Category Archives: Education

20th annual High Country Hummingbird Festival set for July 29

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File photo from Williams, Arizona where we have a hummingbird festival virtually every day.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is hosting its 20th annual High Country Hummingbird Festival on July 29 at the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area near Springerville/Eagar.

The free, family-friendly festival will include:

  • Hummingbird banding by Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory.
  • Plant displays to attract hummingbirds.
  • Live wildlife from the R Lazy J Wildlife Ranch.
  • Live bird display from AZGFD.
  • Take a photo with a live critter at the critter photo booth.
  • Activities for children/U.S. Forest Service will conduct its Junior Ranger Program.
  • Informational talks about hummingbirds and bird calls of the White Mountains.
  • Booths from local, outdoor-oriented organizations.

The event runs from 8 a.m. until noon.

The Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area is located southeast of Eagar and Springerville. From Eagar, take Highway 191 toward Alpine for about two miles to the signed turnoff at the top of the first hill. Drive south five miles to the Sipe property on a gravel road suitable for passenger cars.

Come prepared to spend most of the morning outdoors with the potential of some summer rain. Parking can become extremely limited if the area receives rain.  Rain or shine, carpooling is encouraged. Attendees are encouraged to check the weather forecast for the day of the event.

The Round Valley Chamber of Commerce has coordinated with several vendors to provide snacks, water, soft drinks, and lunch for purchase. This is a cash-only event, so come prepared and support the Chamber.

Pets must be kept on leash and are not allowed near live wildlife.

For more information, visit  azgfd.com/wildlife/viewing/events/hummingbird-festival/ or call the Game and Fish office in Pinetop at 928-532-3680. The most current information and event schedule can be found on AZGFD’s Pinetop Regional Facebook page at facebook.com/AZGFDPinetop/.

Happy Flag Day and Honor America Days

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NATIONAL — While listening to President Donald J. Trump speak on June 6, 2023 at North Carolina, he mentioned a few interesting things. One thing he said he would hold a year long celebration to honor America. I’m not sure, but I think I recall that he said he would start in on July 4th. I guess that is as good a day as any. Though I still cringe when people say “July 4th” instead of the appropriate “Independence Day,” July 4th was not the true Independence Day. It was the date the proclamation was issued for a vote that was taken on July 2nd. Thus, July 2nd was the date that Independence was actually declared.
36 United States Code §110 designates June 14th as Flag Day. The law “requests” that the President issue a proclamation calling on “…United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings…” The President is also supposed to urge “…the people of the United States to observe Flag Day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.” That is the flag that has thirteen red and white stripes with stars on a blue background. That is the ONLY flag that is supposed to be displayed and honored. Whether it be the current flag with fifty stars or thirteen, it should not matter. The so-called Betsy Ross flag was, of course, the original honoring the thirteen colonies.

Most people do not know, however, that there is an actual “Pride” month celebration during this period. 36 USC §112 designates the 21-day from Flag Day to Independence day as “…a period to honor America.” 36 USC §112 (b) is a declaration in which “…Congress declares that there be public gatherings and activities during that period at which the people of the United States can celebrate and honor their country in an appropriate way.” It is not “appropriate” to loot and burn. That is not appropriate at anytime no matter what the current “administration” says. Likewise, drag queen hour and grooming of children.

What we suggest is that you take the time to review history. One thing you can do is watch the mini-series John Adams. The Patriot is another good selection (not the 1928 version). There are others; pick your favorite. You might be able to find these movies on line for free or they might be available through one of your streaming subscriptions, such as Prime or Sling.

How about doing a little study? Check out The Federalist Papers. These are the arguments by John Jay, James Madison and the first corrupt official in our government, Alexander Hamilton. Hilldale college has a free course on the Federalist Papers. I strongly recommend No. 29

You might find some interesting things on the Archive.org web site. It is packed with Public Domain videos, audio books, old magazines. Even donated video and audio from around the country; e.g. “home movies.” You might want to listen to this selection.

We hope that what ever you do to celebrate will bring you to the conclusion that you should never show your total ignorance by wishing some one a “Happy Fourth of July.” You should reply to that greeting with “Happy Independence Day” without slapping them in the face though you are very tempted to do. There is a reason that the current government wants you to celebrate the date on the calendar rather than what it represents. Be a rebel. Go ahead and say Happy Independence day.

