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COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, extends her heartfelt congratulations to the outstanding educators selected as finalists for the prestigious Teacher of the Year and Rookie Teacher of the Year awards.
The winner in each category will be revealed at the 11th annual Coconino County Teacher of the Year Awards event on Thursday, April 25, 2024, commencing at 5 p.m. at the High Country Conference Center.
COCONINO COUNTY — CCC&Y member partners have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and programs throughout Northern Arizona by taking part in the annual Arizona Gives Day on April 2, 2024.
Arizona Gives Day is an annual giving movement uniting nonprofits, big and small, new and established, with all missions and backgrounds, to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Arizona through online giving, said AZ Impact for Good, which runs the program. The event helps raise awareness about the critical role Arizona nonprofits play in our community and inspires people to give generously, creating a thriving and stronger Arizona for all.
So if you have registered by the Arizona Gives Day deadline of Feb. 28, 2024, be sure to contact the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth so we can support your effort by providing links to your organization and donation pages in our upcoming weekly e-newsletters.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) published the 2024 Coconino County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) on March 5, 2024.
The chna is a comprehensive evaluation, conducted every three years, to gain a deep understanding of the health status, risk factors, causes and concerns of poverty in our communities and available resources within Coconino County. The main goals of this assessment are to understand community health; identify health disparities; create a path for improvement; and reduce barriers.
In this edition…
• Supervisors Oppose the Pinon Plain Uranium Mine
• County Awarded $7.7 million NRCS Grant to Protect Residents from Flood Damage
• Supervisor Vasquez Testifies on Transportation at Arizona Capitol Board Members Travel to Washington, DC to Advocate for Coconino County
• District 2 Events and Activities
Upcoming Events And More!
Learn about the contributions women have made to the world at campus events throughout the month of March. In partnership with other campus organizations, the Commission on the Status of Women has invited a diverse set of speakers to talk about the stories and accomplishments of women from both the past and the modern day.
Distilling the Landscape in Sedona
with Ben Hamburger
March 16 : Saturday, 9am – 3pm
Simplifying what you see is a necessary component of observational painting. But it can also be used as a liberating constraint to explore design, composition, and color. During this class, you will focus on distilling your surroundings into compositions that convey both the essence of the landscape around us and our individual artistic voices. We will begin by focusing on selection and composition exercises before moving on to full color paintings. Discussions on theory and demonstrations will be followed by painting time with guidance by the instructor and group critique. Beginner and experienced plein air painters are welcome, however, this class is a class for people with some substantial painting experience. While demos will be provided in oil paint, both oils and acrylic painters are welcome.
2023 Park Profile and statistics now available
Last week the NPS released its 2023 visitation statistics. Service-wide, the NPS welcomed 325.5 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4% over 2022.
Grand Canyon National Park experienced its eighth busiest year ever in 2023 with 4,733,705 visits. Last year’s visitation was only 1,600 more than the previous year with a less than 1% increase from 2022. Grand Canyon once again ranked as the second most visited National Park in the National Park Service system behind Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitation to Grand Canyon reached its highest level in 2018 with approximately 6.4 million visitors.
Plan on joining us as we celebrate our collective community impact and share some exciting news that will further our efforts to step up for our youth in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties.
Our Annual Campaign & Community Impact Luncheon will start at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 27 at Little America Hotel.
Tickets are $50 / $375 for a table of 8.
New Student Orientation is now Lumberjack Welcome—an immersive experience that takes place the week before school starts and connects new students with resources and support that will help them in the first few weeks of school and for the entirety of their Lumberjack career. It’s an important piece of NAU’s commitment to helping 100,000 people earn high-value NAU credentials by 2035, preparing them to succeed in the always-changing Arizona workforce.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY —
Please join CCC&Y for its next Prevention Council Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 7. Our meetings provide our coalition partners with the opportunity to share the latest news about their projects that support children, youth and their families in Northern Arizona.
The CCC&Y Prevention Council has its roots in our long history of child abuse prevention, our most recent work with substance misuse prevention and our overall commitment to understanding the protective factors, resiliency research and assets our community needs to thrive.
