by Joseph Rittenhouse — What befuddles me is that so many people cannot see the coming darkness about to shroud our country. Inch by inch our civil liberties are being obliterated by a force that cannot be resisted or diverted. America is being turned into a police state, with surveillance a way of life and an acceptance of the creation of a faux army that answers to no one but themselves. They now walk through our communities, masked, fully armed in riot gear, stopping anyone they wish, communicating their dominance over us and the fact that they could do what…
Author: Tommy
Sedona, AZ — If you add to your experience (which life is always doing for you) the appearance of the manifested world can’t help but change. It’s being created with every breath, every constriction of fear or expansion of your ability to love, to be love. It changes with each tweak of the field, each data point of energy that most of us simply call life. Life can’t help but change. It is change. So, if you have a choice (which in my world isn’t a debate) choose 😉 anything that helps you let go of all you know, that…
Essay by Bear Howard and Associates On most mornings in Sedona, the rock faces light up like lanterns—Cathedral Rock, then Bell Rock, then the long sandstone walls that glow like a stove coming to heat. It’s a show you can set your watch by. About three million people a year try to catch it. Fewer than ten thousand live there full-time. That gap—visitors outnumbering residents by hundreds to one—explains a lot of what’s wonderful about Sedona, and much of what’s hard. In some ways, Sedona is a microcosm of the American world at large, the world challenged by change, the…
By-DS All intelligence tests for humans are niche measures. There is no general intelligence test for all the possible ways that humans are intelligent. There are several things that humans can adapt intelligence to, but most of the measures for intelligence are for things that training had preceded. Even with training, there is no guarantee that an individual would be great at the thing. Also, what it means, in human societies, to be intelligent are categorized with things that have productive value. There are possibilities to be intelligent in things that are not needed [or valued] in some societies —…
Council–manager system makes the mayor’s office ceremonial, not executive. It’s time for council to draw clear boundaries. By Steve Segner / Guest Columnist The very public clash between Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow and Police Chief Stephanie Foley is troubling—but not just because of the complaints exchanged. The real issue is that the mayor has stepped into territory that does not belong to him. Under Sedona’s council–manager form of government, the City Manager—not the mayor—runs the city, oversees departments, and manages staff. The mayor’s role is primarily ceremonial: presiding over council meetings, voting on policy, signing official documents, and declaring emergencies when…
Composer, performer and artist Meredith Monk is one of the great artistic pioneer Sedona, AZ — The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Monk In Pieces” showing Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Meredith Monk — composer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist — is one of the great artistic pioneers of our time, yet her profound cultural influence is largely unrecognized. With Monk’s music at its center, and featuring interviews with Björk and David Byrne, “Monk in Pieces” is a mosaic that mirrors the structure of Monk’s own work and illuminates her…
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 August 29, which will begin at 5:30…
Nineteen talented artists converge to celebrate the artistry of nature August 27 – 31 Prescott, Arizona (July 9, 2025) – Yavapai College’s Prescott Art Gallery invites one and all to its annual celebration of our surrounding natural beauty, and the craft of those who capture it on canvas. YC Prescott Art Gallery presents Art in the Pines: The 6th Annual Prescott Plein Air Festival, August 27 to 31, at the Prescott Campus Gallery and selected scenic locations around Prescott. Art in the Pines will feature 19 artists – 17 from Arizona and two from California – painting Prescott’s beautiful pine forests, highland lakes, and charming, historic downtown…
Beginning November 16, the season will feature a diverse lineup of world-renowned musicians, from genre-defying ensembles to returning audience favorites. SEDONA, Ariz. – Chamber Music Sedona is excited to launch its 43rd concert season, which will run from November 16, 2025 to April 12, 2026. From the trailblazing energy of Junction Trio to the deeply expressive playing of violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Gloria Chien, to a special season finale that combines music, movies and comedy, this season will offer audiences an inspiring mix of musical innovation and timeless artistry by some of today’s most acclaimed musicians. Most concerts will take…
Sedona, AZ — In Sedona, Arizona, the city is actively seeking applicants for five critical positions on the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB). This volunteer board was established to guide tourism planning, visitor management, and foster regional cooperation. But we must now ask a hard question: Is TAB genuinely effective, or is it merely a bureaucratic facade that allows city leadership to avoid tackling Sedona’s tourism challenges head-on? TAB could play a meaningful role in enhancing the visitor and resident experience—by focusing on trail access, transportation, and community integration. Yet when it comes to marketing Sedona’s $1 billion tourism economy, TAB is not equipped to…
SEDONA, Ariz. — As the city of Sedona explores a potential new shuttle service that aims to improve connectivity between the shopping areas of Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, Hillside Sedona, and the Uptown area, it asks residents, businesses and visitors to take a survey by September 21, 2025 to help assess the feasibility for this type of service for the community. Also, the city will host a public meeting to gain additional feedback on Sept. 18, 2025 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Sedona Hub at 525-B Posse Ground Rd. Community feedback is crucial in shaping this potential…
Sedona, AZ — A deepening conflict between Sedona’s mayor and its first female police chief has prompted an outside investigation, raising questions about leadership, workplace culture, and the proper role of elected officials in city government. Mayor Scott Jablow, a longtime law enforcement veteran, filed a three-page complaint last week urging the city manager to place Police Chief Stephanie Foley on paid administrative leave and launch an investigation. The mayor’s move comes roughly a year after he made a similar request. Chief Foley had filed a 157-page human resources complaint accusing Jablow of harassment and fostering what she described as a departmental culture of “toxic…
Sedona, AZ (August 20, 2025) – The artists at Rowe Fine Art Gallery are trying to hold tight to the fleeting days of summer and the golden hours and dramatic monsoon skies that inspire some of their best artwork. Before summer 2025 fades into the sunset, visit the gallery on Friday, September 5, at 4 p.m., and pay homage to carefree days during Summer Serenade. The show continues through the end of the month. It’s a great time to catch up with your favorite artists to see what they’ve been working on for the past three months. Sculptors Kim Kori and Ken Rowe…
SEDONA, Ariz. – Help shape tourism strategy in Sedona by applying for one of the five open seats on the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), with one vacancy following a resignation, as well as four other seats that will be open due to current member terms expiring in December. This voluntary body, established by city council, consists of 11 volunteers appointed to advise the city council and staff on decisions related to tourism strategic planning, marketing, visitor management, regional tourism efforts and any other tourism related matters assigned to it by the city council. The TAB represents a broad range of…
Prescott, AZ—Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) and the Highlands Center for Natural History welcome the change of seasons with a chamber music concert at the Highlands Center’s Kiwanis Amphitheater, 1375 Walker Rd, Prescott, on Saturday, September 13 at 6:30pm. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, this open-air concert features Arizona Philharmonic’s woodwind trio—Mary Simon (oboe), Mary Jackson (clarinet), and Chip King (bassoon), performing an eclectic program of light classical, folk, and Americana works. This event is a prelude to AZ Phil’s Season 8 | USA 250—A Celebration of American Composers, beginning October 5 at the Ruth Street Theater. Music Meets Nature “No other venue in the region can offer this delightful…