Author: Tommy

By James Bishop, Jr. April 17, 2012 I love nature because she is not man, but a retreat from him— Thoreau Time to remember the words of John Quincy Adams in 1821 when he praised America: because “she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” For arguable reasons, America has gone abroad –at great cost to our fighting men and women, not to mention resources. Historians will remember it all differently but from this pilgrim’s perspective facts about current concerns don’t exist simply because they are ignored. With so much focus on monsters abroad, do we also have…

April 16, 2012 – UPDATE:  On Friday, April 13, 2012, the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the body found on April 7 is James Schwartz. Identity was made by a dental record comparison. Cause of death determination is still pending. ### Medical Examiner report still pending    Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – On Saturday, April 7, 2012, at approximately 10:15 AM, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a body had been found in Woods Canyon area, southeast of Sedona. The body was located more than 8 miles outside the Village of Oak Creek adjacent to…

Phoenix AZ (April 9, 2012) – Today (April 9, 2012) Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Chair, Colleen Coyle Mathis announced that the Department of Justice has approved the congressional district map submitted by the Commission on February 9, 2012. Chair Mathis thanked those members of the public that participated in the process to develop the congressional map.

Sedona Film Festival presents the Northern Arizona debut of two award-winning foreign films Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – It’s foreign film week at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre with the Northern Arizona premiers of two award-winning foreign films. “The Salt of Life” from Italy and “Le Havre” from France and Finland will be presented at the Sedona International Film Festival’s new year-round venue. Showtimes will be 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 through Friday, April 20. Both films have received rave reviews from critics and audiences and have won several awards at prestigious festivals around the world…

Verde Valley AZ (April 9, 2012) – The community is invited to learn more about MATFORCE, including its many substance abuse projects, programs and future plans at the organization’s annual Mixer on April 19th. MATFORCE Executive Director Merilee Fowler says, “Each year hundreds of MATFORCE supporters, community leaders, interested citizens including parents and youth gather at this event. MATFORCE is one of the nation’s leading substance abuse organizations thanks to our strong community support.”

Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – The Sedona Community Center has a new Executive Director, John Tamiazzo. Come hear him speak on Thursday, April 19, from 12:30 – 2:00 at Lunch and Learn, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Keynote Speaker program, in room 34 of Yavapai College’s Sedona campus (on Cultural Park Road, across Rte 89A from Red Rock High School).

Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – There is nothing like a serene landscape to instantly fill the viewer with a sense of peace, harmony and wonder. Hungarian-born oil painter Gabor Svagrik understands the power of Mother Nature, his ultimate source of inspiration, which is why his paintings expertly convey the beauty of the untamed landscape. Come meet Gabor on May 4 during Rowe Fine Art Gallery’s newest exhibition, “Water and Ice.” Gabor will travel from his home in Tucson to meet art lovers and unveil his latest work during the Sedona Gallery Associations’ 1st Friday Gallery Tour from 5 to…

Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – The Forest Service welcomes the community and visitors alike to come participate in the upcoming Red Rock Station interpretive programs. April 4–22, Wildflowers of the Verde Valley, Red Rock Visitor Center exhibit April 14, Wildflowers of the Verde Valley, Red Rock Visitor Center presentation, 11 a.m. April 21 & 22, Earth Day – Leave No Trace, Red Rock Visitor Center exhibit, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. April 21, Earth Day – Sinkhole Trail event, volunteer work day, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. May 26 & 27, Snakes of Arizona, Red Rock Visitor Center exhibit & handling, 9 a.m.–4…

Sedona AZ (April 9, 2012) – In April 2011, the City of Sedona was designated a Bicycle Friendly Community.  Living up to this designation, the City is continuing its effort to encourage residents to use bicycles for recreation, transportation and better health.  In addition, a number of infrastructure enhancements are currently being implemented in the city and several events will take place during National Bike Month in May.

Sedona AZ (Arpil 9, 2012) – Steaming samples of chili will be featured at the Rotary Club of Sedona’s Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off, a special event at Tlaquepaque’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, on May 5, 2012, 11am to 3pm.  Top Sedona area chefs are perfecting their special chili recipes which can be sampled at festive booths in Tlaquepaque’s Calle de Independencia.  Admission is just $10 for adults; children under 10 are free.

Rattlers, scorpions, lizards ready for spring feeding Phoenix AZ (April 8, 2012) – Arizona has entered its spring warming trend, and with warmer temperatures come those slithering, crawling, burrowing, and web-making critters people often fear. “In a 2001 Gallup poll, 51 percent of adults cited snakes as their biggest fear and spiders were fifth,” said Zen Mocarski, public information officer for the Game and Fish Region 3 office in Kingman. “But, spiders, scorpions, rattlesnakes, the Gila monster, and a variety of other critters are part of life in Arizona. As it warms up, they’ll become increasingly more visible.”

Sedona AZ (April 6, 2012) – With the belief that only through alliances can this great community organization continue to grow, connecting performers and performance with their community, the Sedona Performers Guild announces an organizational name change to the “Sedona Performing Arts Alliance”. Established in 2009, the Sedona Performing Arts Alliance is a 501c(3) organization dedicated to advancing the Performing Arts through Education, Live Performance, and Artist Support.

Sedona AZ (April 6, 2012) – On Saturday, April 14, from 6-8 PM, Sedona Public Library will be holding a Spring/Earth Day Celebration in the Si Birch Community Room. Festivities will include poetry, storytelling, humor, and musical performances. Meant to celebrate our lovely living planet, this show will feature some of the best performing poets and authors in Arizona. Coming up from Mesa specifically for this show will be fan favorite the Klute. An international performer, the Klute is also a regular performer at Sedona poetry slams and the author of the popular chapbook “Hate You Can Trust.” Those who…

Sedona, AZ (April  6, 2012) –  Last week the Gardens for Humanity hosted a week long series of workshops, sustainability panels, concerts, and talks. In Sedona, people are waking to the fact that the city is actually an island, only surrounded by forest rather than ocean. If transportation were to stop delivering food and supplies, the basic necessities could disappear rather quickly. But that’s only one reason for increasing awareness about urban farming: local grown food tends to be fresher and healthier. And, it’s cheaper. The carbon footprint from delivering food long distances can be eliminated through local production. Fact:…

Sedona AZ (April 5, 2012) – The City of Sedona is seeking to fill one vacancy on the Housing Commission.  The unexpired term is through October 31, 2013.  The deadline to submit applications to be considered to serve on the Housing Commission is Monday, May 7, 2012 at 5 p.m.