Category: Business

CCC tax reset update: Promises made, promises kept

Promises made, promises kept by your community college.

One year after the passage of a primary property tax reset for Coconino Community College, CCC has made significant progress in following through on commitments made to the voters of Coconino County. Of the several programs and initiatives promised by the increase in the primary property tax rate to Coconino Community College, many of them have already been implemented or are in process.

“To date, we’ve fulfilled nearly 75 percent of the items we noted on the ballot initiative,” said CCC President Eric Heiser, Ph.D. “And guess what? We’re not done yet. We have many new and exciting career and technical education programs and courses in the pipelines.”

Memorial Day Holiday Closures in Coconino County

Coconino County’s Administrative Offices and Superior Court will be closed in observance of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday May 29, 2023, and will reopen for business on Tuesday.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Records Division will be available between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

City of Flagstaff announces Memorial Day closures

Flagstaff City Hall offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed on Monday, May 29 in honor of Memorial Day. City Hall offices will reopen on Tuesday, May 30 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

City of Flagstaff facilities that are also closed on Memorial Day include:

East Flagstaff Community Library (3000 N. Fourth St.)
Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library (300 W. Aspen Ave.)
Hal Jensen Recreation Center (2403 N. Izabel St.)
Joe C. Montoya Community and Senior Center (245 N. Thorpe Rd.)
Flagstaff Recycling Transfer Facility (1800 E Butler Ave)

Coconino County Awarded EPA Grant Funding for Clean-Up of Former County Jail

This year, Coconino County’s Facilities Management Department has applied for and been awarded a grant from the EPA in the amount of $573,615 to fund the clean-up of hazardous materials within the former County Jail in downtown Flagstaff.

The County has owned and operated this property, located adjacent to the historic County Courthouse, on W.C. Riles Street between Birch and Cherry Avenues as the County Jail from 1892 until 2000. 

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — May 22-26, 2023

Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, visits Grand Canyon

Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, and her team were in the park this past weekend to meet with the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and community leaders about the efforts to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.

This effort, spearheaded by the tribal coalition and supported by Representative Raul Grijalva and Senator Krysten Sinema, is a continuation of efforts to provide permanent protection from new uranium mining on over 1 million acres of land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park.

In addition to the meetings with the coalition and local stakeholders, the Secretary held separate informal meet and greets with staff from the Horace Albright Training Center and Grand Canyon National Park. Members of the park leadership team also had the opportunity to talk to her about our big infrastructure projects (trans-canyon waterline) and provide an aerial tour for she and Rep Grijalva of the area and proposed boundaries of the new national monument. Thanks to all the staff who helped support the Secretary’s visit and who came out to meet her on Saturday afternoon!

Sedona Arts Center — ¡Qué Hermoso! Closing Lecture Rescheduled to May 31

Culturally rich and chaotic, El Metro is a living entity—a lively and dynamic underground city. Distinctive in character, it offers around the clock sensory stimulation. From bustling food stalls and shops to public art, exhibitions, and impromptu concerts, Mexico City’s subway system facilitates conscious and subconscious emotive bonds and attachments. Since its inauguration in 1969, El Metro’s scenography continues to celebrate Mexico’s modernity and antiquity through architecture and art, particularly its stylized wayfinding signage¾an unforgettable graphic signature that continues more than a half century later.

City of Flagstaff plans critical infrastructure upgrades to reduce city’s carbon footprint

The City of Flagstaff has contracted with energy and sustainable solutions provider NORESCO through a competitive process, to implement a new decarbonization, energy and water efficiency program through an energy performance contract (EPC). The $4.4 million project will provide $6.1 million in guaranteed savings and will enable critical infrastructure upgrades while accelerating progress on the city’s Climate Neutrality Plan.

Coconino County Provides Successful Test Platform for SpaceX Starlink Mobile Units

Coconino County continues to lead the effort in connecting students with SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed internet across Northern Arizona, including multiple tribal communities within the region, and now on school buses.

With continued focus on education, Coconino County collaborated with Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) and Page Unified School District (PUSD) to identify and select routes with an emphasis on connecting students who must ride the bus more than one hour to and from school. SpaceX provided Coconino County with two of their Flat High Performance Starlink kits that are installed on the buses, enabling students to stay connected and complete homework during their transit.