The flag of my Country.

Applicants Sought for Three School District Governing Board Vacancies in Coconino County

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget is seeking applicants for appointment for the following School District Governing Boards:

Applicants must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the date of appointment. Applicants or their spouses cannot be an employee of the district.

Applications can be downloaded at this address: http://www.coconino.az.gov/schoolboardapplication

Completed applications may be submitted by email to mdespain@coconino.az.gov, by fax to 928-526-1469, or by mail addressed to:
Coconino County School Superintendent, 2384 N Steves Blvd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

For all applications an original, signed document is required. The deadline to submit is January 31, 2023, by 5 p.m.

An advisory committee may be assembled consisting of district residents and a current
board member to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointments.

For more information, please contact Michelle Despain, program coordinator for the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools office, at 928-679-8070 or email – mdespain@coconino.az.gov.

Coconino County Education Service Agency Creating a Culture of Educator Appreciation

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FLAGSTAFF — In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget asks us all to take some time to thank the exemplary educators of Coconino County who have made a difference in the lives of our children.

“This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there is something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me.”

—Maya Angelou

In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget asks us all to take some time to thank the exemplary educators of Coconino County who have made a difference in the lives of our children. Think of an educator you know who connects with students, helps them experience and understand the world around them, introduces them to subjects in new ways, and inspires them to take agency over their future. We ask you to take the time to thank these exemplary educators for their work and service to our County’s schools and children.

During Teacher Appreciation Week the Coconino County Education Service Agency would like to congratulate and announce the 2021 Coconino County Teacher of the Year and Rookie Teacher of the Year nominees.

2021 Coconino County Teacher of the Year Nominees:

Alexander Casady, Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy
Gretchen Goodley, Sinagua Middle School
Laura Locke, Coconino High School-CAVIAT
Trina Siegfried, Williams Elementary/Middle School
Rosalina Aliboga, Page Middle School
Paul Barton, Sinagua Middle School
Antonia Rucker, Knoles Elementary School
Amy Zwisler-Smith, Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School (Elementary)
Jessica Donnelly, Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School (Elementary)
Joshua Brink, Desert View Intermediate School
Tim Begley, Killip Elementary School
Mark Lancaster, Northland Preparatory Academy
Francy Solarte, Coconino High School
Susan Burdick, Thomas Elementary School
Craig Howdeshell, Coconino High School
Donald Morris, Coconino High School
Steve Schober, Williams High School

2021 Coconino County Rookie Teacher of the Year nominees:

Addison Yacko, Sinagua Middle School
Jessica Spink, Sinagua Middle School
Larissa Maye Stack, Mount Elden Middle School
Camryn Donovan, Puente de Hózhó Elementary School
Alianah Mijares, Marshall Elementary School
Yomira Valenzuela, Knoles Elementary School
Angeline Danca (2 noms), Killip Elementary School

How Facebook “fact checkers” skew the truth

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Opinion by Glen Davis
Research credit goes to J.d. Benfer.

Facebook “fact checkers” are freaking out about a meme with JFK talking about needing a strong militia. They twist it around to say that it does not say JFK was against gun control. As J.D. Benfer pointed out in his comment, the quote says nothing about gun control. A strong Second Amendment stance, of course, IS implied by the quote.

The quote is from a speech that can be found on the President Kennedy Presidential library online:

PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S COMMEMORATIVE MESSAGE ON ROOSEVELT DAY, JANUARY 29, 1961
January 29, 1961

This year, the celebrations of Roosevelt Day has special significance for Democrats everywhere; for we celebrate not only the triumphs of the past but the opportunities of the future.

Twenty-eight years ago Franklin Roosevelt assumed the leadership of a stricken and demoralized nation. Poverty, distress and economic stagnation blanketed the land. But it was not long before the great creative energies of the New Deal had lifted America from its despair and set us on the path to new heights of prosperity, power and greatness.

Today America is the richest nation in the history of the world. Our power and influence extend around the globe. Yet the challenges and dangers which confront us are even more awesome and difficult than those that faced Roosevelt. And we too will need to summon all the energies of our people and the capacities of our leaders if America is to remain a great and free nation — if we are to master the opportunities of the New Frontier.

