Author: Tommy

By Ted Grussing … the morning started with a latte, followed by another and then it was up, exercises, walk and to church; thence to the airport with no clue as to where I would go. Kinda figured I would head up to the peaks and get some more snow shots, but once above the rim and heading north the Peaks looked pretty unappealing … bright and dark with little color. It looked like ground fog north of the peaks and was curious as to whether there was any in the Grand Canyon.

Cottonwood AZ (December 22, 2014) – The Cottonwood Community Band invites area instrumentalists from Sedona and throughout the Verde Valley to join the band when it resumes rehearsals on January 5th. There is no audition and the band welcomes all instrumentalists who read music, especially trumpeters, percussionists, and clarinetists. Thanks to generous donations from members of the community, the Cottonwood Community Band has several instruments available to musicians who used to play in a band but no longer own an instrument. The band has two trumpets, two French Horns, a trombone, a tuba, a clarinet and a flute to loan…

By Warren Woodward, Sedona Resident(December 21, 2014) At the recent Arizona Corporation Commission “smart” meter meeting, APS attempted to ‘correct the record’ on “smart” meter related fires. [Here] is my response.

Sedona AZ (December 19, 2014) – As we move into the Holiday Season, be sure and think about adopting a wonderful pet from the Humane Society of Sedona. Give the gift of a new home to sweet cat or loyal dog this during this special time of year and you will make a friend for life! Blitzen is an “awesome”, dog! She is a friendly, wonderful, loving 3 year old spayed St. Bernard.  Blitzen is good with other dogs, loves to go on walks, and ready to be a loyal member of your family. You can see more pictures of her…

By Ted Grussing I have received numerous requests to show a photo of the Confluence that also shows where the infamous Escalade project is projected to be, So here is the photo. As far as rivers go we have the Little Colorado coming in with its turquoise color water flowing from the top down and the Colorado river flowing left to right. Where the two converge we have the beginning of the Grand Canyon going downstream and the end of Marble Canyon coming downstream from the left.

By Ted Grussing I like this shot of a Coopers Hawk I took a few years ago; he was sitting on a branch not far from our deck and was very intent on looking for prey … in his case, doves, quail, pigeons, snakes and anything else that is available and will provide food to sustain him. Our species has relegated the task of growing grains and raising cattle to others; they prepare them for the slaughter houses, which in turn kill them and strip the carcass, ship them to processing facilities and butcher shops which all handle the flesh…

Information & Perspective by Warren Woodward(December 17, 2014) About 30 people spoke at the recent “smart” meter meeting at the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). For some reason, the ACC chairman, Bob Stump, has chosen to single out one of them for the benefit of his Twitter subscribers. Not once but twice, Bob Stump has sent out “tweets” calling attention to Floris Freshman who spoke wearing a hat she made herself to shield her head from EMF.

By Ted Grussing I was driving on Beaver Flats Rd on the way home from the ponds yesterday and saw a couple of guys playing in their powered parasails around the hills. They were not close and the quality of the photograph is not what I would like, but what the heck it is always fun to see others having a good time. The lower one is what is called a trike and the upper one just has his fan strapped on his back and his feet are the landing gear.  

Sedona AZ (December 17, 2014) – The KSB Awards Committee proudly announces the winners of its 43rd Annual Awards of Excellence. An annual event since KSB’s inception, the Awards of Excellence recognize community organizations and businesses whose activities have most contributed to the spirit of keeping Sedona beautiful without compromising future needs.

By Ted Grussing Seems like most of the day has been and continues to be on the run … after some appointments in Cottonwood I stopped at the Ponds on the way home and met a friend there. The lighting was not all that great, but it was fun and the action good. Seems like this hen Ring Neck duck was having my kind of day too. The churning water in the background is from some of her friends that were also on the go and the water had not yet had a chance to settle. Fun.

By Barbara Boelter, Homeowner and Taxpayer(December 15, 2014)  Dear Members, AZ Corporation Commission:You are not getting the message are you?  ALL speakers who came to your 12-12-14 meeting spoke AGAINST “Smart Meters”, yet you continued to support and approve APS’s installation of them, and fees upon those who won’t have them.  You are not representing the people of Arizona!

By Ted Grussing … a B-24 Liberator Bomber that was on a night training mission slammed into the San Francisco Peaks at about the 11,000′ level; all eight crew members were killed in the crash. Humphreys Peak, the tallest mountain in Arizona at 12, 633′ is the farthest left peak in this image and the crash site is in the clearing just past the third slide area from the left, about 1500′ below the peak and a ways to the right just left of and below center about a quarter up from the bottom. The wreckage which was left there…

By Stephen DeVol Sedona AZ (December 14, 2014) – At the December 12, 2014, Arizona Corporation Committee (ACC) meeting it came as no surprise that the ACC voted 5-0 to accept some Opt-Out fees and charge for analog meter reading for Arizona Public Service (APS) customers in Arizona. Opt-In or Opt-Out, your monthly bills for electricity are going up. The Public Meeting which began at 10:00 am lasted until 6:00 pm on Friday. More than 25 people spoke about their adverse health effects from smart meters. No one spoke in favor of Smart meters. APS refers to Smart meters as Advanced…

Report on the Arizona Corporation Commission’s 12/12/14 “Smart” Meter Meeting Information & Perspective by Warren Woodward(December 14, 2014) Three “smart” meter dockets were discussed at the ACC. One dealt with health, one confidentially, and one extortion. The upshot was that the commissioners voted unanimously to continue to allow utilities to bombard people with microwaves and to extort $5 per month from people trying to avoid that and other “smart” meter related harm. The commissioners were spectacular in their near complete ignorance of the subject matter, or even the English language.

By Tracey ShadleyOrganize A to Z“Organize Your Space, Organize Your Life!” Sedona AZ (December 14, 2014) –  I always feel so overwhelmed with all of my commitments as the holiday season approaches.  Any suggestions? –  Carole C The best way to stay calm during the holidays is to start planning early — at least a month in advance! Start by creating a calendar for the weeks leading up to, during and after the holidays.