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Connect with your community
FLAGSTAFF — CJ Crowley stands in the CCC Commons posing for his picture – his demeanor is calm, cool and collected. Crowley, a 29-year-old native of Loma Linda, California, is known on CCC’s campus as a man of many lived experiences. In his words, “Everyone has a story maybe mine will resonate with readers. I hope it does. I want others to know that you don’t have to let past mistakes define you.”
Crowley’s journey began with a childhood marked by constant change, as his father, a minister in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, led the family on a journey to various places. Eventually, CJ found himself in Arkansas, where he attended a Christian boarding school. It was there that he was invited to join the gymnastics team.
“I was a ground tumbler, and my favorite move was the full layout,” Crowley recalls, reflecting on his early days in gymnastics. He excelled in the sport, staying active and even playing basketball while gaining skills in gymnastics. His talents on the mat did not go unnoticed, and he was offered a gymnastics scholarship at Southwestern University in Texas. Crowley earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, but he soon realized that the traditional 9-to-5 employment in his chosen career field was not fulfilling.
With a family background steeped in military service, including his father’s service during the Cold War and his brother’s tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was only natural that the military presented itself as a potential path.
Portions of the North Kaibab trail, between Manzanita and Supai Tunnel, will be closed beginning at sunrise on Monday, December 18 and ending at sunset on Sunday, December 24. Closures will be in effect from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. to allow for contractors to install seismic survey nodes in Roaring Springs Canyon.
Work crews will be installing survey nodes in highly technical terrain above the trail, which may result in inadvertent and unpredictable rock fall onto the North Kaibab Trail. These survey nodes are small, wireless sensors that will be able to detect and record seismic activity in the area.
For the latest trail updates, please visit the park’s Critical Backcountry Updates page.
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth wishes you a Happy and Joyful holiday season.
Change is coming in 2024 for our popular News website and our weekly e-newsletter.
Our News website is currently under construction and will merge with our main website next year.
As part of that transition, our regular weekly e-newsletter will also take a break during the next few weeks as we look to give it a fresh look in the coming year.
And we want your help!
Please CLICK HERE to submit your suggestions to help us better design a weekly e-newsletter that better meets your needs in 2024.
Thank you to everyone who has already provided some great suggestions for our newsletter so far. Very much appreciated.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Sedona Arts Center Artists of all levels, working in all mediums are invited to enter into our Annual Juried Exhibition & Sale. The exhibition will run from March 6-31, 2024
Monetary awards will be given for First Place/Best of Show Award ($500), Second ($250) and Third ($150) place.
Honorable mention awards will be awarded at the discretion of the jurors and no monetary amount attached.
People’s Choice Award is announced at the end of the show. No monetary attached.
DEADLINE for submission: January 20, 2024
How to Apply:
43rd JURIED ART EXHIBITION – Apply Online at Cafe – Click Here.
The number of unhoused individuals in Arizona jumped almost 25 percent between 2020 and 2022 as safe, affordable housing disappeared throughout the state. This is a thorny, multifaceted issue, and one that health sciences researcher Sara Shuman is tackling as part of a federal effort to better understand and address homelessness throughout the nation. With a focus on health equity, Shuman and her team will document the needs and experiences of people living in encampments and evaluate the strategies used to manage homeless encampments in Yuma, Pima and Maricopa counties.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC), the County’s Diversity Council and other supporters will participated in the annual Flagstaff Holiday Parade of Lights at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 in downtown Flagstaff.
Presented by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and the Vora Financial Group, the parade features more than 60 entries.
Please join the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, Vora Financial, and the Flagstaff Community in celebrating the holidays by participating in the Annual Holiday Parade of Lights!, the chamber reported. With parade floats lighting up Historic Downtown Flagstaff, you won’t want to miss out on the fun and festivities that have become a holiday tradition in Flagstaff.
In order to step up for our youth, we need to make improving access to childcare a top priority.
