Winter Parking Ordinance begins this Sunday, Nov. 1

Coconino County’s annual Winter Parking Ordinance 2017-11 will be in effect between this Sunday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, April 1, 2021.

Coconino County’s annual Winter Parking Ordinance 2017-11 will be in effect between this Sunday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, April 1, 2021. The ordinance requires parking restrictions from County maintained rights-of-way during snow season and for the enforcement of parking restrictions either by citation or towing. 

United Way of Northern Arizona — Priah Explains It All for You

Sometimes as adults, we make things too complicated when they really are quite simple. Like why it’s so important to Live United.

That’s why we asked our friend (and United Way “spokes-kid”) Priah to break it all down and show how your donation to our Annual Campaign changes lives and makes our community stronger.

She has props. She has costumes. She thinks she needs a latte, but we’re not so sure we agree.

Take a break and enjoy this video!

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Important Information About Voting

Vote early in person: Early voting is available up until Friday, October 30 at these locations: Early Voting Sites. Please note that some locations are closed on Fridays.

NOTE: New Voter ID requirements for voting early in person are now in effect. See ID Required to Vote In Person for list of acceptable ID.

How can I return my voted early ballot?

Return your early ballot in any of the following ways:
Mail your ballot no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Drop your ballot off at one of these Ballot Drop Box Locations or Drive-Up/Drop-Off Locations on the Navajo Nation.
Deliver your ballot to any early voting location in the county prior to Election Day, during the hours the site is open.
Deliver your ballot to any polling place or vote center in the county on Election Day between 6 am to 7 pm (local time).

See also Tips on Returning Your Early Ballot…

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Expect More Arizona / Association for Supportive Child Care — When you vote, consider our most vulnerable and disconnected youth

It’s hard for some Arizonans to imagine. But there are communities all over the state where families can’t get internet, or even reliable phone service. Most of us can’t picture going through life without that, but for many, it’s a daily reality. Driving to the top of a hill to get cell service; hour-long bus rides to get to school; roads that are virtually unpassable in the winter. And for those on tribal communities the challenges might be even more basic – many households lack running water or electricity, or both.

As you cast your ballot this year, keep them in mind. These are some of our most vulnerable populations and they need the support and resources that both government and nonprofit groups provide.

Whatever your concerns are, they can be reflected in your vote. For rural communities in Arizona, there are resources and support, but at times, the resources available aren’t always reflective of the community’s immediate needs. During the pandemic, as teachers often do, many teachers continue to use their personal devices and other self-purchased tools to make it through this year.

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Important Information About Voting

Vote early in person: Early voting is available up until Friday, October 30 at these locations: Early Voting Sites. Please note that some locations are closed on Fridays.

NOTE: New Voter ID requirements for voting early in person are now in effect. See ID Required to Vote In Person for list of acceptable ID. 

How can I return my voted early ballot?

Return your early ballot in any of the following ways:
Mail your ballot no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Drop your ballot off at one of these Ballot Drop Box Locations or Drive-Up/Drop-Off Locations on the Navajo Nation.
Deliver your ballot to any early voting location in the county prior to Election Day, during the hours the site is open.
Deliver your ballot to any polling place or vote center in the county on Election Day between 6 am to 7 pm (local time). 

See also Tips on Returning Your Early Ballot.

Early ballots must be received no later than 7:00 pm on Election Day, November 3, 2020. 

Where can I go to vote on Election Day?

You may find your polling location online by searching your residence address or by looking up this list of polling places.

Turning of the seasons at the Museum of Northern Arizona

Message from Mary –

Fall is in the air and the oak and aspen trees around the museum are turning gorgeous colors. This is the time of year when we would normally be preparing for Celebraciones, but of course we are not able to have such a large gathering this year. Instead, we’re celebrating Dia de los Muertos with two beautiful community ofrendas. One is in the museum building courtesy of Flagstaff Nuestras Raices and the other in our Colton Community Garden. I hope you’ll come see them.

As the colder weather and shorter days bring us inside, the museum offers many experiences to enjoy indoors, whether by signing up for the Docent Training program, embarking on a virtual trip through the Grand Canyon with geologist Wayne Ranney, or coming to visit the museum. The staff and I look forward to seeing you at MNA, online or in person.

