For the last two years, Laurel Malm, the first graduate of a joint program between nursing and ROTC, was on the front lines of health care, working in the COVID ward at Flagstaff Medical Center. Now she’ll take that experience with her into the Army, applying the leadership lessons she learned from ROTC and the need for flexibility, collaboration and focus she’s learned in nursing school.
Severe winter weather has returned to the Grand Canyon this week, so it’s time to offer a few reminders on winter preparedness!
If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the Coconino County Emergency Notifications to receive voice, text, and email emergency notifications generated by Grand Canyon Dispatch and public safety officials.
When Driving: Slow down! Try to keep a nearly full tank of gas in your personal vehicle throughout the winter. Keep an emergency kit in your personal vehicle. Suggested items are extra blankets, water, extra gloves, warm hat, snow pants, snacks, traction devices, jumper cables, flag, flashlight, first aid kit, plastic sheeting, and phone charger. Be prepared for any type of emergency.
At Home: Keep extra food, water, light sources, and blankets available in case of a power outage.
When Walking: Always have the appropriate gear, clothing, and footwear. The potential for slips, trips, and falls increases dramatically in winter. It is recommended that shoe traction devices be worn while walking in icy conditions.
When the pandemic took hold in northern Arizona in the spring of 2020, there were so many unknowns. How severe would the impact of COVID be? When would lockdowns be lifted? How long before we had a viable vaccine?
One thing we did know: Coconino County nonprofits and agencies were going to be hard-pressed to meet the challenges during an unprecedented crisis.
That’s why the United Way of Northern Arizona and Coconino County launched the Social Safety Net Coalition. Its goal was to help those providing basic needs coordinate their efforts to address an ever-evolving situation. Almost two years later, this group continues its impressive, collaborative work.
The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth (CCC&Y), sees you! We see all the ways you support folks in your neighborhood and our community! You are helping to “bring back the village,” and you’re doing great!
Let’s face it, life can be challenging, and too often, we are collectively stressed. Stress is normalized. We can acknowledge that some stress is good for us, keeping us thinking and maybe even providing us a boost to take necessary action. However, maintaining health requires that we offer ourselves opportunities to decompress. CCC&Y hopes you gift yourself with time to reconnect with yourself and those closest to you.
During this season of reflection, CCC&Y invites you to cozy up with some tea and a warm blanket and take a few mindful moments to recognize and honor your inner self and notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. (“Mindfulness for Parents and Professionals”). If our opportunity for Mindfulness feels supportive to you, we invite you to share it with others.
First, youth and young adults were invited to craft creative COVID-19 public health messages. Now, it’s the community’s turn to choose their favorites.
The Arizona Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities set out to inspire Arizona youth and young adults to showcase their artistic talents through the “It’s Our Turn” contest, asking them to add their unique spin on public service COVID-19 messages, especially around masks and vaccines.
Jamie Begay, who earned a master’s in public health, has spent her educational career doing outreach and research on public health in Indigenous communities; finding a program that allowed her to specialize in Indigenous health brought her back to her alma mater for a second degree. At no time did this come together more than when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Navajo Nation particularly hard; she kept busy delivering food, medicine and other necessities to Indigenous communities and checking in with people. The love of community drives Begay. “The value of that experience stems from my appreciation and responsibility I feel for my community. Through that experience, resilience was the foundation of our efforts.”
Souls of Forgotten Objects
Curated by Geoffrey Gorman
Now Showing through December 23, 2021
in the Special Exhibition Gallery at Sedona Arts Center
Open Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm
Exploring the intersection between trash and treasure, Souls of Forgotten Objects brings found or forgotten objects together to create something beautiful. Whether that is an old tree branch, bike tire, cardboard, colorful material, metal or paper, the exhibit takes these found or lost materials and turns them in to magnificent art. Curious, evocative, dynamic or meditative, Sedona Arts Center invited artists to think outside the box, canvas or convention in submitting pieces for this spectacular exhibit.
When Alondra Angelica Alvarez Ortiz was seven years old, her family moved from Mexico to the U.S. She spent every night thereafter crying herself to sleep—she missed her little hometown of Gomez Palacio, visiting her tia’s snack cart after school and dressing up in a long traditional skirt and bright red lipstick to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day. She didn’t understand America, with lines down the middle of the roads and lack of people in the back of pickups. She also didn’t understand the “better life” her mother insisted she would have here, for which she sacrificed so much. How could a society so fixated on working and money be better than her simple and carefree Gomez?
