February 2021 Serving the Mountain Empire Communities of Canelo, Elgin, Patagonia and Sonoita Vol
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PATAGONIA REGIONAL TIMES FEBRUARY 2021 SERVING THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITIES OF CANELO, ELGIN, PATAGONIA AND SONOITA VOL. 11 ISSUE 2 Wall Construction On Hold SEFD Board Receives Toxic Work Place Report Photo by Marion Vendituoli SEFD Board members Reba Webber and Chairman Chris Johnson study the report on the investigation into charges of a toxic work environment at the Sonoita Fire Station at the Jan. 26 Board meeting. Photo by Myles Traphagen - Wildlands Network By Kat Crockett has an obligation to avoid any appear- Newly bladed roads on the west side of Patagonia Mountains near Kino ance of impropriety and should act in a Springs. Since Jan. 9, the road has been cut about 1.5 miles up the During a special meeting on Jan. Patagonia Mountains in the span of three weeks. manner that brings credit to SEFD.” 8, 2021, the Sonoita Elgin Fire Board The Board also directed Chairman By Jo Dean Southern Border Of The United States voted unanimously to sustain the Chris Johnson and Attorney Donna And Redirection Of Funds Diverted To termination of Chief DeWolf effective Aversa to contact the auditors, Walker The last few years of the Trump Border Wall Construction.” January 5. and Armstrong, to undertake a foren- administration has added hundreds The order is written to pause work Prior to the termination, the Board sic audit to determine the amount of miles of new border wall con- on the wall until the legality of funds provided DeWolf an opportunity to by which DeWolf was overpaid, to struction that has dissected the US/ that were diverted for the wall is submit documentation of Board ap- include discrepancies between his Mexican border, for better or worse. resolved. As stated in the first para- proval for his increase in compensation contract which provides for group The terms, wall and fencing, are used graph of the proclamation, “It shall be from $700 to $1,000 per week effec- insurance coverage and SEFD policies interchangeably but the definitions the policy of my Administration that tive November 1, 2018, for providing which allow SEFD members to elect are quite different. The wall refers to no more American taxpayer dollars be services to Palominas Fire District dependent coverage with full cost of a pedestrian “fence” or wall which is diverted to construct a border wall. I (PFD). Although DeWolf provided a coverage to be paid by the member constructed as an impermeable barrier am also directing a careful review of all written statement and financial doc- through payroll deductions. The Board disallowing movement from one side resources appropriated or redirected uments, he did not provide proof of also requested the auditors to review to the other. In the case of the bollard to construct a southern border wall.” Board approval for the increase, yet he the amount overpaid to DeWolf for construction along the border, the The proclamation repeals the Na- continues to deny any wrongdoing. providing service to Palominas Fire largest animal able to move through tional Emergency Declaration to build According to a statement read Department and the amount refunded the 4-inch slats of the metal bollards the wall. The Secretary of Homeland by SEFD Board Clerk Reba Webber, to PFD, because he did not provide would need to be no larger than a rab- Security will no longer be allowed to “DeWolf admits creating a document services under the IGA while on leave. bit. The need for a barrier that is “one waive all laws for wall construction. dated December 3, 2018 in which he Official documents provided to the size to fit all” and the funding for this The power of the Secretary of Depart- expressed his intent to ask for the PRT indicate that, at least since 2015, construction has resulted in a massive ment of Homeland Security (DHS) has additional $300 per week. He then the SEFD paid both the employer and national controversy. been amplified by the 2005 REAL ID directed, allowed, and/or accepted the the employee contributions to On January 20, 2021, President Act. The provisions in the act have al- increase without having the request DeWolf’s Public Safety Personnel Re- Joseph Biden signed 17 executive lowed the DHS to operate unchecked, placed on the Board’s Agenda and/or tirement System based on both his sal- orders after his inauguration. The above the law with no accountability without any documentation of Board ary and PFD compensation. For Fiscal order that pertains to the wall is the to any laws, federal, state, or local. approval.” Webber also stated, “Chief Year 2019, the employer contribution “Proclamation on the Termination Forty-eight environmental laws have DeWolf occupies a position of public was $21,594 and the employee contri- Of Emergency With Respect To The trust and must act to maintain the con- See WALL, p. 5 fidence of the public