View this email in your browser September 2nd, 2024 Connect with your community Library Closures Adult & All-Ages Events Book Clubs Youth Events Friends of the Library Technology Help To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, please…
Coconino County Fair, Fort Tuthill County Park — Celebrate 75 years of the Coconino County Fair. 10 a.m.
***
Flagstaff Art in the Park, Wheeler Park — Flagstaff Art in the Park features fabulous art shown by artists, live music, awesome food, kids activities, beer garden and more! 9:30 a.m. Free.
Time is running out to save your seat for our Annual Campaign Kickoff breakfast at High Country Conference Center. We are bringing northern Arizonans together so that we can continue Leading the Way in making our communities stronger, more resilient, and a place where our youth can thrive.
The deadline to register for our event is Tuesday, Sept. 3.
GRAND CANYON, AZ. — The National Park Service (NPS) is beginning public review of a programmatic agreement to establish a more efficient process to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in Grand Canyon National Park. Public comments will be accepted from August 29 – September 28, 2024.
Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects that are carried out, assisted, funded, permitted, or licensed by the federal government on historic properties. If a federal or federally assisted project has the potential to affect historic properties, a Section 106 review takes place.
Dave Cheney is CEO & President at Northern Arizona Healthcare, leading Flagstaff Medical Center, Verde Valley Medical Center, primary care and specialty clinics throughout Northern Arizona. Prior to joining NAH, Dave served as President and CEO of Sutter Hospitals. He led six area CEOs and oversaw the 24 hospitals within the Sutter Health System, following his tenure as CEO of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.
Cheney is a member of the ECoNA Board. Below is an excerpt from our recent interview with him. You can see the full interview here.
Join us to celebrate 75 years of the Coconino County Fair! Get excited for fun rides, delicious fair food, awesome exhibits, animals, entertainment, fun, and memories!
Join us Friday, August 30 to Monday, September 2, at the Fort Tuthill County Fairgrounds!
Entertainment Headliners Friday, 8:00: The Outlaw Mariachi Saturday, 8:00: RaeLynn
Sunday, 8:00: La Brazza Norteña Monday, 2:00: Sonoran Dogs
Reserve your FREE keynote tickets today. The W. L. Gore & Associates Keynote Presentation with Jana Eggers takes place Friday, September 20 at NAU’s Ardrey Auditorium.
Doors open at 6 p.m. followed by an exciting AI-inspired ballet performance at 6:30 p.m. with NAU Community Music and Dance Academy. The performance explores how artificial intelligence can enhance the creative process, and highlights the fusion of human artistry and technological innovation.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — While Summer vacation is over for many families in Coconino County, there are still plenty educational and fun activities available for youth in the region, including the 2024 Coconino County Fair Student Art Exhibit (Aug. 30 through Sept. 2).
Students from dozens of local public elementary, middle and high schools; charter schools and home-school students have submitted a variety of entries, which will be displayed in the Fort Tuthill Fairgrounds’ Schools exhibit building.
See more upcoming community and back-to-school events below. Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates of back-to-school information listed below.
The Coalition will continue to update this resource list. If you have a program you want us to include, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org. Thank you.
(Updated Aug. 27, 2024)
IN THIS ISSUE
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
New Coconino County Leadership
BOS Approves 2025 Budget
BOS Canvassed 2024 Primary Election Results
Pipeline / Copeland / Peaceful Way / Government Tank – Flood Control District Update
Pinyon Mine Is Hauling Uranium Ore
Proposition 482 Sustains County Services
Lake Mary Recreation Corridor Just Gets Better
Flagstaff Family Food Center Hosts 2024 Northern Arizona Anti-Hunger Summit
BOS Continues its Leadership at National Association of Counties Conference
Summer Events / Festivities
Upcoming Events
LumberSNAPS: Return of the Jacks
The new academic year is already off to an axe-citing start! Last week, the Flagstaff mountain campus buzzed with fresh energy as new students moved into residence halls, gathered at welcome events like Lumberjack Launch and donned matching T-shirts for the annual NAU letters portrait. More beginning-of-the-year fun is ahead this week, including the start of classes, the first football game of the season and the Running of the Freshmen, a beloved Lumberjack tradition.
Your presence and support are essential as we continue to Lead the Way in promoting early childhood development, positive youth development, and making sure that the basic needs of all northern Arizonans are met.
Water Conservation and Inner Canyon Water Status
Due to a break in the Transcanyon Waterline, the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is implementing stricter water restrictions and conservation measures. The North Rim will also begin preliminary conservation efforts. The park will remain in conservation mode until repairs are completed and water levels at storage tanks are restored.
