Two thousand homes, 400 businesses, two state highways, and a slew of public facilities. According to a new set of studies commissioned by the Coconino County Flood Control District, this is just a partial list of what is at risk for post-wildfire flooding should a catastrophic wildfire impact the Upper Rio de Flag Watershed. The two studies – a pre-fire assessment of post-wildfire flood risk by JE Fuller Hydrology and Geomorphology and an economic impact study by NAU’s Economic Policy … [Read more...] about Coconino County Flood Control District, Coconino National Forest Launch Upper Rio de Flag Forest Restoration Project
Business
Sampling Verde Valley’s Bounty from Pecan Farms and Wineries
The 23rd annual Pecan and Wine Festival in Camp Verde featured 15 wineries from around the state. As promised, pecans and wines were there for the tasting. By 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 16, 1,000 glasses of wine had been sold. “We sold more pre-sale tickets for wine tasting than ever before,” said Verde Valley Wine Consortium President Paula Woosley. “We were slammed busy.” “Despite the challenges that we had with the weather such as wind, rain and some hail, this year was one of our biggest … [Read more...] about Sampling Verde Valley’s Bounty from Pecan Farms and Wineries
Grand Canyon Chamber Shares Campaign to Promote the Region
With some grand ideas and deep enthusiasm about partnerships, leaders at the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau met with the local business community and the Grand Canyon Rotary Club to hear how “All Roads Lead to the Grand Canyon.” In the marketing presentation, Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce Past President and Buck Wild Hummer Tours Manager Stoney Ward and incoming President and Pink Jeep Grand Canyon Tours General Manager James Trautman outlined their strategies after … [Read more...] about Grand Canyon Chamber Shares Campaign to Promote the Region
Award-Winning Film Urges Community Action
Glory Girl Productions, in collaboration with BACK 2 BASICS & ONLIFE FOUNDATION will present a screening of the award-winning documentary, The Addict’s Wake, to the Flagstaff community on April 1, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Prochnow Auditorium on the NAU campus. Admission is free, so tickets are not necessary. In the wake of the opioid crisis and the emergence of deadly fentanyl pouring into the United States, the impact of drug addiction rages on, destroying communities and families. This … [Read more...] about Award-Winning Film Urges Community Action
Forêt FLG Chef in the Running for James Beard Award
Forêt FLG owner Sam Greenhalgh is the latest Flagstaff chef selected as a semifinalist for a James Beard Award, one of the nation’s most esteemed culinary honors. Greenhalgh is among 20 semifinalists in the 2024 Best Chef Southwest category, which includes chefs from Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Oklahoma. “I’m truly honored to be a James Beard semifinalist,” Greenhalgh said, adding that he learned about the honor when he got dozens of text messages from friends congratulating him. “I didn’t … [Read more...] about Forêt FLG Chef in the Running for James Beard Award
Lamberson, McLaughlin Honored for Flagstaff ATHENA Leadership
When Mountain Sports Flagstaff owner Lisa Lamberson learned she was officially nominated for the 2024 Flagstaff ATHENA Leadership Award, she was in Mexico with a contingent of volunteers building homes for those in need at a community called Rancho Feliz. Meanwhile, Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona CEO Devonna McLaughlin, also a nominee for the prestigious award, was working to create affordable housing in Flagstaff. The two businesswomen, both working in different ways to provide shelter … [Read more...] about Lamberson, McLaughlin Honored for Flagstaff ATHENA Leadership
Emerging from Its Watery Tomb
It’s a story that deserves to be told: The burying of what some say is one of the most pristine places on Earth, Glen Canyon, often called “America’s lost national park.” The entombment came when the diversion tunnels of Glen Canyon Dam were screwed shut in 1963, causing the waters of the Colorado River to back up 186 miles to both flood the canyon and create Lake Powell. One prominent storyteller stepping forward to tell this story is Dawn Kish of Flagstaff, a conservation photographer and … [Read more...] about Emerging from Its Watery Tomb
Starlite Lanes Keeps Bowlers Rolling through the Years
Ten pins, 16 lanes and 66 years of bowling on Route 66. That’s the numbers game for Starlite Lanes, Flagstaff’s only bowling center and one of the state’s oldest bowling alleys. But old, in this case, does not mean outdated. Since buying the business in 2010, Starlite owner Ron Getto refurbished the building with a new roof, flooring, seating and other improvements. He also modernized Starlite with state-of-the-art pinsetters, cosmic lighting and a digital scoring system with lane-to-lane … [Read more...] about Starlite Lanes Keeps Bowlers Rolling through the Years
Could Pluto Become Arizona’s State Planet?
The rattlesnake is Arizona’s official state reptile, petrified wood is the state fossil, and the bola (or bolo) tie is the state neckwear. Now, if Arizona lawmaker Justin Wilmeth gets his way, Arizona will become the first state to boast an official planet: Pluto. Wilmeth, a republican state representative for District 15, introduced the bill into the House on Jan. 17. Last April, he was part of a legislative delegation that toured the construction site of Lowell Observatory’s … [Read more...] about Could Pluto Become Arizona’s State Planet?
Working with the World’s Biggest Telescopes
“Astronomers always want the biggest telescope to see the most detail, but it’s not possible, either physically or financially, to build a telescope mirror 300 feet across,” explained Gerard van Belle. “So, I cheat. I take many small telescopes and put them together to work like one big one.” Van Belle has been an astronomer at the Lowell Observatory since 2011, working on detecting exoplanets and mapping the surfaces of stars. This work is possible because van Belle uses the biggest optical … [Read more...] about Working with the World’s Biggest Telescopes