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Photo of the week
Say “lasagna” and they will come. Say “free lasagna” and there will be a full cafeteria. Members of the Mountain Empire Rotary Club (pictured above) were prepared and generously served up hearty portions to all comers before the Science Expo at the Patagonia school cafeteria on February 11. Photo by Sondra Porter
News
This Saturday’s ‘Produce on Wheels Sonoita’ monthly market cancelled
From Gardenia Moffett/Vine Church of Sonoita:
Produce on Wheels Sonoita has been cancelled for this Saturday, Feb. 21, due to an unusually low amount of produce coming from Nogales. Hope to see everyone on the third Saturday in MARCH! Questions please text/call Gardenia at 602.292.1616
Santa Cruz spelling champ makes Patagonia Middle School proud
Spelling Bee champion Isabella Feliz of Patagonia. Contributed photo 
Runner-up Shulamithy Battu (left), champion Isabella Felix and Santa Cruz County School Superintendent Maya Donnelly. Contributed photo 
The Felix family—Esteban, Gabriel (brother), Hilary and spelling bee champion Isabella—with the Bee. Contributed photo
February 13 was Isabella Felix’s day to shine. The Patagonia Middle School eighth grader captured the Santa Cruz County 2026 Spelling Bee’s top award by correctly spelling “supplicate” in the 10th round.
This was Isabella’s first year to make the county competition, but she approached the challenge with poise and confidence. Her competition included 26 district and school winners from across Santa Cruz County.
Her closest competition and the runner up to the event was Shulamithy Battu, a Coatimundi seventh grader and the Santa Cruz Valley Unified District districtwide champion from Rio Rico.
“I was so happy,” Isabella said. “I didn’t expect to win, but I would have been happy no matter what because the whole thing was such a wonderful experience and everyone was so nice.”
Her prizes consisted of an array of school supplies and a tablet. “I didn’t expect anything like that,” she said.
Isabella is the daughter of Estaban and Hilary Felix. “I want to thank my parents for their constant support and especially my mom for helping me study the words,” she said.
Isabella will represent Santa Cruz County March 21 at the Arizona Spelling Bee Finals in Phoenix. “I am excited and a tiny bit terrified,” she said, “but I am looking forward to meeting another group of great people and experiencing a new place.”
My Furry Valentine: The winners!
“Cutest” first prize goes to Silver, nominated by Rainey Carpenter, who writes, “Silver was just a baby in this photo and he came from the outside. He loves being a part of the family.” 
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” first prize goes to Lucy, nominated by Joe Ciofalo, who writes, “Lucy is so cute, lovable and cuddly—no matter the day, the time or the weather. She’s the perfect Valentine 365 days a year!” 
“BFFs” first prize goes to Tank (grey) and Smudge (black), nominated by Sally Reichardt. “Inseparable buddies.” 
“Pets & People” first prize winner is Tucker & Bob Proctor. “My lapdog Tucker will be seven on April 15,” says Bob. “We got Tucker when he was six weeks old. “ 
“Golden Oldies” first prize winner is Charlie Bottoms, nominated by Lori Civello from Open Cross Ranch in Elgin. “He is 16 years old!”
Welcome to the 2026 edition of our annual My Furry Valentine photo contest. Among the more than 70 entries we received, dogs definitely ruled the day, but cats made a nice showing. In this issue of the PRT Weekly News Bulletin, we are featuring the winners in each of the five categories. All of the winners will be honored with a $25 donation made in their pet’s name to the Santa Cruz Humane Society or Kitty Kasa Rescue in Sonoita. Look for the honorable mentions in next week’s bulletin.
A brief look at The Daydreamer’s second running
By Jay Babcock
The Daydreamer, a locally organized trail run event, returned Feb. 6-7 to Patagonia for its second year, attracting 140 runners—70% of them female—across three long-distance races (10k, 30k and 50k).
Locals did well this year. Duke Norton (Patagonia/Tucson), Montana Bingen (Elgin) and Ben Lehman (Patagonia) took first, second and third place in the men’s section of the 50k and Alysha Davis (Patagonia) won the women’s. In the 10k, Monterrey Gay of Patagonia placed first in the women’s section, while Jason Stuck (Fort Huachuca) placed first in the men’s, with 13-year-old Benji Kryzs of Patagonia coming in third. (Complete results for the event’s races are available here.)
The event’s youngest runner was 11-year-old Ezra Krikorian of Patagonia, who came in eighth overall in the 10k. At 84, Bob Brandt of Patagonia, who also ran in the 10k, was the event’s oldest participant.
New to The Daydreamer this year was a special Kids Race for youths aged 3 to 10 years old, held in the town park. 25 children participated, which event founder/organizer Heidi Rentz called a huge success. “They had a blast and did so well,” she said. “This is just the beginning of what will develop into more running for these kids.”
The two-day weekend event was blessed by sunny weather and temperatures hovering around a (day)dreamy 70 degrees. Musicians were on hand to provide live entertainment on both nights, and funds were raised to benefit the Town of Patagonia’s recycling program.
