Flagstaff Progress 2018

PROGRESS 2018

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 1

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS ECONOMY

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Markers point to robust local economy John Saltonstall | Guest Contributor

1.

The economy in Flagstaff is doing well. Economic growth has been strong. These are statements we love to say and hope to hear, but what constitutes a strong economy? There is a “ton of dirt moving” to indicate construction projects, but is that really a good indication of a strong economy? And if so, by what measure?

In Flagstaff, we can look at a number of measurements to explore how the economy has been growing, such as the Bed, Board, and Beverage tax, overall tax revenues, the number of building permits issued and the number of units being proposed or reviewed for future development.

After exploring those numbers, we can review other anecdotal markers, such as specific brands that have entered the market or businesses that have expanded or re-invested in their operations.

After such a review, we will be in verifiably good standing to say that the economy in Flagstaff is strong and growing.

BBB REVENUE

The Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) tax collects a tax on the sale of such items. Therefore, it is a great indicator of the business status of hotels, restaurants and bars as well as the tourism industry in general.

Here is an excerpt of the BBB revenue tables followed by narrative.

In 2009, after the Great Recession, the BBB hit bottom with an annual revenue of $5.05 million, but in the following year, the BBB began to level off. The BBB revenue for 2010 was $5.07 million and has been growing ever since. Between 2010 and 2017, the BBB experienced increases between 4 and 15 percent each year. In 2017, BBB revenues were approximately $8.64 million—a growth of about 67 percent since 2008. This suggests strong economic growth. Despite the winter being as lean as it was with snowfall, the BBB for February appears to be up 78 percent over where it was in February of 2017, which

TOP

REASONS TO CHOOSE FLAGSTAFF

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1 2

4 ECONOMY Page 1-2

REAL ESTATE Page 4

7 LOCAL BUSINESS Page 5

8 TOURISM Page 6

5 6

OUTDOOR Page 8

9

HEALTH CARE Page 9

EDUCATION Page 10

TRANSPORT Page 7 Above photo courtesy of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

ARTS & CULTURE Page 8

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TECHNOLOGY Page 11

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2 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

PROGRESS 2018

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS Mother Road Brewery opened its second brewery and taproom on Butler Avenue in February.

suggests a great number of things: that hotels and restaurants are doing well, Convention and Visitor Bureau is doing a great job of reminding people how wonderful it is to visit Flagstaff and that residents are enjoying local offerings as well.

BUILDING UP

Building permits over time also provide a sense of how the economy is performing from the perspective of construction, the physical investments in our community.

Building permit valuations took a little more time to hit bottom, which occurred in 2013 with annual non-residential building permit valuations coming in at $6.81 million. When compared to the non-residential building permit valuation for the first six months of 2017 of $23.86 million, we see a 350 percent increase. This increase appears to be a very significant indication that the economy is strong and that Flagstaff is a good investment. The following table shows the non-residential and residential permit valuations for 2010 through the first six months of 2017.

The Flagstaff food and restaurant scene continues to gain recognition from state and national media. Pictured is the butcher counter at Proper Meats + Provisions, a deli and sandwich shop serving up Arizona farm-raised meats, poultry and cured products. (Nancy Wiechec photo)

Bed, Board and Beverage Tax $10 Million $8.64

$8 Million $7.54 $7.02

ANECDOTAL MARKERS

TAKING CARE

Health care is a sector that is booming in Flagstaff. First and quite importantly, the Flagstaff Medical Center of Northern Arizona Healthcare is a level one trauma center providing worldclass medical care to area residents, to those on reservations to the north and east and to millions of visitors to Northern Arizona.

Recently, a support system has been growing with the entry of the Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona, a 50,000-squarefoot facility, and the Welbrook Senior Living skilled nursing center, a 34,000-square-foot facility with 50 beds to serve patients transitioning from hospital

$6.31

$6 Million $5.19 Revenue In Millions

The anecdotal view is as varied as our community, and all of us hear (and say) these things every day at work or in our circle of friends: “It takes 20 minutes to drive across town. Things are growing too much!” “When are we getting a Trader Joe’s?” “There were five active cranes on my way to work this morning!” “Why is there always a line at Oregano’s?”

“Milton is gridlocked from Friday afternoon until Sunday! Where is everyone coming from?”

Recognizing these concerns and reflecting upon the numbers, let’s consider a few other specifics. Flagstaff was recently in the news again as another W.L Gore product was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Mother Road Brewing Company just expanded to a second location to accommodate demand for its award-winning craft beers. The business incubator and accelerator formerly known as NACET is now called Moonshot and is 70 percent tenanted. Two new hotels have opened on the east side of town, and a new hotel opened downtown. Health care facilities are rapidly growing, yet there are still herds of deer grazing on McMillan Mesa and there are still porcupines in the trees when we drive our children to school or to a morning doctor appointment.

$4 Million

$5.05

$5.07

$5.26

$5.63

$5.91

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Change from 2008-2017: 65%

2010

$8.47 MIL

2011

$17.70 MIL

2012 2013

$64.10 MIL $7.06 MIL

$42.64 MIL $6.81 MIL

2014 2015

$72.94 MIL

$32.16 MIL

2016 2017 January-June Totals

Building Permit Valuations In Millions Of Dollars

$11.36 MIL

$15.20 MIL

$11.15 MIL

$59.59 MIL

$107.71 MIL

$73.71 MIL

$23.86 MIL

$76.41 MIL

$187.65 MIL

$443.22 MIL Total from “Totals” Column $630.87

Residential Non-Residential

to home. Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center (AKDHC) is opening a facility in Flagstaff, and the Sacred Peaks Health Center, which serves Native Americans in Flagstaff, is expanding.

AFFORDABLE LIVING

What about affordable housing and the new minimum wage?

These are two topics that are actively discussed in and around the community. The Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) recently published a report titled “Housing Attainability for the Flagstaff Workforce.” The report is full of great detail regarding housing and the ability of the workforce to secure housing at an appropriate level.

There are a number of data points from that report that are worthy of mention in this discussion on Flagstaff’s overall economy. Here they are:

• 43 percent of the workforce is paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.

