Sonoita Creek, seen from the bridge on Highway 82 just outside of town, became a wide, fast-moving river when Patagonia got over 1.5 inches of rain on September 20. The town council’s working meeting on September 11 opened with discussion of two agenda items—the town’s purchasing procedures, and oversight on the excavation of the Sonoita […]
Ann Katzenbach
Posted inCommunity
Renovations at the Fire Department
The lot next to the fire station on the corner of Smelter Alley is empty. For years it has stored two fire engines made by Seagraves, one from 1940, the other a year younger. This summer the Fire Department sold them to a man in Vail who restores old fire trucks and tractors. “It was […]
Posted inCommunity
A Short History of Dogs in Patagonia
Patagonia is a dog-walking town. It is also a town that doesn’t much care for regulation. When it comes to dogs, some folks feel that—just as was the case 50 years ago—they should be able to let their dogs roam freely and should not be burdened with the bureaucracy of licensing or I.D. tags. Dogs […]
Posted inLocal News
Restoring Nature’s Diversity
Late last winter Lynda Prim arrived in Patagonia to take over management of the Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S) conservation farm. An anthropologist, educator, farm advisor, and advocate in sustainable organic agriculture for over 30 years, she found a daunting situation. The man who ran and maintained the farm equipment had quit, and nearly every machine was […]
Posted inOpinion
Colonel Johnson’s Legacy
I have come to loathe Johnson grass, a plant unknown to me before I moved to Arizona. This is not to say that Arizona has an exclusive on this nasty weed. Turns out it has made its way to almost every state, including Hawaii, and it grows on every continent except Antartica. How did I […]
Posted inCommunity
Steve Schmitt Is Taking Care of Business
Patagonia Bird and Pet, at the corner of McKeown and 3rd Avenues, opened early this summer and provides locals with most of the same services and products available at its larger sister store, Sonoita Feed. The Patagonia store stocks a variety of pet food and bird seed, along with books, feeders, sunglasses, pet toys, buckets, […]
Posted inSchool News
Patagonia Schools Begin Year With High Marks
New second grade teacher LuAnn Beaton enjoys a chat with school board members Beatrice Pomeroy and Janet Winan at the breakfast held on August 5 in the PUHS cafeteria. It seems that almost all the news is good when it comes to Patagonia schools. At an information breakfast held in the cafeteria the day before […]
Posted inCommunity
The Fiebergs Depart for the Highlining Life
Laura and Chip Fieberg Chip and Laura Fieberg, Patagonia’s yogic-acrobatic-slackliners are off on a new adventure. Their house in town is on the market, and they plan to depart early this month for Bend, Oregon, currently dubbed “the extreme sport capital of the U.S.” Chip and Laura have been perfecting their skills for a number […]
Posted inCommunity
Good Turnout for Fire Department Steak Fry
Going, going, gone…..This hand-made quilt was the top money earner at the annual Steak Fry, a fundraiser for the Patagonia Fire Department. The Patagonia Fire Department is delighted with this year’s turnout for its 39th steak fry, held on June 28, a balmy Saturday evening. The town park was full of happy diners and bidders […]
Posted inOpinion
Snakes in the Balance
Snakes have a bad reputation. Starting with the Garden of Eden, they’ve been universally scorned and feared, but they are, nevertheless, fascinating. We can swim, walk, run, jump. But we can’t glide along on our bellies, nor can we move with complete silence. We have nothing in common with these cold-blooded creatures. It’s not easy […]