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.
FLAGSTAFF — Join us Wednesday, April 10 at 7pm in Liberal Arts Room 120 for a screening of La Sociedad de la Nieve (Society of the Snow), the 2023 survivor thriller film based on the experience of survivors of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes and the harrowing decisions they must make to survive while trapped in one of the most inaccessible and hostile environments on the planet.
The NARBHA Institute and Coconino Community College unveiled major new investments in our youth at our recent United Way of Northern Arizona Annual Campaign and Community Impact luncheon.
The NARBHA Institute announced a $100,000 grant being awarded to UWNA to further our efforts to foster youth leadership, promote youth mental well-being and resilience, and increase their sense of belonging and inclusion. (That’s The NARBHA Institute COO Jon Perez receiving the Community Builder Award from UWNA President & CEO Liz Archuleta and Board Chair Armando Ruiz during the luncheon).
The majority of the funds from The NARBHA Institute will be dedicated to expanding the KinderCamp™ program to rural areas in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties.
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.
FLAGSTAFF — A popular trailhead leading to two of the most popular trails in Flagstaff will be closed for the next two months for public safety and to make room for workers and equipment while construction occurs.
The trailhead for Elden Lookout trail and Fatmans Loop trail will be closed beginning Monday, April 8 through May as contractors reconstruct the trailhead and repave and expand the parking area to accommodate up to 50 vehicles as well as other visitor facilities.
COCONINO COUNTY — As the snow melts and the weather warms up, a variety of organizations are busy planning and presenting a number of health, welfare and education fairs throughout Northern Arizona.
The Coalition opened its outreach season on March 28 by staffing the Family Health Fair at Star School in Leupp. The event, presented by Star School and the Winslow Indian Health Care Center, featured a number of information tables for parents staffed by representatives from the Coconino County Health & Human Services, Coconino County Parks & Recreation, Native Americans for Community Action (NACA), North Country HealthCare, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension — Coconino County and the Winslow Indian Health Care Center and Youth Wellness.
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!
It looks like winter will not let up in Flagstaff. With another storm set for this weekend, we are going to push back our season start date to the week of April 15th. We want to make sure our trails are ready and avoid causing any damage to them. This extension will change the last week of the season to May 27-31 and will not allow for any makeup practices. We will do our best to get creative with practices if necessary so we don’t cancel any practices throughout the season.
There are still the following junior groups with open spots:
FLAGSTAFF — The Northern Arizona University’s Student Activities Council is presenting a series of events to honor labor leader Cesar Chavez.
Monday April 1, 2024
Location: IMQ Center (Fieldhouse)
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Speaker: Dra. Vanessa Bustamante
Presentation: Standing Together: Xican Activism As A Model for Social Change
“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.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County’s annual winter parking restrictions has ended on April 1. Winter Parking Ordinance 2022-06 prohibits vehicles, trailers, and storage containers from being parked in County-maintained rights-of-way at all times during snow season, which runs annually from November 1 through April 1.
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.
Also see: Arizona Daily Sun — Gallery: 16th annual Viola Awards
FLAGSTAFF — Ballet Folklórico de Colores won the “Excellence in the Performing Arts Award” at the 2024 Viola Awards held on March 23, 2024 at the Orpheum Theater. The event was presented by by Creative Flagstaff.
More than a 100 guests celebrated the 42 finalists across 10 categories at the event.
Ballet Folklórico de Colores of Flagstaff was recognized for its “Paseo Navideno: A Christmas Journey Through Mexico” performance held at the Orpheum Theater on Dec. 9, 2023.
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.
Spring Break is here!
As Spring Break continues for the next several weeks, we can expect long lines and full parking lots throughout the South Rim. As a result, traffic regularly backs up at all entrance stations, with wait times of up to one to two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Parking lots begin reaching capacity by 12 p.m. and shuttle bus wait times will be prolonged.
Thankfully, our fees program is fully staffed and have been working diligently towards expediting wait times by moving traffic into specific lanes. Visitors with pre-paid passes are still encouraged to go to Lane 1 to reduce wait times in line.
Conscious Aging
Monday, April 8, 15, 22, 29
1:30 to 3 p.m.
The class will focus on the philosophy and skills needed to become a wise elder through life review and harvesting, finding meaning and purpose, and leaving a legacy.
