The PRT Newsletter for the Week of May 7, 2025
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Photo of the Week
Protecting their turf. Photo by Lin Ramsey
News
Town Council hears broad support for Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue at 3-hour meeting
By Jay Babcock
Patagonia residents and volunteer firefighters passionately lobbied the Patagonia Town Council during a three-hour meeting last Wednesday to continue to contract with Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue (PVFR) for the Town’s fire and emergency medical services.
The special non-voting meeting, officially called a workshop, featured presentations by PVFR Acting Fire Chief Zay Hartigan and Sonoita-Elgin Fire District (SEFD) chief Marc Meredith. PVFR and SEFD have each submitted bids for a one-year, $70,000 contract to provide the Town with fire protection and emergency services starting July 1. The bids were in response to a Request for Proposal sent out by the Town in February, the first time in memory that the Town formally considered any agency other than the 100-year-old PVFR to provide these services.
Attendance was high at last Wednesday’s workshop, with Council chambers at capacity (47 people) at the meeting’s 6pm start time, and many more waiting to get in outdoors. Over 60 people viewed the proceedings via Zoom. At least one armed Sheriff’s deputy was present in the Council chambers for the entire meeting.
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PVFR issues burn ban
From Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue:
Burn Ban in effect May 6 until further notice
No burning anywhere in PVFR response area until the ban is lifted.
Be extra cautious with any grilling activities, fire danger is extremely high.
Daytime lane restrictions on SR82 (mp 21-28) weekdays from May 12 through May 22
From ADOT:
Scenes from KPUP’s fundraiser
MorQ BBQ and Bakery in Patagonia supplied meat for the KPUP Luau fundraiser held Saturday, May 3, at the Patagonia Lumber Company. The luau, in addition to the sale of Hawaiian shirts, is the major annual fundraiser for the community radio station, which will mark its 20th anniversary next year. (Photo by Dave Lumia) 
The Global Arts Gallery in Patagonia was again the site for the Hawaiian shirt sale, which raises money for KPUP (100.5FM). The community radio station, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 2016 and broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Photo by Dave Lumia) 
Shoppers at KPUP’s Hawaiian shirt sale find a variety of sizes and styles to choose from before the Saturday, May 3, luau held at the Patagonia Lumber Company. Jan Herron, left, collects the shirts ($10 apiece) and organizes the sale, with all money raised supporting the community radio station. (Photo by Dave Lumia)
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Locals share memories of growing up in Patagonia
By Carrie White
Some children are guided by family.
Others by neighbors.
The children of Patagonia have, historically, had both. As well as the bonds of youth, connections that remain intact despite the passage of time.
Maureen De La Ossa, Cynthia, Matus-Morriss, Emma Matus-Voss, German Quiroga and Sylvia Benedict—all with deep community roots—shared memories of their early years here during the Saturday, May 3 “Living Treasures” event at Patagonia Public Library.
Gems, however, weren’t limited to that quartet at the front of the room. Audience members Bill Bergier, Mollie Wright, and Linda Vensel contributed to the nostalgia, an interactive volley of people and places of the past. Jade DeForest, library employee organizing the event, is hopeful for more such events.
On hand for this inaugural talk was a capacity crowd of 62 who laughed, smiled and chuckled at the ensemble’s youthful recollections: a flipped outhouse—Halloween prank—with De La Ossa inside; roller skating in Cady Hall, the Opera House and a rink positioned behind St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church. And, of course, the dances.
Dances were an opportunity for ranch owners, cowboys and townspeople from the communities of Canelo, Washington Camp, Mowry, Duquesne and Patagonia to stay in touch. Dance sites include Harshaw, Elgin and the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Sonoita. Live bands were imported—some from Nogales. Others musicians were local. But, as the story goes, the music could go on until sunrise, encores encouraged by the passing of a hat.
If the hat trick didn’t work, there was always Emerson.
“Memo” and Carmen Matus would fetch an Emerson record player from their car. They’d spin records, 78s, featuring Red Foley and other cowboy crooners. Little girls danced with little girls. Little boys with little boys.
Until the Granino Boys showed up.
Game changer. Girls now had partners: Tony, Louis, Bernie and Alex.
Back to Emerson. Needle skipping? “Daddy would sharpen it with a knife,” Matus-Voss said. And when the kids became too tired to dance, there were pillows and snacks in the vehicles.
In addition to dances, there were other ways locals stayed in touch sans phones.
