Election Coverage

Sedona-Oak Creek School Board Forums

September 7, 2016No Comments2 Mins Read

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Sedona AZ (September 7, 2016) – The League of Women Voters Greater Verde Valley, in partnership with Big Park Community School PTSA, West Sedona School PTA, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, will host two forums for candidates seeking election to the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District School Board.

According to Katie Chorlton, President of Big Park Community School PTSA, “This election is very important to the future of the SOCUSD. I encourage all parents, teachers and interested community members to attend the upcoming forums, so as to best inform themselves of the candidates and their vision for our local public schools.” Theresa Zaun, West Sedona School PTA President added, “This is the first time in over a decade that Sedona had had so many people interested in helping support and guide our youths’ education. We feel this event is an important step in ensuring that the people of Sedona make an educated choice when electing the officials who will be guiding our school district into a successful future.”

There are four candidates competing for three open seats on the Board: Larry Garnello, Randy Hawley, Heather Hermen, and Karl Wiseman. According to League President, Barbara Litrell, “This is the first time in many years that the Sedona School Board has a contested election. This is a great opportunity for community members to hear from the candidates and ask them questions about their experience, skills and ideas.”

The first Forum will take place on Wednesday, September 28, 6:30-8:30PM in the Social Hall of the Jewish Community Sedona Verde Valley at 100 Meadowlark Drive, Sedona. The second forum will take place on Wednesday, October 5, 12:30-2:00PM at Yavapai College, 4215 Arts Village Dr., Sedona, Room 34. According to Paul Friedman, moderator of the School Board Candidate Forum at OLLI, “At OLLI, we’re dedicated to enabling learning throughout one’s lifetime, and we care deeply about how our schools start youth along this path, so we’re eager to discover how these candidates plan to improve local public education.”

No reservations needed. For information, contact Barbara Litrell, 649-0135 or blitrell@aol.com.

Sedona.biz Staff

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THE MOMENT IS UPON US

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 for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

Creative solutions require new energy.

Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

Does this decision benefit the residents?
Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
Does this decision actually help the environment?
Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth. After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

Thank you deeply for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Samaire Armstrong

Heads or Tails
By Tommy Acosta
Let’s face it. I love conspiracy theories. The more far-out the better. Yup. I’m one of those. Looking at the Trump raid fiasco there can only be two theories that I see fit perfectly into the scenario that’s being weaved for public consumption. The first is that what is happening is actually being engineered by the forces that want Trump to return to the White House. Just like with the Russia-Russia thing, what is going to happen after all the hoopla,Trump will be found completely innocent just like before and he will be loved even more by his fans and followers. Those who tried to put him down will be chagrinned while those who supported him politically will be exalted. Republicans will be revived, and they will go out and vote in a new Congress and Trump will rule once again. Then there is the other side of the coin. Read more→