The Aug./Sept. issue of the PRT is out now!
Click on the cover below to read the entire issue in PDF format.
You can also read every story from the new issue of the PRT at our website. Here are direct links to a few of the stories…
A Season to Remember for ‘Mighty Nine’ Little Leaguers
By Dave Lumia
“They didn’t know they couldn’t win”: inside the Santa Cruz Little League 8-10-year-old All-Stars’ magical postseason run.
Sonoita Creek Preserve Manager Wins Award
By Mary Tolena
Aaron Mrotek has been chosen for The Nature Conservancy’s 2025 Trailblazer Conservation Achievement Award, earning the top honor from among approximately 7,000 employees worldwide.
Tucson Bird Alliance Preps $2.3 Million Program to Reduce Patagonia Fire Risk
By Mary Tolena
The program’s acting coordinator is eager to talk to local landowners who are interested in participating in fuel reduction efforts.
[Editorial] Your Tax Dollars at Work
By Marion Vendituoli
There’s no shortage of things to worry about in these parts right now, starting with the imminent construction of a wall at the border.
Plans for a New Elgin Bridge Inch Forward
By Carrie White
It would seem the 103-year-old bridge’s time has come and gone. But there’s new hope that it may be preserved.
There’s a New Chef in Town
By Dave Lumia
At the new El Campo Cantina in Sonoita, owner-chef Carlos Aponte is serving up fusion pizza, pastas, tacos and salads to go with local wines.
Seasonal, Sophisticated, Simple
By Carrie White
Chef Trevor Routman is bringing a fresh approach to Los Milics Vineyards’ kitchen in Elgin.
Patagonia High Alum Takes Reins of Volleyball Team
By Dave Lumia
Brenda Somoza begins her first season as Patagonia High School head volleyball coach with a couple of important assets working in her favor: Familiarity and Consistency.
Helping People See Stars
By Harold Meckler
Using his Seestar 30 telescope/camera, astrophotography hobbyist Mike King of Sonoita is sharing the wonders of our night sky with friends and neighbors.
Summer Cooking With Native Plants
Text and photos by Bill Steen
What’s been especially good this summer has been the opportunity to focus on what are considered to be weed-like ingredients that grow everywhere once the monsoon rains have started.
Sheriff’s Blotter – Aug. 2025
By PRT Staff Reporters
A log of calls to the Sheriff’s office from eastern Santa Cruz County in June and July.
Town Council Notes – Aug. 2025
News and notes from the Patagonia Town Council’s June 11, June 25, July 9 and July 23 meetings.
Church Thrift Shop Awards Grants to 13 Local Charities
By Linda Jade Fong
Sales of ultra low-cost clothing and household items at the popular store added up to over $21,000 in the last fiscal year.
Local Woman Honored for Her Years of Service
By Marion Vendituoli
Cynthia Matus Morriss was recognized for her dedication to local students and her 36 years serving on the Patagonia School Board at a ceremony held at the AZ Senate building.
Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County: The Wise Old Emory Oak of Mowry
By Perin McNelis
One day in 2021 I came across the biggest, most magnificent Emory oak I have ever seen. I visit this tree every year and the awe has yet to fade.
Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County: Elgin’s Movie Star Cottonwood
By Sue Downing
The tree that appeared in the 1955 feature film ‘Oklahoma!’ is still a landmark in Elgin, 70 years later.
Take a Hike!: Ditch Mountain Trail #137
By Wayne Tomasi
A new regular column about hiking opportunities in the Santa Ritas debuts. This month: the trail formerly known as the ‘Chinaman Trail.’
Glimpses Into Our Past: The Watkins Family
By Alison Bunting
The Watkins’ first home in Harshaw, in 1880, was a tent. By 1884 they were farming on a 160-acre homestead and the family had grown to include eight children.
Nature’s Undertakers and Recyclers
By Vince Pinto
Without these local scavengers and decomposers, our Sky Islands would be piled high with corpses and scat.
Tattooed Heart
By Cassina Farley
Tattoos can be so personal and, in this case, have a long story to go with them.
In Good Hands at Sonoita’s Healing Lotus Massage
By Robert Gay
“I want someone to walk in and feel calming energy before they even get onto the table,” says licensed massage therapist Caitlyn Coleman.
La Sagrada de Patagonia Aims to ‘Treat the Whole Being’
By Robert Gay
For licensed massage therapist Alyssa Navarette, bodywork has a sacred aspect.
Starstruck: What We Can Learn From Mars
By Harold Meckler
Rivers once flowed there. There were oceans as well. What made it all disappear? If it happened to our neighbor, might it happen here?
[News Release] Sonoita Saddles Up for Three Action-Packed Weekends
Coming up: the 110th Annual Sonoita Labor Day Rodeo, the 25th Annual Sonoita Ranch Rodeo, and the 110th Santa Cruz County Fair, featuring the first annual “Sonoita Smash” Demolition Derby.