Author: Tommy

Verde Valley News – The Verde Valley Humane Society (VVHS) welcomes Catherine McCan to the Board of Directors. Board Chair Alice Klies stated, “I am pleased to welcome Catherine on behalf of the board, staff, and volunteers of the Verde Valley Humane Society. Catherine McCan (McCan Accounting) has been an accountant serving small businesses since 1979 and served the Verde Valley since 1987. Ms. McCan joins Board Chair Alice Klies, Vice Chair Maxine Belcher, Secretary Amber Polo; Treasurer Harry (Hank) Abrahams, and Mary Clark. The Verde Valley Humane Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the animals and people of…

Sedona News – The 30th anniversary of the Sedona International Film Festival will feature the locally shot and produced feature film HIM, directed by award-winning filmmaker Rebecca Wahls. https://vimeo.com/890508851?share=copy The feature film stars BAFTA winning voice actor Troy Baker (HBO’s The Last of Us), and social media star Kyle Prue who entertains his 1.4 million+ followers on TikTok. The majority female cast features Kira Omans (CBS’s CSI: Vegas), Tess Higgins (Kringle Time), Margaret Berkowitz (Fox Searchlight’s Marriage Material), Lucie Solene Allouche (Netflix’s Inventing Anna), and Sydney Battle (FX’s Swan Boy). Local Arizona actor Lisa Barnes is featured in a supporting role. This dark comedy is an unapologetically…

… clouds cause us to look up … and dream beyond that which exists on earth and all that is down here. We look beyond our planet and into the space beyond … seemingly portals open up and darkness fades as sunlight burns through the clouds. We’re receiving a lot of rain right now and it is cold and windy … I love this weather … time to close the day, open the bedroom window, dive under the covers and enjoy the storm. Have a beautiful day and weekend … the plan is to be back Monday morning. A Reminder…

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical encore event: “Amélie” playing Feb. 14-17 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. “Amélie” was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film. After two decades, the cinematic sensation returns to theaters in its original form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py7cDXQae2U Amélie (Audrey Tatou), the heroine of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s award-winning whimsical romance, is no ordinary young woman. A waitress in a Montmartre, Paris bar, Amélie observes people and lets her imagination roam free. One day, she suddenly finds her purpose in life: to solve…

By Amaya Gayle Gregory Many years ago when I volunteered at the prison I was talking to the men about the present moment. Even as the words came out of my mouth, I knew that something was off, something very important. For years, the present moment had been offered up as the golden talisman, a charm that once fully grasped would open the doors to life’s mysteries. Some still speak of it that way not realizing the fallacy and harm of what they do. That day, I squirmed inside because I knew I was missing the point and if I…

Sedona News – Following a highly successful first year of operations, the latest fine dining destination to hit the scene in Sedona, Forty1 – the sophisticated signature restaurant at the luxurious Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel that initially catered exclusively to hotel guests – announced today that it is now open to the public with a brand-new executive chef at the helm ready to launch his first seasonal menu. Situated centrally in the heart of the boutique property’s three rugged acres, Forty1 serves an ever-evolving menu of dazzling a la carte dishes anchored by locally grown and seasonal, natural ingredients sourced from the surrounding Verde…

The Sedona Women (TSW) will hear from Sedona resident Maudelle Terry, former San Francisco news reporter, executive, actress and author about her Grandmother Baker’s Black wisdom on a wide variety of topics. The TSW program will take place on the second Thursday, February 8, at the Sedona Public Library.  TSW programs are scheduled monthly from September through May. When Maudelle was 3, her parents divorced, and her Grandmother Baker relocated to San Diego to become the legal guardian of Maudelle and her two brothers.  Maudelle learned much from her beloved grandmother who was born in Lovelady, Texas in 1892  to…

Sedona News – More than 140 features, documentaries, shorts and foreign films from around the world will be screened at four venues during the 30th annual Sedona International Film Festival from Feb. 24 through March 3. Festival passes and 10-and-20 ticket packages are on sale now at www.sedonafilmfestival.com.  Single tickets will go on sale two weeks before the screening of the opening-night film Isle of Hope starring Dianne Ladd,  Mary Stuart Masterson, Andrew McCarthy and Sam Robards. Ladd and Masterson are expected to be on hand for the screening at the Sedona Performing Arts Center (SPAC) at Sedona Red Rock High School. “Isle of Hope will…

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. Erev Shabbat services led by Rabbi Alicia Magal will be held on Friday evening, February 9, 2024, 2024 beginning at 5:30 pm in person and on Zoom. The Biblical reading is from Mishpatim, Exodus 21:1–24:18, outlining many of the ethical laws to be followed in order to create a compassionate society that is founded on justice and…

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the globe to present the worldwide theatrical premiere of “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” showing Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRYW7MQEtUs “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” is the story of a Disco legend who, for five decades, has inspired millions with her words “I Will Survive”, but only understood the lyrics when she hit rock bottom at age 65. This film is about reinvention, the power of faith and a magnificent second act. “I am finally at a place of joy and…

Sedona News – The city of Sedona recently purchased and installed the sculpture Stormy Bay at the Ranger Station Park at 250 Brewer Rd. The monumental 11-foot horse sculpture will welcome park users to the space, which is currently under construction with the exterior features, including a walking path and wooden playground, complete by this summer. The city purchased Stormy Bay, a rustic piece fabricated from old farm machinery parts by artist Dixie Jewett, from Peggy Lanning, who was founder and owner of the Turquoise Tortoise and Lanning Galleries, as well as who created First Fridays and the Sedona Gallery…

Verde Valley News – Verde Valley Teen Maze, a community-driven event to help youth experience the consequences of life choices and provide them with information they need to make good choices, will be held February 26th-29th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at Clemenceau Building (COCSD Office), 1 N. Willard St. Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Teen Maze and its design “bring to life” the potential effects of various life choices. This week-long event is coordinated and sponsored by Yavapai County Community Health Services and Verde Valley Sanctuary along with many community partners. Verve Events and Tents is a sponsor assisting with…

Arizona News – The Arizona Department of Transportation has received a national award for a pilot study that looks toward the day when additional transportation infrastructure will be able to give drivers critical information about conditions ahead. The National Operations Center of Excellence, an organization dedicated to the management and operation of state highways, presented ADOT with its Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Award in the Emerging Trends and Technologies category. With funding provided through the Maricopa the Association of Governments’ Emerging Technology Program, ADOT partnered with Verizon to test the viability of using sensors, cameras and wireless connectivity…

Sedona News – Sedona International Film Festival presents the Great Art on Screen series with “The Immortals: The Wonders of the Museo Egizio”. The film will premiere in Sedona on Tuesday and Sunday, Feb. 13 and 18 at 3:30 p.m. at the festival’s Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Great Art on Screen is a series of documentaries featuring an in-depth look at the most extraordinary and groundbreaking art masters of their time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnvgzTH_0aQ “The Immortals: The Wonders of the Museo Egizio” is a journey among the most beautiful archaeological finds Egypt has left us. Kha, architect and builder of tombs for the…

… was indeed a great day and even better, still here today … life is grand! Low single digit winds were forecast for the Lake Pleasant area, but we were greeted with mid+ double digit winds which made for a rather slow and wet ride across the lake. It was a day that we were finding the birds in protected bays and on the lee side of islands and peninsulas. Heading back to the west side of the lake we turned into the lee side of the different bays as we worked our way back and as we turned into…