
2 New Kids Clay Classes Just Added!
at Sedona Arts Center

Latest news updates for June 2025
• Republicans Block Gallego Amendment to Stop Budget Bill from Gutting Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• Gallego Statement on War Powers Vote
• Gallego Fights for Tax Equality for Married Couples
• ICYMI: Senators Gallego and Kelly Facilitate the Safe Arrival of Arizona Teens Stranded in Israel Amidst Conflict in the Middle East
• Gallego Introduces Legislation to Cut Red Tape in Border Agent Hiring Process
• Senators Gallego and Kelly Announce the Safe Arrival of Arizona Teens Stranded in Israel Amidst Conflict in the Middle East
• Amid Rising Antisemitic Attacks in the U.S., Gallego Backs Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Hate and Strengthen Holocaust Education
• What They Are Saying: Congressional Republicans Plan to Make it Harder to Put Food on the Table
• On Dobbs 3rd Anniversary, Gallego Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting Reproductive Freedom
• Gallego Backs Bipartisan Bill to Help Homeowners Conserve Water, Save Money
• Gallego, Scott Introduce Checkpoint Act to Strengthen Border Patrol Operations and Combat Fentanyl Trafficking
• Gallego Releases Statement on Bombing of Iranian Nuclear Sites
• MORE…

Latest news updates for June 2025
• WATCH: On Senate Floor, Kelly Opposes Republican Budget to Cut Medicaid and Food Assistance to Fund Billionaire Tax Breaks
• Kelly Statement on Supporting War Powers Resolution to Prevent Unauthorized War with Iran
• Kelly, Shaheen, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Development of Sustainable Wood Products and Support Forest Products Industry
• Por si te lo perdiste: En “Despierta América”, Kelly destaca cómo las decisiones de Trump en el conflicto en Irán están poniendo al país en peligro
• ICYMI: On ‘Despierta América,’ Kelly Spotlights How Trump’s Decision-Making on Iran is Making Americans Less Safe
• Kelly Leads Resolution Recognizing June 30 as National Asteroid Day
• Kelly, Gallego Announce the Safe Arrival of Arizona Teens Stranded in Israel Amidst Conflict in the Middle East
• Kelly, Hawley, Hassan Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Rural Hospital Cybersecurity
• Kelly, Stanton: Arizona Teachers, Firefighters, Police Officers & Other Middle-Class Workers Will See Higher Costs Under Trump’s Tax and Tariff Plans
• Kelly Backs Legislation to Protect Children on Social Media, Hold Tech Companies Accountable
• Kelly Statement on US Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites
• ICYMI: In Tucson, Kelly Visits Rincon High School to Highlight How Republican SNAP Cuts Would Harm Arizona Kids and Families
• More …

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve been able to hold a Coffee Conversation so we have a lot we can talk about on Thursday! Barring illness, these will resume monthly again starting tomorrow.
Here’s your chance to come and engage with F3’s Executive Director at F3’s monthly Coffee Conversation. Share your concerns, questions, and ideas about Flagstaff issues while meeting others who want to get involved with issues in Flagstaff.
The July Coffee Conversation will take place on Thursday, July 3 at Mayan Winds Cafe from 9:00-10:00 am. Mayan Winds is an awesome locally-owned cafe located at 2144 N Fourth St. in Flagstaff.

Ceramics: Independent Study*
with Ben Roti
July 28-September 1, 2025 – Mondays 3:30-6:30pm
*Designed for experienced ceramicists
This class offers a supportive studio environment for you to explore advanced throwing and hand-building techniques while working on personal projects. (Beginners are welcome in Ben/Lolo/John’s Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday classes or in the Pottery Wheel for Beginners on Saturdays.)

The City of Flagstaff seeks proposals for large-scale, three-dimensional (3D) artworks for the 2026/2027 Multicultural County Park Sculpture Exhibition. The exhibition features five sculptures, existing or newly created, that reflect diverse cultural expressions including Indigenous, Black, and Latinx art. Selected artworks can advance essential perspectives and narratives and will invite interaction, conversation, and appreciation.
Application Deadline: August 1, 2025, 5 pm (Arizona Time)
Image: Artist Isaac Caruso pictured with his sculpture Wings of Ancestors. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Call to Artists: The Face of Time
An Exhibition at Sedona Arts Center
Exhibit Dates: August 1 – September 12, 2025
Opening Reception: August 1, 2025 | 4:00–6:00 PM
Deadline to Apply: July 1, 2025
Since 2022, Sedona Arts Center has embraced a unifying annual theme to inspire our exhibitions and programs. For the 2025–2026 season, our guiding theme is FACE—a word rich with meaning as both noun and verb. From the human visage to the surface of mountains, from emotional expressions to bold acts of confrontation, FACE invites endless interpretations.

