January 2019Happy Serving the Mountain Empire Communitiesnew of Canelo, Elgin, Patagoniayear and Sonoita Vol
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PATAGONIA REGIONAL TIMES JANUARY 2019HAPPY SERVING THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITIESNEW OF CANELO, ELGIN, PATAGONIAYEAR AND SONOITA VOL. 9, ISSUE 1 New Year’s Patagonia Christmas Story Attracts Rocking Eve National Attention By Aisha Sander In Patagonia Photo by Cesar Barron Ximena and Dayami, daughters of Christian Leyva and Damaris Martinez, of Nogales, Sonora, visit with Randy Heiss, holding some of the Christmas presents given them by Heiss and his wife. Randy Heiss’s good deed has brought national ping to buy all that they could on the list that Heiss media attention to his hometown of Patagonia and the had found. They then wrapped the gifts at the radio nearby border town of Nogales, Sonora. station. They had been told by the station that the girl It all started on Dec. 16, when Heiss went out to had a younger sister, Ximena, so they also bought her walk his dog. He spotted a red balloon near the Pata- gifts for Christmas. gonia cemetery trail and investigated further. On the The girls’ parents, Christian Leyva and Damaris balloon was a note, written in Spanish, to Santa with a Martinez, said it was a family tradition to write lists to list of gifts. Santa, tie them to balloons and let them go. They even Heiss knew that this balloon had probably come had a video of their daughters launching the balloons. from across the border, and he felt compelled to find Heiss said that he and his wife have “found friends this girl and give her the gifts. He first contacted friends for life, and plan to see Leyva, Martinez and their who are in international trade and had media contacts daughters in the new year.” The parents have also in Mexico. He shared it on his friends’ Facebook pages, promised a video of the girls when they open their but nothing was really happening. gifts on Christmas. With Christmas around the corner, Heiss said, “I The story of Heiss and Diyami soon became a na- need to find this girl soon or give up.” He decided to tional story. Heiss has been interviewed by the Wash- try one more avenue, and contacted a popular radio ington Post, NPR, the NBC Nightly News and CNN along station, XENY 760 AM, in Nogales, Sonora. He wrote to with other Mexican and international news networks. them in Spanish. Soon they were in conversation and He said that he never expected this to happen, and Heiss elicited the help of his wife Marcela Heiss, who has “never had an experience like this, and he did not is fluent in Spanish, to help set up a news segment. On search for the girl to bring attention to himself.” He Dec. 19, the radio show host Cesar Barron, broadcast said, “I am exhausted with one interview after anoth- the search for Dayami, the child whose balloon was er.” Yet, he understands why people are interested found in Patagonia. They posted it on their Facebook because it is a, “great Christmas story”, and because page and within an hour of the broadcast the little girl it is “tied to the border, especially during the current was identified. political circumstances.” Heiss said “this story is an example of the power of Heiss said that he hopes the message people media in bringing people together, rather than dividing receive from this story is “never miss an opportunity to people. And if it hadn’t been for the media it wouldn’t spread love and kindness. Do that good deed, don’t ig- have probably happened.” The next day, Dec. 20, the nore it, because the world needs it. If everyone would radio station coordinated a meeting between the do that then the world would be a different place than Heiss’s and Dayami and her family in Mexico. Before it is today.” Photos by Aisha Sander arriving at the radio station, the couple went shop- Thank You to our Generous Donors Self-governing democracies need the oxygen of local news to enrich the community and create an informed citizenry. 100% of the Press Core donations will be used to increase our e-presence, and the frequency and depth of our news coverage and event PRT reporting. Generosity is the quality of being kind and generous. That describes you: MISSION STATEMENT PRT Donors 2018 Johnson Family Trust Virginia Treherne-Thomas William and Shirley Ambrose Rita and Jim Johnson Deborah Upton To publish a nonprofit Ann and Lee Katzenbach Kurt Vaughn community newspaper which Molly Anderson and William Farr John Kendall Linda and George Vensel serves the Mountain Empire com- Richard and Lou Apperson munities of Santa Cruz County, Russell and Ruth Arbuckle Dick and Phyllis Klosterman Rick and Annie Waits including Canelo, Elgin, Thomas Arny Jay and Barbara Kittle Ron Walp Patagonia, and Sonoita, and Avery and Dee Bates Susan Lange Leslie Ware and Philip Caputo which is open to all views, highlight- Judith Beck Terence David LaNoue and Choi Yunghi Patricia Watrouos ing local issues and emphasizing Tod Bowden James and Gloria Lawrence Caleb Weaver the contributions of local talent. 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Stange Kathryn Schrag and Martin Lynn Davison John and Nancy Hughes James Staudacher Levowitz Cassina Farley Robert Hyland Chris and Mary Strohm Thomas and Linda Shore Jac Heiss Gerald and Cyndi Jenkins Mark and Barbara Stromberg Jerri Sober and Pam Waters Donna Lee Juliet Jivanti John and Beth Sullivan Kathryn Schrag Alexander and Jill Johnson Deborah Tollefson Contact us at: [email protected] Join the PRT Team PO Box 1073, Patagonia, The Patagonia Regional Times has an exciting opening for an Advertisement Manager who can lead us to in- AZ 85624 creased print advertising sales and revenue. If you love sales, meeting people, newspapers and media, and making 740-206-9594 a commission, this is a great opportunity. You’ll also be making a difference in the Eastern Santa Cruz community by helping the PRT maintain its role as the unique source for local news in our area. Experience in sales and a knowledge of print and/or web based advertising is a plus. You should be a self-starter To Place an ad: with strong communications skills who is also well organized, computer savvy, and detail oriented. Your salary will [email protected] be commission based. Online edition: patagoniaregionaltimes.org Go to https://patagoniaregionaltimes.org/job-opening-prt-advertising-manager/ to read the full job description and how to apply. PAGE 2 PATAGONIA REGIONAL TIMES JANUARY 2019 New Board Making a Difference Member Joins The Patagonia Regional Times would like to acknowledge Ike Isakson as our 2018 Community Contributor for his many years of service to the PRT community. medical captain. “I was the only EMT in the department for a long time,” he said. He is also certified as an engine boss for wildland fire fighting.