The following article first appeared on 12news.com SEDONA, Ariz. — The city of Sedona is willing to pay thousands of dollars to local homeowners who offer long-term leases to local workers who can’t find a place to live. A lack of affordable housing in the area has prompted city officials to allocate funds for a pilot program that incentivizes homeowners to stop leasing out their homes to visiting tourists. On Tuesday, the Sedona City Council approved spending $240,000 on stipends for property owners who currently rent out their homes through short-term rental services like VRBO and Airbnb. The program…
Author: Sedona.biz
Dear Sedona, The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now. The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success. Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do. This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community…
By Tommy Acosta — In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong,made it to the final bout with 967 votes under her…
By Tommy Acosta Sedona, AZ — What a dilemma! With such a fine group of candidates running for the city council this election choosing whom to vote for is a challenging task, indeed. We have engineers, rocket scientists, scholars, businesspeople, and even a Hollywood actress running. Each brings to the table a different set of talents and abilities that could very well, set Sedona’s future. Each has demonstrated a passion to serve and each emanates a sense of true dedication and desire to run our fine city. So, in determining whom I would want to vote for, instead of focusing…
By Tommy Acosta On July 24, I celebrated my birthday. Appreciating the birthday wishes from friends and family and those who just love wishing people “Happy Birthday,” a revelation came to me. When we celebrate birthdays, it’s the birthed and not the birther who gets all the attention. It’s not like we don’t have a Mother’s Day. But birthdays can’t happen without a mother. Following that thought, my mind went to my own. She passed away in her sleep this year. On this day, so, so long ago, she delivered me into this world. I was birthed. I was born.…
UPDATE (July 23, 9:45am) Firefighters have successfully contained every part of the Committee Fire, located east of Sedona, accessible by ground forces. The Committee Fire is 57 percent contained at 335 acres. Firefighters spent Thursday securing line along the top of Munds Mountain while aerial resources conducted air operations. Helicopters will continue to drop water on the steep chutes along Jacks Canyon — inaccessible by firefighters on the ground — as long as weather safely permits. The steep chutes along Jacks Canyon will remain unstaffed because firefighting crews cannot safely access the terrain. Smoke will remain visible from the Sedona area over the…
By Tommy Acosta Once again, members of Sedona’s Teo-Fer Tuesday philanthropic group joined together to improve the lives of those in need, by collecting school supplies to help the children of the women of the Hope Women’s Center in Camp Verde This center provides care to women and teenage girls dealing with domestic abuse, poverty, substance abuse disorders, emotional distress, unplanned pregnancies wherein mom’s want to keep their babies, family conflict, trafficking and/or DCS intervention. Many of these same issues are plaguing mothers living on the Navajo Nation as well. The Two Fer Tuesday team was called to help these…
By Michael Wright Sedona AZ — I am rather recent arrival in Sedona so Home Rule is new to me. In deciding how to vote a number of comments on Next Door (pro and con) have been very helpful. I appreciate the passionate, and mostly civil, commentary. There is no reason anyone else should care how I reached my decision but I share it in the spirit of “for what it’s worth.” While small, Sedona is a complicated place with a slowly diminishing resident population and out-of-control tourism (which seems to be the one universal point of agreement). On arrival…
Sedona Elections: The following is a Sedona.biz interview with Sedona City Council candidate Scott Moffatt. All candidates have been invited to share their platforms with Sedona.biz by answering election-specific questions. The following are the questions and responses: Questions for Candidates What office are you running for? I am one of six candidates running for three available seats on Sedona City Council. Why are you running? After moving to Sedona a year ago, I was approached by multiple friends to present myself as a candidate that seeks to represent the best interests of Sedona residents who feel their voices are…
Sedona, AZ — The James Ratliff Gallery in Hillside Sedona is proud to announce its new exhibition, featuring multi-media artist Christine DeSpain Schroeder’s Acrylic Interpretative Abstract art. Abstract art is defined as the kind of art that emphasizes the use of non-representational forms to create meaning and reality — that it doesn’t necessarily represent objects in the physical environment, like the sun, trees, or people. Famed abstract artist Arshile Gorkey said the art of abstraction “allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes.” DeSpain’s abstract interpretative paintings perfectly encapsulate that definition, as she…
By Mike Schroeder Sedona, AZ –There is a rash of political sign THEFT In Sedona – again. If you don’t like a candidate, you steal their campaign signs. What fun. You may think it is the sport of politics. It is not. Running for political office is serious business. And expensive. And that expense is not only measured in advertising and marketing material dollars, but the one thing we can’t get back, our time. Time is our most precious asset – especially as you grow older, that realization will really hit you. So, if you are running for any office,…
Sedona News – On Thursday, July 14, 2022, the Sedona XYZ group hosted a Mayoral/Candidates Forum at the Sedona Public Library. Candidates discussed various aspects of their platform and answered questions presented by Sedona XYZ. According to their Website, SedonaXYZ.com: “Sedona XYZ is committed to helping Sedona to become a more diverse, vibrant, walkable, sustainable community that is an attractive option for new businesses, existing high-growth businesses and resident who want to do amazing work in the world while at the same time live in a place where quality of life is paramount. We will promote and grow an innovation…
By Zach Richardson Sedona AZ — Top Gun: Maverick, has been a huge commercial success that is action packed with great flying scenes, though I could not help but think that it was Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) dream and not about the Navy Fighter Weapons School, the real ”TOPGUN”. Dreams are centered around the dreamer in which they can do anything they want, just like our superhero Maverick. Since the plot is simplistically corny, reading my review will not be a spoiler. Be sure to see the movie as it is a lot of fun. The film starts with Maverick piloting…
By Shaeri Richards I’m writing in an effort to bring clarity to the issue of Home Rule which is on the ballot here in Sedona on August 2, along with the position of mayor and three city council seats. This is my second time writing about Home Rule. Last time it was on the ballot back in 2018, I made a Facebook post suggesting that Home Rule was important to pass with a YES vote if we wanted to support our city’s non-profits like the Library, Sedona Recycles and the Humane Society. I got a lot of push back from…
By Tommy Acosta Sedona, AZ – Sedona is a ghost town. Has anyone noticed? Restaurant parking lots are almost empty. Few people are walking around Uptown. Few cars on the road. Shops are empty. Even the supermarkets are at about a third of normal capacity. Well, those complaining about the traffic and too many tourists finally got what they wanted. At the expense of Sedona’s economic health, that is. As a small business owner in this town, I find the Sedona City Council’s decision to stop the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau from going forward with destination marketing, one…