Some examples include:
Planning for previous Child Abuse Prevention Conferences
Engaging in multiple projects with International Child Welfare expert, Kevin Campbell
Developing a library of recorded webinars
Initiating the PAWS community arts and education project
We asked faculty and staff: Which Black musicians inspire you? What prominent Black figure, living or dead, would you want to have dinner with? What’s your advice for future generations? Read and watch their thoughtful answers to these and more questions in this multimedia story, part of a university-wide celebration of Black History Month.
The Board of ECoNA had a robust, wide-ranging conversation with Senator Mark Kelly recently that covered infrastructure improvements in northern Arizona, possible strategies for addressing our chronic housing shortage here, and the senator’s profound disappointment that the border security bill that was negotiated in Congress did not garner enough support to pass.
Earlier in the day, Senator Kelly had presided over a field hearing of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee at City Hall, which focused on a progress report from local officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Rio de Flag Flood Control project.
As an All of Us scholar, NAU junior Cecilia Perez pursued a research project on the understudied topic of endometriosis in women of color. The disease that causes severe pelvic pain and menstrual bleeding is widely believed to affect mostly white women—but Perez’s research shows it touches the lives of racial and ethnic minorities at similar rates.
Read the story
FLAGSTAFF — Two Coconino Community College students, Grace McCullough and Carly Miller, have been nominated for the All-Arizona Academic Team as part of the All-USA Scholarship competition sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa.
Each year, the Arizona Board of Regents provides tuition scholarships to exceptional Arizona resident community college transfer students, based on outstanding academic performance and community service.
Students are nominated by their community college and submit their applications directly to the Phi Theta Kappa International Honorary organization. Scholarships cover resident tuition at any Arizona state university.
The Train Depot Bridge project is nearing completion and will officially reopen to the public on Friday, February 23. This project was a collaborative effort between the Grand Canyon National Park Special Projects Crew and the Trail Crew. Both crews worked together as a team, successfully rehabilitating this old bridge in the historic district of the South Rim Village. This bridge will serve visitors in accessing greenways, bus stops, and the train depot for many years to come.
When school started last year, the EdWeek Research Center (part of the publication Education Week) conducted a survey, asking high school students the following question: In the past year, what, if anything, has had a negative impact on your mental health?
Here was the statistic that pulled me up short: only 16% of the respondents said “Nothing.”
That means 84% had experienced enough stress and anxiety – about everything from school to the future of our planet – that it had a detrimental effect on their mental health.
COCONINO COUNTY — The 2023 Controller of the Year Awards recently recognized Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar as the winner of Controller of the Year for the Government Category.
Benatar has served as Treasurer of Coconino County since being appointed in 2014, winning reelection in 2016 and 2020, and was the youngest County Treasurer in Arizona. She serves the County as an officer of the Arizona County Treasurer’s Association and as past President of the Arizona Association of Counties (AACo). She is a voice for rural communities, advocating for her constituents by serving on the board and as Treasurer of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and as president of the National Association of Hispanic County Elected Officials (NAHCO).
COCONINO COUNTY — Whether it’s connecting families with local representatives from the Coconino County Health & Human Services’ Women’s, Infants and Children (WIC) program, to helping foster care families learn about potential scholarship programs for their youth, resource guides provide a valuable assistance to residents throughout Coconino County and Northern Arizona.
To spread the word about these valuable information options, CCC&Y has compiled a listing and link to a variety of resource guides throughout the region including CCC&Y’s created Page/Fredonia and Tuba City resource guides and the recently updated Williams Area Community Resource Guide.
— Gina Santi is a freelance photographer born and raised in Venezuela and currently based in Tempe, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University and has participated in various events in Northern Arizona, including the annual Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Visit http://www.ginasantiphotography.com for more information.
Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year, and most end up with some level of permanent motor disability. Reza Sharif Razavian, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is using grant funds from NAU and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to develop a device that could help healthcare providers personalize care for stroke survivors—and improve their chances of full recovery.
There is no better way to document your visit to the Grand Canyon than through art, photography and journaling.
This two-day workshop will provide an overview and practice of basic illustration as well as the elements and practice of nature and art journaling. Participants will spend time in the classroom learning and practicing key concepts and ideas. We will then spend a significant amount of time outside exploring the rim of the Grand Canyon hiking and documenting our visit.
