Author: Tommy

By Tania Simms, Executive Director Cottonwood News – Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce the grand re-opening and expansion of our ReStore sales floor! Join us on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 11:00 AM for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a day of celebration. The event will include big sales, delicious food, and lively music as we unveil our newly expanded space. Following the ribbon-cutting, the ReStore will be open for shopping hours from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, offering amazing discounts on a wide variety of home improvement supplies, furniture, and building materials. Shoppers will…

Verde Valley News – Verde Valley Sanctuary (VVS) has partnered with multiple organizations for its first Clothesline Project, a movement that began more than 40 years ago as a way for Survivors to tell their own unique story using words and artwork to decorate a specifically colored T-shirt to not only bring awareness to domestic violence, but as a healing tool. The shirts will be on display during several upcoming dates and locations during the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. VVS’ mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.…

Sedona News – The city of Sedona invites residents to take The National Community Survey (NCS). This survey gauges resident sentiment on the following important topics: Economy Mobility Community design Natural environment Parks and recreation Health and wellness Education Arts and culture Inclusivity and engagement Input will be used in future projects and budget planning. Take the survey at before October 21 at: polco.us/sesdonaaz24op. If you already took the survey as part of the statistically valid, random sample mail effort, your results have already been counted and you do not need to take the survey again. The NCS is a scientific…

By Rabbi Alicia Magal The JCSVV offers services and classes which are life-affirming and soul enriching. All are listed on the synagogue website, jcsvv.org. Visitors are welcome to attend services after a security check. Those who cannot attend in person can access the service through zoom. Erev Shabbat services begin at 5:30 pm on Friday, October 18, led by Rabbi Alicia Magal. Sabbath songs and prayers bring a sense of peace and calm. Healing blessings enable people to pray for those we love who are ill and Kaddish offers mourners the opportunity to say the Mourners’ Prayer supported by community.…

Sedona, AZ — Republican candidate Lori Drake is presently running for the Yavapai County District 3 Board of Supervisors. It takes a lot of work and a lot of courage to put one’s whole soul and being into running for office, and few have what it takes to do so. Lori Drake is one such individual. For Drake, her desire to serve began at an early age, motivated by a family immersed in public service. “My passion for public service was ignited in my childhood, influenced by a family deeply committed to civic duty,” she said. “My grandparents were actively…

Sedona News – Chamber Music Sedona is excited to present the first concert of its 42nd season as it welcomes Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux to the stage on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 3 p.m. Considered “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” (Gramophone), Vieaux will perform a scintillating program for solo guitar, including works by Bach, Agustin Barrios, Pat Metheny and others. The concert will be held at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd., Sedona, Ariz. 86336. Described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation,” Jason…

Sedona News – The city of Sedona welcomes community participation in the first series of workshops focused on the development of the Western Gateway Master Plan on Oct. 24, 2024, at the Hub at Posse Grounds Park located at 525-B Posse Ground Rd. There will be two identical sessions offered: one from 2 – 4 p.m. and another from 5 – 7 p.m. The Western Gateway is the 41 acres of land off Cultural Park Place that the city purchased in 2022. These workshops offer the community a valuable opportunity to contribute to the planning process of the Western Gateway…

Sedona News – UFO enthusiasts are in for a captivating presentation, on October 27, 2024, in Sedona, AZ as Dr. Richard Carmen reveals his extraordinary experiences to the public for the first time, coinciding with the release of his much-anticipated book The Voice. (available at Amazon.com) “While my story will shock many people, it will confirm what the majority of the world already believes,” Dr. Carmen said. “We are not alone. I’ll also touch on life changing information I was told about our ultimate contact:God. It’s no as complex as we ‘ve been led to believe.” Dr. Carmen will introduce Dr.…

… a couple of shots from this spring on Lake Pleasant during the migration and breeding season … above is a group of Avocets in breeding plumage coming in for landing very close to us. Avocets are a beautiful shorebird that we see at the lake in fall and spring. A habit of theirs is that when they spook and go into flight, they tend to fly away from you but circle out and come back to land very close to where they have taken off from. This is an opportunity to get shots of them coming in head on … if…

Verde Valley News – On October 1st, 2024, the Camp Verde Marshals Office (CVMO), along with the Verde Valley Regional SWAT team, executed a search warrant at a residence in the area of Sierra Verde Road in Camp Verde. Once the scene was secured, CVMO along with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) began an investigation regarding a “violent act” that took place on the property against an unidentified female subject. This female subject is described as 20 to 30 years of age, long blonde hair, and driving a newer model Chevrolet S-10 style pickup. The pickup is further described…

Verde Valley News – Join a representative from Set It Up Tech on Saturday, October 19th from 10 am – 12 pm to learn the basics of your smartphone or tablet in a fun and supportive environment.  They will cover essential topics like navigating your device, using apps, staying safe online, and getting the most out of your technology.  Gain confidence in your tech skills, connect with loved ones, and simplify your digital life. Registration is requested, please register for the event on the events calendar on Camp Verde Community Library’s website- https://yavapai.events/event/tech-classes-set-it-tech-78071 Camp Verde Community Library is located at 130 N Black…

Verde Valley News – Yavapai College student Tyler Briner knew something was different — something was special —  about his anatomy and physiology (A&P) professor when, struggling with a concept, that professor invited him to a Saturday study session. The session lasted four hours and by the end, Tyler was no longer in the dark about synapse – the communication in the body between neurons. “It was life-changing – oh my god that somebody actually believed in me,” Briner recalled of the study session and how Dr. Mark Muchna “made sure I understood what was happening in the body.” Tyler…

Keep Sedona Beautiful will hold its next Preserving the Wonder Speaker Series event on Wednesday, October 16 at 5:00 pm. This month’s speaker is Rita Faruki. Her topic will be “Our Animal Brothers and Sisters, Their Biology and Spiritual Significance.” As always, this presentation will be free and open to the public, and will be held at the KSB EcoHub, 360 Brewer Road in Sedona. Doors will open at 4:30. Please visit the KSB website, www.keepsedonabeautiful.org for details. Rita’s talk will include a variety of mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians that are common to this area. Some biological information as well as cultural and mythical…

By Rabbi Alicia Magal Rabbi Alicia Magal, of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, led a commemoration service, Remembering October 7, 2023, to honor those murdered in the Hamas attack on Israel last year. Maya Izchoeev, a survivor of the Nova Festival, spoke movingly about her escape from the massacre, during which many of her friends were killed or wounded. Denise Israel and the Rabbi sang the Hebrew song Lu Yehi, May it Be, a song of hope. The video, songs, prayers, testimony, and readings, all were meant to help the community move from shock and sadness at all…

Sedona News – On October 21st, from 10am to noon, Sedona Great Decisions will hold a special Round Table on the foreign policy stakes of next month’s election at the Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road. The conference is open to the public and admission is free. Rarely have foreign policy planks featured so prominently in party platforms, and this cycle offers voters a unique opportunity to weigh in on the path forward for the United States throughout the world. Russia or Ukraine? Burdens of leadership and alliances or go it alone? Apparatchiks or experts? Blanket tariffs or precise…