FLAGSTAFF — Maintenance on the Terminal Parking Lot at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport will begin Monday, April 15, 2024. During this period, vehicles will not be permitted to enter the Terminal Parking Lot. Existing vehicles will be allowed to depart when travelers return.
The Arizona Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the town of Tusayan, advises area drivers to plan for lane restrictions on State Route 64 in Tusayan from Monday, April 15, through Wednesday, April 17.
Drivers should allow extra travel time while the following daytime restrictions are in place from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
SR 64 will be intermittently narrowed to one lane in each direction roughly between Coyote Lane and Moqui Drive (mileposts 236 – 237).
Flaggers and/or a pilot car will guide drivers through the work zone.
There will be a 12-foot width restriction.
Restrictions will be lifted at the end of each work day.
The speed limit will be reduced in the work zone. The restrictions are needed so crews can safely restripe pavement markings on the roadway to add one additional northbound travel lane along this section of SR 64.
A hilariously divine farce filled with screwball deities, carnal complexity, conspicuous consumption, madcap mayhem, a touch of romance, and lots of laughs.
In this edition…
• Supervisor Vasquez attends the CHAC Cesar Chavez Breakfast
• Measles cases reported in Coconino County Supervisor Vasquez testifies on HB2548 bill protecting military installations
• Board of Supervisors meeting updates
and more!
Former House lawmakers talk politics at NAU
NAU students, employees and community members turned out to “grill the Hill” on Wednesday, April 10 at Campus to Congress—a town hall-style event featuring former Reps. Karan English and Tom Petri. Made possible by the non-profit organization Former Members of Congress and the Honors College political science fraternity Pi Sigma Alpha, the event gave NAU community members the chance to interact with the former lawmakers, get their takes on current political issues and hear them reminisce about their time in politics.
Fostering literary community through the creation, publication, showcase, and investigation of contemporary literary arts from Northern Arizona, the Colorado Plateau, the American Southwest, and beyond.Various times.
NOW FEATURING:
Nancy Foo,
Lili Anne Laurin,
and Amy Light
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. Sedona Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.
The focus of the sixth Regional Plan Committee meeting will be to discuss the Water Resources Chapter and the Energy Chapter for the Regional Plan 2045.
The official agenda for this meeting can be viewed here.
Paper Paintings: Fabulous Florals
with Elizabeth St. Hilaire
April 19–21 : Fri, 10am – 5pm, Sat & Sun, 9am – 4pm
We will be drawing florals from a still life setup and modifying it to create a compelling, FUN composition. We’ll cover how to paint your life drawing with a full range of fun, bright colors and shading. You will then learn how to hand-paint your own collage papers through a series of gel plate mono printing techniques in the color palette from your under-painting. Once you have created your paper palette you’ll follow along and learn how to rip and glue and apply your papers in a painterly manner over the top of your underpainting. Elizabeth will cover how to tear with and without white edges, how to keep your pieces perfectly flat without cockling, and how to vary your paper brush marks in size and shape.
During this time period, the library will be providing services with a Pop-Up Library at City Hall in the Council Conference Room on the first floor. Limited services provided will include on-hold material pick-ups, 30-minute express computer access with printing, limited browsing of new books for checkout, and standard reference and circulation services. Hours of service for the Pop-Up Library will be Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Plateau Point Trail, from Havasupai Gardens to Plateau Point remains closed until June 20, 2024. During this time, Tonto Trail hikers will be able to use a trail detour to connect to and from the Bright Angel Trail.
The water filling station will be available for use at Havasupai Gardens. The water filling stations at Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Resthouses are projected to be available by mid-May.
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.
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ART APPRENTICESHIP FOR TEENS
AGES 15-18 – ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
GALLERY 928
Sedona Arts Center June 3 – July 3, 2024
Apply by April 19, 2024
Teens ages 15-18 are invited to apply to Sedona Arts Center’s Gallery 928 program, a unique summer art apprenticeship that partners students with a master artist to create a work of public art. Applications are due April 19, 2024. The program begins June 3 and runs through July 3 and will be held Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sedona Arts Center, located at 15 Art Barn Road.
FLAGSTAFF — Lane reductions on portions of S Mikes Pike St, W Butler Ave, and S Humphreys St are scheduled from Monday, April 15 to Friday, April 26 to accommodate the installation of underground fiber-optic cable.
WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates will be re-opening Moonset Pit on May 4, 2024 for residents to dispose of green waste materials from private property.
The pit will be open every other Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. until September 7, 2024. Moonset Pit is located just west of the Parks community, east of Spitz Springs on the north side of old Route 66.
During excavation work at the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse, as part of the Transcanyon Waterline project, a member of the NPS monitoring team unearthed a rare and entirely new fossil for Grand Canyon and the Hermit Formation. One of the park’s research partners at UC-Berkeley has identified it as an Equisetalean strobilus.
This fossil is approximately 290 million years old and represents the spore-producing reproductive organ of an extinct species of horsetail known as Sphenophyllum. While Sphenophyllum fossils are not uncommon in the Hermit Formation, discovering the fruiting bodies is unprecedented.
The public affairs office is in the process of coordinating public communication efforts including a news release to announce this and other recent paleontological discoveries. Stay tuned for more updates!
There is something very special about seeing a new exhibition come together in a gallery after months of planning. Our latest exhibition is no exception, and over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed seeing Horse and Rider: A Southwest Story transform from ideas on paper to a new exhibition in the gallery, drawn entirely from works in the MNA collection. The show delves deep into the timeless bond between Indigenous people and horses, weaving together artwork, cultural artifacts, and stories. What makes this exhibit even more remarkable is the invaluable contribution of wisdom shared by our Dine, Hopi, and Zuni consultants.
Fostering literary community through the creation, publication, showcase, and investigation of contemporary literary arts from Northern Arizona, the Colorado Plateau, the American Southwest, and beyond.Various times.
From April 5-14, volunteers from NAU will be busy working behind the scenes at the Northern Arizona Book Festival, which hosts more than 40 events in downtown Flagstaff featuring bestselling authors, Pulitzer Prize winners and local writers, publishers, editors and event organizers. These events—and those that the organization supports throughout the year—foster a vibrant literary community in the Southwest and ensure that the Colorado Plateau is recognized as a bona fide place of literature.
Celebrate Sedona engages the local community while celebrating and
featuring local and regional arts, food and drink! Held at Sedona Arts Center,
Celebrate Sedona is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of our
community’s music, food, drink, and artistry.
Spring is in the air, even if we have a couple second or third winters. Our spring season is packed with opportunities to learn, explore, and connect!
This Giving Day, how will you spread Axe of Kindness? NAU’s sixth annual fundraising event takes place Wednesday, April 3, and we’ve rounded up just a few of the day’s many exciting happenings. Win “bus bucks” on the shuttle, stay warm with limited-edition socks, drink beer for a good cause at Mother Road Brewing Company or join student organizations for an afternoon of music, food and games in the Union Fieldhouse. When it comes to supporting the Lumberjacks you love on Giving Day, the choices are endless!
Today is Arizona Gives Day! One of the biggest giving days of the entire year for nonprofits across the state. We set a goal of $25,000 to support our programs. Will you help us?
Long-time Local First Legacy Partner, Ideas Collide has generously pledged to match all gifts up to $5,000 to help us reach our goal today!
This is the day Arizonans come together and unite for positive, lasting changes in our communities by supporting the nonprofits that are making a difference in our state every day.
We invite you to step up for our youth and our communities on Arizona Gives Day with a donation to United Way of Northern Arizona.
Together we can advance early childhood development, positive youth development, and safety and security for our neighbors in northern Arizona. You can make your donation HERE.
Your donation will help ensure that we can continue our work to achieve a sustainable, just, and thriving Flagstaff through community education, engagement, and advocacy.
Arizona Gives Day is an annual giving movement uniting nonprofits, big and small, new and established, to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Arizona through online giving. The event helps raise awareness about the critical role Arizona nonprofits play in our communities and inspires people to give generously creating a thriving and stronger Arizona for all.
Thanks to a generous donor, we have a donor match of $5000!
“As someone who was born in Flagstaff and who absolutely loves everything about what the city has to offer, it is with an abundance of gratitude, humility, and excitement that I look forward to serving as Police Chief,” said Sean. “The diversity of our community, combined with the skillsets and work ethics of all members of the Flagstaff Police Department and Team Flagstaff, will be the cornerstones of our success.”
We have lots going on (as usual) on campus these days. For those of you who haven’t been here in a while, we moved our offices from the Art Barn to new digs in the Gallery Building in January.
