Progress: State of the City 2020

SPECIAL SECTION 1

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 |

K1

F L A G S TA F F 2 0 2 0

STATE OF THE CITY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 |

azdailysun.com

ECONOMY THE SKYGLOW PROJECT

Mount Elden overlooking Flagstaff at night. As the first International Dark Sky Place as designated by the International Dark Sky Association in 2001, Flagstaff is known for its clear skies

Flagstaff standing the

tests of time vestment for a family or enterprise, a good bet that has delivered regularly over time. One thing that is important to keep in mind is that construction permits are well-thought-out decisions made over time. While the tables presenting this data below do not speak to COVID-19, they speak to the viability of Flagstaff as a community that is of value. Once the world learns how to live with COVID-19, Flagstaff will draw tourists here again and will invite residents outside again.

JOHN SALTONSTALL

F

City of Flagstaff BR&E Manager

lagstaff is in a transition from days of congregating and warm greetings to the days of the novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19. Our foreseeable future is already different. Many residents went on their spring break, excited for a get-away, only to return to a changed reality in which we all began to see restrictions and fears grow. Immediate impacts are continuously changing so quickly that they outpace the ability of our data professionals to aggregate and quantify those changes.

What’s ahead of us?

What do we know?

We know that Flagstaff has, over time, been a solid investment for families and an eclectic group of courageous people who become business owners and hire us to join them.

The Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) tax revenues are a metric that many people reference to understand how our community is doing. The BBB is funded by its namesake, which is to say visitors to Flagstaff and all people who eat out contribute to the BBB. It is also a consequence of two other factors that are unchanging and work in favor of our BBB revenues: our unique geography and proximity to

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Shelby Klein, a bartender and server at the McMillan in downtown Flagstaff, stands outside her shuttered bar on a recent April morning. An online program allows people to support area service workers by tipping them even though they are not eating or drinking out. When logging on to serviceindustry.tips, the site selects a random local worker who can be tipped using Venmo or Cash App. large population centers. Flagstaff still sits in the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the world; look at it as a one of the largest air scrubbers, too, with Flagstaff boasting some of the cleanest air around. Flagstaff remains at least 20 degrees cooler than

Phoenix to the south and Las Vegas to the northwest. Our community is a close break for those populations when their air temperatures more closely resemble that of an oven than somewhere livable.

In short, Flagstaff is still a solid in-

All data that we use lags by at least two months. Data regarding COVID-19 cases comes faster each day. We know anecdotally that unplugging the economy the way that it has been will produce a slowing down and that the restart will take time. While writing this article on April 16, 2020, news came through that the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans have been exhausted; so the slowdown continues. The number of people applying for unemployment is growing still. The One-Stop at the Department of Economic Security in Flagstaff, which is the only one open in northern Arizona, has been seeing Please see TIME, Page 2

Bed, Board and Beverage Revenue

Construction Growth

Data outlining BBB revenue from the past 10 years reveals steady growth which is a testament to our Convention and Visitor Bureau, Discover Flagstaff.

Construction permits issued year over year and the related valuation speak to the direct investment being made to the built environment.

Fiscal Year

BBB Tax (dollars in thousands)

Fiscal Year

BBB Tax (dollars in thousands)

Fiscal Year

BBB Tax (dollars in thousands)

2009

5,052

2013

5,911

2017

8,642

2010

5,074

2014

6,310

2018

8,602

2011

5,259

2015

7,022

2019

8,893

2012

5,626

2016

7,539

Year

Construction Permits Issued

2017 2018 2019

1529 1701 1958

Valuation 208,766,173.00 149,743,688.00 167,323,988.00

North Country HealthCare is pleased to introduce the four residents in the inaugural class for our new

M 1

Family Medicine Residency Program

Elizabeth Curtiss, MD Dan Shtutman, DO Lauren Weinand, MD Tasha Harder, DO

K2

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

ARIZONA DAILY UN

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

David Painter, a fourth-grade teacher at Sechrist Elementary School, sits surrounded by Arizona animals made by his students as part of an annual class project.

With school being canceled for the rest of the semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Painter’s students wanted to surprise him by turning their creations in on the original project deadline. They came to his house in the middle of the night and left their creations in his garden. “I walked out of the house the next morning to get some firewood and was shocked to find a javelina on the path. I thought it was real. It gave me quite a start,” Painter said.

“

The Flagstaff community has been practicing thoughtfulness and kindness with great creativity. Hand sanitizer, face masks, trips to the grocery stores for neighbors, personal protective suits crafted out of Tyvek, meals donated, are all components of Flagstaff’s dedication to support our community.

Time From Page 1

between 100 and 150 people each day, not including the people who are applying for unemployment online. The current number of unemployment claims in Coconino County as of April 5 is 1,729. This number will likely grow as well.

There is a bottom that we will hit, and it is anybody’s guess when that milestone will be reached.

There is, however, a narrative of adaptation that is present throughout these two months of sheltering in place. Although that narrative is one without data, without numbers, it is full of heart. The Flagstaff community has been practicing thoughtfulness and kindness with great creativity. Hand sanitizer, face masks, trips to the grocery stores for neighbors, personal protective suits crafted out of Tyvek, meals donated, are all components of Flagstaff ’s dedication to support our community. LAUNCH Flagstaff and the Flagstaff Unified School District even launched a new program via Instagram Live @launchflagstaff to connect working professionals with students throughout the community. People are coming up with innovative ways to persevere. And then there are other businesses that go about business as usual, save some smaller adaptations to encourage appropriate social distancing. Nestle-Purina PetCare continues to make the food we feed to our pets. Joy Cone continues to make ice cream cones—

COURTESY PHOTO

Arribella (right) and Luka Gunderson have taken their mom Caryn’s suggestion and transformed their Little Free Library in downtown Flagstaff into a Little Free Pantry, with homemade hand sanitizer.

”

because dessert matters. W.L.Gore & Associates continues to make the medical devices that are increasingly critical. Machine Solutions continues to make the machines that help customers make the best medical devices in the world.

Our grocers are keeping shelves stocked. Construction projects continue to crawl with workers swinging hammers and building places people will call home in the near future.

The City of Flagstaff is the City of Innovation. Flagstaff residents now more than ever recognize that their local actions matter, and they are doing so by donating their time and resources to their neighbors.

They are supporting education in new ways as the community adapts to online learning. All around our community are examples of Flagstaff adapting and translating their unique missions to broader audiences every day.

Watching the news can lead one to think that every town around the world is on the ropes, ready to tap out, but when neighbors help neighbors, when Facebook reveals a new fundraiser to help service industry personnel or a similar expression of boot-strapping support, we all recognize that we have resilience within each of us.

We will get through this together.

We will be more capable and more resilient than ever. We are not out of it yet, not by a long shot, but we are in the thick of it and we are getting through it together. Chin up, Flagstaff, and keep up the good work.

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Alexander Valenzuela from the Arizona National Guard carries a food box from the Flagstaff Family Food Center to a home in East Flagstaff Tuesday morning. The food bank has started delivering food to vulnerable people in the community who are unable to get to the food bank to pick up food.

