
Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. 7:30 p.m.

I recently had the honor of being a guest on the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce’s radio show Bizz Buzz to talk about the United Way of Northern Arizona and our efforts to step up for our youth.
UWNA has been a proud Chamber member for many years. It was wonderful talking with Chamber President & CEO Julie Pastrick and sharing with her audience how we are expanding our efforts in positive youth development.

As a young person, Bill Carter went to the Balkans with $200 in his pocket and a yearning to do good. Decades later, that youthful impulse is still paying dividends: The NAU professor of practice recently collaborated with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and the band U2 on the documentary film “Kiss the Future,” about the bloody Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s and U2’s efforts to raise awareness of the conflict. A free, public pre-screening and discussion of the film will take place on campus on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Did you catch the pink glow the morning of January 17?
Hello, atmospheric optics! The sun emits white light, however, as the sunlight passes through the atmosphere during sunrise or sunset times, long-wavelength (red) light is scattered less than short-wavelength (blue) light. Therefore, red-ish colored light reaches the observer’s eyes and clouds aid to the pink color that could be observed.

CCC&Y, Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff continue to make progress meeting the goals of “The Reimagine Community Project,” a mental model change program ensuring trauma-informed and resilience information is understood at the City and County levels and enacted as policy change.
CCC&Y was one of four organizations in Arizona to be selected in April 2023 for the Vitalyst Health Foundation’s System Change Grant. The goal of the project is to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes and provider and staff wellness.
During a Zoom presentation in December 2023, CCC&Y Executive Director Virginia Watahomigie presented a draft webinar presentation for city leaders to receive feedback.
The webinar included an overview of “The 10 ACES,” (Adverse Childhood Experiences),” and how the effects of childhood trauma adversely affects individuals in their adult lives. Those 10 ACES include — physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, mental illness, divorce, substance abuse, violence against mother, having a relative who has been sent to jail or prison.
By understanding how both ACES and ongoing stress affect individuals, including oneself, the training is expected to improve customer service for community members and self-care and support to County and City employees.

This summer, Sedona Arts Center will offer its third year of Gallery 928, a unique art apprenticeship program for teens ages 15 to 18. Based on Chicago’s Gallery 37 summer public art program started in the 1980s, students will be hired to apprentice with a master artist to create a public art mural for the Sedona Arts Center.
This job opportunity is open to up to 12 artistic teens interested in expanding their skills and knowledge in the public art field as well as learning other art mediums and techniques. In partnership with Yavapai College, the students chosen to participate in the program will receive 3 free college credits. Students will also be paid a stipend of $500from Sedona Arts Center for their participation.

Join us for the Literacy Center’s 27th Annual Mountain Spelling Bee and watch or join a fun competition in spelling! This year, we will hold the bee at CCC’s Lone Tree campus.
Help us support our mission by joining us for our largest annual fundraiser which includes dinner, games, auctions, raffles and more! Want to offer support by joining s spelling team? Contact director@thinkliteracy.com for more information.

How do you get students excited about geosciences? You get them into the geosciences. As enrollment in water-related programs has dropped in recent years, professor Abe Springer combined an international lecture tour with a series of workshops that assessed the health of local springs, giving students hands-on experience in the field and increasing enthusiasm about this important work.

Our 2024 Catalog of Classes and Workshops has arrived!
Our 2024 Spring Catalog of Art Workshops and Classes has arrived! Stop by and pick one up in our Uptown Gallery. And remember, you can always view it online at SedonaArtsCenter.org
You can also browse all our classes and workshops online:
Click here to see all of our classes and

There are many reasons why you can trust that your investment in the United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA) will further our mission of creating lasting, positive changes in our region.
In addition to our exhaustive process of evaluating programs, so that your donations go where they can do the most good, we work every day to be good stewards of your funds.
UWNA recently received a “clean” audit report from Fester & Chapman PLLC of our 2023 financials, meaning our financial reporting was accurately stated and in compliance with general accounting principals.
As UWNA Board Chairman Mike Kelly said after reviewing the auditors’ report, “It’s one of the reasons I’m proud to be part of UWNA, because I can feel really good about how our monies are managed.”

