by Russell Vandenbroucke — Sedona, AZ – What moral universe condones a surprise attack in Israel–lasting less than a day–that slaughtered 1200 men, women, and children and kidnapped hundreds more? What moral universe authorizes killing, in retaliation, more than 17,000 Palestinians (and rising), 70 percent of them women and children, in less than two months? In comparison, Ukraine recently reported 560 children among 10,000 civilian deaths during the first 20 months of Russia’s “special military operation.” What moral universe sanctions my taxes to support the carnage? My government is also the sole member of the UN Security Council to veto…
Author: Tommy
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… for the rest of the year I will be sending out some of my all-time favorite photographs and photographic art including composites. These are images that I have or have had on display in my home … the artists favorite picks! The shot of the donkeys above has been in the top list since I took it in February 2021, and it has also been one of my best sellers. It is awaiting its turn in rotation in the dining room. I had a permanent frame made on a wall in the dining room that takes a 48″ x…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival will host a Christmas Show Benefit on Friday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Come celebrate Christmas with a 1-Hour Christmas Show Benefit! Five Sedona locals are in the holiday spirit and will sing Christmas classics to benefit a father of three with medical bills. A few songs will feature special guest, Pastor Paul Wallace, on the guitar singing a handful of songs from “Jesus In The House”, a sing-a-long that takes place weekly at the chapel. Expect Christmas classics, holiday instrumental favorites including The Nutcracker and…
Sedona News – The Sedona Police Department launched a traffic enforcement effort with support from an Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant totaling $2,400. The grant pays overtime to enforce and participate in driving under the influence (DUI) programming and the selective traffic enforcement program (STEP). Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers. In 2022, 202 people were killed in DUI crashes in Arizona, and in 2022 in Sedona, the Police Department made 53 DUI arrests. In 2022, 426 speed related fatalities occurred in Arizona and another 20,069 with injuries. For more information…
Sedona News – The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers that State Route 89A north of uptown Sedona has reopened to traffic Friday morning, Dec. 15. Crews worked this week to remove loose rocks and unstable material from a slope along SR 89A to create safer conditions for highway travel. ADOT and its contractor worked to reopen the highway as quickly as possible. While the highway has reopened, the road surface is rough due to the removal of damaged pavement from falling rocks during blasting. Crews are scheduled to repave that section of SR 89A on Saturday. Drivers should expect…
Sedona, AZ — Listening to the City Council discussion on funding for the Uptown Visitor Center I found it interesting that the decision-making process seems to be only propelled by percentages or arbitrary numbers. This seems to be a type of corporate thinking letting the numbers dictate decisions and can be a flawed way of deciding important issues. Using “data” numbers to make decisions does not work in the case of the Sedona Uptown Visitor Center or a healthy and realistic way of managing our tourism economy. The visitor center is primarily used by first-time and infrequent visitors. It is true,…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona theatrical premiere of “Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids” showing Dec. 23-28 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “Billion Dollar Babies” premiered at the 2022 Sedona International Film Festival where it received rave audience reviews and high ratings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNnBd_O80-E Before the Cabbage Patch Kids, no one could have imagined a world where police would need to break up fights between rampaging adults in toy stores. But after the Cabbage Patch Kids, every manufacturer in the world was desperate for their…
Sedona, AZ — Just about everyone on the planet has heard the term “fast food.” But how many are aware of the antidote to fast food, called “slow food?” Where fast food is composed of mostly un-nutritious components that do more harm than good, slow food elevates cuisine to the level of art, utilizing only the freshest and most wholesome of ingredients cooked to perfection in a natural way. Over thirty years ago, a large group of Italians gathered in Rome for a protest. Why? A fast food franchise was opening at the base of the iconic Spanish Steps. Instead…
By Amaya Gayle Gregory Have you ever wondered what you do if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? It’s an interesting puzzle, to believe that there is something better or different that could be, should be done. The thought seems to pop up out of the blue without any warning and then slides back into the depths before I can give it a good look. Today that thought arose as I was working in the yard, the ginormous yard, 5 acres to be more specific, of which gratefully only one acre is house and yard that requires woman handling. It’s…
Sedona News – The city of Sedona’s Clerk’s Office reminds business owners to renew their Business License now for calendar year 2024. Renewal applications must be submitted and approved by Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Five dollar-a-month late fees will begin to accrue on February 1, 2023. Notifications were sent out via email, to the email address on file. Business owners are encouraged to check their spam folder if they did not receive the notification. Business owners will receive an email when the application has been approved; at that time, a renewal fee of $35 is due after the application is approved. Payment…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Holy Frit” showing Dec. 22-28 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Tim Carey and Justin Monroe were next door neighbors back in 2014. Over beers one night, Tim asks Justin (a filmmaker) if he would do him a “small favor”: would he make a short promo video for Judson Studios, a family-owned stained-glass company where Tim was the lead artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDaUN_wEWt4 Tim believed Judson needed something special to help them stand out among the 60 companies they were bidding against for a monumental project…
Verde Valley News – El Valle Artists Association Artist of the Month for December is Michael D. Trulson for his painting “Scottsdale Vista” Michael has painted in all different mediums, yet watercolor was what he began creating with 40 years earlier, so he decided to jump back into his his love of watercolor. He is a juried member of The Northern Arizona Watercolor Society. His style is his own in as much as he does not emulate anyone, although Michael continues to study the masters and contemporary artists. He flows with what comes naturally. Mike shared that “Ever since I can remember, drawing…
Sedona, AZ — Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) announced it has hired Robert “Bo” Cofield, DrPH, FACHE, to serve as its next Chief Operating Officer. Cofield began in the position in late November and will partner with other NAH executives to achieve excellence in operational performance and the fulfillment of NAH strategy objectives. He oversees the operations of the NAH system, including two hospitals, primary care clinics, specialty care facilities, and air and ground emergency medical transport throughout the northern Arizona region. He comes to NAH with a career replete with clinical operations experience in hospitals and health systems and brings…
… starting down on the shoreline of Watson Lake in Prescott we have a great blue heron who has just made contact with a large boulder on the shore of the lake as he comes in for a landing … maybe a little hot as he is taking another step before he is done with the flight. From here it is up to the Flagstaff area and a shot of Mt. Elden and the incredible lobes that cascade down the sides. Like all other mountains and would be mountains up on the plateau, it was formed by volcanic eruptions ….…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Pianoforte” showing Dec. 22-28 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmziYue4sQo During the preliminary round, there are 160 of them. Then, about 90. Then 45. At last, only 12 lucky ones make it to the final. These are the contestants in the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition, held every five years in Warsaw, Poland. “Pianoforte” follows an eclectic group of young musicians from around the world who have prepared since they were children for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Offering a rare behind-the-scenes look backstage…