Each year, the PRT honors members of our communities who have made a difference in our lives. The individuals and organizations featured here stood out for their commitment and their tireless efforts during these difficult times. But so many people have stepped up to help their neighbors this year, and it was really difficult to choose […]
Lynn Davison
Posted inLocal News
Economic Study to Focus on Santa Cruz County
A comprehensive economic study of Santa Cruz County has been proposed by a group of Patagonia residents representing the nonprofit, business and public sectors. With a goal of building a more inclusive and sustainable local economy centered around nature-based and human assets, the group has defined the first step of the process to be gathering […]
Posted inCommunity
Talking Together About Racism
Like many folks lately, I have been reading about the very real issues of racial and ethnic inequality, systemic racism, and white privilege. The reading has sharpened my ability to see the many examples all around me. People who have been living with these injustices for generations could fairly say ‘duh, where have you been?’ […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Music in the Time of COVID
Christina Wilhelm plays the piano at the Benderly-Kendall Opera House in Patagonia. The concert season has been cancelled due to the pandemic, but performances are being live streamed on the foundation’s Facebook page. Photo by Marion Vendituoli Like most of us, Christina Wilhelm is feeling the burdens of the COVID pandemic, but she has focused […]
Posted inCommunity
The Founding of Santa Cruz County
In 1899 a small chunk of Pima County along the Mexican border was carved out to become Santa Cruz County. Then and now it is the smallest county in the state of Arizona, 1,238 square miles, roughly a rectangle bounded by a 60-mile southern border with Sonora, a 30-mile western border with Cochise County and […]
Posted inLocal News
Borderlands Wins Big for Bats and Bacanora
Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) has been named the winner of the first-ever Connectivity Challenge offered by the Salazar Center at Colorado State University. As the winner, BRN will receive $100,000 to implement its Bacanora for Bats: Binational Conservation and Sustainable Agave Spirits Initiative. BRN was one of five finalists from across the nation competing for […]
Posted inCommunity
Kids and This COVID Summer
Alex Santos stands outside the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center waiting to pick up a cooking kit to take home. Photo by Anna Coleman Last summer, before COVID joined us, Patagonia was a pretty good place to be a kid. You could hang out in the park, go to the library for books, computers, and lunch, […]
Posted inLocal News
Clean Water Act Weakened
On June 22, 2020, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put into effect a new regulation that reduces the scope of waters protected by the Clean Water Act. The new rule, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, limits the definition of protected waters of the United States to “territorial seas and traditional navigable waters; perennial and […]
Posted inCommunity
Youth Center Receives $10,000 Grant
Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center (PYEC) director Anna Coleman recently received a call from Governor Ducey’s office congratulating her on being one of ten organizations statewide to receive an award from the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence. PYEC received $10,000 in recognition of their work during the coronavirus pandemic. The source of the money is the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Murder and Mayhem Make for a Good Read
Local author Bob Kimball has spun a good tale in “News to Die For.” It’s a mystery, a love story, and perhaps most of all, a window into the newspaper business. The Lafferty family owns and manages The Tucson Independent, a daily paper with a proud history and a fragile present. The heroic protagonist, publisher […]