According to a report released just this week, the lack of adequate childcare in Arizona is costing the state $4.7 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue each year.
The analysis, conducted by ReadyNation with major funding by the Helios Education Foundation, shows that not having accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare is adversely impacting parents, businesses, and taxpayers.
Artist in Residence ‘Pop Up’ Event, Saturday, December 9
On Saturday, December 9, from 2-4 p.m. a pop-up exhibition will feature the work of GCC Artist in Residence, Annie McCone-Lopez and Grand Canyon Summer School children. The event will be held at the Park Headquarters building with an artist talk at 2:30 p.m.
Annie McCone-Lopez will be exhibiting an eight-foot hand painted Mayan codex that represents her take on the water crisis in the Southwest. During her time in residence over the summer at Grand Canyon, McCone-Lopez also worked with Grand Canyon Summer School to create codices based on the same theme. The student codices will be displayed alongside Annie’s.
More information can be found in the attached flyer here.
Winter Recreation Updates and Safety
Much of Coconino County is a winter wonderland! Parks and natural areas offer great winter recreation opportunities. Strap on your boots, snow shoes, or cross-country skis, and enjoy the trails. Make snow forts and snow people. Have a (safe) snowball fight. Enjoy the beauty of nature in the snow, whether birdwatching or walking in the trees.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth would love to wish you a happy and joyful holiday season.
During the next few weeks our regular weekly e-newsletter will be taking a break as we look to give it a fresh look in the coming year.
And we want your help!
Please CLICK HERE to submit your suggestions to help us better design a weekly e-newsletter that better meets your needs in 2024.
Read More
Capturing language, one conversation at a time
Between school papers, social media, texts, news reports, speeches, blogs and podcasts, Americans record billions of words in a year. But billions more are lost—the language we use in conversation among friends and family, to the grocery clerk or Uber driver and our walking partners. Researchers in the Applied Linguistics program are leading the creation of the largest-ever corpus of American English conversation, which could change what we understand about this most basic register of language.
Join us at Sedona Arts Center on Wednesday, December 6, from 4-6 pm for Celebrate Sedona and the opening of our annual exhibition—The Big Gay Art Show! The event is free and will be held in the Theatre Studio and Special Exhibitions Gallery at the Art Barn with free parking in our lower lot.
In addition to the exhibition, attendees will enjoy an evening of festive music by DJ Shondra, food and drinks, door prizes, and a Holiday Market with one-of-a-kind items by CJ Henderson, Denize Katzen, Susan Moody, Victoria Norton, Jillian Sander, Sedona Incense Company and Iris Yang, and entertaining bits and curiosities by Arizona’s Hip Historian Marshall Shore.
Discover the captivating intersection of science and storytelling in the heart of Flagstaff, Arizona as local writer and educator, Nicole Walker, unravels the hidden secrets of the coastal redwoods. In a recent blog post, Nicole tells us about the intriguing exploration of resilience, shedding light on the ability of redwoods to utilize decades-old carbon for rejuvenation after wildfires, a topic inspired by her personal experiences with the annual fire concerns in Northern Arizona.
Visit our website to read the full article!
North Rim transitions to winter operations; Hwy. 67 closed at Jacob Lake
Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, November 30, the North Rim was closed to all vehicle traffic for the winter. State Route 67 and all services on the North Rim are expected to re-open on May 15th, 2024 (subject to change).
As in years past, the North Rim campground will be available for winter camping and is accessible via hiking inner canyon trails from the South Rim or by hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing 45 miles from Jacob Lake. To camp at the North Rim during the winter months, visitors need a backcountry permit, which can be obtained in advance through the South Rim Backcountry Information Center.
We imagine a world where every person lives in peace and is supported by a thriving, resilient community.
The purpose of CCC&Y is bold and your help is needed.
When you become a member of CCC&Y, your financial contribution helps cultivate and strengthen well-informed communities by providing education and resources, bringing stakeholders together, building new systems of communication and more.
