In most parts of the world there are four seasons. In Patagonia it seems we have six, maybe even eight, and each one has a good side and a not-so-good side.
Ann Katzenbach
Posted inLocal News
County Tackles Recycling With New Strategies
Santa Cruz County Solid Waste Division is working on improving the cost effectiveness of their recycling program. There is still a wide disparity between the cost of these programs and the money that they can bring in, mostly because of transportation costs, but also because the market for glass and plastic has shrunk. Then, too, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Strike Up the Band!
Jason Schreiber Jason Schreiber grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, but after getting a Master’s degree in Music, he felt he’d like to teach in a small town. Thus, after a few stops along the way, Patagonia is now his home, and he teaches every student in the system […]
Posted inCommunity
A Man of Many Talents
Dean Fish demonstrates his skills as he steadily ratchets up the bid at the Community Garden’s Annual Pie Auction. Many Patagonians know Dean Fish as the flamboyant auctioneer who gets called on from time to time to lend his skills for a charitable auction. He is smart and funny and seems to know everyone. But […]
Posted inOpinion
A Night to Remember
I love most weather. It’s always good to be reminded of the power of the natural world and remember again that we are not really in control. Many years ago, on the island of Martinique, my husband and I found ourselves at an unforgettable crossroad of natural phenomena. A good monsoon storm comes close, but […]
Posted inCommunity
Oct. 16 Deadline for Saving the Paton’s Legacy
Marion and Wally Paton have both passed away, but their legacy of welcoming bird enthusiasts to their backyard has informally continued for a number of years now while the family looked for a way to protect the property as a birding mecca. The good news is that the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has contracted with […]
Posted inLocal News
A Long Trail of Deception
As earlier reported in the media, Jeffrey Cooper of Patagonia admitted that he was guilty of felony theft in connection with funds belonging to the Mountain Empire Trails Association (META). On September 23, he was sentenced to two years of probation and four weekends in the Adult Correctional Facility. Nearly everyone who knows Jeffrey Cooper […]
Posted inSchool News
Montessori School Hosts Open House
Maria Montessori, born in Italy in 1870 (long before most women studied much of anything), was a doctor and educator. She developed a child-centered approach to learning that is followed today in schools around the world. Her ideas were revolutionary at the time and in many ways still are. Montessori saw independence as the aim […]
Posted inOpinion
The Cruelest Month
If T.S. Eliot had lived in Arizona, he might have declared that June, rather than April, is “the cruelest month.” He chose April, as I recall from some long ago English class, because it gives false hope. June has its false hope as well—cool nights and early mornings with brittle blue skies—but the relentless heat […]
Posted inOpinion
Who’s in Charge? An Editorial Commentary
Brian and Lindsey Young, who were terminated from their teaching positions at PUHS in May due to a staff reduction, met with PRT in June to talk about their experience there. The Youngs painted a bleak picture of the work environment at the high school, describing it as a stressful atmosphere in which staff felt […]