District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman — April/May 2023 District 1 Newsletter

Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Schultz Creek/Pipeline West – Flagstaff May 8th
Community Meeting
Mt. Elden Estates Community Meeting
Ft. Valley Rd/Baderville Community Meeting
County and Flagstaff Host a Thank You for DFFM,
DEMA, and FEMA for State Funding to Assist in
Flood Mitigation
Flagstaff Ranger District Cancels its Proposals for
Commercial Outfitter and Guide Services
Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of
State Adrian Fontes Visit Coconino County
2023 Coconino County Teacher of the Year
Mountain Line: It’s Electrifying
Every Day is Earth Day
Opioid Crisis Settlement
Know Your Evacuation Zone
Tuba City Election Office Renamed the Alta
Edison Native American Outreach Center
County Declares May 11, 2023, as” Carol Dykes
Day”
Miss Cleo’s Tea Party. A Southside Community
Tradition
Community Events and Resources

Recycling drop-off bins reopened at the City of Flagstaff Recycling Transfer Facility

Effective Thursday, May 18, the recycling drop-off bins at the City of Flagstaff Recycling Transfer Facility (located at 1800 E Butler Ave) have been reopened. Drop off bins are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be closed on Saturday and Sunday until further staffing and operational plans can be developed and implemented. The bins will also be unavailable on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.

City of Flagstaff Call-to-Artists for 3D Artwork at Murdoch Center-Southside Park

The City of Flagstaff is seeking applications from qualified artists to create 3D Artwork at a new park adjacent to the Southside’s historic Murdoch Center. The Murdoch Community Center is a Black Heritage site and is located in the heart of downtown Flagstaff within the Southside neighborhood, a racially diverse community. The building was constructed on the site of the Dunbar School, which was built in 1926 after the state legislature mandated racial segregation. Presently the Murdoch Community Center is an inter-generational and multicultural center. The proposed 3D art will be located at the new city park, which is adjacent to the Murdoch Center.

Discover Flagstaff — Discover spring events with Flagstaff 365

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights of the week.

Notice of Public Hearing Regarding Board Proposal to Incur Long-Term Debt

In June, The Coconino County Board of Supervisors will be considering a long-term debt proposal in Coconino County.

The long-term debt will be used to finance the costs of road, transportation, and public safety projects in and for the County, acquisition of equipment, land and buildings, and construction, maintenance and improvements to County facilities, properties, and infrastructure.

The total estimated financing cost will be $89.9 million consisting of an estimated principal amount of $80 million and total estimated interest of $9.9 million. 

New Rec on Wheels Program Brings Play and Fun to Rural Coconino County Communities

Coconino County Parks and Recreation (CCPR) and Health and Human Services (CCHHS) have teamed up to provide Rec on Wheels, a new program that brings recreation opportunities, especially for youth, to the rural and outlying communities in Coconino County.

Events are free to the public and include games, drop-in programming, and even movies. 

Coconino County is the second largest county by landmass in the United States and covers diverse landscapes, regions, and cultures. Rec on Wheels helps connect the distant regions of our county to recreation resources that provide fun, outdoor play, and promote health and wellness. 

North Rim to reopen June 2 with limited services available

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open as scheduled, on June 2, with limited visitor services and water conservation measures due to a break in the North Rim water pipeline. A landslide from winter storms destroyed more than 300 feet of the North Rim water pipeline.

The Literacy Center — Thank you to all who donated, participated, and attended the 26th Annual Mountain Spelling Bee!

The Spelling Bee was a success

We could not have had such a successful event without all of you who participated! Congratulations to The Nerdettes: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back for their win! And congratulations to the Mead Hall Marauders for winning the spirit award!

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — Communications Issue #29: Quality Healthcare that Fits the Community’s Needs

The concerns that F3 continues to raise with regards to the NAH proposal to relocate the hospital relate directly to providing quality health care that benefits Flagstaff residents as well as the Region.

NAH continues to state that a new greenfield hospital is what’s best for Flagstaff and that a new hospital is needed in order to recruit and retain good doctors. These are questionable statements. While every doctor would like to work in a shiny new building, there are many hundreds of thousands who do not. In fact, many of these doctors work at the highest-rated hospitals in the US that are located in dense cities, such as Johns Hopkins and Mass General. Older hospitals in dense cities cannot always be moved miles away and rebuilt. Instead they are renovated or rebuilt in the same place. 

