Author: Tommy

Friday, January 20th 6-8pm at the Sedona Public Library Community Room Sedona AZ (January 5, 2012) – Across the country, communities are returning to their gardens for fresh healthy foods and more reliable alternatives to unsustainable, long-distance food supplies. In Sedona and the Verde Valley, people are doing the same, as local gardens and farmers markets return to the area. As an inspiration, local groups are screening Good Food on Friday, January 20th 6-8pm at the Sedona Public Library Community Room. In addition to the film, there will be an open dialogue about local food security and the possibility of…

Flagstaff AZ (January 4, 2012) – Pending favorable conditions tomorrow, Thursday January 5, fire managers plan to burn 50 acres of piles on the Eastside Project, south of Flagstaff, southwest of Herold Ranch Road. Smoke will rise and disperse to the west and southwest with the forecast winds. Smoke will be visible south of Little America hotel. Piles are smaller and will be consumed before nightfall producing little residual smoke, however, some smoke may be noticeable near the Forestdale and Pine Canyon neighborhoods overnight. Prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather – including winds and ventilation, and approval…

Flagstaff AZ (January 4, 2012) – Flagstaff Area National Monuments have received permission to continue pile burning at Walnut Canyon this morning and will continue throughout the week as favorable weather conditions continue. The debris piles are located around the vicinity of the entrance road and visitor center.  The piles were constructed during manual fuels reduction projects in preparation for future prescribed burns. They consist of small tree branches, twigs, and needles removed during preparation of prescribed fire control lines. Pile burning is a necessary preparation for prescribed burning. The piles will be monitored by firefighters until they are completely…

Sedona AZ (January 3, 2012) – The City of Sedona is currently accepting applications to fill two openings on the Historic Preservation Commission.  The three-year term begins upon appointment and ends on November 30, 2014.  The Commission consists of seven members.  Five members of the Commission must live in the Sedona city limits and up to two members are allowed to live outside of the City limits as long as they meet other selection criteria. If you are interested in local history, have some free time, and want to get involved in education, outreach, and helping to preserve Sedona’s past,…

Flagstaff AZ (January 3, 2012) – Pending favorable conditions tomorrow, Wednesday January 4, fire managers plan to burn approximately 40 acres of piles on the Eastside Project, south of Flagstaff off Herold Ranch Road. Smoke will rise and disperse to the west and southwest with the forecast winds. Smoke will be visible south of Little America hotel. Piles are smaller and will be consumed before nightfall producing little residual smoke, however, some smoke may be noticeable near Forestdale overnight. Prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather – including winds and ventilation, and approval from the Arizona Department of…

Flagstaff AZ (January 3, 2012) – On the afternoon of January 2 longtime park volunteer, Bern Carey and several companions were conducting archeological monitoring in the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument.  He lost his footing on the uneven terrain and stumbled down a short ledge.  He sustained injuries to his head and arms.  His companions notified monument staff of the injury, and that he had temporarily lost consciousness.  Park Ranger staff requested assistance from the Coconino County Sherriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit, who assisted with a request for the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter for a…

Verde Valley AZ (January 3, 2011) – MATFORCE’s January 12 Lunch ‘n Learn will focus on the newly formed Yavapai Reentry Project. The project is helping adults who are leaving prison and returning to Yavapai County. Programs such as this have proven successful in other areas, with almost a 40% reduction in people returning to prison. The goals of the program include providing referrals to basic services such as housing, employment, education, healthcare, and substance abuse counseling along with building positive community relationships through family members, friends, and volunteers.

Sedona AZ (January 2, 2012) – Do you have an idea that could improve the lives of individuals, the community, or even the world? Want to share that idea with the rest of Sedona? If so, you may be interested in auditioning for Sedona i-Talks, a program of dynamic 15-minute presentations sponsored by Sedona’s leading adult education organizations, the Sedona Public Library and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Sedona AZ (January 2, 2012) – The Sedona Heritage Museum is hosting the first in its 2012 series of Living History presentations on Wednesday January 11 at 9:00 a.m. at the Sedona Heritage Museum. Karin Kwiatkowski, Lora Carlson, Peter Carlson and Abby Kwiatkowski will present: “The Stopwatch Gang-the Most Infamous Bank Robbers You’ve Never Heard of”. These film-making partners will explain this true story of three Canadians reputed to be the most successful bank robbers in North American history. Some called them the Gentlemen Bandits, but the FBI called them the Stopwatch Gang because their robberies took no longer than…

Sedona AZ (December 30, 2011) – The Sedona Wetlands and WWRP Upgrades Project officially started on November 28, 2011.  Construction activity may be observed between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is Phase 1 of the Sedona Wetlands and WWRP Upgrades Project.  The project includes constructing wetlands and upgrading the Ultra-Violet Disinfection System.  The project contract will end on April 26, 2012. Construction work is being performed by RE Monks Constructors, Inc of Fountain Hills, Arizona.  This is a City of Sedona project.  If you have questions regarding the project, please contact Andy Dickey, Assistant City Engineer…

Verde Valley AZ (December 30, 2011) – The endangered California condor population that now spans Arizona and Utah is celebrating a significant milestone this month: the 15th anniversary of the first release of the birds into Arizona after being gone from the area for nearly 100 years. In December 1996, six condors were released from an acclimation pen atop the Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona. Today, the population consists of more than 70 birds that now also use Utah as part of their range. “This milestone is a significant accomplishment for the reintroduction program and demonstrates what cooperative, adaptive conservation…

Sedona AZ (December 29, 2011) – On Friday, January 6, 2012 Sedona Public Library will host the lecture The Works of Memory by Dr. Nora Strejilevich at 6pm in the Si Birch Community Room. Dr. Strejilevich will be sharing her life experiences in her testimonial books A Single Numberless Death, and El arte de no olvidar (The Art of Not Forgetting). Nora Strejilevich is an Argentine-Jewish writer and poet who became a survivor of a concentration camp in Argentina during the time known as “Dirty War” (1976-83). After her liberation in 1977 she was granted political asylum in Canada where…

Cottonwood AZ (December 30, 2011) – On February 14th the State of Arizona celebrates its 100th Birthday.  Cities and towns all over the state will commemorate the ‘Centennial’ with special events in February and throughout the year.  The City of Cottonwood welcomes the official Arizona State Historian, the official Arizona State Balladeer, and Wyatt Earp himself, in several special events during the month of February.  Mark your calendar for one or more of these special Centennial events, brought to you by the City of Cottonwood, Old Town Association and Old Town Center for the Arts. 

Sedona AZ (December 29, 2011) – On December 27, 2011, just before 4 P.M., Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers received a call from the mother of a 21-year-old hiker stranded on a ledge near Castle Rock. The hiker, identified as Mahdi Harrizi, was vacationing with family at the Red Agave Inn on Canyon Circle Drive in Sedona. They had traveled from their hometown in New York.

Sedona AZ (December 28, 2011) – On January 3, 2012 after 8 p.m., construction on Harmony-Windsong Phase 2 Drainage Project will proceed across SR 89A.  A storm drain pipe will be installed within SR 89A in west Sedona between the Roadrunner Drive and Deer Trail Pass intersections.  Construction will take place 24 hours per day and may last approximately 14 days.  Weekend work will be minimized to the maximum extent possible.  Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.