Photos: Sergio Betancort
Tito Dorta Caraballo and the Mesa Armas family, owners of the El Amanecer restaurant, received the Haría 2018 Awards this Sunday, awards with which the City Council recognizes people, cultural groups and companies that have stood out for their contribution, impacting the common good of the municipality, which this year celebrated its silver anniversary, reaching its 25th edition.
For this reason, the residents of Haría closed the festivities in honor of their patron saint, San Juan Bautista, wearing their best clothes to support the winners of this special edition. At 9:00 p.m. and within the framework of Jameos del Agua, the institutional event began, which began with a musical performance by Bohemia, a group made up of eleven members who began their journey last year and currently have an album that includes some of those songs that Canarian immigrants took to Latin America and brought from the other side of the Atlantic on their trips back home. D
irected by Juanma Padrón, arranger of the group, Bohemia offered the public a varied repertoire based on boleros, ballads, songs with Canarian roots fused, etc. The group finished its performance with the 'Islas Canarias' pasodoble, which was widely cheered and applauded by the public.
Tito Dorta and his contribution to the town of Órzola
The Haría 2018 Awards ceremony then began, with the presence of the mayor of the municipality, Marciano Acuña, accompanied by the councilors in charge of the awards, Soraya Brito and Armando Bonilla, who acted as notaries in charge of informing the public of the plenary agreements to grant the awards of this edition.
The first of the awards this year went to Tito Dorta Caraballo, a resident of Órzola, of whom a video was shown that included some passages of a man who was linked for most of his life to agricultural activity, which he combined with other jobs. He worked in fishing, as well as a salt worker and bricklayer, and dedicated more than 20 years to burning lime in the lime kilns of Órzola, until the proliferation of the use of cement and synthetic paints. He was also a great collaborator of the Santa Rosa festivities, motivating the young people of the town to get involved in them, and so on and so forth.
The councilor of Haría, Soraya Brito, presented him with the gold badge of the City Council, and the mayor, Marci Acuña, presented him with the sculpture of the Palmera, the municipal symbol. His daughter, Margarita Dorta, was given a bouquet of flowers by the councilor Elisabeth Socas. The presentation ended with words of thanks to the honoree from the councilor and instructor in whom the family had delegated, Soraya Brito.
The Mesa Armas brothers, an example of entrepreneurship
Next, the recognition of the brothers Manuel, Felipe, Antonio, Trini, Tomás and Orlando Mesa Armas, owners of the El Amanecer restaurant in Arrieta, took place. Over the years, the Mesa Armas brothers have managed to turn this restaurant not only into a benchmark of local gastronomy, but also into an example of entrepreneurship based on family management. A dream that began in 1985 and that crystallized over time, becoming one of the most prestigious and nationally and internationally renowned local restaurants.
Before going on stage, a video was also shown that included some of the many moments lived during these 33 years of service. Subsequently, the councilor Armando Bonilla presented them with the gold badge of the City Council, while the vice president of the Caboldo, Luis Arráez, presented them with the award, and the councilor Auxiliadora Fernández with a bouquet of flowers. At the end of the presentation, one of the brothers, very excited and with broken words, gave thanks for such a worthy recognition.
The mayor of Haría, Marci Acuña, closed the Haría 2018 Awards ceremony by congratulating the winners and thanking the residents and all those who shared a night that will become part of the history of the northern municipality.