NAU’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies has crowd-sourced a list of outstanding historical and contemporary figures who advocated for women’s rights and human rights across all conceivable fields of intellectual, political, medical and artistic endeavors from different geographical locations. From artists to authors to protestors, these women are recognized for their contribution to human history.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget is seeking candidates for vacant seats for Coconino Community College District #2 and Coconino Community College District #3.
Both Coconino Community College District #2 and Coconino Community College District #3 serve a term of six (6) years.
He was tired of chasing after a big paycheck and wanted to do something more for his community.
That’s why Coconino Community College student Frank Stucjus decided to return to school a bit later in life.
“I really like the idea of helping people get the tools to solve their problems,” Stucjus said, adding that he’s had a tumultuous life and would like to help navigate through the tough spots in their own lives as a counselor or a teacher. “I wanted to do something that gives back to the people around me.”
Creative Flagstaff is thrilled to share the 14th Annual Viola Awards finalists. Winners will be announced at the Viola Awards on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff. Tickets for the event will go on sale soon. Read more about each of this year’s finalists on our website.
Con este programa iniciamos el tema del Crédito. Dialogaremos sobre varios conceptos crediticios.
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With this program we start the topic of Credit. We will be talking about various credit concepts.
When Elevate PreK launched its year-round early childhood education program at Kinsey Elementary School last August, expectations were high.
The three-year pilot program was designed not only to fill the gaps in accessing high-quality preschool education in Flagstaff for lower- and middle-income families; it was a chance to showcase best practices and spur more professional development for all early childhood learning professionals.
In just a few months, however, the program has also become a force for good in the lives of the families of the 18 children who attend Elevate PreK.
Outdoor mask zones now lifted throughout the park; masks still required in government buildings and transportation
More updates will be provided soon following DOI and NPS all employee emails this afternoon (Thursday, March 3)
This week, Superintendent Keable has made the decision to remove the outdoor mask zones in the park. This week, the outdoor sandwich board signs have been removed from Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza to Mather Point and Hopi Point. The remaining signs in historic district, Desert View Watchtower area, all shuttle bus stops, and entrance stations will be pulled beginning today, March 3. We will be modifying the Superintendent’s Compendium in the coming days to reflect these changes.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget has announced the scheduling of interviews for two 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, chapter official, and two current board members to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointments.
Sedona Arts Center’s 41st Annual Juried Members’ Show, our community’s largest and longest-running group exhibition of visual art is now showing through March 31 in our Special Exhibitions Gallery in Uptown Sedona. And it’s free to the public!
Visitors will find everything from painting and watercolor to metal, wood, jewelry, and fiber art. A focus is also placed on drawing, mixed-media, photography and digital art. The Members’ Show is steeped in tradition and remains open to all current Arts Center members, whether seasoned professionals or new and emerging artists.
The show will be open 10AM – 5PM Monday through Saturday, and noon – 5PM on Sunday in our newly renovated Special Exhibit Gallery and Theater.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget has announced the scheduling of interviews for a Governing School Board Member open seat at Grand Canyon Unified School District #4.
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.
Two Coconino Community College students have been recognized for the esteemed 2022 All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship.
The scholarship provides free tuition for 60 credit hours at the recipient’s choice of one of the three state universities – Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
This year, Frank Stucjus and Andrea Clayton received the news from CCC that they were selected for the All-Arizona Academic Team.
“It means I don’t have to worry about the tuition coming out of the money we use to pay bills,” Stucjus said. “There is no question now that I’m going to stick it out to the end.”
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
“We imagine a world where every person lives in peace and is supported by a thriving, resilient community,” — Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
As recent world events show, those words ring true now more than ever, not only in Coconino County but around the globe.
How can you help globally?
Here is a list by a former high-ranking State Department employee who lives in Kyiv of how you can directly support humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
Voices of Children addresses the psychological effect of armed conflict on children. Founded in 2015 in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Voices of Children provides art therapy, mobile psychologists, and individualized support to traumatized children. Individuals can donate through bank transfer, credit/debit card, or Apple Pay or via voices.org.ua/en/donat.
The International Rescue Committee has a long history of providing resources to refugees fleeing countries facing humanitarian crisis. Its leaders have responded to the situation in Ukraine by meeting with organizations in Poland and Ukraine to provide whatever assistance is needed. You can make a donation via its website. While the organization will accept donations of any size, it states on the site that a monthly donation of $108 will provide eight families with temporary shelter.
