
We are glad to announce that AARP Arizona Hispanic Connection will be adding several virtual offerings in the form of FB live-s in the next week or two, making it a total of four (this, of course, in addition to other posts and shares).
NAU pathogen scientist collaborating on vaccine that could prevent, treat COVID-19
C. Todd French, assistant professor of biology and leader of NAU’s COVID-19 Testing Service Center, is studying a vault-based coronavirus vaccine that could represent a step toward blocking the outbreak of a similar virus in the future
What a season! Up high, the Peaks are cleared of snow welcoming the coming summer sun; down below, the fruit trees are blossom-filled and mountain irises are quietly opening their wings. Nature’s breath, thank goodness, is as close and intimate as ever.
Still, social isolation is hard. There’s just no good substitute for gathering in a coffee shop or sharing a meal with friends. The need to be in a common space with one another is so strong that it feels like a magnetic force.
But physical distancing doesn’t have to mean social distancing! Below are some links to local projects of mutual aid and solidarity in action, as well as ideas from other communities.
Let’s create the change we want to be! Stay healthy!
The Board of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future
It is not easy to write this message. I, just like many of you, have found myself filled with many emotions ranging from deep sadness to raw anger. Many of us around the Nation are trying to find our voice, our place- ideas for how we can make a positive impact. CCC&Y has a long history of advocating for and working toward justice and equity for our community.
I was scheduled to present the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) / resiliency training live this week for a school district. I was re-struck, while speaking with these educators, by how relevant the work of CCC&Y is- even during current times. I felt gratitude for this connection and all of you who further this work.
If you have not done so already, I would invite you to visit our webinar on ACES. It will help you to gain personal insight into what happens to people, what we do to people and how society can choose to make trauma worse or better for folks. That insight then becomes sharable.
Governor Doug Ducey issued a statewide Declaration of Emergency, including putting in place a curfew starting at 8:00 p.m. May 31, 2020. The curfew is in effect from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. and shall expire on Monday, June 8, at 5:00 a.m. unless further extended. The text of the order is available here.
Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman, Sup. Liz Archuleta issued the following statement after the announcement of statewide curfew.
“Gov. Ducey has announced a statewide curfew for all of Arizona every night this week. The curfew begins at 8pm and will lift each morning at 5am. Coconino County encourages all persons to comply with the Governor’s order and limit any travel during curfew to essential needs for work or public health or safety.”
Safe Kids Coconino County, led by Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS), and Safe Kids Worldwide are proud to recognize Billy Weldon as the winner of the 2020 America’s Favorite Crossing Guard contest.
After tens of thousands of votes from appreciative supporters that earned him a spot as one of the top five finalists, Weldon was named the winner by a panel of judges because of his exceptional impact on his community and his commitment to the safety of the students.
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is participating in the Arizona COVID-19 Testing Blitz on Saturday, May 30.
This is the fourth Testing Blitz hosted by CCHHS as part of the statewide initiative which aims to test up to 60,000 Arizonans for COVID-19.
Testing will be held at Coconino County Health and Human Services, 2625 N. King Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Drive through testing and walk up testing will be available.
CCC&Y 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
According to one participant: “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!!” “The reminders to look for strengths in everyone, even yourself.”
As we head into the long Memorial Day weekend, I want to honor all of the men and women who have selflessly served our country and who have sacrificed their lives for our rights, freedoms, and liberties. Their sacrifice is not forgotten, and we are endlessly grateful for their service.
I encourage you to take this weekend to enjoy our beautiful spring weather (within safety limits). I want to thank you all for continuing to practice COVID-19 safety practices. I know this has not been an easy feat, but your commitment to our community during this time is crucial in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the health and safety of all of our residents.
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is launching a program that matches people’s savings while helping them improve their financial habits.
The Healthy Habits Emergency Saving Matching program provides free financial education/coaching and matches participants’ saving over nine months. The longer participants save, the larger the matching ratio becomes – giving participants the opportunity to triple their savings from $225 to $675.
Dear Friends,
Friends of Flagstaff’s Future is entering a new phase in its 24 years of promoting the value of open spaces, participating in city planning, and supporting locally owned businesses.
This is the first of a bi-weekly communication containing information about Local Efforts and just plain good information to have and share about our community. Each communication will also contain quotes and references to Educational articles and New Ideas followed by a Thought for the Day.
If you have ideas to share, send them to us.