The only all Hopi Arts Festival in Northern Arizona, you don’t want to miss this one day event! 10 a.m.
ART CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
in Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Back-to-School events are winding down, but there are still plenty of upcoming activities for families and youth in Coconino County including Family Field Day at Page Sports Complex (Aug. 28), the FACTS Lights On! Carnival in Flagstaff (Sept. 14), the Flagstaff Festival of Science — Science in the Park (Sept. 21) and NACA’s Reach Ur Life Community Cultural event for youth and families (Sept. 27).
See more upcoming events below and please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other back-to-school information below.
The Coalition will continue to update this resource list. If you have a program you want us to include, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org. Thank you.
(Updated Aug. 21, 2024)
FLAGSTAFF — The City invites residents to take the Recreation Community Survey to help shape the future of Flagstaff’s recreational programs and facilities. The survey takes approximately six minutes to complete and can be accessed online at bit.ly/flagrecsurvey
The impact of our Pacesetters – the companies and organizations that fundraise for our annual campaign in the month ahead of our official launch – is truly invaluable.
Their efforts not only lead the way by providing a head start in our fundraising efforts, but they also infuse the campaign with their enthusiasm. Their work generates buzz and builds up anticipation as they rally the community around United Way of Northern Arizona and promote our mission of stepping up for our youth and our community.
If you’ve attended one of our UWNA campaign kickoff events, you know that a big highlight is when the Pacesetters proudly present what they raised, often with oversized novelty checks or other creative displays.
Water conservation measures reimplemented for South Rim
As of August 13, the South Rim has returned to water restrictions. This is in response to a new pipeline break identified between Cottonwood Campground and Manzanita rest area along the North Kaibab Trail. Water conservation measures require all park residents to conserve and reduce water usage whenever possible.
The Mother Road Classic is a show for cars, trucks and (new this year) motorcycles. Located in downtown Flagstaff, it celebrates Route 66, and classic, vintage, and performance vehicles. It is a charity event, raising money for Flagstaff charities. 8 a.m.
Learn More
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Back-to-School events in Coconino County — including fall enrollment, freshman orientations for parents and students, meet the teacher events, school supply distributions and youth sports physicals — will soon conclude, but local organizations are already planning for a variety of youth events this upcoming Fall.
One of the most recent back-to-school events occurred on Aug. 6 with the ‘Meet the Teacher’ event at Killip Elementary School in Flagstaff.
Student received back-to-school supplies kits with parents receiving family support information from a variety of organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff, Child & Family Support Services in Flagstaff, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (CCC&Y), Coconino County Health and Human Services, the Killip Parent Teacher Organization, Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) and North Country HealthCare, just to name a few,
Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
Are bird feeders bad?
It’s complicated. A new study authored by NAU alumnus Andrew Abraham and professor of ecology Chris Doughty found that bird feeders are changing the chemistry of local ecosystems and introducing a potentially harmful amount of phosphorus into the environment. Does this mean putting out bird feeders is always bad? Not necessarily, the researchers say—but it does mean we need a better understanding of how different factors interact to change the
GRAND CANYON, AZ — Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will reimplement mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a pipeline break along the North Kaibab Trail.
Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Mandatory water conservation measures include:
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!
Grand Canyon records second driest, second hottest July on record
The National Weather Service reports July temperatures at Grand Canyon averaged +3.8° warmer than normal, and the precipitation total for the month was only 0.65 inches – that’s a full inch below normal! The period June 1-July 31, 2024 was the hottest on record for most locations across northern Arizona (including Grand Canyon).
During this period of high fire danger, it is important to take proactive measures to reduce the risk of wildfires and ensure the safety of ourselves and our community.
Thirsty Thursday with Black Lemon, Museum of Northern Arizona
Live music by Black Lemon, food, beer, and wine from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in MNA’s beautiful, historic courtyard. 5 p.m.
Learn More
COCONINO COUNTY — Area school district officials and health care providers have been busy planning for a variety of Back to School events in Coconino County, including fall enrollment, freshman orientations for parents and students, meet the teacher events, school supply distributions and youth sports physicals.
One of the most recent events occurred on Aug. 1 when the Native American Education Support Program Indian Education Committee presented its “School Supply Distribution & Health Fair” at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff.
