The PRT Newsletter for the Week of Feb. 12, 2025
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News
Community Dinner Raises Nearly $7,000 for Sonoita and L.A. County Fire Victims
Over 250 community members turned out for a community dinner fundraiser hosted by the Mountain Empire Rotary Club on Monday night, Feb. 10 at Pioneer Hall. Donations were collected to help Patty Scarboro and Ted Swigert, who lost their home in Sonoita to a recent fire, as well as people affected by the southern California wildfires.
Donors feasted on a delicious pulled pork dinner and gave generously—from young children who each gave $2 for their own money to businesses that wrote large checks to a Sonoita church that collected $1,000 from its congregation. Nearly $7,000 was raised, with additional donations continuing to trickle in by mail.
A portion of the funds, approximately $4,000, has been earmarked to help Scarboro and Swigert. The balance will be donated through ShelterBox USA, which will match the funds dollar for dollar to aid with California wildfire relief.
Subsequent donations will be distributed by Mountain Empire Rotary Club. Anyone interested in helping can mail checks made payable to Patagonia-Sonoita Rotary Club Foundation and sent to P.O. Box 424, Sonoita, AZ 85637.
Patagonia Town Council Meets Tonight, Discussion of South32-Funded ‘Community Specialist’ Position on the Agenda
The Town of Patagonia will hold a regular Town Council meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6pm in Town Hall Council Chambers at 310 McKeown Avenue. The meeting can also be attended via Zoom. The meeting I.D. is 957-511-4862 and the password is 338501.
Items on the agenda include:
- Discussion and possible action to approve a new job description for the Community Specialist position. Discussion and possible action to approve Town Manager Ron Robinson to sign a contribution agreement with South32 to fund the Community Specialist position.
- Discussion and possible action to approve Town Manager Robinson to sign a contract with CPE Consultants to provide concept design for five affordable housing units placed on one acre of Town property along Harshaw Avenue. Design package cost: $4,795.00 plus reimbursables.
- Discussion and possible action to accept a proposal from CPE Consultants for design and load calculations for the new rest stop gazebos at Beaty Lane. Proposal amount $5,500.
Click here for more information.
Fanning Announces Local Advisory Committee Members
By Carrie White
In a meeting held Tuesday, Feb. 11 with the Sonoita/Elgin Planning and Preservation Committee, District 3 Supervisor John Fanning announced the names of individuals who will serve on his Community Advisory Committee.
Eastern Santa Cruz County will be represented by Kat Crockett of Elgin; Carol Bonchalk, Cassina Farley, Carolyn Shafer and Brenda Somoza of Patagonia; and Keith Barth, Ruth Ann LeFebvre, Josh Mentesana and Amie Wystrach of Sonoita.
The county’s western side will be represented by Gary Levin and Erasmo Rason of Rio Rico and Pam Lemke, E. Clem Shute Jr., Rosie Simpson, Rocco Todarello and Celeste Wisdom of Tubac.
The first meeting of the committee will be Wednesday March 19, at the Santa Cruz County Complex in Nogales. A decision to open the meeting to the public has not been made yet.
Following that initial gathering, Fanning intends to rotate committee meetings throughout the district.
Making Loops With Luca
Above: Italian violinist Luca Ciarla demonstrates his loop pedal setup to intrigued students at a special interactive presentation for local schoolchildren on Monday, Feb. 3 at the Benderly-Kendall Opera House in Patagonia. The internationally renowned musician was in town for a concert at the Opera House the previous day. —Pat McNamara
Best Practices for Keeping Your Bird Feeders Clean for Our Wild Birds
From Tom Brown, Site Manager at Paton Center for Hummingbirds:
It’s a new year and we have a fast approaching Spring! But winter is not over and we still have a pretty large number of our winter migrant birds around, including White-crown Sparrows, House Finches and Lazuli Buntings, just to name a few that are here in the Patagonia area. I am sure many of you are acting as great winter hosts, helping out the migrants with mixed seed, water and even some fresh fruit slices to help them through the cold winter months. Despite the local hummingbird populations being considerably smaller this time of year, as most of them have headed south, many people in the surrounding area still are keeping those hummingbird feeders full for those diminutive birds as well.
First of all, on behalf of all our feathered friends, thank you for taking the time to help them out. I am sure if they could speak, your efforts would not go unnoticed. But, and there always seems to be a “but,” all those generous efforts come with a responsibility. Taking care of your various feeders requires more than just keeping them filled, you must also maintain the cleanliness of each of them. Depending on the type of feeders you are using, each style has its own particular requirements of care and cleaning.