The dimensions of our problems overwhelm the imagination. At home millions are unemployed and the growth of our economy has come to a virtual halt. Abroad, we are faced with powerful and unrelenting pressure which threaten freedom in every corner of the globe, and with military power so formidable that it menaces the physical survival of our own nation.

To meet these problems will require the efforts not only of our leaders or of the Democratic Party–but the combined efforts of all of our people. No one has a right to feel that, having entrusted the tasks of government to new leaders in Washington, he can continue to pursue his private comforts unconcerned with America’s challenges and dangers. For, if freedom is to survive and prosper, it will require the sacrifice, the effort and the thoughtful attention of every citizen.

In my own native state of Massachusetts, the battle for American freedom was begun by the thousands of farmers and tradesmen who made up the Minute Men — citizens who were ready to defend their liberty at a moment’s notice. Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. The cause of liberty, the cause of America, cannot succeed with any lesser effort.

It is this effort and concern which makes up the New Frontier. And it is this effort and concern which will determine the success or failure not only with this Administration, but of our nation itself.

Source: White House Central Subject Files, Box 111, “FDR”.

Other Information Sources:

“Know your Lawmakers,” Guns Magazine, April 1960.
“Letter to President John F. Kennedy from the NRA,” [NRAcentral.com].
“New Minute Men Urged by Kennedy,” The New York Times, 30 January, 1961, pg. 13.
“Kennedy Says U.S. Needs Minute Men,” Los Angeles Times, 30 January, 1961, pg. 4.
“Minutemen’s Soft-Sell Leader: Robert B. DePugh,” The New York Times, 12 November 1961, pg. 76.

The quote on the meme is clearly correct.

So you need to watch for this. When Facebook “fact checkers” cannot deny something outright, they twist it around.

Did the founders believe the same? Did they actually add the Second Amendment to prevent the government from becoming tyrannical and acting in opposition to the Constitution? I refer to Federalist Paper No. 29 written by the hip-hop guy Alexander Hamilton. The non-President on the ten-dollar bill whom is not being removed from our currency.

The attention of the government ought particularly to be directed to the formation of a select corps of moderate extent, upon such principles as will really fit them for service in case of need. By thus circumscribing the plan, it will be possible to have an excellent body of well-trained militia, ready to take the field whenever the defense of the State shall require it. This will not only lessen the call for military establishments, but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens. This appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it, if it should exist.

I could go on, but it is clear that the Second Amendment was not written to protect hunters. It did not protect muskets. The Second Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

It states that the right to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. That means I keep and bear any arm in the arsenal of the United States military unhindered, so long as I am doing so lawfully, i.e. not robbing banks, killing people, etc. Although my M1 Abrams does have to be converted to tires if I want to drive it in the streets.

The argument that the founders could not foresee the development of arms today is false. They saw the progression from swords, to cannons, to rifles. The advanced concept of “rifling,” in fact, was invented by German gunsmiths right here in the good old colonies.

With all of this said, there are certain REAL common sense restrictions that can be applied. For example if you want to hang onto a case of grenades, they could be restricted to being stored in a bunker that would prevent damage to neighbors property should they explode. You cannot just set up an ad hoc shooting range on your property unless you have enough property to prevent your shots from reaching roads and neighbors property. In other words, your right to arms cannot interfere with the rights of your neighbors.

Coconino County appoints Cheryl Mango-Paget as Superintendent of Schools

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has appointed Cheryl Mango-Paget as Coconino County Superintendent of Schools effective immediately. Mango-Paget has served as the Associate Superintendent for Coconino County since 2012, holds a certificate to teach in schools in the state of Arizona, and holds Arizona administrator and superintendent certifications.

Mango-Paget has classroom experience as a teacher and administrator, and expertise and passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (STEM).

“I’m honored to serve Coconino County as the Superintendent of Schools,” said Mango-Paget. “Education is my passion and I look forward to continuing to improve the educational outcomes for our students and training for our teachers. Our future is built on the success we have educating the children and young adults of our county.”

“Coconino County’s educational mission will be well-served by Superintendent Mango-Paget. The Superintendent’s knowledge and
experience, and her passion for serving our children and community are evident. In light of the challenges facing Coconino County due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the board recognizes the need for leadership and continuity in the Office of the Superintendent. We are grateful to have a leader such as Superintendent Mango-Paget to guide this team into a bright future. The Board of Supervisors looks forward to working together with the Superintendent to continue the long history of excellence in education and supporting teachers in our county,”
commented Chairman Matt Ryan.

