I think of my mother, only 17 with her first child. I think of my grandmother, Nani, only an adolescent with her first child. I think of how she did her best in the most trying of times. In the ninth month of my pregnancy I realized that if I didn’t have a girl, my […]
Aisha Sander
Posted inCommunity
The Case For Data Driven Decision Making
The curious case of the family that tested positive in Sonoita began with an anonymous statement in Clare Bonelli’s newsletter. On April 30 the family wrote, “Our family would like to share with the community the fact that we are local and have tested positive for Covid.” For the next two weeks the PRT repeatedly […]
Posted inLocal News
SCC Has 3rd Highest Rate of Infection in State
Santa Cruz County has one of the highest rates of infection in the state, at 82.4 per 10,000 population, (as of 6/3) only behind Navajo and Apache Counties. There have been five addi- tional hospitalizations in May. The first death of a 65-year-old male was reported on June 1. The rise in the cases is […]
Posted inSchool News
Class of 2020 Honored on the Streets of Patagonia
The Class of 2020 has their pictures on banners around the town of Patagonia. A surprise gift from the teachers and parents in the community. Photo credit: Robert Gay A few weeks ago like many other teachers around the country, Anna Coleman, teacher and the director of Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center (PYEC), was thinking how […]
Posted inLocal News
Case Count in Eastern Santa Cruz County Remains Unclear
On April 13 the State Dept. of Health Services launched a zip code map to help track confirmed cases of COVID-19. If there are less than 10 cases in a zip code the state nor the county will release the exact number. Chris Minnick, from the Public Information Office at the State Dept. of Health […]
Posted inLocal News
Local Pandemic Response Update
Dr. Phillip Williams, the Head of Pediatrics at Mariposa Community Health Center (MCHC), and currently working on COVID-19 crisis management, reported that the clinic intends to have curbside medicine in place by April 27 so that all sick patients will be seen outside. He reported that Mariposa has switched to telemedicine for a majority of […]
Posted inOpinion
Milestones: Ramzan
Ramzan is the most important month of the year for a practicing Muslim. Even people who don’t observe the rituals of Islam during the year find a newfound commitment to them during Ramzan. My parents had found a way to live with the contradiction of being Muslims who drank alcohol. The drinking in my house was […]
Posted inCommunity
Rumors, Reality and Responsibility
Social Distancing, Artwork by Paula Wittner The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as we know it, but even as it brings the world together against an invisible enemy it reveals the differences in how we experience it. “I heard that we are all in the same boat,” a facebook user posted recently. “but it’s […]
Posted inLocal News
The New Normal for Local Healthcare Workers
Nurse Jenny LaDage takes a self-portrait while at work with her phone enclosed in a plastic bag to avoid contamination. Photo by Jennie La Dage When Jennie La Dage, RN, of Patagonia, comes home from working a 12-hour shift at Northwest Hospital in Tucson she takes her clothes off in the garage and puts them in a […]
Posted inLocal News
Food Bank Seeing More Fresh Produce…For Now
A handwritten sign outside the Patagonia Senior’s Center where daily meals and weekly vegetables are distributed. Photo by Robert Gay The Eastern Santa Cruz County Community Foodbank (ESCCCF) in Patagonia has seen a noticeable increase in demand since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, according to Jim Staudacher, president of the organization. The Foodbank operates […]