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 – On Thursday, April 27, the Sedona Historical Society and Sedona Heritage Museum honored the organization’s volunteers at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. Volunteers contributed about 10,000 hours to SHS in 2022 – the equivalent of 5 full time staff members!  Almost every aspect of the SHS operation is made possible by the efforts of dedicated volunteers – they greet visitors at the front desk, help people with their shopping in our gift shop, organize and run events, develop educational programs, and so much more. Among those honored were volunteers who have completed milestone anniversaries of 1, 5,…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the one-day-only special premiere of “Anxious Nation” on Tuesday, May 30 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. There will be two screenings at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. The special debut of “Anxious Nation” is in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month and will feature a Zoom Q&A with co-director and New York Times best-selling author Laura Morton and her daughter, Sevey Morton, after both screenings. Sevey who suffers from severe anxiety is Laura’s inspiration for making the film. She wanted to create a film that would help parents and…

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Sedona News – Sedona Lago Gardens is excited to announce the opening of a new residential community for young adults with neurodiversity, like autism. Sedona Lago will showcase their innovative approach in a free Summer webinar series exploring “Relationships on the Spectrum,” “Independent Living Life Skills,” and “Launching Careers.” Opening in July of 2023, the village-like community offers a customized “Pathways to Independence” program with curriculums in four targeted domains: Independent Living, Social Awareness and Achievement, Vocational Skills and Management, and Personal Health and Wellness. “Our community offers unprecedented opportunities for self-directed neurodivergent young adults to polish their skills, pursue…

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… spending time going through images that can be used in a feature article that Wayne Ranney and I are doing about the San Francisco Volcanic Field located on the Colorado Plateau … on occasion when weather conditions are benign I have flown deep with the inner basin of the San Francisco Peaks and above is an image taken while deep within the basin and looking to the west. The highest peak in the photo is Agassiz towering more than a half mile above me … you can see the old toll road that people used to drive to get…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers In Blues” showing May 26-June 1 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. The story of Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as told by those who knew them best: brother Jimmie, Eric Clapton, Nile Rodgers, Jackson Browne, Billy Gibbons and their early band mates in “Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers In Blues”. Using never-before-seen photos and home movies as well as the only on-camera interviews of Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan who were there the night Stevie…

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Verde Valley News – The theme for the 2023 Summer Reading Program (SRP) is All Together Now. The Children’s Library and Teen Library have put together 6 weeks of activities designed to encourage summer reading and help children keep learning through hands-on, informal STEM activities that promote creativity, problem-solving, and discovery. The Children’s Librarian, Ms. Letty, has ordered many new books in preparation for summer reading. Children can check out books in the Children’s Library and will never be charged overdue fees for returning them late. Books and other library material can be dropped off at the drive-by Book Return…

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Green Light Dance Band Rocks Bella Vita Ristorante Memorial Day Weekend They are back! The Green Light Dance Band returns to Bella Vita Ristorante Sunday, Memorial Day weekend, May 28, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. This will be their first performance this year on the restaurant’s beautiful outside patio stage and if you like to dance and enjoy original-classic rock songs sung in two and three-part harmonies, you don’t want to miss this show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obi4iUy_2Yw Music is magic. It captures our feelings better than anything else. Memories and songs are fused forever when they come together at just the right…

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By Tommy Acosta Sedona, AZ — In the upcoming fight between the city and companies that rent Off Highway Vehicles, the city is going to lose . Simply put, the city has no jurisdiction over state-owned highways. Period. It can manage its own streets and pass ordinances to promote public safety on them, but it can do nada to ban OHVs on S.R.179 or S.R. 89A. Who remembers the fight over dark skies and the light poles on S.R.89A? ADOT had its way no matter how hard the opponents fought. It’s the same here. Can one really believe that Polaris,…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Monica” showing May 26-June 1 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. “Monica” stars Trace Lysette, Academy Award-nominee Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, Joshua Close and Adriana Barraza. “Monica” is an intimate portrait of a woman who returns home after a long absence to confront the wounds of her past. Reconnecting with her mother (Patricia Clarkson) and the rest of her family for the first time since leaving as a teenager, Monica (Trace Lysette) embarks on a path of healing and acceptance. The film delves into…

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Verde Valley News – Camp Verde Community Library will host the Village Troubadours in a performance in the Fireside Room on June 1, 5:00-6:30 pm. The Village Troubadours are Jashan Blackwell and Chantal Harte. Jashan grew up in the 1960’s, fell in love with the music of the times, was the first kid on his block to have a Beatle haircut, and has been writing songs and playing the guitar since the mid-70’s. Chantal is a Mediterranean-born world traveler. Now that she’s retired from her massage practice, she is fully embracing her lifelong passion for music: singing, playing the piano,…

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Sedona News – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Somewhere in Queens” showing May 26-June 1 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Leo Russo (Ray Romano) lives a simple life in Queens, New York with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for Sticks’ high school basketball games, never missing a chance…

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Cottonwood AZ – The Verde Valley Sanctuary Youth Empowerment Services (YES) program and the Cottonwood Public Library team up this summer to present action-packed learning opportunities for children ages five to eleven during the months of June and July. Mondays & Tuesdays from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm at the Cottonwood Public Library, 100 S 6th St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. JUNE 5 Self Awareness “I am me” JUNE 6 Bullying “Sticks and Stones” JUNE 12 Peer Pressure “Be your own Superhero” JUNE 13 Empowerment “Bring your own Cape” JUNE 20 Kindness & Caring “Be a Magician-changing the world” JUNE 26…

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By Carson Ralston Library Specialist-Adult Programs Verde Valley News – Come and learn to play the Pokémon card game from an actual Pokémon professor or test your skills against the best players in the Verde Valley. All ages- all skill levels.  Whether you’re a parent trying to figure out what your kid can do with all that shiny cardboard they insisted you buy them, you are looking for competitive play and league prep, or maybe you want to dust off that old PikaRom deck and sit down for a fun game, we would love to have you in the Verde…

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By Sean Dedalus Sedona, AZ — America. What do we do when law enforcement and the courts abandon honesty and fairness and instead, use the powers we give them to change the outcome of elections to favor the political party they support? In the book, 1984, Winston Smith wakes up in a world where a small group of people in government and the media use propaganda to control the attitudes and thinking of the population. The citizenry never is aware of the truth of anything as Big Brother controls all media and the truth is merely what government slogans and…

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By Carl Jackson Sedona News – If you care about vehicle safety on Sedona roads then the May 23rd Sedona City Council meeting at 4:30PM at City Hall is a meeting you need to attend. That’s when the Sedona City Council plans to discuss a proposed ordinance to remove unsafe off highway vehicles from all Sedona roads. In February 2023 the city became aware of serious safety issues relating to non-compliant tires for many off-highway vehicles (OHV), utility-terrain vehicles (UTV), and all-terrain vehicles (ATV). It turns out that these vehicles are not subject to any federal motor vehicle safety standards. …

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