CARE is an international humanitarian organization that has set up an emergency Ukrainian Crisis Fund with the goal of providing immediate support for 4 million people.
Read More
The 2022 Flagstaff Festival of Science will reveal “Pyramids to The Peaks” on September 23- October 2, 2022 in Flagstaff, Arizona. World-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, Ph.D., will begin the free, 10-day adventure with a compelling presentation sharing his passion for archeological discovery in the fascinating world of pharaohs and Egyptian gods.
Incredible discoveries by Dr. Hawass include the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya Oasis. One of his most significant research efforts was the Egyptian Mummy Project, which used modern forensic techniques such as CT and DNA analysis to answer questions about royal mummies, including King Tutankhamun’s family, and solves the murder mystery of Ramesses III.
Effective July 1, 2022, Grand Canyon National Park will increase the cost of overnight backcountry permits. Grand Canyon began charging for overnight backcountry permits in 1997 and last modified backcountry fees in 2015.
The cost recovery charge for overnight backcountry permits will increase for all permits that begin on or after July 1, 2022. The charge of $10 per backcountry permit remains the same; the nightly per person fee will be increased from $8 per person to $12 per person or stock animal camping below the rim in designated backcountry camping areas. This increase does not affect camping fees at Mather, Desert View, or the North Rim campgrounds.
“Coming here to the nature helps me, it gives me energy. When I’m coming here and I see my family coming here, they come back a little bit happier and I think that’s part of the healing process for us. When we are in the cities, we are always doing activities, running, school, work. Here is a time to relax, it’s a time for us to be able to appreciate what we have around us. It’s a time to spend time with ourselves and lately we don’t have a lot of that time. So make the time, go outdoors.” – Ángeles Arroyo, LO outing participant.
This past month, Latino Outdoors Los Angeles and Los Padres ForestWatch teamed up to take Latinx families on a snowshoe hike to Mt. Pinos in the Angeles National Forest.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced new metrics to guide COVID-19 mitigation practices.
The new metrics will continue to consider caseloads to determine community risk level and will also incorporate the impacts on the healthcare system as indicators to determine appropriate prevention measures for each county. According to the CDC, counties in Low and Medium can consider going without masks in public indoor settings. In High, the CDC recommends masks in all public indoor settings, including schools.
Members of the public are invited to submit applications for community garden plots starting on Tuesday, March 1. Garden plots are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, with priority being given to returning gardeners who submit an application by April 1.
Community garden plots are available for rent at three locations; the Bonito Location at 527 W Elm Avenue, the Izabel Location at 2300 N Izabel Street and the Southside Location at 900 S O’Leary Street.
The public is invited to attend local School District Governing Board informational sessions.
The informational sessions, hosted by Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget, will allow time for interested candidates to ask questions and complete required documents. Sessions are free and no appointment is required.
Due to winter weather, the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count has been rescheduled to Feb 24, 25, & 28 throughout the City of Flagstaff from its original dates of Feb 23-25. Volunteers are needed for Monday, Feb 28!
NAU Theatre presents “Luna,” a play by Ramon Esquivel. Thurs.- Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 2 p.m.
– Application Deadline: March 15, 2022
The Tailgate Paint Out is a new 3-day event that will be held from June 3-5, 2022. Sedona Arts Center will invite up to 30 artists to Sedona for a paint out and sale.
The Tailgate Paint Out is a first-of-its-kind event and is supported by a group of very experienced and enthusiastic staff and volunteers. Sedona is a sublime environment with stunning beauty, and the Sedona Arts Center has roots going back 60+ years to the founding of Sedona. If you have never been to, or painted in Sedona, this is a great opportunity to get to know our incredible scenery, sell work and be eligible for great prize money! We are focusing this event on artists that have never been to one of our events in the past or are emerging artists. Tailgate Paint Out is supported by a grant from the AZ Office of Tourism.
Stride Forward is moving forward. Over 300 people have already completed the online survey. But we want MORE! More responses. More confidence in the results. More representation from the community. More comments to deepen our understanding.
To fulfill its mission of Improving lives by mobilizing communities, United Way of Northern Arizona has always depended on its volunteer Board of Directors to direct our efforts. While never an easy job, over the last few years it has been even more challenging as the pandemic and other crises created a huge demand for services in the community.
