The Villager

For those of us who are truly concerned about the economic future of our Village (ie. property values, tax revenue), we should consider positive change rather than immediately oppose it.

With the opposing votes it seems useful to illuminate the differences of Planning and Zoning panels and the Boards that they advise.

It’s only been two months with this current board composition, but the teamwork and synergy would suggest that we’ve been working together for years instead of months.

The Village Vet Clinic is a "state-of-the-art veterinary clinic that strives to give the most compassionate/sensitive care to both you as well as your animal companion(s).”

How do you turn a building contractor career into a life of creative sculpture, copper art and more? “You don’t doubt yourself -- you just do it,” says Ken Borchardt, smiling as he remembers his Marine Corps tenet. “I had always been interested in art so when I sold my business at age 40, it was a step I wanted to take.”

Meet your Big Park Council Representative Kevin O'Connor

A big congratulations goes to Donna Cantello and Michell Stoor for winning the Oakcreek Country Club’s Women’s Golf Match Play competition.

They asked for condiments, and they got condiments. That was the result of the June 8 Verde Valley Neighborhood Food Project collection in the Village of Oak Creek.

If we appreciate tolerating discomfort and acquire skills to handle it, we gain yet another amazing strength which will help us on our path to fitness, wellbeing, physical and mental strength, and achieving our dreams.

Are you looking for a fun and dynamic opportunity for the children in your life this summer? The educational committee of the Sustainability Alliance was granted seed money by the Sedona Village Rotary Club to provide a summer sustainability day camp to children in our community.

Worldwide, the number of people aged 60 and older is growing. By 2050, this demographic will be more than twice as large as it was in 2015.¹

After close to five hours of comment from the county’s Development Services Department, the applicant’s representative, and community members, the commission voted 10-to-0 to recommend that the county’s Board of Supervisors vote yes on Wednesday, Aug. 21.

We came through Sedona for the first time in late August 1969. It looked like a gorgeous place that was almost empty. We have come back to Sedona ever since and finally moved to VOC in 2012.

There was much discord at Thursday’s Big Park Council meeting, and the grueling four-hour marathon session saw tempers flare and harsh words spoken. However, at the end of the day, the vote represented the overwhelming opinion of the Village residents. The Council voted that the Patel parcel rezoning request from residential to commercial, even with stipulations, was not in the best interest of the community. As one representative clearly stated it, “We represent the wishes of the community that appointed us. I am obligated to vote with the majority of my community”.

So let’s stop calling people names and actually talk to people as opposed to talking down to people with the idea “I’ve been here longer and know better. so shut up”.

There was an overwhelming public outcry in response to the Big Park Council Planning and Zoning Committee’s vote Monday. The committee met on June 3 to vote on the rezoning application for the Patel property, which sits on the corner of State Route 179 and Jack’s Canyon Road. After months of deliberation and research, the committee voted 6-3 in favor of the applicant’s application to rezone the property from residential to C2-1 commercial zoning with stipulations for the proposed Hilton Garden Inn.

A big thanks from all the organizers of the 6th Annual Community BBQ to those who came and enjoyed the day with us.

I just got through reading another letter from a probably newbie who thinks the best solution to our traffic problems is to rebuild the bridge across Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing.

Mr. Fairchild’s comment to “put the bridge back at Red Rock Crossing…” has one problem- there never was a bridge at Red Rock Crossing.

On behalf of Sedona Public Library, I would like to thank the entire community for support of library services and programs. There are too many people to name individually, so I will highlight groups and organizations: Big Park Regional Coordinating Council, Church of the Nazarene, Sedona Car Club, Sedona Winds Retirement Community and the Village Business Association.

With the annual meeting completed, we conducted our organization meeting of the ne board. During the selection of officers, I was reappointed as president of the VOCA Board for the year.

I’m relatively new to the Sedona area. We moved here from Thousand Oaks, CA in October 2015. After completing some renovations on our home in Pine Valley (off Jacks Canyon Road), we got involved in our HOA and took an interest in community issues in the VOC and Sedona. Last Dec I joined the BPRCC board as secretary.

My mother, Nika Fleissig, who passed away in January at the age of 98, was known in the Village of Oak Creek and in Sedona for her dramatic flair and outspoken opinions.

In response to Village of Oak Creek residents’ concerns regarding the possible rezoning and commercial development of the parcel of land at the southeast corner of Jacks Canyon and SR 179 known as the “Patel property,” a well-attended public forum was conducted May 24 at the Church of the Nazarene.

The theme was Spring Fling for the 51st Red Rock Roundup, a two-person better ball, that was held at Oakcreek Country Club on May 7.