For the first time in two years, NAU will celebrate commencement in the Skydome, with almost 2,800 students completing their degrees and President Cruz Rivera officiating his first commencement as president of NAU. With snow in the forecast, people traveling for commencement are encouraged to sign up for text alerts (by texting “NAU” to 237233) and leave extra travel time.
Winter Road Conditions and Reporting Emergencies
With the first major snow of the season arriving, here are a few reminders on park road conditions and reporting emergencies, especially during periods of inclement weather.
When a road closes in the park, Grand Canyon Dispatch, who are staffed 24 hours a day, receive the notification and immediately will update the road conditions outgoing message. This number should be programmed into your phone if it isn’t already; it is: 928-638-7496. Please do not call dispatch for roads updates unless you are reporting an emergency.
This past April, we lost a man whose unique talents, fearless entrepreneurial spirit and insatiable curiosity left both our community and the business sector a better place. Now, thanks to his family, his impressive collection of business books is available to the public through The Lynn Hagen Business Library at ECoNA.
George “Lynn” Hagen was a serial entrepreneur, the named inventor of 29 patents, and the founder or executive of several notable and pioneering companies. You’ll probably recognize many of the businesses he was associated with: Osborne Computer, creator of the first commercially successful portable computer; Upper Deck® trading cards; and Tagworks®, maker of laser-engraved pet identification tags.
In This Issue
9 December 2021
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Perrin Ranch Tour
U.S. Forest Service Commitment
Coconino County Redistricting Process
State Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Process
Downtown Flagstaff Holiday Celebration
Winter Snow Play
Upcoming Winter Events
COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing
Contact Us
During this season of giving, we’d like to ask you to consider donating your time (and maybe a few non-perishable items) to the Flagstaff Family Food Center (FFFC), a UWNA partner that has served thousands of our neighbors when they were at their most vulnerable.
The organization, which opened its doors on Christmas Day exactly 30 years ago, has provided meals through its daily hot dinner and sack lunches at its kitchen on North 2nd Street, or through its Food Bank on Huntington Drive.
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has created a series of no cost webinars for professionals, parents and youth, to provide them skills that are needed now more than ever.
“Strengthening Families: Protective Factors —” We hosted this 1.5 hour webinar to ensure we look through a strength-based framework that is evidence-based, supports families and is prevention focused. This is for the community, as well as, professionals.
Trainer
Claire Louge, Prevention Child Abuse Arizona
“I was so surprised that I could use the information in a lot of work that I do and not just with youth and families. It is truly amazing how it related to just every day life. It was great!!” according to one participant.
“Appreciated the new perspective on the the protective factors from the trainer. Good examples and activities,” said another participant.
Rachel Stice works as a dispatcher with the National Park Service at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Although she loves her job, she has designs on being a park Ranger. A first step on that journey is to get certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. Luckily for her, Coconino Community College’s Page Center offers an Emergency Medical Service course to help her achieve her goal.
“I work a lot behind the scenes, behind the computer with our Rangers for visitor and resource protection,” Stice said. “Along with that, we have a lot of medical calls in our area.”
Graduate Eduardo Moreno’s experience in NAU-Yuma’s nursing program encompassed a breadth of experiences—working in the COVID-19 unit during clinicals, educating the community about the stigma behind mental illness and substance abuse and spending a little time in the hospital as a patient. He did it all with the goal of increasing access to affordable and effective health care.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget announced interviews of candidates for the Governing School Board Member open seat at Page Unified School District #8.
An advisory committee has been assembled consisting of a district resident, district teacher, chapter official, and two current board members. The Committee will conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointment. Candidates seeking appointment are Mr. Michael Mangum and Dr. Terry Maurer
The City of Flagstaff will host an in-person Home Energy Efficiency Workshop on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. This continues the Home Energy Efficiency Workshop Series, with the 1-hour informational and demonstration event scheduled to occur approximately once a month throughout the winter. This workshop series is held each winter season to help both renters and homeowners save money, reduce energy use, and make their homes more comfortable during cold weather.
At the free workshop, a licensed contractor from CozyHome will demonstrate simple do-it-yourself energy efficiency upgrades, showing individuals how to weatherize homes and save money on utility bills.
Explicamos el programa del Seguro Social, sus fondos, sus beneficios y sus beneficiarios.
Medical anthropologist Lisa Hardy says we all need to get comfortable with questions this season: Are you vaccinated? Do you mask appropriately? Will you wear a mask in my house? This kind of communication prioritizes safety and socializing.
Last week the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, as a “Variant of Concern.” This new variant appears to have originated in the southern part of Africa. However, there have been reported cases in Canada, Australia, Israel, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Hong Kong, and now the United States (California and Minnesota).