Mary Kershaw
Executive Director & CEO
Museum of Northern Arizona

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — Introducing F3’s New Executive Director

We’ve hired a new Executive Director! Michele James has lived and worked in Flagstaff for over twenty years and brings her knowledge of Flagstaff and love of the community to her new leadership position. 

With a background in both science and art, including a master’s degree in Sustainable Communities (NAU) and a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology & Technical Journalism (Colorado State University), Michele has spent two decades doing advocacy work on northern Arizona ecosystems. 

Michele has been a wildlife biologist with Grand Canyon National Park and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a research coordinator for NAU’s Fossil Creek restoration, a species conservation program manager with the Grand Canyon Trust, and a stakeholder with the Flagstaff Forest Partnership. Most recently, she has been on the NAU faculty, teaching interdisciplinary courses related to sustainability, climate change, art as an advocacy tool, and civic engagement. 

Sedona Arts Center — Artist Panel Discussion: ‘The Process of Art’ LIVE, Online Event! on Oct. 28

Artist Panel Discussion: “The Process of Art”
LIVE, Online Event! Wednesday, October 28, 2020 | 5 pm
In the midst of the festival week each artist will each be discussing one of the paintings they have completed thus far in the festival during a panel discussion by the artists on Wednesday October 28th at 5pm Arizona time. The theme, “The Process of Art ” allows artists to focus attention on any aspect of the process, from the discovery of subject matter to composition, to brushwork and color choices. The public is invited to participate in this live-broadcast meeting which will end with a Q&A session. Links to all streamable content can be found on both the festival and Arts Center’s websites.

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Today (Oct. 23) is the LAST DAY to request your Mail In Ballot!

Today, Friday, October 23, 5:00 pm, is the deadline for voters to request an early ballot to be mailed to them. The Elections Office has already sent out almost 70,000 ballots to our registered voters. In the first ten days of early voting, over 30,000 voted ballots have been returned. Our voter registration team is very busy verifying signatures and processing the voted early ballots.

If you want to check to see if your voted early ballot has been processed and accepted, go to: https://my.arizona.vote/PortalList.aspx

Please note that it takes the team a few days to process an early ballot after it arrives. 

Willard Springs Transfer Station open two extra weekends until November 14

Coconino County will keep the Willard Springs Transfer Station open two extra weekends this year to help residents maintain defensible spaces against wildfire around their homes.

Coconino County will keep the Willard Springs Transfer Station open two extra weekends this year to help residents maintain defensible spaces against wildfire around their homes. The station normally closes for the winter season on the last Saturday of October; however, because the threat of wildfire remains extremely high, the station will remain open during its normal hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Saturday, November 14 for the free deposit of green waste only. 

Flagstaff Arts Council — Help us Foster Creative Opportunity in Flagstaff

Last spring, we shared our new mission, to foster creative opportunity, with you. Since then, this mission was tested as we worked to support Flagstaff’s creative sector through one of the most challenging years on record. We know that you support our mission and vision, in order to continue our work, we need your help.

United Way of Northern Arizona — In Times of Trouble, UWNA is There

What do W. L. Gore & Associates, Wells Fargo, Northern Arizona University, Kinney Construction, Nestle Purina, the City of Flagstaff and Navajo County all have in common?

They are a handful of the companies and organizations that have lent their best and brightest to serve on the United Way of Northern Arizona Board of Directors.

This year we are proud to say that we have 100% participation by our 22-member board in this year’s Annual Campaign.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Kevin Campbell’s ‘Self-Healing Communities — A Continued Conversation’ now available on CCC&Y’s Prevention webpage

Earlier this month, guests from all over the word attended CCC&Y’s presentation of Kevin Campbell’s “Self-Healing Communities — A Continued Conversation.”

The presentation is now available on CCC&Y’s Prevention webpage at Self-Healing Communities with Kevin Campbell. The free program also includes presentation slides and Self-Healing Communities Data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“As a testament to Kevin’s international work we had participants from England, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arkansas, and of course, all over Arizona,” said Virginia Watahomigie, executive director of CCC&Y. “This piece 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.”

Discover Flagstaff — Find virtual events with Flagstaff 365 Happenings

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. It is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights. For a complete printable pdf list of events click below.

