Author: Tommy Acosta

Sedona AZ (December 21, 2017) – If you have a piece of wood and a wood carving knife, come to Monday at the Museum at Sedona Heritage Museum on January 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and join the Verde Valley Woodcarvers. The group, with members from beginners to master carvers, was formed in 1997 by Norm Knight. They have had hundreds of people try their hand at carving since then with several members meeting weekly. Come by with your own equipment or just come to watch these artisans do relief carving, chip carving, and found wood and bark…

By Ted Grussing… all the time spent trying to learn Premier Pro is paying off, though very much a beginner, I am feeling at home in the program and began a short video today which will include actual vid clips as well as animated photographs. It will be mostly aerial work and titled as above because I truly am at home in the sky … a wonderous place without limits. This is a shot from last year which saw a lot of clouds and rain in the area. I was over the NE end of the Village shooting to the…

Sedona AZ (December 20, 2017) – Organizers of last year’s Sedona Women’s March have announced an anniversary March for January 20, 2018, starting at 10AM.  Marchers will gather at Creative Gateways, 45 Birch Blvd. off SR89A (across from Whole Foods) in West Sedona and march to Vino di Sedona, 2575 SR89A, to rally there, on the back patio.Following last year’s presidential election, 1500 people took part in Sedona’s Women’s March.   Collectively, marches, rallies and events that took place around the country represented the largest protest in US history.  Since then, there has been a surge of activism that has resulted in new…

Sedona AZ (December 20, 2017) – The Sedona Fire District is looking for an individual to fill a Board vacancy for a term through November 2018.Board Members receive no financial benefits; it is a public service role. Business Meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of each month, usually at Station #1 in West Sedona. Meetings normally begin at 4:30 PM. Additional Workshops and Meetings may be held, as needed, but particularly during the annual budget preparation process.

Clarkdale AZ (December 20, 2017) – Mike Gray has joined the Community Development Department at the Town of Clarkdale as a Project Manager. Mike has certification in Regenerative Design from the Ecosa Institute for Regenerative Ecological Design and in permaculture design from the Sonora Permaculture Guild. Mike will be applying his expertise to a variety of upcoming projects, include leading creation of the new economic development plan and developing an Arts in Public Places plan.

By Ted Grussing… with harbors, and while no harbors are present in this aerial shot of the northern part of Lake Pleasant on a rather windy day, there are lee sides of islands and promontories to provide shelter. And it appears a very large and ancient creature is throwing a large object, or is a creature attacking him … lots of possibilities.

After Recovery, released to FreedomPrescott AZ (December 19, 2017) – Back on September 7th, 2017, Deputy Ted Bumstead of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office noticed a Great Horned Owl trapped in a barbed wire fence while on patrol in the Ashfork area. The deputy approached and saw that a section of its right wing was wrapped completely around all four barbs of the fence. The deputy, having prior experience handling birds of prey, was able to remove the Owl without further injury. After unwrapping the Owl’s flesh from the barbs, the Deputy confirmed the Owl would need rehabilitation as it…

By Ted Grussing… a good place to be whether it is refuge from a rough and stormy sea, a hangar when gale force winds are blowing and the sky is not a place to be, that quiet place inside when storm and turmoil fill your life … a place of refuge and healing … a place we can create for ourselves and be alone and ponder life.

By Melanie LeeAuthor, “A Year In Sedona~Meeting The Muse At Wisdom’s Edge”(December 18, 2017)This column is dedicated to the spirit of creativity and to those on the path to growing older and wiser, healthier and happier. Meeting the muse is about finding out what matters most in times of personal and societal change and transformation, and discovering that the muse is a friendly and worthy companion on the journey.Sages and seekers across time and place have always known intuitively what modern day scientists are now confirming with a rational toolbox of measurements and verifiable observation: Engaging in the creative process is enlivening,…

Sedona AZ (December 16, 2017) – The Arizona Community Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of a new fund to support the arts and creative economy in Arizona. Betty Rosenzweig, who passed away last year, and her late husband Newt, were generous and influential Arizonans who helped shape the charitable landscape of the Phoenix community through their professional and philanthropic contributions. As forward thinkers, the Rosenzweigs, ACF’s very first donors, made a planned gift through their estate to the Arizona Community Foundation to leave a legacy supporting the community they were passionate about.

By Sherry TwamleyEditor and Publisher, Verde Village News  Cottonwood AZ (December 16, 2017) – Cottonwood is a capitalistic parasite in dire need of radical fiscal reforms before they kill the city’s host taxpayers and water utility ratepayers who pay their paychecks. For the last 12 years the city voraciously fed off the hosts’ credit — the taxpayers and water ratepayers credit — and now the hosts are held hostage by the city’s obscene debt bondage for the next 30 years and are forced to pay some of the highest small city water rates in America. 

Sedona AZ (December 16, 2017) – Sound Bites Grill, Northern Arizona’s premier live music night club and fine dining restaurant, has a bountiful Christmas and holiday musical offering bound to delight the fun-loving kid inside all of us.Kicking of the Christmas weekend in the Sound Bits Grill Showroom is singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Darius Lux on Friday, Dec. 22 from 7 to 10 PM.The band plays danceable soulful / pop / reggae, some original and some covers. Darius has an incredible voice and writes great music.

By Ted Grussing… that I want to return to in the new year. Lake Powell is one of these and high on the list. I took this shot nine years ago on a flight to Page with a scenic shoot of Lake Powell as the objective. I think that I am looking pretty much SSE at Navajo Mountain which at 10,000’+ is the most prominent feature up there. Lake Powell is one of those totally unique and beautiful areas in this country and a great place to recreate.

Prescott AZ (December 15, 2017) – The monthly meeting of Prescott Indivisible will be held at the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 882 Sunset, Prescott, Friday, January 5, 2018 from 6-7:30 pm. The guest speaker will be Representative Ken Clark, AZ State House, District 24.Prescott Indivisible is a non-partisan community which seeks to promote a progressive and inclusive agenda in support of human rights and the environment.  We focus on local actions in defense of the rule of law, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.  We invite all to participate and have your voice heard.

Sedona AZ (December 15, 2017) – Sedona in Motion is what we call the traffic and transportation master plan update effort that began in January 2016, and we are truly in motion toward improvements to help Sedona residents get there better and faster.Over the past year, citizens submitted a number of very good ideas on how to improve traffic flow. In public meetings, study sessions and workshops, residents, staff and council members carefully studied the most viable ideas and then selected the projects that will provide the most benefit at a reasonable cost. For example, priority was given to improving…