Aging – Learn more and register!
• 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.
“The arts are a $13.5 million industry here in Sedona providing jobs and attracting cultural tourists who spend more and stay longer than the average tourist. According to the recently completed Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study which was led by Sedona Arts Center, our tourists rank 2nd in spending among all 373 study regions in the US.
The arts add so much to our quality of life, and yet, we still struggle to support our programs, exhibits, events and school. Please consider supporting Sedona Arts Center this AZ Gives Day with a generous investment in our work. Thank you.”
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.
Please join CCC&Y for its next Prevention Council Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 4. Our meetings provide our coalition partners with the opportunity to share the latest news about their projects that support children, youth and their families in Northern Arizona.
The CCC&Y Prevention Council has its roots in our long history of child abuse prevention, our most recent work with substance misuse prevention and our overall commitment to understanding the protective factors, resiliency research and assets our community needs to thrive.
Some examples include:
Planning for previous Child Abuse Prevention Conferences
Engaging in multiple projects with International Child Welfare expert, Kevin Campbell
Developing a library of recorded webinars
Initiating the PAWS community arts and education project
“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.
Event also served as launch of CHAC’s Covid-19 History Project
FLAGSTAFF — After a several-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council’s (CHAC) finally celebrated it’s sixth annual César E. Chávez Community Breakfast on Friday, March 22, 2024 at American Legion Post 3 in Flagstaff.
The event, which drew nearly 100 guests and local dignitaries, was highlighted by guest speaker Cesar L. Chavez, grandson of the civil rights and farm labor leader, and son of Anthony Chavez, Cesar’s youngest son.
Cesar, who was born and grew up in the farm worker movement, spoke about legacy of the late farm leader and shared personal memories including joining his grandfather to picket lines and demonstrations in the Central Valley plus cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego. They went on hikes together in the mountains surrounding UFW headquarters at La Paz.
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.
Come celebrate Cesar Chavez Heritage Week by taking advantage of the many activities taking place at NAU and in the Flagstaff area!
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.
The Bright Angel Trail is anticipated to reopen Monday, April 15 following a 4 ½ month closure.
Contract work is currently on schedule and no delays are anticipated at this time. As a reminder, the trail closure remains in effect for the Plateau Point Trail through March 14, 2025.
More information on the Transcanyon Waterline project can be found on the park website here.
A variety of virtual health and welfare resource networking meetings are held each month in Coconino County. The meetings offer health professionals and representatives from a variety of governmental and non-profit organizations the opportunity to share information on upcoming programs and events that benefit the educational, health and welfare needs of children, youth and families throughout the region.
The following is a listing of some of those meetings.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s STEMMY Awards Ceremony. The evening was full of celebration, innovation, and dedication to advancing STEM education and awareness within our beloved community. A special thanks to our esteemed keynote speaker, Dr. David Engelthaler for joining us.
Highlighting excellence across various sectors, the STEMMY Awards showcased individuals and organizations who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to STEM education and awareness.
Watercolor and Ink for the Traveler
with Casey Cheuvront
March 27 : 11am – 4pm
Watercolor is a popular, flexible medium, and suitable for anyone that travels and would like to capture the beauty of their surroundings. In this workshop we will explore watercolor basics, using a journaling/sketchbook approach. We’ll cover the basics of composition, value, brushwork and color relationships, experiment with color mixing and ink drawing, and finish by working with the living landscape to create sketchbook paintings that can stand on their own or serve as inspirational notes for later studio works. At the end of the workshop, you should have begun a sketchbook of your own that you can carry virtually anywhere, which will allow you to record your travels, and your progress in this medium. Suitable for beginners a
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.”
State leaders recently called upon health sciences researcher Dierdra Bycura to analyze firefighter recruitment and retention across Arizona. Working with experts from the Franke College of Business, Bycura published a report showing that most firefighters in the state are satisfied with the profession, but some say they struggle with mental health and large call volumes. The report’s findings could influence future state policies.
“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.”
On Tuesday, March 19th, the Flagstaff City Council will consider a proposed zoning code amendment to allow residential dwellings on lands zoned as “Public Facility.”
We would like to share with you the letter that F3 sent last week to city council members and staff regarding our concerns with the proposed amendment and our support for the addition of a Conditional Use Permit requirement.
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