This time of year, the most critically needed care is for our hummingbird feeders. Despite the cooler temperatures, feeders that have been left for extended periods of time with food in them can start to develop a black mold, caused by the breaking down of the sugar in the food mixture. This mold develops around the opening to the feeder as it remains the one location that is wet a lot from the birds feeding there. When this mold comes in contact with the hummingbird’s tongue, an infection starts, causing the bird’s tongue to swell, and in most cases, the bird will not be able to pull the tongue back into its mouth, and starvation results.
Here at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, we prefer the saucer style of hummingbird feeder, due to the ease of cleaning. The large capacity glass and plastic feeders tend to be filled, and then left out until they are empty, which this time of year can be over a week or more. The best case practice is that the hummingbird feeders should be cleaned at least every three days. If you are using those types of feeders, consider not filling them up to capacity, and then thoroughly cleaning them every two to four days.
Our seed feeders, which come in a huge variety of sizes and styles, do require a small bit of care. At least every ten days or so, they should be emptied and washed with a mild bleach solution, or warm soapy water using Dawn soap.
When all the birds have migrated into this area, there are times when you can get pretty large numbers of birds in a concentrated area. Any disease that might be carried by one of the birds can quickly be spread to others via contact with the feeders. Finch Disease (mycoplasmal conjunctivitis) and Avian Pox are the two most common diseases that our seed eating birds can contract. Regular maintenance of our feeders can make a huge difference in helping to stop the spread of both of these diseases.
Many of us find great joy in attracting these wild birds to our homes and yards. Let’s make sure they all stay healthy and happy while they are visiting the area!
Remember When?
Over 3,100 articles from past years’ print editions have been posted on the PRT website, with more to come. Take a walk down memory lane with this article from February, 2014…
Walking Tour Conjures Up Images of the Past
By Leslie Ware
Feb. 6, 2014
Which tree in Patagonia served as the town jail until 1938? What was the Wagon Wheel’s original location? Did Gillette really buy the old railroad tracks? And which building used to house a roller rink? German Quiroga revealed all on a guided walking tour of Patagonia last month…
School News and Youth Events
Lobos Fall Short at 1A South Region Tourney
By Dave Lumia
The Patagonia High School boys and girls’ basketball seasons came to an end with losses at the 1A South region tournament in St. David.
The Patagonia boys opened the region tournament with a 57-34 victory over San Simon, advancing to a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Gregory School. The Lobos came out and played one of their best halves of the season against Gregory, trailing 26-25 at halftime, but Gregory, ranked sixth in the state, pulled away in the second half for a 61-43 win. The Lobos concluded their season with a 54-34 loss to Baboquivari in the third-place game, finishing the campaign with a 10-11 record.
The Patagonia girls fell to Valley Union 29-21 in the regional quarterfinals. They finished with a 6-12 record.
Practice is now underway for the baseball and tennis season. The first competition is Feb. 26 for baseball and March 3 for tennis. Softball practice begins next week.
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!
Local Items of Interest
THIS SATURDAY Sonoita Produce on Wheels & Local Market, at the VINE Church Saturday, Feb. 15th, 8-11 AM – $15 contribution for 70 LBS of produce. No residential or income requirements.
Borderlands POWWOW in Sonoita, AZ is always on the third Saturday of the month. At the same time, we have Local Marketside vendors. At our local market, you’ll find wonderful homemade goodies/coffee/breads/jams, and gift items. (If you’d like to share your handcrafted or homemade local goods at the market, we’d love to have you. – please text/call gardenia at 602.292.1616 to reserve a No-Fee spot.)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for this Saturday’s Sonoita Produce on Wheels (POWWOW)! We cannot continue Produce on Wheels without you!
If you’d like to lend a hand, this is what you would be doing: sorting and packing fresh produce, and assisting participants as they go through our farmers market-style line. The shifts are 6:30-9:30am and/or 8:30-11:30am. *Those who volunteer for a shift will receive a complimentary unit of produce.
If you’d like to give back to your community in this way, please call/text gardenia 602.292.1616 and let us know which dates and shifts you’re able to volunteer. AND if you know of any youth in the community who would like or need volunteer hours, we can provide documentation for those who would like to volunteer.
Follow @SonoitaAZCommunityMarket on FB & IG to see our Veggie Varieties Friday afternoon!
AA: 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.
Family Health Care Amigos/Purple Elephant, a certified charity, seeks a dependable part-time furniture mover for approximately ten hours a month at $20 per hour. Please call 520.256.7213 to set up an interview.
Santa Rita Abbey has a new part time job opening in its altar bread bakery. Position is Monday through Friday mornings assisting with the manufacturing of Communion Hosts. Contact Sister Pam for further details. 520-455-0481 (no text messaging) or cistercianab@gmail.com.
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.