Historical Trauma Specialist Certification LEVEL 2 online training will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 1 (MST) and 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 (MST).
Members of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth will receive 20 percent off both trainings. For members to receive the promo code, contact CCC&Y Executive Director Virginia Watahomigie at virginia@coconinokids.org
Discounts are also available for those CCC&Y members who have not taken the required Historical Trauma Specialist Certification LEVEL 1 online training, that focuses on intergenerational trauma and the impact of Epigenetics, cultural dispossession, segregation & displacement of BIPOC.
The City of Flagstaff Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Events Division is partnering with Southwest Decision Resources and Wheat Design Group to collaborate with Flagstaff community members on the future of the 8.5-acre Thorpe Park Annex parcel. Public feedback is essential in crafting a well-rounded concept design for the future of this parcel.
To kick-off the community involvement process, information sessions, including online feedback opportunities, are scheduled for Wednesday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. – both sessions are open to all members of the public and will hosted virtually through Zoom.
Unveiling the secret lives of ticks, Dr. Joe Busch leads us through fascinating research in population genetics. Joe, a Senior Research Scientist at the Pathogen & Microbiome Institute (PMI) at Northern Arizona University, studies Cattle Fever ticks. These ticks pose a major threat to food security in the United States, and Joe uses DNA fingerprinting markers to track tick movements and look for the spread of certain genetic groups.
Changes in testing at the Grand Canyon Clinic
The Clinic has modified their COVID-19 testing procedures and now will be offering curbside appointments Mondays and Fridays from 2-3 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Patients will now need to be seen by a provider for these appointments. Insurance is accepted, and no one will be turned away if they don’t have insurance and can’t afford testing. Individuals will will be billed for a provider visit. It is also important to remember that North Country has a sliding fee scale for the uninsured.
Patients are encouraged to call ahead and get on the curbside appointment list as soon as possible. Patients can also walk in and see a provider at any other time to be evaluated for COVID.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, announced (Feb. 15) kindergarten through 12th grade students and families impacted by COVID-19 can now request wraparound support services, such as groceries, lodging, and laundry.
The board of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has approved a series of Legislative Priorities for 2022
The policies cover education, family heath care, foster care, juvenile justice, kinship care.
CCC&Y is a non-partisan organization who supports educated, engaged and participatory communities.
Last week, NAU announced an admissions pilot program that will broaden access for higher education in Arizona. By aligning with current high school course offerings, this program will eliminate barriers that undermine the college-going aspirations of highly talented, diverse students throughout the state, giving them a clear pathway to attainment and supporting the state’s prosperity.
The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) (on Feb. 14) announced $40 million to provide up to 500 transitional homes for Arizonans in rural communities who are experiencing homelessness.
“Today’s targeted, one-time investment will help Arizonans who’ve fallen on hard times get back on their feet,” said Governor Ducey. “Additional transitional housing in rural communities will help struggling families and individuals get access to safe housing in their own community as they transition to a permanent, reliable home. My thanks go to the team at the Department of Housing and Director Tom Simplot for their work to support fellow Arizonans and ensure they have access to resources that put them on the path to success.
In 2021, Latino Outdoors leaders from around the United States gathered along California’s north coast for our annual leadership campout following a year of physical distance. Bajos Los Redwoods provides insight into our experience in community and connection.
Housing staff would like to thank you for your feedback and involvement in helping create the final 10-Year Housing Plan. The Plan was approved by the Housing Commission on January 27, and it will go to Flagstaff City Council for consideration of adoption on February 15 (next week!). This is a celebration for affordable housing and the momentum for housing local residents is strong. I have attached the final Plan for you to share.
Here is the webpage with more detail about the Plan, extensive public engagement, and public comments.
The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) to present Black History Month Essay and Art Contest for all students.
See upcoming Black History Month events through Feb. 11 here
See upcoming Black History Month events through Feb. 28 here
ADAC partners with Goodnight Flagstaff and readers from the LBE CommUnity Project to offer special Saturday storytime readings with folk and fairy tales from the African Diaspora. Click here
There is so much your donation supports when you Step Up and donate to United Way of Northern Arizona.
Like QCKids, the program featured in the video above. Families who have children with disabilities often have difficulty finding care that will prepare their children for kindergarten. The problem is compounded for low-income families, many of whom have difficulty finding affordable, quality child care at all.
