Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) — With Gratitude

This year, many of us will be participating in Thanksgiving with family and friends that we have not seen since before the pandemic. After such a long time apart, this is a time to reconnect as a community and to reflect on what we are grateful for. Several research studies have found that a regular practice of gratitude, or an attitude of gratitude, is said to have far ranging emotional, social, and health benefits. In fact, benefits associated with gratitude include better sleep, more exercise, reduced symptoms of physical pain, lower levels of inflammation, and other benefits.     
 

The HECHO team is practicing gratitude during this time of year and we are grateful for the collective push for a sustainable and just future, for our community’s efforts in the movement to conserve public lands, and for our cultural connection with nature. 

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Giving thanks to our wonderful supporters, community partners, members

COCONINO COUNTY — In this season of giving, CCC&Y wishes to celebrate Heather and Art Babbott and their family for their extraordinary contribution toward the CCC&Y Mission.

The Coalition relies on the generous help of our supporters, community partners and members to eliminate childhood trauma and inequity by building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities. Through leadership, education and advocacy, we are reconnecting children and families to the greater community and their own potential.

Our Mission:

Igniting collective action to cultivate, honor & empower resilient, thriving communities.  

Our Vision:

We envision a holistic community where all children of Coconino County are increasingly free from trauma experience and all have equitable opportunities that build resiliency.  

We could not accomplish our mission without the support our funding partners and our more than 100 members.

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The Coalition will also be taking part in Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30 Please consider hosting a fundraiser for CCC&Y on your Facebook page.

Or click here to contribute by donating or becoming a member.

Once again, thank you very much to the community, our partners and members for your generous support. Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season.

Air Passengers advised to arrive early for Thanksgiving Holiday Travel

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact air travel nationwide. Masks are required by federal mandate both in flight and in the terminal. Where possible, customer service counters have added plexiglass screens to protect passengers and employees. Travelers are encouraged to maintain social distancing whenever possible as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Staffing levels for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), airlines, and rental car companies have not returned to pre-COVID levels. Passengers are encouraged to arrive at least two-hours prior to their departure time. This is especially important during the upcoming holiday season when travel is expected to be heavier than usual. Airline ticket counters close thirty minutes prior to departure to allow staff time to load baggage and prepare the aircraft and passengers for takeoff. Passengers arriving late may miss their flights.

Here are some reminders and tips for travel:

Happy Thanksgiving, from your friends at Sedona Arts Center

Here at Sedona Arts Center, we have so much to be thankful for.

More than anything else, we are thankful for our community of artists, instructors, art lovers, patrons, volunteers, staff and supporters who have helped us thrive over the last 63 years. We are truly grateful for you and we look forward to sharing more art, creativity, and inspiration with you in the years to come!

May you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Nov. 22-26, 2021

Holiday COVID Reminders

This time last year, we saw a spike in COVID cases. As a reminder, please continue to follow these tips from the CDC and all NPS guidance both inside and outside the park so that we can minimize the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season. 
Protect those not yet eligible for vaccination by getting yourself and other eligible people around them vaccinated. 
Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth if you are in public indoor settings. 
Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. 
If you are sick or have symptoms, do not host or attend a gathering. 
Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a close contact with someone who has COVID-19. 

CDC authorizes COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for all adults over the age of 18

Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in authorizing a single booster dose of the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines for all adults 18 years and older.

This recent action allows individuals 18 years and older, who have completed their initial COVID-19 vaccine series to receive a booster shot at least six months after completing their initial vaccine series. 

The CDC had previously approved booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for all adults 18 years and older at least two months after their initial dose. 

The NAU Review — XC national championship, your Thanksgiving traditions and Humans of Flagstaff

One of our favorite NAU Thanksgiving traditions is winning a national cross-country championship … but we’ll get to that in a minute. 😉 For the rest of us, it means cutting down a Christmas tree, spending days putting together a puzzle, drinking at a local dive bar, crafting with kids, creating a tablecloth full of memories, celebrating Native American heritage and more. Here’s how our Lumberjacks spend the holiday.

