Author: Tommy Acosta

Tommy Acosta is the publisher, editor, and lead opinion writer of Sedona.biz, the hyperlocal cyber magazine known as "The Voice of Sedona and the Verde Valley." He writes on local issues, politics, national affairs, culture, and personal reflection, often with a provocative or satirical tone.In addition to his work as a writer, Acosta is a working musician and reflexologist. He has written extensively about the challenges Sedona's musicians face, noting their low pay despite the town's vibrant music scene.Acosta describes himself as a "political actualist," rejecting strict party affiliations and instead focusing on how people are manipulated by political processes. His coverage spans local Sedona issues, tourism, short-term rentals, cultural events, community building, as well as national commentary and critiques of political figures, sometimes through imaginative pieces like "What Would Tommy Do?"Acosta is deeply engaged in Sedona's cultural and spiritual community, advocating for local musicians, artisans, and businesses, and writing about Sedona's unique identity as a spiritual and artistic hub.

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “New York Dog Film Festival 2025” showing March 14-18 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8t20THSz9E Join us for a family-friendly escape to the movies and celebrate everything DOGS! “New York Dog Film Festival 2025” is a collection of short films celebrating the love between dogs, their people, and the animal welfare groups that bring them together. Films featured in the 2025 lineup include: • WELLY THE DOG POET: Three very funny philosophical poems by Welly, a poetic dog. • LUCKY DOG: An animated celebration of…

Read More

Sedona News – The city of Sedona, in partnership with the Sedona Fire District and the Yavapai County Master Gardeners, will host two free workshops on Firewise and vegetation management on March 24 and March 25, 2025 at the Community Library Sedona at 3250 White Bear Rd. The two sessions are: Monday, March 24, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Firewise is a national program that helps communities and homeowners reduce their risk of wildfires. To help be more prepared in the event of a wildfire, residents should come learn about the…

Read More

Verde Valley News – The Arizona Wine Country Artists Village is excited to present its next art and fine-craft fair over the weekend of May 2-4, 2025, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Organized and promoted by Jerome-based artists John and Lauri Maeder (doing business as PBSW Events, LLC) and hosted by the City of Cottonwood, the fair will showcase the best state and regional artists, fine-crafters and their works. Arizona Wine Country Artists Village will be held at the Old Town Activity Park in the heart of Old Town…

Read More

Sedona News – The Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona will host the Spirit of Philanthropy Awards Celebration on Sunday, April 6 from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. at Steps to Recovery Homes in Cottonwood. The free event is a celebration of community philanthropy where we will recognize this year’s Spirit Award winners for their leadership and dedication to uplifting Sedona and the Verde Valley. ACF of Sedona has been recognizing community leaders with the Spirit Awards for the past 24 years. The 2025 Spirit Award winners are: Basil Maher for Philanthropist of the Year Stephanie Giesbrecht for Volunteer of the Year Sedona Community…

Read More

Sedona News – On April 6, 2025, Sedona Symphony will present its fourth classical symphonic concert of the 2024-2025 season under the artistic direction of conductor Janna Hymes. The concert features pianist Lara Downes, honored as Classical Woman of the Year by NPR’s Performance Today, praised as “a musical ray of hope” by NBC News, and touted as “an explorer whose imagination is fired by bringing notice to the underrepresented and forgotten” in The Log Journal. The concert will begin at 2:30 PM at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road in Sedona. The program will…

Read More

Sedona News – Speakers Diane Phelps Budden and Kevin Schindler will present “Tiny Pluto has a Big Heart” at the Sedona Heritage Museum on Thursday, March 27, at 10 am.  The presentation will take place in the Museum’s historic Apple Shed and is free to attend. The discovery of Pluto in 1930 at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff brought Arizona and the observatory to the public’s attention, and they fell in love with this little planet. Diane will discuss Clyde W. Tombaugh’s early years when he developed a passion for astronomy. Kevin will share Arizona’s ongoing connection to Pluto research and…