Mango-Paget earned both a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University. Mango-Paget will serve through December 31, 2022.

Living a little more secure life

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Updated: 1/11/21 @ 12:58 p.m. MST

Popular alternatives to GMail, Facebook, Twitter and other spyware programs.

Privacy and freedom of speech, today, is on the minds of everyone. The group in the light who wants to be able to express themselves and communicate privately amongst themselves. Then there are the dark tyrants who want to suppress your rights and crush you. The tyrants, by the way, probably use some of the methods discussed in this article. There is even a movement by the Democratic party apartheid movement to “cleanse” Trump supporters, as expressed by a person associated with ABC. Democrats have expressed a desire to “hunt down” Trump supporters after the election. One Democrat even put out a video expressly threatening Trump supporters which was applauded by Facebook, Twitter and the other Silicon Valley crowd.

In this article, we briefly review some of the alternatives to Facebook, Twitter, Google and other spyware companies. Bear in mind, however, nothing is perfect. If you decide to move to MeWe, for example, you can expect that government spies will have accounts and track things you say just as they do on Facebook, though the alternatives make that a little more difficult. Also remember that alternative sites are getting hammered with new sign ups daily. So they may work slower especially during peak use. Also be aware that we have not tried all of these suggestions. Many of these were suggested at a recent Republican meeting I attended and I have added others that I have used. So please check the links and carefully read their web sites. Ask questions of more tech savvy people you know and email the company if you want more information.

It should also be noted that we are not presenting these ideas for people to use illegally. And by that we mean in deference to the Constitution of the United States of America. There are hundreds of thousands of laws on the books that do not pass constitutional muster. We could care less if you violate those. If, however, your are BLM or Anitifa or other domestic terrorist bent on destroying the United States and its foundational law, we hope you get caught. If you are a pervert using these methods to harm children we hope you are caught and sent to prison for the rest of your natural life. We are presenting this material for those United States citizens who want to live their lives as the founders intended.

Facebook

If you are tired of Facebook jail for posting something about Biden and the election when you have just seen a Hollyweed personality holding up the severed head of Trump, you might want to consider the alternative. I used to use the Teapartycommunity.com, but it apparently no longer exist. The current Facebook alternative seems to be MeWe.com.

I have been on MeWe since October last year. MeWe carries no ads and depends on the support of the people using it. You can set up one personal page and use it for free. Each additional page you want to set up costs $1.99 a month. You can also join as a Premium Member which gives you access to other features of the site, such as special emojis, online phone and other features. Even with Premium Membership, however, you still have to pay $1.99 a month for additional pages. We found this out when we started the Northern Arizona Gazette page on MeWe. We did find it worth the $1.99 a month to get news like this out there since Facebook will probably censor this on our page.

When I say there are no ads, there are no corporate ads. If you are using it free, every so often when you sign in you get an ad suggesting you upgrade to Premium. You can cancel it and move on unmolested. There are problems with this platform as with any. When I use Facebook, however, their spyware actually locks up my system after a time. I have not had that problem using MeWe.

Browser

There are two browser alternatives to those spyware programs built into Microsoft and Apple. If you are using Windows 10, you cannot remove and eliminate Microsoft Edge. You can download and use alternatives.

The first, and most popular, is Firefox. I have used it for years on the computer and my Android phone. While it is more secure than using built in browsers, some red flags have popped up in recent updates. You have less control over what comes up when you open a new tab. When you start to type something in, you get a list of the deep state companies that are interested in suppressing your liberties.

Lately I’ve been using Brave. I do not know if it is more secure, but my computer does not seem to get locked up by the Facebook spyware. It seems to run smoother like Firefox used to.

Another thing to consider in your quest for a more secure Internet is a virtual privacy network or VPN. There are some free applications for Android (and I’m sure Apple) phones and some free services online. It is probably worth giving a monthly or annual donation to the sites as they are worth it. What they do is, basically, reroute your Internet through other servers around the world so that it looks as though your are visiting the site from another location. It makes it harder for hackers and others to know where you are accessing the Internet from. The security company Lifelock offers it as part of their Norton utilities package.