Our featured artists for March/April are Nancy Foo, Lili Anne Laurin and Amy Light. Come check out their work in our Uptown Gallery Shop!
WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest will soon be offering fuelwood permits for the 2024 season. On the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts, the Forest Service will begin issuing permits April 15, 2024 and permit holders will be able to collect firewood April 13, 2025. On the North Kaibab Ranger District only, permit sales and firewood collection will run from May 1 through December 31, 2024.
Theatrikos is proud to bring Ken Ludwig’s divine farce, The Gods of Comedy, to the Flagstaff stage. The play is a comedic whirlwind of divine intervention and scholarly chaos, centered around a young woman who invokes the gods of Ancient Greece to save her love life. As the gods step in, hilarity ensues in the form of screwball deities, a lost manuscript of a Greek tragedy, and uproarious predicaments.
Coconino County Public Works will reopen the Willard Springs Green Waste Site on Friday, April 5, 2024 for free green waste-only disposal all season long to support residents’ efforts to clean up their properties for wildfire season.
Residents will be allowed to dump acceptable green waste such as pine needles, branches, leaves, and brush free of charge with no load limits on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through the end of the season on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
We are all aware of the crucial role the bioscience sector plays in driving innovation, economic growth, and improving healthcare outcomes in Arizona. We hope you will join us next month for a virtual update on Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap.
The Flinn Foundation, which originally commissioned this long-term strategic plan more than two decades ago, will host the free Zoom session from 12 – 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 22. You can register to attend HERE.
• Easter Champagne Brunch, Little America Hotel
• Easter Champagne Brunch, Doubletree by Hilton Woodlands Restaurant
• Easter Egg Hunt, Flagstaff Elk’s Lodge
• More events
For César Chavez Day on March 31, professor Monica Brown shares the impact of the labor leader’s work and his groundbreaking partnership with fellow organizer Dolores Huerta.
Read the blog
FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff City Council recently approved $3.33M in Rental Incentive Bond Program awards, which will be leveraged by other funding sources and result in 139 affordable rental units being constructed in downtown Flagstaff by the Foundation for Senior Living. The San Francisco Square Apartments will serve seniors earning up to 80% of the area median income and the Aspen Lofts Apartments will serve individuals and families earning up to 60% of the area median income. This funding was created by the passage of Proposition 442 by Flagstaff voters in 2022, which authorized the use of general obligation bonds for the creation of rental and ownership opportunities for residents of Flagstaff.
FLAGSTAFF — Mountain Line is launching a comprehensive community outreach initiative aimed at planning the future of transit in Flagstaff.
As the community’s 10-year transit tax approved in 2016 that funds the city’s bus system approaches expiration, Mountain Line wants to engage the community in dialogue and decision-making about a potential extension and increase of this funding source in the November 2024 election.
“After receiving valuable community feedback regarding the 2022 ordinance, we brought together our public safety partners and the Coconino County Attorney’s Office to take a critical look at ways to improve the ordinance. Together, we proposed changes that place emphasis on preparedness, such as creating defensible space, while maintaining the requirements needed to help reduce the likelihood of wildfires,” said Tim Carter, Deputy Director of Coconino County Emergency Management.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff and their contractor, Eagle Mountain Construction, along with the Arizona Department of Transportation, are working to finish Phase 1 of the Beulah/University Realignment Project. The final portion of Phase 1 includes crossing Milton Road with new water and sewer utility infrastructure, which is scheduled to begin in early April 2024. In order to safely install new utilities across Milton Road, lane closures will be required.
Countries throughout the world have committed to conserving 30% of the Earth’s land and sea by 2030, but questions remain about how such conservation efforts will be implemented and monitored without causing harm to Indigenous peoples and local communities. In a recent publication, researchers at NAU proposed a win-win solution: offer direct payments to those in target areas in the Global South in exchange for their help monitoring and validating conservation data via mobile apps. This mechanism could improve both the quality of the data collected and the economic conditions of local communities.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff and their contractor, Banicki Construction, will start construction on the Schultz Creek Drainage Improvements at US Hwy 180 in April. The project will include the installation of a new concrete box culvert under US Hwy 180 and is scheduled to be substantially complete by July 1 to help mitigate flooding before the 2024 monsoon season. Final project activities such as repaving of the highway and re-establishing nearby landscaping will be completed by Aug. 1.