Sedona Arts Center — FREE LECTURE MAY 17 – Special Exhibition Gallery

View this email in your browser In Our Special Exhibitions Gallery ¡Qué Hermoso! A Special Exhibition NOW Showing Through May 31, 2023! Celebrating Latinx cultural identity and traditions Sedona Arts Center presents, ¡Qué Hermoso! a special exhibition (now showing through May 31!)…

May at the Museum of Northern Arizona

This week Museum members came to see the new Designed to Move exhibition, and I had the joy of watching their delight. In stunning photographs by Taylor James, seeds are enlarged and lustrous. Poppy seeds resemble bumpy planets. The fluff on willow and clematis seeds glows. One young boy shook a seedpod and exclaimed “Dad, it’s nature’s music!”

Indeed, this exhibition reveals the music, art, and engineering within these essential but often overlooked parts of our world. It’s a revelation, and a reminder of how easy it is to take for granted things that enrich our lives.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — May 8-12, 2023

This week, prescribed fire treatments began on the Grapevine segment, approximately 0.5 miles south of the Duck on a Rock Overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). The Grapevine project area totals 865 acres and is bound by the Kaibab National Forest’s boundary to the south and the E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Following completion of the Grapevine project, crews will initiate ignitions on the Lonetree project area, totaling approximately 926 acres. Ignitions may be complete as early as Friday, May 12, but may be extended through the weekend based on favorable weather conditions. A map of the project areas can be found here.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — The Booming BioScience Sector

The biosciences continue to be one of the most dynamic sectors in our state’s economy, and northern Arizona had many highlights to share in the latest Arizona Bioscience Roadmap progress report.

The roadmap is a long-term strategic plan originally commissioned by the Flinn Foundation in 2002 and updated in 2014 with the goal of Arizona becoming globally competitive and a national leader in select areas of the biosciences by 2025.

In fields such as precision medicine, neuroscience, bioengineering, agricultural biotechnology and more, Arizona has become globally competitive because of its deep talent base, the ability to turn research and discoveries into commercial products, and the critical mass of entrepreneurship to turn those products into enterprises.

Flood Control District and Coconino National Forest to Begin Schultz Creek Watershed Restoration

The Coconino County Flood Control District and the Coconino National Forest will begin the first phase of watershed restoration project in Schultz Creek this spring.

This watershed restoration project is an effort to respond to post-fire flooding caused by the 2022 Pipeline Fire, which damaged the Schultz Creek watershed, dramatically increasing levels of flow and erosion in Schultz Creek, which overwhelmed downstream stormwater infrastructure in the City of Flagstaff. The Coconino County Flood Control District (the District) will begin the project the week of May 22, and the first phase of construction is expected to run through June.

The NAU Review — Grad becomes advocacy leader, scouts cook at NAU, a circuitous journey to graduation, extraterrestrial geology, Grad excited for medical school and elevating excellence

Jessica Muniz was inspired by her upbringing to pursue a career allowing her to help others. From immigrating to the U.S. at the age of five to organizing awareness fairs for the LGBTQ+ community, Muniz learned that having access to all types of resources can make a significant impact on someone’s life. Now, Muniz is set to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in social work and pursue a master’s at Arizona State University.

Grand Canyon National Park – Failure to Meet Treatment Requirements

Our water system recently violated a drinking water requirement. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

We are required to chlorinate our drinking water source located at the Roaring Springs cave. On the morning of May 8, 2023, we did not meet one or our treatment requirements to provide sufficient levels of disinfectant due to high levels of turbidity in the drinking water system. Although chlorine residual levels are above the minimum requirement at Phantom Ranch along the Trans-Canyon Pipeline, the levels on the South Rim are below that requirement.

Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park wins Arizona Forward Environmental Achievement Awards

The Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park in Flagstaff has won both the Crescordia Award for Environmental Education and Communication and the Award of Distinction for Art in Public Places at the Arizona Forward Gala on April 29th.

The Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park provides gardens, watchable wildlife, education, and multicultural art to the Sawmill neighborhood community and beyond. Elizabeth Archuleta was instrumental in creating the park to honor the community and the sawmill worker heritage in the area. Ms. Archuleta was the first Latina elected to the Board of Supervisors and served as District 2 Supervisor for 25 years. The site was officially dedicated as a Coconino County Park on June 20, 2003, originally as Sawmill Multicultural Art and Nature County Park. Coconino County Parks and Recreation honored Archuleta’s commitment to our community by renaming the former Sawmill County Park in her honor in August of 2022. 

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport to temporarily close runway for maintenance

The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) runway will be closed for maintenance from midnight on July 9 until midnight on July 15, 2023. During this time, commercial passenger service and fixed-wing aircraft operations will be unavailable. However, helicopter operations will continue uninterrupted. Pavement maintenance work will be completed in partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Airport Pavement Management System program.

United Way of Northern Arizona — A Time of Transition and Looking to the Future

Many thanks to everyone who has been so warm and supportive during my first month as the new CEO and President of United Way of Northern Arizona. I’ve always been proud of this organization and the work it does.

”Improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions” has always resonated with me. I have been involved with UWNA for over 25 years serving on the Board of Directors, the Community Investment Committee and chairing multiple UWNA campaigns.

My life’s work has been dedicated to building community, promoting equity, and improving lives locally, statewide and nationally. I will continue to bring those values and passion for community to my work at UWNA. As a native of Flagstaff with five generations of my family living in Flagstaff, it is an honor to serve my community through UWNA.

During this time of transition, I want to recognize what has come before me.

District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez April – May Newsletter

I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather as the sun begins to shine
more often. As the weather warms, it is important to keep in mind how the
changing weather will also affect the landscape of our district. It is
important to keep in mind what preventative measures we can take as a
community to protect ourselves and our community. April is coming to a
close and I would like to recognize the proclamations we have created as
the Board of Supervisors and county. I would like to honor that April is
Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, and
Earth Month. As we continue with our year, it is important to keep into
consideration the discussion and actions we have taken as both a county
and community to continue the dialogue of the issues we are facing
holistically. That said, I would like to highlight all county employees for
continuing to create discussion and honoring the topics that affect our
community.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: May 1-5, 2023

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. 

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here. 

Conference at CCC focuses on sharing ideas among math faculty statewide

Coconino Community College student Horizon Gillson is working his way toward a degree in astrophysics.

So, he jumped at the chance to attend the Arizona Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges conference in Flagstaff on April 7 because the featured speaker was Dr. Gerard van Belle, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory.

“I went to get a grasp on the vast opportunities in astronomy and astrophysics,” Gillson said. “I’m trying to burrow down deeper into what I want to do. That’s why I’m here. It’s a reminder of what’s to come, what’s expected and what I can do. It’s been eye-opening.”

Gillson, currently in a Calculus I class, was notified by his professor of the conference, and he joined dozens of math instructors from community colleges across the state to listen to Dr. van Belle and attend breakout sessions throughout the day.

Prescribed Fire Planned for South Rim of Grand Canyon beginning May 10

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers—working with personnel and resources from Saguaro, Rocky Mountain National Park as well as Dinosaur National Monument, anticipate initiating prescribed fire treatments from May 10-12, on the South Rim, as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow.

On Wednesday, May 10, ignitions will occur on the Grapevine segment, approximately 0.5 miles south of the Duck on a Rock Overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). The Grapevine project area totals an area of 865 acres and is bound by the Kaibab National Forest’s boundary to the south and the E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Following completion of the Grapevine project, crews will initiate ignitions on the Lonetree project area, totaling an area of approximately 926 acres. Ignitions may be complete as early as Friday, May 12, but may be extended based on favorable weather conditions.

Check out the Galleries at Sedona Arts Center

NOW FEATURING:
Nancy Bihler, Patricia Bohannon, Khrystyna Kozyuk, & Susan Moody

Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. The Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.

Our Uptown Gallery is open 10am–5pm, Monday – Saturday and 12–5pm, Sundays. We look forward to seeing you at Sedona Arts Center’s Gallery! Call 928-282-3865 for additional information. Sedona Arts Center is located at 15 Art Barn Road in Uptown Sedona.

Our online gallery represents a full spectrum of the diversity of artists represented by the arts center. Visit us today!

CCC Community Education — Community Education: Mountain Bike Repair | DIY-Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry | Comet Walks | Hot Weather Survival | Cake Pops…& More!