Search Engines

Google tracks your moves on the Internet just like Facebook. When you make a search, they record it and share that information with what ever nefarious group they choose. There are two alternatives to Google that do not keep a record of your searches. Startpage.com and Duckduckgo.

I have used Startpage since it was called Ixquick back in the day. It eventually morphed into Startpage with several more features. It uses the Google database to provide search results, but does not keep a record of your searches. One of the interesting newer features is anonymous viewing of web sites. If you click on the feature, it blocks cookies from the site so they do not know you are there. This feature, however, could cause difficulty accessing some of the features of the site.

The other that is growing in popularity is Duckduckgo. Like Startpage, they do not record your searches, send targeted ads or track you in privacy mode. I discovered that Duckduckgo has a privacy browser for Android phones although not available for computer. When you do a search in the phone app, you get results like any other search engine. When you click on it, it tries to make the site visitation more secure. I have not studied exactly how, but I know that YouTube videos, for example, come up with just the video you want and no popups. I have started to use it over the Firefox browser app.

Emails

There are two ways to receive emails. One is through a mail reader, such as Thunderbird–which is not secure–or through accessing a web page, such as you do with GMail or Microsoft mail. Also not secure. There are two web based alternatives; Hushmail and Protonmail.

Hushmail is in Canada where privacy laws are different. You had to download Java to make the security work. I am not sure what it requires now as I have not used it for sometime. It is web based but allows you to pass encrypted messages. You can send messages to a person who does not use Hushmail by using a question/answer passcode.

The other is Protonmail. This system was developed by scientist of CERN who were looking to find a way to pass secure messages. This system is in servers in Switzerland where it is much harder to get legal access to the servers. Protonmail claims, however, that with their encryption, even they cannot access the email. There is also an Android phone app for Protonmail.

Both of these services give you one email account free, but add extra services for donations. For example, more email addresses with Protonmail and a vanity email domain with Hushmail. Also, for a price, you get secure forms with Hushmail to allow you to get personal information securely. Both of these are web based. So if you are currently using a web based email such as Gmail, these should not be that big of a transition for you. Used in conjunction with a VPN, any IP address logging would show the email came from another location.

Twitter replacement

The big Twitter alternative was Parler and it was doing well. So well, in fact, that it was shut down by the Amazon. Amazon is the big tech company that provides ALexa designed to spy on your home. They were providing web services for Parler but cut them off on January 10. I, as quickly, “cleansed” my Amazon account. The CEO is still looking for an alternative Internet service provider so they should be back.

The other alternative is Gab. The advantage of Gab is that they have been around longer and have their own servers. I signed up last night and noticed it is slow to connect. It is slow to move around the site. Since they are having thousands of people an hour flocking to the site, however, this is understandable. The problem is that I still cannot seem to get a confirmation email.

A phone app suggested along this line is Signal. Signal allows you to pass secure SMS text messages on your Android or iPhone. Signal replaces the native SMS app on your phone. To be secure, the person sending and receiving the text message must be using Signal, but you can send a text from the Signal app to one not using Signal.

How about a new operating system?

Finally, the biggest thing you can do to secure your system is to get another operating system. I’m not talking about upgrading your Windows 7 to Windows Spyware 10. I am talking about moving from Windows and Apple to Linux.

Linux operating system versions are called “distros” or distributions. There are so many companies distributing Linux that I cannot give you a definite pick for the perfect distro for you. The best advice here is start with a tech savvy friend who uses Linux and obtain advice through them.

Some provide a free version and a more expansive version for a nominal fee, usually around $50. All Linux free versions, however, give you the basic protection. Part of that protection is if you do anything, from updating to adding programs, you will have to enter your password every time. Once you download the program it is yours to use.

There are ways to use your former Windows programs with some versions. The program Wine is one way. Robolinux claims to run Windows programs natively, but I have not been able to get it loaded on a computer to find out. There are, however, so many free programs that are similar to Windows programs that you can download. There are card, dice and shoot ’em up games. There are DVD and CD burning programs and movie makers. There are programs for amateur radio and learning electronics, science and other educational programs. You can search for a list of these programs and download them via the Internet and that is why you need to enter the password every time.

