Creative Flagstaff — Happening THIS WEEK!

Join us for ArtWalk at the site of Retro Maven on Friday, December 3rd from 6-7 pm. Arizona Pitch Night winner & Retro Maven artist Michelle Meyer will be giving an artist talk, and the Snoods of Snood City will be on site. Retro Maven will be leaving Flagstaff this month — see it before it’s too late! Thank you to ArtWins Arizona for helping to bring Retro Maven to Flagstaff. 

United Way of Northern Arizona — It’s Giving Tuesday!

Welcome to #GivingTuesday.

Can we count on you to be part of today’s international movement?

When you give to United Way of Northern Arizona, you are investing in the future of our community and local programs to help our friends and neighbors in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties.

Please Step Up for Our Community today – and thank you for donating!

Flagstaff Festival of Science — Double your impact on #GivingTuesday

You can make a difference today, when you give to the Festival of Science! Donors like you make our impactful STEAM programs happen right here in Flagstaff.

Established in 1990, The Festival of Science is the longest, continuously running, entirely free science festival in the world. On Giving Tuesday, consider making a gift of any size to the Festival of Science and help keep this excellent community event FREE!

During our GivingTuesday campaign, your donation is doubled when you give! A generous donor is willing to match up to $1000 in donations during the campaign, allowing your contribution to go further. However, it is critical that we reach our goal of $1000 to unlock the funds in this match!

Support Sedona Arts Center on Giving Tuesday!

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on November 30 and will kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.

Work substantially complete on Beaver Street and Butler Avenue

Work to implement a pilot project installing separated bike lanes on Beaver Street and Butler Avenue is substantially complete for installation of the curbs and candlesticks as designed.  The City is working to modify and re-installing candlesticks that have been hit or damaged by vehicular traffic. 

Originally the pilot project, Phase I and II, was scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.  The contractor was able to receive materials and successfully install the curbs and candlesticks ahead of schedule.  November 19, 2021 is the date of substantial completion.  

Grand Canyon National Park Will Transition to Winter Operations Dec. 1, 2021

Beginning December 1, 2021, visitors traveling to Grand Canyon National Park this winter season should be prepared for modified changes in operations. Visitors should also plan ahead and anticipate temporary road closures and poor driving conditions whenever winter storms pass through the area.

The following operational changes will be in effect beginning on December 1, 2021: 

Shuttle Bus Operations

Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30 at Coconino Community College

Support student success at Coconino Community College by giving to the CCC Foundation on Giving Tuesday – a global, online generosity movement designed to transform communities this Tuesday, November 30, 2021. 

For more than 30 years, CCC has been putting “Students First”. This year, your gift on Giving Tuesday will go towards the CCC Foundation Greatest Needs Fund, which supports the immediate financial needs of CCC students.

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.

​​​​​​

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.