NANCY WIECHEC, NORTHERN ARIZONA’S MOUNTAIN LIVING MAGAZINE

Joy Cone, the largest producer of ice cream cones in the world, makes cones and other ice cream products here in Flagstaff.

M 1

Join Us The May 6 service day has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

NATIONAL TRAVEL & TOURISM WEEK MAY 3–9, 2020

Join us in honoring Flagstaff’s hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, restaurants, craft breweries, bars, attractions, and more…

Our entire community benefits from travel and tourism as they enhance our overall quality of life.

Flagstaff is a great place to visit and an even better place to live.

See how you can make it even better by visiting:

FLAGSTAFF LOCAL.COM

My actions matter

CITY OF FLAGSTAFF – OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Proclamation WHEREAS, Economic Development Week is an opportunity to recognize and thank those enterprises that Choose Flagstaff, the City of Innovation, as their place to do business; and WHEREAS, resilient communities are synonymous with resilient economies; and WHEREAS, Flagstaff enterprises, both those for profit and not for profit, sustainably support the needs of residents for employment, education, philanthropy, prosperity and more; and WHEREAS, the novel Coronavirus has demanded continuous adaptation and Flagstaff businesses have risen to the challenge; and WHEREAS, The Woodlands Village Dentistry and True North Dentistry, Flagstaff Downtown Dental, Wet Dreams River Supply Company and Canyon Diablo Spirits and Distillery have converted their respective professions to producing critical N95 masks, to sewing protective suits for emergency responders, and to producing hand sanitizer; and WHEREAS, Prent Thermoforming, W.L. Gore & Associates, Fastenal, and Joann Fabrics have donated thousands of face shields, masks, and materials for such masks to front line medical and emergency service professionals; and WHEREAS, The Translational Genomics Research Institute (T-Gen) and The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University have formed a union dedicated to tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus.

WHEREAS, Diablo Burger donates one meal to a local emergency room or to hungry school children and other under-served populations in the community for every meal sold; and WHEREAS, The People of Flagstaff and all businesses and organization that call Flagstaff home have showed know our actions matter by shopping in Flagstaff, donating to those in need, supporting education by adapting to online learning, helping our community when we need it most; and

Thank you to all of the businesses that Choose Flagstaff every day as their home!

The work you do, the services you provide, the things you produce, keep Flagstaff a great place to visit, discover and grow!

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAL EVANS, Mayor of the City of Flagstaff, Arizona do hereby proclaim MAY 4, 2020 through MAY 9, 2020 as

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK MAY 4-9, 2020 M 1

chooseflagstaff.com

4

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

HEALTH

JAKE BACON PHOTOS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Dr. David Yang, left, and Dr. Elliot Martich sit with a 3D printer in Yang’s office at True North Dentitry as the printer prints components of reusable N95 masks. The two dentists, who own different practices — Martich is at Woodlands Village Dentistry — have come together to make personal protective equipment for local medical professionals dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Care from the

community Flagstaff medical groups strive for protective equipment during pandemic

KAITLIN OLSON

E

Sun Staff Reporter

ven detailed emergency preparedness plans could not fully equip local health care organizations for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that brought some unexpected and radical changes to Flagstaff medical practices.

Unlike a local disaster, where organizations could lean on other groups in the state or region for support, the pandemic caused a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially masks and gowns.

Flo Spyrow, CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcare, which operates Flagstaff Medical Center and the Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood, said the cost of PPE has skyrocketed during the pandemic: N95 respirators that would normally cost the organization 69 cents each jumped to $8, while surgical gowns increased from 50 cents to $5.

Flagstaff community members stepped up in response, with local seamstresses sewing reusable masks and gowns while tech-savvy owners of 3D printers created reusable filtration masks. Though not as effective as medical-grade PPE, these stopgaps — as well as the sterilization and reuse of existing supplies when possible — have helped to hold over Flagstaff’s clinics as they await their share of the national stockpile of PPE. The first case of COVID-19 in Coconino County was reported March 18, two days after the county set up its first COVID-19 drive-up specimen collection site at Fort Tuthill. By the end of the week, the county’s disease investigation revealed community transmission of the virus, when cases could no longer be traced back to an exposure like travel or contact with a known confirmed case.

Local health care organizations were quick to respond, implementing new policies aimed at reducing the spread of the disease and sharing one main message with the public, direct from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: wash your hands often and wash them well.

With social distancing measures in place, and to conserve PPE, practices small and large took advantage of relaxed federal regulations and either began offering or expanded existing telemedicine services.

Tina La Chance and Tasha Griffith sew masks for health care providers at Threaded Together.

Annie Hess finishes a medical isolation gown that she had just sewn from sheets of Tyvek house wrap in the commons at Sinagua Middle School.

“For the patients that are comfortable with the use of that technology, it’s incredibly convenient for them,” said Dr. Brandon Abbott with North Country HealthCare.

Telemedicine has allowed practices to reach more patients while social distancing measures are in place, though video or phone appointments do not fully replace the need for an office visit. Although local doctors hope telemedicine will remain available in the long run, access remains a concern, especially for individuals in more rural areas without reliable internet or phone service.

As the virus continues to spread

locally, many practices have also set up curbside pickups for prescriptions, as well as in-car checkups for individuals with flu-like symptoms. If ill, patients are encouraged to call ahead of their visit in order to be shown directly to an exam room to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Doctors’ referrals from these visits are required for individuals to be tested at the county’s specimen collection sites.

In response to the pandemic, Flagstaff Medical Center quickly revised policies for those on its campus, restricting most patients to one visitor and asking everyone to wear masks,

as the hospital worked to expand its total number of beds by 50% — to 396 — following an executive order from Gov. Doug Ducey. In preparation for the worst, the hospital also set up a refrigeration trailer to serve as a morgue in the case of a massive surge of COVID-19 deaths.

The hospital has at times reached capacity in its Intensive Care Unit during its response to the virus; however, its overall census remains below normal due to the statewide cancelation of all elective surgeries by Gov. Ducey in March, leaving more room for new COVID-19 care areas within the facility.

“For us, this is our moment to shine,” said Dr. Derek Feuquay, chief medical officer for FMC. “This is why you become a doctor or why you become a nurse or why you become a health care administrator. [It] is to get into this field and make a difference in a moment of crisis.”

To help prevent the coronavirus from causing hospitals to reach capacity, Coconino County is working with the state to set up an alternative care site for COVID-19 patients in the former Walgreens distribution center in Flagstaff. The warehouse has enough space for at least 200 beds for low-acuity patients. St. Luke’s Hospital in Phoenix is providing care for Arizona’s high-acuity patients, who require more care.

M 1

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 |

K5

SCIENCE

KAITLIN OLSON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Paul Keim, executive director of NAU’s Pathogen and Microbiome Institute and Regents’ Professor of Biological Sciences, speaks about the threat of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the beginning of March.

Genomics experts track Arizona’s COVID-19 cases KAITLIN OLSON

Sun Staff Reporter

The Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union (ACGU), a new collaboration between the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Arizona, has launched an initiative to study the genetic codes of Arizona’s COVID-19 samples.

Scientists of the ACGU will use genomic sequencing techniques to analyze the virus to track its different strains, allowing them to determine how the virus is being transmitted and changed over time.

