Author: Tommy

Sedona News – The parking lot for the Dry Creek trailhead in Sedona will be closed to vehicles on Friday (March 1) as Forest Service personnel use heavy equipment to place boulders to define parking and protect natural resources. The purpose of this project is to prevent further loss of vegetation and expansion of bare soil areas, and the closure is to ensure public safety as boulders are placed. The trailhead will open later in the day once the boulder work is complete. The public is asked to avoid areas where equipment is operating and give crews plenty of space while work…

Arizona News – As prolonged drought, extreme heat, and wildfires plague the West, Arizona’s ability to meet the projected water and energy needs of the future remains unclear. However, increasing anecdotal and research evidence points to the power of partnerships to solve these wicked water problems. The myth that in the West “whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting” is being debunked. Across the state and region, many in our communities are hard at work developing solutions to improve water resiliency through collaboration. As region-wide negotiations continue on future use of Colorado River water, the climate heats up,…

Sedona News – The Sedona Symphony (formerly Verde Valley Sinfonietta) presents its fourth concert of the 2023-2024 season under the direction of Artistic Director, Janna Hymes. The concert features guest artist, flutist Jeannette Hirasawa Moore, performing Telemann’s Suite in A minor, for Flute, Strings and Continuo, and Tchaikovsky’s Lensky’s Aria from the opera Eugene Onegin, on Sunday, April 7 at 2:30 PM in the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd. in Sedona. Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 in D major will round out the program. As an added treat,…

By Craig Swanson President, Keep Sedona Beautiful Keep Sedona Beautiful honors businesses, organizations and individuals in the Verde Valley who have helped to fulfill our mission. Over the past 50 years, we have given out more than 600 awards in various categories including landscaping, architecture, signage, dark sky lighting, education environmental stewardship, cultural heritage, sustainability and community service. You can nominate a business, organization or individual by sending us a completed nomination form along with supporting information.  The form with instructions can be accessed by clicking this link. Please send your completed form, along with a description of why you…

… I had my morning coffee on the back patio this morning and what better way to start the day than with a mug of home roasted coffee and a camera with my new lens on it … in a comfortable chair waiting for some critter to show up. The Dark Eyed Junco’s were feeding from the feeder I have in the pinyon pine in back. The photo above was shot at 800mm f9 from about 25 feet and the junco occupied a large part of the screen …. mercifully he is small as my depth of field was less…

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to partner with the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival for a special premiere of “Freehub PRESENTS: A Mountain Bike Film Festival” on Friday, March 8 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. There will be two screenings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Freehub Media is hosting a night to celebrate the highest caliber filming and storytelling in the mountain biking sport. “Freehub PRESENTS” is a collection of films from the best in the business and new up-and-comers alike, all given the proper big-screen experience. Get your tickets and join us for what…

Sedona News – The University Women of Sedona will host their largest annual fund-raiser for college scholarships on Monday, March 4 at 9:30 a.m., and extend a special invitation to guests. The group will begin with a presentation by Sedona Historical Society/Sedona Heritage Museum Executive Director Nate Meyers who will discuss the state of the Society, whose mission is to preserve, interpret, and share the unique history of Sedona and Red Rock Country.  He will also share what the Society is currently working on, what projects are on the horizon, and the vision for the future of preserving Sedona’s history.…

Sedona News – Voters in USA Today’s competition to determine the 10 best small town museums have weighed in: the Sedona Heritage Museum is one of the 10 Best Small Town Museums in the nation!  In the final voting, released on February 23, Sedona Heritage Museum finished in 7th place.  Another Verde Valley museum, Douglas Mansion in Jerome State Historic Park, finished in 9th place. “We are excited about this incredible honor,” said Nate Meyers, Executive Director of the museum.  “We are grateful to all our friends and supporters who cast votes for the Sedona Heritage Museum.  It means so much to be recognized. …

Sedona, AZ – Here is a quick 30-second interview with Sedona International Film Festival Director Pat Schweiss conducted by Allan Elfman of Visit Sedona TV Facebook conducted Sunday night at Seven Canyons. Thirty seconds on the 30th Celebration. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1331120637479111 This was day 2 of the 30th Annual Film Festival celebrating this at the amazing, Seven Canyons in Sedona, Arizona. This was truly a picturesque moment. A special thanks to Seven Canyons Golf Club with its generosity for both itheir great food and their fantastic service. As usual, these events just keep getting better as the Sedona International Film Festival Continues.…

By Tommy Acosta — Have you ever noticed how happy every dog gets when being walked by their owner? The joy is universal. Regardless if the dog is young or old, big or small, there is sense of happiness that radiates from our pets in that moment. Ears pricked, a cheek-to- cheek smile, tail wagging, tongue rolling, nose taking in every scent around them, the joy they feel is tangible and profound for both the dog and their walkers. I love watching dogs being walked when riding up and down S.R.89A. They are just so happy. As animal lovers, we…

The stars shone bright at the 30th Annual Sedona International Film Festival opening night at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. Just about everybody who is anybody in Sedona was there for the festivities. There was champagne, chocolates, and great music by Robin and Eric Miller, and the energy sparkled in the air for the launch of another successful festival. A splendid time was had by all. Check out the reel of Sedona’s celebrities created by Allen Elfman of  Visit Sedona TV Stay tuned for more photos of Sedona’s movers and shakers, movie makers and stars.  Hail! Hail! the gang’s all…

Sedona, AZ — When it comes to cuisine nothing puts a restaurant higher on the map than its chef. If the restaurant is a ship, then the chef is its captain guiding it from one gastronomic voyage to another. If the restaurant is an orchestra, the chef is its conductor. For Steakhouse89 in West Sedona it’s Chef Juan Carlos Amaro (J.C.) at the helm of one of the best fine-dining experiences in Sedona. Hailing from the city of Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela, he came to the states nine years ago, relocating two years ago from Orlando Florida to Sedona, after…

… the Osprey above is diving for a rainbow trout in the pond at Rainbow Trout Farm, up canyon and he is manipulating every flight feather and his body to ensure an accurate attack on the trout that is in his sights … yes, he did get it and flew off with his prize. These birds are very discriminating and know where to obtain the finest food … you should visit and try the trout from there! They are raised and kept in pure spring water … and if you are not in the area, you can buy it on Amazon. Below is a…

By Amaya Gayle Gregory We live in a world that teaches, expects, commands exclusion. Competition, boundaries, judgement, winners and losers, families – those we love and those we don’t, is built right in, the silent, or not so silent, operating structure of separation. What we are, what this is, is inclusion, simple, basic, all-in, never was two, actuality. To quote Hamlet, “Ay, there’s the rub.” The basic assumption, the given in life, sets up inevitable discomfort, the sense of disconnection and the ache of aloneness. They are built right in as long as we buy into the programming, and even…

Verde Valley News – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has named Yavapai College as an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. Yavapai College endeavors to become an official Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which is designated by the U.S. Department of Education. To do so, YC must reach a full-time equivalent student population of 25%. Over the last several years, YC has multiplied its efforts to serve the Hispanic communities in Yavapai County properly. These efforts include increased outreach and participation in community events, increasing academic and personal support services, career coaching, developing more access to resources, and creating a…