Thursday-Wednesday, Dec. 22-24, 26-28
Skate at the Station, Flagstaff Visitor Center
Free skating rink in Downtown Flagstaff. 12 p.m.
Discover Flagstaff — Fill your holiday season with fun holiday events! Find more with Flagstaff Happenings!
Category: Education
Coconino County Parks and Recreation Completes Upgrades to Pond at Archuleta County Park
The improvements allowed for enlarging the pond space and adding a boardwalk, which makes the pond easier to access and enjoy, and an ultraviolet light system to reduce algae, so the pond will have improved visibility beneath the water’s surface.
Thanks to a heritage grant from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), upgrades to the pond at Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park are complete and it is now open to the public. The grant allowed Coconino County Parks and Recreation to make the necessary improvements to create a place for the public to visit and watch wildlife. The original pond was small, contained considerable algae, and was difficult for the public to access.
Coconino County Parks & Recreation December update
Memories of 2022
It is almost 2023! Coconino County Parks and Recreation has had a great season!
Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 12/19/22
Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez District 2 Newsletter — 17th Edition
In this edition…
Message from Jeronimo
Short-Term Flood Mitigation Projects
Snow Preparation
District 2 Highlights & Special Spotlights
Year in Review
Service Positions Open in District 2
Services and Programs
And more!
United Way of Northern Arizona — ‘You Can Give with Confidence’
When you make a donation to a nonprofit, you want to feel confident that your gift is being properly used by an organization that takes its fiscal responsibility seriously.
That’s why we are so pleased to announce that, for the fourth year in a row, Charity Navigator has given United Way of Northern Arizona a 4-star rating, this year with a score of 96%. This means UWNA exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards for nonprofits. Only 13 United Way organizations of our size have achieved this high a rating.
Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Dec. 12-16, 2022
Volunteer to support the Grand Canyon Community this holiday season!
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, Delaware North will be having a wrapping party to wrap the angel tree gifts from 1-5 p.m. in Yavapai Lodge atrium. All angels on the DNC Angel Tree have been adopted this year and donations should be dropped off before this Friday, Dec. 16 to the General Store. More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer here.
On Wednesday, Dec. 21, Delaware North will be making food boxes in the Canyon Village Market Deli starting at 3 p.m. The food boxes will accompany the angel tree gifts to each family. More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer here.
Both events are open to the community and participation is highly encouraged!
Discover Flagstaff — Fill your holiday season with fun holiday events! Find more with Flagstaff Happenings!
Flagstaff Snowflake Festival/ Skate at the Station, Flagstaff Visitor Center. Free skating rink in Downtown Flagstaff! 12 p.m. Friday-Wednesday, December 16-21
Learn More
The NAU Review — Celebrating our graduates, Notes from the President and the Early Learning and Development Center
More than 2,400 students have applied to graduate this semester; they will be celebrated in two ceremonies at the Skydome on Dec. 16. Learn about parking, traffic, the clear bag policy and how you can get updates on commencement.
Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — As CCC&Y’s e-newsletter takes a break, we want to wish you a very happy holiday season
As we conclude 2022, a year in which we celebrated our 50th anniversary, we want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a very happy 2023.
CCC&Y’s weekly e-newsletter will be taking the rest of the year off, but will return on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
If you need a little help during this hectic holiday season, please be sure to visit our many free online webinars to help ease some of the stress — CCC&Y presents free webinars on understanding how emotions impact adult and child relationships
Bilingual report — Gina Santi Photography Images of the Month – December 2022
The hogan is the fundamental, traditional dwelling of the Navajo people of Arizona and New Mexico. It is a single-room roughly circular abode, with an east-facing access that encloses a central fireplace or wood stove set below a central smoke ventilation hole. It is built usually of logs and mud, with a domed roof. Historically, it has been not only a place to live but also a place of considerable spiritual significance. The hogan can be male (cone-shaped) or female (round or six-sided, as in the image).
