Category: Cultural

Sedona Arts Center — NOW: Holiday Sale at Sedona Arts Center!

Now through December 31, 2022 in our Uptown Art Gallery, get 10% OFF any purchase of $100 or more!* And don’t forget—Sedona Arts Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so there’s NO SALES TAX on your purchases! Plus, you can shop for art in our online gallery — jsut use use code: HOLIDAY10 at checkout to receive your discount through the end of the year.

Our Uptown Gallery is open 10am–5pm, Monday – Saturday and 12–5pm, Sundays. We look forward to seeing you at Sedona Arts Center’s Gallery! Call 928-282-3865 for additional information. Sedona Arts Center is located at 15 Art Barn Road in Uptown Sedona.

Our online gallery represents a full spectrum of the diversity of artists represented by the arts center.
Visit us today!

Gift Cards Available!

Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration returns to OLG Catholic Chapel in Flagstaff on Dec. 11, 12

FLAGSTAFF — Nearly 200 luminarias will light the way for worshipers during the 2022 Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration to be held at 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Chapel.

Members of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces will begin placing and lighting the luminarias shortly after 5 a.m. in time for worshipers to take part in the services, which included a Rosary, the singing of Mañanitas and Mass. Café y pan will then presented downstairs at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Cultural Center (The Basement) following the services.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Dec. 5-9, 2022

Throughout December, Grand Canyon National Park is featured alongside three other national parks in the East Room at none other than the The White House. The East Room décor reflects the communion we find in nature. As part of the fireplace mantel displays, visitors see four iconic National Parks from around our country represented: The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Shenandoah National Park. 

As the largest room in the White House, the East Room has hosted public receptions, ceremonies, bill signings, and other memorable occasions. More information on 2022 White House decorations can be found here. 

The NAU Review — Non-traditional grad finds passion in special ed, exploring the icy surface of Europa and Santa rides the bus

Lorie Lee never imagined she’d make it to university; she is now graduating with two degrees, having won the prestigious President’s Prize. A mother of three and non-traditional student, her inspiring tale begins earlier than her first day at NAU. As a child, Lee experienced poverty, a mother with substance abuse issues and a father unwilling to care for her. Through the support of her friends and teachers, Lee found a love and passion for education and excelled academically. Married and raising three children with special needs, Lee enrolled at NAU’s North Valley campus and is earning a bachelor’s degree in both elementary education and special education.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y presents free webinars on understanding how emotions impact adult and child relationships

With the hectic holiday season in full swing, CCC&Y shares this free online opportunity to ease some of the daily stress during this busy time of year.
Motivated by a long wait list for behavioral health services, and aware of challenging adult and child emotions causing behavior difficulties, Bethany Camp put this two part training together for CCC&Y to help meeting a wide-spread community need.

First we learn to understand our emotions and then we can understand and respond to the big emotional responses of children.

Watch Webinar – Managing Adult Emotional Responses, Part One

Watch Webinar – Helping Children Manage Their Emotions, Part Two

These videos are meant to help support our community. Having the tools to take care of ourselves and respond to children, is a great resource.

The NAU Review — Engineering an escape, soil microbes—friend or foe?, how alumni are helping current Lumberjacks thrive

Figuring out how to get out of an escape room can be stressful. Now imagine your challenge isn’t to get out of the escape room—it’s to build one, troubleshoot it and then make fixes on the fly when things break as people move through them. That’s what mechanical engineering student Valentin Gamez did alongside his compatriots in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. It was a great opportunity to put their engineering skills to good use as well as let the community have a good time. It also provided a rare opportunity for Gamez’s family to come from California and experience the work he did. Gamez graduates next week and starts his new job at Gore in 2023.

Celebrate Sedona Kicks off the Big Gay Art Show at Sedona Arts Center!