Read More

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present Dirty Cello live on stage at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Friday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. From Iceland to Italy, and all over the U.S., San Francisco-based band Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues, rock, and Americana. Led by vivacious cross-over cellist, Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello is cello like you’ve never heard before. From down home blues and rock with a wailing cello to virtuosic stompin’ Americana, Dirty Cello is a band that gets your heart thumping and your…

Read More

By David Stephen If addiction or substance use disorder is now categorized as a brain disease and the problem is still prevalent, with the understanding of how the brain works limited, what is the usefulness of cutting research funds for neuroscience? If there are all kinds of mental disorders, where people of different age groups are vulnerable, with therapy sometimes not universal and some medications either not as effective or with debilitating side-effects, why would understanding of how the brain works, by neuroscience research, not be seen as pivotal? Aside from mental disorders and addictions, there are several neurological problems. The brain is also…

Read More

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “New York Cat Film Festival 2025” showing March 15-20 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Join us for a family-friendly escape to the movies and celebrate everything CATS! “New York Cat Film Festival 2025” is a collection of short films exploring the mystique of the fascinating felines who share our lives. All the films are family-friendly and can be enjoyed by humans of all ages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7oB_CYyxAE Films featured in the 2025 lineup include: • CATS EYE WITNESS NEWS (NY Cat Film Festival): One episode of…

Read More

Arizona News – With less than two months remaining before the federal deadline for domestic airline travelers to have a federally compliant ID, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has issued more than 2.5 million Arizona Travel ID cards. May 7 will be here quickly. So join the 2,509,977 – and counting – Arizonans who have already upgraded to the Arizona Travel ID. As of the federal deadline, you will need a compliant credential like a valid U.S. passport or the Arizona Travel ID to get past Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at U.S. airports. Without the Arizona Travel…

Read More

Camp Verde News – On March 7, 2025, at approximately 1000 hours, Camp Verde Marshals Office Deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop on a dark colored Nissan Maxima travelling north bound on I-17 near mile post 289 in Camp Verde AZ. The driver identified as 50-year-old Steven Barger was found to have a felony warrant for his arrest stemming from a 2nd Degree murder charge. Barger was instructed out of the vehicle and placed under arrest without incident. Barger was then transported to the Yavapai County Jail where he was booked on the warrant.                  As a reminder, if you have…

Read More

Arizona News – As shed antler hunters begin to scour the backcountry for dropped deer and elk antlers, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds those utilizing an off-highway vehicle (OHV) in their search to stay on roads and trails. Just like during hunting seasons, it’s important for those using an OHV to ride safely and responsibly. This includes always wearing a helmet while operating the machine (a requirement for those under 18), wearing seatbelts if the vehicle is equipped with them, and safeguarding against habitat damage by riding on established trails. All sheds should be packed out by…

Read More

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Renner”, showing March 14-20 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon and Mary D. Fisher Theatres. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOubllJg1Dc A computer genius invents an A.I life coach to help him find love, but realizes too late he accidentally programmed his manipulative mother into the code. Renner, a reclusive computer genius driven by a need for control, designs an A.I. named Salenus to help him overcome his crippling social anxieties and find love. Encouraged by Salenus, Renner forms a connection with his alluring neighbor Jamie, but their relationship starts…

Read More

… the photo above shows a Great Egret that has just snatched a nice size fish from the lake and is flying off to eat it … 50/50 odds he swallows it within ten seconds 🙂 the fish population is kept in check and the egrets get fed … other species do their work/feeding too. We are about the only species that has no natural predators, but then we do a pretty good job of filling the void ourselves. Below is a very beautiful Caspian Tern, and we get to see them a couple of times a year as they migrate through the…

Read More

Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical event: “Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert” on Wednesday, March 19 and Sunday, March 23 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMO2zV14NCI “Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert” captures an extraordinary live performance of some of Zimmer’s most revered compositions, including music from Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, The Lion King, and much more. Decades of cinematic masterpieces are brought to life by his band and a world-class orchestra at Dubai’s iconic Coca-Cola Arena and beyond. From the…

Read More