If you want more information about Friends of Flagstaff’s Future, take a look at our website: https://www.friendsofflagstaff.org/ or our Facebook page.
Let’s create the change we want to be! Stay healthy!
~Board of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future
All Coconino County administrative offices will be closed Monday, May 25, 2020 in honor of Memorial Day.
While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed on Memorial Day, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will be operating under normal schedules. Please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial 928-774-4523 to connect with the non-emergency Dispatch number or to leave a message for one of the administrative offices.
More than fifteen hundred clinical trials are underway worldwide related to the coronavirus disease. Many of these experiments are focused on developing new drugs and therapies to treat patients. Along with public health measures, those are an important line of defense against COVID-19 until a vaccine is created. Learn more at KNAU.org.
As Coconino County and the state of Arizona ease out of the Coronavirus lockdown, many questions remain.
Are we heading for a second wave requiring families in hotspots to once again shelter at home? Will schools reopen this summer or fall? Are parents prepared to meet additional teach-at-home challenges? How have children survived the past few months — are they feeling depressed, isolated, traumatized, both physically and mentally?
So many questions. At the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth, we have been busy trying to help families, partner organizations and members navigate this new virtual world. …
Now, more than ever, there is so much to do to help families in Coconino County, and with your help as a supporting member, we can continue to help the community and expand our efforts to meet the ever-changing times. Please visit here for membership options.
Coconino County has suffered greatly from the coronavirus pandemic. Our residents only make up about 2% of the state, but we have 6% of the COVID-19 cases and 10% of the fatalities attributed to the disease – the highest death rate in Arizona.
Add to that the economic impact of the disease. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the four industries that have been hardest hit in terms of unemployment during this time are hospitality, retail, education/health care services, and government. Those also are the sectors that make up the bulk of our jobs in northern Arizona.
The demands on our nonprofits are unprecedented. Which is why United Way of Northern Arizona established the COVID-19 Fund two months ago, and why we are teaming up with Coconino County to lead the COVID-19 Social Safety-Net Services Coalition.
We invite you to contribute to a campaign to assist undocumented members of our community at https://www.gofundme.com/f/covid19-fund-for-flagstaff-immigrants.
These are long-time residents who’ve been working here, paying taxes, raising families, and volunteering in our community — often for many decades. Yet they were specifically excluded from federal relief funding, even as many of them have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
Immigrants have long held low-wage jobs in Flagstaff restaurants, hotels, cleaning services, and construction. And many have already been laid off in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Although undocumented workers are vital to our economic and community well-being, most are systemically excluded from safety-net programs like unemployment insurance and other public benefits. And despite paying into our tax system just like the rest of us, most will not receive a dollar of support from the COVID-19 federal relief program. This is a huge injustice!
The CDC has recently announced the expanded the list of wide-range symptoms for COVID-19. The mild to severe symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after initial exposure to the virus. The expanded list of six new symptoms is crucial for individuals who are seeking testing whom must first show symptoms.
Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Chills ***
Repeated shaking with chills ***
Muscle pain ***
Headache ***
Sore throat ***
New loss of taste or smell ***
CCC&Y has created this hour-long webinar because the effects of childhood trauma play out both personally for individuals, but also, have tremendous costs for society. There is so much that all of us can be doing to mitigate these outcomes. There is no charge for this webinar, but we do ask that you consider sharing with others and complete the survey.
According to one participant: “Though I am familiar with the topic of ACES, each time I participate in training, I learn something new. Your model of ACES presented a light of hope with interventions that can occur at each level.” “It was a great training and I look forward to more in the future.” “I am recommending this training to several folks…” “Thank you for providing amazing webinars…” “Very good training.”
The Flagstaff City Council will discuss the allocation of Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds provided by the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act and substantial amendments to the 2019/2020 CDBG Annual Action Plan at their meeting on May 12, 2020. CDBG-CV funds were allocated to the City of Flagstaff by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) specifically to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
I hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy as we work together to get through this difficult time. I want to thank you for staying committed to the safety of our community and abiding by social distancing and safety practices during this time. We, as a community, must continue to work together to ensure the health and safety of ALL community members. I know it’s not easy, but together we will get through this.
In This Newsletter:
A Note from Supervisor Archuleta
Quote of the Day
AZ COVID-19 Testing Blitz
COVID-19 Daily Dashboard
AZDHS COVID-19 Website
AZCourtHelp’s YouTube Channel
For Teens: LAUNCH Flagstaff’s Career Exploration Series
2020 Census: Don’t forget to fill it out!
Stay Connected with Us!