CCC&Y is building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities.
Through leadership, education and advocacy. By becoming a member you add your name to an expansive list of individuals, families, businesses and organizations who are igniting collective action that creates better lives for children and families.
Please visit Membership Options
Make an Online Donation
Remember, CCC&Y is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status-so your contributions are tax deductible eligible. Please consult your tax professional.
Measuring biodiversity across the U.S.—with space lasers
Diverse ecosystems support the web of life and in the process, provide food, water, medicine and materials for humanity. But the butterfly effect tells us all things are connected. So, when biodiversity loss threatens the foundation upon which we live, what does that mean for the future of Earth and humanity? NAU research professor Chris Hakkenberg is taking a necessary step to finding a solution to biodiversity loss: mapping and measuring biodiversity across the U.S. using NASA’s space-borne lidar.
STEM is more important to our community – and our world – than ever before. Hardly a day goes by when STEM is not in the headlines: artificial intelligence, climate change, space exploration, breakthroughs in medicine, and much more.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are nearly 10 million workers in STEM occupations and this total is projected to grow by almost 11% by 2031, more than two times faster than the total for all other occupations.
Your support is critical to growing and sustaining MNA’s work. In 2023, we:
Opened three new exhibitions;
Welcomed nearly 2,000 students on school visits;
Shared the MNA collections with hundreds of members of the public;
Provided over 200 researchers with in-depth access to collections;
Hosted numerous educational events that connect visitors with the art, science, and culture of the Colorado Plateau through authentic experiences;
And so much more!
On Giving Tuesday, we come together to support the causes that matter most to us.
This year, I’m asking you to join us and create more opportunities for our communities in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache County to step up for our youth by supporting not only our children, but those who take care of them as well.
An underlying aspect of many of the programs we manage or fund is about being a partner to the parents and guardians who are raising the next generation.
This year marks our 35th anniversary, and we’re gearing up for an even better Science in the Park. With Giving Tuesday right around the corner, will you make a contribution towards Science in the Park?
Families get to experience 50 unique science demonstrations—physics, chemistry, and more! What’s more, youth-focused vendors participate at no cost, so every child can join in.
Imagine the impact: your support nurturing a future scientist or STEM professional. Your donation creates ripples of inspiration that last a lifetime.
Ready to be part of something amazing? With your help, we’ll reach our $5,500 goal. The Festival Board has generously offered a one-to-one match up to $1,000! Make your gift online by December 2 and it will be doubled! Or, send us a check to: 2700 S. Woodlands Village Blvd. Set 300 – 284, Flagstaff Arizona 86001!
Holiday Sale in our Gallery!
10% OFF Any Purchase in our Gallery* November 24 Through December 31, 2023 *Get 10% off any purchase of $100 or more in our Uptown Art Gallery through December 31, 2023! Current SAC Members receive an additional 5% off.
*Excluding Bronze Sculptures and Special Exhibitions. Sedona Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax (an almost a 10% savings!)
Use coupon code HOLIDAY10 at checkout when shopping online.
(discount not available for workshops, classes or special exhibitions
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
CCC&Y partners are taking an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and programs throughout Northern Arizona by being part in the annual GivingTuesdaymovement on Nov. 28, 2023.
CCC&Y partners who are participating in our GivingTuesday promotional effort include:
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation — Donation link
Flagstaff Festival of Science — Science in the Park — Donation link
We believe GivingTuesday is a perfect fit for our mission: “We ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”
Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and a fantastic GivingTuesday celebration.
We couldn’t do it without you.
We are United in Purpose 365 days a year, and together we are stepping up for youth and our community in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties. We are promoting early childhood education, positive youth development and the safety and security of our friends and neighbors in our local communities.
This Thanksgiving we are more grateful than ever for your friendship, partnership and support.
Warm wishes for a wonderful holiday,
Liz, Christine & Elaine
We have so much to be thankful for here in this beautiful land of the red rocks.