“We have the capacity to absolutely sequence every single Arizona case and that is our goal,” David Engelthaler, co-director and associate professor of TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division in Flagstaff, said in a virtual press conference April 8, when the union was announced. “We know some just won’t get in the system, but we

are working hard to make sure we can get all of those into the lab and sequenced and be able to share that data not only with the union but then globally with the genomics world.”

These observations could help in developing effective therapies and vaccines to treat COVID-19, as well as provide epidemiological insights, such as which strain Arizona cases derived from, how long it will be until the number of COVID-19 cases double and the effectiveness of Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order.

“These are very, very subtle differences that we use to track, so these mutations are kind of like bread crumbs for us. … We’re trying to follow those bread crumbs back to the source,” said Paul Keim, co-director of TGen North and executive director of NAU’s Pathogen and Microbiome Institute.

The group has already sequenced more than 100 samples from the state’s first cases and expects to double the amount by the end of the week. Analyses so far have

revealed the major Arizona strain is similar to the ones seen in Europe and states such as Utah and Washington. Whether the virus traveled to Arizona from another U.S. state or directly from Europe remains to be determined.

Michael Worobey, head of UA’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, said the studies are an advanced form of epidemiology because they do not depend on records such as case numbers, hospitalizations and number of deaths.

“Genomics allows, in some ways, to go back in time and have a look into what was happening, when things started really cooking and transmitting,” Worobey said.

The team said there is not yet evidence to show certain strains are more harmful to humans than others.

“We think the higher rates of hospitalization and higher fatality rates are 100% a human factor, people who have high risk conditions: the elderly, those with cardiovascular disease or diabetes or lung disease,” Engelthaler said. “These

are the ones that are most at risk, the ones we need to protect the most on the public health side.”

Because each strain of the coronavirus has about 10 to 12 mutations across the 30,000 nucleotides that comprise the virus, Worobey estimated it would take a few years for strains to evolve enough to affect immune systems differently. He said organizations will have to work quickly to develop an effective vaccine, though.

“We’re in this sweet spot, where if we do develop a vaccine, it’s likely to work across every lineage in the world — but if that takes too long, that’s going to become more challenging,” Worobey said. “I still think there’s a chance, with a really good vaccine if we can push it out in a year or so and get it out to a huge number of people in the world, it’s still not impossible for us to drive this thing into extinction, but it’s getting less and less likely and more likely it will establish itself into another virus like influenza that we have to be concerned about year to year to year.”

The Flagstaff Airport

Thanks You for your continued SUPPORT

Fly Denver, Dallas and Phoenix Nonstop 6200 S. Pulliam Dr., Flagstaff, AZ | 928.213.2930 | discoverflagstaff.com M 1

K6

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

EDUCATION

Embracing

technology JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Northern Arizona University freshman Lindsay Dobson scrolls through their phone while sitting alone in the student union building last month on the university campus. In-person classes have been canceled for the remainder of the semester at all three state universities.

Colleges switch gears amid COVID-19 outbreak to maintain continuity for students LARRY HENDRICKS & TREVOR SKEEN

Z

Special to the Sun

oom. FaceTime. YouTube. Online dashboards. Email.

It’s different from face-to-face teaching, but it gets the job done so students can keep chipping away at their educational goals during the time of the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order issued

by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

Faculty at Coconino Community College spent their spring break this year working to figure out ways to reach their students in order to keep instruction on schedule.

“For the most part, the students have been supportive and appreciative with anything I try,” said Kurt Yuengling, a faculty member of CCC’s geology department. “Even if I bumble through it.”

Yuengling said that when he found out the students would not be returning, he sent out a poll to his students to figure out how to best move forward. He wanted to know which ones had access to the internet and good computers.

Based on the feedback, Yuengling created video lessons and labs of all the remaining material. He also made “packets” of information so the students, wherever they could find connectivity, could download them from Canvas, the college’s online dashboard system for students. He also established Zoom web-conferencing sessions during the regular class times and message boards in Canvas for each class. The focus has been on the continuity of the experience for the students.

The hardest part of the switch was the loss of community, Yuengling said.

“We’re small groups,” Yuengling said of the CCC faculty and their classes, “and we’re passionate about our interactions with students. The transition to not being able to do that has been the biggest challenge.”

EXTRA HOURS

Nate Southerland, provost at CCC, said it was the faculty’s deep commitment to students that made the transition not only possible, but successful.

“They put in dozens of extra hours each, converting their materials and learning the new tools,” Southerland said, estimating that the extra hours add up to “thousands” collectively.

According to a document Southerland submitted to CCC’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, the college adjusted all face-toface instruction for remote delivery in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The faculty achieved this task by using Zoom, other Internet tools like YouTube, and Canvas. Additionally, accommodations were made for those students who were experiencing challenges with connectivity, such as using the U.S. Postal Service and telephones. Students also had the option to complete their coursework at a later date or receive refunds.

Yuengling said he continues to look

COURTESY PHOTO

Kurt Yuengling, a member of Coconino Community College’s geology faculty, sits at his home classroom. at alternative ways to present information, that it’s a constant adaptation. As part of the sciences faculty, he meets regularly with the chemistry and biology teachers, who have gone so far as to take their lab equipment home to provide demonstrations for their students via Zoom and YouTube.

He also said that, like a lot of his students and families throughout the country, his kitchen table and other areas at home have become multi-purpose areas to not only live family life, but to be effective at work.

FOCUS ON SUCCESS

At Northern Arizona University, the sudden change to online learning has brought both pros and cons.

Anne Scott, a professor in the Department of English, said online curriculums could allow faculty to complete old work and set personal agendas. Furthermore, NAU’s workfrom-home and alternative schedule policies add to this potential.

“Some staff will be very productive because they can catch up on a backlog of work that built up while students were here,” Scott said. “They will also be able to do tasks that might need more quiet and downtime.”

In contrast, other NAU employees may have additional responsibilities to handle at home, Scott added. Certain faculty members may have young children, elderly parents or even relatives to take care of, all while working during a health crisis. This mixture of

personal and professional lives could ultimately create difficulties throughout the semester.

Restructuring in-person classes to fit online formats also demands time and energy, Scott said. Regardless of a professor’s digital knowledge — or inexperience — this development presents a clear challenge. She explained that although NAU has a reputation for distance learning, many professors and instructors have not taught a fulllength online course.

Arianne Yago, a training and communications specialist at NAU’s Information Technology Services, said the university is hosting drop-in support hours at the Flagstaff mountain campus, North Valley campus and online to assist faculty with this digital transition. Some specific resources include helping with remote instruction, video conferencing and other online tools, she added.

Despite all coursework occurring remotely, other services are still available and operational on the Flagstaff campus with the North and South Academic Success Centers open to provide tutoring, supplemental instruction, and academic and peer mentoring to help students succeed.

REFRAMING TEACHING

David Cain, Construction Technology Management faculty at CCC, said, “I have looked at this COVID-19 as an opportunity more than a challenge to reframe and refresh the learning envi-

ronment of our Career and Technical Education programs.”

Cain added that the experience has made him extend his virtual, online delivery approaches and methods to students with more visual content as well as audio clips.

