Coral Evans

Hello, Northern Arizona! I hope this finds you doing well. It’s been a long couple of months and as the longest spring I can remember stretches into summer, we find ourselves facing more uncertainty. Arizona’s COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, it is spreading and we don’t know when the numbers will level off, let alone decline. This creates uncertainty for families, for business, and employees. Right now we’re not sure what the 2020 school year will look like, but we know that keeping kids … [Read more...] about Facing Uncertainty, Keeping People Safe

Hello, Northern Arizona. It’s early June as I sit and write this and already it feels like summer has gone on forever. We have moved from stay-at-home orders through an ongoing pandemic to a curfew issued after days of riots. On the same day George Floyd was killed, another young black man, Dion Johnson, was shot by police in Phoenix. People are understandably upset and frustrated with a system that doesn’t seem to be changing. Violence in response to violence is not going to bring … [Read more...] about Working Together, Keeping Our Community Strong

Hello, Northern Arizona. I know that this is an uncertain time. Schools are closed for the rest of the year and many of us are working from home. I want to stress that the best thing we can do is what we usually do, wash our hands, keep calm and don’t panic. If you feel sick, stay at home and rest. Check in on others who are struggling, and look out for one another. The way we weather this is together, so please take precautions to protect the most vulnerable among us. Doctors, nurses, … [Read more...] about Getting Through This Uncertain Time Together

Hello, Northern Arizona! Spring is upon us and with it, the city and the state legislative session. I have been in municipal government for more than a decade now, and I can tell you I truly enjoy the work that goes into making the city function. I love making sure Flagstaff fixes potholes and makes our libraries accessible. I believe that proposals from governing bodies should be pragmatic solutions that seek to address the challenges before us. Something I have noticed in the last decade of … [Read more...] about Seeking Pragmatic Solutions

Hello, Northern Arizona! Welcome to the new year and the new decade! As everyone heads back to school and work, I want to take a minute to talk about our goals. I like to think we mostly agree on what we want our communities to look like. We want kids to have happy and healthy childhoods, we want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. We want families to have shelter and food on the table. We want good schools and parks to play in, forests to explore and festivals to attend. The big … [Read more...] about Creating the World We Want

Hello all! Happy Holidays! The holidays are a magical time up here in the north. The Polar Express is making kids’ dreams come true. There are tree lightings and hot chocolate, ice skating and, of course, the Pinecone Drop to look forward to. All over the area, communities come together to celebrate together. I want to take some time this month to encourage all of us to do as much of our celebrating and shopping at local businesses as possible. When we spend money at locally owned businesses, … [Read more...] about Celebrating, Shopping, Giving Locally

Hello, Northern Arizona! This month marks the one year anniversary of adoption of the City of Flagstaff’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Shortly after I became mayor, the council voted to create a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and “identify actions that will save money, protect community assets and ensure quality of life amidst change.” The plan was developed through the course of a year and involved extensive outreach to the community. The result is a roadmap that reflects … [Read more...] about Learning More About Flagstaff’s Climate Action Plan