December 7 Celebrate Sedona Kicks off the
Big Gay Art Show!
A Special Exhibition at Sedona Arts Center

Celebrate Sedona returns on December 7 at Sedona Arts Center with a family-friendly, fun, holiday-themed drag performance by Angel Phoenix, Carnie Asada, and Vypra G Saxton to kick off the Big Gay Art Show! Join us for a singing, dancing, and a fun celebration in the Theatre Studio at Sedona Arts Center in Uptown Sedona from 4 to 6pm. Attendance is FREE. Food is FREE. And drinks will be available for purchase!

Coconino County Parks & Recreation December Update

Flagstaff Snow Park
Winter is coming and we know that means winter recreation! Coconino County Parks and Recreation supports safe and fun winter snow play.
For information about the Flagstaff Snow Park, visit www.flagstaffsnowpark.com. Reservations are required and tickets may be purchased on their website.

Sedona Arts Center December News

Happy Holidays! I can’t believe the holiday season is full upon us. It seems like just yesterday we were wrapping up the Plein Air Festival!

This week we open the Big Gay Art Show (BGAS). While the Big Gay Art Show has been held at the Arts Center for many years, this is the first time the show is “ours”. Sedona Pride developed and organized the show for many years and only held the exhibit at the Arts Center. They reached out to us shortly after I arrived here and offered us the program. We jumped on it! Typically, BGAS has been held over the Fourth of July weekend, lasting only a few days. And while we had planned on doing the same, our schedule, with other programming already planned, did not allow us to do that. By moving it to December, we could actually have the show up longer and coordinate it with Celebrate Sedona.

A home for Native American students at CCC

A home away from home.”

That was the phrase mentioned by multiple students when asked about what the Native American Success Center (NASC) means to them. With the smell of good food in the air, the sound of laughter, and being surrounded by friends and family, it was hard not to feel at home.

On the evening of Nov. 15, 2022, Coconino Community College hosted the Grand Opening of the Native American Student Success Center at the Lone Tree Campus. The event was attended by over 100 people including; students and their families, tribal leadership and education representatives, and College faculty, staff, and leadership.  The NASC serves as an academic and cultural resources center for Native American and Alaskan Native students attending Coconino Community College. The NASC is a part of the Strengthening Indigenous Student Success Program (SISS), a new program at CCC that enhances the services and opportunities provided to Native American students.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2022

Cultural Demonstrator this weekend at Grand Canyon Visitor Center   

Beginning December 2 and lasting through the end of February 2023, cultural demonstrations will be held in Grand Canyon Village in the lobby of the South Rim Visitor Center. Demonstrations during the winter months will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

This weekend, the Cultural Demonstration Program presents renown musician and flute maker, Aaron White. He is of two Nations, the Dine of Northern Arizona (Blacksheep Clan) and The Northern Ute tribe Whiteriver band. Award winning Artist/Singer/Songwriter, Grammy nominated musician, and recent recipient of the Native American Music Award, Aaron has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years.

Aaron will demonstrate the ancient art of reed flute making at the South Rim Visitor Center Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 2 through 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by and watch Aaron work and learn how reed flutes have deep ties to the history and culture of the Southwest.

NAU to present ‘Human Rights Across the Americas!’ in-person, Zoom presentation on Dec. 5

On Monday Dec 5 from 11am-12:15pm in the Blome Conference Room (and on Zoom) we are hosting a roundtable discussion with a Human Rights Across the Americas group through the State Department’s international visitor leadership program.  This is a unique opportunity, especially in Flagstaff, to hear from a diverse group of Latin American Human Rights activists! All students, staff, and faculty are welcome and translation will be provided.

The NAU Review — NAU Flagstaff receives its first Hispanic Serving Institution grant: Meet the two women who made it happen

NAU’s School of Forestry recently received the first HSI grant for the Flagstaff campus. Yeon-Su Kim, executive director and professor, and Anita Antoninka, assistant research professor in the School of Forestry, won an award of more than a quarter-million dollars for support in the professional development and training of the next generation of Hispanic leaders to manage resilient forests under a changing climate. The community is mourning the unexpected death of Yeon-Su, who leaves behind a legacy of scholarship, numerous grants, professional firsts and faculty and students supported and mentored by her.