Cain has been making and posting YouTube videos for some of the industry and real-world work to augment the experiences that were meant to be in-person and hands-on. Also, the use of Zoom video conferencing by him and other CCC faculty to conduct “live electronic classes” may become more widely accepted and popular in the future.

In the end, Yuengling and Cain said the transition has been a learning experience and has offered a new view of teaching.

“While I think that the in-person classroom setting is still the preferred option, new deliveries have opened my perspective toward offering a combination of these educational tools to enhance the learning environment,” Cain said “As frustrating as it is, I think a lot of us have learned new technologies that will definitely help us be better teachers in the future,” Yuengling said.

Larry Hendricks is the senior manager of public relations and marketing at CCC. Trevor Skeens is a student at Northern Arizona University interning for the Arizona Daily Sun. M 1

M 1

K8

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

REAL ESTATE

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Capstone Homes opened sales for its net-zero energy ready homes at Timber Sky last month.

COURTESY

No place like

home Flagstaff real estate adjusts to social distancing, virtual showings, as listings drop

SCOTT BUFFON & MACKENZIE CHASE

F

Arizona Daily Sun

lagstaff ’s housing market has consistently seen high prices for single-family homes over the years, and the coronavirus didn’t stop the median price of a home from rising 6%.

The 6%, or $25,000, increase compared to March 2019 leaves the median cost of a home in Flagstaff at $425,000.

Despite the economic turmoil for recently furloughed workers, people are still buying homes in Flagstaff as the city has a unique market that is easier to navigate for people buying a second home.

However, March saw Flagstaff ’s already low supply of homes listed for sale drop even further, according to Melinda Morfin, president of the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors.

Morfin said people considering selling their homes are wary of opening them up to potential buyers as health professionals around the country call for social distancing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My concern is if we don’t get more inventory even with this demand, we may see prices go up instead of stabilize,” Morfin said.

Morfin said March saw 24% less single-family homes placed for sale in Flagstaff, but sales also increased 25% compared to March 2019, according to Northern Arizona Realtors Association data. Single-family homes make up two-thirds of the residential housing market in Flagstaff, Morfin said, and manufactured homes, condos, townhouses and mobile homes account for the other third.

Capstone Homes, one of Flagstaff ’s premier home builders for the past two decades, has opened sales for several of their new housing developments. Marketing director Janell Wilson explained Capstone began accepting reservations for Phase II of Flagstaff Meadows at the end of March, and opened sales for the net-zero energy ready homes at the Timber Sky development between Flagstaff Ranch Road and Woody Mountain Road off Route 66. Wilson added the development company plans to release sales for Woody Mountain Estate in the third and fourth quarter of this year, and Juniper Point in the fall of 2021.

“We are committed to building, growing and providing quality homes for the residents of

TAYLOR MAHONEY, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Single-story family homes on Fountaine Street in Flagstaff’s Southside are in the shadow of three-story apartments. northern Arizona,” she said. “Our commitment to the communities we live and work in has allowed us to perform above the national average during this unprecedented time.”

It’s difficult to know what long term impacts the pandemic may have on the housing market at this time, but what is clear is that Flagstaff is not alone.

Gary Nelson, vice president of the Arizona Association of Realtors and a realtor with Flagstaff Realty Executives, said Flagstaff isn’t the only area that has seen its supply drop.

“I would probably say for the past couple of years we have had low inventory,” Nelson said. “With the coronavirus being as prevalent as it is throughout the state, we even have a lower amount of inventory coming into the market.”

In tandem, Nelson said tours of homes for sale in the greater Flagstaff area have dropped by 43%.

Similarly, Nelson said showings in the greater Phoenix area have dropped 58%.

In order to entice home tours, both Nelson and Morfin said realtors have been adapting to the times. From virtual tours to giving buyers masks and shoe covers to prevent the spread of germs, Nelson said realtors are doing what they can to meet their clients’ needs.

“Realtors are trying to get ahead of the health and safety concerns

and make sure people are viewing properties in a safe manner, and they’re offered for sale in a safe manner,” Nelson said.

Capstone staff and construction crews are practicing social distancing, and model homes are disinfected daily with in-person tours available by appointment only and the homes sanitized after each tour.

“The health of our employees, home buyers and communities is our number one priority,” Wilson said.

While an adjustment, this move toward virtual home viewing does not come as a surprise. Capstone’s New Home Agents have quickly adjusted to provide virtual home tours via Facebook, Skype and FaceTime, among other video streaming services, Wilson said, with 3D Virtual Online Walkthroughs in the works for the future.

“Home sales, in general, have been moving toward a more interactive digital platform,” Wilson said. “COVID-19 simply sped up the process. Over 60% of new home buyers start their search, view virtual tours and download brochures onto their mobile devices before touring a home. As these digital platforms mature, more home buyers will choose to do the majority of their new home purchasing process in the comfort of their own home.”

While the 2008 recession saw

house prices go down, that may not be the case on the other side of the pandemic. The median price of a home in Flagstaff has steadily risen since 2012 when the median Flagstaff single-family home was at its lowest price of $260,000. As the prices of homes rise, it continues to be a challenge for people in Flagstaff with lower income to invest in a home and mortgage without loan assistance, Morfin said.

The city is surrounded by federal and state land making it hard to expand and build, and Flagstaff is a highly desirable place to live due to its cooler temperatures compared to the surrounding southwest deserts, Nelson said.

However, the combination of factors have led many lower-income residents to rely on renting and embrace the mantra of “poverty with a view.”

“Flagstaff is a unique market with second home buying. People here come with financial means already. Unfortunately, that has always been the case for Flagstaff,” Morfin said. “We have a hard time keeping firemen, policemen, teachers and people that provide the infrastructure of Flagstaff because the cost of living is so high.”

Morfin said whatever comes of the next few months, realtors will defer to their clients’ wishes.

“At the end of the day it needs to be their decision,” Morfin said. “If they want to sell right now, whenever they’re ready, we’ll be here.”

M 1

Sunday, April 26, 2020 | K9

Special Section 1

We are charting the future

of COVID-19 in northern Arizona.

Our researchers are creating a model based on US Census data to project what COVID-19 outbreaks will look like for northern Arizona. The goal: to predict where and how the virus will spread and how it will impact the region’s healthcare systems.

Associate Professor Samantha Sabo of NAU’s Center for Health Equity Research (CHER), along with CHER Assistant Professor Ricky Camplain and Joe Mihaljevic from the university’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, are working to understand the current state and future patterns of coronavirus in the region.

Learn more at nau.edu/research.

ALWAYS ASPIRING M 1

K10

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

U.S.: 2 EUR: graphi

SMALL BUSINESS | CORONAVIRUS RELIEF OPTIONS

© 200 The cr

Businesses can apply for disaster assistance

1 co

2008

1100 krtna krted gove natio ame agen fede busi

The newly announced Main Street Business Lending Program is one of many federal relief options authorized by the CARES Act for small businesses as they deal with the COVID-19 outbreak Discover below the funding options that are right for your business Main Street Business Lending Program The Main Street Lending Program is designed to provide support to small and mid-sized businesses by offering four-year loans to companies employing up to 10,000 workers or with revenues of less than $2.5 billion.