QCKids provides a program for children from infancy to 6 years with a focus on identifying and addressing cognitive, physical, social, intellectual and emotional disabilities in order to support learning at a young age to help them better prepare for their future.
A survey of City and County residents revealed strong support for climate action with 94% acknowledging that climate change is happening and 74% agreeing it needs to be addressed. Greater Flagstaff MetroPlan conducted the random sample survey in November 2021 as part of Stride Forward a regional transportation planning effort with an October 2022 completion date. 412 City residents and 262 County residents in areas like Ft. Valley, Doney Park and Kachina Village participated.
4 February 2022
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Winter Snow Play
Highway 180 Health and Safety
American Rescue Plan Allocations
COVID-19 Omicron Variant
COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing
Museum Flood Area Warning System
Renewable Energy Ordinance Virtual Open House
Upcoming NACo Legislative Conference
Introducing Chris Newell, District Director
Contact Us
The Arizona State Parks Board has selected Coconino Parks and Recreation as a recipient of a 2022 American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Grant, in the amount of $923,306 for the Fort Tuthill Improvement Project.
This project will provide greater outdoor recreation opportunities to park visitors by improving two parking lot surfaces at Fort Tuthill County Park, installing a new sewer line from the campground, and improving a walkway to the outdoor amphitheater.
“With Fort Tuthill County Park seeing increased visitor use throughout the year, the park’s infrastructure is being tasked like never before. We are thankful for the Arizona State Parks ARPA Grant award because important infrastructure like parking lots and a campground sewer line connection will allow visitors to benefit from these improvements now and in years to come,” said Cynthia Nemeth, Parks and Recreation Director.
For more information on this, please visit American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Grant.
So, I know this girl. She is twelve years old. She lives in a loving home. She made friends with neighborhood kids. Kids who had lived through much turbulence and instability on their road to adolescence. One day, this girl decided not to go to school and instead spent her day at the mall without the intent of returning home that night. When three in the afternoon rolls around, this girl is not home. Her mom starts wondering where she is. Mom calls the girl’s phone- no answer. She called the bus barn to see if her child was on the bus, but the driver had left for the day. So, mom waits. After a short period, mom starts calling around friends’ houses. No one had seen or heard from the girl.
By 6 p.m., mom calls the police to share her daughter is missing.
Native Americans are one of the least represented populations in the field of computer science. Moreover, Native American participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM fields) at the college level continues to be severely limited, resulting in a fraction of Native Americans earning bachelor’s degrees in STEM and computer science. Education researchers have found that a lack of rigorous preparation in mathematics and computational thinking, beginning as early as elementary and middle school, are major factors in this underrepresentation.
Assistant professor Morgan Vigil-Hayes of NAU’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems was awarded $275,944 by the National Science Foundation for a two-year project entitled “Towards Culturally Responsive and Computationally Rich Problem Based Learning for K-5 Students.” The project’s goal is to develop solutions to this problem, beginning right here in the Flagstaff community.
View this email in your browser February 7th, 2022 Come connect with your community Featured Resource Adult & All-Ages Events Youth Events Book Clubs To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, please call 928-213-2331 (Downtown Library) or…
We hosted another show on Finances (in Spanish) on our AARP Arizona Hispanic Connection FB page. We should be launching AZ Vote 2022 series soon. Stay tuned.
On (Feb. 1), the Coconino County Board of Supervisors proclaimed February 2022 as Black History Month.
In celebration of Black History Month, the African Diaspora Advisory Council is now accepting entries for their Black History Month Essay and Art Contest. The contest is open to all students in Coconino County. Submissions will center around the theme of Black Health and Wellness and must be received by February 20, 2022. For more information on the essay contest, visit http://ow.ly/joQa50HLRCz.
The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) (on Jan. 31) launched an advertising campaign to spread the word that financial help is available to struggling Arizona homeowners through the state’s Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). The print, radio, digital, and social media ads, in English and Spanish, will concentrate in rural Arizona and encourage homeowners facing foreclosure to apply for assistance.
“The HAF is open to eligible homeowners statewide and the word has spread in many urban areas about the program,” ADOH Director Tom Simplot said. “This ad campaign aims to reach those rural communities where there may be low-income homeowners in need and there are limited other resources available to keep them in their homes.”
