Author: Tommy

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 security check. People who cannot attend or who live far away can attend through zoom. Several classes, events and holidays are coming up in March and April.  Check the website and plan to join us! Erev Shabbat services led by Rabbi Alicia Magal will be held on Friday evening, February March 1, 2024  beginning at 5:30 pm in person and on Zoom.  Rabbi will offer Shabbat prayers to bring in…

Sedona, AZ — Steakhouse89 continues to offer great cuisine and fun times all year long Located in the heart of Sedona, Steakhouse89 has been a popular destination for both locals and tourists alike for the last 6years, this restaurant is known for its exquisite cuts of meat, exceptional service, and as a beautiful wedding or event venue for almost any sized occasion. Steakhouse89 has always been a must-visit for anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. Steakhouse89 in Sedona, Arizona, has a new menu that is sure to please even the most discerning food critics. Visit…

Arizona News – If a visit to an ADOT Motor Vehicle Division office is in your future, there’s good news: You can schedule an appointment using one of two online options. Appointments to visit an MVD office can be scheduled through the MVD customer portal at AZMVDNOW.gov or by contacting an MVD employee on the ADOT website through Live Chat. “MVD is constantly looking for ways to make things easier and provide a convenient and fast experience in the office and online,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “We are committed to our goal of getting customers out of the line and safely on…

By Tommy Acosta — Sedona, AZ — Consider for a moment the kind of faith one needs to uproot themselves and their families from the world they knew and understood, to walk thousands of miles through hostile deserts, chance being impaled on razor wire or drowned in rushing waters, all to get to where they believe their salvation lies. These migrants are drawn to America by an almost supernatural force, believing in the American dream so profoundly that they abandon all, risking everything, even their lives and the lives of their children, to live in our country. Their faith is so…

… ever wonder where that beautiful opal you are wearing came from and the way it is extracted from the ground? My friend Rod Keady sent me some old photos to use in my presentation to the classes today at Red Rock High School and these two are among the ones he sent me. The photo above shows the way they mined opal at White Cliffs in New South Wales circa 1890 … a hole is bored down about until they hit an opal level, frequently 100′ down … from that point the miners go down and begin digging horizontally as…

Verde Valley News – Yavapai College has been named a finalist for the 2024 Bellwether Award by the Bellwether College Consortium. Each year, ten finalists are selected in each of the three categories: Instructional Programs and Services Planning, Governance, and Finance, Workforce Development The Award “focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs worthy of replication.” YC has been selected in the Workforce Development category, which calls for “Public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development by producing a workforce.” “Yavapai College is honored to be a finalist for the Bellwether Award,” said Dr. Lisa B. Rhine, President of…

Sedona News – The Sedona MUFON chapter is proud to present an other-worldly event on Sunday, March 24 featuring social scientists who also are futurists, archeologists, authors, and founders of The Academy for Future Science, Drs. Desiree and JJ Hurtak, with author Alan Steinfeld. “Beam me up, Scotty!”  Captain Kirk’s teleportation depiction is not that far off from how those who have had extraterrestrial contact describe being taken onboard an alien spacecraft. Drs. Hurtak will seek to define the “Cosmic Who’s Who” and answer the challenging questions about both multidimensional ultra-terrestrial life forms, as well as the local extraterrestrials who appear to be…

Verde Valley News – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced today its termination of a Consent Order with Minerals Research, Inc. (MRI). Effective immediately, this action revokes MRI’s authorization to operate its facility located at 705 E Birch St. in Cottonwood, Arizona, until ADEQ reaches a decision on MRI’s pending air quality permit application, which ADEQ received on Oct. 31, 2023. ADEQ terminated the Consent Order based on certified results received on Feb. 13, 2024, which showed the facility failed a performance test conducted on Jan. 31, 2024. This failed performance test indicated the facility was not meeting a…

Public Safety Officials Encourage Residents to Sign Up for Local Emergency Notifications To Be Better Prepared for an Emergency  Verde Valley News – THE CAMP VERDE MARSHAL’S OFFICE is excited to announce Camp Verde Alerts. A voluntary emergency notification system is available to all residents. Camp Verde Alerts is a free service that allows individuals to sign up for notifications sent from state and local authorities. Camp Verde Alerts keeps residents and travelers informed on potentially hazardous situations involving weather, evacuation notices, traffic, road closures, and other local emergencies. Camp Verde Alerts enables authorities to notify the community in real…

Verde Valley News – Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) announced that Sanjiv Faldu, MD, FACC, has joined the Cardiovascular Institute in Cottonwood at Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC). Dr. Faldu is an expert in general cardiology as well as internal medicine and trauma care. He has been an employed by NAH in Flagstaff since March 2022, and recently transferred his services to Verde Valley. “We are very excited to have the talents of Dr. Faldu joining the team at the Cardiovascular Institute in Cottonwood,” said Northern Arizona Healthcare Medical Group President Pasquale Bernardi, MD. “The addition of his skills will allow…

Arizona News – On March 9, 2024, the Citizens Water Advocacy Group (CWAG) will host a panel discussion regarding PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) which are contaminants affecting household water quality in the Tri-City area. Representatives from Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will discuss the latest information on PFAS, how they are distributed into our groundwater, and the treatment technologies proposed for assuring our long-term health. The presentation will start at 10 a.m. at the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation building at 882 Sunset Avenue (two blocks behind True Value) in Prescott.…

Sedona News – The Sedona Heritage Museum hosts a show and sale of original hand crafted Mata Ortiz pottery on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9. The evening event on Friday, March 8, is a pre-sale and will take place between 4 pm and 6 pm.  Guests can RSVP to the Museum by calling 928-282-7038 for a chance to see this beautiful pottery, interact with artist Oralia Lopez one on one, and purchase items before the sale opens to the general public the next day.  RSVPs are limited to the first 50.  The Friday event includes a wine and…

— By Tommy Acosta Everywhere the drums of war seem to be beating and people are living in fear. Will Russia nuke us? Will we nuke Russia? Will NATO unleash its full force against Russia, China and Iran? Will there be a global killing unlike anything the world has seen before? I think not. The planet’s elite, royalty, those who own the castles, will never let their playground Earth be made uninhabitable by radiation and annihilation. The current conflicts are being meticulously managed and nourished by the defense contractors of the world. The grudge match between Russia and Ukraine, the…

… I love the shot of the Great Blue Heron cruising across the water and the reflections from the surface reflect up onto his wings and body creating new and wonderful patterns of light and shadow. Below we have a Western Grebe that has just secured a bit of breakfast … next is to get it flipped so he can swallow it headfirst … and then go for more. Below the Grebe is a photo of the most beautiful opal I have ever cut, and I have been cutting opal for forty-seven years. The opal is a piece of black…

Sedona News – The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is returning to Sedona. For the tenth year, the Sedona International Film Festival is bringing the spirit of outdoor adventure and mountain culture to red rock country. This year’s screenings feature the world’s best mountain sport, culture and environmental films, letting you experience the thrill and challenges of the mountain environments that inspire us all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ngjhcIsh4&t=1s The Sedona tour stop is two nights again this year: Tuesday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. Each night will feature a different program of…