Organizers reported that more than 200 back-to-school supplies kits were handed out to students during the event, which featured a variety of information booths staffed by such organizations as the Arizona Dept. of Economic Security, the Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth (CCC&Y), the Coconino High School CocoNuts Robotics team, Grand Canyon Youth, Lowell Observatory, the Native American Disability Law Center, the Office of Gov. Katie Hobbs — Northern Arizona Constituent Engagement Dept. and North Country HealthCare, just to name a few.
Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
(Updated Aug. 6, 2024)
AI for Everyone: The Basics
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8
5:30 to 7 p.m.
Get comfortable using free AI tools to increase your business or personal productivity and creativity.
AI – Learn more and register!
Dear Museum Friends,
Welcome August! At the Museum this month, we’re warming up for some end-of-summer fun and an awe-inspiring open house. Please join us this week as we rock to the tunes of Black Lemon for our final Thirsty Thursday of the year. Then, take time for our free Easton Collection Center Open House on August 24. The center is an architectural marvel where the Museum cares for and preserves its vast collection of pottery, weavings, paintings, carvings, jewelry, photographs, and much more. Seeing the Journey murals by Hopi artists Michael Kabotie and Delbridge Honanie (detail shown above) is a delightful experience in itself. The annual open house is an opportunity for all to tour the center, engage with our collections staff and curators, and ask questions about the collections.
Whether a first-time visitor or a regular guest to the Museum of Northern Arizona, you’ll be amazed to see and learn something new about the Colorado Plateau. I hope to see you soon.
Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona
“This is the best field trip I’ve ever been on!” exclaimed a third grader who recently visited MNA as she admired the towering Therizinosaur in the museum’s lobby.
Did you know that in 2023, over 2,000 K-12 students visited MNA for free, thanks to generous philanthropic support like yours? A visit to the museum changes your perspective, regardless of your age. Recent visitor surveys tell us that 96% of visitors surveyed report gaining new insights and understandings from their MNA experience!
North Rim Native American Heritage Days kicks off this weekend
Heritage Days will take place this Friday, August 2, through Sunday, August 4. Throughout the weekend a variety of programs will be presented by members of Grand Canyon’s Associated Tribes, including music and dance performances, film screenings, discussions about cultural connections to Grand Canyon, and a variety of demonstrations by renowned Indigenous artists.
Activities will take place daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in and around Grand Canyon Lodge. For more information and the schedule of activities, visit the park’s Heritage Days webpage or see the full event flyer attached here.
Greetings Potters, Artists, and Friends,
Neil Kennedy is moving!
His last day will be on September 6 at our Celebrate Sedona event from 4 to 6pm at Sedona Arts Center in Uptown Sedona. As many of you know, Neil joined our Sedona Arts Center ceramic department almost 7 years ago. During Neil’s tenure with us, he developed the Tuesday afternoon’s Hand Building and Saturday morning’s Pottery Wheel for Beginners classes. With Neil’s years of ceramic experience and his natural talent as an artist, he has helped build the ceramic department’s programming to what it is today—one of the most active and popular clay schools in northern Arizona.
Flagstaff International Film Festival, The Orpheum Theater
Flagstaff International Film Festival (FIFF) is an annual event that celebrates the power of cinema to inspire and entertain. 9:30 a.m
Learn More
ECoNA with its municipality partners got a chance to promote northern Arizona to hundreds of semiconductor manufacturers and related businesses during the recent SEMICON West expo in San Francisco.
According to SEMI, the international trade organization that organizes the expo, global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment are poised to reach $109 billion this year, a new industry record. ECoNA’s 5-year Strategic Plan identifies advanced manufacturing as one of the five sectors the region should pursue for economic development.
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, Aug. 1. 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.
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.
FREDONIA — The Kaibab National Forest (KNF) is considering authorization of a new fiber optic line between Fredonia and Jacob Lake, Arizona. The need for high-speed internet connections grows as new technologies require faster and higher-grade services. As such, the USDA Rural Utility Services Reconnect program helps rural utilities expand and keep their technology up to date by increasing bandwidth and communications capabilities. South Central Utah Telephone Association Inc. (a.k.a. SCUTA) is making high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program and is proposing to install buried fiber optic line in rural northern Coconino County.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz — Heritage Days will return to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Friday, August 2 through Sunday August 4th. Each day, Heritage Days programs and demonstrations will run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. throughout the North Rim developed area. A special celebratory kick-off event will occur at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 at the North Rim Lodge. Heritage Days provide visitors and staff with the opportunity to experience and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona Strip, and the Grand Canyon area.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — A variety of virtual health and welfare resource networking meetings are held each month in Coconino County. The meetings offer health professionals and representatives from a variety of governmental and non-profit organizations the opportunity to share information on upcoming programs and events that benefit the educational, health and welfare needs of children, youth and families throughout the region.