Help us raise $8,000 from our 30th Anniversary Online Auction. Place your bid online before the auction closes!
Starting bids are set at 50% of the Value of the Item. There are some great deals here!
This auction contains diverse,and unique items including: special experiences such as music concerts, guided tours, and interior design consultation; gift baskets for gardening and more; and gift certificates for personal training and doggy day care. Also jewelry, food, and wine.
Find all auction items at: bit.ly/F3Auction4mSJD7c

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Temperatures approaching the ’90s didn’t keep families away during the annual Tuba City Family Fun Day resource fair held on June 18, 2025 at Louise Yellowman County Park, Tuba City.
Presented by Coconino County Health and Human Services — (AZ Health Zone), the event featured a number of information booths for parents, activities for children and plenty of healthy food alternatives for everyone who attended the annual event.
Some of the organizations taking part in the event included
Arizona Complete Health, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth, Coconino County Health & Human Services (CCHHS) — (AZ Health Zone), (CCHHS) Health Start, (CCHHS) Tobacco Use Prevention, (CCHHS) Opioid Overdose Prevention, Navajo Nation Behavioral & Mental Health Services, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Health Department, Tuba City Navajo Nation Health Education Program, Tuba City Regional Health Care Corp.’s Pandemic Public Health and Patient Benefit Cooperative programs, and the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corp.’s Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP)

Art History Talk–Framing the Self:
A Cultural History of Portraiture
with Brandelyn Andres
August 2, 2025 – 11am-12pm
Through an examination of both self-portraits and depictions of others, this lecture charts the art historical evolution of the genre of portraiture. By examining artists’ intentions, social contexts, and visual choices, we will consider how images of people not only reflect concepts of self but also shape collective understandings of identity, status, and humanity. We can learn much about ourselves as we look into the eyes of others.
Brandelyn Andres is a professor of art history at Yavapai College located in Prescott, Arizona where she teaches courses on art history, art appreciation, two-dimensional design, and popular culture.

Dear Frank,
Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to invite you to our 76th concert season. This year, we journey through works of triumph, transformation, and thrilling brilliance. From long-awaited favorites to bold new experiences, each concert invites you to discover where music can take us—together. Explore the new season below.

COCONINO COUNTY — At their meeting on June 10, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors officially recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation.
It reads, in part: “The Coconino County Board of Supervisors joins residents and local governments across the country in celebrating June 19, 2025 as Juneteenth, a day of empowerment and resilience of Black Americans who have endured generations of oppression in the journey toward equal rights and opportunities in America … “

Editor’s note — Story / photos courtesy of www.MosaicNAZ.org
See more photos at www.MosaicNAZ.org:
• Protesters crowd downtown Flagstaff as part of nationwide ‘No Kings Day’ rally
• ‘No Kings Day’ — Signs of the Time
FLAGSTAFF — With some local media reporting a crowd topping 3,000, Flagstaff residents and Northern Arizona visitors alike turned out in mass for one of the largest rallies in the city in recent memory during the “No Kings Day” mass protest held Saturday, June 14 in front of Flagstaff City Hall.
The large crowd came in spite of near mid-summer temperatures approaching 90 degrees, and added personal safety vigilance as a result of deadly political violence earlier in the day in Minnesota. The protest nationwide was organized by the 50501 movement with the local effort hosted by Indivisible Northern AZ.
Opponents of the Trump administration crowded the sidewalks from starting at Wheeler Park and Humphreys Street along Route 66 around the curve to Milton Road, filling the grassy area up to the Flagstaff City Hall sign. A sizable crowd of protestors also filled the opposite side of the street up to the Flagstaff Train Depot. When they were’t waiving signs, soliciting supportive horns from passing vehicles, the protesters joined in drum performances, chants and listened to speeches from local political leaders.
“No Kings Day is one of the largest days of protest in American history,” Indivisible Project national leaders stated in a media release. “From deep red small towns to our largest cities, millions of people turned out to make clear that the American people will not bow to fascism.