DIY – Mountain Bike Repair

Friday, June 2 and
Saturday, June 3
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Learn essential mountain bike repair skills and what tools you should carry for trail-side repairs.

Mountain Bike – Learn more and register!

Discover Flagstaff — Find spring events this week with Flagstaff 365

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights of the week.

Flagstaff Recycling Update – Residential recycling collection to resume May 8, City takes control of Materials Recovery Facility

The collection of residential recycling carts will resume on Monday, May 8. Residents who normally receive recycling services on Monday should place their carts at the curb by 6 a.m. The City has secured a hauling service to transport the City’s recyclables to a Materials Recovery Facility in the Phoenix area so that collected materials can be properly recycled. This arrangement will be utilized by the City in the short term (several weeks) to allow recycling services to resume on May 8. Future updates will be provided as they become available on a long-term plan for recycling services.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Events & Opportunities for Economic Development Week

Next week is the 8th annual Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016 to increase awareness of local efforts to promote economic vitality and highlight programs that create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses.

The NAU Review — Grad becomes sustainability star, FUSD middle schoolers visit NAU, an epic journey to graduation and NAU’s first In Memoriam

Sophia Swainson was working as a server when she got a text message that changed her life—a job posting for a student worker position at NAU’s Office of Sustainability. It was a big change, but she took it and never looked back. As she prepares to graduate, she’s looking at jobs in the sustainability nonprofit sector, confident that the perseverance that got her through the challenges of college will help her as she takes on conservation.

Coconino County Parks & Recreation May 2023 Update

FREE Event AWWE Presents: A Bird Walk

Join wildlife experts in this season’s first bird walk! We will meet at Rogers Lake County Natural Area (7 miles SW of Flagstaff on Woody Mountain Road / Forest Road 231, at the first Rogers Lake entrance sign as you arrive at the County Natural Area). Bring your binoculars, sturdy shoes, a sunhat, a notebook and pencil, and perhaps your camera! This event is free, but registration will be required.

Notes: We will hike up to 3 miles. Bring whatever you want for hiking, and dress appropriately for the weather. Bring binoculars and bird guide if you have them – we will have some binoculars for those that don’t.

Coconino County is Offering Paid Summer Internships for Local Teens Interested in Work Experience

Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Coconino County Workforce Development Board are offering Youthworks, a 2023 summer work experience program for teens.

This program provides a unique opportunity for teens aged 15 to 18 to explore career pathways, make connections, and earn a wage.

Youthworks internships run from May 30 to August 1, 2023. The internship is designed to help teens discover what they might want to do in their future career. Participants will earn a wage of $16.80 per hour and work up to 40 hours per week.

Board of Supervisors Approves Updates to Coconino County Fair Fees

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve fee changes for the Coconino County Fair, effective starting with the 2023 fair.

The Coconino County Fair ticket prices have not increased since 2008, and the changes reflect growth, increasing costs, and staffing needs. 

City of Flagstaff Recycling Update – Residential recycling collection services remain paused

The Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and public recycling drop-off located at 1800 E Butler Ave remains closed, and while the City of Flagstaff continues to evaluate recycling alternatives, the pause on the collection of residential recycling carts will continue until further notice. Residents are asked to not put their recycling carts on the curb as they will not be collected. In the interim, alternative public recycling drop-off locations can be viewed in Google Maps here. However, the City encourages the public to hold their recyclables until further notice.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — April 24-28, 2023 — Town of Tusayan Cinco de Mayo event on May 5 and more news, events

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. 

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here. 

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes visited with County Board of Supervisors and Election Officials

Arizona Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, visited Flagstaff on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 to meet with members of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board), County Recorder Patty Hansen, and County Elections staff.

Secretary Fontes has visited or plans to visit all 15 Arizona counties to hear directly from local officials about their present and future needs to prepare for the 2024 election cycle and beyond.

Among the topics covered during the Secretary’s discussion with the Board members and staff were election staff safety, election integrity, and expanding voter access especially to rural and minority communities in Coconino County.

“Elections are bottom-up here in Arizona, counties run our elections,” Secretary Fontes said during his visit. “My office has built a team that reflects that ethos.”

