Flagstaff Inspires
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🚂 New Safety Measures for Railroad Crossings

🚂 New Safety Measures for Railroad Crossings

MLK Day closures, Day of Service opportunties, and urban wildlife spotting

Alissa Zorn
January 17, 2025

Good morning, Flagstaff! Are you ready for a long weekend? If not, I hope this newsletter will inspire something fun for you to do!

In today’s Flagstaff Inspires:

Day of Service opportunities 💝
A plan for safer rail crossings 🚧
Where to spot wildlife in and around town🦌

Let’s go!

— Alissa Zorn

Community Sparks

MLK Day of Service Opportunities

📕✨ Help make reading accessible to all! The HealthCorps Flagstaff team is hosting a book drive and will be building Little Free Libraries to share the joy of reading with everyone. HealthCorps is a nonprofit that does health and wellness programming as a club in middle and high schools, with college-age students running them on a near-peer model. You can help their current project of building and stocking 2-4 Little Free Libraries in two ways:

🔵Bingo for Books: Play Bingo and help fund the purchase and construction of the little libraries. Fundraising from Bingo at Dark Sky Brewing is going until the end of the month. Mondays 5:45-8PM with Bonus Rounds from 8-9PM, Dark Sky Beer Garden | $5 entry fee. 100% of Bingo entry fees go directly to the non-profit of the month.
📚 Donate Books: HealthCorp is gathering books for their Little Free Libraries in multiple locations through January. You can find the book donation bins at the places in town: both Historic Brewing locations, Dark Sky Brewing, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern AZ, Wildflower Salon, Matador on Milton, the IMQ office at NAU, and Western Post!

🩸 Donate Blood: in the spirit of a day of service, on Martin Luther King Day, Flagstaff Mall and Vitalant are holding a blood drive. Every blood donation helps patients in need. All donors will receive a Renaissance Festival free voucher for an adult admission ticket to the festival as a thank you and can enter a drawing for a mall gift card. Jan 20, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Flagstaff Mall in the A003 Space by JCPenney | Registration and more info

🐱🐶 Foster a Pet: Sometimes the shelter is a very hard place for an animal, but time in a loving home lets them shine. You could be just the hero they need on the way to finding a forever home. High Country Humane is in desperate need of foster homes for cats and dogs. They provide everything you need: food, supplies, and medical care—you bring the love. Text or call them at (928)821-5507 or email [email protected]

@FLAGSTAFFINSPIRES

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📸 @highcountryhumane | Karma is in need of a loving foster or adoption!

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AROUND TOWN

Railroad Crossings Safety Plan

🚂 About 100 trains pass through Flagstaff every day, and it takes the average freight train about a mile to come to a complete stop. This leads to multiple dangerous and deadly collisions each year, with 10 train-related deaths in the past two years, according to Flagstaff Police Department. The City of Flagstaff’s Downtown Mile Project aims to improve safety and connectivity along the downtown corridor. After multiple years of planning and design, the City will move into the building phase.

In 2026, the city will begin building two pedestrian tunnels at busy railroad track intersections downtown and more fencing and signage. They will construct at-grade crossing safety improvements at Beaver and San Francisco crossings, quad pedestrian and vehicle gates, fencing and signage and enhanced bike and pedestrian improvements with reconstruction of the Milton Bridge. Police will also be installing cameras which could help them know when there’s an issue at the tracks and alert BNSF. You can see the map of these improvements here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Closures

♻ There is no trash or recycle pick up on Monday, January 20th. It will be postponed to the following day.

The following City facilities will be closed Monday:

City Hall administrative offices
Both Libraries
Hal Jensen Recreation Area (Izabel St.)
Joe C. Montoya Community and Senior Center (Thorpe Rd.)
Cinder Lake Landfill and Hazardous Products Center

Both the Aquaplex and Jay Lively Ice Arena will be open.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Friday 1.17

🕵️‍♂️ Opening Night of Baskerville, A Sherlock Holmes Mystery: A fast-paced, chaotic comedy with a captivatingly complex plot. A small nimble cast takes on 40 zany characters as Holmes, with Watson at his side, uses his unique abilities to solve the baffling Baskerville murder mystery. With every twist and turn, you’ll be on the edge of your seat laughing. 7:30PM Theatriko Theatre | TICKETS

🖼 Dreams Without Borders Art Show Fundraiser and Panel Discussion: The Dreams Without Borders art show, panel discussion, and fundraiser will help Northern Arizona Immigration Legal Services provide much-needed legal assistance to our immigrant community. 5:30PM The HeART Box Gallery | DETAILS

Saturday 1.18

👨‍👧📖 Saturday Story Stop: Come to a fun-filled storytime for all ages. 10:30 - 11AM Downtown Library Community Room

🐕 Monthly Adoption Event: Meet the adorable adoptable puppies and dogs available from Coconino Humane Association 10AM-2PM Flagstaff Mall Center Court

🖼 Opening Art Reception and Fundraiser for The Golden Mean: This event features a live auction of works by over 60 talented regional artists, with all artwork inspired by the Fibonacci Sequence. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to support local artists and the arts community and claim your favorite artwork! 6-8PM Coconino Center for the Arts

🌟🔭 Celestial Saturdays at Americana Motor Hotel: Join cultural astronomer Danielle Adamsus to hear the fascinating cultural stories behind some of the most well-known star names. You’ll get a spectacular view of the 1st Quarter Moon, Jupiter, and Mars. Free event. 6-8PM backyard of the Americana Motor Hotel near the firepits.

Sunday 1.19

👨‍👧 Story Time & Craft: This month the story time book is 'I Quit!' by Kristen Tracy. This is a free event! 9:30-10 AM Bright Side Books

🎲 🥤Good Game Cafe's Back to School Event: Students and faculty get free entry to the game library and play area. Come play games, meet friends, and enjoy snacks! BYOB after 4pm for 21+. 2-6PM Good Game Cafe

🎸🖋 Open Art Jam at the Hive: Bring your instruments and art supplies and use the Hive as a creative space. The Hive is an all-ages space that is drug and alcohol-free. 6PM The Hive

LIVE MUSIC

Friday 1.17

Saturday 1.18

Sunday 1.19

Monday 1.20

Try Something New

Watchable Wildlife Experiences

Since snow doesn’t seem to be arriving we may as well use the clear weather for taking a walk and doing some winter wildlife watching instead. Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience creates guides for multiple Norther Arizona Locations where you’re likely to see wildlife. Check out their locations in the Flagstaff area!

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📷 Rick Ruess | 📍 Picture Canyon

🎧 Free Audio Tours: Many watchable wildlife sites have audio guides available. Here are just a few that are in town. You can find all of their guides on their site. Go pick one and see if you get lucky enough to spot an owl!

Buffalo Park - Park History, chorus frogs & butterflies
Cheshire Wetlands - Birds, raccoons, striped skunks, & tiger salamanders
Frances Short Pond - Birdlife, pond life & fishing
Willow Bend at Sawmill County Park - Urban birding through the seasons

Stay Inspired!

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