“It’s such a fun thing to watch The Daydreamer become a special little part of Patagonia,” Rentz said. “Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and for all the amazing support and encouragement from the town.”
Dates for next year’s Daydreamer are already set: Feb. 5-6, 2027.
Patagonia boys, girls lose in opening round of state tourney
By Dave Lumia
The Patagonia Lobos were unable to overcome higher-ranked teams in the first round of the Class 1A state basketball tournament, bringing their seasons to an end.
The Patagonia boys, ranked 22nd, put up a spirited battle before falling to 11th-ranked Great Hearts Anthem by a 59-52 score on Thursday night in Anthem. The 23rd-ranked Patagonia girls fell by a 69-39 score to 10th-ranked Mogollon on Thursday night in Heber.
The Lobo boys closed within one point in the fourth quarter but were unable to get over the hump. Junior Kannon Shore led the Lobos with 18 points. Senior Jaxon Yslava and sophomore Marco Vasquez scored nine apiece. “We didn’t play our best game, but we fought hard,” coach Nate Porter said.
The Patagonia girls were without senior co-captain Brianna Majalca, who had fractured her thumb in practice. Senior Valeria Castellanos scored 17 to lead the Lobos, and senior Emma Lewton added 14.
Girls coach Michele Shadrick said losing Majalca was a tough break, “but we are proud of the strides they made and never-give-up attitude they played with throughout the season.”
The boys team finished with a 15-15 overall record and will lose six seniors: Yslava, Diego Padilla, Gus Varela, Gavin Arbizo, Noah Gallardo and Miguel Albarran. The girls finished 10-15 and will lose seniors Lewton, Castellanos, Majalca and Ximena Gonzalez.
Patagonia’s spring sports season will feature baseball, which opens on Feb. 25, and tennis, which starts March 2.
Marjorie Prime comes to Tin Shed this weekend
By Lynn Davison
How often do you have a chance to see a play that is running now on Broadway? In Patagonia, no less? Or a play that was written in 2015, but is even more relevant today as it features human characters in relationships with AI characters?
Marjorie Prime takes a totally different approach to exploring grief. Actors Rick Jaynes, Anesa Miller, Steve Watts, and Eva Wright play AI characters, or humans, or sequentially both. It is an intriguing story that engages your emotions while testing your imagination and your comfort with the future.
Marjorie Prime plays Friday, February 20 at 7PM; Saturday, February 21 at 7PM; and Sunday February 22 at 3PM at the Tin Shed Theater in Patagonia. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Volunteers needed for March 7 ‘Road to 250: Arizona Traveling Museum‘ event
From The Patagonia Museum:
The Patagonia Museum has been chosen to host the “Road to 250: Arizona Traveling Museum” on Saturday, March 7 from 9am to 4pm at the Patagonia Museum, 320 School Street. This traveling museum is housed in a 40-foot trailer and will be parked on our museum grounds. The traveling museum includes Arizona’s replica of the Liberty Bell as well as exhibits on American and Arizona history, as our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Arizona Lions Clubs are coordinating the volunteer opportunities required to host such an event. Friends and members of the Patagonia Museum are encouraged to volunteer at: https://volunteersignup.org/3LTRB
Volunteer opportunities are structured in two-hour increments with rotating duties available and rest breaks. Contact Patagonia Museum President Germán Quiroga for further information.
Special thanks to the Arizona America 250 Commission and the Arizona Secretary of State’s office for selecting the Patagonia Museum as one of 31 sites chosen in the state of Arizona and Patagonia Town Manager Ron Robinson for nominating the Patagonia Museum. Please join us on this special day.
Public Service Announcements
To submit an announcement, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
ADOT’s SR 83 lane restrictions in Sonoita are scheduled to continue through April, with temporary driveway closures now extended to run through Feb. 20: click here for more information
BLM is offering permits to collect dead and downed mesquite west of Cieneguita Campground through March 1: click here for more information
‘Justice Court East’ in session this Friday, Feb. 20
JP-East Justice Court services are available every 1st and 3rd Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Sonoita Community Space/County Building. We provide civil services including small claims, civil complaints, evictions, orders of protection and weddings — bringing access to justice closer to Elgin, Sonoita, Canelo and Patagonia. We’re here to serve our community with fairness, empathy, and integrity.
(520) 375-7661
Join Supervisor Fanning, District 3, at the Sonoita Community Room on Monday, March 2, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (next to the Library)
School News and Youth Events
To report school news or list an event, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
Student groups show their projects at first Patagonia Science Expo
Charlotte Fernandez, Isaac Mann, Maxson Jaramilla and Noeh Buelna pose with their winning project on “magnetic windmills.” Photo by Sondra Porter 
Fourth graders Leviana Doles, Noeh Buelna and Charlotte Fernandez accept their awards for placing first at the Expo. Photo by Sondra Porter 
Third place winners Ben McKay, Anderson Porter and Cameron Peake pose with their entry. Photo by Sondra Porter 
Zion Broom and Arianna Mingura were part of the team that took second place in the science expo. Photo by Sondra Porter
Patagonia elementary and middle school students who have been working on group science projects displayed and explained their work last week at an open house billed as the first “Patagonia Science Expo.”
