“The right to vote and run for office is an American birthright and despite the efforts of the past to stifle the Native American voice, we are here, and our voice is strong,” said Lena Fowler, Coconino County District 5 Supervisor. “Every election is important, and I encourage all residents to register to vote, learn about candidates, research ballot questions and vote in the primary election on July 30 and presidential election on November 5.”
COCONINO COUNTY — With the potential for continued warm, dry, and windy conditions throughout Northern Arizona in the coming days, the Coconino National Forest will begin Stage 1 Fire Restrictions this Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.
Per Coconino County Ordinance 2024-01, Coconino County Emergency Management (CCEM) will implement Stage 1 fire restrictions in all unincorporated areas of the County at the same time.
Under the County’s Stage 1 restrictions igniting, building, or maintaining a fire fueled by combustible materials such as wood, charcoal, briquettes, and/or coal is strictly prohibited, except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or a developed recreation site. The use of tracer or incendiary rounds of ammunition or explosive targets is also strictly prohibited. Fireworks are always prohibited on all National Forest and State lands.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff will enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions,
Permits for open burning within the City will not be issued.
The sale or use of consumer-grade fireworks is prohibited.
The use of charcoal and wood-fired BBQs are prohibited in City parks and open spaces.
Use of fire pits and other open flame devices without an on/off switch are prohibited on Red Flag Warning days, as issued by the National Weather Service.
FLAGSTAFF — Due to forest conditions and a number of key factors being met, Stage 1 fire and smoking restrictions begin 8 a.m., Thursday, June 6, across the entire Coconino National Forest.
Under Stage 1 restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal, wood stoves, and smudge pots are prohibited, except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or an official developed recreation site. Fireworks are always prohibited on all national forests.
Coffee With F3’s Director, Wednesday, June 5th 9:00-10:00 am at Campus Coffee Bean, 1800 S. Milton #24
F3 wants to engage with you one-on-one. We want to hear your concerns, questions, and ideas about Flagstaff issues that are important to you.
Do you want to know more about the proposed increases in our water and wastewater rates and the upcoming public hearing on June 18? Or what’s going on with the revision process for Flagstaff’s Regional Plan? What has the Community Engagement Coalition for Energy Retrofits been up to this year? We can talk about anything and everything in which F3 is involved!
Junk Journal Deconstruction
with Nicole Austin
July 17 – 18 : Wednesday 10am – 5pm, Thursday 9am – 4pm
Some call us monsters for ripping up and altering books – I think of us more as creatives who can see potential in anything! Let’s gather together with kindred spirits and rip and alter to our hearts’ content! We’ll take an ordinary vintage book and turn it into something extraordinary using paint, embellishments, and reconstructive techniques. You bring the book, (BYOB!) and I’ll supply the rest!
During the testing, residents in the area will hear an alarm sound, followed by a voice message repeated three times in English, Spanish and Navajo, concluding with a wind down siren sound signifying the end of that message. This process may repeat several times during the testing period. Testing may be postponed in the event of rain or smoke in the area. To hear the siren sounds that will be used or to read more about the Museum Fire flood area siren alerting system, please visit www.museumfloodprojects.com/sirensystem
• Hello From Supervisor Horstman
• Andy Bertelsen Appointed Next County
Manager
• 4FRI and Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Update
• Flood Control District Receives $19.3 Federal
• PROTECT Grant for HWY 89
• Pinyon Uranium Mine Continues to Extract Ore
• County Designates Lake Mary Road as Recreation Corridor: Where the World Comes To Train
• Valle Arizona: An Innovative Community
ª Cheshire Community Gets Creative about Improving Street Safety
• BLM/AZ RAC Meeting on Proposed Recreation Fees at Arizona BLM Sites
• Western Interstate Conference in Yosemite Highlights Partnership and Responsible Land Management
• Northern Arizona Tradition Continues … Next generation of Moon-Bound Astronauts Train at Babbitt Ranches.
• Mount Elden Trailhead Re-Opens
Frontiere Draft Concept Master Plan
Thank you to everyone who participated in our May Values and Vision workshop. Join us on June 13th, 10:00 a.m. to noon, at the Fort Tuthill County Park Mess Hall, to review the Draft Concept Master Plan. Share your insights and comments regarding this beautiful property and its continued use! For more information, click here.
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County’s contractor is preparing to conduct pavement preservation operations starting next Monday, June 3 along the six-mile stretch of Lake Mary Road between the Flagstaff city limits and Milepost 332.
C & E Paving & Grading is scheduled to work during daylight hours. Traffic control will be in place and pilot cars will be used to guide vehicles through the work zone. The project is scheduled to be completed by next Friday, June 7; however, this schedule is subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen factors.
In just one week, on Saturday, June 8th, MNA will host its largest fundraiser of the year, the Party on the Plateau. Part of the fundraising efforts at this event is a silent auction, which is now live and available for online bidding. You do not have to be attending the Party on the Plateau to participate and bid on items in the silent auction. With items ranging from artworks to experiences, there is something for everyone and all the proceeds benefit the museum. You can bid online by clicking here.
FLAGSTAFF — A new fuels reduction project, slated to begin next week, will work to protect communities northeast of Flagstaff from future catastrophic wildfire while restoring forest land to a healthier condition.
The Coconino National Forest’s Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) will begin work on the Timberline Wupatki Trails Hazardous Fuels Reduction project Monday.
“We’re looking forward to adding another layer of risk reduction to the Timberline and Wupatki Trails communities by proactively taking this initiative,” said District Ranger Matt McGrath. “This project is just one small part of our overall commitment to Wildfire Crisis Strategy work.”
Are you a science professional that works as a researcher, in medicine, engineering, environmental sustainability, any scientific field, or for a science institution? Bring your scientific concepts to a classroom right here in Flagstaff and make a difference in the lives of students.