Holiday season at the Museum of Northern Arizona

Museums are places of connection. They connect us to the past, to place, to culture, and to each other. The Museum of Northern Arizona has provided connections – between art and science, land and culture, people and places, and much more – for 93 years. Although the past 20 months have been the most challenging of MNA’s long history, with your generous support, we have continued to provide connections to our community and beyond. If you believe, as I do, that these connections are vital as we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, I would be honored if you would support MNA with a year-end gift.

As a way of giving back to the community, we will be offering free entry to the museum during the annual Winter Market on December 11 and 12. I hope you will take the opportunity to visit and connect with us. We have missed you throughout the pandemic!

Page High School student gets jump on college with CCC

She wants to be a surgeon.

To that end, Page resident Ryan Thomas, 18, is doing her best, through Coconino Community College, to get as many college credits out of the way before she ever leaves Page High School.

“I’ve always been focused on helping people and giving back to them,” Thomas said.

High school students in Coconino County have three options if they are interested in receiving college credits. Dual Enrollment students take college-level courses at a significantly reduced cost at their high schools. Concurrent Enrollment students take college-level courses at regular tuition costs at one of CCC’s campuses. Finally, Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology (CAVIAT) students take college level, vocational-based courses, leading to an industry or CCC certification, at no cost to the student, at one of CCC’s campuses.

NRCS Approves $3.5 million for Museum Fire Watershed Restoration on Private Land

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has approved the Coconino County Flood Control District’s request for $3.5 million to construct watershed restoration measures on private lands in the Museum Flood Area.

These watershed restoration measures are being done to reduce flooding impacts to private properties and will reduce the level of sediment entering Flagstaff.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Nov. 15-19, 2021

Upcoming Vaccine Event-Monday, December 6

We are pleased to announce that we are once again partnering with Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Grand Canyon Rec Center to host a vaccine event for the Grand Canyon community. This event is scheduled for Monday, December 6 inside the Rec Center in the large community room.

We are still working with the County to finalize specific times as well as what vaccines will be available to what age groups for this event. More information, including a flyer, will be shared in the near future on these details.  

United Way of Northern Arizona — You Gave Safety & Security in 2021

As we continue our annual fundraising campaign for United Way of Northern Arizona, we wanted to take a look at how your generosity impacted the safety and security of residents in Coconino, Navajo and Apache in fiscal year 2021.

Which raised a question: what exactly is “safety and security,” and how did your Stepping Up for Our Community change lives?

There are the three basics that everyone knows – food, shelter, clothing. However, safety and security encompasses so much more than that. It’s about access to healthcare and vital medications, funds to pay for utilities, and financial education and employment programs so families can have a better future.

Here are some of the ways UWNA with its partners transformed your donations into strategic programs that helped those in need in the past year:

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — Recording available: F3 public forum about the hospital move

The video recording of the F3 Virtual Public Forum held November 8th is now available to view at: https://youtu.be/ULHOB9Ishj0
 
In this Public Forum held by Friends of Flagstaff’s Future, we hear a presentation by Northern Arizona Healthcare about their proposed relocation of Flagstaff Medical Center to the area just north of Fort Tuthill on the southern edge of Flagstaff.

The presentation by NAH is packed with interesting information, some of it new, and is followed by questions from the audience and a short community discussion that focuses on identifying community uses for the existing hospital location and other properties owned by NAH.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y presents ‘Self-Healing Communities,’ ‘Igniting Collective Action: Moving Beyond ACEs,’ and other no cost webinars and more news

COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has created a series of no cost webinars for professionals, parents and youth, to provide them skills that are needed now more than ever.
Self-Healing Communities with Kevin Campbell is an argument for moving away from treating individuals, community members and families as the “recipient” of services, from medicalizing unlivable lives, from not acknowledging systems of injustice and a move toward the scientifically-based call to action of participation, truth and community healing.
“This presentation is outstanding- thank you!” “Thank you for the space and conversation….this was excellent!”
We’ve also created Igniting Collective Action: Moving Beyond ACEs, an hour-long webinar that explores the roadmap to creating change at the community and system level by using the findings of both leadership research and today’s thought leaders. One participant said:
“This training was truly amazing and can be used no matter your walk in life … I hope that everyone and anyone takes advantage of this presentation. It really can make a difference.”

Coconino School Superintendent to Interview Candidates for School Governing Board, Seeks Input

Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget has announced the scheduling of interviews for the Governing School Board Member open seats at Maine Consolidated School District #10.