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra — We reached our Giving Tuesday Goal!

We exceeded our goal of $5,000! Thank you so much for giving!

The FSO staff, board, and musicians are so grateful for the generous donations that came in leading up to and on Giving Tuesday. With your support, 3500 kids have the opportunity to attend our music education program, Link Up!

This Giving Tuesday was a major success and it is all thanks to our amazing and generous community that donated. We are so excited about what the students of Northern Arizona will get to experience in February for the Link Up concert!

December at the Museum of Northern Arizona

As a Holiday gift to our communities, we are opening the museum this Saturday and Sunday with free admission during our Winter Art Market on December 3rd and 4th. If you haven’t been to the museum for a while, this is a wonderful opportunity to come enjoy the exhibitions, let the kids make seasonal crafts, and buy a few unique gifts from Indigenous artists.

For later this month, we’re also preparing a new exhibition – Vast Land, Inner Visions: The Art of Joella Jean Mahoney. This retrospective of a prominent regional artist is full of color and energy, and a beautiful complement to the ongoing exhibition of art by Baje Whitethorne Sr. Both will brighten the dark days of midwinter, so if you are not a member, now is a great time to become one.

Please also consider the museum in your end-of-year giving. MNA is a private non-profit that depends on the support of people like you. Your donation helps us continue engaging local, regional and global audiences with life-enriching knowledge and experiences.

I hope to see you soon at the museum,

Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona

Sedona Arts Center — Special screening with artist George Anthony Morton this Friday

An HBO documentary Film, “Master of Light”, will be coming to Sedona for a special impact screening with artist George Anthony Morton at the Mary D. Fisher Theater on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.
 
The screening is free of charge and presented by the Sedona International Film Festival, Sedona Arts Center, and Northern Arizona Restorative Justice.
 
“Master of Light” follows George Anthony Morton, a classical painter who spent 10 years in federal prison for dealing drugs. While incarcerated, he nurtured his craft and unique artistic ability. Since his release, he is doing everything he can to defy society’s unlevel playing field and tackle the white-dominant art world. Now, back in his hometown of Kansas City, he’s on a journey to break cycles of intergenerational trauma and incarceration, too.

The NAU Review — A grad says no to the familiar, the effect of grazing on drylands and the anthropology of Star Trek

Valerie Pietrczak, who graduates in December, has kept busy during her time at NAU. She’s had three internships, including a six-month stint at Audi HQ in Germany; she is in the NAU Wind Symphony, which went to the national championship this year; and she’s a member of the Honors College. As for what’s next, well, figuring that out is part of the fun.

United Way of Northern Arizona and Giving Tuesday — 3 Reasons to Step Up

The countdown has begun!

#GivingTuesday is the world’s largest day of giving when millions will be making a difference by donating to their favorite nonprofits.

We hope that you’ll join us and support United Way of Northern Arizona. Every donation, big or small, makes a huge difference. Together we can Step Up for Our Community by:

Supporting early childhood development and programs like KinderCamp™ and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Promoting positive youth development by providing our youth with the mentorships and initiative that help them fulfill their potential.
Providing safety and security, including assistance during times of emergency.

Thank you for considering UWNA for your #GivingTuesday contribution on Nov. 29.

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra — Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday!

Buy a gift for yourself on Cyber Monday, but don’t forget to share the love with others tomorrow, on Giving Tuesday! 
 
Exciting news! Your gift to the Link Up music education program has the chance to be DOUBLED thanks to a generous donor who has committed to match the first $2,500 raised. 

So what’s all this again? 

Tomorrow, as people around the world support important causes, donate to the FSO Link Up program and help give children across the Northern Arizona Region access to the music education they deserve. 

We’ll be in touch again soon to ring in Giving Tuesday. Get ready, it’s going to be one inspiring day of giving! 

