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Photo of the week
“One of my two favorite birds showed up today: a Blue grosbeak.” —Sally Reichardt
News
PVFR elects new board and officers, prepares to sign new contract with Town of Patagonia
As Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue (PVFR) and the Town of Patagonia move closer to signing a contract for services for the fiscal year that begins July 1, PVFR members met on June 1 to elect new board members and officers.
New board members Mandy Montanez, Denise Bowden and Michael Young will be replacing Bob Ollerton, Justin McEldowney and Todd Norton. Joe Higgins and Steve Finch, who represents the Town on the PVFR board, will continue serving on the board.
Acting Chief Zay Hartigan was elected as Chief at the meeting. Juan Yanez was elected Assistant Chief, Ivan Mingura was re-elected as Fire Captain and Dan Goff was elected Medical Captain.
Over the past year PVFR has been beset with internal strife. Last summer former Chief Tim Regan resigned after controversy involving the volunteer EMTs and their dissatisfaction with leadership decisions. More recently, in February, the Town Council had Town Manager Ron Robinson draft a Request for Proposal (RFP) for fire and emergency services that was sent to Rio Rico Fire, Sonoita Elgin Fire District and PVFR, potentially ending the 101-year relationship between PVFR and the Town.
After a public workshop on April 30 to hear from both SEFD and PVFR about their proposals, the Council decided to stick with PVFR, at least for this upcoming year. At this time, the Town’s attorney is finalizing edits to the existing contract, and it will then be presented to the Council and to PVFR. The Council will vote on signing the contract at their June 25 meeting.
The current contract between the Town and PVFR expires on July 1, 2025.
Among the changes to the contract, the Town wants to receive daily reports of any medical calls in the Town, and for PVFR to report their progress towards reaching certain benchmarks in the training and certification of firefighters and EMTs. They are also requiring that the Chief possess, or be working toward, emergency management certification.
“The Council feels it is important to give PVFR an opportunity to fulfill their part of the contract, and start training their people,” Robinson said, “and for us to give them more money so they can pursue more training for its membership in the coming year.”
“The PVFR board approved these changes,” Chief Hartigan said in an interview with the PRT. PVFR is in the process of writing new bylaws, which will be presented to the members in the near future, according to Hartigan. These new bylaws are not yet publicly available.
“I do have a positive feeling for where we’re at,” Hartigan said. “It’s definitely a time for us to come together as a department and as a community to move our service forward.”
Burn bans still in effect, despite recent rain
From Sonoita-Elgin Fire District:
June 3, 2025: Despite receiving nearly one inch of rain in last weekend’s storm, our area remains in extreme to exceptional drought conditions. We’re receiving calls at the station about whether it is safe to burn with a valid permit. The burn ban remains in effect in our district and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place by the Forest Service and BLM.
The next question we often receive is “when will the burn ban be lifted?” We are unable to definitively answer that question. After each storm passes through the area, SEFD works with our partners and the National Weather Service to reassess conditions for burning. An announcement via social media will be made once the burn ban is lifted.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation during these dynamic months.
TEP sets June 11 Sonoita community meeting on wildfire prevention, ‘proactive power shutoffs‘
On June 2, Tucson Electric Power [TEP] sent the following notice to local customers:
TEP works year-round to prevent wildfires and protect our local energy grid through efforts that include inspecting and upgrading our system, coordinating with emergency responders, and clearing vegetation away from our equipment.
Despite these efforts, periods of extreme heat, strong winds and blowing debris could increase the risk that our facilities might spark a wildfire in certain remote, dry areas.
Because your property is in or near a risk-prone area for wildfires, we may have to proactively shut off power during periods of extreme wildfire risk until conditions improve. This step, known as a public safety power shutoff, would be initiated only as a last resort in the event of a specific and rare combination of criteria that includes high wind speed, low humidity, dry vegetation and other factors.
If this step becomes necessary, we’ll provide as much notification as possible. We encourage you to learn more about this critical new safety measure, which could be considered for use this summer to protect our community from potential wildfire risks.
Here are some steps you can take now to be prepared:
- Visit our website for a video, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful information.
- Join us for a community meeting on Wednesday, June 11, starting at 6 p.m. so you can learn more about what to expect. Meeting contact details are listed below.
- Please make sure to update your contact information through My Account at tep.com or call us at 520-623-7711 to make sure we can reach you to provide important notifications.
TEP’s meeting for affected local customers will next Wednesday, June 11 from 6-7pm at the Sonoita Fairgrounds. Click here for more information.
Dick and Phyllis Klosterman to celebrate their 70th anniversary this Sunday in Patagonia
From the Klosterman family:
Richard and Phyllis Klosterman were married June 9, 1955 on a beautiful sunny day in Barney, ND. This year they will celebrate 70 years of sharing life together. We are proud and blessed as a family to still have them around in good health and happy spirit.
In these 70 years, they have raised five children: Debbie (Jerry Field), Dave (Lynn Ruppel), Anne (Bob Lennon), Tom (Rachel Wickoren) and Heidi. They also have five grandsons: Tyler, Carson and Rydell (Tom and Rachel), Erik and Alex (Dave and Lynn). They are fortunate enough to witness the birth of five great-grandchildren: Parker, Willow, Poppy, Ledger, Karver and Emmett.
Throughout their lives they worked hard on the farm in Wyndmere, ND, enjoyed lake life on Ottertail Lake, MN and now are enjoying the sunshine in Patagonia. Dick is continuing his musical legacy and still enjoys singing and playing guitar. Phyllis is still hard at work with her quilting, tatting and bobbin lace. They are both a testament to a life well lived and well loved.
There will be a celebration of their wedded bliss in Patagonia, this Sunday, June 8 from 4:00 to 5:30
at the Patagonia Lumber Company.Velvet Elvis La Mision. Please come for hugs and smiles and cake.
Drink pink! Local wineries get ready to celebrate National Rosé Day on June 14
At least one dozen Sonoita and Elgin wineries will mark National Rosé Day on Saturday, June 14 with special pairings, discounts, live entertainment and more. Click here for more information.
Now streaming: Locals share memories of growing up in Patagonia
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 to a capacity crowd during last month’s inaugural “Living Treasures” event at the Patagonia Public Library. (Click here to read Carrie White’s PRT report.)
Now the Library has posted video of the event, which we’re sharing here. Be sure to check out all three parts—and get ready to laugh!
School News and Youth Events
Upcoming Events
To share information about an upcoming event in the PRT Weekly News Bulletin, 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
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 News Bulletin, 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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