The PRT Newsletter for the Week of August 10, 2022
PRT Newsletter Bird Photo Contest
The PRT newsletter hosted a bird photo contest during the month of July. The winning photos can be seen in the August PRT. Click here for complete online photo gallery of all our entries.
Community Calendar
The Patagonia Regional Times is pleased to offer our new Calendar of Community Events on our website, designed for individuals, non-profit organizations, local businesses, and government entities to publicize meetings and events that may be of interest to the community and to promote community events and activities. See online form here. Your text, photos and fliers all can be posted on the calendar.
Each announcement should include complete information on the event, who sponsors it, what it is, dates, times and location, and a local phone number and contact person for further information. If your event requires a registration, the deadline date for registration. Click here to read our guidelines.
E-Newsletter
We will continue to publicize events in our e-newsletter as well. The PRT may edit event content for length, corrections, text, etc. We do not post any notices in the PRT Newsletter for events that are more than three weeks away. Flyers for nonprofits, community organizations and fundraisers will be accepted. Submissions and or questions should be in email form or a word document to Nisa Talavera, Assistant Editor at prtasted@gmail.com. All submissions for the Wednesday e-newsletter must be submitted by Tuesday, 10 a.m. For more in-depth questions about calendar listings, please call 740-206-9594.
Breaking News In Our Community
Eastern SCC Sees Increase in Valuations
The total increase in full cash valuation of property in the town of Patagonia increased by 33% in 2022, according to the Santa Cruz County Assessor’s Office. The total full cash valuation in Sonoita and Elgin increased by 8.4%.This increase in tax valuation is due to increases in the market, new homes, and improvements to existing homes, Chief Deputy Assessor Edmundo Paz stated. It is important to note that these increases do not represent the increases seen by individual property owners but are a total of all valuations in each district, he said.
“Full cash values are not the value used to calculate tax bills,” Paz wrote in a recent email. “That would be the Limited Property Value which had an increase in both these areas of about 5% by statute unless you have made improvements, additions etc.” The assessors can, however, continue to raise the valuation by 5% in upcoming years, which will increase property owners’ tax bills going forward.
Although the county and the special districts did not raise the primary and secondary tax rates for 2022 – 2023, many homeowners will see an increase in their tax bills due to higher valuations on their properties.
Pancake Breakfast, Junior Livestock Show, Dessert Auction, and Dancing Pack the Fairgrounds this Weekend
Patagonia Schools Lunch Program
Patagonia Union High School (PUHS) & Patagonia Elementary School (PES) will be participating in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. As part of this program, PUHS/PES will offer healthy meals every school day. Breakfast will cost $2.00 and lunch will cost $3.50. Your child(ren) may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Reduced-price meals cost $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch.
Qualifications for children to receive free or reduced-price meals include: belonging to a household whose income is at or below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines, belonging to a household that receives public assistance, or if the child is homeless, migrant, runaway, foster, or participates in a Head Start or Even Start pre-Kindergarten program.
Household size and income criteria are used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits if the household does not receive assistance or the children are not in the other categories mentioned above. Children can get free or reduced-price meals if the household’s gross income falls at or below the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guideline chart. Click here for more information .
Plans for County Building in Sonoita Unveiled
Santa Cruz County District 3 Supervisor Bruce Bracker met with a group of community members August 4 to present the plans for renovating the county building across from the Fairgrounds.
The plans call for enlarging and upgrading the Sonoita Library, a community meeting room, enlarging and moving the sheriff’s substation to the back of the building, replacing the HVAC system, and adding a satellite office for the WIOA Workforce Program, run by the Santa Cruz County Career Center. There will be an accordion wall between the library and the meeting room. Plans for a separate room for a visitors’ center have been scrapped. Instead, the county is looking to provide a kiosk for visitor information.
Fish Consumption Advisory Issued for Patagonia Lake
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), is issuing a fish consumption advisory for flathead catfish caught from Patagonia Lake in Santa Cruz County.
This advisory is based on recent analyses of fish tissue data that indicate elevated levels of mercury. ADEQ recommends that adults limit consumption of flathead catfish from Patagonia Lake to 2.5 ounces (uncooked weight) per week and children 12 and younger limit consumption to 2 ounces (uncooked weight) per month. For more information, click here.
Local Teacher Wins County Award
PUHS social studies teacher Jeff Gudenkauf was named “Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year” at a ceremony held on August 5. “Mr. Gudenkauf is not only a wonderful social studies instructor, but he was instrumental in getting our ‘Intro to Autos’ program up and running,” Patagonia Schools Superintendent Kenny Hayes said. “He went out and got multiple donations, has gotten two cars donated to the program and spearheaded the entire operation. He now teaches the class and is a CTE-certified instructor so that the students can have certification when they are finished with his classes. His hard work and dedication to this project and many others around campus make him an invaluable member of our staff.”