Cultural Demonstrator Series transitions to Grand Canyon Visitor Center for winter season starting Dec. 2

Starting on Dec. 2, 2022, through Feb. 26, 2023, the Cultural Demonstrator Series will transition to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center (GCVC) on the South Rim. Every Friday through Sunday, artists from traditionally associated tribes of Grand Canyon will be in the lobby from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Moving demonstrations from the Desert View Watchtower to the GCVC will increase interactions with artists and the public during months of slower visitation. After Feb. 26, 2023, the Cultural Demonstrator Series will transition back to the Desert View Watchtower.

Coconino County Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

All Coconino County Administrative Offices and the County Attorney’s Office will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will be open. Records will be closed on Thursday and open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, with limited staffing. 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. 

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y thankful to friends, community partners and organizations dedicated to helping children and youth in Coconino County

As we prepare to celebrate the upcoming holiday weekend, there are many reasons for us to be thankful here at the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth. At the top of that list are the many friends, community partners and organizations who have supported us over the past year in our mission to “… ignite collective action that creates better lives for children and families.”

Our recent 50th anniversary celebrationemphasized the love and support this organization has received over the years as we seek to support the children and youth throughout Coconino County in the face of a variety of economic, health and social pressures facing local families.

For the more than a half-dozen years I have been with the Coalition, I’m thankful for the joy of being with a non-profit organization where each day I get to work in concert with people from all walks of life who are dedicated to serving children and families in the region. They include talented volunteer board members and executive directors and representatives from a variety of organizations who share their time and information during a number of monthly video remote, conference calls and in-person resource meetings, community health and information fairs and back-to-school events.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Nov. 21-25, 2022

As of November 17, Coconino County is now in Medium CDC Community Level. This change is not unexpected. We have seen COVID spikes in the fall for the last two years, and unfortunately, this year this has happened a little earlier than in past years. As a reminder, the CDC and World Health Organization still considers us to be in a pandemic, and that it does not look to be ending anytime soon.

The DOI has set specific guidelines for us to follow based on the CDC Community Level. The primary change for Medium Community Level is to communicate the concerns of spreading COVID and areas where people gather. Therefore, we will post new signs on all building entrances that state that we are in Medium CDC Community Level, and we encourage individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to practice physical distancing from others in indoor common areas. Additionally, all building entrances should have signs stating that masks are optional and to practice physical distancing.

Finally, the best way to protect yourselves and your loved ones is to be vaccinated and boosted. If you have not received the newly developed and distributed COVID bivalent vaccine, we encourage you to do so. These vaccines have been scientifically proven to be safe and to help prevent COVID illness—and, for those that do become sick, the bivalent vaccine helps protect from serious or long-term COVID illness.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Happy Thanksgiving from ECoNA

As we prepare to spend time with family and friends, sharing love and thoughts of gratitude, we wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and let you know how grateful we are for all of you.

We also are looking forward to seeing you next week at our Holiday Open House from 3 – 5 pm on Thursday, December 1. If you haven’t had a chance to RSVP yet, click here for more information and to register.

Until then, we wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Gail Jackson

President & CEO

ECoNA

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra — Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29)

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the back-to-back days of deals, join us in kicking off the holiday giving season on Giving Tuesday (November 29th)! 

On this global day of giving, we’re raising $5,000 to give 3500+ children the life-changing gift of participating in Link Up, an interactive and educational program with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. With busing transportation provided, kids can participate in the culmination of what they’ve been learning all year from the Carnegie Hall classroom activities! 

The NAU Review — XC champions, tips for hosting Thanksgiving and the importance of shopping small this holiday season

After stellar performances by runners Nico Young and Drew Bosley (who placed second and third, respectively), the men’s cross country team defended their title as national champions, winning for the third consecutive year. The women placed sixth—the team’s best finish since 2007. This is only the fourth time in program history that both teams have placed in the top 10 and the first time that both teams have placed in the top six.