• The cost of living in Flagstaff is 14 percent above the national average.

• Housing costs in Flagstaff are 36 percent above the national average.

• The median sale price for a single-family home in Flagstaff in 2016 was $350,000, requiring an annual income of more than $90,000 to purchase.

The U.S. Census presents a median household income in 2016 dollars at $50,677. When considering that household income and the information from the ECoNA report, one could begin to wonder, how good is the economy if the people who live and work in Flagstaff cannot actually afford to live here?

Taken as a supply-and-demand issue, the City of Flagstaff’s “January Development Status Report” presents more than 4,800 dwelling units under some form of review. Looking

closer at those numbers, a number of those dwelling units are either infill or redevelopment, and in many cases, the projects are higher-density residential. That can be interpreted as a great influx of supply. While the majority of those units will likely be market rate, a portion will also likely be affordably priced, some going into the Community Land Trust program that would allow particular units to remain affordable. As Northern Arizona University continues to grow, so will the need for student housing. This need is being addressed on campus and off campus. Of the dwelling units mentioned above, over 1,000 are focused on meeting the residential needs of students.

While the supply will continue to lag behind the demand for a while, any increase in the supply is pointing in the right direction.

Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University are great places that are very attractive to many. Will it still be attractive enough for people to be willing to live in a community with a self-imposed higher cost of living?

At this point, it is tough to say; however, the conversations on the matter will continue to be robust, energetic and likely emotional.

GROWING AND DYNAMIC

Reviewing the numbers, all things point to growth. The BBB revenues are on a steady increase.

The building permit valuations are on a steady increase. The number of students at Northern Arizona University and at Coconino Community College are on the rise. There is tremendous demand for housing.

Businesses are expanding.

While some businesses are closing, many are entering the market. This creates a great amount of churn or turnover, which is exactly what is expected in the world of retail that caters to fluctuating appetites and the changing tastes of consumers.

Health care is growing, and although education as a whole has not been discussed, the education system in Flagstaff is leading the state in delivering education of the future, from cradle to career.

The arts have not been discussed, yet the art scene in Flagstaff is equally robust from industrial arts to aerial arts, to glass, or oils, or almost any media known to humankind. Athletics also have not been discussed, yet Flagstaff continues to attract athletes from all over the world, and many athletes from Flagstaff compete all over world. Restaurants have not been discussed, yet Flagstaff restaurants are catching the attention of many people through regular coverage in media outside the area.

For example, Phoenix Magazine featured Flagstaff’s dining scene in its January issue, saying the town is “scoring hit after restaurant hit.”

Flagstaff is a dynamic community with an equally dynamic economy. We see it in many ways, and now you have seen it in the numbers. The past is the past, and the future is yet to be seen. For now, the overall economy in Flagstaff is dynamic, robust and ready for you!

John Saltonstall is the manager of business retention and expansion in the Economic Vitality Division in the City of Flagstaff.

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3/26/18 11:32 AM

4 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

PROGRESS 2018

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Construction Benefits From Mild Weather, New Builds Press On The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

2.

A warm winter with very little snow benefited builders and extended the construction season in Flagstaff for those working on residential and commercial buildings.

Construction companies and developers said the longer building season helped combat a construction worker shortage the city is experiencing along with the rest of the state and country.

“It’s been extremely helpful to be able to extend construction starts into the winter months,” said Julie Mastriani, the president of Miramonte Homes, a developer working on hundreds of residential dwellings throughout the city.

Miramonte is one of two major developers building homes in Presidio in the Pines, where more than 700 units, including townhomes and single-family homes, are under construction or are in the approval process. The developer is working on eight projects in the Flagstaff area, including Switzer Canyon, Forest Springs, Flagstaff Ranch and Presidio.

“We are experiencing the same shortages that all developers and builders are facing throughout the state and across the country,” Mastriani said. “The decline in skilled trade labor is a significant challenge to our industry as a whole.”

According to a survey administered by the Associated General Contractors of America, 75 percent of respondents in Arizona said they are having a hard time filling some hourly craft positions, which can include carpenters, masons, roofers and other skilled laborers.

The most common position companies reported having trouble filling was equipment operators,

Bonnie and Bruce Higgins stand in what will be the dining area of their new home under construction in the Presidio subdivision located off Woody Mountain Road.

including crane and heavy equipment operators. Superintendents, laborers and mechanics were second, third and fourth most common, respectively.

Of the 114 newly built homes in the Flagstaff area that sold in 2017, 70 were in Presidio, according to Stephen Brighton, a realtor with Century 21. Flagstaff Ranch had the second-highest number of new home sales, with eight.

New construction accounted for about 10 percent of total home sales in 2017, with the median sale price for newly built homes in greater Flagstaff reaching $392,000, compared with the median sale price of all detached, single-family homes in the year, which was $375,000.

Sales prices for newly built houses ranged from $320,000 to $1.6 million, Brighton said.

Throughout 2017, the Flagstaff area saw 1,157 single-family detached home sales, a 2 percent in-

crease over the previous year. The month of December saw a record number of sales, with 91 in the month. The median sale price of $375,000 represented a 7 percent increase over 2016.

Aspen Place at the Sawmill is nearing 100 percent commercial occupancy, as 10 new businesses opened over the summer or in the first quarter of 2018 in the complex, said a spokeswoman for RED Development, which owns a portion of the complex.

Some recent openings and scheduled openings in the complex include Barre 3, Orange Theory Fitness, Local Juicery, Brush and Board, McSweeney Salon, Lia Leaf Tea House, Whisk and Whiskey Restaurant, Café Paleo Brio, HuHot Mongolian Grill and Ahi Poke Bowl.

“The turnaround of Aspen Place is a great example of bringing the right mix of retailers to meet a community’s needs and we are very

proud to say that many of the retailers we have brought in have been brand new to the market,” Mike Ebert, managing partner at RED Development said in a press release. “As a result, the center will be at 100 percent occupancy very soon and we understand that the apartments are also nearing the fully leased mark at 95 percent occupancy.”

