The Sunnyside mineral exploration drilling project in the Alum Gulch area of the Patagonia Mountains was given the go-ahead by the U.S. Forest Service back in September. In response to this decision, the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance and Defenders of Wildlife have asked a federal court to hold the USFS and the U.S. Fish and […]
Ann Katzenbach
Posted inCommunity
Dog Kennels Breaking Ground
This month two events are for the dogs. Patagonia Animal Lovers (PALS) has raised enough money to begin its new dog kennel and is having a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 7, to break ground for the building. Approval to build in the flood plain has come from the town, and the permitting […]
Posted inCommunity
Full Court Basketball at Robertson Park Becomes a Reality
The expanded basketball court at the Patagonia playground will start construction in December if all goes according to plan Patrick Hatfield, who has spearheaded the idea, is pleased that individuals and organizations have chipped in enough to make this happen. The main contributors to this effort are the Patagonia Regional Business Association, which is covering […]
Posted inLocal News
Report Projects Consequences of Hermosa Mine
The entire area depicted as “open pit” in the photo above would become a pit and much later, a lake. It is 4,000 feet across, the length of over 13 football fields, or slightly less than a mile. It would be slightly bigger than the Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee, and deeper by 600 feet. […]
Posted inLocal News
Mining’s Legacy Hits Home
It’s been over a month since two streams in the Patagonia Mountains that feed into Harshaw and Sonoita Creeks were found to be flowing with orange water, but so far there are no clear answers as to the origin of the leaks, what metals and chemicals are in them or what can be done to […]
Posted inOpinion
A Ride in the Fast Lane
My brain was shaped during the 1950s and ‘60s. That perspective and those attitudes and ideas have defined my sphere of technologic skills and my outlook on life, although since then I have expanded a bit. I’ve learned to use a computer and a digital camera. I even have an iPhone, although I rarely carry […]
Posted inLocal News
Asarco’s Toxic Trail In Our Own Back Yard
This stream below Lead Queen Mine, which flows in to Harshaw Creek, is bright orange due to toxic waste released as a result of recent rains. On September 24, Patagonia resident Gooch Goodwin discovered a stream of bright orange water running into Flux Canyon. The next day he found a similar situation at Alum Gulch. […]
Posted inCommunity
County Fair Days
The Santa Cruz County Fair, held on September 19, 20, and 21, succeeded despite downpours and puddles. There were new attractions, new records set, and lots of smiling kids and grown-ups who just had fun. 4-H-ers line up their chickens for the judges. The Fair included a carnival for the first time in a while–and […]
Posted inOpinion
The New Face of Tennis
The U.S. Open is over — that’s the tennis one, just so you know, this is not about golf. I am a tennis player and thus I am a fan of the sport which, in my lifetime, has gone from sedate to manic. The court’s the same size, the way you make points and keep […]
Posted inCommunity
The Enduring Tradition of Lucia Nash’s Legacy
When Lucia Nash bought the Circle Z Guest Ranch in 1976, she was motivated by fond memories of being a guest there in the 1930s—and by the fact that the property was about to be sold to developers.