In a time of business uncertainty, of waning government stimulus packages and a resurgence of positive COVID-19 cases, it is good to know what resources are still out there to help restore consumer confidence and stabilize struggling businesses. First, let’s start with what we know to be true based on the direct feedback from businesses throughout Coconino County. Second, based on what we know, let’s discuss the county’s programs and resources that are available to business owners right … [Read more...] about Identifying Resources for Small Businesses
Staying Positive in Difficult Times
These days, every day, every hour offers disturbing news. The gush from the screens/social media of fear, anger, hatred, ignorance, conspiracies. Can it get worse? When will end? What a time to be alive. Students may be especially affected, as more new things are disrupted, postponed or canceled. Plans and dreams are shattered or altered. The mind can drift to the past, the Black Death, the American Civil War, World War I, the 1918 Flu, the Depression, Dust Bowl, World War II, the … [Read more...] about Staying Positive in Difficult Times
Changes in Hearing After Head Injury
Approximately 1.4 million individuals suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year in the United States. Common causes of injury are automobile accidents, airbag deployment, falls, assaults/blows, sports-related injuries and explosive blasts. Other causes of brain injury are strokes, edema, meningitis, tumors and even certain medications. The resulting symptoms a person suffers are varied. INJURY FROM AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS The brain may be shaken within the skull, causing bruises (also … [Read more...] about Changes in Hearing After Head Injury
Letters We Will Never Send
The teddy bear cholla sure sounds cuddly, but don’t let it fool you. The spines on these prolific desert plants are often barbed, like a little fishhook. The cactus itself grows in a collection of smaller pieces. The pieces easily disconnect from the main stem and their needles are designed to catch and hold onto anything that comes near them, like you. It’s not unusual to find them hitching a ride on your shoe, ankle, backpack or bike tire. Once they grab on, you really don’t want to use your … [Read more...] about Letters We Will Never Send
Setting a ‘Day of the Dead’ Ofrenda in Your Home
For the past 17 years, Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces has presented the Celebraciones de la Gente, a Day of the Dead celebration, in partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). This year, COVID has changed all that. “We’ve had to rethink all our events this year, including Celebraciones de la Gente,” said MNA’s Kristan Hutchison. “In the past, the museum would be full of visitors during Celebraciones, watching dance performances, viewing the ofrendas, listening to talks and mariachi … [Read more...] about Setting a ‘Day of the Dead’ Ofrenda in Your Home
Enlisting a Mentor in Uncertain Times
One of the big challenges with COVID-19 is there’s no playbook for how to operate a business during a pandemic. “It’s being written in real time,” said entrepreneur and author Mark Timm. “We need mentors more than ever in our life.” Kevin Harrington, one of the original sharks on the television program “Shark Tank,” recalled some of the abrupt negative business impacts with the onset of COVID-19. “People were unemployed, people were losing their businesses. I had a couple dozen companies I … [Read more...] about Enlisting a Mentor in Uncertain Times
Riding the Rails with Roger
Some things are the same, such as the dramatic canyon views as the train follows the winding Verde River, but there are new and exciting additions to the magical 20-mile journey from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back on the historic Verde Canyon Railroad (VCRR). Traveling on tracks carved out of rugged landscapes in 1912, the award-winning scenic wilderness train is celebrating its 30th anniversary as “Arizona’s Longest-Running Nature Show.” The rail anniversary is the perfect time to … [Read more...] about Riding the Rails with Roger
SBA Visits Flagstaff Businesses Served Through the Paycheck Protection Program
The COVID-19 era has put a financial strain on businesses across the country, with company leaders scrambling to come up with funds to cover the cost of operations, including paying employees. One major source of funding for companies – including several in Northern Arizona – has been the United States Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. On Sept. 9, two SBA officials visited several Flagstaff recipients of SBA funding to follow up on the effectiveness and potential … [Read more...] about SBA Visits Flagstaff Businesses Served Through the Paycheck Protection Program
Sedona Resort Creates Space for Workcations
When Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona closed for six weeks from early April to mid-May, Director of Sales and Marketing Amanda Leese and the management team started planning their strategy for how to prepare for re-opening and began envisioning what that would look like. “We knew that groups weren’t scheduling meetings and we knew people weren’t going back to work in their offices,” she said. So, the resort began to offer a regional rate, a special discount to those in Colorado, Utah, New … [Read more...] about Sedona Resort Creates Space for Workcations
Scientists Share Findings of COVID-19 Genomic Research
As Arizona scientists conduct the most extensive genomic sequencing of COVID-19 of any state, they credit early public health response for preventing an outbreak in late January. Also, they say the data show public health interventions do work, including testing, tracing and isolating, to control the virus. In a news briefing on Sept. 15, the Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union (ACGU) scientists reported that initial findings suggest the state experienced no viral spread from Arizona’s first … [Read more...] about Scientists Share Findings of COVID-19 Genomic Research