In Navajo culture, every new Hogan must be ritually consecrated after it is built. This consecration is done by first touching the four main posts of the hogan, which symbolize the four cardinal points, and then scattering cornmeal or corn pollen all around the inside in a clockwise direction. This blessing is meant to make the hogan strong enough to safeguard the family from physical or spiritual injure. Other ceremonies, including healing ones, are also held in hogans. For these reasons, even if a Navajo family doesn’t live in a hogan, they would make sure there was at least one nearby.
The NAU Review — A graduate’s journey, affordable and fun holiday craft, playing to learn with Brian Stone
When life throws you unexpected challenges, the only way forward is through. Graduate student Altoveda Tortice has embodied this moral throughout her master’s program while working full-time, raising a family and dealing with loss. Tortice first graduated from NAU in 2007 with a degree in psychology. Now, 13 years later, she’s ready to graduate again, this time with a degree in human relations and a goal of helping other students reach their educational goals.
Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 12/12/22
Due to the Winter Weather Advisory, Flagstaff Unified School District schools will be on a two-hour delayed start on Dec. 12
Due to the Winter Weather Advisory for this evening and tomorrow morning, all Flagstaff Unified School District schools will be on a two-hour delayed start tomorrow, December 12. The weather conditions will be re-evaluated tomorrow morning and further communication will be sent out, if needed. More information available at www.fusd1.org
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.
Sedona Arts Center — Coming up: ALL-NEW art classes and workshops!
Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — TGen Grows with Diagnostic Lab
Among the many changes that came out of the era of Covid-19 was the dramatic growth of one of the pillars of our local biosciences sector, the TGen Pathogen and Microbiome Division, better known as TGen North.
TGen North was on the front lines very early on in the crisis, using genomics to analyze the structure of the coronavirus and develop one of the first tests to detect it. The pandemic also prompted the nonprofit to build its own CLIA-certified diagnostics lab. (CLIA, which stands for Clinical Lab Improvement Amendments, is the federal certification needed before a lab can accept human samples for diagnostic testing.)
“That allowed us to test patient samples and return the results to patients and clinicians, which we hadn’t done before,” said Dave Engelthaler, PhD, the director of TGen North. “It had been a long-term goal for us to develop a diagnostics lab, but there’s nothing like an emergency to put things into place.”
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.
Bilingual report — Coconino County Signs Letter to Congress to Pass Behavioral and Mental Health Policies
Led by the National Association of Counties (NACo), a bipartisan group of nearly 150 county elected officials urged congressional leaders to pass key behavioral and mental health policies before the end of the year.
In a letter to congressional leaders, the county officials wrote, “As a key intergovernmental partner, we urge you to work towards the passage of a bipartisan behavioral health package that enhances our ability to provide comprehensive behavioral health services in all settings, strengthens the behavioral health workforce and increases resident access to services.”
“In alliance with counties across the United States, this letter to our nation’s leadership details our shared goals of ensuring resources are provided to address the behavioral and mental health needs of residents,” stated Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman. “I encourage everyone to read the letter sent to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to learn more about the national policies we support.”
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.
Discover Flagstaff — Fill your holiday season with fun holiday events! Find more with Flagstaff Happenings!
Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11
Flagstaff Snowflake Festival/ Skate at the Station, Flagstaff Visitor Center. Free skating rink in Downtown Flagstaff! 12 p.m.
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!
Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 12/5/22
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.
City of Page December Copper Newsletter
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.
Discover Flagstaff — Fill your holiday season with fun holiday events! Find more with Flagstaff Happenings!
Friday, December 2
ArtWalk FLG, Downtown Flagstaff. Presented by Nature Exposed Photography. One of Northern Arizona’s premier arts events. 6 p.m.
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
Theatrikos December Newsletter — Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street opens to sold out standing ovation
Theatrikos’ opening night of Miracle on 34th Street, last Friday, was sold out and got a standing ovation.
Miracle on 34th Street is a Christmas favorite of American audiences. Crew member Lisa Coe commented that, “I always love being part of the Christmas shows at Theatrikos! There’s a positive, warm, and fun magical atmosphere of work and fellowship among cast and crew because of the holiday season.”
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.
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!
Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 11/28/22
Flagstaff Festival of Science — Experiential Learning in the Classroom Changes Lives!