Grand Canyon Dispatch reminds all residents, locals, and visitors that road information can always be found at 928-638-7496. This recorded line is updated with real-time information directly from units opening and closing the roads.
For State Route closures and other road closures within the state of Arizona, call Arizona DOT at 888-411-7623, visit them at AZ511.gov, and download the app.
Residents and employees are encouraged to sign up for Everbridge notifications in order to receive up to date inclement weather and roads information as they occur. To sign up, residents can follow this link.

COCONINO COUNTY — In their first official action at their first meeting of 2024, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors appointed Adam Hess of Bellemont to represent District 3 through the rest of 2024.
Hess, a 27-year-veteran of the United States Army and long-time resident of Coconino County, was appointed by the Board after an extensive recruitment process that began with the announcement of Supervisor Matt Ryan’s retirement in October 2023.

As we begin 2024, I’m looking forward to working with our state’s early childhood stakeholders – including parents and caregivers, child care and health providers, state and non-profit agencies, educators, businesses, philanthropists, faith organizations, policymakers and elected leaders – as partners in addressing children’s school readiness.
To help with those efforts, I am pleased to announce that First Things First has published the latest edition of Building Bright Futures – our biennial assessment on the status of Arizona’s youngest children. You can read more about the report on our latest blog.
The new report provides insight into the challenges facing young children in Arizona and details the need for continued work to ensure the future stability of child care in our state’s post-pandemic landscape.

FLAGSTAFF — The Point in Time is right around the corner and we need volunteers!
The Point in Time or PIT count is a HUD requirement for COC’s nationally. The count provides a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness at a single point in time. It is an opportunity to collect some basic data used to measure homelessness on a national, state and local level. Data is used for system and program planning and to measure progress in ending homelessness.

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office and Sustainability Commission are pleased to announce this year’s Neighborhood Sustainability Grant recipients. The Neighborhood Sustainability Grant program is an annual grant opportunity for Flagstaff individuals, organizations, and businesses to continue or implement new community sustainability projects. This year, 13 of an impressive 31 applicants received grant funding in amounts ranging from $2,150 to $7,500.

FLAGSTAFF — Fire managers on the Coconino National Forest plan to take advantage of winter weather conditions by conducting pile burns on both the Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) and Mogollon Rim Ranger District (MRRD) this week.
The FRD has multiple pile burn projects planned between Monday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 12.

Want to stay up to date with park information, including road closures?
Sign up for Everbridge notifications!
The Everbridge platform sends real-time texts, emails, and/or calls to park employees, residents, and community members.
NPS Everbridge notifications are distributed for incidents impacting public safety, means of travel, work conditions, utility interruptions, and significant park-wide incidents.
Below are examples of incidents that may require notifications:

Yesterday, lawmakers from the Senate and House’s Health and Human Services Committees debated whether and for how long the Department of Child Safety should be allowed to continue, as part of the agency’s sunset review. While authorized to recommend continuation for up to 10 years, the Committee voted yesterday to endorse continuation for just 4 years, with two members voting against the continuing of DCS at all.
Children’s Action Alliance provided public comment in support of continuation, noting the progress the agency has made since its inception 10 years ago in clearing a significant backlog of investigations, increasing supports for kinship foster parents, and strengthening services for young people as they transition from foster care to independence. CAA also acknowledged that there is much work to be done.

Coconino County is ready for the inaugural snowstorms of 2024, the first of which hit northern Arizona late Wednesday and is forecast to continue through Thursday.
Public Works crews have been working through the night to keep County roads open and passable during the storm and the Facilities Management team is preparing County buildings for cold and icy conditions.
According to the National Weather Service a second, stronger snowstorm with higher snowfall accumulations is forecast for the region starting early Sunday.
This storm has already created hazardous travel conditions due to slick, snow covered roads and periods of reduced visibility. Mountain travel delays are expected, and motorists are advised to plan trips accordingly or delay travel if necessary. Very cold and potentially dangerous temperatures are forecast following this storm.
For up-to-date regional weather information please visit www.weather.gov/fgz/WinterWeather. For updates on highway conditions please visit www.az511.gov.