Author: Tommy

… the dramatic comes first although it is out of sequence … in the shot below, our Osprey friend is leaving his perch above the pond and has targeted the trout that will provide his nourishment for the evening. Left behind on the branch is a Turkey Vulture who is waiting for leftovers; they let others kill and provide them with their food. Like modern man they rely on others to kill and prepare their food … not surprisingly they are also the most intelligent of the raptors. In the shot above, the Osprey has been successful and acquired his…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona encore of the lavish musical “42nd Street” from London’s West End for one day only on Friday, May 27 at 4 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. This encore performance marks the 10-year anniversary celebration of the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. All tickets are only $10 each in honor of this special 10-year anniversary milestone.  One of Broadway’s most classic and beloved tales, “42nd Street”, comes cinema screens in the largest-ever production of the breathtaking musical.  The musical, set in 1933, tells the story…

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Sedona News – Health First Foundation Northern Arizona recently awarded more than $400,000 in grants and scholarships to improve health and well-being in the region. As part of its annual Northern Arizona Community Health Grant cycle, the foundation awarded grants to four nonprofits for initiatives demonstrating a positive and sustainable impact on community health in the region. Grants of up to $100,000 each went to: Red Feather Development Group for clean water access and hygiene solutions in Hopi and Navajo homes lacking running water. Water and hygiene resources are proven, cost-effective ways to reduce disease. North Country HealthCare for team-based…

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Sedona News – The Cities of Flagstaff and Sedona, and Coconino County have partnered with nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to launch the second Northern Arizona Co-op. The co-op will help residents go solar. This co-op follows the launch of the first Northern Arizona Co-op in 2021. That group reached 225 member households and is Solar United Neighbors’ most successful co-op in Arizona to date. The second Northern Arizona Co-op provides a new opportunity for residents to take advantage of the area’s plentiful sunshine. “The City of Flagstaff is making great strides to uphold our commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2030,…

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By Amaya Gayle Gregory Have you glimpsed the truth of you, or at least as much of the truth as a being in form can glimpse? Are you attempting to stabilize in that grace? Does knowing you aren’t what you thought, cause a bit of a conundrum? Do you wonder, who acts? Are you confused about standing up, speaking out, when that would seemingly mean you stand against your own self? If God — or sub any word you like — is doing it all, is all, doesn’t that mean it’s all in hand, that you are relieved of duty?…

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… it was a delightful day … long lunch with a friend and then shooting along Oak Creek to close the day out. Friends who live on the creek have this very old and very neat Sycamore tree that has a branch that broke off many years ago and where it broke off there is a very distinct fave that glows in the afternoon sun … further downstream another friend has property on the creek and we went down there to see if I could get some shots of a huge Sycamore tree on his property … didn’t turn out…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Firebird” showing May 20-26 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Based on a true story during the Cold War, “Firebird” is a passionate love story set against the backdrop of an Air Force Base in occupied Estonia during late 1970’s Communist rule. Sergey (Tom Prior), a soulful, young soldier who dreams of becoming an actor in Moscow, is counting the days until his military service ends. His life turned upside down when he locks eyes with Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii), a sexy, enigmatic ace…

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CH’ÍHOOTSOOÍ, DINÉTAH (Window Rock, Navajo Nation) – On Monday, May 16, the Chinle Chapter Government hosted an appreciation luncheon to recognize the Phase I and Phase II relief efforts of the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund. “Chinle Chapter wanted to say thank you and show our appreciation to the staff from Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund,” said Chinle Chapter President Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch. “We’re very appreciative of the staff who participated in helping our community and surrounding chapters.” During the Relief Fund’s Phase I and Phase II relief efforts, the Chinle Chapter Government stepped forward as a…

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Sedona News – The city of Sedona’s Public Works Department will begin construction on shade structures and playground improvements at Posse Grounds Park, on May 31, 2022, in conjunction with Play it Safe Playgrounds Inc., Precision Construction LLC and Flex Ground Inc. As such, the playground area will be closed for approximately 120 days as new features are installed including slides, swings, climbing boards, a catwalk, rope ladders, a cyclone spinner, rubberized flexground, and shade structures over the new playground and bleachers along the adjacent field. The new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) playground design will be inclusive by nature…

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Verde Valley News – The Coconino National Forest has reduced the size of the closure area for the Tunnel Fire to allow for increased access and recreation in areas that access Lockett Meadow and the inner basin via Forest Road 552. A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has completed its assessment of the Tunnel Fire areas, and the Flagstaff Ranger District has determined it is safe to reduce the size of the closure in that area. Information about the BAER results can be found on the Tunnel Fire BAER Inciweb page, including the Soil Burn Severity Map.   At this time, the closure…

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Sedona News – UPDATE – The Wilson Fire, located above the Mogollon Rim 2.5 miles north of Sedona, is 100% contained at 1.8 acres. Two engines remain on scene and though the fire is fully contained, crews will spend the day looking for and extinguishing hot spots near the containment lines–working toward full control. A fire is considered “contained” when firefighters are confident the line around the perimenter of a fire will prevent the fire from spreading any further. The line is mostly constructed by firefighters using tools to dig down to unburnable mineral soil and can include other barriers, such as roads.…

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… Willow Lake in Prescott is one of several lakes in the area and features a nice wooded area which is fully in the water and another part of the lake is in the granite dells. Above is a photo of a beautiful rock formation with bushes and lichen … a wee bit of artwork on it and voila a beautiful abstract piece of art. Below is a shot I took whilst slowly going through the wooded area looking for wildlife and enthralled by the natural beauty and the amazing Arizona blue sky. They only allow electric motors on the…

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Sedona News – Sedona International Film Festival presents the Exhibition on Screen series with “Pissarro: Father of Impressionism”. The event will show in Sedona on Tuesday, May 24 at 4 p.m. at the festival’s Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Born in the West Indies, Camille Pissarro found his passion in paint as a young man in Paris, and by the age of 43 had corralled a group of enthusiastic artists into a new collective. Their first show was scorned by the critics, but the group had acquired a new name: the Impressionists. For the next 40 years Pissarro was the driving…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona one-day-only premiere of “Hello, Bookstore” on Monday, May 23 at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. In the shadow of the pandemic, a small town rallies to protect a beloved local bookstore. A landmark in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Bookstore is a magical, beatnik gem thanks to its owner Matt Tannenbaum, whose passion for stories runs deep. This intimate portrait of The Bookstore and the family at its heart offers a journey through good times, hard times, and the stories hidden on…

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Cottonwood News – Kris Neri, award winning author and former owner of The Well Red Coyote bookstore in Sedona, returns to the Verde Valley to present a free workshop for writers, aspiring writers, and readers on Thursday, May 19 at 4:00 pm, at Studio B (Old Town Center for the Arts) in Cottonwood. Neri will share the techniques necessary to capture a vivid sense of place, for fiction, nonfiction and memoir writers. She will discuss how including a strong sense of place enriches your writing. In addition, Neri will explain the way to transform a static background into an active…

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