You can support the Festival of Science’s Educational Inititatives on Giving Tuesday. A gift of $25 or more will get us to our $1,000 match and our $5,000 goal!
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 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.
Flagstaff Festival of Science — Breaking! Match gift on Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) doubles your impact!!
The Flagstaff Festival of Science needs your help to give kids the opportunity to find their moment of inspiration! That inspiration could be a pathway to their future career and the Festival is making those connections happen — but we need your help to reach our funding goal!
In our program connecting science professionals with classrooms, students are exposed to a plethora of topics including geology, engineering, biology, archaeology and more! Throughout the fall semester, we match scientists with classrooms in northern Arizona and kids get the chance to learn about STEM careers.
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.
Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 11/21/22
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!
City of Flagstaff Snow Play Information
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff invites you to stay and play responsibility this winter. Please view our winter recreation map here or below for more information.
Bilingual report — Coconino County Board Approves Federal Grant to Create Family Treatment Court
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved receipt of a Department of Justice grant in the amount of $250,000 to create a Family Treatment Court program in the County.
This specialized court, operated through the County’s Juvenile Court, is a voluntary court-supervised program for parents with an open dependency case in which the state Department of Child Services (DCS) has removed the children from the household. In Coconino County, it is estimated that 85% of family court cases involve a substance abuse allegation, requiring DCS to intervene.
This federal pass-through grant enables the County to provide substance abuse treatment support and fill a Peer Recovery Support Specialist position to provide lived-experience consultation to program participants.
“I want to thank our family court. This is another example of how Coconino County keeps families together for the well-being of the whole community,” said District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler.
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.
Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) announces Open House on Dec. 1
Join us for an Open House and Holiday Celebration at the ECoNA office in the Historic Ice House in downtown Flagstaff.
Check out the new conference room, warm up at the hot cocoa bar, and celebrate the accomplishments of 2022!
Plus, update your headshot for the New Year. We’ll have a photographer on site taking photos on a first come, first serve basis, so wear your business best.
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.’
The NAU Review — Planetary space exploration, honoring Gold Axe winners and other graduating seniors and the politics around the World Cup
Space exploration goes underground
For millennia, caves have served as shelters for prehistoric humans. Caves have also intrigued scholars from early Chinese naturalists to Charles Darwin. Cave ecologist Jut Wynne has been in and out of these subterranean ecosystems, examining the unique life forms—and unique living conditions—that exist in Earth’s many caves. But what does that suggest about caves on other planetary bodies? In two connected studies, Wynne, along with dozens of co-authors including engineers, astrophysicists, astrobiologists and astronauts, lay out the research that needs to be done to get us closer to answering the age-old question about life beyond Earth.
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport holiday travel tips
Ahead of the upcoming holiday season, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport reminds travelers to arrive 90 minutes before departure to ensure a seamless experience during this busy travel period. New airline regulations do not allow passengers to check in or check bags less than 45 minutes before domestic departures or one hour for international travelers.
“New regulations require strict cut off times for checked baggage to run required reports regarding aircraft weight prior to take off,” said Barney Helmick, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport Director. “Flying out of Flagstaff is a seamless option for your holiday travel and we thank folks for flying Flagstaff.”
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.
More Than $8 Million Awarded to Coconino County Education Service Agency to Fund Six Projects
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget is pleased to announce that the Coconino County Education Service Agency (CCESA) in partnership with Yavapai County Education Service Agency (YCESA), was awarded six grants totaling more than $8.3 million from the Arizona Department of Education.
The six grants awarded in Coconino and Yavapai counties support elementary and secondary schools’ programs and services benefiting children, families, and the teaching community in Coconino County. The grant funding will enhance K-5 literacy programs; early childhood STEM education and literacy development; mental wellness in K-12 schools; retention of educators through the development of mentorship programs; and further development of the “Grow Your Own Pathways” program to support non-certified staff and high school students in their pursuit of careers in education.
Coconino Center for the Arts November update
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
Discover Flagstaff — Celebrate the season with warm holiday events! Find more with Flagstaff Happenings!
Breakfast with Santa, Little America. Select days throughout November and December. 7-11 a.m.
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!