Despite clear support for keeping the pool open, whether anyone actually gets to “dive in” this summer now depends less on the wishes of local decision-makers than on the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Friends of Patagonia Pool (FOPP) has taken some important steps toward ensuring the successful operation of the pool. Working with school […]

Bob Brandt
Recycling Task Force Plans for Restart
Although Patagonia’s recycling operations are suspended during the pandemic, the Recycling Task Force, with Town Manager Ron Robinson’s participation, has continued to meet via Zoom to develop a plan for restarting the program when restrictions are eased. At the group’s April 11 meeting, Robinson informed the task force that the county will be purchasing and […]
Town Park Improvements Slated to Begin Soon
The $79,175 grant approved by Arizona Parks & Trails in May 2018 will soon be available to fund several projects that will beautify and increase the recreational value of both Doc Mock Park and Richardson Park. The grant provides funding for six projects: splinter-free mulch in Richardson Park; a concrete pathway through Doc Mock Park; […]
Recycling Station Closed in Patagonia
The County posted this notice at the recycling station in Patagonia on March 27. Photo by Robert Gay The Recycling Task Force that grew out of the PRT-sponsored community forum on January 25 is now fully engaged in the task of improving Patagonia’s failing recycling program, but while the group had quickly succeeded in partnering […]
Recycling Task Force Holds First Meeting
Ten citizens who attended the PRT-sponsored community forum on recycling in January convened on Feb. 15 at the Patagonia Library as a task force to begin work on fixing Patagonia’s failing recycling program. Chaired by Bob Brandt, the task force began by viewing a video that described how recyclable materials are normally processed in a fully […]
AZ Trail Rider Has a Mission
Jimmy Christensen rides with his daughter’s shoes to raise awareness of the teen suicide epidemic . I met Jimmy Christensen and his companion, Boyd Anderson, as they rode on mule and horse into town recently to secure provisions for their planned ride of the entire Arizona Trail, a trek they intend to complete by doing a […]
County Looking at Recycling Changes
By Bob Brandt Just as the PRT is about to launch efforts to marshal citizen participation in support of reversing the current sad situation in which only a tiny percentage of recyclable waste actually gets recycled, we have learned, largely through a group of activists in Tubac, the Santa Cruz Environmental Stewards, that Santa Cruz […]
Dirtbags Restore Area Trails
Normally calling someone a dirtbag might earn you a punch in the nose, but for the cadre of mostly ‘mature’ men and women who build and maintain trails in and around Patagonia, the term is a source of pride. They’ve even taken to donning caps declaring their membership in this group. Working mainly in the […]
Community Working to Save Pool
Save Our Pool is both the rallying cry and the name of a newly-formed citizen action committee dedicated to ensuring the Patagonia Pool’s long-term availability for community use. The possibility of the pool’s permanent closure became the subject of discussion at the Nov. 2019 board meeting when Superintendent Rachael Hochheim expressed her concern that the […]
Patagonia Woman’s Club Set to Dissolve
Standing in front of the quilt crafted in 2017 to commemorate the club’s 100th anniversary are the remaining members of the Patagonia Woman’s Club. From left: Fran Russell; Connie Alford, President; Sara Cobb, Secretary; Anne Townsend, Treasurer; and Betty Johnson. Photo by Aisha Sander After more than a century of operations, the Patagonia Woman’s Club is […]