Student teams from kindergarten through eighth grade competed for honors at the event, with a “magnetic windmill” demonstration by a team of fourth graders taking first place. Second graders took second place honors for a growing experiment, with another group of fourth graders who’ve been testing magnet strength coming in third. Honorable mention went to the kindergarten team who worked with plants.
A robotics demonstration topped off the show.
From Patagonia Parent-Teacher Booster Club:
Dine out for a great cause! Join us for our upcoming restaurant fundraisers and help support Patagonia students, events, and activities. Bring your family and friends and dine local on these upcoming dates! Click here for more details.
Free Fridays STEAM class for 4th-8th graders in Patagonia
Upcoming Events
To list an event, please submit an image file 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!
From the Patagonia Public Library:
A “not to be missed” event. Feb 21 at 1pm at the Tin Shed: a fireside chat with Todd Goddard, author of the new Jim Harrison biography, and our very own Lars Marshall. The event is free, but donations at the door will go to the Tin Shed. Books will be available for purchase at the event thanks to our friends at the Patagonia Trading Post.
For more on Goddard’s “Devouring Time: Jim Harrison, a Writer’s Life,” see Ann Katzenbach’s review from the January issue of the PRT.
Are we excited that 2026 is the Year of the Horse? You bet your boots we are!
Come ride through rolling hills on trails that cowboys have travelled for over 100 years during our annual Spring Trail Ride on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at the Historic Empire Ranch in Sonoita, AZ.
Two-hour guided rides depart at 8:00 am, 11:00 am & 2:00 pm. Rent a horse or Bring Your Own. Enjoy live music, docent tours, and lunch before or after your ride.
Registration closes on March 23, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to experience a piece of authentic western history! Sign-up today: empireranchfoundation.org/ranch-events/spring-trail-ride/
Recurring Events
To list an event, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
Fresh vegetable distribution Mondays at the Patagonia Senior Center
Come with friends and pick up your weekly fresh vegetables from East Santa Cruz County Community Food Bank every Monday at the Patagonia Senior Center (100 Quiroga Ln, Patagonia) at 10:30am. Take what you need and give what you can.
Thursdays: ‘Open Forum‘ at Patagonia Senior Center
A time to share personal stories, interests and ideas.
Thursdays at 1pm after senior lunch
February 19: HISTORY OF MUSIC — Janet Palmer on the Baroque period
February 26: THE LORD’S PRAYER — Chuck Kelly on the prayer, as understood in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke
An 80-year-long study by Harvard University found that the quality of our relationships helps us live longer, happier lives, more so than genetics.
Community provides the grounding force of being seen, known, and supported through life’s ups and downs. There is space in our lives for both self-care and community care.
The phrase ‘inconvenience is the cost of community’ has become a popular slogan online, referring to the effort required to maintain meaningful connections with others—effort which we seemingly are less and less willing to make, even as we crave connection.
Alcoholics Anonymous:
- Sonoita Bible Church – Tuesdays at 7pm, 3174 N. Highway 83, Sonoita. Doors open at 6:30. Zoom option: 601-758-3907.
- Patagonia Methodist Community Church – Thursdays at 6:30pm. 387 McKeown Ave., Patagonia. Contact Dave at 207-249-8302.
Crossroads Quilters: 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
Overeaters Anonymous: The OA Sky Islands Recovery group meets every Wednesday 11am-12noon at the East Santa Cruz County (ESCC) Food Bank at 772 Harshaw Ave in the meeting room at the end of the driveway. For additional meeting info, go to oasouthernaz.org. Contact Adrienne H. for more info 520-404-3490.
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Employment Opportunities
To list an employment opportunity, please email prtadast@gmail.com. Image files should be submitted in JPEG or PNG format.
Research Fellow at Appleton-Whittell Ranch
We’re now accepting applications for our 2026 cohort of Appleton-Whittell Research Fellows.
Each year this program awards up to three early-career scientists with:
- A cash award of $1,000 to be used on any research-related expenses; gear, books, travel, conferences, etc.
- A $500 housing voucher to be used for lodging on the Research Ranch
- Opportunities to share their work through our annual AWRR Fellowship Webinar Series and Audubon websites, newsletters, social media, and more
Applications are due by midnight on March 30 and more information (including eligibility details, information about past fellows, and a scoring rubric) can be found here.
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 Community United Methodist Church
Click here to consult the PRT’s ‘Community Calendar’ for additional events and meetings.
Our Advertisers
To advertise in the PRT’s print edition, Weekly News Bulletin or website—or a custom package—contact Priscilla Bolanos at prtads@gmail.com or 520-313-6062.
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