Author: Community Contributor

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Jan. 13-17, 2025

by Community Contributor • January 17, 2025 • Comments Off

Inner Canyon Trails Reopen Following Chlorine Gas Leak at Roaring Springs

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, at approximately 5 p.m., the Water Utilities team was alerted to a chlorine gas leak at the Roaring Springs Pumphouse through the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. In response, a small park-led incident command team was mobilized, and aviation staff conducted aerial reconnaissance to ensure no hikers or backpackers were in the vicinity of the affected area. To prioritize safety, all inner canyon corridor trails were temporarily closed while the situation was assessed.

City of Flagstaff seeks community members to serve on public art panels

by Community Contributor • January 17, 2025 • Comments Off

Panelists will evaluate artists, artist proposals or participate in discussions about projects. The total time commitment ranges from approximately four to 12 hours spread over multiple days, depending on the project. All meetings are held virtually to ensure accessibility and convenience. People from all backgrounds, industries and demographics are encouraged to apply.

Coconino County Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group Meeting

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2025 • Comments Off

The Coconino County Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group (CPAG) is meeting monthly. This temporary group, invited by the Board of Supervisors, represents the diversity of the County. The role of the CPAG is to provide recommendations on the updated goals, policies, maps, and implementation strategies of the Comprehensive Plan Update, Envision 2045 to the Board of Supervisors, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and staff.

Coconino County Closures for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2025 • Comments Off

Coconino County’s Administrative Center, the County Manager’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, and the County Superior Court and Justice Courts will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) offices and clinic will also be closed. There will be an Animal Services officer available on Monday from 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Contact the CCHHS Animal Services office at 928-679-8756 to leave a message and an officer will return the call. Call 911 for emergencies.

City of Flagstaff announces Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures

by Community Contributor • January 16, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — City Hall administrative offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City Hall offices will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 21 with regular hours.

Other City of Flagstaff facilities that are closed on Jan. 20 include:

East Flagstaff Community Library (3000 N. Fourth St.)
Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library (300 W. Aspen Ave.)
Hal Jensen Recreation Area (2403 N. Izabel St.)
Joe C. Montoya Community and Senior Center (245 N. Thorpe Rd.)
Cinder Lake Landfill and Hazardous Products Center (6770 E Landfill Rd.)

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Your membership, donations support the work of CCC&Y

by Community Contributor • January 15, 2025 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY — 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.

One of those individuals is Heather Marcy, deputy director at Northland Family Help Center in Flagstaff.

Northland, which provides safe haven, advocacy, counseling and education services to promote and restore healthy relationships, recently took part in the Flagstaff City Council Proclamation ceremony declaring the month of January as Human Trafficking Awareness month. The organization also held its second annual breakfast fundraiser at Little America late last year.

The NAU Review — The extinction risk facing freshwater animals + NAU’s days are back!

by Community Contributor • January 14, 2025 • Comments Off

The results of a new study, published this week and coauthored by an NAU conservation biologist, are sobering: One-quarter of freshwater animals are at risk of extinction, including fish, shrimps and insects. Learn what this means for these ecosystems, including the unique risks in the Southwest, and what governments and industry leaders can do with these data to protect critical species and ecosystems.

Supervisors Horstman and Fowler Appointed to Serve on National Monument Advisory Committee

by Community Contributor • January 14, 2025 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County is pleased to announce that Supervisors Patrice Horstman as an elected official and Lena Fowler as a tribal representative, have been appointed …

by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to serve on the Monument Advisory Committee (MAC) for the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Sedona Arts Center — SIGN UP for an Art Class or Workshop!

by Community Contributor • January 14, 2025 • Comments Off

Historical-Contemporary Mashup:
Reimagining Ancient Forms with a Modern Twist
with Ben Roti
January 17-February 21: Fridays, 9am–12pm

In this unique hand-building class, students will explore the fascinating world of historical pottery by reimagining ancient forms and techniques through a contemporary lens. Students will choose an iconic historical pot or ceramic vessel and recreate it using modern materials and personal interpretation. This course blends traditional craftsmanship with innovative design, allowing students to learn from the past while creating something entirely their own.

Prerequisite: Completion of a beginner-level ceramics course.

Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library Week of 1/13/25

by Community Contributor • January 13, 2025 • Comments Off

Connect with your community

District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman Newsletter — Top 10 December 2024 — January 2025! Enjoy!

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE E-NEWSLETTER

Discover Flagstaff — Discover New Events with Flagstaff Happenings!

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights of the week.

City of Flagstaff awarded $19M federal grant for Butler Avenue and Fourth Street safety and multimodal improvements

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff has been awarded a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant from the US Department of Transportation for $19,000,000 for the construction of the Butler Avenue and Fourth Street safety and multimodal improvements project. This project will construct multimodal improvements along Butler Avenue from I-40 to Sinagua Heights Drive and Fourth Street from Sparrow Avenue to Crest Stone. The improvements include off-street bike lanes, ADA-compliant sidewalks, mid-block crossings, roadway widening and corridor access management solutions.

