July deadline approaches for Elgin Bridge adoption submittals
July 27 deadline set for parties interested in maintenance and responsibility for Elgin Bridge.
WHAT’S NEW?
South32 clears major hurdle with Forest Service approval
Environmental groups condemn decision as premature and failing to answer legal questions.
Santa Cruz All-Stars win district title in dominating fashion
Next up is the state tournament that begins July 10 in Tempe.
LOCAL NEWS
Meet the Candidates: Santa Cruz County Justice of the Peace
Incumbent Adriana Olaiz and challenger Miguel Lopez are seeking the Democratic nomination for Santa Cruz County Justice of the Peace
Fast-acting bystanders douse fire on McKeown
Quick thinking on the part of the Patagonia Creative Arts Association staff helped avert a potentially dangerous situation on Monday in downtown Patagonia.
Impact of border wall construction intersects with humans, wildlife, flora
Arrival of heavy equipment in San Rafael Valley prompted renewed concerns about consequences of border wall on area’s ecosystem.
Meet the candidates: Santa Cruz County School Superintendent
Incumbent Maya Donnelly faces challenger Sonia Sanchez in the July 21 primary election to be the Democratic party nominee. Here are the candidates’ responses to an email questionnaire from the PRT.
As Humane Society winds down, County ponders options
The clock is ticking on the impending closure of the Santa Cruz Humane Society, and the cavalry won’t be riding to the rescue.
COMMUNITY
Nervous moments on a mammoth donkey at the Lower Elgin Road longhorn roundup
For this season’s roundup in the neighborhood, my mount of choice is a mammoth donkey. Seemore is as large as the largest horse there… but terrified of the longhorns.
Santa Cruz All-Stars win district title in dominating fashion
Next up is the state tournament that begins July 10 in Tempe.
Our friend Phil
In the wake of Phil Caputo’s passing, the PRT invited local friends, neighbors and admirers to share their reflections on the renowned author with our readers. Here are some of the many responses we received.
Meet Patagonia Deputy Town Manager Carmen Fuentes
The Town’s newest employee brings decades of experience in city government to the job. Here’s what she’s looking to achieve in her new position.
The Coffee Ladies – more than a coffee klatch
Members of the Patagonia Coffee Ladies don’t really drink coffee, but they do exchange news, go on outings and help those in need.
SCHOOL NEWS
Sonoita students create lasting memories at Marine Institute
28 seventh- and eighth-graders spent 5 nights at Catalina Island Marine Institute learning about ocean exploration and ecology.
Sudden closure of Montessori school concerns community members
For many in Patagonia, the closure raises broader questions about what led to the school’s sudden decline – and what happens next for the students and families it serves.
Valedictorian: Valeria Castellanos
A self-taught artist, star basketball player and owner of a 4.2 GPA, Valeria Castellanos says the key to much of her academic success was simple: Don’t procrastinate.
Salutatorian: Skylar Sanchez
Skylar has tried a bit of everything during his years at Patagonia Union High School, and closes that chapter of his life as salutatorian.
Donor ‘pays it forward’ with $25K scholarships for two PUHS grads
Brianna Majalca, a graduating PUHS senior, and Brianna (Young) Hubbell, a 2021 graduate, have been selected to receive the Michael R. Snyder Living Trust Scholarship.
ARTS & CULTURE
Check it out at the Library: What’s new?
The Library has a collection of over 2,000 DVDs, with new ones being added all the time.
A coffee shop moment becomes a children’s book
Two strangers of very different ages reading together at The Quail Covey inspired one of them — Patagonia resident Joe Ciofalo — to write a book.
Celebrating 1940s Patagonia and Santa Cruz County
A retrospective festival – happening in April and May – explores the 1940s through the voices and sounds that shaped our area’s cultural history. Here’s an overview of the era, and a schedule of the festival’s events.
What is that? (May, 2026)
Before lasers, there was this.
Great trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County: The regal Fremont cottonwood on the Empire Ranch
Possibly germinated before Arizona statehood, this regal behemoth is approximately seven feet wide at the base.
COLUMNS
Glimpses into our past: The Thurber Ranches
During the 1930s and ’40s, Harold Bernard ‘H.B.’ Thurber purchased a total of 1,600 acres and leased over 8,000 acres in the Sonoita area. One of the best known ranchers in the area, he was often referred to as ‘Mr. Hereford.’
Nature’s strip malls
Even though most of them only briefly harbor water, our regions’ seemingly countless arroyos hold great value to local wildlife.
Take a hike!: Crest Trail
If you’re looking for some high-elevation adventure, the Crest Trail is a good choice. Here’s why.
What is that?: ‘Log in’ and make history
Former Patagonia Elementary students, teachers and staff are invited to autograph the new ‘Patagonia Lobo Memory Tree’ at the Patagonia museum.
OPINION
By the bucket
There’s a restaurant in Tucson that sells spaghetti by the bucket and I think that is hilarious. Well, after driving past it countless times on our way to Costco, Zach and I finally gave By the Bucket a try.
Letter to the editor, June 2026
Can anything be done about all the accidents that keep happening on Highway 82? Binx Selby of Patagonia has an idea.
Marshal talks should put ‘horse before the cart’
We need a thorough discussion of law enforcement needs before Patagonia relaunches a Town Marshal’s Office.
The PRT needs more writers
Help the PRT give the people something good to read: volunteer as a citizen journalist!
FROM THE PRT ARCHIVES…
Sonoita water customers face rate shock, water shortages
Over the last year, customers of the Sonoita Valley Water Company have been dealing with water shortages, low water pressure and leaking lines. Now they’re facing a doubling of their rates, too.
Wilson’s donuts
Wilson could make or find anything, and solve employee, customer or logistics issues—whatever no one else could figure out. When Dad needed skilled cattle horses for the ranch — and word was that the best and cheapest were to be found in Mexico — Wilson and I got the assignment.
Community response ‘amazing’ during Sawmill Fire
When the Sawmill fire tore through Sonoita, displacing 400 people and leaving behind 47,000 acres of charred landscape, people from across Arizona and beyond responded to help out the community and the firefighters working to put out the fire.
Small, affordable houses
Can a 300-square foot house meet a need for affordable housing in Patagonia? A ‘tiny house’ built by local developer Todd Lipton and contractor Kevin McKay at 446 Duquesne showcases the concept.
Town looking to close Marshal’s Office
At its June 23 meeting, the Patagonia Town Council will vote on a proposal to close the Marshal’s Office on June 30. Going forward, law enforcement would be supplied by the County Sheriff’s Office.