Announcement Regarding the Rural County Alternative Prosecution and Diversion Grant Program

The Coconino County Attorney’s Office, in partnership with Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS), is pleased to announce the awarding of $2.1 million by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission as part of the Rural County Alternative Prosecution and Diversion Grant Program. This funding will be used to support Phase I of a data-driven intervention project which will focus on reducing the occurrence of criminal behavior while also combatting recidivism in our community.

As part of Phase I, our partnership will begin collecting and processing data to identify social determinates of criminogenic behavior across several communities within Coconino County, with a focus on Health as a determining factor.

Celebrate the Holidays in Downtown Flagstaff, Arizona’s Winter Wonderland

The Holidays are here and Downtown Flagstaff is ready to celebrate and create lasting memories! ‘Tis the season to celebrate with friends and family, shop local, support small businesses, give back and have some FUN!!! Downtown Flagstaff is the place to be this Holiday season, be sure to mark your calendars for the following events!

Grand Canyon National Park seeks public comments on Wetland Statement of Findings

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on a Wetland Statement of Findings for the Transcanyon Water Distribution Pipeline project. Public comments on the proposed action will be accepted Nov. 21 until midnight, Dec. 23, 2022.

The proposed Transcanyon Water Distribution Pipeline project is designed to relocate the potable water intake in the park, which supplies the South Rim and Cross Canyon Corridor, from Roaring Springs to an area at Bright Angel Creek near Phantom Ranch. Additionally, the project will replace the water distribution pipeline between Phantom Ranch and Havasupai Gardens (formerly known as Indian Garden), abandon or remove over time 7.5 miles of pipeline from Phantom Ranch to Cottonwood Campground, and reuse 1.5 miles of pipeline for slip-lining a smaller waterline from Cottonwood Campground to Roaring Springs.

Indian Garden Now Officially Called Havasupai Gardens

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted unanimously (19-0) earlier this month in favor of the formal request submitted by the National Park Service on behalf of the Havasupai Tribe to change the name of Indian Garden (FID #6209) to Havasupai Gardens.

Earlier this year, the Havasupai Tribe passed Resolution 29-21 which provided a formal request to the National Park Service to change the name. Havasupai Gardens is along the Bright Angel Trail and is a frequent stop for day hikers and backpackers exploring the backcountry of Grand Canyon.

Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez District 2 Newsletter — 16th Edition

In this edition…
• Message from Jeronimo
• Short-Term Flood Mitigation Projects
• District 2 Highlights
• Service Positions Open in District 2
ª Services and Programs
ª And more!

Message from Jeronimo

Photo: Jeronimo Vasquez and father Dr. Miguel Vasquez.

Hello Everyone! Happy November! I wanted to give a special
thank you to everyone who came to the community barbeque
and all those who supported the event. I am glad we were able
to come together and spend time as a community. We have
gone through many obstacles this year and it is important to
unite and recognize all we have been through. We have been
able to overcome and remain resilient. We are a community
and together we are stronger. I am here for you all, so please
remember to email me with any concerns you may have that
we can get working on!

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Nov. 14-18, 2022

ark visitors and residents are invited to attend a special celebration in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The event takes place in Shrine of the Ages Auditorium, beginning at 6:30 pm, and promises to be an evening filled with cultural dancing and perspectives.

Four dance groups will perform:

The Dineh’ Tah Navajo Dance Troupe,
The Hopi Sinom Traditional Singers & Corn Dancers,
The Guardians of Grand Canyon – Havasupai Ram Dancers,
and the Dishchii’bikoh – Apache Crown Dancers.
Grand Canyon’s Indigenous employees and community members have presented this annual event for more than 20 years. It is free, open to the public, and is sponsored by Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy, as well as local businesses, organizations, and individuals.

CFProductions LLC announces official selection of ‘Why Do Navajo Men Have Long Hair?’ at LA Skins Fest

CFproductions LLC is proud to announce the premiere screening of “Why Do Navajo Men Have Long Hair?” (working title), a short 8-minute documentary starring Steve Darden, Makaius Marks, Makairyn Marks, Darrell Marks, and directed by Cherylee Francis, at the historic TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on November 19, 2022, 3PM – 5PM.