and the Board. He See SEFD, p. 4 Paying attention By Marion Vendituoli Someone visiting from Phoenix please consider donating in 2021. Any The third section of the paper that asked me the other day how we could amount helps this almost completely you should read, beginning on p. 8, is PRT find enough news to fill a paper in this volunteer effort to continue to flour- the obituaries. We were stunned to MISSION STATEMENT rural area, where it looks, to casual ish and grow. get eight obituaries. Normally, we get observers, that not much is going on. Speaking of growth, our newly one or two, and in some months we To publish a nonprofit community newspaper which I just laughed. launched weekly e-newsletter, con- get none, so the number of people serves the Mountain Empire For this edition, our writers contin- tinuing the great work of Clare Bonelli – friends, acquaintances, siblings, communities of Santa Cruz Coun- ued to find a host of interesting issues to keep us all informed of late break- fathers, mothers, grandparents – was ty, including Canelo, Elgin, facing us here in Eastern Santa Cruz ing news and community events, has staggering. Patagonia, and Sonoita, and County, including the work pause on been a huge success. Kudos to Assis- Not all these deaths can be attribut- which is open to all views, high- the border wall, the ongoing inves- tant Editor Nisa Talavera for devel- ed to COVID, obviously, but reading lighting local issues and empha- tigation at the SEFD Fire Station, the oping this new format and producing these loving, beautifully written obit- sizing the contributions of local effects of South32 on groundwater such a great newsletter. We now have uaries about vital, interesting individ- talent. levels in Patagonia, COVID and local 1607 subscribers, and the number of uals made me pause to consider the vaccine availability, and so much readers grows daily. 425,000 people in our country whom WHO WE ARE more. The second section I would urge we have lost to this pandemic, and But I would ask our readers to also you to read is on p. 21, where we whose obituaries we have not read. We are a nonprofit organization, funded by paid advertising, do- pay close attention to three special have included the winning school es- It’s not just an unimaginable nations and grants. PRT is a free sections in this issue. First, look at the says from the 2nd annual PRT School number, it’s friends, acquaintances, monthly publication distributed to PRT 2020 donor list. If your name is Essay Contest, co-sponsored by siblings, fathers, mothers, and grand- news stands and local merchants there, thank you for enabling us to Borderlands Restoration Network and parents, and each of us should pause in The Mountain Empire. continue to provide important local the Patagonia Creative Arts Center. for a moment to honor their lives, as Managing Editor: news that is not available anywhere We are so proud of our kids and we well. Marion Vendituoli else, to our community. hope you like these essays as much as If your name is not on this list, we did. Assistant Editor: Nisa Stover Talavera Bookkeeper: THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS Cynie Murray Administrative Assistant 2020 PRT Press Core Donors Ad Manager: The PRT Press Core is a monthly giving program, where supporters of the PRT pledge to give $5 or more per month. Jared Krikorian Press Core members receive special benefits. Contributing Writers: Susan Archibald Gerald & Cyndi Jenkins Lisa Remack Bob Brandt Jane & Carl Bock Rosanna Kazanjian Elyane Rocheford Alison Bunting Clare Bonelli Chuck Klingenstein Oliver Ryder Francesca Claverie Bob Brandt Sarah Klingenstein Paula Schaper Lynn Davison Dawn Busse Renate Kloppinger-Todd Kathryn Schrag & Martin Levowitz Jo Dean Penny and Robert Cabot Richard & Phyllis Klosterman Tam & Sue Scott Cassina Farley Nancy Calhoun Barbara Kuhns Tom and Linda Shore Robert Gay Tom Campbell Donna Lee Jamie & Greg Smith Patra Kelly Lane and Linda Coulston Charlotte Lowe Jerri Sober Sarah Klingenstein Mary Darling Larry McDonald James Stratton Cassalyn David Justin McEldowney Virginia & Philip Thiers-Brister Martin Levowitz Thomas Day David McNamara Anne Townsend Pat McNamara Chris Dollaghan Dennis McNamara Janie Trafton Harold Meckler Anne Gibson John & Vista Michael Leslie Ware & Philip Caputo Vince Pinto Lonnie Goff Kate and Murphy Musick Nancy Webster Laura Wenzel Gregg Gorton Valerie Neale and Rick Jones Jude Weierman Jac & Denise Heiss Beverly Parker Kathy West Board of Directors: Janet Herron and Gama Leyva Kate and David Peake Mollie Wright Bob Brandt Julie Holding & Meg Gilbert David & Sondra Porter Tom Beal Rick & Becki Jaynes German Quiroga Francesca Claverie Lynn Davison Cassina Farley Jac Heiss Donna Lee Kathryn Schrag Jamie Smith Mollie Wright Contact us at: [email protected] PO Box 1073, Patagonia, AZ 85624 (740) 206-9594 To Place an ad:prtads@ gmail.com Print Edition available at newstands the first Friday of the month.