Mostly I am thankful for all of you who make it possible for us to do this amazing work on behalf of more than 1,000 artists throughout this state and nation. If not for you, Sedona Arts Center would not exist.
While we are working hard to bring workshops, classes, exhibits, programs and events to you throughout the year, we continue to need your support. Now more than ever.
As a thank you, we are offering a 10% discount in our Gallery Shop from November 24 through December 31.
And please be sure to check out our Contemporary Surrealism exhibit up now through November 30 (it’s received fantastic reviews) and stay tuned for Celebrate Sedona on December 6 – which will be a holiday dance party -and the opening of the Big Gay Art Show.
On behalf of all of us at Sedona Arts Center,
I’d like to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving
and wonderful holiday season.
Again, thank you.
Warmly,
Julie A. Richard
CEO
Following a historic season, both NAU cross country teams placed second at the NCAA National Championships: the women scored 124 points and the men scored 71 points. Along with being the best team finish in school and conference history, this also is the first time the women have placed three athletes in the top 20. This is the eighth consecutive year that the men finished in the top two at the national meet.
FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will host a Women in Wildland Fire boot camp in April of 2024 for individuals interested in exploring a career in wildfire and is currently accepting applications.
Boot camp participants will gain a greater understanding of the challenges and responsibilities of wildland firefighting through sessions conducted both in the classroom and in the field.
Class work will consist of online training modules, where participants will learn about wildland firefighting strategy and safety.
During field training, participants will follow guidelines set by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to explore firefighting as a career in a hands-on way.
UPCOMING School Offerings
Taking Classes and Workshops on our campus in Uptown Sedona affords the opportunity not only to explore the arts, but also to meet new people and immerse yourself in the Sedona arts community. We also have a variety of online workshops as well.
Besides what you see in this email, there are more offerings on our website.
Click here to see all of our classes and workshops.
FLAGSTAFF — Spanish language and English learning students at Coconino High School celebrated el Día de los Muertos with their second annual shoebox ofrenda competition. The winners were selected this week with students and others voting throughout the month.
“This contest is an innovative way for our students to express their creativity and learn about the cultural significance of Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead,” said teacher Francy Solarte. “As a school committed to fostering cultural awareness and artistic expression, we are enthusiastic about providing our students with such opportunities.
“The Day of the Dead Mini altar contest is a competition where students create beautiful and meaningful altars using a shoe box,” Solarte said. “They can pay tribute to a family member, pet, or person who has contributed to society. They also write an altar dedication in Spanish and their home language. This is an interdisciplinary project between Spanish classes and English Language Learners classes. We exhibited the mini altars at the library starting November 2nd and we closed with a parent night on November 8th. The school community and parents had the opportunity to visit the exhibition and vote for their favorites.”
The need for programs that encourage physical health have never been more essential for our region’s youth than now.
According to the United Health Foundation, only 16.8% of Arizona children between the ages of 6 and 17 are physically active for an hour a day. The latest report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicates that 31% of children 10 to 17 in the state are overweight or obese.
Part of stepping up for our youth includes ensuring our kids make healthy choices – from the foods they eat to putting down their devices for a while and getting active.
InterTribal Economic Summit recap
Last week, the park hosted the Emergence Summit, the second Grand Canyon InterTribal Economic Summit. More than 60 participants were in attendance including Tribal vendors, tour operators, entrepreneurs, partners, and park staff. The purpose of the summit was to discuss ways the park and its many partners can best work together to improve economic benefits for the park, private companies, Tribal partners, nonprofit partners, and the surrounding communities.
Keynote speaker Natasha Hale (Navajo and Saudi Arabian and pictured above), cofounder of Change Labs, offered lessons from her 15 years of experience supporting Native entrepreneurs and economic equity on the Colorado Plateau.