Other local nominees were Randi Tratham, who teaches science at Patagonia Elementary School, Callie Mattus, who teaches second grade at Elgin School, and Kimberly Franklin, who teaches third grade at Little Red School.
First Day of School for Patagonia Students
Aliyah Gallardo is excited about starting her junior year at Patagonia Union High School on August 8.
Lighting Up the Patagonia Museum
A Note from the Patagonia Museum
The Patagonia Museum will host a workday at the Lochiel Schoolhouse from 9 am to 2 pm on Thursday, August 18. Please bring water. lunch and gloves.
The Patagonia Museum will conduct a bus tour to Mata Ortiz on Nov. 8 – 10. More details to follow.
Saturday, August 13, the Mountain Empire Trail Association, will lead a maintenance day on the Patagonia Train Track Trail. Please bring your own tools and refreshments and meet at the Patagonia Post Office at 8 am. Please call 520-343-5641 for further details.
A Note from the Patagonia Public Pool
SPEED LIMIT ON CAMPUS IS 5 MPH as school is back in session.
The last day for full pool hours will be August 6.
Starting August 8th – Monday-Saturday
*Lap swimming will be from 9 – 10:30a.m.
*Water Aerobics: 10:45 – 12:00p.m.
Join Patagonia CERT
Community Emergency Response Team
We assist emergency personnel in Patagonia when needed.
Join us at one of our meetings on the first Wednesday of the month and find out more about Patagonia CERT.
Email msm85624@gmail.com to let Marilyn know you want to come to a meeting.
CERT members receive free training (usually on the weekend) that involves both coursework and activities like putting out a small fire, group-carry of a wounded person, and practicing a rescue with injured victims.
Upcoming Events in Our Community
Second Saturday Sonoita Wine Tasting and Local Crafts
August 13: 11a.m. – 5p.m. Food by The Happy Cooker, Music by Sonora. Featuring wine from Sunset Ride, Twisted Union and Najar Cellars. At the Coop, 3266 Hwy 82, Sonoita, AZ
School Events in Our Community
Items of Interest in Our Community
FREE CPR & FIRST AID TRAINING
Thanks to a grant from the Legacy Foundation of Sierra Vista, there will be a free training held at the Patagonia Senior Center in First Aid and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation). CPR is an emergency procedure that can help save a person’s life if their breathing or heart stops. There will also be a training in the use of a defibrillator, an electronic device that applies an electric shock to restore the rhythm of a heart, when the irregular contractions of its muscle fibers result in a lack of synchronism between heartbeat and pulse.
The training will be five hours long and will be held on a Saturday (the exact day to be announced.)
There are twenty openings and several instructors, each instructing a group of only five or six people. If interested, please visit or call the Patagonia Senior Center (520-394-2494) and leave your name and phone number.
Recyclops Recycling Service
Click here to sign up for Recyclops curbside pick-up service
Recyclops Accepts:
Aluminum & steel (tin) beverage & food cans
Cardboard & pasteboard
Glass containers (with glass subscription)
Magazines/catalogs, junk mail, paper, books
Newspapers Plastic beverage, food, & soap containers (plastics #1, #2)
More information on what Recyclops accepts and does not accept is available at the Recyclops website.
Empire Ranch Foundation Volunteer Opportunity
The Empire Ranch Foundation is seeking volunteers to work at our Gift Shop at
the historic Empire Ranch. Volunteers are needed for five hour shifts on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. To apply, and for more information about responsibilities and requirements, click here.
Farmers’ Market Schedule
Patagonia Flower Farm’s Monthly Artisan and Farmers Market – Last Thurs. of the month 9am – 3pm by the gazebo in the park. Call Aishah for more info 520-335-7384
Patagonia Farmers and Crafts Market -Thursdays 9am-12pm by Red Mountain Foods.
Sonoita Farmers Market – Saturday Mornings 9am-12pm at the Sonoita Post Office parking lot (NW corner of Hwy 82/83)
Sierra Vista Farmers Market – Thursday 10am-2pm at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Click here for more info.
Nogales “Little” Mercado – Fridays 4-7pm 163 Morley Ave, Nogales. Click here for more info.
Tick Collection and Free Snake Relocation
What do you call a tick on the moon? A luna-tic. Ok, jokes aside, I’m collecting ticks again for the CDC and they asked for your help. Same as last year, any ticks you pull off yourself, pets, or livestock I would be happy to come pick up. For folks planning on donating regularly, I can bring you vials with ethyl alcohol. Contact Eric at 602.635.0117 with questions or ticks.
Also offered: FREE SNAKE RELOCATION. Call or text Eric anytime at 602.635.0117 for safe relocation of rattlesnakes
Gratitude Drum Circle
Meets at Patagonia Town Park by the gazebo Tuesdays 4-6pm, no experience necessary. Call 520-490-4991 for more info.
Community Job Opportunities
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