3/31/09 Bobcat Rampage, Questions & Answers, Updates.

Notes on recent goings-on in Sedona & Northern, AZ:

1) BOBCAT RAMPAGE! The surveillance video played on all the Arizona news channels. A bobcat walks into a Cottonwood bar and doesn’t order a drink. Sounds like the beginning of a corny joke. Actually, the bobcat ran into the club, knocking patrons over like bowling pins, and hid under the pool table. Of course, what does anybody do nowadays when they see a wild animal in a bar? Out come the cell phone cameras. The most interesting thing about the surveillance video is the crowd elbowing up to the pool table with their cell phones out, everyone daring to capture a photo. What you don’t see in the video is that one of the dudes attempting to take a picture gets his ear almost ripped off. And, yes, the bobcat tested positive for rabies. Here’s a link to the surveillance video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOJ6jd2ldkA

2) Wedding News. Lots of people have emailed me asking about my friend Allen, host of the VisitSedona.tv radio and internet show. Allen was accused of officiating a couple weddings without the proper authorization. Apparently, this made national news. Frankly, I don’t see the big deal. Here in Sedona, it seems one out of every three persons you meet is authorized to officiate your wedding. You can obtain your papers from internet churches in five minutes. The catch is that an official Justice o’ the Peace must sign the papers, and Allen is accused of skipping that step. Fact is, though, Allen is a good man whom I know and like personally. He would not have knowingly caused anyone trouble. Interesting thing about the marriage laws in AZ: If at least one of the persons getting married BELIEVES the ceremony is legitimate than the wedding is considered legitimate and legal. Too bad they don’t have the same rules on taxes … if you BELIEVE you paid your taxes correctly ….

3) Tourist season is officially ON in Sedona. So far so good. I’m on my feet all day showing folks maps of places to visit and hoping to sell them a mug or a made-in-Sedona watercolor. Every day someone will ask me how Sedona’s economy is doing. I have long and short answers, but … so far, we’re doing OK. Now, this past summer, when gas prices shot up to $4+ a gallon, our economy suffered quite a bit. Fact is, there’s not much one buys in Sedona that is a “must” purchase, so if one spends an extra hundred dollars driving up from the Phoenix airport, they tend to “reimburse” themselves by not buying a pair of earrings or a mug while in town. Thankfully, gas prices are back to reasonable, and Sedona is doing well again. Our tourist season actually “officially” kicked off with St. Patrick’s Day. Although it’s too early to say for certain … so far, so good. This March was actually Sedona Green’s best month ever; of course, our new-and-improved location (same plaza, but ground floor) has a lot to do with that.

4) Have a great rest o’ the week, folks. Blog more at you soon.