Participants must be able to walk at least two miles. We will not be exploring below the rim.
While at NAU, Andrea Lopez dedicated herself to bridging the gap between international and domestic students: She took part in countless clubs and organizations and spent two semesters in Spain and Costa Rica. Now, thanks to a Fulbright scholarship, the recent graduate is back in Spain—and this time, she’s at the head of the classroom.
We all agree that children are our future, and we need to invest in their development.
KinderCamp™, a signature program of United Way of Northern Arizona, is part of our efforts to Step Up for Our Youth. For almost two decades, it’s gotten positive reviews from teachers, parents, and most importantly, the four- and five-year-olds who participate each summer.
Learn more about how we are gearing up for KinderCamp 2024, and how you can play a role in helping the next generation get ready to take on the world.
Friday, February 16: Intermittent road closures on Center and South Entrance Roads
On Friday, Feb. 16, there will be intermittent closures of South Entrance and Center Roads. These closures are necessary to facilitate the transport of two large transformers and a crane being delivered for the APS Substation Project west of Clinic Road.
Friday, February 16 Details:
7 a.m.- 12 p.m.: A single lane closure will be in effect ¼ mile south of the South Entrance station along Hwy. 64. Traffic flaggers will be present and traffic delays are expected in this area.
9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Three separate closures will be in effect for up to 30 minutes each. The closure area will be both lanes from the South Entrance Station to the Clinic/Center Road junction. No vehicles will be able to enter/exit the park via the South Entrance during the closure periods (this includes the employee bypass lane).
4:30-6:30 p.m.: Three separate closures will be in effect for up to 30 minutes each. The closure area will be both lanes from the South Entrance Station to the Clinic/Center Road junction. No vehicles will be able to enter/exit the park via the South Entrance during the closure periods (this includes the employee bypass lane).
This is the 11th year STEM City and its partners have worked to create this unique opportunity for all of Flagstaff to engage with the STEM community (K-12 schools, college and university educational institutions, businesses, government agencies, non-profit agencies and others).
Hands-on activities, demonstrations and conversations excite participants, expose the community to STEM educational and career opportunities in Flagstaff and celebrate Flagstaff’s designation as “America’s First STEM Community.”
The Artist’s Professional Toolkit:
A Writing Class for Your Portfolio
with Camille LeFevre
April 2-23 : Tuesdays, 1:30 to 3pm
What’s the difference between an artist statement and artist bio? How do you write a compelling proposal? Learn how to exquisitely craft and then repurpose all three of these artist tools when applying for exhibitions, workshops, residencies, funding, and more.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
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.
Teens ages 15-18 are invited to apply to Sedona Arts Center’s Gallery 928 program, a unique summer art apprenticeship that partners students with a master artist to create a work of public art. Applications are due April 19, 2024. The program begins June 3 and runs through July 3 and will be held Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sedona Arts Center, located at 15 Art Barn Road.
“We are excited for year three of Gallery 928,” says Julie Richard, CEO of Sedona Arts Center. “This summer, apprentices will create a public art mural for our Center all the while learning about the public art process—from conception to completion to celebration.”
Who snores more, you or your partner? Who is the better driver? Who does more dishes? For Valentine’s Day, we asked three NAU couples, made up of faculty and staff, all these questions and more. Find out how often they agree, how often they don’t and whose victory dance we get to see at the end. Let the game begin!
Message from Mary –
I often consider February a month of transition, when winter shows a mighty beauty, but we long to see what spring will bring. Now is an ideal time to enjoy the warmth of the museum and explore Selling the Southwest. MNA’s newest exhibit unveils idyllic portrayals of unspoiled landscapes – artworks commissioned to lure visitors to enchanting, unfamiliar lands. It tells a story of transition, one that would bolster early tourism, impact southwestern culture and art for generations, and influence the lives of Indigenous peoples. The exhibit showcases works by Thomas Moran, William Robinson Leigh, Louis Akin, Arthur W. Best, and Gunnar Widforss, as well as pottery, jewelry, and textiles by Native artisans from that period.
