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Patagonia Regional Times
Who Is Bruce Bracker?
The outcome of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meeting on January 3, 2018 to review the request for a liquor license for Dollar General Store in Sonoita was disappointing but not surprising. The two-one vote to approve the license (District 1 supervisor Manny Ruiz, who represents Nogales, voted no) was certainly not supported by anyone who spoke at the meeting or anyone in attendance.
Public Hearing Scheduled for Aug. 1 on Rezoning 3,550 Acres in Rio Rico
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors rescheduled a public hearing set for August 1, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. to discuss and consider the proposed reclassification of over 3,550 acres along the 1-19 Corridor in the Rio Rico area. The original county-led public hearing set for July 11 was cancelled after concerns were raised by alarmed community members.
Federal Agency Publishes New Timetable for Hermosa, Full Approval Expected in 2026
The federal permitting process for South32 mining of zinc and manganese at the Hermosa site is now well ahead of schedule. Full authorization could come as early as September 7, 2026. Here is today’s press release from South32:. SOUTH32’S HERMOSA PROJECT RECEIVES FROM FAST-41 PROPOSED PERMITTING TIMETABLE TO PRODUCE...
County Solicits Public Comment on Three Draft Plans
Santa Cruz County Solicits Public Comment on Three County Plans: Rio Rico Vitality District Master Plan, Housing Strategy and Tourism Sector Plan. Santa Cruz County, Arizona is soliciting public comment through August 11 on three draft plans: the Rio Rico Vitality District Master Plan, a countywide housing strategy, and a Santa Cruz County Five-Year Tourism Sector Prosperity Plan.
Sonoita Water Customers Face Rate Shock, Water Shortages
Over the last year, customers of the Sonoita Valley Water Company (SVWC) have been dealing with water shortages, low water pressure and leaking lines. Now they’re facing a doubling of their rates, too. At a public meeting held at the Sonoita Fire Station on June 23, 15 residents from...
Fire on Fort Huachuca – Updated
The PRT is updating this post on the Western Hemp Fire as we have more information. Latest information is at the top. 6/27/2023 2:51pm: The Fort Huachuca Facebook page is reporting that the Western Hemp fire is 0% contained but its forward motion has been stalled, with crews from various agencies continuing to work on the ground and in the air. The West Gate remains closed except to emergency vehicles.
Major Plan Amendment Request to be Discussed During SC Planning and Zoning Meeting June 22, 2023
Baca Float #3 is requesting a Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment to reclassify approximately 3,550 acres of land from Ranch (R), Mixed Use (MU), High Density Residential (HDR), and Medium Density Residential (MDR) to Industrial/Commercial (IC), Commercial (C), Commercial, Mining, Multi-Family (CMM), Educational, Office, Industrial Campus (EOI), High Density Residential (HDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR), and Low Density Residential.
New Lawsuit Targets Mineral Exploration in Patagonia Mountains
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to challenge its. authorization of two mineral exploration projects in Arizona’s rugged and biologically diverse Patagonia Mountains, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal agency’s. recent approval means drilling operations could begin immediately and continue around-the-clock...
Mountain Empire Rotary’s Busy Spring
In March, Mountain Empire Rotary (MER) members, along with club members from Green Valley, Tucson, and Sierra Vista, made a trip to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico to help the Sonora Nogales Industrial Club members prepare and assemble school desks. Students in this part of Mexico cannot attend school if there are...
No PVFR Steak Fry This Year
The members of Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue have decided to pass this year on what has annually been its biggest fundraising event. We didn’t start planning soon enough to run a successful event this June. Last year’s Steak Fry was well received and we hope our next effort will improve on that. We’ll be celebrating our 100-year anniversary.
A Message About Prescribed Burns From the Forest Service
With so many recent “#RxBurns”, we’ve had lots of questions regarding why we prescribe fire to the landscape. We utilize these burns to restore our forests to healthier conditions and reduce the risk that extreme fire behavior poses to our communities. Fire plays an important ecological role across the wildlands of the United States and smoke is a byproduct of fire and part of living in the Southwest.
Permission Granted for Mineral Explorations in the Patagonia Mountains
On May 30, the Coronado National Forest (CNF) announced approval for two exploratory drilling projects in the Patagonia Mountains. Arizona Standard’s Sunnyside Exploration Drilling Project has about 5,200 acres, covering Humboldt Canyon and a central ridge section of the mountains. Access involves two routes off Harshaw Road, north and south of the Hermosa Project, and use of the historic Flux Canyon Road. 7.8 miles of access roads and 30 drill pads were proposed. With no more than two drill rigs active at one time, the project will take about seven years. Maximum depth is 6,500 feet.
Trains, (Cow)Brains, and Donkeys
You have to chuckle as you watch 77-year-old Gilbert Quiroga drive down the street in Patagonia in his black SUV. His brake lights go on every 100 feet or so. He needs to stop right there in the middle of the road and greet a passerby, oncoming driver, or someone out watering their garden. He knows almost everyone in town, so this can be a slow process.
History Center Gets New Director
Cami Schlappy, of Sonoita, has agreed to take over as historian for the Bowman Stradling History Museum at the Sonoita Fairgrounds, a position held for the past 14 years by Betty Barr. In May 2009, Barr and Diane Collins opened the Bowman Stradling History Museum in Pioneer Hall. With the...
Racing in Sonoita: A Cherished Tradition, An Uncertain Future
Some of the 1,751 racegoers were drawn to the 108th running of the Sonoita Races the weekend of May 6 -7 because of the allure of the Kentucky Derby. They came dressed to the nines to enjoy the mint juleps, the Derby hat contest, the Turf Club, and the party atmosphere. Some, sitting quietly in front of the TV screens as they studied the program, came for the betting. And some came simply to admire the horses.
Learning to Struggle Well
You may be surprised to learn that our community has a remarkable nonprofit organization that offers support, training, and respite for veterans and first responders and their families. Located on the former Apache Springs Ranch near Sonoita, Boulder Crest Arizona (BCA) is a beautiful and peaceful 130-acre site offering outdoor...
A History of Winemaking in Sonoita/Elgin, Part 3: The Industry Matures
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the birth of the modern Arizona wine industry in Elgin in the 1980s. In Part 2, we examined the false starts, rough times and occasional successes of the 1990s. In this month’s chapter, we look at the robust expansion of winemaking in this region that began around 2002, as new wineries opened their doors and new vineyards started to pop up across Sonoita-Elgin.
Delicious Mystery
In the late ‘60s, in Sag Harbor, N.Y., having quit teaching, I turned to learning carpentry and psychotropic drugs. My first remodeling project was a funky, haunted-seeming house we had just bought—decrepit and charming, as some of my friends are today. One night, while high on mescaline, I went out for a late-night walk and saw, up through the rain above the road, a small, intense phenomenon I’d never seen before. Some star or planet, way up high, electric blue, brighter than most, was going round and round in tiny circles in the sky. Well, damn, I thought, that’s really cool, and wondered why I’d never heard of this phenomenon in science class, or if—alas, though marvelous, those drugs did not do much for rationality—I was the very first to witness this odd astronomical event. (Even while high, I knew that that was improbable at best. What I was seeing wasn’t all that subtle, after all.) Intrigued, I went on with the walk, while musing that from time to time the world’s credentialed scientists announce some huge surprise, something which until then had been unknown, presumed extinct, or deemed impossible. Might I attain delicious fame for having been the first to see this odd phenomenon?
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Patagonia Regional Times is a free monthly publication serving the Mountain Empire communities of Canelo, Elgin, Patagonia and Sonoita in Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
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