Around the city, student housing developments are being completed and in various stages of development.

Fremont Station, an 808-bedroom student-oriented apartment complex on Forest Meadows Street was fully occupied in October, after completing only 518 bedrooms at the scheduled opening in August.

Landmark Properties broke ground on The Standard, a 605bed complex located on West Route 66, in the fall. The developer will be required to install a signalized intersection at Route 66 and Riordan Road, as well as complete sidewalk improvements on Metz Walk.

A Superior Court judge ruled in favor of allowing The Hub, a 591bed student apartment complex, to be built on Phoenix Avenue, Mikes Pike and Milton Road. The decision ended a legal battle over whether the building type was allowed under the city’s zoning code in the zone where it was to be built.

Mill Town, a 1,164-bed student-oriented apartment complex, was preliminarily approved for a zoning change request after the developer decided to lower the proposed building height and to rent by the unit instead of by the bedroom.

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PROGRESS 2018

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 5

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS LOCAL BUSINESS

Finding business opportunities in sports and adventure The City of Flagstaff Staff

3.

From alpine sports to spectacular river runs, Flagstaffians wholeheartedly embrace the outdoor opportunities of northern Arizona. A desire to be outfitted with the right stuff has led some local enthusiasts to match their outdoor spirit with business acumen.

Here are three examples.

CANYON COOLERS If necessity is truly the mother of invention, Flagstaff’s innovative river rafters have been surrogate parents to the super cooler long before it became trendy. The highperformance ice box daddy of them all is made by Canyon Coolers in Flagstaff.

“There’s a history of these kinds of airtight coolers in Flagstaff,” says CEO Jason Costello. “Local river rafters started making coolers out of fiberglass by hand.”

Costello, part of the solution-oriented canoeing and rafting community, continued to shape the popular ice chest that now gets priority seating on everybody’s favorite vacation. He says the secret to their product is the distinctively different design. Canyon Coolers are made of tough rotomolded construction, ridiculously cold insulation and seals that are bear resistant. Its products have reached around the globe to Iceland, where they are being used in the country’s Meals on Wheels program, and to the Middle East for use by an Israeli ATV racing team. But the most exciting part of the business, says Costello, is seeing growth with people—mostly Northern Ar-

Photo courtesy of Kahtoola and Kenneth J. Hamilton

izona University engineering students working with him and giving birth to new ideas.

HYPO2 SPORT When Rie Kaneto of Japan wanted to shave precious hundredths of a second off her 200-meter breaststroke in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games, she knew Flagstaff was her high-altitude training ground. She enlisted the help of Flagstaff’s elite HYPO2 Sport.

“Flagstaff has, what I think as, the triad—three things that add up to a pretty formidable combination—for making it the single best location in the world for altitude training: geographic location, high-quality sports training facilities and world-class performance specialists,” said Sean Anthony, founder of HYPO2 Sport. “Plus, we have natural attractions that people from all over the world come to see, like the Grand Canyon. That’s icing on the cake for many of our clients.”

The company prides itself on cultivating elite level expertise in physi-

ological testing, physiotherapy, massage, mental performance and much more. But this wasn’t always the case.

A few years ago, HYPO2 sought help from the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET). The business incubator helped HYPO2 to transition from a simple home business to a bricks and mortar, international renowned high performance center. “NACET has enabled me to take the leaps I otherwise wouldn’t, and has continually been there to give me the tools to make those leaps successful,” said Anthony.

Incidentally, Kaneto did improve her time, won an Olympic gold medal and came back to Flagstaff last spring for another training camp.

KAHTOOLA Sliding down head first in a dark, icy gully of the Italian Dolomites changed the way Danny Giovale thought about foot traction. It was an enlightening moment for him. While returning from a rock climb with his brother, he lost footing on some ice

and took a massive plunge of several hundred feet. His helmet and daypack took much of the impact, and he was lucky to survive the fall. It became apparent to him that products available on the market did not deliver reliable, trustworthy traction in a packable size. This set him on a path to explore better solutions for mountain climbing footwear.

While studying Physics and Philosophy at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Danny made his first prototype out of steel shelving that he hand-bent to create cleats, and used cordage to connect the toe with the heel. In 1998, he moved back to his hometown of Flagstaff and began the long process of developing and testing designs with the help of many mechanically minded family members and friends. He spent hours in his garage shaping metal. While Giovale continued to shape his future of award-winning KTS Crampons, MICROspikes® and NANOspikes®, the Coconino Community College Small Business Development Center helped him craft a business plan, and the Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance and assisted him in developing an advisory board of mentors with a wide range of expertise.

“Flagstaff is the essential place for us to be successful. Our community has so many entrepreneurial and highly educated people willing to help,” Giovale said. “I always feel truly blessed to come home to Flag and to be able to grow an international brand in our little mountain town. Kahtoola is sharing the character of Flagstaff with the world.”

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6 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

PROGRESS 2018

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

TOURISM

Visitors are essential to quality of life in Flagstaff Lori Pappas | Guest Contributor

NUMBER OF VISITORS, 2017 Canyon de Chelly ​​

826,700

Glen Canyon​​​

4.58 million

Grand Canyon​​​

6.33 million

Petrified Forest ​​​ 627,800 Sunset Crater Volcano​​

119,500

Walnut Canyon​ ​​

165,100

Wupatki ​​​

236,454

Northern Arizona boasts a number of parks in the National Park System, including the Grand Canyon, which hit the 6-million mark for visitors for the first time last year.

4.

Flagstaff is recognized as the destination for all seasons, a beautiful mountain escape set in a fun, charming and quirky town. We live here.

We play here. We work here. We love Flagstaff!

The Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau continues with its mission to increase the quality of life for every household in Flagstaff by providing beautiful parks, public art, arts and sciences programing for students and economic stability for the community. The CVB works for you to drive economic impact from visitation.

Tourism is a significant factor and essential piece of the local economy, supporting an estimated 8,000 jobs and delivering approximately $600 million to the local economy.

