Circle Z Ranch is the PRT newsletter’s Premier Sponsor for 2025. We are grateful for their partnership. If you would like to be a newsletter sponsor, click here for more info.
Share your news with this Newsletter’s 2,000 subscribers! Got an eye-catching photo or video? A noncommercial or nonprofit event announcement or report? Maybe a volunteer opportunity, or birth/graduation/wedding news? Tell us about it! Contact us at prtadast@gmail.com
Photo of the week
“The field crew recently spotted this black-necked garter snake in the pond at the Paton Center! What a beauty.” —Tom Brown at Tucson Bird Alliance’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds (scroll down to end of ‘News’ to see video!)
News
Pastor Losi to leave Patagonia
By Linda Jade Fong
It’s only been less than a year and the response to the news was emotional for everyone.
The Patagonia Community United Methodist Church’s popular new pastor Losi Koloto and its congregation were caught off-guard last month by an unexpected announcement from the Methodist Church bishop for Arizona that Pastor Koloto has been appointed to another position…away from Patagonia.
The Pastor’s position here in Patagonia is half-time. “Pastor Losi,” as he is warmly known, will move to a church in Show Low, which provides a full-time opportunity.
The Kolotos’ 14-year-old daughter, Marion, said she’s loved attending Patagonia High and had been looking forward to her second season on the volleyball team. Her mother, Nikki, had been commuting from California and was eagerly anticipating living full-time in Patagonia.
Pastor Losi is known to his 3,000 Facebook friends for posting regular videos of walking through town from the parsonage to the church.
“I was called to serve,” Pastor Losi said. “Serve God, my first love, and my family. Then Patagonia became a love that found a home in me and became part of who I am, my experience, my reward. [Patagonia is] full of peace and beauty. I’m leaving the town, but not that love.”
A new pastor for PCUMC, Katrina Pahulu, will arrive July 1 from Mesquite, Nevada. This will be her first pastoral charge.
A farewell potluck for Pastor Losi will be held at Thurber Hall on Sunday, June 22 at 11:30am. Everyone is welcome to come help send off the Koloto family as they head off in their car named “Blessing” to their new adventure.
Forest Service opens long-promised new road, restoring access to public lands
The Forest Service has completed construction of a new road restoring vehicle access to 34,000 acres of public lands at the north end of the San Rafael Valley.
Public access by vehicle to Forest Service land in Meadow Valley and the Boghole Cienega area located at the north end of the San Rafael Valley has been blocked by private landowners since July 2018.
“Although hunters, birders, hikers and other recreationalists could still enter the area by foot, all vehicular traffic was terminated,” local resident Jac Heiss wrote in an op-ed piece published last October in the PRT. “As a result, anyone incapable of walking several miles across unimproved pathways was essentially denied access.”
Here’s the official announcement from the Forest Service:
May 26, 2025 – PUBLIC ACCESS NOTIFICATION
North of the San Rafael Valley is a newly constructed National Forest System road in the Patagonia Mountains. Both NFSR 4630 and NFSR 765, directly off NFSR 58, are modified by this new construction. NFSR 4630 is a 3.74-mile ML2 road that connects to NFSR 765 and provides access to over 34,000 acres of land in Meadow Valley and Boghole Cienega. The forest roads in this area traverse the unique mountain range and grassland, inviting you to explore nature, history, and recreation opportunities.
This project falls under the Southwestern Region Fiscal year 2022 Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and is part of multi-year funded projects to improve Sierra Vista recreation access, roads, and trails.
Click here to view/download the Forest Service’s two-page ‘Recreation Opportunity Guide’ for the Patagonia Mountains and San Rafael Valley.
T-Mobile hearing cancelled, Town Council meeting still on
The Patagonia Town Council will meet Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 6pm.
As always, members of the public may attend the Council meeting in person or via Zoom: Meeting I.D. 957-511-4862, password 338501
Note that the previously scheduled hearing regarding the proposed new T-Mobile antenna pole, which was to take place during this meeting, has been cancelled.
Click here to view/download the two-page agenda for the meeting.
Summer season hours announced for pool
From the Patagonia Regional Aquatics Center:
PRAC is so excited for our summer season!