Overview The Federal Reserve on Thursday announced this new lending program for small and mid-sized businesses.

It offers loans of between $1 million and $150 million with an interest rate of about 2.5% to 4%.

GET MORE INFORMATION The U.S. Small Business Administration website, shown above, offers more details on all the federal relief options that are available. www.sba.gov/funding-programs/ loans/coronavirus-relief-options

The loans would have four-year terms, and payments would be deferred for a year.

Eligibility In addition to the requirements that

Businesses that have taken advantage of the Payroll Protection Program, detailed below, also may take out Main Street loans.

eligible businesses employ less than 10,000 workers or have less than $2.5 billion in 2019 revenues, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell also noted Thursday that companies need to have the ability to repay their loans, and that the money wouldn’t be available to businesses that would be unable to repay them. Borrowers also must follow compensation, stock repurchase and dividend restrictions that apply to direct loan programs under the CARES Act.

Further details for completing or submitting applications for loans under the Main Street Program have not yet been released; however, eligible entities likely may file applications with their existing lenders, and further guidance is expected.

Paycheck Protection Program

Paycheck Protection Program

OMB Control No.: 3245-0407 Expiration Date: 09/30/2020

Borrower Application Form

Check One:

The Paycheck Protection Program offers loans designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll.

Loan details and forgiveness Small business owners may apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other On Thursday, the Fed announcement regulated lenders will be available also bolstered this program, extending to make these loans once they credit to eligible financial institutions are approved and enrolled in the that originate PPP loans, which allows program. Visit www.sba.gov/ them to take the loans as collateral at paycheckprotection/find to face value. identify lenders in your area.

Eligibility The loan will be fully forgiven According to the SBA, the following if the funds are used for payroll entities affected by the COVID-19 costs, interest on mortgages, rent outbreak may be eligible: and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the  Any business, 501(c)(3) non-profit forgiven amount must have been organization, 501(c)(19) veterans used for payroll). Loan payments organization, or Tribal business also will be deferred for six (sec. 31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act) with the greater of a) months. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. Neither 500 employees, or b) that meets the government nor lenders will the SBA industry size standard if charge small businesses any fees. more than 500  Any business with a NAICS Forgiveness is based on the employer Code that begins with 72 maintaining or quickly rehiring (Accommodations and Food employees and maintaining salary Services) that has more than one levels. Forgiveness will be reduced physical location and employs less if full-time headcount declines, or if than 500 per location salaries and wages decrease.  Sole proprietors, independent These loans have a maturity of two contractors, and self-employed years and an interest rate of 1%. persons Overview The SBA says it will forgive PPP loans — which are capped at $10 million per business — if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities.

DBA or Tradename if Applicable

 C-Corp  S-Corp  LLC  Sole proprietor  Partnership  (  Independent contractor  Eligible self-employed individual  501(c)(3) nonprofit  501(c)(19) veterans organization  Tribal business (sec. 31(b)(2)(C) of Small Business Act)  Other Business Legal Name

Business TIN (EIN, SSN)

Business Address

(

)

Purpose of the loan (select more than one):

$

Number of Employees:

$

x 2.5 + EIDL, Net of Advance (if Applicable) Equals Loan Request:

-

Email Address

Primary Contact

Average Monthly Payroll:

Business Phone

☐Payroll ☐Lease / Mortgage Interest ☐Utilities ☐Other (explain):__________________ Applicant Ownership

List all owners of 20% or more of the equity of the Applicant. Attach a separate sheet if necessary.

Owner Name

Ownership %

Title

TIN (EIN, SSN)

Address

If questions (1) or (2) below are answered “Yes,” the loan will not be approved.

1.

Question Is the Applicant or any owner of the Applicant presently suspended, debarred, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency, or presently involved in any bankruptcy?

2.

Has the Applicant, any owner of the Applicant, or any business owned or controlled by any of them, ever obtained a direct or guaranteed loan from SBA or any other Federal agency that is currently delinquent or has defaulted in the last 7 years and caused a loss to the government?

3.

Is the Applicant or any owner of the Applicant an owner of any other business, or have common management with, any other business? If yes, list all such businesses and describe the relationship on a separate sheet identified as addendum A.

4.

Has the Applicant received an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan between January 31, 2020 and April 3, 2020? If yes, provide details on a separate sheet identified as addendum B.

Yes

No

  ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐

If questions (5) or (6) are answered “Yes,” the loan will not be approved.

5.

Question Is the Applicant (if an individual) or any individual owning 20% or more of the equity of the Applicant subject to an indictment, criminal information, arraignment, or other means by which formal criminal charges are brought in any jurisdiction, or presently incarcerated, or on probation or parole?

Yes

☐

No

☐

Initial here to confirm your response to question 5 → 6.

Your lender will request specific information when you apply. At the sba.gov website, you may download a copy of the borrower application form, shown at right, to see the information that you’ll need to prepare.

Download this form at https://www.sba.gov/document/sba-form-lender-application-form-paycheck-protection-program-loan-guaranty

Within the last 5 years, for any felony, has the Applicant (if an individual) or any owner of the Applicant 1) been convicted; 2) pleaded guilty; 3) pleaded nolo contendere; 4) been placed on pretrial diversion; or 5) been placed on any form of parole or probation (including probation before judgment)?

☐ ☐

Initial here to confirm your response to question 6 → 7.

Is the United States the principal place of residence for all employees of the Applicant included in the Applicant’s payroll calculation above?

☐

☐

8.

Is the Applicant a franchise that is listed in the SBA’s Franchise Directory?

☐

☐

1

Other government aid is available

SBA Form 2483 (04/20)

The SBA also is giving out what are called economic injury disaster loans, as well as other forms of funding or relief, all of which are detailed here. These measures are intended to help companies whose revenue losses have left them without working capital, making it difficult or impossible to pay their operating expenses including payroll, fixed debt payments and accounts payable bills.

These loans require much more paperwork and typically take weeks to process. The government has provided funding for $10,000 grants under the disaster loan program and promised the money would be available within a few days.

Owners who apply for paycheck protection loans may also get disaster loans but they cannot use disaster loan money for payroll, mortgage interest, rent or utility expenses.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance This loan advance will provide up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties.

Overview Small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000.

Funds will be made available following a successful application. This loan advance will not have to be repaid.

The disaster loans give owners up to $2 million at an annual rate of 3.75%.

The loans can be taken out for as many as 30 years, but the terms of each loan will be determined on a case-bycase basis and will depend on each company’s financial situation.

Eligibility This program is for any small business with less than 500 employees (including sole proprietorships, independent contractors and self-employed persons), private non-profit organization or 501(c) (19) veterans organizations affected

by COVID-19. Businesses in certain industries may have more than 500 employees if they meet the SBA’s size standards for those industries.

Disaster loan applications are made directly through the SBA on its website https://covid19relief.sba.gov/

SBA Express Bridge Loans This program enables small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.

Overview The SBA’s Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program provides economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing and can be a term loan or used to bridge the gap while applying for a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster loan.

If a small business has an urgent need for cash while waiting for decision and disbursement on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, they may qualify for an SBA Express Disaster Bridge Loan.