According to the Arizona Of-

fice of Tourism, approximately 43 million people visit Arizona every year, and they collectively spend $21 billion. In 2016, the northern Coconino, Apache and Navajo counties received about 8.1 million visitors. The money spent by visitors supports jobs and generates robust tax revenue. This money is especially concentrated in areas of the state that are more dependent on tourism. An estimated $3 billion in tax revenue equals an annual tax savings of $1,200 for every Arizona household and supports nearly 200,000 jobs.

Like other sectors of an economy, the dollars that are infused into Flagstaff through tourism are redistributed and used by residents in their everyday life. The life cycle of the visitor dollar is sustained and far-reaching, with benefits beyond the tourism industry. An example of

how this occurs: A visitor pays for their stay at a hotel; the hotel pays their front desk supervisor; the front desk supervisor buys groceries for the family; the grocery store pays their deli department supervisor; the deli department supervisor then pays their cable bill and the cycle continues. All local industries have a similar effect but the difference and beauty of tourism dollars is that the visitor is not a city resident and therefore has a much smaller community footprint. They come and infuse our economy with dollars and then return home, utilizing minimal city services compared to a full-time resident, plus visitors do not compete for local jobs.

Steps you can take to enhance tourism: • Invite your friends and family to visit Flagstaff.

Not feeling like hosting friends and family in your home? Flagstaff has multiple options including hotels, cabins, bed-and-breakfast options and even yurts!

• Tourists frequently approach locals for information. Be a city ambassador and share your experience and knowledge.

Take some time to share your local experiences. Encourage visitors to stay an extra night to really enjoy the unique attractions Flagstaff offers. Direct tourists to the Flagstaff Visitor Center located in the historic downtown train station on Route 66 or to flagstaffarizona.org for additional information.

• Do you belong to an association or group?

Ask the organization to consider Flagstaff for their next gathering or conference.

The constant mission of the CVB is to increase the quality of life for every household in Flagstaff.

The visitors bureau and local businesses that provide services and support for our tourists are committed to providing exceptional experiences and hard work to educate, motivate and inspire travel to our beautiful city.

Tourism revenue, especially that collected through the Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) tax, directly and positively impacts the quality of your life here. The CVB receives 30 percent of the BBB tax revenue to promote Flagstaff as a premier travel destination through marketing, direct sales efforts and media relations, while providing exceptional service at our Visitor Center.

Lori Pappas is the manager of marketing and media relations for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau.

BBB funds support multiple community needs: arts and science 7.5%, beautification 20%, economic development 9.5%, parks and recreation 33%, tourism 30% Lori Pappas is the marketing and media relations manager of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau.

PROGRESS 2018

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FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

TRANSPORTATION

Photo courtesy of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

Businesses need connectivity

5.

City Of Flagstaff Staff

Flagstaff is a connected City. Geographically Flagstaff sits between Interstate 40 and 17, BNSF and Amtrak provide commercial and passenger rail service, and area airports provide one stop air service to almost anywhere in the world. Flagstaff is also situated within a half day’s drive to over 34 million consumers. Rail spurs are available throughout much of the regions industrial parks providing cost efficient shipping and receiving. Flagstaff’s proximity to California continues to provide more value for national and international clients wanting access to California markets without the California price tag and regulations.

FLAGSTAFF PULLIAM AIRPORT The Flagstaff airport will offer non-stop Saturday routes to Los Angeles and Dallas Fort Worth beginning this spring. Residents can support these routes by considering to fly out of Flagstaff first. With more seats filled, more flights can happen. The airport is also hoping to secure flights between Flagstaff and San Francisco and Flagstaff and Denver.

American Airlines currently flies out to Flagstaff, and the city has been speaking to several airlines, mainly United Airlines, Alaska and SkyWest, to add Flagstaff to their routes.

In 2017, the airport facilitated 146,290 passengers, with 72,679 en-

planements from Flagstaff to Phoenix, accounting for a 9 percent increase from the previous year.

MOUNTAIN LINE Mountain Line is Flagstaff’s award-winning public transit system, offering daily service on eight routes, including the high-frequency Route 10 (Mountain Link) that serves the NAU campus and popular off-campus residential areas. Ridership has been on an upward trajectory for 18 consecutive years, with the system breaking the two-million-riders mark for the first time ever last year.

Thanks to a ballot initiative approved by Flagstaff voters 2008, Mountain Line operates a 100 per-

cent hybrid electric fleet. The six newest buses are 60-foot articulated vehicles that accommodate twice as many passengers with only one driver. Overcrowding and leaving passengers behind was becoming increasingly problematic as ridership grew.

With the expanded capacity of the larger buses on Route 10, Mountain Line has significantly increased yearover-year ridership on this route, with months like March seeing a 60 percent jump over the previous year.

Reducing congestion is a high priority for the Flagstaff community, and robust transit service is one of the most important solutions to this issue. Mountain Line is in the process of implementing its recently-adopted Five-Year Transit Plan, which identifies strategies and opportunities to make transit more frequent and convenient, two factors that play a significant role in shifting behaviors toward transit ridership.

Congestion is a perennial winter issue on the U.S. Highway 180 corridor, and Mountain Line and the Arizona Department of Transportation are taking the lead on a study that will outline how increased transit, in conjunction with other travel demand management tools like Park and Rides, carpool incentives, and paid parking, can move the needle on alleviating seasonal traffic backups.

Armed with historical traffic data and actual travel times on past peak days, Mountain Line and ADOT will bring a range of options to the public for comment and feedback before finalizing the plan.

Transit connects people with jobs, education, medical services, entertainment, and more. And in Flagstaff, Mountain Line is also instrumental in reducing congestion and providing a viable alternative to single passenger vehicles. As Flagstaff continues to grow, Mountain Line will grow alongside it, and always deliver on its mission of “getting you where you want to go.”

There is no simple way to reduce traffic congestion, but

Flagstaff may have figured it out…

• A 60 foot Mountain Line bus carrying 100 people per hour.

• An 18 percent increase in Mountain Line bus riders from 2017 to 2018.

• More than 2 million riders a year.