… In 2024, Coconino County and the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) was awarded a $1,500,000 grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program to benefit the counties of Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai as well as all their cities and towns including Flagstaff, Prescott, Camp Verde, Kingman, Show Low, and Winslow. The grant’s primary purpose is to aid the transformation of local properties from liabilities into community assets.

COCONINO COUNTY — Dozen of families received a variety of information from a number of organizations (including the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth) during a Community Health and Wellness Fair held on June 11, 2025 at the Bodaway-Gap Chapter House.
The event, presented by the Coconino County Health and Human Services, featured Rec on Wheels activities, NARCAN training and distribution, tobacco cessation resources, rental and utility assistance, car seat safety checks and services provide by Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (TCRHCC) Mobile Medical Unit.

June brings with it a spirit of celebration – around the globe, across the country, and right here in northern Arizona.
From today’s Juneteenth observance to international Pride Month, we are reminded of the power of visibility, freedom, and community. Closer to home, we just celebrated a major milestone in Holbrook with the funding of a new teen center that very soon will offer support and opportunity for young people.

Scholarships are an important part of Sedona Arts Center. It has a long history in providing students in need of financial assistance, the ability to hone their skills and creative talents. Art classes and workshops also allow an emotional break from daily life and offer social interaction with fellow lovers of art. We are proud to offer our scholarship program, with the help of The Kling Family Foundation, The Ceramics Scholarship Fund, and the Debbie Winslow Scholarship Fund, which allow us to continue this long standing opportunity.
For more scholarship information, policy updates and to apply: CLICK HERE

Join us for the Heritage Festival of Arts and Culture June 28 and 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.
This vibrant celebration features 100 Native American artists offering a stunning selection of handmade jewelry, textiles, fine art, pottery, and more. In addition to a unique shopping experience, enjoy traditional dances, live music, cultural talks, food, and activities for kids.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE & TICKETS

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino National Forest will implement Stage 2 fire and smoking restrictions beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 18 as the threat of unwanted wildfires increases due to hot, dry and windy weather conditions.
Under Stage 2 fire restrictions, the following are prohibited at all times forest-wide:
Igniting, building, maintaining, or using a fire (including charcoal and briquettes) anywhere within the Coconino National Forest, including developed recreation sites. This prohibition also includes smudge pots and wood stoves.
Smoking outside (with the exemption of smoking within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material).
Blasting, welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame.
Within specific areas of the Flagstaff Ranger District motorized vehicles will be prohibited on forest roads of the San Francisco Peaks area, Pumphouse Wash area and Marshall Lake area.

Celebrate F3’s 30th Anniversary by placing a bid on one or more of the awesome items on our online auction!
Find all auction items at: bit.ly/F3Auction4mSJD7c
Bidding ends on June 28 at 7:30 pm
Our goal is to raise $8000 toward our continued community work.
Bid on our exciting, diverse, and unique items including special experiences (from guided tours to personal luxuries), gift baskets (from personal care to gardening) and gift certificates (from design services to doggy day care). Also food, wine, jewelry, and more.

Greetings from District 2! These past few months
have been uncertain and difficult for the County and
District 2. As we are approaching the end of FY2025,
I have been working alongside my fellow colleagues
from the Board of Supervisors to advance key
initiatives, support our communities, and ensure a
strong foundation for the year ahead. The Board of
Supervisors and I are looking forward to the start of
the next FY as we will continue to act upon our
community’s best interests. Thank you for reading
this new edition of the Official District 2 Newsletter
and for allowing me to serve as your District
Supervisor!
Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez

By Indivisible Northern Arizona
In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. NO KINGS is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies. We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political views, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.
On Saturday, June 14, we’re taking to the streets nationwide. We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.
SEE LINKS TO INDIVIDUAL PRE-EVENT ORGANIZING EFFORTS THROUGHOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA

Children’s Action Alliance envisions Arizona as a state where all children and families thrive. When children live in fear, we are failing our children.
As federal immigration enforcement operations deploy tactics that raise legal, constitutional, and moral concerns, Children’s Action Alliance encourages partners to be informed and resourced to support the well-being and safety of immigrant, citizen, and mixed-status children and families in Arizona.
In preparation and response to federal actions, families and allies can seek and share valuable resources, including the following:

United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA) is proud to announce it has received a $150,000 grant from Wellpoint, a leading healthcare company, to support the transformation of a former retail space in Holbrook into a teen center.
The center is being developed by Grow Arizona Workforce Network, a local nonprofit focused on workforce readiness and youth empowerment.
UWNA has been working to help secure funding for close to a year and is thrilled by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the Wellpoint team in supporting this new service.

