Do you know how Black history has shaped the history of Flagstaff and NAU? Through events, panel discussions and guest speakers, NAU commemorates the legacy, heritage and brilliance of our Black community. During Black History Month, learn about the significant contributions of Black Americans to our community and the United States and gain a greater understanding of how that legacy continues to evolve and affect Black and African Americans today.
COCONINO COUNTY — 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.
CCC&Y is building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities.
Through leadership, education and advocacy. By becoming a member you add your name to an expansive list of individuals, families, businesses and organizations who are igniting collective action that creates better lives for children and families.
Please visit Membership Options
Make an Online Donation
Remember, CCC&Y is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status-so your contributions are tax deductible eligible. Please consult your tax professional.
The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office, in partnership with Coconino National Forest and Coconino County, is hosting a Winter Snow Play Clean Up on Thursday, Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the corner of JW Powell Blvd and S. Lone Tree.
Members of the public are invited to help clean up trash, debris, and broken sled pieces from popular snow play areas with the Winter Snow Play Stewards to help keep our community’s play areas safe and clean.
The National Park Service on Feb. 1 will begin accepting applications for noncommercial river trip permits to raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park for specific launch dates within calendar year 2024. A total of 459 permits will be available for 12- to 25-day river trips. Eligible individuals may apply online at the weighted lottery website. Applications will be accepted online through noon Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Each year in February, a main lottery is held to assign launch dates for river trips occurring the next year. Public notifications regarding main lotteries are made by both email and news release. In addition to the annual main lottery, follow-up lotteries are held as needed throughout the remainder of the year to reassign canceled and/or unassigned launch dates. Public notifications for these follow-up lotteries are made through email and Twitter.
Estevan Ramirez, a master’s student in archaeology, has made good use of his time at NAU—multiple research trips to Belize to study Preclassic Maya archaeology, restarting the Student Association of Graduate Anthropologists and gaining a greater understanding of the border crisis. In his final semester, he’s taking on new challenges as he prepares for graduate school and a career in anthropology.
Read the story
While it uses characters from the original, you don’t need to have seen the original to enjoy this show.
Registration for the City of Flagstaff’s Youth Climate Action Challenge is now open! As part of this year’s event, three unique challenges are open to teams of 4th – 12th graders. Students can participate by implementing a climate action project in their community or by designing wind turbines and solar-powered structures to exhibit their knowledge in renewable energy. The challenges are an opportunity to develop leadership experience and illustrate local climate solutions. Now is the time for students to build their team, register, and demonstrate their leadership in climate action.
At the January 24, 2023 special meeting of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, the Board viewed a presentation and provided direction in crafting a new ordinance regulating short-term rental properties in the county.
A new Arizona state law, enacted by the State Legislature in 2022 gives local governments the legal authority to regulate short-term rental properties within their jurisdictions.
The Board has acknowledged through public input that short-term rental properties have both positive and negative impacts on our communities and requested the County’s Community Development Department and the County Attorney’s Office to draft an ordinance specific to Coconino County’s unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.
This year, Vision & Sound opens at Celebrate Sedona on February 1 from 4 to 6pm, featuring music by Simply Renee and food by Not Your Routine Poutine. This free performance will also have Vision and Sound artists in attendance, artist demonstrations, and more. Free to the Public, food and beverages for sale, 21 to drink. Celebrate Sedona takes place in Uptown Sedona at Sedona Arts Center.
FLAGSTAFF — Ana Roman met and became best friends with Montserrat “Montse” Rodriguez when they worked together at a Flagstaff restaurant. Rodriguez needed help studying for her United States citizenship exam that she was preparing for, and Roman was happy to help.
After Rodriguez passed her citizenship test with flying colors, the two young women continued taking English Language Acquisition for Adults courses in the Adult Education program at Coconino Community College. Successful in their studies, they were awarded a grant that allowed them to take a course at the college free of charge.
They chose ENG 101A, and they both passed their first official college course, and now the two are considering continuing down the college path.
“I was so scared,” Rodriguez said. “We were with students so young, so bright, who spoke English their whole lives. This class has taken me out of my comfort zone. This is a first step.”
Applications open for NAU’s Early Learning and Development Center
The ELDC is integrating programming knowledge from NAU’s College of Education and aims to demonstrate, observe, study and teach exemplary practices in early childhood education, speech-language pathology and other related fields. The ELDC serves children aged 3–5 years old and their families, supporting their intellectual growth, social-emotional intelligence and physical development. Priority enrollment is being offered to NAU student-parents, staff and faculty. Applications for enrollment and financial assistance are currently taking place.