81 percent of Flagstaff residents surveyed know Mountain Line reduces traffic congestion.

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mountainline.az.gov

8 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

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PROGRESS 2018

FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

CULTURE & ARTS

Valuable and vibrant Flagstaff scene The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

6.

Art entertains and revitalizes, it invigorates and educates and it can bring a community together, but there’s more. Art has economic value.

The nonprofit arts and sciences sector in Flagstaff generates nearly $90 million in annual economic activity, according to a report published last September by Americans for the Arts. “Arts & Economic Prosperity: the Economic Impact of the Non-Profit Arts & Sciences in Flagstaff, Arizona” said that visitors alone coming to Flagstaff for arts and science events contribute more than $20 million each year to the local economy and that per-person tourist spending amounts to about $87 per event, almost twice the amount spent in comparable cities.

That vitality is driven by an active and inventive local arts community and support for the arts,

according to John Tannous, executive director of the Flagstaff Arts Council. The Flagstaff art scene is “vibrant, robust and full of creative, intelligent, visionary individuals and organizations,” he recently told Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine.

Some arts and culture highlights from the past year: • Northern Arizona University began construction of a new $15 million, 26,863 square-foot recital hall adjacent to Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. It will include a 250seat recital hall, a choral rehearsal room, an instrument rehearsal room, a choral library, an instrument library and a lobby. It is expected to be completed in October.

• The Orpheum Theater, a Flagstaff landmark and premier entertainment venue, marked its 100th anniversary in 2017. The 1,000 capacity

historic theater welcomes local and national groups covering a variety of music genres. It also hosts community events and film showings.

• The Museum of Northern Arizona opened its remade $1 million-plus ethnology gallery. The new “Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau” exhibit, completed with help from members of 10 tribes, is expected to draw renewed interest in the 90-year-old museum.

• The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra welcomed a new music director and conductor, Charles Latshaw, at the start of its 68th regular season, which saw larger attendance than the previous season, according to spokesman Patrick Gamble.

• Dark Sky Aerial, the Flagstaff-based aerial theater and performance art company, transformed downtown into its artistic playground last summer with its groundbreaking performances of TILT. The ambitious mobile show, which descended down buildings, weaved through alleys and the corridors and rooms of the historic Hotel Monte Vista, earned Dark Sky a 2018 Viola Award for excellence in the performing arts from the Flagstaff Arts Council.

• The Flagstaff Pioneer Museum exhibit “Todos Unidos: The Hispanic Experience in Flagstaff” garnered two awards, a 2018 Viola Award for community impact from the Flagstaff Arts Council and the 2018 MAA Institutional Award of Excellence by the Museum Association of Arizona. Due to overwhelming interest in the exhibit and because of the honors, Pioneer

Museum extended the run of “Todos Unidos” through this summer.

• In collaboration with local residents, the Mural Mice Universal artists collective painted a public art piece on the side of the restrooms at Bushmaster Park. Titled “Community Reflections,” the mural spans 8 feet by 30 feet and was commissioned by the city of Flagstaff through the Beautification and Public Art Commission.

• Art combined with advocacy in the Coconino Center for the Arts’ “Hope and Trauma in a Poisoned Land: The Impact of Uranium Mining on Navajo Lands and People” exhibit late last year. The Arts Council brought 20 artists to Cameron to experience firsthand the effects uranium mining has had on native lands.

Pieces from the show have gone on to be included in other shows such as the 2018 Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival and Open Doors: Art in Action. “Hope and Trauma” also earned a 2018 Viola Award.

• The renovated Fort Tuthill Military Museum opened in May showcasing the history of the 158th Infantry Regiment of the Arizona National Guard.

Looking forward, some highlights for 2019 will include the marking of two major anniversaries with direct ties to the Flagstaff area—the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the first time humans stepped on the moon, and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park. Both are sure to bring celebrations, visitors and added attention to the Flagstaff community.

OUTDOORS

Flagstaff has abundant, varied options for fun outside

7.

With several national parks and forests in the area, northern Arizona is not only a draw for millions of tourists but a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts in and outside of Flagstaff.

On the spur of the moment, residents have access to premier hiking and biking trails, rock climbing and snow sport terrain. Camping, hunting, fishing and boating are nearby, and the city boasts a number of quality urban parks. The outdoor festival season begins soon, making it even more difficult to decide on what to take up for the weekend.

Here’s a few favorite spots:

The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

mainly because it takes place completely underground. The mile-long cave was formed by a lava flow about 700,000 years ago and today is explored with flashlights and jackets, as it stays a constant 42 degrees year-round. For information on location and tours, contact the Peaks Ranger Station at (928) 526-0866.

MOUNT ELDEN AND DRY LAKE HILLS Flagstaff boasts incredible biking, especially in the Mount Elden and Dry Lake Hills area.

Many mountain biking masters test their skills on such trails as the Rocky Ridge, Sunset, Schultz Creek and Oldham trails. They HUMPHREYS PEAK make for some of the wildest and Humphreys is the highest point most challenging mountain bikin Arizona at 12,663 feet. While ing around. Learn more at www. any avid hiker will find the hike a fs.usda.gov/coconino WALNUT CANYON fun and refreshing alpine climb, at With hundreds of ruins built nine miles round trip it can bring KENDRICK WATCHABLE into the stone alcoves and ledges elements of adventure. Please note WILDLIFE TRAIL of a steep canyon, Walnut Canthat alpine hiking at that elevation The Kendrick Watchable yon National Monument offers a can make it a challenge for people Wildlife loop is a family-friendly glimpse into the lives of the anof many skill levels. The trailhead feature for its ease of access and cient Sinagua. With Sunset Carter is located at the top of Snowbowl use, and it boasts signs to share and Wupatki, it’s part of the triRoad. For those not up for the hike, the story of the local forests. Lo- umvirate of national monuments Arizona Snowbowl offers the next cated across from Chapel of the surrounding Flagstaff. Learn best thing—a chairlift ride to near Holy Dove on U.S. Highway 180, more at www.nps.gov/waca. the top of neighboring Agassiz Peak, this scenic area features views Arizona’s second highest point. of Kendrick Peak and a paved SUNSET CRATER NATIONAL Visit www.snowbowl.ski for more quarter-mile trail that welcomes MONUMENT information. strollers and wheelchairs. AnNorthern Arizona is a landscape other, more rustic trail triples the shaped by volcanic activity, one of BUFFALO PARK length of the walk. the most recent being the eruption Flagstaff’s most beloved green at Sunset Crater less than 1,000 space, Buffalo Park is an open THE ARIZONA TRAIL years ago. The highlights of the meadow on the top of McMillan For either a short jaunt or an monument include a looping and Mesa. It features a two-mile loop expansive adventure, the Arizona interpretive Lava Flow Trail and a trail, the bisecting Arizona Trail and Trail has been many years in the hike up to the nearby Lenox Crater. up-close views of Mount Elden and making and stretches 817 miles Visit www.nps.gov/sucr for more inthe nearby Dry Lake Hills. Take San from Utah to Mexico. It has sev- formation.

