Keep Sedona Beautiful

Archive for the ‘Sedona AZ events’ Category

ADOT Presents 89A Roadway Lighting Options
Wed., October 28th from 5:30 to 9:30 PM in Sedona City Council Chambers

Here’s What You Need To Know
by Robert Carabell, KSB Vice-President

Photo by Bob Coates

ADOT will present to Council a list of 68 Roadway Lighting Design Alternatives for West 89A with a power point presentation by John Harper of ADOT and discussion between ADOT and the Council.

The meeting will then be opened up for public comment. No final decision is expected at this meeting, however, it will be important to hear the discussion between ADOT and Council in order to better understand the eventual decision, and for making relevant comments when the meeting is opened for public feedback.

Following that meeting, ADOT will conduct a public Open House, similar to a charette, at the Sedona Public Library on November 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Based on the feedback received from the Oct. 28th and Nov. 5th meetings, ADOT and City Staff will then narrow down the list of 68 alternatives to a smaller. optimum list. Then, perhaps in Jan. 2010, ADOT will present more detail on this smaller list for Council’s review and possible approval. Some of these alternatives include over 100 lights!

The ADOT alternatives being presented are all complex, all virtually incomprehensible to a layman, and all include continuous roadway lighting in one form or another; the option of “no lighting” or last year’s Safety Panel recommendation is not an alternative being considered. ADOT has also made it very clear that any alternative other than the original proposal (ie. 76 high pressure sodium Cobra head lights, standard ADOT issue) will cost the City the difference and some of the alternatives are very expensive. To view these ADOT alternatives, go to City Council’s section on the www.SedonaAz.gov website and look for the meeting date October 28 and click on meeting materials/packet details. You may find some of the information confusing, but it can be simplified with this one question:

Why is ADOT not presenting the best overall alternative: the Feb. 2008 recommendation from the “89A Pedestrian Safety Advisory Panel” consisting of Sedona citizens, ADOT representatives, and International Dark Sky Association? This recommendation was as follows:

• NO continuous roadway lighting on West 89A, and
• Signalize the Andante intersection, the location where three fatal accidents occurred over a 5-year period.

The benefits of this recommendation are many:A signalized intersection at Andante will contribute to safety both at night and day (over 90% of ALL accidents occur in the daytime),

• A signalized intersection at Andante will cost FAR less than the other alternatives,
• Little to no light pollution; learn more about the importance of reducing “light pollution” at www.darksky.org,
• No light trespass into nearby neighborhoods that overlook 89A and
• No degradation of our famous and gorgeous starry night skies.

ADOT is proposing to put a signalized intersection at Andante, but what will 76 or more lights do for safety when it’s needed most? Most of the pedestrian (and motorist) accidents have occurred during the busy daylight hours on West 89A. The solution to protecting pedestrians and motorists is not more lights but sensible and creative roadway precautions that monitor and slow traffic down.

98% of KSB Members rejected Continuous Roadway Lighting on West 89A in a recent survey; click here to read the respondents’ comments that provide insightful information on this issue. In addition, you may find reading the KSB Board’s recent resolution, “Continuous Roadway Lighting for West State Route 89A,” to be helpful as well KSB’s “dark skies” web page.

We urge you to attend the Council Meeting on Oct. 28th. Express your opinion; do not be afraid to stand up and be vocal. Be informed, be involved; it is the only way to make a difference and “keep Sedona beautiful.”

Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) announced she will move forward on the Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area designation at the 3rd annual Sedona Community Fair on September 19, 2009.

Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) has just confirmed that she will be in Sedona on Saturday, September 19th and be speaking at the Sedona Community Fair, between 9:30 – 10 am, and making a statement regarding the Sedona-Red Rock NSA Designation. We’re told she will be informing the people of Sedona that she is going ahead with drafting the Bill to present to Congress. She also has stated that she intends to obtain (more) local input on the draft before she introduces the Bill which will be “sometime in the near future.”

Please join us by 9:30 am at our KSB Booth table and take part in the celebration – one more important step in our efforts to protect the integrity and beauty of Red Rock Country.

Spooky Halloween Speakers Series
Features “Bats: Fact or Fiction”

Allen's Big-eared Bat

It’s getting batty at Keep Sedona Beautiful! In the spirit of Halloween, on Wednesday, October 21st, conservationist (and REAL Bat Man) Brian Keeley will present “Bats: Fact or Fiction” at the Keep Sedona Beautiful “Preserving the Wonder” Speaker Series. Although the presentation is factual and informative, it is also highly entertaining for young people.

The former Facilities and Conservation Director of the Arboretum at Flagstaff, Mr. Keeley has been a conservation ecologist for over 30 years, working as a bat ecologist since 1994. He was in project development at the renowned Bat Conservation International in Austin, Texas, and has extensively studied bat and human relationships, tropical pollination and seed dispersal, etc. “No other animals I have worked with are as widespread and unusual as bats!” says Keeley.

