The PRT Newsletter for the Week of Sept. 25, 2024
Circle Z Ranch is the PRT newsletter’s Premier Sponsor for 2024. We are grateful for their partnership. If your business would like to be a newsletter sponsor, click here for more info.
Want to know when a new PRT Newsletter is out? You can receive a notice the moment our weekly newsletter is published, conveniently delivered to your email inbox every Wednesday. Click here to go to the sign-up page.
News
A Blue Ribbon for ‘Corn, Elmer’s Glue and Fifth Grade Ingenuity’
The fifth-grade class at Patagonia Elementary School earned a blue ribbon at the Santa Cruz County Fair for this mosaic of a landscape made out of dyed popcorn kernels, complete with two corn stalks. The project, under the direction of elementary school art instructor Tammy Quiroga, took the students six weeks to complete. Middle school and high school art director Cassina Farley said that the mosaic was “a product of corn, Elmer’s glue and fifth grade ingenuity.”
Every class entry in the fair submitted by Patagonia students earned a blue ribbon, a testament to the creativity and hard work of both students and their teachers.
The kindergarten class won a first-place trophy for their chicken coop, with paper plate chickens, chicks and handcrafted eggs. First graders created a paper vineyard scene, second and third graders earned a best in show ribbon for their farmers market booth filled with handcrafted produce, and the fourth grade class won a best in show ribbon for their honey bee hive. Sixth and seventh grades created a tin mobile and the high school art classes created a detailed print of a peony.
Unfortunately, a leaking roof and the hard rain that occurred on Sunday night after the fair ended destroyed much of the students’ art, according to Farley. The corn mosaic was completely ruined, as were much of the other exhibits.
It’s a Fact: People Love Pie
Last weekend’s annual pie auction benefit for the Patagonia Community Garden raised over $7,000. One enthusiastic bidder, who asked not to be identified, spent $970 on four pies. Click here for our full report on the proceedings, including a photo gallery.
Don’t Forget: Sept. 26 County Meeting Regarding Permit for New $40-60 Million Dude Ranch in Sonoita
On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Santa Cruz County Planning and Zoning Commission (SCCP&Z) will consider a request for a conditional use permit (CUP) to develop a dude ranch with a capacity for approximately 150 guests on a portion of the Babacomari Ranch located in Sonoita.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at 1pm at the County Complex in Nogales. The meeting can also be attended by Zoom at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81166317702.
For more information on the proposed development, see the Sept. 18 PRT article by Marion Vendituoli.
Exploratory Drilling Resumes in Patagonia Mountains
With Mexican Spotted Owl breeding season ended, Barksdale Resources has started Phase II of its exploratory drilling program across its 1,800-acre Sunnyside Project west and south of the Hermosa Project. Click here to read Robert Gay’s full report.
Sheriff Hathaway Goes to Washington
Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway testified last week in Washington, D.C. to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Homeland Security. The Sept. 18 hearing, entitled “A Country Without Borders: How Biden-Harris’ Open-Borders Policies Have Undermined Our Safety and Security,” lasted for over three hours.
In a press release recapping the hearing, the Sheriff’s Office said that while “the [Republican] committee leaders made intense efforts to portray migrants as murderers and criminals, [Sheriff Hathaway] focused on the importance of free trade and friendly relationships with other countries and the need for a functional guest worker program.”
Click here to read our brief report, which includes an unedited video of the complete hearing.
Butterflies, Birds and Bees. Oh my!
By Tom Brown, Site Manager for the Paton Center for Hummingbirds
Ah, the three “B”s! When it comes to habitat at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, everything is about the three “B”s: butterflies, birds, and bees. They are very much a part of what makes this a wonderful time of year to be here—temperatures have dropped and the monsoon rains have pretty much wrapped up too.
We are seeing dozens of butterfly species every day now. Common ones to watch for are the Bordered Patch, Gulf Fritillary, Cloudless Sulphur, and several other sulphur species. It is also time to start seeing Monarch butterflies show up on the milkweed that has been planted especially for them. This has been a great year for a few rarities as well, so keep your eyes open for species like the Dotted Roadside Skipper and the Toltec Skipper.
Many fall migrant birds have been visiting the yard recently. Multiple warbler species, sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees, Rufous and Anna’s Hummingbirds, and many others have stopped by on their way south. What really makes this time of year special is that nearly all of our summertime birds are also still here, including Gray Hawk, Blue Grosbeak, and Yellow-breasted Chat.
The last of our three “B”s stands for the actual bees themselves. They are now starting to show up at the hummingbird feeders in pretty large numbers, all trying to get in those last good meals before the wintertime cold temperatures show up. I have found that our bees tend to take a pretty laidback approach to being around people. You leave them alone, and they will do the same for you.
SEED FEEDER UPDATE: All seed feeders are back out at the Paton Center! The avian pox virus has a ten-day life cycle, and we have not had a bird in the yard showing any sign for 14 days.
On behalf of myself and all the volunteers at the Paton Center, we look forward to your next visit!
Our Crickets and Grasshoppers Beauty Pageant Continues…
We’re still looking for great photos (and videos!) of this year’s crickets and grasshoppers to share with the 2,000-plus readers of this newsletter. Please email your entries to prtadast@gmail.com — the higher the resolution, the better. Thank you!
Did you know that as part of our mission, the PRT does not charge to publish obituaries?
Please support the PRT — every dollar counts!
Remember When?
Over the last two years, we’ve posted over 2,900 articles from past years’ print editions on the PRT website, with more to come. Take a walk down memory lane with this article from October, 2017…
I Cried
By Cassina Farley
October 6, 2017
The other day at a gas station, I noticed an older man staring at me. I continued pumping my gas and as I was finishing up he said, “Is that a Queensland heeler?” I looked back to see my two dogs hanging out the window. I assured him they both were and he asked, “Do you mind?” He stepped away from his car and walked over and proceeded to pet my dog. He then began to tell me all about the best dog he ever had who was also a heeler. I got right away that this dog was no longer with him when I saw the tears in his eyes, and then mine welled up too.
As we both drove off in opposite directions, those tears were still in my eyes. On my way home, I was reminded of the past weekend at the fair. I thought about the young girl at the 4-H auction who choked back tears as the auctioneer spoke with her in front of the crowd. It was at that moment that she figured out that this was the end of the road for her and her cow friend.
School Announcements
Upcoming Events
To share information about an upcoming events in this newsletter, pleas submit a link to your event page or poster/flyer, or a brief description of the event. Poster/flyer submissions require an image in JPEG format, along with a brief description of the event. 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
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 – Fridays at 7pm. 387 McKowen 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 recently 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.
The Patagonia Museum has joined the Jim Click Millions for Tucson Raffle fundraiser. The grand prize is a 2024 Jeep Wrangler. 100% of proceeds sold by the Patagonia Museum will benefit the museum. Please contact a board member of the museum to buy your chance(s) to win. Click here to learn more about the grand prize. To learn more about the additional prizes that are available, click here.
On Saturday, October 19, from 4pm to 8pm, the Patagonia Museum Board of Trustees will host a Member Appreciation Dinner. Jim Koweek will provide the entertainment. Please save the date and if you are not a museum member please consider joining.
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.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for the upcoming academy classes for Patrol Deputy, Adult Detention Officer, and the Communications Division (Dispatch).
Starting Salaries:
Deputy: $49,595.00/Year
Detention Officer: $42,766.00/Year
Dispatch: $42,766.00/Year
Please complete an application and submit it to the Santa Cruz County Human Resource Office. Application Link: https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/documentcenter/view/3602
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.
