Flagstaff STEM City — Board Member Introduction: Tom Safranek

To me, the excitement around STEM is the potential for discovery, new fields of study and applications that make people’s lives better – both in the day-to-day and in the grander scheme of human exploration and endeavor.

Inspired by my fascination with STEM, I earned my degree in agriculture and plant science from the University of Arizona. I later went on to start my education career and taught 7th grade biology in Yuma and I’ve been working in education for the past 20 years.

FLagstaff Youth RiderS (FLYRS) — Cheers to 2023

2023 is almost over, and it’s time to reflect on what an exciting year it has been. We are so happy to have you all a part of FLYRS as we reached greater heights than ever before. With nearly 1000 youth served this year, we have worked further toward our mission of developing resilient, caring, and growth oriented youth through cycling. Thanks to your support, we have been able to strengthen our community by providing an ecosystem of bike-centric programs, events, and opportunities.

Check out this short reel of some fun moments from 2023.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Wishing you a very Happy New Year and thank you from CCC&Y

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth

We want to wish you all a very Happy 2024.

We are so thankful for the support you have shown CCC&Y over the years.  We are looking forward to continuation of our Trauma-Informed systems work with the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County under the “Reimagine Community” program and we are excited to expand our webinar offerings in the coming year.  We will be having guest presenters, new outreach, more prevention and more healing!

We are hoping to count on you for support!

If you need to renew a membership, would like to make a donation, would like to give the gift of membership during the holiday season etc….please visit https://coconinokids.org/contribute/

P.S., 

Change is coming in 2024 for our popular News website and our weekly e-newsletter. Our News website is currently under construction and will eventually merge with our main website this year.

As part of that move, our regular weekly e-newsletter is also transitioning to a fresh look for 2024.

And we want your help!

Please CLICK HERE to submit your suggestions to help us better design a weekly e-newsletter that better meets your needs in 2024.​​​​​​​

Thank you to everyone who has already provided some great suggestions for our newsletter. Very much appreciated.

City of Flagstaff 2024 Bulky Waste Collection Schedule

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff Solid Waste Section has published the 2024 schedule for bulky waste collection, which is provided to all single-family households within Flagstaff city limits. Bulky waste collection will continue to be performed in five geographic sections throughout the City once every five weeks per the map and schedule that can be downloaded at flagstaff.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/77841.

Sedona Arts Center — Call to Artist — Application Deadline Jan. 26

Sedona Arts Center Artists of all levels, working in all mediums are invited to enter into our Annual Juried Exhibition & Sale. The exhibition will run from March 6-31, 2024

Monetary awards will be given for First Place/Best of Show Award ($500), Second ($250) and Third ($150) place.
Honorable mention awards will be awarded at the discretion of the jurors and no monetary amount attached.
People’s Choice Award is announced at the end of the show. No monetary attached.
DEADLINE for submission: January 26, 2024
How to Apply:

43rd JURIED ART EXHIBITION – Apply Online at Cafe – Click Here.

Pile burns planned this week around Flagstaff

FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff Ranger District plans to conduct pile burns throughout this week in three locations near the City of Flagstaff.

The Horse Park pile burn consists of approximately 2,000 acres of slash piles just north of Munds Park, located 13 miles south of Flagstaff near Forest Road 700. Crews plan to burn Wednesday, Jan. 3 through Friday, Jan. 5.

Crews will burn a small pile located at the Mormon Lake Work Center, 2 miles south of Flagstaff, on Thursday, Jan. 4.

Crews will also burn about 10 acres of hand piles at the Flagstaff Hotshot Ranch site, located roughly 7 miles northwest of the City of Flagstaff, on Friday, Jan. 5.

National Park Service — Wildlife Safety Reminder-Rodenticide Kills Wildlife and Pets

Grand Canyon Residents, Partners, and Community Members,

As a reminder, rodenticides (rodent poisons) are prohibited in Grand Canyon National Park and in all park residences. Recently, a bobcat in the South Rim Village was found deceased as a result of high levels of rodenticide poisoning.

These poisons cause harm to wildlife, pets, and humans and can contaminate the environment. Keeping residences and buildings sanitary, uncluttered, and consistently setting snap traps is the most effective way to control rodents. 

Free rodent clean-up kits are available for check-out that will help you safely address rodents in your home or workplace. 