Coconino National Forest Winter 2024 Partnership Newsletter

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

Echoes of Excellence

Ellen Parish is the President of the Diablo Trust, a nonprofit in northern Arizona that provides a forum for active community participation in collaborative land stewardship (see the harmonic highlights article below for more information on the Diablo Trust.)

Ellen grew up near Porterville, California in a family that ranched and worked in the animal health industry. She moved to Arizona to go to school at NAU and, like so many of us do, fell in love with northern Arizona. Ellen’s strong connection to conservation was enhanced through studies in biology and physiology. While at NAU she fell in love with the ceramics department, and to this day makes ceramics as creative outlet during our winter months.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Jan. 6-10, 2025

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

Phantom Ranch Closure and Upcoming TCWL Shutoff

All Phantom Ranch operations are closed from January 2 to March 30, 2025, for the installation of new water and electric lines for the Transcanyon Waterline Project. Hikers can still access the North Kaibab Trail, however, the bypass route around Phantom Ranch may change. Please follow all closure signs and be aware that water will only be available at Boat Beach (near the Black Bridge) during this closure period.

Additionally, from 8 a.m. on January 15 to 5 p.m. on January 19, the Transcanyon Waterline will be shut off for necessary construction work on a temporary water bypass along the River Trail. During this period, water will not be available at Boat Beach or Manzanita Rest Area. More information on water availability in the inner canyon can be found on park’s Critical Backcountry Updates page.

Water for the South Rim will be supplied from the existing storage tanks, and park management will closely monitor tank levels. Water conservation measures may be implemented until pumping is resumed to the South Rim.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Helping Kids and Teens Start the New Year Strong

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

Happy New Year!

One of United Way of Northern Arizona main focuses has been efforts to empower our children and teens so they can become resilient, successful youth.

As we step into 2025, it’s a wonderful time to help the children and teens in our lives set positive goals for this year.

Engaging young people in conversations about New Year’s resolutions can provide a great opportunity to foster growth and well-being. Here are 5 simple ways you can help support them:

Guest contribution — American Immigration Council — Mass deportations will make us less safe

by Community Contributor • January 10, 2025 • Comments Off

President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan will target thousands of people who richly contribute to their families, communities, and our local economies often for decades. While Trump and his advisors claim they will start with “criminal immigrants,” their plans will include millions of people who pose no public safety risk at all—just as we saw during his first administration.

H-1B Modernization Rule Provides Some Comfort But Also Raises Concerns

By issuing a final rule, the Biden administration has made it more difficult for the Trump administration to reverse some agency practices with which it disagrees.

Superintendent Seeks Public Input on Grand Canyon Unified School District Governing Board Candidates

by Community Contributor • January 9, 2025 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, announces that interviews will be conducted for the open seat on the Grand Canyon Unified School District Governing Board.

An advisory committee, consisting of district residents and a current board member, has been assembled to conduct interviews and provide recommendations to Superintendent Mango-Paget regarding the appointment.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Connect in 2025 with our regional Health and Welfare Resource Meetings listing

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2025 • Comments Off

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth

COCONINO COUNTY — As the new year begins, it is time to connect with other individuals and organizations involved in assisting families and youth throughout Northern Arizona.

To aid in that effort, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has compiled this listing of virtual and in-person health and welfare resource networking meetings 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.

Individuals who attended these resource meetings in 2024 have said they offer a great opportunity to share information about the program and services offered by their organizations.

“As we head into the New Year, we at Senior Services continue to support our older adults here in Coconino County!,” said Beth Almquist, community aide with Coconino County Health & Human Services. She most recently attended the monthly Williams Community Resource Meeting. “We are blessed to deliver home care as well as moral support to all the older adults who are on our program in Flagstaff and Williams Arizona. Along with each New Year come challenges, change and new goals. I am truly thankful for one more ‘New Year’ with Senior Services of Coconino County. Let us rise to the occasion.”

Yemisi Agbebi, founder/director of Synergy Creatives Inc. in Page who has previously attended the monthly Page Community Resource Meeting, recently wrote “… To our community partners, your collaboration has expanded our reach and strengthened our efforts. You have helped us build meaningful connections and create lasting change by including Synergy Creatives Inc. in your events and initiatives. We treasure these partnerships and look forward to continuing this important work together … As we celebrate 2024’s achievements, we acknowledge that none of them would have been possible without your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment. Your generosity and shared vision have driven the positive impact we’ve been able to create together. Looking ahead to 2025, we wish you a year filled with hope, love, unity, and strength. May it bring happiness, prosperity, and success in all your endeavors. We are excited about the opportunities ahead and the chance to continue making a difference with your support.”

The following is a listing of some of those meetings. Please check with individual meeting group coordinators for updated times, dates and meeting links. Please send any updates to frank@coconinokids.org

The NAU Review — Happy 2025. Tips for learning new names, fresh research on antibiotic resistance + ecology, one FEMA volunteer’s story and more!