Loan terms

 Up to $25,000  Will be repaid in full or in part

by proceeds from the EIDL loan

You can apply for an express bridge loan by contacting your local SBA District Office. Visit www. sba.gov/local-assistance/find.

SBA Debt Relief The SBA is providing a financial reprieve to small businesses.

Overview

 The SBA automatically will

pay the principal, interest and fees of current 7(a), 504, and microloans for a period of six months.  The SBA also will automatically pay the principal, interest and fees of new 7(a), 504, and microloans issued prior to Sept. 27.

What does an “automatic deferral” mean to borrowers?  Interest will continue to accrue on the loan.  1201 monthly payment notices will continue to be mailed out, which will reflect the loan is deferred and no payment is due.  The deferment will NOT cancel any established preauthorized debit or recurring payments on your loan.  After this optional, automatic deferment period, borrowers will be required to resume making regular principal and interest payments. Borrowers that canceled recurring payments will need to reestablish the recurring payment.

— Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports

M 1

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

SMALL BUSINESS

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 |

K11

CALM IN THE STORM The Coconino Small Business Development Center at Coconino Community College helps small businesses during uncertain times

LARRY HENDRICKS

Coconino Community College

The tension, the uncertainty among the viewers, is palpable.

But her voice is measured, calm.

She explains the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan. She goes through the Paycheck Protection Program. She walks the viewers through the application process.

And the viewers, owners of small businesses like restaurants, motels and more, are grateful.

Gina Couillard, director of the Coconino Small Business Development Center at CCC, makes virtual presentations every Monday at 2 p.m. and Thursday at 10 a.m. to inform small-business owners in the county what is available to them to weather the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak.

As many as 250 small-business owners and managers have attended the weekly sessions.

“As a former small-business owner, I recognize the important role that small businesses make to our economy,” Couillard said.

“I also understand the unique challenges and obstacles small businesses face in the competitive marketplace. Our team is committed to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 disaster and position themselves to thrive in the recovery that will follow.”

The Coconino SBDC at CCC’s mission is to provide free, confidential counseling, training, online courses and resources for businesses throughout the northern Arizona region. The SBDC is part of a national network of centers that work with businesses in every industry. The SBDC’s mission aligns with the college’s work in certificate and short-term training programs meant to get county residents into well-paid jobs quickly with the skills they need.

Kay Leum, CCC’s executive director of Extended Learning, said that the first information session,

LARRY HENDRICKS

Gina Couillard walks attendees through how to apply for loans from the Small Business Administration during a Zoom session.

For more information Visit www.coconinosbdc.com/ to learn more about the Coconino County Small Business Development Center at CCC. For more information about the U.S. Small Business Administration, visit www.sba.gov/. after the COVID-19 outbreak became widespread and residents were advised to stay at home, was delivered to the Page business community via Zoom. The SBA had started a dialogue about the disaster loans that are being made available to struggling small businesses through the passage of the CARES Act by the U.S. Congress.

The SBDC meetings, with the number of participants ranging from a dozen to 40 people from all over the state, are an effort to

educate people on the assistance that’s available to them.

“Gina’s just taken the initiative to be certain that she has a way to help as many people as possible,” Leum said. “She cares so much about small business, and the success of those small businesses, that she really has dedicated countless hours.”

And the SBDC is getting the work done with a small staff – Couillard and three other parttime people – Leum added.

Chris Pasterz, Coconino County Economic Development Manager, said that Couillard’s work is making a difference for small-business owners.

“Coconino County SBDC is a leader in addressing the COVID-19 crisis for business owners,” Pasterz said. “It is clear from the multiple ‘thank you’ emails and phone calls, as well as the ongoing requests for more invitations.”

After a recent meeting, one business owner wrote, “I really appreciated the way you walked us through the whole process, step by step, and then took your time to answer each and every question … You were so encouraging in a time of uncertainty. I truly

In uncertain times, you deserve a credit union that has your back. Access simple, secure digital banking solutions with the myOneAZcu mobile banking app.

Check Balances

M 1

Transfer Money

Pay Bills

Learn more at OneAZcu.com/MobileBanking

Deposit Checks

Insured by NCUA

meant it when I said you feel like a lighthouse in the storm for us right now.”

Another business owner wrote, “You have taken the fear out of this process for me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

During the most recent session, Couillard reminded everybody that the SBA is staffing up to handle the unprecedented amount of assistance being requested.

The process will take time, and patience and perseverance are needed.

As the meeting came to a close and after answering a few lingering questions, Couillard assured the viewers, “I know how it feels to be in your shoes, and you don’t have to walk this walk alone.”

K12

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

ARIZONA DAILY SUN

NONPROFITS

Travis Neville, left, from the Flagstaff Family Food Center and Alexander Valenzuela wait for a resident to come to the door after delivering food from the Flagstaff Family Food Center on Tuesday.

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

SVEA CONRAD

A

Sun Staff Reporter

t the core of a social service nonprofit’s mission is helping people. Whether it be through youth outreach, food, shelter, counseling, housing, rental assistance and more, nonprofits including the Hopi Foundation, Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and many others are finding increased challenges in carrying out their programs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Enter Arizona Community Foundation, which, alongside others like United Way, OneAZ Credit Union and the Flagstaff Arts Council, is providing crucial fundraising and financial support directly to northern Arizona nonprofits.

“We are serving immediate needs today,” Pats Shriver, director of the northern Arizona branch of the Arizona Community Foundation, said. “Like food and shelter and things that are needed now. We’re also helping in terms of long-term recovery [efforts] and we’re seeing a lot of that need in the arts sector, for events being canceled. And we’ll address those when the immediate needs are taken care of.”

The Arizona Community Foundation, which operates across the state (its northern Arizona branch covers Tuba City, Page, Flagstaff and Williams) to fund nonprofits across a broad range of services, launched its Arizona COVID-19 Community Response Fund on March 27 and has dispersed almost $400,000 worth of grants to nonprofits facing increased need.

The fund makes grant money available to all nonprofits that apply. Statewide, ACF has dispersed $2,803,815 since March 27 and received $7 million from donors.

“We’re just thankful that we can help our communities,” Shriver said.

There is no cap and no minimum amount that organizations can apply for under the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, but Shriver said most of the grants awarded have amounted to between $15,000 and $25,000.

Among recent applicants who have received grant money from ACF’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund are the Flagstaff Family Food Center, Northland Hospice & Palliative Care, Quality Connections, Red Feather Development, Tohdenasshai Committee Against Family Abuse, Catholic Charities and Flagstaff EcoRanch.

When it comes to the Third Mesa-based Hopi Foundation, which runs several programs across 12 Hopi and Tewa Villages in northern Arizona, the coronavirus pandemic is being felt with increased severity and has brought to light several already-existing health and social disparities. Hopi Foundation had just seen the tail-end of a drastic heating crisis over the winter, which saw several households without ways to warm their home during freezing temperatures, when the pandemic hit.

“Nothing has really ever reached the level of this crisis,” Monica Nuvamsa, executive director of the Hopi Foundation, said.

CRUCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING Northern Arizona nonprofits continue to provide important social services

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Catholic Charities was named the Arizona Daily Sun 2019 Organization of the Year by a committee of former winners.