January 2024 at the Museum of Northern Arizona

Message from Mary –

As we all enter a new year and recover from the holidays, remember that a visit to the museum is a warm and welcome escape from winter. Come on a blustery day to enjoy the lush beauty of Tony Foster: Watercolour Diaries from the Green River. Visit alone when you need some calm and quiet or come with a friend for a social outing that prompts thoughtful discussion. No matter when you come or whom you visit with, museums are proven to be good for you, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and connecting you to the wonders of the world. A visit to MNA is a great way to start the new year!

Theatrikos Theatre Co. January Newsletter – Classic American Comedy Harvey Opens Jan. 26

Theatrikos Theatre Company brings Mary Chase’s Harvey to the Flagstaff stage. A lovable and eccentric Pulitzer Prize winning classic American comedy about a perfect gentleman and his very strange best friend—a six foot tall invisible rabbit named Harvey. A charming, delightful and enchanting testimony towards the value of kindness over the importance of conventionality. 

Harvey’s Broadway debut ran for 1,775 performances. It has been revived on Broadway and London’s West End numerous times and has played all over the world. There have been three television adaptations and the famous Academy Award winning movie starring Jimmy Stewart.

Jan. 21 — Drawing Cultural Inspiration free talk at the Sedona Arts Center

This series, focused on Cultural Appropriation, has been a long time coming. This has been an issue here at Sedona Arts Center for many years but has never been addressed. When I began researching what other arts centers or museums had regarding policies on this topic, I came up short­­ – even at the national level. It was clear that this was a topic that needed further exploration. I contacted the Museum of Northern AZ to see if they might be interested in partnering with us on a lecture series to put this issue in context and inform a potential joint policy or working agreement and they jumped at the chance. We are extremely excited to offer this series of lectures in partnership with MNA and look forward to what we discover together.”

Jan. 27 — ‘Humor Healing,’ featuring James Junes and Talibah Begay, to be held at NAU

FLAGSTAFF — “Humor Healing,” featuring James Junes and Talibah Begay, will be held at at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 at Ardrey Auditorium at Northern Arizona University.

Event is free, no tickets needed, and parking is in P13 lot behind Ardrey. The cost for parking is $3/hour and attendee may purchase the permit at the drive-up kiosk upon entering campus via the Riordan Road off Milton Road.

Jan. 31 — Flagstaff area developers and contractors invited to capacity fee drop-in events

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is hosting two drop-in events on proposed changes to growth-related water and sewer capacity fees. Flagstaff area developers and contractors are invited to attend to learn more about the proposed fee changes, as well as the City’s Water, Wastewater, and Reclaimed Water Rate Study. City staff will be available to take feedback and answer questions.

Feb. 1 — City of Flagstaff hosts open house events on Engineering Design Standards

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff will host two open house events to discuss proposed updates to the City’s Engineering Design Standards and Specifications. Members of the public are invited to attend to review the proposed updates and share feedback.

A virtual open house will also be held via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The meeting can be accessed here.

Feb. 10 — Flagstaff hosts Fix-It Clinic

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office is excited to announce an upcoming Fix-It Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Joe C. Montoya Community & Senior Center (245 N. Thorpe Rd.).

Fix-It Clinics are community-driven events that pair community members with knowledgeable volunteers who can help fix small appliances, clothing, electronics, and more! Join us for a day of hands-on sustainability and learn how simple repairs can make a big difference. Let’s work together towards a more sustainable Flagstaff.

Feb. 18 — Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra announces Benefit Auction “My Favorite Things” website is now open

This is your chance to win beautiful pre-wrapped gift baskets, elegant jewelry, original pieces by local artists, tickets to area attractions, exciting vacation opportunities, and much more.

Here are just a few of the enticing items we’re highlighting of the 60 available. Click on the image to be taken there directly there:

Feb. 21 — Regional Plan Committee to review chapters of Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff and Coconino County invite residents to attend meetings of the Regional Plan Committee as the Committee begins reviewing draft chapters of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045. The first chapter to be reviewed focuses on natural resources, and the Committee will discuss the chapter on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at the City of Flagstaff Public Works Building (3200 W Route 66).  

Feb. 25 — Sedona Arts Center — Celebrate Sedona this Sunday, more events

FOOD, WINE, BEER, ARTIST DEMOS, SPECIAL EXHIBITION

Celebrate Sedona engages the local community while celebrating and
featuring local and regional arts, food and drink! Held at Sedona Arts Center,
Celebrate Sedona is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of our
community’s music, food, drink, and artistry.

