Author: Tommy

Sedona News – The Rotary Club of Sedona Village is dedicated to “Service Above Self,” and our commitment to the community is at the heart of everything we do. To continue funding our vital service projects, we are excited to announce our Rotary Fundraising Raffle, giving participants a chance to win a $5,000 Air Travel Gift Card while making a difference in the lives of others. For just $50 per ticket, you have a 1 in 600 chance to win a $5,000 gift card for air travel on American, Alaska, Delta, or Southwest Airlines—with no restrictions on use! Why We…

Verde Valley News – A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who wants to be a role model for his children, a restaurant manager who wants to improve electric vehicle engines and a student government leader who dreams of going to medical school are among the Yavapai College students tapped for the prestigious All-Arizona Academic Team. A total of five YC students were selected for the prestigious team based on their academic achievements and college and community contributions. The honor bestowed annually on top community college students by the Arizona Board of Regents comes with a tuition-free transfer to an Arizona university.…

Sedona News – Cast members and filmmakers will be in Sedona to host the premiere of “Sweetwater” at the Sedona International Film Festival on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. “Sweetwater” features an award-winning, all-star ensemble case, including Everett Osborne, Jeremy Piven, Cary Elwes, Kevin Pollak, Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Roberts, Robert Richard, Gary Clark Jr. and Jim Caviezel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JmyjKCKWYc Some of the cast members are expected to be here in Sedona for the film premiere, along with director Martin Guigui and producer Dahlia Guigui. Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (Everett Osborne), makes history as the first…

Sedona News – Yavapai College’s Sedona Center is pleased to present an inspiring art exhibit featuring the works of accomplished local artist, Francis Leon Beegle. The Doorway to Art, opening March 5 and running through May 15, allows visitors to experience the evocative and masterful pieces that reflect the artist’s deep connection to realism and naturalism. Drawn to art since childhood, Francis was first fascinated by pencil drawing. In time, she expanded her repertoire to include oil and pastel painting by studying the techniques of the great masters to better understand atmosphere, light, and color. Frequent visits to museums continue…

… one of my traits is to always go for perfection. When is whatever I am doing good enough? I have a tendency to always strive for perfection. I watched a YouTube video today regarding choices of equipment for faceting and this gentleman who is a noted facetor, explained how he settled his choice of equipment. He is able to facet a stone and get a much higher quality stone than commercially cut stones but less than competition cut stones … better than most, but not perfection … it got me thinking as I spent several hours polishing the table…

Sedona News – The University Women of Sedona (UWoS) will host their next informational meeting on Monday, March 3 at 9:30 a.m. when Steve King, Yavapai County School Superintendent, and Genna Adams, VACTE instructor will share the podium to bring the group important insight into some of the most pressing issues of education in the Verde Valley. The program will also include an Opportunity Drawing for dozens of gift certificates and items donated by local businesses. The donations raised will go toward the group’s scholarship fund. Guests to this meeting will be welcomed with free drawing tickets. Steve King will…

Verde Valley News – Yavapai College is proud to announce a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to making higher education accessible and affordable for all. The Yavapai College Promise Program has provided over $1 million in tuition reimbursements to students since its inception in 2019, helping more than 600 students graduate debt-free and enter the workforce or pursue further education. The Promise Program, inspired by the Tennessee Promise model, offers tuition reimbursement to eligible high school graduates and adult learners in Yavapai County. Students who complete their associate degrees within two years receive full reimbursement for tuition costs, enabling them to…

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present a live concert event: “From Broadway with Love” on Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. Come join Ezekiel Andrew and Garrett Taylor for an unforgettable night of music and storytelling as we bring you the sounds of Broadway all the way from New York City! They will be joined by special guest Samantha Stevens. You’re in for a treat as we sing the big band sounds of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Nat King Cole, to the grandeur of Broadway showstoppers…

By Tommy Acosta Sedona,AZ — Is it just me? Over the last few weeks and months we have seen cargo ships take down bridges, military helicopters smash into commercial jets, military jets fall out of the sky for no apparent reasons, fires burn down communities, floods rampaging everywhere and one disaster after another. Now, we have an aircraft carrier colliding with a huge merchant ship near the Suez Canal making one scratch their head on how two giant ships could possibly crash into each other in a sea that is miles wide. Another thing, inquisitive people out there may wonder,…

On Thursday, February 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Davis Learning Center in Prescott, Az, 12 Arizona mayors will meet to discuss the impact short-term rentals are having in the cities they represent. The mayors, representing Sedona, Cottonwood, Payson, Williams, Winslow, Chino Valley, Jerome, Clarkdale, Page, Prescott and Lake Havasu, will examine community challenges such as keeping, or hiring teachers, First Responders, nurses, and tourism help due to issues associated with houses being turned into short-term rentals. According to the organizers of the forum, named “Mayors Forum for the People,” entire neighborhoods are being converted into Airbnb’s that…

By Dave Steve Could the potential for AI consciousness be expressed as a probability problem? This could involve the sample space of all possible conscious experiences for humans, the joint functions and attributes between humans and AI. Conceptually, consciousness can also be described as the action of attributes on functions. Attributes always act on functions, but it is when they are acted on at some measures that certain functions become experienced. Functions are theorized to be a result of the interactions of the electrical and chemical signals in sets, in clusters of neurons. Attributes are the respective characteristics of electrical…

By Amaya Gayle Gregory I’ve been looking at Adyashanti’s statement, “World views are self views, literally,” and following it down the rabbit hole. I remember years ago parroting the New Age belief that if someone sees something in another it actually resides within them … seeing another’s hate is seeing my self-hate; another’s perceived guilt is my own … you know the drill. Few of us missed that little bit of spiritual indoctrination. So where does this rabbit hole go? From the standpoint of non-duality, there is only This, you and I are This is form, there is no me…

Verde Valley News – More than two dozen employers – from state agencies to education to health care providers and more – will be on-hand to offer local job-seekers their next career move, when Yavapai College and the Regional Economic Development Center host the Chino Valley Job Fair, Friday February 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chino Valley High School, 750 E. Center Street. Attendees can apply for part-time, full-time, temporary, and seasonal jobs, while meeting with representatives from local businesses and industries and receiving the latest information about career trends in the community. Employers in attendance…

… today was a special day with a drive down to Lake Pleasant to see the Martin Philippine Mars which landed on the lake Monday. It has been removed from the water and is now stored at the SW corner of the parking lot for the ten south boat ramps. There is fencing around the entire area and a lot of equipment and people as they are starting to dismantle the aircraft for transport down to the Pima Air and Space Museum located in Tucson, AZ. A friend of mine was a pilot of this extraordinary aircraft post WW II. This project will take…

Verde Valley News – Those who think ‘there are no new ideas’ might be surprised by a movement within the Art world to create new art from old or repurposed materials. That’s the idea behind Sustainable Art, running February 25 through March 27, at Yavapai College’s Patty McMullen-Mikles Gallery on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale. Sustainable Art celebrates works created with sustainable practices. Metal Sculptor Paul Klaine selected 15 artists to exhibit a diverse range of artwork made from eco-friendly, up-cycled and recycled materials. The result is exciting mix of Collage, Mixed Media, Assemblage pieces and more. A Southern California native,…