Sedona AZ (August 2, 2010) – Sedona breathed a sigh of relief when ADOT extended their deadline threat by an additional six months 
to put the lights up if the city doesn’t take back S.R. 89A, .
Some complained, according to the Red Rock News, that the council did not have enough time to study the turnback and public input is needed to make a decision.
Nonetheless, the reprieve was perceived as a “gift” from ADOT to allow us more time to consider their ultimatum.
All well and good but has the city, this sitting city council, wrapped its collective consciousness around the fact they were given a mandate, a directive by the voters in Sedona that overwhelmingly elected them to stop those lights at any cost?
Picture ADOT and the city as two boxers in the ring battling it out for the championship belt, which is whether they win and put in the lights or Sedona wins and the lights are knocked out.
We are in the 10th round of a 12 round match. It’s been a back and forth war of attrition. The lights opponents were down on the canvass a few times while the old council was in power but somehow managed to get back on their feet to continue the fight.
Then came the ninth round when opponents caught ADOT with a vicious right hand to the jaw, in the form of the clean-sweep election.
It’s clear ADOT is holding on right now for dear life. They are trying to use every trick in the book to make believe they are still in control of the fight.
Tommy Acosta, Sedona Times Publishing guest writer
They are wobbling on their feet. They know they can’t deliver a knockout blow. They failed to keep their August deadline promise to go ahead with the lights and now they gave the city another six months to capitulate.
The problem is some in the city still believe ADOT has the upper hand. They don’t. They can’t deliver the final punch. We read how city council members are worried they don’t have enough time to study the feasibility of a turnback. In the same story the reporter fails to mention how the city voted to use whatever means it has, legal and in the media, to stop the lights.
Like a good fighter who knows his opponent has had it, the city needs to go in and hit ADOT with everything it got.
They are ready to capitulate. They don’t have the stomach anymore for the fight. That is why they offered the Trojan Horse deal to trick the city into a “negotiation” on the turnback. Using the word “negotiation” implies that both parties have agreed to the turnback and are now in the process of negotiating the nuts and bolts of the deal.
There is no need for that. The city only needs to send a crystal clear message to ADOT and the fight is over.
Say no! Just say no, we are not taking 89A back and we are not going to accept the lights and the referee will end the fight.
– Tommy Acosta
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Read this, City Hall, and pay attention. The time has come, or will shortly, to truly cut to the chase and allow the voice of the voters who elected you to be heard. A no-nonsense article this is. Isn’t it time for our legal department to hone the blades of their dueling swords? Hark, hark . . .NO lights, NO accepting the “turn-back”!
Mr. Acosta, you are so naive. Once upon a time in the land of OZ your theory is reasonable. We are not in OZ anymore. The money will rule. The power is still in place. $2 million is at stake. ADOT is in so deep they will do anything possible. The former City Councilors are working the phones with the ADOT Board and I am helping them seal this deal once and for all.
See the light Acosta. Come down from your high perch and see the reality. You’ll see it better when SR 89A is lit up like an airport runway.
Sanford Boch
Ah! Sandford Bach…My old nemesis rises from the nearly-dead once again to spew hatred and cunning diversions. You know very well ADOT is throwing powder-puff punches right now. All it takes is for the men on the city council to show the same strength the only woman on the council is showing and tell ADOT to take their plans and shove them where the 89A lights don’t shine.
Even though the old guard remains embedded in city government ADOT will soojn realize their days of manipulating the city are numbered.
Why don’t you forget about the lights and wear an “I Love SB1070” sign and vist Mexico?
What the heck is going on? Was not the reason for ADOT and their insistence for lighting up 89A a result of three unfortunate accidents several years ago near the area of Andante? Although the saloon that was allegedly linked with the pedestrian mishaps is long gone and no other casualties have occurred, the fact as I understand it is those occurrences remain the need for night lighting, not only in that immediate area,but the entire route from Dry Creek Road to Airport Road.
Now then, even though a professional advisory group and statistics have proven that highway through West Sedona is far more treacherous during the daylight hours, ADOT continues to insist on the multitude of lights.
What in the world happened to their concern for ‘SAFETY’ when they commenced to install a traffic light at the Airport Road intersection before addressing the dire need for one at Andante?
Oops . . . could it be they suddenly only had funding for the one at Airport Road?
Come on, we all know that intersection needs traffic control; but by ADOT’s own admission the real problem was at Andante where it was deemed sooo treacherous due to the three very unfortunate incidents which had origin of a questionable source.
Seems to me ADOT lost all credibility for their alleged safety concerns and continue to play to the same choir who fought so desperately for a four-lane SR 179 Super-Duper Hiway.
Hey ADOT, you should be smiling after having listened to the voices of the people and acknowledged their wisdom in realizing the error or your proposed “speedway”. Stand back. Take a look at SR 179. An award winning Scenic Highway of which you should be damned proud! How proud will you be if you foolishly continue this nonsense and acquiese to the same group who didn’t have their way with SR 179.
Fortunately for me I live off of SR 179 and with few exceptions have little need to go into West Sedona and, factually, none whatsoever to go uptown which offers, in my opinion, nothing for locals. Used to be I could go there to do banking, pay utility bills, buy groceries, stop “Y” pharmacy, and even purchase non-tourist, practical clothing. My prefered option now is to scoot over to Cottonwood via SR 179 on the World Class Scenic Highway, cut across on Beaver Head Flat Road, do what I need and escape the local nonsense. Shop Sedona? Ha. Get real.
No, Sedona is not the “Land of Oz”. John Minnick, one of the formers owners of the Pink Jeep Tours, coined it “Land of Awes”. Let us keep it that way.
Great stuff, Tommy. Tell them as it is. Rolf
Mr. Acosta,
Unfortunately only the woman on that Council has the balls to do what is right with conviction. The others, maybe except for Hamilton are so weak they can’t lift themselves off the toilet.
So that’s 2 against 5. Sounds like a loser to me.
Mr. Bach:
Maybe, but it takes a woman sometimes to make a man. The trouble is we can’t wait for Litrell to run for mayor so we must depend on the cojones in the ecouncil to carry the ball forward.
They have to stop being so scared. They got ADOT against the ropes and still do not realize it.