The following is a listing of some of those meetings. Please send any updates to frank@coconinokids.org
Registration is still open for the upcoming year of Elevate PreK, the highly successful initiative that provides free, year-round, high-quality preschool education to 4-year-olds.
The program, developed as part of the LAUNCH Flagstaff initiative at United Way of Northern Arizona, is in its fourth year and will be housed at Evergreen Academy Preschool in Flagstaff.
Designed to provide equitable access to high-quality early education, Elevate PreK is open to 4-year-old children in households that have incomes between 101% and 250% of the federal poverty level.
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years!
Last month, more than 150 four- and five-year-olds in Flagstaff, Williams, and Pinetop-Lakeside received a preview of what school life will be like by attending KinderCamp™.
The targeted intervention program, provided free to families, is a signature early education initiative coordinated by United Way of Northern Arizona with local school districts. It provides students who have limited preschool experience with the academic and social skills they’ll need to successfully transition into kindergarten.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Area school district officials and health care providers have been busy planning for a variety of Back to School events, including fall enrollment, freshman orientations for parents and students, meet the teacher events, school supply distributions and youth sports physicals.
Please check with individual school districts, health care providers and other organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
The Coalition will continue to update this resource list. If you have a program you want us to include, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org (Updated July 16, 2024)
There’s lots to love about NAU in the summertime, from blooming gardens and luscious green grass to countless youth camps and conferences. But in the midst of all these exciting events, don’t forget to experience one of the simplest, most joyful warm weather activities: Swinging in a hammock under the shade of the trees. Here’s our list of favorite places to hang on campus.
Our Fall Catalog is here!
Expect our fall catalog of art classes and workshops to arrive in your mailbox within the next week… but in the mean time, you can preview it online at SedonaArtsCenter.org!
Check out our fall lineup and preview what’s in store for 2025!
Live music from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. by Colton House Sessions — Chris Brashear and Peter McLaughlin — in MNA’s beautiful, historic Courtyard. 5 p.m.
Learn More
In 1996, John Paul Roccaforte and his colleagues at NAU’s Ecological Research Institute embarked on an ambitious mission to study restoration across more than 5,000 acres of dense ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona. After two decades of hands-on investigation, they successfully decreased the area’s tree density and vulnerability to wildfire—unlocking the key to revitalizing and protecting our beloved local ecosystem in an era when fires in the West burn hotter and bigger than ever.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
COCONINO COUNTY — Whether it’s connecting families to food and shelter resources, 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 links to a variety of resource guides throughout the region including CCC&Y’s own recently updated Summer 2024 Page/Fredonia and Tuba City/Navajo Nation resource guides.
Dear Friend of Flagstaff,
A thriving democracy needs organized people and organized funding. When you become a member of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3), you can contribute to both. The F3 Board of Directors invites you to join our local grassroots nonprofit.
We are a multi-issue organization whose mission is to achieve a sustainable, just, and thriving Flagstaff through community education, engagement, and advocacy.
Comet Walk: Ecology
Saturday, Aug. 3
9 – 11 a.m.
Come learn about the ecology of the forests and canyons of northern Arizona on this short walk with CCC’s Julia Hull. FREE.
Ecology – Learn more and register!
As the warmth of summer settles in, there’s no better time to step into the cool and captivating spaces of the Museum of Northern Arizona. July brings a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in our latest exhibits. Explore the fascinating connection between Indigenous people and horses in Horse and Rider: A Southwest Story. And journey through the layers of the Grand Canyon’s alluring geology in the Grand Canyon Dragon Map exhibition. There’s so much to experience!
Through demonstration and one-on-one instruction, students will learn to throw a variety of forms on the potter’s wheel or techniques to create hand-built works. Slab roller, extruder and forms are also available to create functional and decorative pieces. Class sessions are 6-weeks long and meet once/week.
Sedona Arts Center’s ceramics instructors are all highly skilled artists and experienced teachers!
We’ll be taking a break from the Weekly Wrap Up for the next three weeks. Look for our next issue on Thursday, August 1. In the meantime, operational updates can be found on our park website here.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
With Summer here, parents can still get information on ongoing Summer Programs including food security, reading support and more throughout Coconino County.
Also, check on our new Back to School events resource listing to get your child prepared of the upcoming school year.
Please check with individual organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.
The Coalition will continue to update this resource list. If you have a program you want us to include, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org.
Thank you. (Updated July 2, 2024).
