At 8:00 p.m. last Wednesday, with the chords of the Batucada Attenya and the proclamation of Paco Parrilla Delgado, the neighborhood festivities began in honor of Our Lady Mary Help of Christians of the Argana Alta neighborhood.
Parrila, a man always linked to youth groups and contributing to young people getting involved individually and collectively in the social and active construction of the community in which they reside, began his proclamation by revealing some historical data about the situation and origin of the neighborhood's name, which many of those present at the event were unaware of.
According to him, the first mention of this place name, already as a small town, dates back to 1618, in the writings of Salvador de Quintana Castrillo, there cited as Argaña. And a century later, continuously, in the report of Bishop Dávila, after the Timanfaya eruptions, cited as a hamlet of five neighbors. All the authors of the 19th century cited it again, starting with Berthelot, although he wrote an erroneous form Argona, which has been repeated since.
Regarding the history of the neighborhood, Paco Parrilla related that Argana is a neighborhood with its own history, which he believes must be thoroughly investigated and studied to find out who its first settlers were. Currently, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics of 2018, it has an approximate census of 10,000 inhabitants.
Making Argana Alta a "great neighborhood" together
Addressing the residents, Paco Parrilla said that Argana Alta can be what the residents want it to be, a dormitory neighborhood, a dirty neighborhood, a neighborhood where anarchy reigns, a neighborhood without control, a participatory neighborhood, an inclusive neighborhood, or a neighborhood where everyone feels proud, seeking together the way to create a symbiosis to make the neighborhood something different and remove the nickname 'Arganistan', because "it is not". "Feeling from Argana is feeling integrated, is feeling like a neighbor, is feeling useful," he said.
In the reading of his proclamation, Paco Parrilla recalled the words that the proclaimer and teacher José Antonio Rodríguez González pronounced in 2015, who stated that the link that united him to Argana Alta was that of teaching and fighting day by day to make the CEO bigger and bigger and where values as important as respect, tolerance and dialogue were practiced.
The proclaimer was very critical, stating that "it is regrettable" that year after year there is no progress for the good of a neighborhood, pointing out that mayors of different political colors have passed through who have made projects that then in the short term have had to close because they are poorly made or simply remained in that, in unexecuted intentions.
Paco Parrilla ended his proclamation encouraging the residents of Argana Alta, telling them that it depends on them that the neighborhood continues to grow with a development that they are proud of. "Together it is possible for Argana Alta to become a great neighborhood," he said.
The last words of the proclaimer were of gratitude to the festivities commission for having invited him to proclaim the celebrations in honor of Our Lady Mary Help of Christians, pointing out that for him it had been a privilege. For its part, as a sign of gratitude, the festivities commission presented him with a commemorative plaque, continuing the party with the rhythm of the Batucada Attenya.