“Why Do Navajo Men Have Long Hair?” is about MAKAIUS & MAKAIRYN MARKS, two Navajo (Diné) brothers ridiculed for keeping their
long hair as they choose to carry on the Navajo
traditional hairstyle, the Navajo (Diné) bun, called a tsiiyééł. Aware of the treatment of his sons’, DARRELL MARKS (father), travels with his children to visit Navajo (Diné) Cultural Expert, STEVE DARDEN, to gain valuable traditional teachings on why Navajo (Diné) men have the right to have long hair.

Coconino County Center for the Arts presenting NAU’s Robert Neustadt’s talk ‘Re-weaving the Social Fabric: Artisans Beyond Borders’ in-person, via Zoom on Nov. 17

Robert Neustadt, of NAU’s Latin American Studies, will present the in-person and virtual Zoom talk: “Re-weaving the Social Fabric: Artisans Beyond Borders” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 as part of the Coconino County Center for the Arts’ exhibit “25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee.”

Neustadt will tie together instances of art about textiles and refugees, including Valarie James’ ‘Artisans Beyond Borders’ and Jennifer Kim Sohn’s ‘25 Million Stitches.’

United Way of Northern Arizona — UWNA Means Community Impact

Here’s the power of Community Impact:

A woman in Flagstaff is diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, devastating her teenage daughters. Because of you, the family is able to access free support groups and classes to help them cope during treatment and beyond. Ultimately, the daughters help form a support group specifically for children of cancer patients, paying it forward by helping other teens.

A homeless man, wheelchair bound and in bad health, arrives at a shelter in Holbrook. Because of you, the shelter places him in a housing unit for veterans close to a grocery store and gets him connected with community and medical services nearby. There he begins to rebuild his life.

A second-grader at Thomas Elementary School proudly places a sticker in his lesson chart, showing that he has finished reading another book. He eagerly chooses his next book adventure. Because of you, we are able to support the “raising readers” program to foster a love of learning.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y committed to using, sharing evidenced based and informed prevention strategies

The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has a long history of utilizing evidenced based and informed prevention strategies. From the 50 year longitudinal study in Kauai that informed resilience research to what is known about the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), CCC&Y has been committed to understanding and sharing this information with the community.

Our 2020 assessment combines national and local data. It sets the stage for a unique road map for using trauma-informed and adverse childhood experience knowledge as a prevention plan. The research field contains much information about the effects of childhood experience on later outcomes, but this report uniquely uses that knowledge, especially what is known about developing resiliency, and puts it to use in the prevention field.

Click here for more information about the prevention frameworks CCC&Y has used; Strengthening Families Protective Factors, Self-Healing Communities, and the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets 

Flagstaff Festival of Science — Scientists in Classroom Inspire Awe and Wonder

As students file into their 4th grade class at Sechrist Elementary, a photo of molten lava is streaming out of a volcano. “Volcanoes are Awesome!” is written across the top. There is a presenter at the front of the class that the kids aren’t familiar with, but that cool photo with hot lava catches their attention! Today, volcano expert, Greg Vaughan, is speaking to the class today about his work.

“What is a volcano?” he asks. Hands across the room shoot up. “Yes,” says Greg pointing to a student. “A mountain with lava inside;” “A mountain that was formed by tectonic plates and the magma has erupted.” He asks them what comes out of volcanoes and students guess ash, lava, smoke. Greg passes around ashes and a “volcano bomb” and each student can touch and hold items that were once inside of volcanoes!

The NAU Review — Expanding A2E to Arizona’s tribes, what to know about NaNoWriMo and a National Recycling Day quiz

President José Luis Cruz Rivera and Vice President for Native American Initiatives Ann Marie Chischilly announced Monday that NAU’s popular Access2Excellence program, which provides a tuition-free education for Arizona students from households with an annual income of $65,000/year or less, will now be expanded to first-time undergraduate students who are members of Arizona’s federally recognized Native American tribes. The program, which goes into effect in Fall 2023, reflects the university’s longstanding commitment to Native American and Indigenous students.