When you present to students, they see and hear about novel scientific fields that aren’t covered in their textbooks and they learn directly from you, a specialist in the industry. This makes science more exciting, more real, and more accessible and interesting to students. When you demonstrate your enthusiasm and employ engaging displays you capture students’ attention and keep them actively involved in the learning process.
As we bid farewell to the bustling Memorial Day weekend, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated frontline staff. Your unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and enjoyment of visitors during this busy time does not go unnoticed. Thank you!
At the ECoNA Advisory Council meeting last week, we took a deep dive into programs dedicated to cultivating budding entrepreneurs in northern Arizona.
The initiatives range from a free entry-level program to help potential entrepreneurs determine if their innovative ideas could be commercialized, to loans and venture capital investments for early-stage businesses.
Cristy Salanga, Patent Manager at Northern Arizona University, discussed the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, an immersive entry-level training program, which focuses on determining the potential customers of a business as well as the potential value proposition of a product or service.
Learn, feel, and take home the magic of wool and fiber at Arizona’s largest fiber arts festival, only in Flagstaff. 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 1, 2
Learn More
COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County Recorder’s office is offering a new service called Recording Notification Alerts. Recording Notification Alerts is a free service for the benefit of all who own property or businesses in Coconino County. It monitors documents recorded with the County Recorder’s office and alerts subscribers. This program will notify participating subscribers by email when a document is recorded with a name and/or business that matches the subscriber. This service applies only to documents recorded after signing up. Users will also be able to unsubscribe or make updates to this service at any time.
Access to high-quality preschools can be transformative – not only for the children who attend or their families, but also for our communities as a whole and the economy of our state.
For proof of this, look no further than the results of Elevate PreK, which is concluding its three-year pilot program and moving into a fourth year of providing free, high-quality preschool education to lower- and middle-income families in northern Arizona. The pilot program was supported by a consortium of partners, including United Way of Northern Arizona.
One last weekend to catch Arizona-born playwright Jaclyn Backhaus’ Men on Boats on the Flagstaff stage. The show about John Wesley Powell’s first trip through the Grand Canyon has been produced nationwide. Now, for the first time, it comes home to Northern Arizona (where it belongs!) with a production by Theatrikos.
Summer Youth Clay Camp!
with Dennis Ott
Ages 8–12
June 24 – 28
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9am – 12pm / Friday 1 – 4pm
Come Play in the Clay!
Come spend the week playing in the “mud” with two ceramicists who love sharing their clay talents with young folks. Each student will have the opportunity to learn throwing skills on the potter’s wheel as well as create several hand-built projects. You will also learn how your clay projects will be fired and glazed.
No experience is necessary – just your willingness to come and have fun creating in clay.
FLAGSTAFF — Residents of the Coconino Estates neighborhood can begin moving sandbags to the curb in front of their home in late July, following the completion of the Schultz Creek Drainage Improvements Project at US Hwy 180. City of Flagstaff crews will begin sandbag pick-up and removal from the neighborhood in August. City employees cannot go onto private property to remove sandbags, so residents should ensure that their sandbags are placed in City right of way prior to pick-up.
By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
Please join CCC&Y for its next Prevention Council Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 6. 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.
By the U.S. Forest Service – Coconino National Forest
COCONINO COUNTY — Fire danger has changed to “High” on all three districts with continued windy and warmer temperatures throughout the forest, Coconino County officials reported on the county’s Facebook page
When the fire danger is “High,” fires can start easily from most causes, and small fuels (such as grasses and needles) will ignite readily. Unattended campfires and brush fires are likely to escape. Fires will spread easily, with some areas of high-intensity burning on slopes or concentrated fuels. Fires can become serious and difficult to control unless they are put out while they are still small.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino Community College’s nursing program recently celebrated the achievements of two of its graduates, Jennifer Swomley and Joseph McIntire. Each brings a unique background and a personal story of dedication to the nursing field, reflecting both the diversity and the challenges of modern healthcare education.
Jennifer Swomley, 27, moved from Colorado to Flagstaff in 2021, drawn not only by personal relationships but also by the strong reputation of Coconino’s nursing program. Initially interested in becoming a firefighter, influenced by her friends in the emergency services, Swomley’s career path took a pivotal turn after her experiences on an ambulance crew. These experiences exposed her to the realities and complexities of medical care, sparking a new passion for nursing. “I was drawn to the depth of patient interaction and the broader scope of care I could provide as a nurse,” Swomley explained.
FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff’s parking management program, ParkFlag, will implement a new booting and towing policy effective June 1. This policy is part of the City’s ongoing commitment to enhancing parking enforcement and ensuring the fair and equitable use of parking spaces in the Downtown Parking District.
The primary goal of the new booting and towing policy is to discourage repeat parking offenders and promote adherence to parking regulations, improving overall traffic flow and accessibility.
Intermediate Watercolor
Monday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 9
12:15 – 5:30 p.m.
This class is for intermediate watercolorists. Learn techniques through demonstrations and guidance to help you plan and create successful compositions.
Watercolor – Learn more and register!
FLAGSTAFF — An overhaul to Flagstaff’s busiest trailhead and a brand-new mountain biking trail are just two recent improvements in the Mount Elden-Dry Lake Hills (MEDL) area.
The Mount Elden Trailhead reopened Thursday following eight weeks of construction with a new parking lot designed to accommodate 50 vehicles as well as additional visitor services.
“We’ve been working really diligently on improvements in the Mount Elden-Dry Lake Hills area, and we hope that work is apparent,” said Patrick McGervey, Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) Recreation and Wilderness Staff Officer. “We’re excited for the upcoming projects we have planned in the area for the coming months.”