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2025 • Comments Off

Bridging gaps for first-generation families

Sending a child to college is stressful for any family. Navigating cultural and language barriers can make it even harder. That’s why NAU’s Family Access, Communication, Transition and Support team developed Team College Bound, a five-lesson curriculum designed to deliver resources and a sense of community to prospective NAU families. There are four programs—one online, one in English, one in Spanish and one first-of-its-kind Indigenous course created in partnership with Indigenous Lumberjacks. The aim? To increase the number of first-generation, rural and underserved students enrolled at NAU.

January at the Museum of Northern Arizona

by Community Contributor • January 8, 2025 • Comments Off

Welcome 2025! As MNA marks its 97th year celebrating the Colorado Plateau, I’m excited to share a bit about our upcoming exhibits—a mix of art, science, and cultural phenomena.

February: Life Extended: Biology as Metaphor features vivid new works by Flagstaff artist Debra Edgerton that explore the links between biological and human social structures.
March: Collecting in a Changing World showcases recent MNA acquisitions with insights into why the museum collects what it collects.
May: Shifting Life Zones looks at climate-driven ecological shifts in northern Arizona and MNA research that reveals how plants are adapting.
November: Wagon Road to Mother Road marks the Route 66 Centennial with a journey through the rich history of the iconic highway. The exhibit will debut captivating stories about the road’s wild side, unveiled by MNA archaeological research in Petrified Forest National Park.

Coconino County — Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Partnership

by Community Contributor • January 7, 2025 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY — Since 2003, the Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) Injury Prevention Program has enjoyed a successful partnership with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in promoting child passenger safety and occupant protection.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 3 to 14. Research shows that as children age, they are less likely to be in the appropriate child safety seat for their age and weight. Fortunately, correctly used child safety seats are extremely effective and reduce the risk of injury and death as much as 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Children ages 4-8 using belt-positioning booster seats were 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries than similar aged kids who used seat belts alone.

Sedona Arts Center — Check out these Art Classes & Workshops!

by Community Contributor • January 7, 2025 • Comments Off

Our new catalog of classes and workshops is now available!
(You can also check it out online by clicking here)
See what’s new and explore a new class or workshop today!

Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!

Red Rock Ranger District to begin overhauls to Turkey Creek area trail system

by Community Contributor • January 7, 2025 • Comments Off

SEDONA — The Coconino National Forest’s Red Rock Ranger District will begin improving the Turkey Creek area trail system later this year.

Phase 2 of the Red Rock Trails Access Plan was signed last week following an environmental analysis, a lengthy project scoping process and multiple rounds of public comment that concluded in November.

As part of the plan, the district will construct new trails, enhance existing trails, rehabilitate several unauthorized trails and improve trailheads in the Turkey Creek area, which is located near the Village of Oak Creek.

“We’re excited to get started on this work, which we think will greatly improve the recreation experience for Turkey Creek visitors,” said District Ranger Alex Schlueter. “We’re grateful to our public for providing us with valuable insight during this process and our partners for committing to undertake this work alongside us.”

Catholic Charities Community Services, other organizations seeking volunteers for National Point in Time (PIT) Count Jan. 23-25

by Community Contributor • January 6, 2025 • Comments Off

The Point in Time or PIT Count is a HUD requirement for COC’s nationally. The count provides a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness at a single point in time. It is an opportunity to collect basic data that is used to measure homelessness on a national, state, and local level. This data is used for system and program planning and to measure progress in ending homelessness.

Theatrikos Theatre Co. — January Newsletter ~ Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

by Community Contributor • January 6, 2025 • Comments Off

Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is the hilarious adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called to investigate a mysterious, deadly hound haunting the desolate Devonshire moors. The Baskerville estate has named a new heir who is the potential next victim. The play features rapid-fire character changes with only four actors playing forty roles, creating a whirlwind of disguises and witty twists as the intrepid duo try to unravel the truth behind the murderous curse.

Sedona Arts Center — Opening Reception this Friday for ‘Earth and Fire’ Ceremics Exhibits

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

Join us this Friday, January 3, from 4-6 pm for Celebrate Sedona and the opening of “Earth and Fire,” a ceramics exhibition and sale January 3-31, 2025. The exhibition showcases a diverse collection of ceramic pieces and kicks off with an opening reception Friday, January 3, from 4-6 pm, programmed in conjunction with Celebrate Sedona. The afternoon features artist demonstrations, food, wine, beer and music. Both events are free and open to the public.

“Earth and Fire” features a variety of artworks that celebrate and reflect ceramics contribution to the arts in Arizona as well as the artists who’ve graced Sedona Arts Center’s halls over the years. Event attendees will find everything, including decorative and functional pieces.

Discover Flagstaff — Happy New Year from Flagstaff 365!

by Community Contributor • January 3, 2025 • Comments Off

Friday-Saturday Tuesday-Wednesday, January 3-4, 7-8

A Sense of Place, Northern Arizona University Art Museum.

Identity, Community, and Geography on the Colorado Plateau. 12 p.m.

Learn More