Circle Z Ranch is the PRT Weekly News Bulletin’s Premier Sponsor for 2025. We are grateful for their partnership. If you would like to be a newsletter sponsor, click here for more info.
Share your news with the PRT’s Weekly News Bulletin’s 2,000 subscribers! Got an eye-catching photo or video? A noncommercial or nonprofit event announcement or report? Maybe a volunteer opportunity, or birth/graduation/wedding news, or an obituary? Please tell us about it. Email us at prtadast@gmail.com
Photo of the Week
News
Scenes from the County Fair
Nine-year-old twins Jane and Josephine Kevelson of Tucson float across the Sonoita sky at the County Fair last weekend. Photo by Dave Lumia 
Peyton Bell, Henry the mischievous steer, Garret Bell and Avery Bell of Patagonia. Photo by Pat McNamara 
Prize winners at the fair. Photo by Marion Vendituoli 
Santiago (age 6) and Elias Yanez (age 7) of Patagonia float skywards. Photo by Dave Lumia 
Brooke Gummo, of Elgin, holds her calico pinto rooster with Rydia Fennell, of Sonoita who holds her lavender cochin bantam chicken in the 4-H small stock tent at the fair. Photo by Marion Vendituoli 
A young girl scrubs her sister’s pig before the livestock auction Sunday at the fair. Photo by Marion Vendituoli 
10-year-old Brooke Gummo kneels next to her broad breasted bronze turkey before the auction. “Turkeys are really nice if you spend time with them,” she said. Photo by Marion Vendituoli 
Amaya Catriz, age 2, of Rio Rico, enjoys a ride at the fair. Photo by Dave Lumia 
Brynlynn Fimbres of Sierra Vista, age 3, goes for a drive at the fair. Photo by Dave Lumia
By Pat McNamara
Last weekend’s 2025 Santa Cruz County Fair at the Sonoita Fairgrounds set an attendance record.
And no wonder.
With the art exhibits from local participants, culinary exhibits and competitions, high school bands, carnival rides, food, 4-H and FFA livestock competitions and various other demonstrations, the fair had plenty to keep the public engaged.
A monsoon storm on Friday evening resulted in some flooding, leading to the postponement of several livestock competitions. But the weather improved the next two days, allowing participants and spectators to enjoy the many activities, exhibits, rides and vendors.
New to the Fair this year was a demolition derby in the main arena. The Saturday evening event drew a standing room only crowd, with many local families bringing their children for the noise and chaos that only cars bashing into one another can generate. The ‘Sonoita Smash’ was a smash hit.
We’ll have further coverage of the Fair, including a list of the competition champions, in the October issue of the PRT.
Road reconstruction on SR 83 in Elgin to begin in October
From Elgin School:
ADOT has advised that road construction on SR 83 is tentatively scheduled to begin on Monday, October 6. Please see the fact sheet [below] or visit the project website for more information.
ADEQ solicits comments on Hermosa’s air quality permit amendment, sets Sept. 25 public hearing in Patagonia
By Robert Gay
On May 30, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) was ordered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reopen and revise its Hermosa Project Air Quality Permit as issued on Aug. 26, 2024. The current modified Draft Permit, a 199-page PDF, is here and accompanying Technical Support Document (TSD) is found here as a 50-page PDF.
A 30-day comment period for written public responses is now underway, concluding on Sept. 25. Details about making written comments are available at this web page.
ADEQ will conduct a public hearing at 6pm next Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Multi-purpose room of the Patagonia High School, 200 Naugle Way that will allow for comments to be made in person. The agency appreciates it if spoken comments are accompanied by written ones.
It is important to note that this hearing is not an open door for venting about state agency behavior, impacts of local or other mining projects or other environmental issues. Instead, comments need to be focused, in ADEQ’s words, “on only those permit conditions that are being amended in this permitting action and the associated technical support document. Grounds for comment are limited to whether the permit meets the criteria for issuance spelled out in the State air pollution control laws or rules.”
The State’s air pollution laws are, with amendments, derived from Federal regulation—the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. More information about these and about 30 other primary environmental regulations acts are available from the EPA.
Annual pie auction raises over $5k for Patagonia Community Garden
Kathy Crawford runs the auction. Photo by Robert Gay 
Annie Waits donated this key lime pie “with a sweet ginger pastry” to the fundraiser. Photo by Robert Gay 
Local musician Zach Farley provides entertainment at the festivities, playing a flute he constructed from a garden sunflower stalk. Photo by Robert Gay
Upwards of 80 people, including 20 volunteers, were in attendance last Saturday for the Patagionia Community Garden‘s 23rd Annual Pie Auction fundraiser. This year 30 donated pies were on auction, with the afternoon’s festivities netting the Garden over $5,000—nearly half of its annual operating costs. We’ll have a full report on the successful event, with photos, from the Community Garden’s Mary Sky Schoolcraft in the October print edition of the PRT.
Lobos remain undefeated heading into teeth of volleyball season schedule
By Dave Lumia
With the Patagonia High volleyball team about to enter the teeth of its schedule, maybe Tuesday night’s match with Lourdes Catholic will serve as a much-needed wakeup call.
