By Bear Howard From time to time, I read the online community forum Nextdoor. Out of curiosity, I even took the time to review all their guidelines—both for users and the moderators who have the power to judge posts and comments, as well as the “members.” I have noticed that some familiar voices on the platform have suddenly disappeared. As it turns out, they had been kicked off. I’ve also seen posts with animated and colorful debates disappear and be removed. That led me to dig deeper. I wanted to learn more about Nextdoor—where it originated, how it operates, and…
Author: Tommy
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Festival partners with The Wilde Resort & Spa for “Wilde Wednesdays” outdoor films The Sedona International Film Festival is partnering with The Wilde Resort in West Sedona to present its “Movies on the Move” outdoor film experience — “Wilde Wednesdays” Cinema Under the Stars — every Wednesday in the summer season! Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 6 as we present “Footloose” in The Grove Fire Pit Garden at The Wilde Resort and Spa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4narQca4Oc “Footloose” was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Song for both “Footloose” and “Let’s Hear It For the Boy”. Moving in from Chicago, newcomer…
$100,000 Foundational Gift to Support Long-Term Artistic Leadership Sedona, AZ — Wednesday, July 23, 2025 — Sedona Symphony is proud to announce the establishment of the William and Elizabeth Sweeney Endowment Fund, made possible by a remarkably generous $100,000 founding gift from long-time supporters William and Elizabeth (Bill & Liz) Sweeney. This landmark fund is designed to ensure the continuity and strength of the Symphony’s artistic leadership for generations to come. The Sweeney Endowment Fund will directly support multi-year contracts and compensation for the Symphony’s Artistic Director and Conductor, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to musical excellence and organizational stability. “We…
Sedona, A — On Wednesday, August 20th, at 5pm the Verses in the Village autumn poetry series will debut at Patio Las Campanas in Tlaquepaque. The outdoor reading series will take place on the third Wednesday of every month, August 20th, September 17th and October 15th. Each of the shows will feature local authors, local topics. The audience will be filled with friends and neighbors. The shows will be hosted by Sedona’s inaugural Poet Laureate Gary Every who said the choice of where to produce the first Poet Laureate presents program was an obvious one. Patio Las Campanas is gorgeous, with…
Empower Yourself: Learn Life-Saving Mental Health Support with MATFORCE Yavapai County, AZ —MATFORCE, a primary prevention organization with a focus on stopping youth drug use before it starts, is offering a course designed to equip individuals with the skills to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges in adults. By fostering healthier adults, the course aims to enhance their ability to support others facing mental health struggles. Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training designed to teach participants how to assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The course covers recognizing common signs and…
Fill sandbags at these sites Post Date: 07/23/2025 3:33 p.m. SEDONA, Ariz. – The City of Sedona provides the following locations for residents to fill sandbags: City Maintenance Yard (by appointment only call 928-203-5063), 2070 Contractors Road City lot adjacent to Sedona Red Rock High School, 935 Upper Red Rock Loop Road Uptown Public Parking Lot, 260 Schnebly Road Sedona United Methodist Church, 110 Indian Cliffs Road (State Route 179) It is suggested to bring a shovel for filling the sandbags. In addition, the city encourages residents to sign up to receive emergency alerts from the city and Coconino and/or Yavapai…
YES Program offered to Yavapai County schools in 2025-26 COTTONWOOD, Ariz. — In effort to continue raising awareness on domestic violence, Verde Valley Sanctuary (VVS) provides local schools with the opportunity to be part of one of its longest-standing programs within the agency, the Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Program. Aimed at equipping young people in the Verde Valley and beyond with the skills to resist violence and abuse, along with information to help empower them to make positive choices, the YES Program fosters an early investment in prevention and intervention strategies that promote healthy parent-child relationships, friendships, and dating relationships.…
By David Stephen The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) on July, 22 marked World Brain Day (WBD 2025), with the theme: Brain Health for All Ages What is the brain health [coefficient] for mind safety when using AI chat bots? Are reports of unwanted outcomes of AI usage a mind problem or bot problem? There is a high likelihood that AI would conquer most emotions and feelings of humans. The vulnerability of the human mind is having its biggest test since the history of existence with the entrance of AI chatbots. There is no longer a use case for consumer AI…
Touching story of how humans create families by revealing aspirations, fears, choices Sedona, AZ – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “The Ties That Bind Us” showing Aug. 1-6 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. A young single father trying to find the strength to love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idKKmHZRtRk A feminist librarian, single by conviction, who’s decided that she won’t be a mother. A six-year-old child trying to find a place in a new family structure. Director Carine Tardieu depicts different ways in which humans create families by revealing their aspirations, their fears, their choices…
Sedona, AZ — The Sedona Sister Cities Association invites residents and visitors to join in a special celebration of international friendship, culture, and community during Sister Cities International Days, September 17–20, 2025. The four-day series of events highlights Sedona’s growing partnerships with its Sister Cities in Canmore, Alberta, Canada and Jasło, Poland, and showcases the power of citizen diplomacy in today’s world. The celebration opens on Wednesday, September 17 with the Rising Stars Concert at 7:00 PM at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. This free public concert features four outstanding young musicians—two from Arizona and two from Canmore, Alberta—brought together…
By Steve Segner, Sedona Resident & Concerned Citizen Sedona, AZ –Sedona may be a small town—home to about 9,600 full- and part-time residents—but we operate on a big-city budget. Our visitors spend over $1 billion annually, and nearly 80% of the city’s expenditures come from tourism sales and bed taxes. Whether we love it or not, those visitor dollars are what keep our roads paved, our parks green, and our services, like our robust police department, running. For those locals who have ever complained about Sedona’s traffic, there’s good news—our city is actively addressing this issue. Traffic during spring break,…
By Amaya Gayle Sleep, or should I say sleeplessness, will expose the parts of us still resonating in separation, still believing in personal power to alter reality … or so it is for me. If I just roll over, maybe the change of position will allow me to relax and let go. If I meditate while laying down, perhaps I will drift off to sleep. Rather than simply being with whatever it is, there are all sorts of things to try when sleep is elusive. It’s almost funny … well at least kind of … the way the mind struts…
Sedona joins theatres around the world for global cinema premiere event Sedona, AZ –The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical premiere event: “Nothing But A Winner” on Thursday, July 31 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “Nothing But A Winner” chronicles the rise of the greatest college football program in the history of the sport — the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. But behind the ruthless competition in the Southeastern Conference and Alabama’s staggering number of National Championships lies a deeper story: the making of men. At the heart of…
PRESCOTT, ARIZONA – After serving the citizens of Yavapai County for almost 25 years, the Honorable Tina R. Ainley, Judge of the Yavapai County Superior Court announces her retirement at the conclusion of her current term which ends on December 31, 2026. Judge Ainley served the first seven years of her career with the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office and will have served nearly 19 years as a Yavapai County Superior Court Judge at the time of her retirement. Judge Ainley was appointed by Governor Napolitano to serve in Division 3 of the Yavapai County Superior Court in 2008. She was…
Festival partners with The Wilde Resort & Spa for “Wilde Wednesdays” outdoor films The Sedona International Film Festival is partnering with The Wilde Resort in West Sedona to present its “Movies on the Move” outdoor film experience — “Wilde Wednesdays” Cinema Under the Stars — every Wednesday in the summer season! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVLjp3_MQIw Join us on Wednesday, July 30 as we present “Moulin Rouge!” in The Grove Fire Pit Garden at The Wilde Resort and Spa. “Moulin Rouge!” was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning two Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. It boasts…