Tag Archives: Flagstaff

Winter storm dampers Clean and Beautiful and Kite Day

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20140426-01WILLIAMS – Rain, snow and high winds stopped plans in the city of Williams for the annual Clean and Beautiful campaign and Kite Festival. Both activities are generally scheduled just after Easter and the day is normally warm and sunny. This is the first time that it has dampened the plans for Clean and Beautiful.

Some kids still enjoyed the snowy weather.

Some kids enjoyed the snowy weather.

The weather started about 2 am with rain turning into snow in the morning. Visibility dropped to about 100 yards, but some people still took advantage of the electronics waste disposal sponsored by the City of Williams at the rodeo barn.

The visibility increased later in the morning, but snow continued to fall. The weather service predicts the snow to continue in Williams and Flagstaff through the night clearing by tomorrow morning. 1-3 inches of snow accumulation is expected. Temperatures should rise to the 70s by next Saturday.

The weather was enough to kill events and the gardens people may have planted, but not enough to make up for the loss of snow over the winter months.

2014 Virtual Urban Farm Tour Contest

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(Click for larger image)

(Click for larger image)

FLAGSTAFF – Attention local urban farmers and gardeners: Flagstaff Liberty Alliance is happy to announce their 2014 Virtual Urban Farm Tour Contest! This contest is open to the public and it is free to enter.

To enter the 2014 Flagstaff virtual urban farm tour, submit pictures of your urban farm including: gardens, fruit trees, chickens/livestock, and harvest/preserves!

Go to flagstafflibertyalliance.com to submit your photos and vote on your favorite entry!

First place winner will receive a $50 gift card to Flagstaff Native Plant & Seed and be featured in the Flagstaff Liberty Alliance 2015 Urban Farm Calendar. Runner up will receive a $25 gift card to Flagstaff Native Plant & Seed.

Entries for the Urban Farm Tour will be accepted through September 15, 2014.

Read more at Flagstaff Liberty Alliance

Reminder for the Citizen Prosecutor Academy

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CASEALGoldBlueReduced2Tami Suchowiejko of the Coconino County Attorney’s office reminds Coconino County residents of the Citizen Prosecutor Academy scheduled for Friday May 2nd. The one-day course runs from 8:30 am to 5 pm and is conducted by various law enforcement agencies in the county.

Visit the website at www.coconino.az.gov/CountyAttorney to download an application form. Completed forms can be faxed to (928) 679-8201, or mailed to Coconino County Attorney’s Office, 110 E. Cherry Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 or contact Tami Suchowiejko at (928) 679-8229 or Email.

New flea market opening in Flagstaff Saturday.

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symmetreeFLAGSTAFF – A new flea market opens Saturday, April 26 at the Symmetree Marketplace north of the Flagstaff Mall. The Symmetree Marketplace is located at 5900 north highway 89 in Flagstaff.

The landscaped fenced property features 24/7 security and safe parking in a high traffic area on highway 89. Spaces are $15 per day or $25 for the weekend.

Contact Steve Curry at 928-600-6681 for more information or to reserve space.

“Blood moon” all the rage tonight.

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Schematic diagram of the shadow cast by the Earth. Within the central umbra shadow, the Moon is totally shielded from direct illumination by the Sun. In contrast, within the penumbra shadow, only a portion of sunlight is blocked. - Wikipedia

Schematic diagram of the shadow cast by the Earth. Within the central umbra shadow, the Moon is totally shielded from direct illumination by the Sun. In contrast, within the penumbra shadow, only a portion of sunlight is blocked. – Wikipedia

Coconino Astronomical Society flier from Fred Espanak's web site.

Coconino Astronomical Society flier from Fred Espanak’s web site.

FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino Astronomical Society is encouraging the viewing of a somewhat rare astronomical event starting tonight and running into the early morning hours. Tonight there will be the first of four total eclipses of the moon in 2014. It is predicted to have a red appearance which has given rise to the term “blood moon.”

NASA is even promoting a live stream of the event if it is too chilly for you or if the cloud coverage in your area causes a problem.

Coconino Astronomical Society flier from Fred Espanak's web site.

Coconino Astronomical Society flier from Fred Espanak’s web site.

The rarity of this even is that four blood moons will occur in roughly six-month intervals on the following dates: April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015. This is called a tetrad by astronomers. The NY Daily News reports:

According to NASA, seeing four complete lunar eclipses in a row is very rare. The skies were tetrad-free from 1600 to 1900. But in the 21st century, there will be many.

What’s even stranger is that Americans have a front row seat.

“The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA,” NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak told CNN.

According to the Society flier the eclipse can be viewed with the naked eye with no special equipment required. Binoculars might give a better view of the event.

An eclipse of the moon can only take place during the full moon phase when the moon passes through some portion of the shadow of the Earth. The shadow consists of two parts; the penumbra and umbra. It is when the moon passes through the umbra portion that the earth blocks all light from the sun. That is the type of eclipse we will see with the tetrad.

The event begins at about 10:58 tonight when a partial eclipse begins. The total eclipse should bet at 12:07 tomorrow morning. The moon will be eclipsed until around 1:25 with another partial eclipse ending at 2:33 am.

