea market (Pulguero) and an artificial lake. At its northern entrance on the junction of PR-64 and PR-341 roads is located a sport complex that includes a baseball field and the El Mani Pavilion which held the handball events of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.[3]

A little after its northern entrance is located the Boquilla Creek Wildlife Reserve (Reserva Natural del Caño de la Boquilla).[4]

"Freddy Valentín Bridge" story

As curious local story there are a funny joke about a bridge north of El Maní popularly named "El Puente de Freddy Valentín". It was named after a failed attempt of this politician to get polls from El Maní inhabitants in his run to win the 1984 Mayagüez municipal elections over Benjamín Cole. To ridicule the administration of Mayor Cole, Mr. Valentín financed with his own funds the construction of a low-level passage over Boquilla Creek, doing the first solid-material bridge even made here. But little time later (near 1985-6) the original bridge was partially destroyed by a flood, remaining closed to traffic some years. In the 2000s a new arched high-level bridge was constructed by DTOP near the place of the first bridge. Having no official name, this new bridge that runs the 341 Road over Boquilla Creek is now informally called as the "Freddy Valentín's Bridge" for local reference.[5]

Other attractions and facilities

At northeastern tip of El Maní community is located the junction of PR-2, PR-64 and PR-342 Highways. Next to this hub is located the Eugenio María de Hostos Airport, originally called El Mani Airport (Aeropuerto El Maní) after the nearest community. Around the airport are placed some restaurants and the Western Plaza Shopping Center.

See also

References
  1. http://www.mayaguez2010.com/es/instalaciones/deportivas/229-pabellon-de-boxeo.html
  2. http://puerto-rico.schooltree.org/public/Esteban-Rosado-Baez-098162.html
  3. Colón, Raúl. "Gobernador revela estatus obras Mayaguez 2010" (in Spanish). sportprnews. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  4. http://www.drna.gobierno.pr/oficinas/arn/recursosvivientes/costasreservasrefugios/pmzc/publicaciones/folletos/RN%20Cano%20Boquilla.pdf?set_language=es-pr&cl=es-pr Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine Brochure about Boquilla Creek Wildlife Reserve (in Spanish)
  5. http://wiki.worldflicks.org/puente_(rio_boquilla).html#coords=(18.251524,-67.17718)&z=18 Google Map of the bridge over Boquilla Creek
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maní
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