The West sees destructive wildfires every year—yet it hadn’t seen anything like California’s Camp Fire. Three months after the most destructive wildfire in recent history, wildfire sociologist Catrin Edgeley went to the devastated town of Paradise to learn how residents and town leaders were recovering. What she found was that, even with the frequency of fires, many cities and towns found themselves navigating unfamiliar territory as they attempted to rebuild. In her research, Edgeley didn’t just want to know how people and towns recovered; she wanted to know how lessons learned in one disaster could be individualized and applied to other fires—lessons that are increasingly important in Arizona as climate change leads to longer, more severe fire seasons.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget is seeking applicants for two vacant seats on the Maine Consolidated School District #10 Governing Board.
Applicants must reside in the school district and be registered to vote in Arizona. Applicants or their spouses cannot be an employee of the district.
Interested applicants can download an application online and email to cmango-paget@coconino.az.gov or fax to (928) 526-1469. All applications must have a live signature and be mailed to 2384 N. Steves Boulevard, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 by March 2, 2022.
Many supporters of United Way of Northern Arizona and its mission first learned about UWNA through a workplace campaign. After hearing about the work UWNA does, they chose to make a donation, often through an automatic payroll deduction.
We are grateful many choose to continue their support after they retire from the workforce.
People like Susanna Maxwell and Barry Lutz, a couple who began giving to UWNA more than three decades ago through workplace campaigns at Northern Arizona University. Although they both retired in 2010, that hasn’t slowed down their support.
From the beginning to the experienced student, this one-day class in oil or acrylic will guide and teach students how to approach the painting process with confidence, while exploring the basics of value-pattern, composition and color. Students may work from life and/or photos. Instructor demonstrations and lots of individual attention provided.
An unforgettable night of music at the Grand Ol’Opry of Flagstaff… The Museum Club. 8 p.m.
The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) is now accepting entries for the Black History Month Essay and Art Contest.
The contest is open to all students in Coconino County. Submissions will center around the theme of Black Health and Wellness and must be received by February 20, 2022.
“This is our tenth year holding the essay contest, and our first adding the art contest. It’s a joy to see how our young people will engage with the theme. The theme this year is ‘Black Health and Wellness,’ so we are inviting students the option to engage through recognition and celebration of that theme and Black healthcare heroes and heroines. We greatly look forward to seeing what the students of Coconino County have to say in words and art,” said Khara House Chair of ADAC.
Beginning Feb. 8, 2022, the first phase of short-term repairs and upgrades to the Phantom Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) will begin. Work is anticipated to be completed by December 2022 and includes two phases of hauling equipment via helicopters. The first phase is anticipated to go through March, and the second phase is expected to resume in September.
Inner canyon trail users in the vicinity of Phantom Ranch may experience temporary delays of up to 15 minutes, and noise and dust from equipment and helicopters. The contractor, GSE/Coventina Water, LLC, will have limited use of a heavy-lift helicopter (Chinook) to haul supplies and equipment. Visitors should follow directions from National Park Service (NPS) staff and construction crew workers as needed in the work zones to maintain safety.
Grand Canyon National Park, located in northern Arizona, encompasses 277 miles (446 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
In December, Coconino County Supervisor for District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez, shared his story with us about how connections to the outdoors can empower our communities and instill a legacy of stewardship. He writes: “The time I spent outdoors left a profound impact on me, instilling a legacy of stewardship that I hope to pass on to my children, and to my community.”
To read this blog post, click here.
Alfonso Ortiz Tirado was an opera singer and medical doctor born in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico in 1893. His obvious musical talent surfaced early in his life but nevertheless he decided to study medicine. It is in this capacity as a doctor that he is remembered by his many charitable contributions to the Mexican people, especially children. He also had a successful international career as an opera singer, earning the designation of “Tenor of the Americas”.
After a one-year hiatus required by Covid 19, the 37th Annual Music Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado happened this year in his birthplace of Alamos to pay homage to its illustrious son. The festival sponsored renowned local, national, and international musicians in numerous styles such as opera, classical music, popular music, and rhythm and blues, and also presented an important way for emerging performers to develop networks and foster their reputation.
LO Portland hiked the Tamanawas Falls on January 2, 2022 to ring in the new year. While hiking the falls, located within Mount Hood National Forest, the group stopped and snapped this picture.
LO Leader Kassy Delgado reflected on the hike afterwards “Enjoying conchas, tamales, and dulces while admiring a wintery waterfall, what a wonderful way of welcoming 2022!”
Conchas y Cascadas for the new year? Que maravillosa!