The Coconino Astronomical Society promotes taking advantage of the dark skies of Arizona to view astronomical events. They have a private, two-acre viewing area two-miles north of Williams provided for CAS members and their guests.

They group has recently been attempting to set up monthly viewing sessions inside Williams. Even within the lighted city the session this month provided remarkable views of Jupiter and four of the moons. Later in the summer Saturn will be visible including the amazing rings surrounding it.

Theatrikos Presents A 1940’s-Themed Fundraising Gala

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FLAGSTAFF – The Theatrikos Theatre Company will be hosting a gala event at the DoubleTree (formerly the Woodlands Hotel) in Flagstaff on May 3, 2014, complete with gourmet food and world-class entertainment. The reception will begin at 6:00 PM, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM and a presentation at 8:00 PM. The theme is “A Nostalgic Look Back to the 1940’s.” Period attire is encouraged, but not required.

Stan Sutherland and Ray Jordan, both members of the Theatrikos board of directors and frequent volunteers for various Northern Arizona nonprofit organizations, will present the evening’s entertainment with the help of other members of the Theatrikos family. Sutherland thinks that the 1940s theme will be a good excuse for people to get dolled up in period clothes and immerse themselves in an iconic era. “The ’40s were interesting, because in addition to being a time of unprecedented tragedy, they were a huge cultural highpoint. Film Noir classics like ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ as well as stuff like ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ were being made all in the same brief stretch.

Read more at Flagstaff Voices

Flagstaff Liberty Alliance April meeting features candidates.

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alliance-bannerFLAGSTAFF – The Flagstaff Liberty Alliance (Facebook) will introduce candidates John Lewis Mealer and Gary Kiehne at their April meeting (Facebook). Mealer is an Independent candidate for governor of Arizona and Kiehne is a Republican running for Representative for Congressional District #1.

The meeting will be held at the Weatherford Hotel at 23 N. Leroux Street in Flagstaff. The meeting will be on the second floor on Thursday, April 17 at 6 pm.

Detention Officer Arrested for Unlawful Sexual Conduct in a Correctional Facility

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FLAGSTAFF – On Tuesday, April 8, 2014 a staff member of the Coconino County Detention Facility spoke with an adult female inmate who told him that a detention officer was engaging in inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature with her. This information was given to the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation division and an internal affairs investigation was initiated. Sheriff’s Office staff contacted the Flagstaff Police Department and requested they conduct the criminal investigation of the offense.

As a result of the investigation by Flagstaff Police Detectives, 50 year-old Pete C. Gomez of Flagstaff, a Detention Officer II with the agency, was arrested for the offense of one count of Arizona Revised Statute 13-1419A (Unlawful Sexual Conduct in a Correctional Facility).

Gomez’s has been employed at the detention facility for five years. Gomez is on administrative leave as the internal investigation is continued by Sheriff’s Office Detectives. Flagstaff Police Detectives are continuing the criminal investigation.

ADOT seeks input on five-year transportation plan on May 9 in Flagstaff.

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation continues to gather comments on the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program while reaching out to the public and communities statewide for their input on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The third in the series of public hearings will be held in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The Five-Year Program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system to keep it in good repair, while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. Last year, ADOT cut $350 million from the 2014-2018 Five-Year Program because of substantially decreased revenue dedicated to transportation. No additional funding cuts are forecast for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program; however, overall state and federal transportation funding continues to be flat.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program includes a three percent increase in preservation spending over the 2014-2018 Program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years. Preserving the system means protecting our investment of $18.4 billion; this is the estimated value of the state highway system. The funding for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program looks like this:

  • Greater Arizona: $1.8 billion over five years (60 percent for preservation, 11 percent for expansion and 29 percent for modernization)
  • Maricopa County region: $1.7 billion over five years
  • Pima County region: $349 million over five years Aviation: $1.1 billion over five years

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program is available for public review and comment at azdot.gov/fiveyearprogram. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at fiveyearprogram@azdot.gov.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 20. The first public hearing was held in March in Phoenix. The third and final public hearing will be held on May 9 in Flagstaff.

The board is expected to adopt the final 2015-2019 Five-Year Program at the June 13 meeting in Willcox at the City of Willcox Council Chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive.

Citizen Prosecutor Academy scheduled for May 2d.

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CASEALGoldBlueReduced2FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Attorney office will conduct another Citizen Prosecutor Academy on Friday May 2d from 8:30 to 5 pm.

The day-long academy is taught by various experts from the Coconino County Attorney’s Office as well as other professionals from the criminal justice system. Attendees will learn how criminal cases are handled from intake/grand jury through trial to appeal. They can also expect a lecture presented by the Medical Examiner and a presentation about the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab. Participants will gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of real-world prosecution and law enforcement. You can see a sample of lectures from their previous agenda.

“We are excited to continue our academy which brings the community into the office to share information, exchange ideas, and facilitate a better understanding of how the County Attorney’s Office serves the public. It’s also a lot of fun,” County Attorney Rozema stated in the press release.

The class sizes are limited so interested parties should apply as soon as possible. You can download an application by clicking here.