March 1, 2 — NAU Department of Theatre is producing ‘Voices in America’

A modern retelling of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.  The play is set in LA, and imagines that Oedipus is a young man in prison who is about to be released. He encounters Laius (his father) on the streets, they fight, and he kills Laius.  He then goes to the family compound of his friend from prison, Creon, asking to stay for a few days up to a week.  There he meets Jocasta, his mother and they have an instant connection.   

March 2 — Opening reception for Coconino Center for the Arts ‘Youth Arts 2024: Color Outside the Lines’

The annual Youth Arts exhibition showcases local youth artists in Coconino County and the regional community, exhibiting their recent artwork at Coconino Center for the Arts. The exhibition is open to and inclusive of all artwork submissions by youth artists (pre-K to 12th grade, living in Coconino or Navajo counties) that reflect the theme Color Outside the Lines. Our objective is to engage youth audiences throughout Northern Arizona and support a wide range of art disciplines. This exhibition is non-juried and all submissions were accepted.

March 4 — NAU to present ‘The Silver Women: How Black Women’s Labor Made the Panama Canal’

Flores-Villalobos argues that Black West Indian women fed, housed, and cared for the segregated Black West Indian labor force, subsidizing the construction effort. They did not hold contracts, had little access to official services and wages, and received pay in both silver and gold even though most other black workers were paid only in silver, while white workers were paid only in gold. West Indian women developed important strategies that helped them navigate the U.S. empire and nurtured further West Indian migrations, linking Panama to Harlem and Cuba.

Through March 29 — Sedona Arts Center — 43rd Annual Juried Members Exhibition Now Showing!

The Annual Juried Members Art Exhibition & Sale, our community’s largest and longest-running exhibition, showcases both 2D and 3D artwork in a range of mediums and styles by emerging and established artists. From drawing, painting and photography to jewelry, wood and fiber art, more than 80 artworks by 75 SAC member artists from across the country will be displayed.

“The members’ show features imaginative artworks by artists of all ages and experience levels, from nationally and internationally known professionals to first-time exhibitors,” says Julie Richard, CEO of Sedona Arts Center.

Through March — ‘Resilience: Women in Flagstaff’s Past and Present’ exhibit on display at Historic Ice House in downtown Flagstaff

Exhibit includes 20 panels showcasing inspiring and impactful local women throughout Flagstaff’s history including past and present Hispanic residents Delia Ceballos Muñoz, Procure Vergara Martinez, Noemi A., Jessie Jimenez Alonzo, Bonn Baudelaire

FLAGSTAFF — Culture Connection AZ and the Martin-Springer Institute are presenting the historical exhibit Resilience: Women in Flagstaff’s Past and Present at the Historic Ice House in downtown Flagstaff. The exhibit will be on display for the full month of March, Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm.

The stories of women presented in the Resilience exhibit cover each decade from the 1880s to 2020s in the former pioneer and mountain town of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. Women have been part of Flagstaff’s social fabric from its very beginnings in the 1880s. Throughout the decades, women have shaped the town’s development as public figures and caretakers. Through their stories, we can trace societal changes in a small town of America’s Southwest.

April 1 — City of Flagstaff to host Spruce Wash Community Meeting

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff invites residents impacted by post-wildfire flooding in the Spruce Wash/ Museum Flood Area to a community meeting on Monday, April 1 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at Flagstaff City Hall (211 W Aspen Ave). During the meeting, City staff will discuss ongoing infrastructure projects, preparations for monsoon season and answer questions from residents.  

April 4 — City of Flagstaff to hold public meeting for Lone Tree Improvements

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff will hold a public meeting for Lone Tree Improvements from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Flagstaff City Hall at 211 W. Aspen Ave. A presentation will be given at 5:45 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to share project designs, describe construction phasing and traffic impacts, and introduce the contractor.

Improvements to the Lone Tree corridor include the construction of a new overpass that will extend Lone Tree Road between Butler Avenue to the south and Route 66 to the north. Other improvements include a new intersection at Lone Tree Road and Route 66, bicycle lanes, trails, landscaping and modifications to existing intersections.

April 6 — AZ Cultural Connection to present ‘Places of Flagstaff’

The “Places of Flagstaff” event promises an unforgettable afternoon that will ignite your senses and foster a vibrant sense of community spirit. Renowned Flagstaff artist Eric Kruse will take center stage, unveiling his extraordinary wood art creations. These hand-carved portraits, landscapes, and logos pay homage to the iconic businesses that define our beloved city, encapsulating Flagstaff’s cultural heritage.