A recently completed United Way of Northern Arizona report on building capacity to help UWNA better address critical needs in Navajo and Apache counties has identified substance abuse/mental health issues, affordable childcare and afterschool programs, and creating a skilled workforce as top priorities for the northeast region.
UWNA retained Phoenix Philanthropy Group to create the report, which was based on interviews with nonprofit leaders, elected officials, economic development directors, healthcare and education professionals, as well as current and past members of the UWNA Board of Directors.
Winter safety tips!
South Entrance Station
We have received multiple reports of park employees and/or residents driving through the south entrance station without stopping. As a reminder, when the bypass lane is closed or inaccessible due to snow, all vehicles are required to come to a full and complete stop when driving through any of the lanes of the entrance station. A failure to stop is not only hazardous but could result in a serious accident to employees who routinely move between booths.
Parking – Safety Concern
Please do not park vehicles on roadways.
Vehicles parked inappropriately compound already hazardous conditions and they impede the plowing of roadways.
Please use designated parking areas.
Vision & Sound creates an educational experience and environment that broadens the understanding and appreciation of African American art, music, film, and literary works for multigenerational and multicultural audiences. We strive to build supportive relationships to encourage cultural equity throughout Arizona and beyond – recognizing that professional American artists of African descent are too often overlooked.
Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Jan. 26-Feb. 1 This Week’s Highlights Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and…
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the establishment of a new Flood Control District (District) Grant Match Fund at its meeting on January 24, 2023.
In late 2022, Congress approved $50 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to engineer and construct flood mitigation measures in the neighborhoods impacted by post-wildfire flooding from the Pipeline Fire.
The Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) of the Coconino National Forest is considering fire restriction changes that would limit camping, campfires, and motorized vehicle use in strategic areas during certain times of the year when catastrophic wildfire risk is high to help prevent unwanted, human-caused fires.
Proposed changes to fire restrictions would increase the boundaries of the existing year-round camping and campfire ban located adjacent to the City of Flagstaff. They would also forbid the use of motorized vehicles in areas around the San Francisco Peaks, Walnut Canyon, and Pumphouse Wash during Stage 2 fire restrictions. These areas have rough terrain and topography that increase wind speeds, which can limit firefighter ability to suppress wildfire starts. The areas under consideration would still be open for hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use during Stage 2 fire restrictions.
As we enter 2023, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth continues to connect families and community members with a number of options, including free educational resources, city resource guides, calendars of upcoming family events and a variety of programs offered by our more than 100 individual and nonprofit members.
Lights, camera, SCALPEL!
When the stage lights and hospital beds meet, greatness happens. Students from NAU’s School of Nursing and the Department of Theatre collaborated to create a simulation lab as part of the Health Care Theater Class, giving students hands-on experience in their respective fields of study.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
CCC&Y and community members fondly remember the life of founder Florence Mae Karlstrom who passed away on Jan. 8, 2023 in Amherst, Mass. She had recently celebrated her 100th birthday on Dec. 22, 2022.
“Many of us in Flagstaff remember Florence. The community we live in today has roots in her work, founding CCC&Y, serving on the FUSD Board, supporting United Way and the vision of early childhood education and development,” wrote consultant and coach Kerry Blume, former president and CEO of the United Way of Northern Arizona.
“I am so sorry to learn of Florence’s passing. … Florence also championed women’s rights and was instrumental in the budding women in history programs at NAU in the early 1970’s which included a cross department collaboration with Peg Morley and Katherine Nutt. Her commitment for building a better world led to focusing on children and the most vulnerable and resulted in the creation of what is now CCC&Y. She was a strong advocate for early childhood education. I worked on her successful campaign for FUSD school board and her unsuccessful campaign for state senate. A consummate community builder who led with compassion, intellect and kindness. During her 100 years many of us got to experience that warm smile and her grace. A life well lived. Her memory will always be a blessing,” wrote Coconino County District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman.