Coconino County Parks and Recreation Memories

Memories of 2022

Coconino County Parks and Recreation supports the community year-round. Have you enjoyed Coconino County arks and natural areas this year? Did you attend a program, like one of the archery clinics or a standup paddleboard class? Did you enjoy events like Pickin’ in the Pines or the Coconino County Fair? Have you enjoyed hiking, wildlife watching, or other recreational activities? We would love to see your memories! Submit your favorite Coconino County parks and natural areas photos for a chance to be featured in our newsletter and social media! Email your photos to cdonaldson@coconino.az.gov.

Whether you enjoyed the summer sun, captured wildlife sightings, watched the autumn leaves, or attended a program or event, we want to celebrate memories of Coconino County Parks and Recreation!

Coconino High School students celebrate el Día de los Muertos with inaugural shoebox ofrenda competition

Spanish language and English learning students at Coconino High School celebrated el Día de los Muertos with an inaugural shoebox ofrenda competition with the winners selected on Friday, Nov. 4.

The 2022 winners are:

First place: Olivia Hernandez and Ciara Kitterman
Second place: Alexandra Villareal and Abigail Lopez
Third place: Aris Lerma

The students were allowed to pick any family member, celebrity, or notable person for their entry, and were required to write up the information in Spanish or English and their home language. Entries from English learners included Chinese and Ukrainian as well.

The competition, which was displayed at the CHS library, with students using QR codes to vote for the winners, also featured students from the classes of English Learner Teacher Erin Fagan and Spanish Teacher Olaya “Lizett’ Castruita, who has created a full-size ofrenda in her classroom for many years.

19th annual Celebraciones de la Gente receives media coverage

As preparations begin for the 20th annual Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona in October 2023, local media interviewed and photographed members of partner organization Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces, museum officials, performers and participants during the recent celebration held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29, 30 at the museum. See links to coverage below.

The event was preceded by a “Celebraciones” concert, held on Oct. 28, presented by the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Northern Arizona and in partnership with Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces.

CCC student receives job offer at Findlay Honda

The blue and white building stood tall and impressive. The signature emblem “H” hung over the glass doors. The front entrance was lined with new Honda models; shiny and ready to hit the road. General Manager Jacob Lundie and his newest hire Daniel Rojas a towering young man with the biggest smile stand in the grand foyer of the auto dealership on Flagstaff’s east side.

Lundie and Rojas met on September 7, 2022, at the Coconino Community College Student’s First Celebration. The event, put on by the CCC Foundation, serves as an opportunity for scholarship donors to meet and celebrate scholarship recipients.  Rojas, a student speaker at the event, accepted the Distinguished Service Scholarship, given each year in honor of the Distinguished Service Award recipient, which was awarded to Robby Findlay of the Findlay Automotive Group.

Lundie said, “Daniel gave his speech and I just remember thinking how great it was to see him get out of his comfort zone and deliver a speech to all of his peers and faculty at his new school.” Lundie was so impressed he offered Rojas a job with Findlay.

Flagstaff Festival of Science — In-School Science Talks: Connecting Students to Scientists

Research has shown that people often have stereotypical views of what a scientist looks like and what they do.  For many people, especially young people this view is of a “mad scientist” with wild eyes, white hair sticking up all over their heads, wearing a lab coat, and holding bubbling flasks.  This person is also almost always male.  In recent years projects like “I Am a Scientist” (https://www.iamascientist.info/) have been working to broaden people’s conceptions not only of what scientists look like, but also what they do. 

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Nov. 7-11, 2022

Honoring our NPS Veterans

Through legislation passed 68 years ago on June 1, 1954, November 11 became Veterans Day—a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

At Grand Canyon, we deeply appreciate our veterans for their military service and their continued service as NPS employees. We are thankful for their sense of comradery, mission focus, and can-do attitude, and we are proud to work beside every veteran on our team. Grand Canyon National Park employs 65 veterans with a combined 294 years of creditable military service.

