Columbus
Patagonia Regional Times
Addressing Affordable Housing
Home prices are rising. Since 2000, median home prices in the U.S. have increased by nearly 160 percent (U.S. Census Bureau). We simply haven’t constructed enough housing, and this has put a squeeze on the housing market. Here in the eastern section of Santa Cruz County, we have additional...
Memorial Day 2023: Starting a New Tradition in Patagonia
Approximately 35 people gathered at the Patagonia Cemetery on May 29 for a flag raising ceremony organized by Murphy Musick. Musick, who has been planting flags on the graves of veterans in the Patagonia Cemetery for the past 30 years, organized the Memorial Day event and plans to also hold a Veterans Day ceremony in November.
Letters to the Editor – June 2023
The Patagonia Regional Times encourages everyone to comment publicly on the events and times in which we live. Letters must be signed by the author and include town of residence. Letters are limited to 200 words. The PRT reserves the right to edit all letters for language, length, and content. Please send your letter to prteditor@gmail.com.
Recent Releases by Local Authors
Nothing prepared Liz, the academic scientist (with a background in Australia and UK) for Linda, the quick-witted eighth-grade dropout from Texas excelling in malapropisms and outlandish jokes. Linda was still married and Liz a grieving widow. How could they sustain a relationship when they had such different personalities, backgrounds, and interests?
Spring Sights, Sounds and Smells of Patagonia
What would first catch your eye in this high desert town (4,200 ft) is the GREEN. The soft winter greens of juniper and pine have been brought to vibrant life, the leafy spring-green of the many mesquite trees bursting with the promise of pods that can be ground into a nutty flour in the fall.
Town Council Notes – June 2023
The Mayor and Council unanimously approved the Town’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget. Tess Wagner was appointed to the Flood and Flow Committee. With her experience as the Watershed Restoration Program Manager for Borderlands Restoration Network, she is welcomed to the committee as a great asset. A new rental agreement...
As Hermosa Project Ramps Up, Local Concerns Escalate
May was a busy month for South32 (S32) and its Hermosa Project. The company released a traffic impact study, broke ground on its first exploration shaft, and Hermosa was selected for expedited permitting by the Biden Administration. S32 spokespeople recently made the rounds of local governmental meetings to update officials...
Along Came Otto
We had been bickering all day and, for that reason, on most Saturdays we go our separate ways. It gets like that when you’ve been together for what seems like an eternity. Zach spent most of his time in the backyard with the dog and a ten-foot-tall pile of wood and bamboo that would eventually become something that makes noise. I spent my Saturday planting flowers and contemplating cleaning the bathroom. Usually by the day’s end we come together to eat dinner and argue about what to watch on TV. Lately, Zach likes foreign films with subtitles (who knew?). I’m more partial to sitcoms I’ve seen a million times. One thing is for certain. Whatever we watch, Zach will be snoring ten minutes in and I get up and go to bed. This is our life, day in and day out.
Mob Rule
In the modern, strife-filled 21st century the term “mob rule” doesn’t hold very many positive connotations. Yet, when the same phrase is applied to the natural world, a window into seemingly odd and decidedly fascinating wildlife behavior is suddenly opened. One such behavior is when a weaker...
4-H Mustangs Tour Local Sites, Plan Projects
The Mustang 4-H Local History Project visited Camp Naco and the original Elgin School House in April. Both field trips imparted a sense of appreciation in members for not only the past, but for the work of conservation and preservation. On April 23, Elgin resident Sue Downing opened her home...
Patagonia Community Garden Wants You!!
Are you aware of the treasure we have in our midst? A place of beauty, sanctuary, repose, and organic gardening? The Patagonia Community Garden, located on 4th Ave., has been serving the community for over 25 years. And it’s available to anyone in the community who wants to join! It’s a place to meet your neighbors and grow friendships, to make connections in our community.
My Fishing Buddy
As a fly fishing guide and outfitter, and a former fly shop owner and manager, I look back and forward to my time spent in the industry and the people I have met and fished with along the way. There are my clients that I guide every year and, like them, look forward to our annual trips. There has been a string of industry pros that I have fished with, including well-known authors, photographers, and tackle manufacturers’ representatives, all of whom are very into the sport. When we are fishing, it’s very hardcore. The pressure is on, as they are there to catch fish. I enjoy the challenge of figuring what the fish are doing and what flies they want to eat. When it all comes together, a sense of accomplishment prevails.
Howard Keener, Grace Van Osdale and the Santa Cruz Patagonian
The weekly Santa Cruz Patagonian was published from December 1912 to July 1929. It had five owners during its 17 years of existence. J. B. Price and Wilfred Waddell, “two newspapermen from Douglas” established the newspaper to bring the news to the rapidly growing community of Patagonia. [The Oasis, 11/30/1912]. In September 1917 Howard Keener, an experienced linotype setter and San Rafael Valley farmer, took over as owner and editor. In May 1920 Keener sold the paper to H.R. Sisk, who also managed the Nogales Herald. Eighteen months later Sisk sold the Patagonian back to Keener who resumed his role of editor and publisher until 1929 when he sold the paper to J.H. Fitzpatrick, a newspaperman from New Mexico. [Border Vidette, 3/30/1929]. The first issue of the Patagonian under Fitzpatrick was to be published on Saturday August 10th, but locals instead discovered that Fitzpatrick left town, leaving the keys hanging on the office door. Digital images of most of the Patagonian issues can be viewed on the Patagonia Museum website.
Notes From the Briefly Underground
The first time that I went underground did not turn out so well. I was a middle schooler on the way home from an overnight outing with my Boy Scout troop. A teenage nephew of the Scoutmaster was our driver. It was going to be a fun-filled day with a trip to Yankee Stadium. A pubescent boy’s dream. Wake up in the cool morning in a lean-to. Breakfast over an open fire beside a rippling mountain brook. A hike, with a backpack and a bedroll, down the mountain to the car that would transport us from the “wilds” of northwest Connecticut to a waiting bus for the excursion into the big city.
The Virgo Galaxy Cluster
My plan for the next two months is to zero in on a small patch of sky just a bit east and south of Denebola, the star that marks the tail of the constellation Leo. I’ll be looking to the west for the “backward question mark” that forms Leo’s head. Then, I’ll follow its body southeast to Denebola. It is in that region—actually within the borders of Virgo—that some 16 galaxies (called nebula at that time) were first catalogued by Charles Messier over a ten-year period beginning in 1771. Since then, many more galaxies —perhaps up to 2,000—have been discovered nearby in what is now called the Virgo Cluster.
New Sonoita Business Shares the Country Life
In a small valley off South Old Sonoita Highway, Wild Oak Farm is nestled among oak trees and lavender fields. The 13-acre working farm, which is holding a grand opening/“lavender bloom open house” on Saturday, June 17, is the culmination of owner Muriel Gardner’s childhood dreams. “I...
Curios From the Patagonia Museum – June 2023
One of two assayer’s scales at the museum, this one is perched above the mineral exhibit case. This was more than likely used at the Trench Mine by ASARCO employees. When atomic absorption spectrometry became the norm for testing and evaluating ore samples, this apparatus became an antique.
Patagonia Regional Times
944+
Posts
1M+
Views
Patagonia Regional Times is a free monthly publication serving the Mountain Empire communities of Canelo, Elgin, Patagonia and Sonoita in Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.