“The acknowledgement of all of Florence’s accomplishments in her lifetime is truly amazing. I was never aware of Florence’s beliefs in life. But now being aware of them, they don’t surprise me. If you looked deep you would know that she was always giving of herself in a compassionate, love filled way, no matter what she did. In working with Florence most closely as we worked together on the school board, I found a woman who was strong in her beliefs, not afraid to share them and if necessary challenge others on theirs. At the same time, her quiet love of all of those she worked with and for came through. There were always those times when she would come to me to be sure all was alright. I knew she truly cared and loved those she worked with, no matter what may be going on. She continually demonstrated her faith of love and hope by the way she lived, whether we were aware of the reason or not. Children were always a top priority. I now wonder if we were all her children, no matter the age. How proud as a founder of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth she would be today, knowing of their many accomplishments. For us and our children she not only met the challenge of life, but found opportunity for the young and old in all that she did,” wrote Julianne Hartzell, past board president and member of CCC&Y’s Action & Outreach Committee.
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Winter storm recap; additional storm system will move through Thursday evening into Friday
Winter weather has yet again hit us hard on the South Rim, and even more so on the North Rim. As of Tuesday, the North Rim has received more than 72 inches of snow for the winter season. As of Thursday morning, State Route 64/Desert View Drive has reopened; Hermit Road remains closed. Please continue to check the Dispatch Roads Line at 928-638-7496 for the latest road conditions and closure updates.
As we continue to dig ourselves out of the accumulated snow, conditions will improve with another fast-moving storm system Thursday evening into Friday, likely bringing another 3-5 inches of additional accumulation.
This amount of snow removal requires all hands-on deck. Please help us acknowledge the continued hard work of NPS and concessionaire road and trail crews as they remove snow from roads, trails, and sidewalks throughout the park. Additionally, our interpretation and visitor and resource protection staff have assisted in snow removal and aiding stranded and unprepared visitors.
Thank you all for your continued efforts; your work has not gone unnoticed!
Several local government agencies are offering grants and programs to help small business in 2023, but deadlines to apply for many of these funds are coming up soon.
The City of Flagstaff has allocated $300,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act package to help small businesses offset the fiscal challenges due to the pandemic, including staffing shortages, decreased revenues, and modification that were required due to Covid-19.
The awards, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, can be used for a wide array of purposes, including marketing to overcome losses in revenue due to the pandemic, attracting and retaining employees, or purchasing business equipment. The business must be locally owned and operated, within the Flagstaff City limits, and have fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. Deadline to apply is January 31 and details can be found here.
The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) is now accepting entries for its Black History Month Essay and Art Contest.
The contest is open to all elementary through high school students in Coconino County including homeschooled students. Submissions will center around the theme of “Black Examples of Courage and Resilience” and must be received by February 10.
“We’ve hosted the Black History Month essay contest at least 11 years, and this is our second year with the addition of the art contest,” said ADAC Chair Khara House. “Last year students really seemed to connect with the ability to express themselves in multiple ways, so we look forward to seeing what they bring to the theme. I’m excited to see and read what the students of Coconino County will offer this year.”
Coconino Community College student Charmayne Yazzie still remembers walking into the Page Center to take her first class in more than a decade after high school.
“At first, I was a little embarrassed,” Yazzie said. “I was worried I wouldn’t do well.”
From Leupp on the Navajo Nation, Yazzie worked two jobs to help support her partner and their three children. She needed for something to change.
So, she enrolled in CCC’s Summer Bridge courses, which were created with the help of a $2.5 million Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution grant from the U.S. Department of Education. As part of the Strengthening Indigenous Student Success program at CCC, funded by the grant, Native American students are eased into the college experience by taking a foundational English 101A course along with a College Success course.
Coconino Community College has been selected by the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona (WFSA) as the nonprofit partner to launch the Pathways for Single Moms Program in the state’s northern region.
This program is designed to eliminate barriers to higher education for single moms by giving them the necessary resources to secure livable wages and forge a career path. Taking a holistic approach, the program helps women navigate life’s challenges by supporting the successful completion of a certificate program in growing fields. The tuition-free certificate prepares these women for careers in growing industries that pay a thriving wage, thus confronting the cycle of poverty in their families.
Pathways for Single Moms was launched in 2020 in Southern Arizona, and, due to its success, has expanded to cover central Arizona and now the northern region of the state. Coconino Community College has a goal of supporting 30 to 40 women in the duration of the program. There will be 11 career tracks, determined to pay living wages for mothers to choose from.
13th Annual Flagstaff BrewHaHa, High Country Conference Center
Tasting event that features local and regional craft brews, wine, ciders and more. 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
2022 was a year of missions to space, inspiring stories of achievement despite the odds, game-changing research, creating new ways to help Arizonans go to college and putting a local spin on global issues. Check out The NAU Review’s top 10 most-read stories of last year, plus a few favorites that we just can’t stop thinking about.