Francisco Street north and make a eral miles of trail located through right on Forest Avenue. Head up the northern Arizona. A great section WUPATKI NATIONAL hill and make a left on Gemini Road. of it lies just to the east of Flag- MONUMENT staff and drops into a side drainage Wupatki boasts some of the LAVA RIVER CAVE of Walnut Canyon. Another great world’s most intact and culturalThe Lava River Cave, also known place to pick it up is just north of ly revealing archaeological sites. as the Lava Tubes, is one of the most the San Francisco Peaks near Bis- The namesake site features a 110unique hikes in northern Arizona, marck Lake. Visit www.aztrail.org. room pueblo, an ancient ball court

and a blowhole, an opening in the rock that blasts cool air during certain atmospheric conditions.

The Wupatki scenic drive is open day and night. Visit www.nps. gov/wupa for location and visitor center times.

THE ARBORETUM AT FLAGSTAFF A research and environmental education center, the arboretum is home to 2,500 species of plants in greenhouses, gardens and natural habitats—located on 200 acres within the national forest. The arboretum offers guided tours, school programs and other events. Visit www.thearb.org for more information.

FLAGSTAFF EXTREME Flagstaff Extreme is a highin-the-pines series of rope, obstacle and zip line courses that are both fun and challenging.

Located in Fort Tuthill County Park about five miles south of Flagstaff, the attraction features adventure courses for adults and kids of varying skill levels. Visit flagstaffextreme.com.

PROGRESS 2018

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 9

Special advertising supplement

FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS HEALTH CARE

Area’s first freestanding inpatient acute rehab facility opens

The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

8.

In a long-awaited addition to local medical services, one of the newest health care facilities in Flagstaff is accredited and providing acute rehabilitative therapy.

Forty-five days after accepting its first patient, the Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona achieved accreditation from The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit group that certifies health facilities nationwide. It earned the commission’s Gold Seal of Approval April 12.

The hospital is the first freestanding facility in northern Arizona to provide inpatient rehabilitation for people recovering from disabling injuries or those living with chronic illness.

The newly constructed 40-bed facility atop McMillan Mesa served its first 38 patients on a pro-bono basis in order to achieve accreditation and build connections to the community, said spokesman Fadi Sidani, director of marketing and business development.

The state-of-the-art facility will soon be able to accommodate patients with Medicare and other insurance, but Sidani said it also will continue to provide care at no charge for select patients in need.

“One of the commitments we have to the community is to serve those people most in need and who for some reason don’t have insurance,” he said.

The hospital’s services include physical, occupational and speech therapies, a physician-led patient care team, rehabilitation nursing care, respiratory care, wound care, case management and social services, dietary assistance, a pharmacy and pain

management. All 40 beds are in private rooms, and there is a transitional room that resembles an actual home bedroom and bathroom, where a patient can experience what it would be like to navigate the home environment before they leave the facility.

Sidani said the majority of the center’s patients will be recovering from spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries or strokes and most will be referrals from Flagstaff Medical Center. The hospital also will accept patients with orthopedic injuries such as hip fractures and those with debilitating diseases like Lou Gehrig’s, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.

Whatever the injury or illness, the goal of the center is that patients return to their homes with a greater level of independent living.

“This is not a skilled nursing facility. We have a doctor that [does] rounds on each patient every day. This is place people come to relearn movement, the ability to communicate and to accomplish everyday tasks, and to regain strength. Our goal is that they are discharged to their home.”

Sidani said the Flagstaff community has long had great need for this type of facility. In the past, many patients recovering from traumatic injury had to go to Prescott or the Valley for acute rehabilitative care or settle for substandard care close to home.

Communities near Flagstaff also are expected to benefit from Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona.

It hopes to welcome patients from Navajo and Hopi lands and from Winslow and Page—areas that are “historically underserved,” Sidani said.

Season Brown, the director of nursing operations at the hospital, said the facility’s single-bed rooms offer patients privacy, comfort and ease of movement, all things that help in recovery. She said the therapy gym has a complete round of modern equipment, but therapy work does not necessarily stop there.

“We will take patients on therapeutic outings to practice specific things that could be a barrier to them when they are out on their own,” she said. Such outings might include visiting places downtown or a trip to a

patient’s own home.

On a recent Monday morning, three patients, each with their own therapist, were working routines in the center’s 7,000-square-foot physical and occupational therapy gym.

Central to the room is an Aretech ZeroG Gait and Balance unit, a robotic body-weight support system that allows patients to practice balancing and walking without risk of falling.

The ZeroG utilizes a safety harness mounted on an overhead track, allowing therapists unobtrusive space to work with patients. Adjacent the gym is the hospital’s therapy pool, and outside the gym’s large pane windows is a “therapy courtyard” constructed with steps and ramps and portions of gravel ground covering to help patients learn to navigate outdoor spaces.

Meals at the hospital are served cafeteria-style in a dining area or in separate private rooms, but not in a patient’s room, which helps to keep patients moving. Food is prepared by a chef who came from one of Flagstaff’s more popular restaurants.