On April 29, Governor Ducey extended the Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected executive order through May 15. All playgrounds, basketball courts, ramadas (including picnic tables and barbecue grills), and restroom facilities managed byCoconino County Parks & Recreation remain closed at this time.
These sites include Fort Tuthill County Park, Raymond County Park, Sawmill County Park, and Peaks View County Park. Louise Yellowman County Park in Tuba City is closed to the public.
Coconino County Parks & Recreation encourages the public to engage in responsible physical and social distancing. Parks, natural areas and trails managed by Coconino County will remain open for public enjoyment; this excludes Louise Yellowman County Park.
Are you looking for things to do, both indoors and outdoors? Check out a few ideas in this newsletter and on Coconino.AZ.Gov/Parks.
Good afternoon,
Business and employee experts have been brining you the latest tools, guidance and business planning know-how every week for the last 8 weeks.
Planning phases are now beginning to transition into implementation stages for small business owners. As we begin to reengage our businesses in the coming days/weeks, NOW is the TIME that we implement the safety practices and utilize the tools and resources gathered over the last 2 months.
The United Way of Northern Arizona and Coconino County have developed a COVID-19 Social Safety-Net Services Coalition Resource Guide.
The Social Safety-Net Services Coalition is a county-wide coalition of safety-net service providers who are working together to lead, support and coordinate Housing, Food and Emergency Cash Assistance in response to Covid-19.
The guide includes information on organizations providing Spanish-language assistance including the Circle of Page, the Page Domestic Violence Center, St. Vincent de Paul’s food boxes, utility and other services; and Williams Food Pantry and More.
Coconino County will hold a public interactive Town Hall on Wednesday, May 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. using Zoom Video Communications (Zoom). The meeting will also be streamed on Coconino County’s YouTube channel and broadcast on NAU-TV.
***
El Condado de Coconino albergará un Ayuntamiento interactivo público el miércoles 6 de mayo de 6:30 p.m. a 8:00 p.m. usando Zoom Video Communications (Zoom). La reunión también será transmitida en el canal YouTube del condado de Coconino y transmitida en NAU-TV.
We need the entire community to get involved. According to the 2018 Arizona Youth survey 70.5% of Coconino County 10th graders had a low commitment to school and 50.6% of 8th graders witnessed another punched, kicked, choked or beaten. The Arizona ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) Consortium estimates 1,210 children in Coconino County have 5 or more ACEs.
Learn more about what these numbers mean, especially for our substance
use rates, the high costs to society and what can be done. There is so much hope to be had- but we need you. Our youth need you!! Visit our full report and attend our webinars at https://coconinokids.org/prevention/. These webinars are ideal development for professionals, but also, a great starting point for the community to raise awareness and take action. Parents and youth, facing isolation, will find them supportive and helpful as well. We have a webinar just for youth.
May brings new leaves to plants, longer days, and an awakening animal kingdom. This month at MNA our online offerings focus on the natural world. Join us for presentations on garden plants and soil; learn more about dragonflies, owls and reptiles; become a dinosaur detective with Dinosaur Dave; and channel your inner artist by painting the landscape. May is also the month we celebrate Mother’s Day. MNA’s gift shop is open for online business with a wonderful range of gifts. Finally, these are challenging times for all of us and there are many needs in our community. If you are able, I would encourage you to support those causes closest to you on #GivingTuesday, including MNA. Your support helps us to create new programs, educate our communities, and share the joy and wonder of the Colorado Plateau. Thank you for being a part of MNA.
Several actors from the movie “Coco”© have teamed up to send a “Thank you!” message to all the children who have stayed at home to slow down the spread of the deadly COVID-19. The artists recorded “We’re All In This Together,” a video that also asks kids to remain vigilant against the virus.
“Children are also among the unsung heroes of this pandemic,” says Carlos Moreno Jr., the actor who directed the public service announcement from his isolation at home in Los Angeles. “Our kids have sacrificed so much while staying at home. Staring boredom in the face and facing other challenges, they’ve helped to slow down this terrible pandemic.”
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is participating in the Arizona COVID-19 Testing Blitz on Saturday, May 2. This statewide initiative aims to test up to 60,000 Arizonans for COVID-19.
The CCHHS testing sites locations are:
• Fort Tuthill, 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff, AZ 86005: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• CCHHS, 2625 N. King Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86004: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.