Wednesday, May 28 marks the beginning of our expanded hours and fee schedule:
Hours: MONDAY-SATURDAY:
9:00-10:30 Lap Swim
10:45-12:00 Water Aerobics
12:00-5:00 Open Swim
Wednesday Evening Open Swim 5:00-8:00
Daily Fees:
Adults $5.00, Veterans and First Responders $3.00, Teens $3.00, 12 and under free
Multi-day discount punch card (10 turns for the price of 9):
Adults $45.00, Teens $27.00
Summer Season Pass: May 28- August 29, 2025:
Adult Summer Pass $120.00, Teen (13-17) Summer Pass $50.00
Caputo speaks
Renowned author and wintertime Patagonia resident Phil Caputo gave a talk at Cady Hall in late March. The event, produced by the Patagonia Public Library and attended by over 90 folks, was a big hit. We published PRT contributing writer Mary Tolena’s report on the event in our May issue, which you can read here. Now the Library has posted video of the talk, which we’re sharing below. Enjoy!
Participants sought for Hermosa Project CPBA ‘engagement sessions’
Media release:
Representatives from Santa Cruz County, Nogales, Patagonia, and South32 (the signatories) are working to develop a Community Protection and Benefit Agreement (CPBA) for the Hermosa project. Through focused working sessions, the group is creating an agreement that ensures the project is developed, operated, and closed with sustainable protections and benefits for the community.
The CPBA signatories hosted public listening sessions on March 17 (in Patagonia) and 18 (in Nogales). Feedback received during these sessions and on the CPBA website indicates that residents would like to have more engagement, particularly in the form of smaller group discussions focused on topics of specific interest.
Based on this feedback, the signatories plan to sponsor limited attendance, topic-specific groups of interested parties on 3 topics on June 16 and 17 (time and location TBD):
* emergency services,
* nature-based restorative economic development, and
* educationIf you are interested in participating in a particular topic session, please visit cpba-hermosa.org to express your interest and find additional information. Due to the need to keep the groups to a limited size for productive dialogue, the signatories will select interested participants by consensus from those invited as well as others interested. These groups are intended to provide an opportunity for individuals seeking to work collaboratively and in a solution-oriented spirit.
Snake on a pond
A black-necked garter snake glides across the surface of the pond at the Paton Center earlier this week in a video by Dan Lehman and the Tucson Bird Alliance.
School News and Youth Events
Upcoming Events
To share information about an upcoming event in this newsletter, please submit a poster/flyer in JPEG or PNG format. Email your submission to prtadast@gmail.com by Monday, 5pm. Remember to submit your event at least one week before the event date. Thank you!
Benefit for Ukrainian War Relief
On Saturday, May 31 there will be a fundraiser to benefit the victims of the Ukrainian War at the Café in Sonoita from 1-3:30. The fundraiser will be a workshop to teach how to decorate Ukrainian Easter Eggs (AKA Pysanky). All art supplies needed have been donated. All money collected will be sent to war relief. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Jim Koweek at jim@azreveg.com or call 520-455-5780.
If you would like to help out but aren’t interested in the workshop we will be accepting donations at that time.
The Café is located at 3280 H-way 82 in Sonoita.
Recurring Events
Are you a textile artist (weaving, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting)? The Crossroads Quilters invites all interested textile artists to our meetings. Bring a project to work on and enjoy a morning of information sharing and camaraderie. We meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 9am at the Sonoita Bible Church, 3174 N. Highway 83. For more information email: alisbunting@gmail.com
Alcoholics Anonymous:
- Sonoita Bible Church – Tuesdays at 7pm, 3174 N. Doors open at 6:30. Highway 83, Sonoita. Zoom option: 601-758-3907.
- Patagonia Methodist Community Church – Thursdays at 6:30pm. 387 McKeown Ave., Patagonia. Contact Dave at 207-249-8302.
Overeaters Anonymous: to find a meeting go to oasouthernaz.org. Contact Adrienne H. for more info 520-404-3490.
The Patagonia Senior Center has received a grant from Delta Dental of Phoenix to help seniors with dental expenses. Vouchers are provided for up to $350 to participating dentists. If interested, please call the Senior Center at (520) 394-2494.
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Employment Opportunities
To list an employment opportunity, please contact Nisa Talavera at prtads@gmail.com or 740-206-9594.
Farmers Markets
Patagonia Farmers and Crafts Market – Thursdays 10am-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.
Nogales “Little” Mercado – Fridays 4-7pm 163 Morley Ave, Nogales.
Church Events and Schedules
St. Therese Parish in Patagonia
Patagonia United Methodist Church
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Our Advertisers
For information on advertising in the PRT’s print edition, weekly newsletter, website or a custom package, please contact Nisa Talavera at prtads@gmail.com or 740-206-9594.
Private collector interested in buying good quality minerals from the Patagonia area and other Arizona locations. Please contact Bob Stewart, 315-440-2786 (Sahuarita)
Want to know when a new Newsletter is out? You can receive an email the moment our weekly newsletter is published every Wednesday. Click here to join the PRT email list.