Introduction to Encaustic Painting
with Helene Farrar
April 4 – 5 : Thursday: 10am – 4pm, Friday: 9am – 4pm
Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise! Investigate the ancient medium of encaustic painting in this very hands-on workshop using pigmented wax, and a heated palette! Explore a rich variety of marks and surfaces while doing image transfer, etching, and collaging in this seductive medium.
Flagstaff College/Communiversity has partnered with seven local organizations to begin a community-wide conversation on food security in Flagstaff.
TerraBirds
Flagstaff Foodlink
Just Cultivation Coalition
Northern Arizona Rural Foods Pathways Project
Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance
Friends of Flagstaff’s Future
The City of Flagstaff’s Office of Sustainability
A local group, Flagstaff First (FF), has petitioned Council to amend the Flagstaff’s Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP) to prioritize fire, flood and drought. Many community members told the Council in December and January to not amend the Plan. We need to speak again this Tuesday because FF’s petition is scheduled to be formally considered by City Council this Tuesday, March 26. Council will be deciding whether to or not to amend the CNP.
The community needs to respond to this threat by sending emails to City Council and/or speaking at the Council meeting this Tuesday and asking council members to reject the action requested in the FF petition.
Five of the most epic climbing films from around the world showing in the Downtown Crag as part of Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival 22nd Anniversary! 7 p.m.
“The safety of everyone who uses Lake Mary Road remains a top priority for County leadership and for our community,” said Jeronimo Vasquez, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We would like to thank all of the stakeholders who participated in the process that helped make this resolution a reality.”
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is set to begin work on the Cinder Lake Landfill Access Road Improvement Project. The project will reconstruct Landfill Road to improve safety, optimize travel conditions and provide stormwater enhancements and is scheduled to be complete by September 2024.
We’ll be making not one, but two major announcements at next week’s Annual Campaign & Community Impact luncheon, and we hope you will be with us when we share the exciting news about how we will expand efforts to Step Up for Our Youth.
But time is running out to register for this event and be among the first to find out about these ground-breaking developments.
Our Annual Campaign & Community Impact Luncheon will start at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 27 at Little America Hotel. Tickets are $50 / $375 for a table of 8.
The deadline to register is end of business today, March 21.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Deputy Manager and Flood Control District Administrator Lucinda Andreani testified to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on the federal response to the threat of wildfire and post-wildfire flooding. …
“I can tell you firsthand: The scale of these crises rapidly overwhelms the capacity of local governments,” Andreani said during her opening remarks. “While there are opportunities for federal support, much must be done to improve the accessibility, immediacy, and effectiveness of the federal response to the wildfire crisis.”
“Since 2022, post-wildfire flooding impacts from the Pipeline Fire have severely impacted the interstate travel corridor of Highway 89, the Navajo Nation road system, and surrounding communities. It is imperative that we continue to construct flood mitigation infrastructure in this area to reduce the threats to our community and regional economy” said Jeronimo Vasquez, Chair of the Coconino County Board and Supervisor for District 2. “Thanks to the Congressionally Directed Spending funds recently secured by Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, we now have more resources to make this much needed infrastructure a reality.”
It is hard to overstate the importance of apprenticeship programs in today’s economy, where numerous industries have identified a persistent “skills gap” in the workforce.
The State of Arizona’s Office of Economic Opportunity recently announced it is working to expand registered construction and trade apprenticeship programs with grants from its BuildItAZ initiative, but time is running out to apply for these funds.
IN THIS ISSUE
• HELLO FROM SUPERVISOR HORSTMAN
• WILDFIRE CRISIS REPORT: PRIORITIZING THE
UPPER RIO
• BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RESOLUTION
REAFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO URANIUM MINING
NEAR THE GRAND CANYON
• PARKWAY SEDIMENT BASIN/MUSEUM FIRE
• FLOOD MITIGATION COMPLETED!