An advisory committee will be assembled consisting of a district resident, district teacher, and two current board members to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointments.

Bison Reduction on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Complete for 2021

Bison reduction operations are now complete for 2021 on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. In total, 36 bison were removed through live capture and transfer, and five were removed lethally, reducing the impacts of the herd on the park’s water, vegetation, soils, and culturally significant sites and locations.

In 2021, through a partnership with the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), 13 bison were transferred to the Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska and 23 were transferred to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Since the park began transferring bison to Tribal partners in 2019, 124 bison have been relocated to six Tribes in four states through the ITBC.

The NAU Review — Creating a home away from home, the Regents’ Cup and a ‘fun’ fact about Oak Creek

Ora Marek-Martinez understands the need for Indigenous students to find community in order for them to reach their full potential in college. Marek-Martinez, who is of the Diné, Nez Perce and Hopi tribes, felt lost more than once while a student at NAU. As executive director of the Native American Cultural Center, her role is to create a place where the students who come after her will find the support, academic resources and familial and spiritual services needed to be successful at NAU and beyond. 

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Innovation Powering ETM Success

As part of our celebration of Manufacturing Month, ECoNA’s Business Retention and Expansion Team had a special guest at its October meeting – Scott Reynolds, Director of Engineering at Electric Torque Machines.
In its 13-year history, this producer of direct drive motors has gone from a garage-based startup to being acquired last year by a major manufacturing company.
It began in 2008 under the name Motor Excellence. Started by engineer Tom Janecek and David Calley (founder of Southwest Windpower), the company’s goal was to create an improved design for direct drive motors.
These motors eliminate the need for transmissions such as gearboxes and belts, are lighter and more efficient than traditional motors and are used in numerous applications that require high continuous torque at low to moderate speeds, such as conveyor belts, pumps and fans. In fact, you can see ETM’s work if you go to the Flagstaff Airport, where ETM motors power the high volume, low speed ceiling fans in the terminal.

Upcoming Workshops at Sedona Arts Center!

Online learning opportunities are perfect for students who are interested in taking one of our educational opportunities, but prefer to work at home. These learning opportunities provide a well-rounded experience in various visual art mediums.

Our workshops are live online learning experiences with one-on-one interaction between student and instructor. Click here to see all our online learning opportunities

Flagstaff Festival of Science — We Need You! Giving Tuesday is on Nov. 30

Giving Tuesday, November 30, is a global generosity movement, one to which you can contribute meaningfully. This popular day of giving back has grown to inspire millions of people to make a contribution during the holiday season.

How can YOU make an impact on GivingTuesday? Donate to the Flagstaff Festival of Science!

United Way of Northern Arizona — How You Stepped Up for Our Youth in 2021

At United Way of Northern Arizona, we love sharing with you the stories that illustrate the good work we are doing with our partners to Step Up for Our Youth and Our Community.

It’s work that you make possible through your generous donations, which we then direct to proven programs and services the improve the lives of our residents in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties.

But sometimes, numbers can be even more impressive than stories. Sometimes they give you the full picture of the impact we are achieving together. Numbers like:

28,204 books that were distributed in the last year to young children (birth to age 8) through programs like the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and KinderCamp.™

U.S. Forest Service Chief Pledges $3.5 Million To Museum Fire Watershed Restoration

The U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore (on Nov. 10) pledged to provide $3.5 million toward Coconino County Flood Control District’s request for federal funding for on-forest watershed restoration measures in the Museum Flood Area. The funds will be used to design and construct watershed restoration measures on Forest Service land between the Museum Fire burn scar and the City of Flagstaff. Watershed restoration measures include restoration and stabilization of alluvial fans and stabilization of channels, which are done to reduce the level of sediment leaving the burn area and impacting the Mt. Elden Estates area and the Paradise, Grandview, and Sunnyside neighborhoods in Flagstaff. Reducing the level of sediment is a prerequisite for more effective existing and future flood mitigation within the City of Flagstaff.

“Coconino County is extremely grateful for the Chief’s commitment to partner with the Flood Control District to reduce the impacts of the post-wildfire flooding from the Museum Fire on our communities” stated Supervisor Patrice Horstman.