Entering the password for access to the Internet, by the way, is a very paranoid security measure. If you have to enter the password for any changes, a hacker has to know the password to make any changes in your system.

There are also only a couple of anti-virus software programs. That is because Linux has been less susceptible to viruses. Of course, that changes. If you are going to use Linux for your emails, you will probably want to download a virus program such as Clam which checks emails for viruses. That is probably the quickest way to get a virus into your Linux distro.

For older people who are leery about venturing into a new learning experience, you might want to think about the studies that show keeping the mind actively learning new things may delay the onset of elderly mental disorders such as dementia. So securing your online life might be the healthy thing to do.

Summary

This article briefly touches on the more popular methods people are using for security purposes and protecting their freedom of speech. There are more, of course, and more around the corner.

What it boils down to is you. What you need to make your life feel more secure. Also make sure you are vigilant in updating programs and Linux distros that you use.

Grand Canyon School receives approval for ‘game-changing’ fiber project

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GRAND CANYON VILLAGE – A three-year effort by the Grand Canyon School District and the Town of Tusayan to bring high-speed Internet to the region has finally paid off.

A new 60-mile fiber line from near the City of Williams to the School will deliver bandwidth to students whose access to high-speed Internet lags badly behind other Arizona schools.

The $5.6 million project will be funded by the federal E-rate grant program that provides high-speed Internet to schools and libraries, along with a State of Arizona broadband initiative grant contained in Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s fiscal year 2019 budget. Commnet Wireless, a telecommunications company with other projects and assets in Coconino County and the Navajo Nation, won the contract to build the fiber system.

Since its approval in late 2018, the project faced several hurdles, requiring appeals and a federal waiver to extend the project’s time frame. Representatives from the Grand Canyon School District and members of the Tusayan Town Council successfully worked with Arizona’s Congressional Delegation and federal agencies to secure the final approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

“I am beyond thrilled that this game-changing project was approved,” said Grand Canyon School District Superintendent Dr. Shonny Bria. “Our students will finally have the broadband access they desperately need to excel in school and into their future careers and lives. I am thankful for the Town of Tusayan’s teamwork and support in getting this across the finish line.”

Tusayan Mayor Craig Sanderson echoed Bria’s comments. “Since I’ve been Mayor, one of the top needs of local residents, businesses and tourists has consistently been high-speed Internet. This is a great start.” Sanderson said. “I’m proud that the Town of Tusayan could play a role in getting this project going for local students. In the long run, this will benefit us all.”

According to Commnet Wireless, the project is expected to commence in the coming weeks and will take 18 months to complete.

County Superintendent of Schools to host 2020 Spelling BEE

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FLAGSTAFF – Twenty-two Coconino County students will compete to be the top speller at the 2020 Coconino County Spelling BEE. The County BEE will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 8 in the Coconino High School mini-auditorium at 2801 N. Izabel Street, Flagstaff.

The 2020 Coconino County Spelling BEE consists of home, public, charter and private school-students from throughout the County who won their school or district Spelling Bee.

The Rotary Clubs from Flagstaff, Grand Canyon and Williams donate monetary prizes for the top three spellers. The clubs also provide experienced and qualified judges who determine if the contestants have spelled the words correctly.

The winner of the County Spelling BEE will advance to compete with 26 other top spellers at the state level. The Arizona Educational Foundation State Spelling Bee is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at AZ PBS, 500 N. Central Avenue, 6th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

The winner of the state bee will represent Arizona at the 2020 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. in late May or early June.

The County Spelling BEE is coordinated and hosted annually by the County Superintendent of Schools Office. Spectators are welcome to attend.

For information please contact Betsey Williams at (928) 679-8070 or e-mail bwilliams@coconino.az.gov.

Public Notice of First Responder Exercise at Cromer School

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FLAGSTAFF – On Friday September 6th, 2019 the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a Critical Incident Response Drill at Cromer School in the Doney Park area. The drill will occur between 5 pm – 9 pm and will involve personnel from Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Fire Department, Guardian Medical Transport, Flagstaff School District, National Park Service “Walnut Canyon “ and Summit Fire District.

We want residents to be aware that this training will result in increased police and fire activity in the area. The training will be a reality-based exercise to provide first responders an opportunity to practice integrated response to critical incidents.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Cromer School for providing the venue for this training.