Vision and Sound Symposium
RACE, ARTS, & UNDERSTANDING
February 25–26, 2024
Sedona Arts Center – 15 Art Barn Road, Sedona, AZ 86336
The Symposium will feature keynote speakers, performances, receptions, and reflections. This year’s symposium includes a two-part interactive Critical Response Process workshop led by world-renowned choreographer and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow Liz Lerman that will showcase ASU faculty member Edson “House” Magana and his film “Outcast.”
Conversations with the artists, facilitated by Sedona Arts Center CEO Julie Richard and CSRD Director Lois Brown, PhD will complement the Symposium workshops and keynote address.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Click here for more information and to register
O’ahu, Hawaii, is rife with lush landscapes, expansive ocean views, and increasingly, invasive rodents. Non-native mice and rats have contributed to ecological destruction in the island’s forests, and forest managers are struggling to manage the damage. Ph.D. student Sara Gabrielson hopes she can help: She recently published an article that describes these rodents’ diets and shows how they disperse seeds throughout forest lands. Gabrielson’s research could help forest managers get to the root of the problem and identify ways to minimize future environmental harm.
Mark your calendars!
February 14: Intermittent road closures on Center and South Entrance Roads
On Wednesday, February 14, there will be intermittent closures of South Entrance and Center Roads. These closures are necessary to facilitate the transport of two large transformers and a crane being delivered for the APS Substation Project west of Clinic Road.
COCONINO COUNTY — At the February 6, 2024 meeting of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board), the Board unanimously approved an official proclamation designating February 2024 as Black History Month in Coconino County …
… joining in the nationwide celebration and recognition of the history of the African Diaspora and African Americans who continue to be contributors to the achievements of the United States.
In designating February as Black History Month, the Board is committed to remember the courage, resilience, and teachings of those who helped build our nation and for those who continue to strive to fight for freedoms, stand against prejudice, advance the cause of civil rights, and strengthen families and communities.
“We appreciate the opportunity to recognize the great contributions from African Americans not only to American society, but also to the county’s local history like those who relocated here for jobs in the lumber industry and helped develop towns like Flagstaff into modern communities,” said Jeronimo Vasquez, Chair of the Board and Supervisor for District 2. “It is extremely important that we take this time to acknowledge our county’s diversity and continue to learn about all parts of our history.”
he Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth provides a variety of free online training programs for parents, caregivers and all community members.
Our free Thriving Families webinar is a great starting place for parents, caregivers and community members brand new to the topics such as brain development, adverse childhood experiences, resilience and mindfulness. It is a great jumping off place to go deeper in knowledge and support through the rest of our library of webinars.
With thousands of views across our various topics, we are sure there is something for all community members and professionals. Whether you are seeking the best info for your family, your community or a program you work for, get a taste for our research supported prevention and community work.
Color Clinic
with Gretchen Lopez
February 17-18 : Saturday–Sunday, 10am to 4:30pm
Learn how to achieve harmony and continuity in your paintings by mixing color from a limited palette. Have fun as we explore and discover how to use simple methods of mixing paint to gain confidence and a better understanding of how color works. Get ready to apply what we learn to a still life, abstract, and landscape! Instructor demonstrations and individual attention provided.
When Ian McLeod isn’t mountain biking or teaching at NAU’s Phoenix Bioscience Core, he’s working with some of the biggest names in extreme sports. Since 2011, the athletic trainer and physician assistant has served as an on-course medical responder at the Winter X Games, where famed athletes converge from across the globe to compete in extreme skiing, snowboarding and more. Working at the X Games has enriched McLeod’s teaching: He often uses those real-world experiences as case studies in the classroom.
FOOD, WINE, BEER, ARTIST DEMOS, SPECIAL EXHIBITION
Celebrate Sedona engages the local community while celebrating and
featuring local and regional arts, food and drink! Held at Sedona Arts Center,
Celebrate Sedona is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of our
community’s music, food, drink, and artistry.
These annual awards are given to students, teachers, and organizations who are STEM Leaders in our community. Winners will be announced at the STEMMY Awards Ceremony March 7th at the Coconino Center for the Arts.
Nomination Forms:
Student of the Year
Teacher of the Year
Community Partner of the Year
Business of the Year
Deadline for nominations is February 16th.