“Our chef never worked in a hospital, so it’s not like hospital food here,” said Sidani.

Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona, 1851 N. Gemini Dr., will hold its grand opening May 3 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Private tours or pre-admission assessments can be arranged by calling (928) 774-7070.

The hospital is part of the New Mexico-based Ernest Health system, which has rehabilitation and acute care centers in 11 states. In Arizona it also operates Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Prescott Valley.

At Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona, we strive to create a healing and nurturing environment for our patients that meet their physical and emotional needs.

GRAND OPENING AND

MAY 3RD 2018

4:30-7:30PM

RIBBON CUTTING

• Come join us for free food, refreshments, entertainment, prizes and fun for the entire family.

We provide inpatient rehabilitation services to people ple recovering from disabling injuries or living with chronic illnesses

• Meet our team of Drs., Therapists, and other Staff

928.774.7070

928.774.7000

1851 N GEMINI DRIVE • FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001

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10 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

PROGRESS 2018

Special advertising supplement

FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

EDUCATION

The Northern Ariozna University mascot Louie The Lumberjack leads the university marching band and cheer squad through the streets of downtown Flagstaff Friday evening on the way to an NAU Homecoming pep rally in Heritage Square.

Campuses undergo growth in numbers, innovation

9.

The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

Northern Arizona University continues to see growth in the number of students attending all of its campuses and in the number of buildings on campus.

This fall the university saw total enrollment on all of its campuses grow 2 percent to 31,057, up from 30,368 in the fall of 2016.

At the Flagstaff campus, enrollment increased from 22,134 students to 22,740 students. The number of freshman entering the Flagstaff campus also increased from 6,616 in the fall of 2016 to 7,019 students this past fall. This puts the university on track to meet the requirement of 34,909 students by 2025.

Some of those new students moved into the new Sky View dorm, which opened just in time for the new academic year. The dorm added 163 new apartments that provide beds for 626 students on campus. This brings the number of beds on campus to 9,774.

With its new parking garage that holds 700 new spots, it also increased the number of parking spots on campus to 9,500.

Still under construction is a new honors college, which was approved by the Arizona Board of Regents last year. The 204,656 square-foot building at University and Knoles drives will house both students and classes. The building will have eight classrooms, a writing center, faculty offices, a student support

center, an exercise facility and dorm rooms. The new college is expected to cost around $58.6 million. The dorm portion of the building will be run by American Campus Community, the same company that runs the new Sky View dorm.

Also under construction on

Coconino Community College iLab

campus is a new 26,863 squarefoot recital hall located between Ardrey Memorial Auditorium and the Performing and Fine Arts buildings. The new building includes a 250-seat recital hall, a choral rehearsal room, an instrument rehearsal room, a choral library, an instrument library and a lobby. The project is expected to be completed in Oc-

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tober and is being funded with bonds and donations.

The university also opened a new $300,000 Human Performance Lab. The lab gives students in the university’s physical therapy, biomechanics and the Center for Bioengineering Innovation departments space to

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try out new prostheses and exoskeletons. It also allows physical therapy students to develop programs for those with limited mobility or injuries by using the lab’s motion camera capture system.

The university also welcomed two new deans to its campus. Valerio Ferme joined the university as its new College of Arts and Letters dean. He stepped into the shoes of former Arts and Letters dean Michael Vincent, who stepped down after 10 years in 2016 to focus on his book on 17th century French literature.

Daniel Goebel also signed on to serve as NAU’s new W. A. Franke College of Business dean last year. Craig Van Slyke, the former dean of the college, stayed on as a business professor. Goebel hails from Illinois State University, where he served for the last five years as the university’s associate dean for Academic Programs and Maintenance of Accreditation and as a professor of marketing.

The university also received a $1 million gift from George Roberts, the co-chair and coCEO of KKR, a major California investment firm, for minority and first-generation college students interested in becoming teachers. Roberts donated the money in honor of his friendship with William Franke, the businessman who donated $25 mil-

lion to NAU’s College of Business in 2007. “I like what the college does. I like that almost half of the students in the program are minorities or veterans and plan on teaching,” Roberts said. “It fits with what I’m trying to do philanthropically.”

The university also kept its commitment to the city and students by hiring Valeria Chase as its new community neighborhood liaison. The position is jointly funded by the NAU and the city. The liaison is a go-between for the Flagstaff community and NAU students who live off-campus.

Flagstaff Unified School District also welcomed a new face this school year. Mike Penca was hired as the district’s new superintendent last summer.

Penca spent 20 years in an Iowa school district less than half the size of FUSD, working his way from a teacher up the administrative ladder and eventually to interim superintendent. He said in January he is starting to settle in at FUSD and looking at ways to improve the district.

Coconino Community College said its dual enrollment students, high schoolers taking courses that offer college credit, have increased by more than 40 percent this school year. Northland Preparatory Academy and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy will join the dual enrollment program this fall.

Also beginning in the fall, the community college and NAU will offer a concurrent-enrollment nursing program that will allow select students to simultaneously complete their associate and bachelor degrees. The college has also revamped its degree programs in American Sign Language and Computer Information Systems and has expanded its Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician program to its Page campus.

New classes this summer include an online eight-week course in beginning Navajo. The college also will offer free summer camps for children in Lego robotics, drones and coding, and 3D design and printing at its Fourth Street campus in Flagstaff.

Later this month, the college officially launches its iLab at the Fourth Street Innovation Center.

The space is for students, faculty and community members to explore robotics, technology, drones, microcomputers, 3D printing, vinyl cutting and computer coding.

PROGRESS 2018

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 11

Special advertising supplement

FLAGSTAFF

2018 PROGRESS

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Sector successes reach education, business, research

10.

Flagstaff’s scientific community continued to grow this past year. From NAU to startups to breweries, the role of science and research continues to play an integral role locally. Confirming Flagstaff’s commitment to dark skies and providing elastin to help in wound recovery are but two recent contributions. Flagstaff’s commitment to science’s many applications and benefits for the present and future allows this small city to make global impacts.

