In Memory of Fred Sang
The Board of Patagonia Creative Arts Association, as well as myself, would like to acknowledge a $500.00 donation made to PCAA. This donation was given in honor of Fred Sang with the desire to continue Fred’s good work in the community that he loved.
A fund has been created at PCAA in response to this donation called the Fred Sang After School Fund. All donations to this fund will be used to fund after school programs. Our sincerest gratitude goes out to Global Arts Gallery for this seed money and to Fred for planting the seed of community involvement.
Cassina Farley
Director, Patagonia Creative Arts
Association
Kudos to Town Council
Coming from a remote part of Alaska where native villagers look on helplessly as a Canadian mining company is poised to blast their traditional hunting grounds and salmon
spawning habitat to smithereens in search of gold and copper, I observe with great admiration the ingenuity and fortitude of the town of Patagonia as it deals with a similar challenge.
Patagonia is a unique town whose character would be irrevocably changed by the impact of constant heavy truck traffic. It is just one of many valid reasons why some people aren’t enthusiastic about the mine.
Regarding the attorney general’s ruling on the truck ordinance, I take exception to Brent Bowdon’s remark “the only outcome is that it has created ill will between the mining company and the town of Patagonia.”
While he may be willing to trade this town’s individuality and serenity for short term profit, he should respect the opinions of those who wouldn’t. If anything the ruling should help to dispel any ill will between the mining company and the town.
The town will survive and the mining company will invest its vast resources in an alternate route. The people have spoken through their elected representatives and it is refreshing
to witness a small town standing up to powerful politicians and foreign special interests. Now let’s hope for a continual supply of clean water from our taps.
Craig Coray
Patagonia
Plea for Mediation at Public Meetings
Among other things that occurred at an emotional Patagonia Town Council meeting on February 14, two words resonated with me. Transparency and Bickering. Both were at the core of a message about the “W” word…WATER. The speaker was quite eloquent in his plea for the town to OK a plan to bring the various factions together to share information about the water supply for the town. The council agreed. We can hope it works.
We are all tired of the ‘bickering’ about how much water, who can use it, what is the future of our supply, etc. Is it possible to separate fact from fiction? It takes a minimum of two to bicker, but I don’t think either side thinks that their stance may be a major part of the bickering. It is about as easy to conduct a meeting as it is to get 30 six-year-olds to sit quietly.
As for transparency, I feel there are hidden issues that have not seen the light of day. The
town, the mining interest, the environmentalists (by the way that is not a dirty word) and
citizens are all at fault. Most likely all these entities keep bits of valuable information from public discussion. It is easy for rumor to supplant that. I would hope that when and if another public meeting happens that a disinterested and skilled mediator will set the rules and agenda and hold people to them. We all might come away with a new respect.
In the meantime, it might behoove anyone in the area that has a well to have the standing water level checked annually at least. I found that my water level has dropped 25 feet this past year. Maybe the recent rains may bring it back partway. I sure wish I knew where it went.
Don Wenig
Patagonia
Errors and Omissions
Ron Pulliam’s title was incorrectly stated in the article last month on wildlife cams. He is founder and board member of Borderlands Restoration.
The address and contact information for Dream Weavers, the new textile shop in Sonoita is 3123 Hwy 83, Sonoita, AZ 85637. 520-559-0515.
Our apologies for these errors and omissions.