In today’s edition of Sedona Red Rock News, you, our dear readers, can find a copy of our biannual Lifestyles of Sedona magazine.
This publication, which we have been producing for more than 20 years, is one of the highlights of our editorial news calendar, as it allows us to do long-form profile reporting on the people and organizations that define what it means to live in Sedona.
This edition’s cover features George and Claudia Ault, both of whom are known to most Sedona residents, interviewed by reporter Alyssa Smith and photojournalist Daulton Venglar. The Rev. George Ault, now retired from the ministry, led the Church of the Red Rocks for more than 30 years. Claudia Ault is a longtime Realtor in Sedona. Both have a long history of volunteer service with dozens of nonprofit organizations in Sedona and the Verde Valley, not the least of which are Rainbow Acres, the Sedona 30, Sedona Lago Gardens and Sedona Area Veteran and Community Outreach. She’s one of those kind-hearted souls residents have met at fundraisers and her fiery red hair is an unmistakable feature.
We also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tlaquepaque, Sedona’s most iconic [manmade] landmark, which offers fun events for children and families like Cinco de Mayo, the Festival of Lights and Dia de los Muertos as well as being the current location of the city of Sedona’s official holiday tree lighting event.
Growing up in Sedona, Tlaquepaque events are part of the fabric of our kids’ childhoods, whether it be lighting a luminaria for a loved one, hitting a piñata or getting a calavera face painting.
The Sedona Community Center, whose column appears every Friday in our newspaper, including today, is turning 40. For decades the nonprofit has provided Sedona’s Meals on Wheels program for seniors, the homebound and shut-ins, supplying food and human contact for those Sedona residents who need the help. Writer Lo Frisby and Smith expertly cover both of these staples and how they enhance the quality of live.
We also have a photo spread from photojournalist David Jolkovski about a potbelly pig rescue in the Village of Oak Creek. While an unconventional pet in a city where dogs and cats battle for domesticated supremacy, the photos of the potbelly pigs are adorable.
Reporter Tim Perry covers two local figures in the music industry from very different backgrounds.
Tim Jessup is a master audio engineer who has worked with some of the greats, including R&B groups and Chicago, and Christel Veraart is a Dutch pianist and composer.
There’s also a profile by reporter Joseph K. Giddens on Jason Vargo, who moved to Sedona about the same time I did and is one of the active members of Sedona’s music scene, having played rock ’n’ roll with Goldmund, Yin Yang & Zen Some and now the Naughty Bits. He was also a key part of and later the head of the beloved GumptionFest. All that led to his current job of running special events for the community via the city of Sedona’s Parks and Recreation Department. Everything from the upcoming Red Dirt Concert Series to the recent Celebration of Spring has his thumbprints, managing the background preparation and on-stage sound for musicians and performers.
Readers can also learn about Tom Swaninger, his wife Jill and their family. Tom Swaninger moved to the Sedona area to become superintendent of the Sedona- Oak Creek School District last year. While one daughter is off at college, one is a Sedona Red Rock High School softball player and another a local swimmer, and both have appeared on our sports pages.
The magazine format allows us to break some page design rules that we adhere to fairly strictly for newspaper page design to ease the news presentation for our readers. Most of these rules we can break for a magazine are very subtle, but noticeable to those with a keen eye, and it makes the magazine a bit more fun to read.
Lifestyles of Sedona also allows us to cover residents in a way we really can’t do in a biweekly news publication. We can take our time and delve into the stories of our profiled subjects so readers get to know them as neighbors rather than as newsmakers involved in an upcoming or recently-passed news event.
We hope you enjoy this edition and meet some of the neighbors and community organizations that make our city an interesting place to live. If you have suggestions for our autumn 2024 edition, send me an email to editor@larsonnewspapers.com.