Many of our veterans have seen multiple deployments and have made countless sacrifices throughout their military service.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Why They Joined the Summit Society

The purpose of United Way is to do big and bold things.

Taking on the large issues – early childhood education, positive youth development, eliminating the gaps in our social safety net – requires the support of a whole community. Every donation, every volunteer hour, every bit of advocacy is important.

However, we also want to acknowledge that there are people who have an outsized impact because of their unique generosity. They are the members of our Summit Society – individuals and couples who contribute $500 or more annually.

Why do they make this investment in UWNA? Check out what they have to say in this video:

The NAU Review — A veteran’s journey to NAU, Fit it in a Minute with Pete Yanka and NAU Theatre’s Orlando

Former Marine finds a new calling

Tyler Derzay had a plan for his life. It didn’t involve math classes and final exams, and it definitely never included a graduate degree in engineering. Yet, this former Marine, who will graduate next month as the standard-bearer for the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences before beginning grad school, found a journey worth taking. As a Lumberjack, he made connections with professors and at the Veterans Success Center, met his wife and found a new life path that honored his family history as much as his military career did.

Supervisor Patrice Horstman — October / November 2022 District One Newsletter

In This Issue

Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Forest Restoration Update
West-Side Corridor Meeting – Flood Mitigation
East-Side Flood Mitigation Projects
Winter is Coming! 180 Corridor
Fort Valley Community Meeting
16th Biennial Conference of Science and Management on the Colorado Plateau
2022 Western Interstate Region Business Meeting
Downtown Mile
Board Expands Pumphouse Wetlands Area
Habitat for Humanity Expands Housing
Wood For Life
Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth 50th Anniversary
NAU 123rd Homecoming
Welcome CCC President, Dr. Eric Heiser
Health Services Updates and Resources
Upcoming Events
District 1 Celebrating Halloween
Contact Us

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Your membership, donations needed as CCC&Y moves toward the next 50 years

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for attending our recent 50th anniversary celebration.

We have heard about so many excellent times, as well as, seen many fabulous pictures!! We greatly enjoyed seeing you — it was amazing!!

Thank you to all of you who became members that night and the following days (you can see the full list of our members and sponsors here https://coconinokids.org/supporters).

If you have not had the chance to become a member yet, please, please do so here https://coconinokids.org/contribute/. 

Your support is greatly needed to help ensure the success of the Coalition, our partners and help aid local families this holiday season and beyond.

As mentioned at the 50th anniversary celebration, it is just not just the funding — which is a tremendous help —it is also adding your name to the mission for change. Please make sure to do so today individual, family, and/or organization!!

To those who donate to CCC&Y instead of becoming members or in addition to becoming members-thank you so very much!!  

Your support is greatly noticed!!

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.

The NAU Review — Homecoming photos, making STEM inclusive and women’s soccer champions!

View this email as a webpage. Nov. 8, 2022 LumberSNAPS: Homecoming 2022 From the student carnival and dedicatee banquet to the Saturday morning parade and a hard-fought football game, Lumberjacks from near and far celebrated a week of Homecoming at…

Bilingual report — Gina Santi Photography Images of the Month – October 2022

Ship Rock is an impressive 7,177-feet-high peak situated in the Navajo Nation, an autonomous territory of 28,000 square miles encompassing parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, in the United States of America. Due to the peak’s resemblance to a 19th-century clipper ships it was originally called Ship Rock, Ship Rock Peak, and Shiprock, but the name in Navajo is Tsé Bitʼaʼí, which means “rock with wings” or “winged rock”.

Sedona Arts Center — Check out these amazing art classes and workshops!

Art Classes and Workshops
at Sedona Arts Center

In-Person Classes and Workshops at the Sedona Arts Center offer an intensive experience that will provide inspiration and information to distill and practice for months and even years afterwards. Instructors are experts in their field – experienced teachers with national recognition.