“Blaine Lewis’ wife (Laura) was the mail carrier. She kept everyone informed about what was going on,” Quiroga said. And if you needed something, just ask Laura. She brought it along on her route through Harshaw, Lochiel and the San Rafael Valley.
There was also softball—another opportunity for socializing. Game location changed constantly. Men played. Women cooked. “And us children, we’d climb (trees), scream and yell and ride our bicycles,” said Matus-Voss.
Potlucks were another excuse to gather. Particularly on ranches where cowboys, ranch owners and local families laid down the spread. “That’s how we co-mingled,” said De La Ossa.
Other memories that came from the audience:
“I remember my dad had the first TV in town,” said Bergier. That TV is on display at The Patagonia Museum.
Vensel, for her part, was Matus-Morriss’ 4-H sewing teacher, 4-H being a popular youth activity.
And Wright confessed to a fondness for dancing, though modestly she declined to name a favorite partner.
At the event’s start, Linda Shore, acting town librarian and president of the library advisory board, asked the quartet to reveal something no one knew about them.
Quiroga offered that he moved to Tucson at age 6 (1958). However, his love for this community never waned. As a youngster, summers were spent with family here. And even today, his ties are strong as president of the Patagonia Museum. “Those years,” he said of his childhood, “were the best six years of my life.”
At Patagonia Library, mango is not just a fruit
By the Patagonia Library Team
Hello, Hola, Bonjour, Hallo, Ciao, Konnichiwa. Did you know that you can learn to speak another language for FREE?
The Patagonia Public Library offers Mango language service absolutely free to all our members. Mango provides language courses where you will simultaneously learn vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar through interactive activities.
How does one access this amazing product? First, obtain a library card by becoming a member of the Patagonia Library if you don’t have one already.
Once a member, you can access our website at patagoniapubliclibrary.org. Click the “Resources” tab located in the upper right side of the screen; next click “Free to our Patrons.” Scroll down on this page until you see Mango Languages and click directly on that icon.
You have two choices when logging in to Mango. To log in as a guest, simply put your name and library card number in. Or you can create an account using your name, email address and card number. (Note: you will have to authenticate your email address).
Once you have done this, the main Mango page will open, which is where you pick a language to learn. The application will lead you through the process with easy step-by-step learning guides.
With over 70 languages for you to choose from, including American Sign Language, you should be able to find one that suits your learning style.
Good luck! Viel Gluck! Bonne chance! Buena suerte! In bocca al lupo! Haeng un eul bile o yo!
It’s tarantula time again
As temperatures warm up in the Sky Islands, a number of invertebrates make their first appearance of the year—like this wandering tarantula in the genus Aphonopelma at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary. Tarantulas can produce silk, which they use to line their burrows. Urticating hairs serve as a primary defense mechanism and cover the dorsal and posterior surface of their abdomen. Tarantulas rub their legs on their abdomens to loosen the hairs, potentially irritating the eyes of certain predators. —Vince Pinto
Rewilding jaguars: Could it be done here?
From The Rewilding Institute:
From Argentina to Arizona, jaguars are clawing their way back. At these bookends of the species’ range, this elusive predator is critically endangered—wiped out in some places, barely hanging on in others. Yet despite habitat loss, poaching, and climate change, jaguar populations have the potential to rebound, offering hope that extinction isn’t the end of their story.
Rewilding Argentina has spearheaded one of the most ambitious wildlife recovery efforts in the world. In Iberá, where jaguars had been absent for 70 years, they have recovered a population from zero to 35 individuals in just four years. In the Gran Chaco, they have released three females in the last year at El Impenetrable to supplement a small number of wild males. Their success is a rallying cry for jaguar conservation across the Americas—including in the rugged borderlands of Arizona and Sonora, where pockets of these big cats still roam.
Sebastián Di Martino is the conservation director of Rewilding Argentina and one of the architects of their jaguar breeding and reintroduction program. He shares why it is important to bring back jaguars, how they did it in Argentina, and what opportunities he sees for jaguar recovery in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.
This presentation was given at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, Arizona, on April 27. Co-sponsored by the Rewilding Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, Cuenca Los Ojos and Northern Jaguar Project.
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!
Recurring Events
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.
We are a mustang and a mule who need your help for approximately 1 hr./day to feed, water & pick up manure. Mon.-Thurs. $25. day. Sonoita 520-975-9920
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.
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)
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