Agassiz Street renaming

The Flagstaff City Council provided direction to rename Agassiz Street due to Louis Agassiz’s history of racism at their June 16, 2020 meeting. In August and September of 2020, city staff held virtual town hall meetings to collect suggestions for a new street name from the public. Each suggestion was vetted by Emergency Services, the Postal Service, the city of Flagstaff and Coconino County to ensure that it could be implemented safely. 

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Victim Witness Services for Coconino County is doing a Campaign for Healthy Relationships throughout Coconino County. While it is important to recognize that domestic violence is a real problem that people deal with daily, we also want to recognize a way to prevent it is by knowing about and striving for healthy relationships.

They are hosting a video series. You can watch the vide below. This video highlights the Page Office for Victim Witness and invites you to send a letter of gratitude to someone. Please subscribe so you get notified of the new videos. Also, please forward this and share with whoever you know or can. They will continue releasing these videos every Monday and Friday of the month.

They are also doing a Community Word Search in Flagstaff, Williams, Page, and Tuba City! Find at least 2 words posted at local businesses and agencies and then go to our website to enter to win prizes! All the words are related to healthy relationships.

For more information go to our website www.vwscoconino.org/chr

CCC — The Comet — CCC Students First Celebration Oct. 23

I find it difficult to believe, but we are halfway through the Fall semester here at Coconino Community College.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the way we deliver courses at the college, our students have continued to make progress toward achieving their educational dreams a reality.

Some of our students have also told us, frankly, that as soon as it is safe to do so, they would like to see a return of in-person classes at CCC. We are listening, and we are planning, if it is safe to do so in the Spring semester, to offer a percentage of our courses in-person to help those students who thrive in a face-to-face setting. Social distancing, face coverings and other health measures will continue to protect students and instructors. If all in-person classes that students are interested in fill up, I invite them to take advantage of CCC’s new “waitlist” feature to save a place in line if a seat in an in-person course opens.

Sedona Arts Center — Sedona Plein Air Festival Goes Virtual in All-Woman Painting Event

This year the Sedona Arts Center’s most popular annual event, the Sedona Plein Air Festival will be a first of its kind—an all-woman-event—in celebration of the Arts Center’s “Year of the Woman.” The Arts Center has explored a variety of themes in past Plein Air Festivals, from Art and Wine, to Native American Culture, to a Figurative Salon complete with a speakeasy! This year, due to global circumstances, the Arts Center decided to hold the festival entirely online, available to anyone with access to an internet connection.

African Diaspora Advisory Council to Host “Democracy in Action Voter Town Hall” on Oct. 19

The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) is hosting a free, virtual Democracy in Action Voter Town Hall this Monday, October 19 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) is hosting a free, virtual Democracy in Action Voter Town Hall this Monday, October 19 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Town Hall will feature Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen presenting on the elections calendar, voting options and procedures, what documents are required to vote and other resources for residents of Coconino County. The event is not a candidate debate but rather an opportunity for residents to learn about safeguards to ensure their right to vote and the voting process is secure.

Victim Witness Services for Coconino County presents Domestic Violence Awareness Month events

For the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Victim Witness Services for Coconino County is doing a Campaign for Healthy Relationships throughout Coconino County. While it is important to recognize that domestic violence is a real problem that people deal with daily, we also want to recognize a way to prevent it is by knowing about and striving for healthy relationships.

To continue our video series, the next video has been posted https://youtu.be/UP_UuVrMTWw. We will continue releasing these videos every Monday and Friday of the month.

ECoNA Virtual Startup Weekend Starts Oct. 23

As we continue to celebrate manufacturing month, we wanted to let you know about an upcoming virtual event designed to cultivate tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, including those in the advanced manufacturing sector.

ECoNA is very pleased to announce that we are a launch partner for Arizona’s first-ever, statewide, online Techstars Startup Weekend, which will kick off on Friday, Oct. 23.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Why Give to the 2020 Annual Campaign?

Why give to the United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA) during the annual campaign? Because in this extraordinarily challenging year, your help is needed more than ever.

“United Way stepped up for our community as we’ve all dealt with the consequences of COVID-19,” says UWNA Board Chair Janet Dean in the video below. “Now we ‘re asking you to step up and help United Way during our annual campaign.”