Chilean miner visits Valley Stream

Edison Pena, one of the 33 rescued Chilean miners buried for 69 days underground, took to the streets running — for some good food. The 34-year-old Pena stopped by San Antonio Bakery on Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream on Nov. 6 to indulge in some of traditional Chilean food before running in the 2010 ING New York City Marathon the next day.

“He is nice and beautiful guy,” said Ruben Guzman, a co-owner of the Chilean bakery, which has been in Valley Stream for four months. “He talked about his time down there under the Earth.”

Guzman said that Pena had heard about bakery from several people in Chile, which he was happy about. “He got some good comments down in Chile so Edison knew about it,” he said. “He asked the Chile counsel to bring him here.”

Despite Pena’s knee injury and heavy traffic coming into Long Island that caused him to cancel his bakery visit on Nov. 5, Pena was able to make it the next day. Though the bakery may have been one of Pena’s several stops during his busy schedule, Pena took time to feast, talk and laugh with many customers. The visit excited many, including waitress Wanda Weiss. “He has been a long way,” Weiss said. “He is so famous and you can compare him to the man that walked on the moon. This is a really huge event.”

Tania Guete, a native from Copiapo, Chile, also came to see Pena. “I am excited to see him in this neighborhood,” Guete said. “His running in the marathon is a good thing. I hope he can make the marathon as exciting as he hopes, but we will still give him our support.”

Guzman was also wishing him luck in the marathon. “I am so proud he is here and that our community had an opportunity to see him,” Guzman said, adding that he had another special dinner with Pena and his wife at a restaurant in Little Italy, which was another memorable high point.

And Guzman said that Pena, nicknamed “the runner,” plans to come back for another meal in Valley Stream.