As you know, the funding arts organizations and artists receive from the Arizona Commission on the Arts is something we have to fight for at the Arizona Legislature every year. We need your help to keep funding intact in the FY2026 state budget.
Specifically, we need you to contact your legislator and Governor Hobbs TODAY.
If you are a leader of an arts organization, we also need you to engage your volunteers, board members, donors, audiences and patrons in contacting their state elected officials. Often, their voices as constituents of these elected officials are the most persuasive. Please forward this message to them.

Welcome to your go-to source for everything Parks & Recreation!
From exciting events to seasonal programs, we’ll keep you in the loop.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Effect: Parks & Recreation has specific guidelines outlining what is allowed and prohibited during this time. Click here to review the details before your next visit.
Spots still open for Week 3 of Summer Camp! Fun at the Fort is blasting off with a Space Explorers theme next week, and we have room for new recruits. Sign up here to join the adventure.
New Programs Launching Soon! Archery clinics, culinary classes, Festival of Science activities, and more are coming your way. Stay tuned – our updated catalog will be live soon on our website.

FLAGSTAFF — The 9,145-acre Basin Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire located 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff, is 54% contained following several days of firing operations and securing.
Fire crews spent Wednesday finishing smaller firing operations on the interior of the fire. Several resources began the demobilization process Wednesday night as the fire winds down. Firefighters will continue patrolling the fire’s perimeter (on Thursday).
“We’re pleased with the results of the Basin Fire on the landscape,” said District Ranger Matt McGrath. “This kind of fire works to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and post fire-flooding to our surrounding communities and resources.”

Lost & Found: Crafting with Nature for Ages 8-12
with Jillian Sander
June 30, 2025 – Monday, 9am-12pm — $35
In this half-day camp class, kids will hand build animals using found branches, twigs, pinecones, and rocks. Bring home a slow pinecone turtle, a speedy stick horse, or a funny little twig caterpillar! The options are endless! Found-object sculpture is a great way to get those creative gears turning; kids will learn all about artistic improvisation and problem solving as they discover new, fun ways to use what’s around them.
All supplies provided.

We are thrilled to announce that we have secured a long-term lease on a dedicated rehearsal studio space right here in Flagstaff. This beautiful commercial space will become a hub of creativity and learning, allowing us—for the first time—to offer year-round classes and camps for youth and adults alike. It will also free up valuable space in our main building, giving all departments room to breathe and grow.
But we need your help to bring this vision to life.

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — From school districts to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies, a variety of food assistances programs are available this summer for families throughout Coconino County.
The following is a listing compiled by CCC&Y of some of those programs. Contact individual organizations for more information on times, dates and locations.
If your organization would like to be added to this listing, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org

Scholarships Available
Scholarships are an important part of Sedona Arts Center. It has a long history in providing students in need of financial assistance, the ability to hone their skills and creative talents. Art classes and workshops also allow an emotional break from daily life and offer social interaction with fellow lovers of art. We are proud to offer our scholarship program, with the help of The Kling Family Foundation, The Ceramics Scholarship Fund, and the Debbie Winslow Scholarship Fund, which allow us to continue this long standing opportunity.
For more scholarship information, policy updates and to apply: CLICK HERE

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff invites artists to submit Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) to work within a design team to create a landmark three-dimensional artwork within a roundabout at the intersection of North Switzer Canyon Drive and North Turquoise Drive. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2025, at 3 p.m.
The Switzer Canyon Roundabout 3D Artwork will be part of the single-lane roundabout completed by the City of Flagstaff in 2019. The artwork will serve as a distinctive icon that enriches the cultural and aesthetic landscape of the neighborhood and Flagstaff. The site-specific public art installation will exist within a reconfiguration of the hardscape at the center of the roundabout that maintains traffic safety signage and sightlines.

“We are very concerned over the inflammatory language that the Trump administration is using to describe the environment in Los Angeles, which its actions have ignited,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. “Sending national guard troops into Southern California, without regard for the authority or knowledge of local or state officials, is a deliberate tactic that is only ramping up the anger,” he adds.

