Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “The Good Mother” showing Sept. 1-7 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “The Good Mother” stars two-time Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank, Olivia Cooke and Jack Reynor. “The Good Mother” follows journalist Marissa Bennings (Swank) who — after the murder of her estranged son — forms an unlikely alliance with his pregnant girlfriend Paige (Cooke) to track down those responsible for his death. Together they confront a world of corruption and drugs in the underbelly of a small city in upstate New York. As…
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By Amaya Gayle Gregory ‘When others are not other’ … I read those words a few moments ago and they felt like a gong sounding within. They put words to the dilemma at the heart of one of life’s big quandaries, the difficulty of putting love into action. In separation, others are other. Others love or withhold love, judge or applaud, meet our expectations or dash them on the razor-edged ramparts of life. Others are the competition for scarce resources, even if we seemingly have enough, even when we don’t see them as competition, even when we see ourselves through…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose” showing Sept. 1-6 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Based on a true story, “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose” stars Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver and Christopher Lloyd. In 1935, Hungarian-American para-psychologist Dr. Nandor Fodor began his investigation of a strange occurrence on the Isle of Man. An average British family, the Irvings, claimed to have been contacted by a mysterious entity at their farm: A talking mongoose, named Gef (pronounced “Jeff”). As he investigates the claim, Dr.…
Sedona, AZ — On September 23-24, 2023 the Sedona Winefest will be returning for its 14th annual celebration at the Sedona Posse Grounds Park (525 Posse Ground Rd., Sedona, Arizona 86336), with a Kick Off Party at Sound Bites Grill on Friday, September 22nd. Sponsored by the Arizona Office of Tourism and the Verde Valley Wine Consortium, the two-day, nationally recognized wine festival will feature 24 award-winning Arizona wineries, food trucks serving local cuisine, a variety of artisan vendors, live music featuring DJ Pablonious Funk and Moon Tsunami on Saturday, The Naughty Bits on Sunday, and – for the first-time…
By Tommy Acosta– Sedona, AZ –Let’s kick off this review of the debate by acknowledging that a Republican victory this coming presidential election stands about the same chance of happening as a snowflake has of surviving a week in hell. Even God as their candidate would lose if the Republicans continue their suicidal pogrom against abortions. That being said, let’s get on with my review. No doubt about it. The winner of Wednesday’s Republican debate was newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy. He was sharp. Tough. Interesting. Engaging. Humorous. Confident and animated. He was cool under pressure, slipped or shook off most of…
… a few people have asked which of my photos I hang on my walls at home and the second photo in last night’s missive was one of them and the photo above of an Osprey lifting off from a branch in Lake Pleasant is another one … it is 48″ x 24″ and is in a permanent frame on a dining room wall which allows me to swap it out for other photos when I feel like a change. All total I usually have a dozen or so photographs on my wall in addition to the paintings that are…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present “Julie & Julia” on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. “Julie & Julia” is the final film in a month-long tribute to Meryl Streep with a special “Meryl-thon” series in August featuring a different Meryl Streep film each week. “Julie & Julia” features an all-star ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina. Meryl Streep was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for this film, and she won the Golden Globe…
Sedona News – The city of Sedona still seeks applicants for two seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission as two current member terms approach expiration. This voluntary body, established by city council, consists of seven citizens appointed to play a critical role in the city’s planning process. The commission serves as the city council’s advisor on land use, growth, and development issues. Commission duties include making recommendations to the city council on Community Plan updates, Land Development Code amendments, property zone changes and subdivision applications. In addition, the commission makes the final decision on conditional use permits and development…
Prescott News – Each year, attendees of the Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour report that one of the most intriguing aspects is the opportunity to observe artists as they actively demonstrate their craft. This experience allows attendees to learn about the materials, techniques and processes used in creating a work of art, while forging a personal connection with the artists. More than 60 juried artists participating in the Tour will appear across 45 private studios, with over 35 additional artists appearing at five Art Centers. These Art Centers – the Mountain Artists Guild, Suze’s Prescott Center for the Arts, ‘Tis…
Sedona News – The city of Sedona announces the posting of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for interested parties who provide residential energy assessments and retrofit services to support the Home Energy Retrofit Project. The deadline for RFQ submissions is Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 4 p.m. The project is intended to benefit moderate and low-income residents within Sedona city limits. Interested firms, construction contractors, nonprofits, community organizations, and businesses that provide retrofitting and weatherization services (like duct sealing, home electrification and insulation replacement) are encouraged to submit a response packet. It’s the city’s intention to make a single award to…
Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is turning 30 this year, and to celebrate, we are rolling back the clock and bringing encore screenings of hit independent films from the past 30 years to the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre on the 30th of each month! This special celebration continues with the encore screenings of “The Zookeeper’s Wife” on Wednesday, Aug. 30. They gave all they had to save all they could. “The Zookeeper’s Wife” is the real-life story of one working wife and mother who became a hero to hundreds during World War II. In 1939 Poland, Antonina Żabińska…
By Steve Segner Sedona, AZ –The decision between electing or appointing a mayor holds significant implications for Sedona, AZ’s governance structure. This choice is influenced by historical precedent and the roles of various officials within the local government. Sedona’s incorporation in 1988 marked a pivotal moment, setting the tone for its governance by appointing the first mayor. The city council, as the primary legislative body in a council-manager system, plays a central role. It appoints a city manager responsible for daily operations and policy implementation, while the mayor’s role remains largely ceremonial, presiding over meetings, representing the city, and managing…
Sedona, AZ — Sedona, AZ’s premier music festival and experience, VortiFest, returns for its 4th year, taking place on Saturday, September 2 during a Labor Day Weekend, an event that is sure to dazzle crowds from across the Southwest. The festival will take place at the breathtaking Posse Grounds Pavillion Amphitheater stage featuring jaw dropping views of Sedona’s red rock formations. The event will be headlined by Phoenix’s 16-piece all star ensemble Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra who Phoenix New Times declares “packs a powerful punch that makes the listener stand back in awe” and Sedona’s own desert rockers decker, whom LA Music Blog called “masterful and full…
… most of my photos of the Sedona airport (KSEZ) are taken from the south or west and from south of the airport so that I get the red rocks as a backdrop for the airport, but on this day I shot it from a little north of it and east of it looking towards the west and from about a thousand feet above it. This view gives you a better look at just how elevated the airport is above the city and the view you get when flying left traffic for landing on runway 21 … that means the…
By Tommy Acosta — Sedona, AZ — Just as I thought. The Sedona City Council, at its August 23 meeting, wisely tip-toed around a draft ordinance designed to curb OHVs being operated on city streets; focusing instead on a proposed voluntary agreement between the city and OHV operators that would require operators to install equipment improvements on their vehicles. What was pretty obvious from the councilor comments on the ordinance, was that spending the next few years in litigation battling the OHV companies is not something councilors would wish to saddle themselves and the city with. What was once sweet,…