Message from Jeronimo
TOP 10 Accomplishments and Events for 2023
Welcome to New District 3 Supervisor Adam Hess
Holiday Celebrations
Tackling the Affordable Housing Crisis
Flood Mitigation Activities
Fire Management
Transportation News
Coconino County Legislative News
County Supervisors Association (CSA) Board Meetings
Board of Supervisors Proclamations
Coconino County Diversity Council Activities
Re-entry Program in Coconino County
New Coconino County Youth Mental Health Hub
Supervisor Vasquez Conferences
Coconino County and Community Events
District 2 Neighborhood Meetings
Welcome to Mary Knight – Coconino County’s New Rural Broadband Manager
Supervisor Vasquez Remembers Benally Klee
Coconino County Job Opportunities
Coconino County Services and Programs
What’s going on with the Transcanyon Waterline Project?
Since initial construction activities began on the South Rim nearly a year ago, the focus was on developing the construction sites and various South Rim facilities. Currently, the two new raw water tanks, laydown and staging areas, Staging Road, and contractor support facilities are nearly completed. Construction for the South Rim water treatment plant and Helibase infrastructure are well underway. New helicopter landing pads are completed and much of the concrete foundations and conduit lines are installed for the facilities at both of those construction areas.
Celebrate Black heritage and excellence
Black History Month signifies a time for celebration and remembrance of the contributions that the Black and African American communities have made to American history and the world. Remembering these contributions all year long is crucial for everyone to understand that this vibrant community is deeply rooted in the history of the country, Arizona and NAU.
An immersive arts experience, Vision & Sound broadens the understanding and appreciation of African American art and music for multigenerational and multicultural audiences. The educational event, which features an exhibition, lectures, artist demonstrations, musical performances and a symposium, builds supportive relationships to encourage cultural equity throughout Arizona and beyond, recognizing that professional American artists of African descent are too often overlooked.
The Board of Directors of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has voted to support a proposed House of Representatives bill that would expand Child Tax Credit refunds for parents.
The bill, which has received broad bipartisan support, passed the House Ways and Means Committee last week by a 40 to 3 vote. is sponsored by U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.).
“Sixteen million kids from low-income families will be better off as a result of this plan, and given today’s miserable political climate, it’s a big deal to have this opportunity to pass pro-family policy that helps so many kids get ahead,” Wyden stated on Jan. 16 in a U.S. Senate Committee of Finance media release. …
January Contreras, chief executive office and president of the Children’s Action Alliance, made a presentation on the bill to the board during its monthly meeting on Jan. 22.
United Way of Northern Arizona is pleased to announce that Tempy Wessel, a native of Joseph City and former member of W.L. Gore & Associates, has accepted the position of Northeast Arizona Representative for UWNA.
Wessel’s family’s history in Northeast Arizona has gone back for generations, with her family originally coming to Joseph City as ranchers. They soon became involved in local, county, and state government, and Tempy’s great grandfather was a federal magistrate in Holbrook for many years.
After retiring from W.L. Gore, she and her husband, David, moved back to Joseph City, where they manage a community center that serves as a meeting place for local clubs and the Chamber of Commerce.
“This region is the place that most feels like home to me,” she said. “Being the Northeast Representative isn’t just a job; it’s my heart.”
Painting the Southwest Desert
with Gretchen Lopez
February 3 : Saturday, 10am to 4:30pm
Not only is life abundant in our great Southwest Desert, but as an artist, I can see wonderful textures, nuances in color and the way light influences the way we see it in the morning and in the late afternoon!
Working from photo references, learn to capture the drama and beauty of our great Southwest. Find out how your brush strokes can create marvelous areas of interesting texture, along with experimenting with color and composition!
Previous drawing skills are a must!
Find out in the Grand Canyon Semester, one of the longest-running honors semesters in the country. Available to all undergraduate students, the unique course touches on the Grand Canyon’s geology, the environmental concerns that threaten it and the Indigenous people who have called it home for centuries. Uniquely, class discussions often take place on the trail, on the Colorado River or over the campfire. Professor Ted Martinez wants students to learn how to think critically and solve problems in less-than-ideal circumstances. But mostly, he wants them to leave having learned to trust themselves.