City of Flagstaff Residential recycling services paused April 28

 The City of Flagstaff has recently been made aware that the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), at 1800 E Butler Ave, has closed. The MRF is operated by Norton Environmental, Inc. under a contract with the City to process the City’s recyclables. Due to the abrupt nature of this closure, the City does not currently have immediate alternatives in place to manage City-collected recyclables and has decided to pause the collection of residential recycling carts on Friday, April 28 while alternative solutions are sought.

United Way of Northern Arizona — The Hardest Part of Retiring is Saying Goodbye

In just a few weeks, I’ll walk out of the offices at 1515 E. Cedar Ave. in Flagstaff for the last time as the President and CEO of United Way of Northern Arizona, my professional home for the past 24 years.

While I’m looking forward to retirement and am excited about the plans I’m making with my husband for this next chapter in our lives, the truth is it’s hard to say goodbye.

Being part of this organization for almost a quarter of a century has been an incredibly meaningful part of my life and walking away from something like that is never easy.

Flagstaff announces Brian Gall as new Airport Director

The City of Flagstaff is pleased to announce that Brian Gall has accepted the position of Airport Director for the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. Brian has 16 years of experience in municipal government, federal government, and consulting. Brian currently serves as the Airport Programs Manager at the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport and previously worked for the City of Flagstaff as a Development Engineering Project Manager.

2022 Grand Canyon Drinking Water Quality Report now available

Grand Canyon National Park is required to annually distribute a consumer confidence report for the park’s drinking water. This year Grand Canyon Water Utilities is distributing this report electronically to reduce paper consumption. The purpose is to allow consumers to make educated decisions regarding any potential health risks pertaining to the quality, treatment, and management of your drinking water supply.

Grand Canyon National Park — Annual Turbidity in Drinking Water Notification

Each year in the spring (April – June), Grand Canyon National Park experiences an increase in turbidity in the drinking water. This increased turbidity is caused by the snow melt and by the spring rains recharging the aquifer and the increased water flows through the rock formations to the point of supply for the Grand Canyon National Park Public Water Supply System.

Sedona Arts Center — Art Classes and Workshops Coming Up!

Art Classes & Workshops Coming Soon at Sedona Arts Center
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.  Click here to see all of our classes and workshops

The NAU Review — Discover the Undergrad Symposium, learn about the creator of ‘Lost World’ and how climate warming alters forests’ memory

Every year, hundreds of undergraduate students in all disciplines become researchers—either joining a professor’s lab or creating their own research project, including getting their own funding. That work culminates at the Undergrad Symposium, a daylong event in which students present their research to the NAU and Flagstaff communities. Experience the 15th annual symposium on Friday at the High Country Conference Center. All events are free and open to the public.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — April 17-21, 2023

California Condor Update

Free-flying California condors in Arizona continue to be confirmed with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

As of April 17, 2023, 20 condors have died in the Arizona-Utah flock; HPAI has been confirmed for 10 of those condors. Eight birds were captured and brought in for supportive care. Four of those condors died shortly thereafter and are included in the total of 20 deceased birds. Four condors are still receiving supportive care and have shown improvement.

Report bird mortalities to NPS wildlife immediately so that bird die-offs can be investigated and tested for avian influenza. Report dead wild birds to Grand Canyon Dispatch at 928-638-7805 and they will call the on-call wildlife specialist to assist.

Grand Canyon National Park Schedules Public Informational Meetings for Construction Activities at the South Rim

 The National Park Service (NPS) has scheduled meetings to provide information to the public and respond to questions about multiple construction activities at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. 

The meetings will include a presentation by NPS staff featuring the Transcanyon Waterline (TCWL), Bright Angel Substation and the substation access road projects with a question-and-answer period. These meetings will be an opportunity for community members to learn about construction updates and anticipated impacts to park operations, residents, and visitors. Questions are being accepted in advance at: https://forms.office.com/g/RM8ZVq7X4t. 

Museum of Northern Arizona Virtual Auction Closes Today at 12 pm (MST)

This morning is your last chance to bid on unique experiences through the MNA Virtual Auction. The auction closes today (Wednesday, 4/19) at 12 pm (MST).

We are grateful to the many individuals and businesses who have generously donated their time and services to benefit MNA, and we are grateful to you for your enthusiastic bidding!

The experiences below are just a few of the many items you can bid on before noon. Happy bidding!