BEN SHANAHAN, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

The staff of Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona. The business is centered around providing affordable and sustainable housing for those in need in northern Arizona.

The organization has been in operation since 1987 and hosts several community-based projects including the KUYI 88.1 FM Hopi Radio Station, HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Center, Hopi Leadership Program and the Hopi Opportunity Youth Initiative, Natwani Coalition (an agricultural program empowering farmers and ranchers to maintain traditional planting practices) and

many others.

Around 23 employees are now running programs like youth mentoring and counseling, and substance abuse prevention meetings from home. Maintaining all that the foundation does has become even more challenging. Grant money, including that from ACF, has helped these important operations continue.

“None of us have really dealt

with something like this before and it deals with a lot of complexity in how we manage resources that come into the community,” Nuvamsa said.

The grant from ACF has helped in the transition of working from home, Nuvamsa said, as well as to stabilize operations at KUYI Hopi Radio, making sure there is replacement staff ready to step in if need be, as the station is in-

tegral as a partner in emergency response efforts, Nuvamsa said.

“I think one of the things about this crisis is that it has amplified a lot of the challenges we knew were already there, and it’s really focusing us as a community on what those key and core operations are in building capacity for our community,” she said.

Among those are the challenges placed by lack of running water and internet in many homes as well as the sheer distance necessary to travel for grocery shopping at the nearest stores in Winslow or Flagstaff.

“We have other complexities within our community other than having a high unemployment rate,” Nuvamsa said. “There are homes that do not have running water nor electricity and that creates a huge challenge with a public health crisis, and so those are some of the things that our nonprofit community is looking at, finding solutions for these households.”

For Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona, the coronavirus pandemic has caused an increase in need for rental assistance, negotiating mortgage payments and more as hundreds have been laid off from work.

“We recognize that when you serve lower-income households, even if their rent is reduced, folks have been laid off or furloughed and that might make them struggle to pay rent to us,” Devonna McGlaughlin, president and CEO of Housing Solutions, said.

Housing Solutions operates 23 affordable housing units it rents out to eligible renters. The organization also provides rental and down payment assistance as well as financial counseling and runs Sharon Manor, a living community for victims of domestic violence.

Housing Solutions has also shut down its thrift store temporarily, which, like rent from the affordable housing units, helps pay staff members and other operational costs.

“Those are pretty significant sources of income for us that help people stay employed and keep the lights on so operating support [such as that from ACF] can help offset those costs,” McGlaughlin said. “The other thing we’ve seen is a really significant increase in folks calling us for help to avoid foreclosure on mortgages.”

In January, Housing Solutions saw two or three people using the service. As of Friday, April 17, it had 18 clients who submitted applications since April 7, with about 30 other clients in the process of completing their application for assistance.

“You don’t really plan for everything going wrong at the same time. It’s not like we haven’t contingency planned,” McGlaughlin said. “I think the sheer scale of this is overwhelming to nonprofits.”

In addition to the Arizona Community Foundation, Housing Solution has been approved for funds from OneAZ Credit Union and Wells Fargo.

“People have been very generous and very helpful and if that wasn’t the case, it’d be harder to do work each day,” McGlaughlin said.

M 1

Special Section 1

M 1

Sunday, April 26, 2020 | K13

K14

| SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

SPECIAL SECTION 1

OUTDOORS

SAM MCMANIS PHOTOS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

LEFT: The steep descent on the Moto Trail includes a lot of rock-hopping. MIDDLE: Several caves dot the Kelly Pocket Trail, such as this one halfway up the canyon walls. RIGHT: As its name implies, the Rocky Moto Trail is strewn with rocks.

A breath of fresh air Flagstaff trails remain accessible for mental and physical health boosts SAM MCMANIS

Sun Staff Reporter

E

ven in the midst of a global pandemic, Flagstaff is all about forward progress, as in being fully ambulatory and exploring the area’s wondrous outdoor landscape either on two feet, two wheels or astride a steed with four hooves.

Yes, the greater Flagstaff area is known for its peerless urban and wilderness trail system, all seemingly within a pine cone’s throw of downtown. The Grand Canyon looms, of course, 75 miles away and the redrock splendor of Sedona a short jaunt south. But closer to home are trails that arguably are just as bucolic and just as much of a draw for tourists and locals alike.

But in this time of social distancing, when even small gathering are discouraged, it’s best to seek out the lesser-known, more out-of-the-way trails on which to commune with nature.

No worries. Flagstaff has you covered there, as well. For all the deserved popularity of the Kachina Trail, the Inner Basin tour of the aspens and the challenging ascents of Humphreys and Elden peaks, there are equally as challenging and less-traveled trails that satisfy one’s yearning to ramble.

Herewith, a list of under-the-radar Flagstaff trails, our Fab Four of the Forest, if you will:

The San Francisco Peaks are evident along the Two Spot-Gold Digger loop, but the best view is from the observational lookout.

GOLD DIGGER LOOP

ROCKY MOTO LOOP

If you’re looking for a technical (read: rugged) journey, try this 11-mile semi-loop starting at the western terminus of the Rocky Moto Trail. It takes a northern turn onto the switchback-laden uphill of a portion of the Secret Trail, then descends on the Moto Trail, cruising for about 3 miles back to the trailhead along the Arizona Trail (34A), which runs parallel to Rocky Moto before intersecting with it.

You won’t find a lot of people congregating at the trailhead, mostly because it’s sort of hidden. There are two places from which to start, both off Snowbowl Road, near the intersection with Highway 180 (West Fort Valley Road). You can make a right onto Forest Service Road 164B and park at a dirt turnout across from a connector trail to the Rocky Moto.

Or, you can head up Snowbowl Road a quarter mile and park on a steep cambered shoulder with a faint, vegetative-covered trail and a brown trail post as your only clue that you’re in the right spot.

Whichever way you go, you’ll get a workout and plenty of eye-candy views of ponderosa pines and impressive boulders.

Even when water is scarce at Rogers Lake, the views are splendid.

KELLY POCKET

It’s worth the short drive south to Kachina Village to experience the 6.3-mile out-and-back trek of Kelly Pocket, which begins somewhere south and slightly west of Kachina Village and proceeds down an unmarked pine-laden singletrack, bottoming out at the geologic Disneyland that is the confluence of Kelly Canyon and Pumphouse Wash.

You don’t have to be a science nerd to appreciate the wondrous rock formations, varied in shape, form and hue. The canyon formed epochs ago with a convergence of ubiquitous Coconino sandstone, gray limestone and red shale to make a fetching ochre-and-

sienna palette along steep canyon walls and fossilized sand dunes with slot channels.

Again, you won’t see a lot of people, because the trailhead is sort of hidden. You pull off a dirt road 0.1 of a mile east on FR 9498. Look for a singletrack path that will take you down a steep rock garden.

Soon, you enter an enchanting curvy path with bowed tree limbs like canopies over the trail and logs to hop over. At the 2-mile mark, the trail rises above the canyon to give you a different perspective on the sandstone walls and fossilized dunes. Those dunes, by the way, are slick even when dry. Be extra careful after a rain.

