By James Bishop, Jr. Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat—Cicero Sedona AZ (August 7, 2012) – Observing the mind-numbing presidential campaign and U.S. government inaction on the ailing economy isn’t time for citizens everywhere to actually think locally, act locally? On that score, greater Sedona is way ahead of the game. Known around the world as a Shangri-la for artists, tourists, and New Age high jinks what’s rarely celebrated is the fact that Sedona citizens “step up to the plate when asked,” asserts swarthy Vince Monaci. “This is a powerful community. I hear people say what do…
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By Dr. Marta Adelsman Sedona AZ (July 27, 2012) – My husband, Steve, and I were tired from a short night’s sleep and a long day’s travel from Chicago to Phoenix. We still faced the drive from Phoenix to Cottonwood, and I felt irritable as we cruised out of the city. Evidently Steve felt tired, too. He responded to something I said in a way that sounded defensive to me (I wondered if I had sounded blaming in the remark I had just made to him). I felt irritable and defensive in return, and the irritation rose in me like…
By Wendy V. Tanzer Sedona AZ (July 22, 2012) – Dear Editor, During the June SFD Governing Board meeting, two members of the Board told member Craig Dible he was overstepping Board authority by independently requesting cost estimates or bids for the mid-way station. So I was quite surprised to see his discussion of the Midway Fire Station listed yet again on the July agenda. Mr. Dible’s persistence prompted some investigation and several questions.
By Dr. Marta Adelsman Sedona AZ (July 13, 2012) – I hurriedly removed a couple of lemons from my refrigerator, intent on using them for a dish I wanted to cook. As I held them in my hand, I suddenly felt captivated and overwhelmed by their beauty. I gazed at them, and gratitude welled up inside me as their inner essence reached out and grabbed my heart. You have probably had experiences like that. You’ve undoubtedly observed a sunset, or a tree, or the red rocks. The sight created a vortex of wonder that drew you in and you forgot,…
By Dr. Marta Adelsman Sedona AZ (June 29, 2012) – In this world of uncertainty, natural disasters, war etc., can you possibly maintain a continual sense of peace? I believe you can. I’ll share with you a few ways, from my personal experience, that support inner serenity. These are by no means exhaustive. While an entire book can be written about each of these points, I promise I’ll practice brevity. Stay present. When you keep your focus on this moment only, then you won’t clutter your mind with what might happen in the future or what happened in the past. …
Teachers open the door, you enter by yourself— Chinese Proverb “I am glad I retired when it did. Whew!”— Noted Cornville-based teacher By James Bishop, Jr. Sedona AZ (June 27, 2012) – From New England to Seattle, from Phoenix to the VerdeValley, a new nemesis has emerged in the national debate about the quality and direction of public education: the teacher. Caught up in nets of reform created by non-educated reformers, free-market advocates from Wall Street and major foundations, the nature of public education in the U.S. has been fast changing from offering basic standards and broad-based curricula to testing…
By Dr. Marta Adelsman Sedona AZ (June 6, 2012) – When I started writing this article, each attempt to put words on paper resulted in inner roadblocks. I couldn’t make anything work. The writing usually flows for me, and it just wasn’t happening! Then… My son, Ethan, sent me an article along with the statement, “Mom, I think you’ll enjoy this. It sounds like stuff you write and talk about.” In the article, the author interviewed a sports consultant named Garrett Kramer. Kramer advocates something he calls “stillpower.” For athletes, getting in the zone necessitates becoming inwardly still rather than…
By Henry Twombly Sedona AZ (June 2, 2012) – The community plan has been, is, and will be a pro-business, pro-growth agenda. In spite of appearances and efforts at public input, the plan is being written behind the scenes by the Chamber, developers, consultants, and construction companies, who all benefit from the city’s growth and home-rule largess. The plan caters to the tourists instead of us residents. The April 18 SRRN article “Sedona foresees its future” told us what we want. “You want Sedona to be more pedestrian friendly.” Really? How many of us walk to the stores? “You want…
Sedona AZ (May 26, 2012) – As destructive and health-impairing wildfires rage in Arizona, the Forest Service has issued fire restrictions placing a ban on fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves—-except in developed campgrounds. However the Forest Service is apparently unconcerned about the intensity of camp fires set by campers within those developed campgrounds, even when there is a high wind warning in effect from the National Weather Service. On Friday, May 25, at about 7:30 PM, while driving back to Sedona from Flagstaff via Oak Creek Canyon, I was dismayed to observe a raging campfire at one of…
By James Bishop Jr. The world can always wait when one is young.— L. Eiseley Sedona AZ (May 21, 2012) – Don’t look now but railroad trains are back in our lives—the Verde Canyon Railroad, the popular train from Williams to the Grand Canyon and the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago with a stop in Flagstaff. Sitting on a bench the other day by the rail tracks in Flagstaff watching some of the 87 daily freights rumble by I looked for box cars, and rods beneath them where hobos might be hitching rides, the scenes I saw as…
By Dr. Marta Adelsman Resistance creates suffering. What do I mean by resistance? Anytime you set yourself in opposition to your present circumstances, situations, or conditions, you are in a state of resistance. It sounds like, “I don’t want this in my life!” You may experience levels of resistance all the way from a mild against-ness to a no-holds-barred, kicking-and-screaming fight mode. You strain against such things as how someone behaves in your presence; how someone speaks to you; others’ opinions; others’ reactions to your opinions; the views of Republicans; the views of Democrats; your habits; your weight; depression or…
By Ron Vernesoni Sedona AZ (April 15, 2012) – I was appalled to read that individuals are actually building their own trails in the National Forest with virtual impunity of the law. I Googled the issue, and found a very organized movement in Sedona to build trails in the National Forest for mountain biking on a massive scale. No thoughtful environmental assessments are being conducted beforehand as required by the USFS and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). What about the damage to sensitive ecosystems, and wildlife habitat? I found it interesting when reading some of the mountain biking forums that very…
By Natalia Molina, MPHDirector, OLLI of Sedona & Verde Valley Verde Valley AZ (April 6, 2012) – In a time when most individuals, businesses, political and social movements communicate solely via Facebook and email blasts, the marketing committee of the Yavapai College’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) of Sedona and Verde Valley have discovered that face time remains a solid strategy of engagement. In a recent internal marketing survey conducted with OLLI membership, when members were asked how they had heard about OLLI, many shared “through a friend.” Taking this feedback seriously, OLLI marketing committee members have launched various person…
By Jimmy Chavez, President of AHPA April 4, 2012 Dear Police Supporter, We love this great state. We love our profession. We feel supported by the citizens we serve. But, Arizona is becoming the next victim of a nationwide movement. Out-of-state and foreign entities are dictating what type of police services local residents should receive. Police employees are in disbelief that big, wealthy corporations are manipulating their hometowns. The Arizona Highway Patrol Association (AHPA) is asking you to help protect the integrity of law enforcement.
By Annette Star Lustgarten, Member of the Board of Trustees Sedona AZ (April 3, 2012) – The Jewish holiday of Passover is a major holiday commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. The story starts with the birth of Moses. The Egyptian pharaoh feared the rise in the Hebrew population, as they had flourished during their years in Egypt. In order to reduce their continued growth, he issued a decree that all newborn Hebrew male children were to be killed. Moses’ mother and his sister, Miriam, placed the infant in a basket and put it in the…