The Lobos remained undefeated but were far from their best in the 25-13, 25-17, 25-19 victory over the visiting Warriors. The win elevated their record to 7-0 in official matches (13-2 counting tournament play), and they’ve yet to lose even a single set to any of the seven non-tournament opponents, but they realize they’ll need to pick up their level of play for next week’s home games versus 1A South region rivals St. David and The Gregory School.
St. David is the three-time defending region champion and has won 10 consecutive matches against the Lobos, dating back to 2016, while Gregory has a 6-0 record and has also finished ahead of Patagonia in the region standings for the past two seasons.
“Very sloppy,” was coach Brenda Somoza’s assessment of Tuesday’s victory. “I’m very disappointed. I think [we] just felt comfortable, we got overconfident, thought we were going to win and didn’t go out there as strong as we could have.”
The Lobos struggled in multiple ways: service errors, sloppy passing, and difficulty in putting away their kills against Lourdes’ blockers.
“We could have done a lot better,” senior Brianna Majalca said. “Our serving and our passing were not it, and we need to practice on when they’re blocking us.
“We just let the ball drop instead of picking it up. We need to be on our toes for that, and we need to do better at getting our serves in. We do a lot of serving in practice, and there should be no reason why we miss so many serves.”
The Lobos will get one more chance to fine-tune their game prior to next week’s key region matches, when they compete as one of the smallest schools in the Epic Tourneys Girls Volleyball Invite in Tempe on Friday and Saturday. The tournament brings together schools from all classifications in Arizona and will be held at three different venues.
Then comes three consecutive home matches: Tuesday, Sept. 23, vs. St. David; Friday, Sept. 26, vs. Gregory; and Tuesday, Sept. 30, vs. Valley Union.
“Those are big games that we need to focus on,” Majalca said.
Will the Lobos be ready for the challenge?
“Yes we will,” Majalca said. “After this week of practice, yes we will.”
Volunteers’ wildlife cams capture critters coping with a dry August
From Sky Island Alliance:
“FotoFauna” highlights from August are in and, with the fairly dry monsoon season we’re having so far, many critters appear grateful for a drink. Thanks to all our volunteers who have wildlife cameras set up and/or a watering bowl, and here’s hoping for more rain soon.
FotoFauna is a growing network of 305 individuals and organizations in the Sky Islands, with wildlife cameras set up in the U.S. or Mexico. It’s easy to get started. Just set up a wildlife camera in your backyard and submit an online monthly checklist of species you observe. In addition to being fun and another way to form community, the data will help us study when and where wildlife is present so we can better protect their habitats.
To learn more, visit: https://ow.ly/5C3o50TTLT7
Obituary
Charles (Chuck) Grant Hammond, 1948-2025
Public Service Announcements
School News and Youth Events
County Justice Project seeks Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin youth for fall internship program
From Santa Cruz County Justice Project (SCCJP):
The Santa Cruz County Justice Project (SCCJP) is inviting high school juniors, seniors, and college students from Patagonia, Sonoita, and Elgin to apply for its Fall 2025 Internship Program.
SCCJP is a local nonprofit organization seeking to make the legal system easier to understand and more accessible for everyone in Santa Cruz County. This hands-on internship will empower youth to contribute to real-world justice initiatives and help develop resources addressing domestic violence, housing challenges, and civil disputes.
Recognizing that traveling to Nogales can be a challenge for eastern county residents, the program will offer flexible participation options, including remote work, carpool coordination, and adjusted meeting times. For more information, including how to apply, visit sccjpaz.org/internships or email info@sccjpaz.org.
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!
Sup. Fanning Tues Oct. 7 in Elgin
Celebrate the harvest season with us in our new recently completed greenhouse! This new greenhouse is by far our fanciest and was funded by the US Fish and Wildlife department in 2024 through the Burned Area Rehabilitation program to support native plant material development for restoration. We will have some food, beverages, and music. Bring any additional snacks or drinks to share. Camping available at the nursery. To sign up for camping click the link on the events page on borderlandsplants.org.
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.
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.
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.
From City of Nogales/Santa Cruz County Library:
Homework Tutor (Sonoita Library)
Responsibilities: Receives supervision and direction from the Library Director or designee. Greets students and assesses each one for subject area and grade level; groups students in areas by grade level. Works one-on-one with students that have difficulty with subject at hand or with expressing themselves. Group students, no more than three to a group, if they are compatible and are working on similar projects. Alerts the Children Services Coordinator if they have a problem or need advice. While waiting for students, shelves books so they can show students where the materials are. Must have basic secondary knowledge of Math, English, and general Science courses. Skills in defining problems, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions.
Education, Certification and Requirements: Must be attending high school (junior or senior) and have good grades (A’s and B’s) OR have graduated high school and currently attending local college. Valid AZ Driver’s License.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience working with children. Knowledge of how to use computers. Familiarity of the way materials are stored in the library and willingness to learn the library system. English and Spanish language fluency.
Salary/Classification: Part-time position; FLSA non-exempt; $15.79 per hour
Close Date: Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply by submitting a completed City of Nogales Employment Application and resume to the Human Resources Department. This position is Open Until Filled.
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)
Want to know when a new PRT Weekly News Bulletin is out? You can receive an email the moment our Weekly News Bulletin is published every Wednesday. Click here to join the PRT email list.