The December issue of the PRT is now live!
Click on the cover below to read the entire issue in PDF format.
You can also read every story from the new issue of the PRT at our website. Here are direct links to a few of the stories…
Arson Suspect Cunningham Given Conditional Release, in Plea Negotiations With Federal Prosecutors
By Marion Vendituoli
Court filings say Robert I. Cunningham set fire to his family’s popular Sonoita restaurant in 2017 using gasoline-filled Budweiser bottles as accelerants.
Foes Line Up Against Ducey’s Container Wall
By Lynn Davison
The federal government, environmental advocacy groups, and protesters are fighting the State of Arizona in the courts and on the ground.
Locals Flee Verizon for AT&T
By Sarah Klingenstein
Verizon customers in Patagonia, including the volunteer fire department, have been struggling with poor service for months.
Combating Fentanyl in Santa Cruz County
By Kat Crockett
Last month, the PRT looked into how Santa Cruz County is facing up to the fentanyl menace in our communities. We were encouraged by what we found.
Growth in Short-Term Rentals Impacting Patagonia
By Lynn Davison
About one in eight housing units in Patagonia is now an Airbnb or VRBO. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Group Working to Build Patagonia-Sonoita Trail
By Sarah Klingenstein
What if you could hike, or ride a bike or a horse the 12 miles from Patagonia to Sonoita and back again, without worrying about the semis and speedy traffic along Rte 82?
Borderlands Groups Celebrate Conservation Successes
By Bob Brandt
An address from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Terry Root was one of the highlights of a dinner event highlighting conservation successes.
Local Foundation Works to Support Rural Youth
By Marion Vendituoli
The Los Charros Foundation has increased its scholarship budget and hired Sonoita’s Kristin Tomlinson in the newly created position of Executive Director.
Empire Ranch Festival Draws 2,000 Visitors
By Robert Gay
Exhibits and demonstrations peppered the grounds, from horsemanship to silversmithing to chicken petting opportunities for kids.
New Park Celebrated
By Lynn Davison
Patagonia residents and members the late Doc Mock’s family gathered Nov. 12 to formally dedicate a new park in his memory.
PUHS Honors Society Students Honor Veterans
By Murphy Musick
Nine high school students and their advisor volunteered to help with the annual “Honor the Vets” day at the Patagonia Cemetery, a project of The Patagonia Museum.
Patagonia Art Walk 2022
By Marion Vendituoli
The 20th Annual Patagonia Art Walk featured the work of 34 artists at a range of sites around Patagonia. Twenty-eight artists and organizations set up booths throughout the town park.
A Depressing Christmas Story
By Cassina Farley
Christmas changes as you get older for obvious and not so obvious reasons. I still make iced sugar cookies and leave out one Bud Light for Santa.
Let’s Go Get Stones: Animus Valley
By Keith Krizan
Finding carnelian quartz, called the sunset stone by ancient Egyptians, in a sunlit and beautiful place in the borderlands.
Garden Guides: Caring for Holiday Plants
By Mary McKay
Have you purchased those beautiful poinsettias, amaryllis or other tantalizing holiday plants but aren’t sure how best to care for them? Follow these steps to help them last longer.
Life Among the Humans: The Sleep of Reason Breeds Monsters
By Martin Levowitz
I’m still inclined to marvel at and, frankly, to despise, the eagerness some people have to believe all the dizziest crap that they hear.
Starstruck: Connected to Capella
By Harold Meckler
Edgar Rice Burroughs of Tarzan fame wrote in one of his earliest books: “I shall have to believe even though I don’t understand.” My thoughts exactly.
Nature Journeys: Strange Solstice Skulkers
By Vince Pinto
Meet winter’s weird wildlife: veritable freaks of nature in some regards, sure to capture the imagination of the curious naturalist.
New Teacher Profile: Dr. Catherine Whitehill
By Rebecca Ford
Dr. Catherine Whitehill is the new science and public broadcasting teacher at PUHS. “I really enjoy teaching and living in Patagonia,” she says. “The students are great.”
New Teacher Profile: Patricia Regan
By Rebecca Ford
Patricia Regan is the new 2nd-grade teacher at the Patagonia Elementary School. “I love teaching here and serving the children of the community,” she says.