By Tommy Acosta I can honestly say, having grown up in the Bronx in the 60s, that if it had not been for the Beatles I most likely would have grown up to be a criminal or been killed in a violent gang war. I’ll never forget that night when on the Ed Sullivan Show the Beatles made their first appearance.I was glued to the TV. I was mesmerized. I saw the girls in the audience screaming. They were just so friggen cool. I saw myself there on a stage someday, rocking and singing and girls going wild over me.…
Author: Tommy
By Bear Howard As the United States approaches its 250th year, one might expect a season of reflection and renewal—a chance to measure how far we have come since 1776 and how we might grow into the next quarter millennium. Instead, the country seems to be tumbling toward the darkest echoes of its own past, replaying the very sins that once scarred its promise. The signs are everywhere if one cares to look. The president recently boasted, “I love the smell of deportation in the morning,” a cynical parody of the infamous line from Apocalypse Now: “I love the smell…
Cottonwood, AZ — Fans of the Fab Four won’t want to miss their chance to twist and shout as Britain’s Finest – The U.S. Beatles Experience brings their world-renowned tribute to Blazin’ M Ranch on Saturday, September 27. Acclaimed for their uncanny recreation of the Beatles’ legendary music and personality, Britain’s Finest delivers an immersive concert experience that feels like stepping back into the golden era of rock and roll. Hailed by CBS Los Angeles as “as close to the real deal as you may ever find in this lifetime,” Britain’s Finest goes far beyond simply covering Beatles hits. With…
By Amaya Gregory Sedona, AZ — Today has been an interesting day. While mowing an acre of grass, taking a hoe to the vegetable garden, and enjoying a three-mile walk with Sophia, I’ve been pondering life, this appearance of duality that is physically dubious and yet remarkably, manifests shamelessly as the material world. It is the veritable impossible dream. I’ve been thinking about how life hooks us into believing in it, how it reels us in with its drama, how it creates the illusion of something to fight for, something to fight against, and how if we don’t buy into…
Juniper Bar & Grille at Sedona Golf Resort set to host event to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault SEDONA, Ariz. — Verde Valley Sanctuary (VVS) is excited to announce its newest fundraising event this fall, our 2025 Casino Night. Set for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Sedona Golf Resort’s Juniper Bar & Grille, 35 Ridge Trail Drive, participants will get an opportunity to play live casino games like blackjack, poker, craps and roulette. Other fun games include a Glow in the Dark Putting Contest for a prize, and the opportunity to win $300 cash…
Sedona, Az — The Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, located at 100 Meadowlark Drive off Route 179 in Sedona, is a welcoming, egalitarian, inclusive congregation dedicated to building a link from the past to the future by providing religious, educational, social and cultural experiences. The JCSVV offers soul-enriching services, programs, and classes, all listed on the synagogue website, jcsvv.org. Office telephone: 928 204-1286. Visitors are welcome to attend services after a security check. Those who cannot attend in person can access the service through zoom. Rabbi Magal will lead Friday evening services on September 12 at 5:30 pm. The service will…
Camp Verde, AZ – Join us in the Terracotta Room at 1:00 pm on Monday, September 15th for a rare chance to hear stories from a Holocaust survivor. Hear award winning author Dirk van Leenen’s captivating life story of growing up in World War II, the invasion of Holland, and how history is repeating itself. He re-lives his father’s involvement in the “resistance”, how Dirk was a decoy, and the great escape from the last train to the concentration camp. Van Leenen’s parents hid more than 1000 Jews under the floorboards of their home in Holland. They would be transported to…
An authentic portrait of female resilience inspired by the women and girls who live it Sedona, AZ — The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Sedona premiere of “East of Wall” showing Sept. 12-18 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “East of Wall” is an authentic portrait of female resilience in the ”New West” inspired and played by the women and girls who live it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwGEF8B6Bcw Set in the Badlands of South Dakota, Tabatha, a young, rebellious rancher, who rescues and resells horses, must make hard decisions to deal with her fractured family, financial uncertainty of losing…
Sentience: Ask the Scientific Method, If AI has Exceeded Human Intelligence By David Stephen Sedona, AZ — There is a recent [September, 1, 2025] report on SciTechDaily, “AI Is Not Intelligent at All” – Expert Warns of Worldwide Threat to Human Dignity, stating that, “AI is not intelligent in any human sense at all. It is a triumph in engineering, not in cognitive behavior. It has no clue what it’s doing or why – there’s no thought process as a human would understand it, just pattern recognition stripped of embodiment, memory, empathy, or wisdom.” What is the proof that AI is…
Sedona, Az — The Sedona Sister Cities Association celebrated a historic milestone on August 30, 2025, with an official friendship signing ceremony between Sedona, Arizona and Jasło, Poland. Mayors Scott Jablow of Sedona and Adam Kostraub of Jasło signed official letters of intent via Zoom, formalizing the commitment to strengthen cultural and personal ties between the two cities. Supporters from both Sedona and Jasło attended the ceremony, joined by U.S. Consul in Poland, Colette Clark, who emphasized the importance of building bridges through personal relationships in today’s world. Adding to the celebration, the Verde Valley Wine Consortium was a featured…
VERDE VALLEY, Ariz. – Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) announced plans to centralize the cancer services it provides in the Verde Valley by constructing a new cancer center location on the Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) campus in Cottonwood. The project construction is expected to commence in late winter/early spring of 2026. The cancer center will produce 30,000 square feet of clinical care, and will incorporate all cancer services under one roof. The plan will involve closing Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare in Sedona, in an effort to reduce travel times for many patients. NAH conducted a study of patients who…
SEDONA, Ariz. – The city invites residents to apply for the Fall 2025 Sedona Police Department Community Police Academy, a free program designed to experience firsthand engagement with the Sedona Police Department, have a better understanding of the department’s role within the community and foster a collaborative relationship with residents. The eight-week program will be held every Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., starting Oct. 7, 2025. It is designed for Sedona residents and business community members, helping to create open communication between the department’s community members and the Sedona Police Department staff. The program also helps police staff…
The best gifts aren’t under the tree — they’re the ones you never saw coming Sedona, AZ — The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “The Baltimorons” showing Sept. 12-17 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres. On Christmas Eve, Cliff — a down-on-his luck comedian who can’t catch a break — chips a tooth, and suddenly finds himself in the late-night care of Didi, a sharp-witted, no-nonsense dentist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6t-h68UuhI What should have been a quick fix unfolds into an unforgettable night of unexpected twists, comic mishaps, and a brewing heartfelt…
The Master Musicians Symposium is set for Friday, September 19 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the elegant Mary Fisher Theater at 2030 SR 89A, at the corner of Coffee Pot Dr. Refreshments will be available. Questions from th audience welcome. Tickets are only $10; a portion of any net will be donated to the Arizona School for the Deaf. Here’s the line up of our professionals who all hail from our art-loving community.
SEDONA, Ariz. – Beginning Sept. 4. 2025, Sedona Shuttle will return to its regular hours – from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday – on the Route 11 Trailhead service to and from the West SR-89A Park & Ride and Dry Creek Vista and Mescal trailheads. Also, Route 12 from Posse Grounds to Dry Creek Vista Trailhead will not be reinstated. Hikers and bikers headed for Dry Creek Vista and Mescal trailheads should go to the West SR-89A Park & Ride and catch the Route 11. During the hot summer months, the Route 11 schedule was modified to…