• In a recent study, NAU researchers investigated the microscopic world of soil. Led by doctoral student Rachel Rubins at the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, they published findings showing that rhizobacteria can help reduce crop losses during drought. With global food demand and populations on the rise, helping plants forage for nutrients in the soil introduces alternatives to irrigation, which accounts for two thirds of global water consumption. From “salty rice” in Egypt to barley on Mount Carmel, rhizobacteria can support food security, water conservation and sustainability.

• According to Ashley Pipkin, regional specialist with the National Parks Service natural sound and night skies division, Flagstaff is the gold standard of dark sky cities.

They did an image study that compared Flagstaff’s light pollution to that of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and although the cities are similar in size, measurements found Flagstaff’s emissions to be 14 times fainter.

Further boosting Flagstaff’s reputation in the skies, NAU launched a

The Arizona Daily Sun Staff

doctoral program in Astronomy and Planetary Science.

• A year of work on Lowell Observatory’s Pluto Discovery Telescope was completed in March. Nearly every part of the 90-year-old instrument and its dome were refurbished, restoring its functionality to that of 88 years ago when Clyde Tombaugh used it to find Pluto. The former planet was also the focus of NASA’s New Horizons space probe, which transmitted images of Pluto and its moon Charon from a 2015 flyby. The probe recently shifted gears to explore other objects in the Kuiper Belt, where its target is 2014 MU69, a celestial body approximately 16 miles long. Will Grundy of Lowell, leader of the mission’s surface composition themes team, hopes MU69 will reveal clues to the formation of the solar system. The flyby is set for Jan. 1, 2019.

• Dark Sky, Wanderlust an Historic breweries each signed up for the AZ Pure Water Brew Challenge, crafting beer with reclaimed wastewater. The water underwent extensive purification processes; customers and brew-

ers alike embraced the idea. Though a pilot program, the challenge is part of a larger, state discussion surrounding potable wastewater and sustainability.

• A functioning ukulele was one of many 3-D printing jobs completed by the MakerLab at NAU’s Cline Library. Since opening last year, the lab provides services to NAU and CCC students, faculty, staff and the general public. Between August 2016 and June 2017 it processed almost 3,000 print jobs. Also opening last May, the Kayenta Solar Facility, with 120,000 photovoltaic solar panels, became the first utility-scale solar project on the Navajo Nation.

Enough electricity is generated to power some 13,000 homes, with space to eventually double the array’s capacity.

• W.L. Gore celebrated its 50th anniversary in Flagstaff in 2017.

The Flagstaff division produces medical devices from stents to hernia patches, as well hazmat suits and guitar strings; at last count, 40 million of Gore’s products are used by physicians globally.

• Three local startups: POBA Medical manufactures custom-made balloons used in pre-cancer therapies to deliver pharmaceuticals, fracture plaque and deliver transcatheter aortic valves. Protein Genomics produces human elastin, a skin component providing strength and elasticity in wound healing. Aneuvas Technologies Inc. focuses on optimizing a biomaterial for healing brain aneurysms.

In addition to the above highlights, the president and CEO of Moonshot at the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET), said he sees much promise in recruiting digital technology to Flagstaff.

Scott Hathcock said the initial draw for companies to choose Flagstaff remains lifestyle.

“When people truly experience Flagstaff for the first time, they typically want to find a way to stay. Our lifestyle and four seasons of outdoor recreation draw them in,” he said.

Last year the co-founders of Atlas Guides, makers of map-based navigational smart-phone apps, move to Flagstaff from California. Hathcock said the vibrant outdoor community, nearby outdoor recreation opportunities, and proximity to Northern Arizona University and NACET were all factors in their move.

Hathcock said the business incubator is experiencing much excitement with the successes of local startups SenesTech, POBA Medical, Love You Foods, MAKA Digital and Hypo2 Sport. Others to watch, he said, include War2In, Tailored Tutoring, Corter Group, Hatch Innovations and ProGrow Tech.

Tiny Microbes A Big Deal at TGen North Bacteria, viruses, certain fungi and parasites are all microbes. Some microbes are helpful while others are harmful. One thing for certain, though, they’re everywhere. Microbes help with everything from digestion to immune function.

They create barriers against infection, and manufacture essential vitamins and nutrients. The scientists at TGen North, an affiliate of City of Hope, are working to harness the power of the microbiome with the addition of a special center — the Clinical Microbiome Services Center — at its Flagstaff location. They’ll work to understand the human ecosystem of microbes, known collectively as the microbiome, and how it impacts everything from irritable bowel disease, diabetes and cancer, to the health of animals and the environment.

“If you’re healthy, these microbial communities are doing good things for you,” says Center Director, Dr. Sarah Highlander, an expert in medical microbiology and the human microbiome. “You can’t survive without the microbes in and on your body,” maintains Dr. Highlander (above center, flanked by research associates Megan Folkerts, left, and Katie Ayers).

In addition to assisting its own scientists, TGen North works with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and numerous local and international public health organizations, seeking better ways to track, control, and prevent potential regional and global outbreaks of infectious disease. Learn more at: www.tgen.org/news

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PROGRESS 2018

FLAGSTAFF

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Enhancing Quality of Life 365 Days a Year

Highlights

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Economic Development, Beautification, Arts & Sciences, Heritage Preservation, ParkFlag Assisted with: • $30 million in new commercial construction • Mercedes Benz at the Auto Park • 32 acre airpark project for new hotel, event center and corporate offices • Two new healthcare facilities • Beautification of Old Town Spring Park and Joel Montalvo Park • Implemented Paid Parking Program in Downtown • And much more!

Bed, Board, & Beverage (BBB) collected was $7.9 million, a 17.48% increase.

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ADR 2017

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Support Tourism Welcome our visitors! Tourism generates nearly 7,500 jobs in Flagstaff.

— Northern Arizona University

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Frequent our Libraries Check out books and materials, attend our youth and adult programs, donate and volunteer.

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• Our libraries were visited by 1,218,848+ patrons • 1.2 million materials were circulated • 133,418 total cardholders

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