President Biden has added some precautionary measures until we know more about the new variant and has restricted air travel from South Africa and seven other nations in the southern region of Africa.
The best protection against Omicron is getting fully vaccinated — and getting a booster shot as soon as you can. The CDC recommends people follow prevention strategies, such as wearing a mask in public indoor settings and congested outdoor settings, washing your hands frequently, and physically distancing from others.
Thank you for attending events at the Coconino Center for the Arts over the past couple of years. Did you know CCA has a membership program? Memberships begin at just $4.17/month.
Benefits include member’s only pricing to Creative Flagstaff and Coconino Center for the Arts events, concerts, and workshops, invitation to special members-only events, and more. See a full list of membership levels and benefits here. Members help keep gallery admission free and underwrite many of our educational programs and events, keeping our programs accessible and affordable.
We recently began in-person events again. I hope you will consider joining us for an upcoming concert or Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival’s A Christmas Carol (vaccine/test required). Upon joining as a member, we will send a promo code to use for discounts for many of our upcoming events.
Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (www.coconinokids.org) is working hard to better understand root causes of trauma and promoting tools for resiliency. We know that social connection is a key protective factor for both youth and families.
During Covid, we began a virtual youth open mic. The purpose is to provide a safe space for youth to express themselves through music, art, poetry, theater, dance, photography, or cultural sharing. The event takes place the first Sunday of each month at 4 p.m. The next event is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 5.
Shop CCC Scarves for Scholarships at the Annual Fine Craft & Decorative Art Market and in the CCC Lone Tree Campus Commons this Saturday & Sunday; and Monday – Thursday.
Visit the Coconino Community College Foundation booth for festive holiday gifts.
The Scarves for Scholarships fundraiser supports Nursing Student Scholarships at CCC.
Why not stay warm and cozy this year while helping to support a good cause all at the same time?
NAU 4 All club president, Transfer Jack, internship, job and honor society: They’ve all kept psychology major Shaelynn Cauthen busy. Being that involved has allowed her the opportunity to narrow down what she wants to do in the future that’s waiting after commencement on Dec. 10.
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on November 30 and will kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.
Beginning December 1, 2021, visitors traveling to Grand Canyon National Park this winter season should be prepared for modified changes in operations. Visitors should also plan ahead and anticipate temporary road closures and poor driving conditions whenever winter storms pass through the area.
The following operational changes will be in effect beginning on December 1, 2021:
Shuttle Bus Operations
Support student success at Coconino Community College by giving to the CCC Foundation on Giving Tuesday – a global, online generosity movement designed to transform communities this Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
For more than 30 years, CCC has been putting “Students First”. This year, your gift on Giving Tuesday will go towards the CCC Foundation Greatest Needs Fund, which supports the immediate financial needs of CCC students.
This year, many of us will be participating in Thanksgiving with family and friends that we have not seen since before the pandemic. After such a long time apart, this is a time to reconnect as a community and to reflect on what we are grateful for. Several research studies have found that a regular practice of gratitude, or an attitude of gratitude, is said to have far ranging emotional, social, and health benefits. In fact, benefits associated with gratitude include better sleep, more exercise, reduced symptoms of physical pain, lower levels of inflammation, and other benefits.
The HECHO team is practicing gratitude during this time of year and we are grateful for the collective push for a sustainable and just future, for our community’s efforts in the movement to conserve public lands, and for our cultural connection with nature.
COCONINO COUNTY — In this season of giving, CCC&Y wishes to celebrate Heather and Art Babbott and their family for their extraordinary contribution toward the CCC&Y Mission.
The Coalition relies on the generous help of our supporters, community partners and members to eliminate childhood trauma and inequity by building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities. Through leadership, education and advocacy, we are reconnecting children and families to the greater community and their own potential.
Our Mission:
Igniting collective action to cultivate, honor & empower resilient, thriving communities.
Our Vision:
We envision a holistic community where all children of Coconino County are increasingly free from trauma experience and all have equitable opportunities that build resiliency.
We could not accomplish our mission without the support our funding partners and our more than 100 members.
The Coalition will also be taking part in Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30 Please consider hosting a fundraiser for CCC&Y on your Facebook page.
Or click here to contribute by donating or becoming a member.
Once again, thank you very much to the community, our partners and members for your generous support. Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season.
Here at Sedona Arts Center, we have so much to be thankful for.
More than anything else, we are thankful for our community of artists, instructors, art lovers, patrons, volunteers, staff and supporters who have helped us thrive over the last 63 years. We are truly grateful for you and we look forward to sharing more art, creativity, and inspiration with you in the years to come!
May you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!