• PRIMARY DATE MOVES TO JULY 30th
• ELECTIONS WAREHOUSE RIBBON-CUTTING
• URGING VOTER APPROVAL OF THE
EXPENDITURE LIMIT INCREASE FOR
COCONINO COUNTY
• SUPERVISORS ATTEND NACo LEGISLATIVE
CONFERENCE IN D.C. AND ADVOCATE FOR
COCONINO COUNTY FEDERAL PRIORITIES
• SUPERVISOR HORSTMAN ATTENDS FIRST
MEETING OF 2024 BLM/RAC
• GRAND CANYON FOOD PANTRY: HELPING
COMMUNITY, WITH ONE BAG OF GROCERIES
AT A TIME
• COCONINO COUNTY BEGINS CONSTRUCTION
ON YOUTH BEHAVIORAL RESOURCE CENTER
• PUBLIC MEMORIALS IN COUNTY PARKS
• TUSAYAN AWARDED SMART GRANT FROM
ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FLAGSTAFF — As part of the Spruce Wash Improvements Projects, a full road closure will be required on E Linda Vista Drive between N Paradise Road and N Adrianne Way for the Linda Vista Crossing Project. Access will be maintained through the closure for emergency vehicles, bikes, pedestrians. This closure will be in effect from March 2024 into spring 2025 and will allow for crews to remove and replace the existing culverts that cross E Linda Vista Drive. The City will also be removing and replacing sections of water and sewer mains and installing new storm drains within the roadway.
“We are dedicated to enhancing the travel experience for all visitors to FLG. This project has been carefully planned to minimize inconvenience to travelers. By scheduling the bulk of the work at night, we aim to ensure smooth operations without impacting departures or arrivals. Moreover, the terminal sprinkler project underscores our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all passengers for years to come. Additionally, travelers can anticipate a refreshed terminal interior with newly painted walls, updated wayfinding signage, new lighting and more,” stated Airport Director Brian Gall.
COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino County Public Works Department, in conjunction with Yavapai County, closed Stoneman Lake Road between I-17 and Lake Mary Road on noon, March 14 due to a multi-day winter storm that is forecast to impact the region starting tonight.
This closure is necessary for public safety due to the possibility of whiteout conditions from drifting heavy snow. When drifting occurs, visibility becomes limited and there is an increased difficulty for County snowplow operators to keep the road clear of snow. Stoneman Lake Road will remain closed until weather conditions allow for the County to safely reopen it.
Latest ‘Behind the Scenery’ Podcast available
On Sunday, the latest episode of the Behind the Scenery podcast aired on Apple podcasts and the park’s website.
In this episode, Canyon Interpretation staff interview Gerald Lomaventema, an award-winning silversmith, a mentor to young Hopi artists, and a runner. He’s also the great grandson of Olympic medalist Louis Tewanima. Louis won silver in the 10,000 meters in the 1912 Olympics and set an American record that stood for decades. He was also a spiritual leader in his community.
In this episode of the Behind the Scenery podcast, Gerald talks about his art, his cultural connections to Grand Canyon, and running and Louis’s legacy in the Hopi community. This episode is available on Apple podcasts and the park website.
This year Women’s History Month has particular resonance for United Way of Northern Arizona both because of the makeup of our small and mighty staff and because of this year’s theme: Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Worldwide, three out of four United Ways are led by women, but UWNA’s staff is entirely female.
I am honored to lead a team that includes Christine Pierce, our Campaign and Operations Manager; Elaine Hebestreit, our Administrative Assistant; and Tempy Wessel, who recently joined us as our Northeast Representative.
Additionally Carol Dykes and Sybil Smith continue to assist us with community engagement, managing volunteer efforts and crisis response.
Shamrock Shuffle, Downtown Flagstaff, Saturday, March 16
Get ready to Shake your Shamrock in Downtown Flagstaff! We are celebrating St. Paddy’s Day at some of our favorite bars and restaurants with this St. Patrick’s Day themed bar crawl! 2 p.m.
Learn More
FLAGSTAFF — Altice USA and Networx Cabling Systems will be working in the Southside neighborhood and West Flagstaff to install new fiber-optic line. The work is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 18 and is expected to be completed by Sunday, March 31.
NOW FEATURING:
Nancy Foo,
Lili Anne Laurin,
and Amy Light
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.
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of profiles of board members and staff of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — As per Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth’s Mission statement, “We ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”
For CCC&Y, it takes a variety of individuals to build that inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities — volunteer board members, organizational and individual members, supporters and partners, and staff members.
To promote the work of CCC&Y, the Coalition has been assisted for nearly a decade by Outreach Coordinator Frank X. Moraga. Frank has worked at the Coalition since December 2014, staffing a variety of outreach events and community resource meetings from Flagstaff to Leupp, Williams, Tusayan, the Grand Canyon, Tuba City, Page and Fredonia. He currently facilitates the monthly Tuba City Community Resource meeting. He also produces the Coalition’s weekly e-newsletter.