“To move past these wrongs, we still have to keep talking about them. But I think we’re all eager to move past it,” said Hale. “That’s what Emergence is about – we want to be able to co-manage these lands, but we also want to be able to have access to that economic power.”
You can learn more about the summit from Grand Canyon Trust’s website here.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Accessibility View
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October/November 2023
District 1 Newsletter
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In This Issue
Letter from the Supervisor
Supervisor Horstman Appointed to Resource
Advisory Council for Arizona Bureau of Land
Management Lands
County Flood Mitigation Projects Nearing
Completion
Rural Ground Water Management Community
Discussion
County Supervisor Association Holds Annual
Summit in Coconino County
Introduction to the Coconino County Criminal
Justice Coordinating Council
Vice President Harris’ Fight for Our Freedoms Tour
Visits NAU
County FCD Director and National Wildlife
Commissioner Lucinda Andreani Report to
Congress
Govenor Appoints Two from Coconino County to
Arizona Arts Commision
Fort Valley Sign Installed
Dia de Los Muertos Celebration
United Way of Northern Arizona Campaign Kickoff
for 2024
Family Food Center, Thanksgiving Stuff the Bus
Community Events and Resources
Honoring our elites
Two students in the Class of 2023 were awarded the President’s Prize, NAU’s highest honor for undergraduates, and more than 20 other students were recognized as Gold Axe winners or Distinguished Seniors at a ceremony Tuesday night. The awards, which recognize excellence in the classroom, in research and in life, are one of the highlights of the year for senior leadership; in a video presentation, President Cruz Rivera said he always appreciates the opportunity to brag about the students and experience the sense of joy and accomplishment felt by the award winners and their families, friends and mentors who have supported them throughout their collegiate career.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
CCC&Y partners have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and programs throughout Northern Arizona by taking part in the annual GivingTuesday movement on Nov. 28, 2023.
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth wants to support your effort by providing links to your organization and donation pages in our upcoming weekly e-newsletters.
CCC&Y partners who are participating in our GivingTuesday promotional effort include:
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation — Donation link
Flagstaff Festival of Science — Science in the Park — Donation link
Still time to join our GivingTuesday spotlight effort.
We believe GivingTuesday is a perfect fit for our mission: “We ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”
GRAND CANYON, AZ — During the early morning on Thursday November 9, 2023, our water system did not provide adequate levels of chlorine in the water being used from Roaring Springs.
As a result, our water was not disinfected as the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) requires. Therefore, our water system violated a treatment technique standard for maintaining adequate disinfection for water delivered to customers from Roaring Springs. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation. After this problem was identified, Operators immediately notified the State Drinking Water division and Grand Canyon started the process to identify the source of the failure. The source was identified, and adequate chlorination was restored on Friday morning, November 10, 2023.
Editor’s Note — Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces and www.AmigosNAZ.com wishes to thank District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vazquez and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors for their support of the 20th annual Celebraciones de la Gente, held Oct. 21, 22 at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Attending the closing ceremony, above, was Supervisor Jeronimo Vazquez and family. Your continued support was very much appreciated.The 2023 Celebraciones de la Gente was also supported in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) and APS. Celebraciones presented in partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Also — Message from Jeronimo
Board Opens Application Portal to Fill District 3 Supervisor Vacancy when Supervisor Matt Ryan Retires
District 2 Highlights
Coconino County Services and Programs
Community Events & Resources
And more!
Rock Your Mocs Week November 12-18
As part of Native American Heritage Month, next week is Rock Your Mocs Week, when Indigenous people across the country show their cultural pride by wearing traditional moccasins.
Moccasins are not always worn in public by Indigenous people. They hold special significance and are most often worn for ceremonies and other cultural events. During Rock Your Mocs Week, the National Park Service encourages Indigenous employees to take pride in their heritage by wearing moccasins. A flyer for this week can be found here.
Grand Canyon National Park is proud to celebrate Native cultures and traditions by helping to share their rich histories and ongoing contributions to our park and our country.
So rock those mocs!