“Bats are difficult to see or hear and even harder to catch, which may explain why myths spread faster than truth. This presentation will focus on the lives of bats from around the world, followed by a discussion of our own Arizona bats, as we are lucky to be living in one of the most bat-wealthy regions in the U.S. We will finally separate the facts from the often-scary fiction. If we are lucky, and we usually are, we will have a live bat for a close-up viewing and an echolocation demonstration where you learn to use a device called a bat detector that changes their inaudible voices into sounds you can hear”.

The “Preserving the Wonder” Speaker Series evening begins at 5:30 on Wednesday, October 21st with a special Halloween welcome reception for the public. At 5:45 the program will begin. Mr. Keeley will answer questions following his remarks and the event will conclude at 7pm. with a special surprise grand finale!

Speakers Series programs are presented the third Wednesday of each month from September through June at the KSB headquarters, the historic Pushmataha Center at 360 Brewer Rd. in Sedona. Featuring a wide variety of topics related to the “wonder” of our region, this popular series dates back to the early KSB organization with a mission to engage, inform and inspire the community. Donations are appreciated, members are free.

“Preserving the Wonder” Speaker Series

On Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Keep Sedona Beautiful is honored to kick off the 2009-2010 “Preserving the Wonder” Speaker Series with the former Chairman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, Tribal Elder Vincent Randall.

Mr. Randall will speak of the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s dramatic history and rich culture, their lives today and plans for the future as important neighbors in the Verde Valley.

The evening begins at 5:30 with a wine and cheese welcome reception. At 5:45 the program will begin. Mr. Randall will answer questions at the end of the evening which concludes at 7pm. The Speaker Series takes place at the KSB headquarters, the historic Pushmataha Center, 360 Brewer Rd. in Sedona.

Among many citations for his work, Randall was presented one of the State of Arizona’s “Living Treasures” awards in 2007, and in July, 2009, he received a heritage award from Tuzigoot National Monument, National Park Service, for a lifetime of work documenting and sharing local history of the Verde Valley.

KSB’s popular monthly “Preserving the Wonder” Speaker Series runs September through June and  features a variety of topics all related to the amazing diversity and rich history of the region.  Recent programs have ranged in topic from conservation issues, photography tips, geology, nature, and performances of one-man shows.

The 2009-2010 season will next feature a Halloween program of “Bat Facts and Fiction” by a real “Bat Man”; in November, a look at the burgeoning “green” Verde Valley wine business; and as a holiday treat in December, a theatrical “visit” from one of Sedona’s eccentric early pioneers.

Please contact Jan at the KSB office, 928.282.4938, if you need more information.

Free Public Event to Highlight Support for
Sedona National Scenic Area Designation

On Wednesday, July 22, the Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area (NSA) Coalition invites the public to come out and show their support for a National Scenic Designation (NSA) for the Sedona area. To be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Sedona Elks Lodge, 110 Airport Road, this free event will feature the Scenic Sedona video, which has had more than 2,000 views in three weeks on youtube.com and was created to honor the commitment from the public to making the NSA a reality. A new video also will be introduced. Complimentary wine and hors doeurves will be served.

“The NSA designation would permanently preserve our irreplaceable scenic beauty, small-town character, and property values, while enabling the community to provide needed schools, roads and other public necessities in the future,” said Steve DeVol, KSB President. “We are at a crucial time in the evolution of Sedona. It is critical that area residents voice their support for permanent protections from land trades that they express their support for the NSA designation.”

Press Release

For more information on the NSA designation, please visit www.keepsedonabeautiful.org or call 282.4938.

Red Rock Sunset

KSB’s final Speaker Series event for the season was Wednesday, June 17th and many enjoyed the spectacular views and an informative evening featuring Red Rock District Ranger Heather Provencio. Called “Sunsets and Celebrations,” the event was an outdoor evening honoring the First Birthday of the new US Forest Service Visitors Center.

If you weren’t able to attend or would like to re-visit the interesting talk that Heather gave at the KSB Speaker Series event, you may read it here: “Adapting to Changing Public Values: Forest Service Challenges Past, Present and Future.”

The next Speaker Series event will be in September 2009. Dates and details will be added to the Keep Sedona Beautiful website as they become available.

Monday morning was bright and beautiful as we began providing coffee to folks who stopped by to learn about the National Scenic Area designation. We answered many questions from folks who wanted to know the facts. Questions were real and showed us that people really care about preserving this area.  We signed up new members and we received donations. The questions asked the most were about management and property rights. We had meaningful dialogues with some folks who just wanted to talk about their environment in general. This writer was struck with the depth of concern people have for the environment and the quality of life here in Sedona.

Start your Monday morning with FREE coffee and cookies at Sedona’s Java Love Cafe.  On Monday June 22nd from 7:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Java Love Café will be giving out a free cup of coffee and cookies in partnership with Keep Sedona Beautiful in order to bring attention to the push for a National Scenic Area designation (NSA) in the Sedona area.  Volunteers from Keep Sedona Beautiful will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on the National Scenic Area designation.  Read more about the event and the NSA …

On Monday June 22nd from 7:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Java Love Café at 2155 West Highway 89a in West Sedona will be giving out a free cup of coffee and donut in partnership with Keep Sedona Beautiful.  Dubbed “From Coffee to Commitment” this fun filled event is being held in order to bring attention to the push for a National Scenic Area designation (NSA) to the Sedona area.