We wanted to take a moment to send warm wishes to you and yours for a lovely holiday this week. May you have safe travels, fabulous meals with family and friends, and much for which to be grateful.
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
Carol, Heidi, Christine, Elaine & Sybil
Holiday COVID Reminders
This time last year, we saw a spike in COVID cases. As a reminder, please continue to follow these tips from the CDC and all NPS guidance both inside and outside the park so that we can minimize the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season.
Protect those not yet eligible for vaccination by getting yourself and other eligible people around them vaccinated.
Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth if you are in public indoor settings.
Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces.
If you are sick or have symptoms, do not host or attend a gathering.
Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
As we prepare to spend time with family and friends, sharing love and thoughts of gratitude, we wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and express some of what has made us grateful this year.
On the top of that list is you. Your support, insights, collaboration and drive to see a more economically vibrant region are what fuel our mission.
One of our favorite NAU Thanksgiving traditions is winning a national cross-country championship … but we’ll get to that in a minute. 😉 For the rest of us, it means cutting down a Christmas tree, spending days putting together a puzzle, drinking at a local dive bar, crafting with kids, creating a tablecloth full of memories, celebrating Native American heritage and more. Here’s how our Lumberjacks spend the holiday.
Museums are places of connection. They connect us to the past, to place, to culture, and to each other. The Museum of Northern Arizona has provided connections – between art and science, land and culture, people and places, and much more – for 93 years. Although the past 20 months have been the most challenging of MNA’s long history, with your generous support, we have continued to provide connections to our community and beyond. If you believe, as I do, that these connections are vital as we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, I would be honored if you would support MNA with a year-end gift.
As a way of giving back to the community, we will be offering free entry to the museum during the annual Winter Market on December 11 and 12. I hope you will take the opportunity to visit and connect with us. We have missed you throughout the pandemic!
NAU and President Cruz Rivera honored the Class of 2021 President’s Prize recipients, Maree Mahkewa and Angel Marshall, 29 Gold Axe Award winners and nine Distinguished Seniors at a formal ceremony on Nov. 16 at the High Country Conference Center.
She wants to be a surgeon.
To that end, Page resident Ryan Thomas, 18, is doing her best, through Coconino Community College, to get as many college credits out of the way before she ever leaves Page High School.
“I’ve always been focused on helping people and giving back to them,” Thomas said.
High school students in Coconino County have three options if they are interested in receiving college credits. Dual Enrollment students take college-level courses at a significantly reduced cost at their high schools. Concurrent Enrollment students take college-level courses at regular tuition costs at one of CCC’s campuses. Finally, Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology (CAVIAT) students take college level, vocational-based courses, leading to an industry or CCC certification, at no cost to the student, at one of CCC’s campuses.
Thanksgiving Holiday – CCC is Closed
Thursday, November 25 – Sunday, November 28, 2021
The college will reopen on its regular schedule Monday, November 29, 2021.
CCC is always open online at www.coconino.edu
Upcoming Vaccine Event-Monday, December 6
We are pleased to announce that we are once again partnering with Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Grand Canyon Rec Center to host a vaccine event for the Grand Canyon community. This event is scheduled for Monday, December 6 inside the Rec Center in the large community room.
We are still working with the County to finalize specific times as well as what vaccines will be available to what age groups for this event. More information, including a flyer, will be shared in the near future on these details.
As we continue our annual fundraising campaign for United Way of Northern Arizona, we wanted to take a look at how your generosity impacted the safety and security of residents in Coconino, Navajo and Apache in fiscal year 2021.
Which raised a question: what exactly is “safety and security,” and how did your Stepping Up for Our Community change lives?
There are the three basics that everyone knows – food, shelter, clothing. However, safety and security encompasses so much more than that. It’s about access to healthcare and vital medications, funds to pay for utilities, and financial education and employment programs so families can have a better future.
Here are some of the ways UWNA with its partners transformed your donations into strategic programs that helped those in need in the past year:
COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has created a series of no cost webinars for professionals, parents and youth, to provide them skills that are needed now more than ever.
Self-Healing Communities with Kevin Campbell is an argument for moving away from treating individuals, community members and families as the “recipient” of services, from medicalizing unlivable lives, from not acknowledging systems of injustice and a move toward the scientifically-based call to action of participation, truth and community healing.
“This presentation is outstanding- thank you!” “Thank you for the space and conversation….this was excellent!”
We’ve also created Igniting Collective Action: Moving Beyond ACEs, an hour-long webinar that explores the roadmap to creating change at the community and system level by using the findings of both leadership research and today’s thought leaders. One participant said:
“This training was truly amazing and can be used no matter your walk in life … I hope that everyone and anyone takes advantage of this presentation. It really can make a difference.”