This event gives Page residents and nearby areas access to services without needing to travel to Flagstaff.
The Coconino County Attorney’s Office (CAO), Legal Defender’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Elections Department, Recorder’s Office, and Health and Human Services (CCHHS) along with The Guidance Center (TGC), Encompass, DNA-People’s Legal Services, and Victim Witness Services of Northern Arizona (VWS) are participating.

Celebrate F3’s 30th Anniversary by bidding on our online auction!
Help us continue our work by bidding on our exciting, diverse, and unique items including special experiences (from guided tours to personal luxuries), gift baskets (from personal care to gardening) and gift certificates (from design services to doggy day care). Bid on food, wine, jewelry, and more.
Everything is donated by local shops, businesses, restaurants, and individuals who generously contributed to this auction.
Help us kick-off of our next 30 years of community work in Flagstaff!

Gallego Supports Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Obesity Epidemic ••• Gallego Fights to Protect Key Consumer Protection Agency ••• Gallego, Baldwin Introduce Bill to Prevent Companies from Ripping Healthcare Away from Striking Workers ••• Gallego Fights for Program That Saves Arizonans Hundreds on Their Utility Bills ••• Gallego, Colleagues Call for Additional Funding to Keep Communities Safe

My heart sank as I read the article in the Wall Street Journal.
My alma mater, the Macomb campus of Western Illinois University, was featured as an example of America’s new “rust belt” – once-booming college towns now struggling because of dwindling enrollment rates. In the past 15 years, enrollment has dropped by 47 percent, and the bustling community I remember from my college days is quickly becoming a ghost town.
Macomb is hardly unique, and its story serves as a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are in northern Arizona, where one of the biggest drivers of our regional economy is Northern Arizona University.

Ongoing Power Outage on North Rim
The National Park Service (NPS) continues to work with the North Rim concessioner to address the power outage affecting the North Rim, which began Sunday evening, June 1, due to an equipment failure involving a transformer near the Grand Canyon Lodge. Power remains out at the Grand Canyon Lodge and surrounding concessioner facilities. Overnight reservations have been canceled since June 2.

The city is hosting a Community Conversation (on June 13) about the Code Analysis Project (CAP). This will be an in-depth conversation and an opportunity to provide input to city staff and discuss concerns related to how the community will address our housing and climate needs. The city is looking for the community’s input and concerns as they consider how to move forward with the CAP and the revision of development codes in a manner that reflects our community’s values.

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
FLAGSTAFF —
Please join CCC&Y for its next Prevention Council Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 5. 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 Council meets the first Thursday of the month.
Want to be a guest speaker at our next meeting? Send an email to CCC&Y Executive Director Virginia Watahomigie at coalition@coconinokids.org to be placed on the agenda or to receive a Zoom link to our next meeting.
READ MORE

How are you using GenAI?
NAU is integrating generative AI into its educational programs through innovative projects funded by the Office of the Provost’s TRAIL grants. These initiatives include using AI-enhanced ultrasound in physical therapy classes, AI tools in business analytics and AI-generated conversations with historical conservationists in environmental courses. The goal is to enhance learning experiences and better prepare students for a tech-driven future. (Editor’s note: Could you tell this summary was written by AI?)
Read the story

June marks the beginning of our busiest time of year with a multitude of events throughout the summer. Our beautiful location is special anytime of the year, but summer is especially wonderful here at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
This month sees the return of one of MNA’s most cherished traditions—the Heritage Festival of Arts and Culture, a celebration of living Indigenous culture and creative expression. We’re proud to welcome around 100 Native American artists from across the Colorado Plateau on June 28 and 29. I encourage you to come explore their exquisite works of jewelry, pottery, basketry, fine art, performances, and more. Our galleries provide an insight into the past and present of the Native communities on the Colorado Plateau, while the festival is a wonderful opportunity to talk with many artists from these communities and learn about their creative processes and influences.

The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, Grand Canyon Conservancy, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (South Rim), and the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix (North Rim). Amateur astronomers from around the world will volunteer their telescopes and expertise for the enjoyment of park visitors. Dozens of telescopes will offer views of planets, double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies. By day, keep an eye out for solar telescopes pointed at the sun. Weather permitting, expect spectacular views of the universe!