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget has announced the scheduling of interviews for the Governing School Board Member open seats at Maine Consolidated School District #10.
An advisory committee will be assembled consisting of a district resident, district teacher, and two current board members to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointments.
Ora Marek-Martinez understands the need for Indigenous students to find community in order for them to reach their full potential in college. Marek-Martinez, who is of the Diné, Nez Perce and Hopi tribes, felt lost more than once while a student at NAU. As executive director of the Native American Cultural Center, her role is to create a place where the students who come after her will find the support, academic resources and familial and spiritual services needed to be successful at NAU and beyond.
As part of our celebration of Manufacturing Month, ECoNA’s Business Retention and Expansion Team had a special guest at its October meeting – Scott Reynolds, Director of Engineering at Electric Torque Machines.
In its 13-year history, this producer of direct drive motors has gone from a garage-based startup to being acquired last year by a major manufacturing company.
It began in 2008 under the name Motor Excellence. Started by engineer Tom Janecek and David Calley (founder of Southwest Windpower), the company’s goal was to create an improved design for direct drive motors.
These motors eliminate the need for transmissions such as gearboxes and belts, are lighter and more efficient than traditional motors and are used in numerous applications that require high continuous torque at low to moderate speeds, such as conveyor belts, pumps and fans. In fact, you can see ETM’s work if you go to the Flagstaff Airport, where ETM motors power the high volume, low speed ceiling fans in the terminal.
Online learning opportunities are perfect for students who are interested in taking one of our educational opportunities, but prefer to work at home. These learning opportunities provide a well-rounded experience in various visual art mediums.
Our workshops are live online learning experiences with one-on-one interaction between student and instructor. Click here to see all our online learning opportunities
Giving Tuesday, November 30, is a global generosity movement, one to which you can contribute meaningfully. This popular day of giving back has grown to inspire millions of people to make a contribution during the holiday season.
How can YOU make an impact on GivingTuesday? Donate to the Flagstaff Festival of Science!
At United Way of Northern Arizona, we love sharing with you the stories that illustrate the good work we are doing with our partners to Step Up for Our Youth and Our Community.
It’s work that you make possible through your generous donations, which we then direct to proven programs and services the improve the lives of our residents in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties.
But sometimes, numbers can be even more impressive than stories. Sometimes they give you the full picture of the impact we are achieving together. Numbers like:
28,204 books that were distributed in the last year to young children (birth to age 8) through programs like the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and KinderCamp.™
In This Issue
11 November 2021
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
U.S. Forest Service Chief Visits Coconino County
Four Forest Restoration Initiative Investment
Western Interstate Region Annual Conference
Coconino County Redistricting Process
State Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Process
Meeting with NAU President Cruz Rivera
Ft. Tuthill Restroom Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Stuff the Bus
FDA Approved COVID-19 Boosters
COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines
COVID Information Line and Testing Site
Contact Us
Coconino County participated in a meeting yesterday convened by U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema with support from Senator Kelly and Congressman Tom O’Halleran regarding the future of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).
With the cancellation of the Phase 2 of the 4FRI process by the Forest Service about two months ago, the Senator invited the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Randy Moore to address the future of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) and other forest restoration projects impacting Coconino County. The County Board of Supervisors have identified wildfires and post-wildfire flooding as the greatest public safety threats in the County.
Honoring Our Veterans
On Veterans Day, we take a moment to salute the men and women who serve, and have served in our nation’s military. Many people have repeated Colonel Walter Hitchcock’s famous words, ‘Freedom is not free’ because it succinctly captures the essence of military service.
We want to express our great appreciation for every GRCA employee and resident who has served in the armed forces. We especially want to thank all of those who sacrificed and shared in the sacrifices of military service members. The nation owes a debt of gratitude for service members and their families and their sacrifices.
Thank you, Veterans!
CCC&Y’s Action and Outreach Committee would like to make sure that individuals are aware that redistricting conversation, maps, and comments are taking place now. These decisions determine what district voters will vote in and how representation will take place. The results of redistricting last for 10 years and ultimately impact policy decisions. Please make sure you are informed and that your voice is heard.
The 30-day comment period ends on Nov. 20. The Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission will then take the feedback, make final change before they are approved in December, the Arizona Daily Sun reported this week.
The final maps will use to elect candidates for the next 10 years.
The satellite location of the next public hearing to be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the High County Conference Center, 201 W. Butler Ave., Flagstaff. Click here for the agenda or here for future meeting information.