One of Flagstaff ’s newer trails is the 5.1-mile Gold Digger-Two Spot in the Rogers Lake County Natural Area just southeast of town. This relatively easy path, short on major climbs, does not loop around Rogers Lake, a seasonal body of water that often is merely a verdant emerald meadow.

It attracts all manner of avian and insect activity. Take a moment to peer through the telescopes at the marshy home to all sorts of creatures. Read the signs at the trailhead, too, giving you a glimpse of the area’s wildlife — everything from Gunnison’s prairie dogs to greater short-horned lizards to elk and red-tailed hawks.

There are several high points, including a rocky lookout that affords a nice Instagram-worthy shot of the San Francisco Peaks to the north. The trail also features a ramada picnic area abutting an aspen grove. Try to time your trip to visit the Arboretum at Flagstaff, along the road out to the trailhead (Woody Mountain Road).

O’LEARY LOOKOUT TRAIL

Everybody talks about trekking up to Humphreys summit or ascending to the Mount Elden Lookout Tower.

Both are classics – and both are crowded. Off Highway 89 slightly east of town is the O’Leary Lookout Tower, 5 miles and 2,010 feet of ascent, topping off at 8,916 feet.

It’s a much smoother trip up, given that it’s a wide fire road, but the payoff is the same. You enjoy views of the San Francisco Peaks to the east, sightings of the north rim of the Grand Canyon and, turning east, some overhead shots of Sunset Crater. The trip back down, too, is much less of a shock to your joints than descending other peaks.

M 1

STATE OF THE CITY: FLAGSTAFF 2020

SPECIAL SECTION 1

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 |

K15

TRANSPORTATION

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Paul Reese stands in front of his Mountain Line Bus Thursday morning.

KEEPING FLAGSTAFF MOVING The state of NAIPTA and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport

TIM TARANTO & ADRIAN SKABELUND

Sun Staff Reporters

Public life has been transformed in the wake of the global pandemic, but in northern Arizona, the buses continue to drive their routes, bringing essential workers to their jobs throughout the Flagstaff area.

“We’re here to serve for those essential trips and we’re asking for people who don’t need to use the bus to not use the bus, to leave that space on the vehicle for those who absolutely have to make that trip using the bus right now,” said Heather Dalmolin, interim CEO and general manager of Mountain Line.

Following the announcement that an employee tested positive for COVID-19 on April 21, however, officials advise passengers who road a public bus between April 1 and April 18 to self-quarantine and watch for symptoms for a 14-day period from when they last rode.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their healthcare provider or call the Coconino County COVID-19 Information Line at (928) 679-7300.

Nonetheless, Dalmolin said even those who used the public service during that time are at low risk for exposure because of the precautions the agency has taken, including limiting contact between drivers and those riding buses. Dalmolin said she felt comfortable saying the risk was low after conversations with county health officials.

Passengers are encouraged to be seated six feet apart, with the boarding procedures being altered as well. Rear door boarding aims to increase the safety of passengers and drivers during this time.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the Mountain Line enjoyed a ridership of more than 11,000 passengers daily. Today, that number is closer to 2,000.

The closure of local businesses is not the only factor impacting the number of riders. With NAU students switching to online classes and distance learning, a large portion of the area’s bus riders are absent.

Mountain Line executives are confident that as public life in Arizona gradually opens and students plan to return to campus in the fall, they will see a rebound in the number of passengers.

Another important measure implemented last month by Mountain Line was a free fare policy. Patrons of the bus will no longer be required to pay bus fares in an attempt to limit the contact between passengers and drivers. This will also hopefully ease the burden for those passengers financially impacted by the pandemic.

“We are prepared to continue the free fare policy through the end of our fiscal year (June 30). If necessary, we have spoken with our board and are prepared to extend the policy beyond that,” Dalmolin said.

The free fare policy does not come without the inherent financial setbacks for Mountain Line. Fortunately the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA), the transit agency which operates the Mountain Line, has received funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help offset this loss.

The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport will also receive funding from the CARES Act. The $18.1 million designated for the airport, which can be used for both operational costs and infrastructure improvements, is part of $224 million that the act provides to help airports across Arizona amid the public health crisis.

“These critical funds will be used to help us stay afloat in an environment where the travel industry — and the airline industry — has been decimated by the COVID-19 outbreak,” Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans said in a statement. “The flexibility in the use of these funds will allow us to retain employees, spend these important funds on capital and operations, pay utilities and help us keep afloat until people can start traveling consistently.”

It has not yet been fully determined exactly how the $18 million will be used, according to the city.

Airport Director Barney Helmick said since the crisis began, the number of travelers passing through the Flagstaff airport has fallen by close to 95%.

Helmick said all of the commercial routes to and from Flagstaff have been operating on reduced schedules for some time now.

At the moment, the airport has three commercial flights a day coming in and out, and he said those flights are mainly just to keep the routes open.

Orville Wiseman, who owns Wiseman Aviation, the largest supplier of fuel for aircraft in northern Arizona, said the reduction in flights means they are selling only about 30% of the fuel they normally would have.

Instead, Wiseman said what they are seeing is medical aircraft come in, sometimes as many as eight a day, from the Navajo Nation. Those kinds of aircraft don’t use the same amount of fuel, so they don’t make up the difference in revenue, he said.

Wiseman Aviation began in 1999, so the company had to weather the disruption the aviation industry saw after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, but Wiseman said the scale of

what is happening now is “totally different.”

And Helmick agreed.

“I do not recall in my 32 years [working in aviation] seeing even close to this few people flying nationally. It’s just unprecedented, especially for this length of time,” Helmick said. “[On Monday] 12,184 people flew nationally; they went through a screening checkpoint somewhere in the national system and flew. That date a year ago, 2,484,580 people flew. So that puts it in perspective. It’s not just us, it’s everywhere.”

Safety remains a priority for those who continue to use public transportation, as NAIPTA has bolstered its commitment to

cleaning and sanitizing buses.

“All vehicles are being fully disinfected nightly and cleaned upon returning to the connection center,” Dalmolin said.

Gloves and small bottles of hand sanitizer are available to bus drivers and, since the positive case emerged, all employees are to wear a mask or cloth face covering while on Mountain Line property or operating a Mountain Line vehicle.

At the moment, Dalmolin said no other employees have tested positive.

“The safety of employees and riders is our top priority,” Dalmolin said, adding she believes the agency is doing everything it can to keep riders and employees safe.

COCONINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SUMMER & FALL 2020 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Summer Instruction Begins Monday, June 1, 2020 Fall Instruction Begins Monday, August 24,2020

Schedule your online academic advising appointment through Calendly at

www.coconino.edu/advising

INCREASED EARNING POTENTIAL 2020 Average Annual Salaries in Arizona $24, 960 Minimum Wage Job $34, 104 Construction Technology $45, 970 Graphic & Web Designer $51,043 Wildland Firegghter $65,392 Registered Nurse

JAKE BACON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN M 1

Jed Davis sanitizes a Mountain Line bus on a recent morning at the downtown connection center.

www.coconino.edu 1.800.350.7122

K16 | Sunday, April 26, 2020

Special Section 1

We map the nation’s supply chains.

Millions of Americans are facing shortages of goods like medical supplies, toilet paper, food basics, and other items vital to getting us through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Northern Arizona University researchers are hard at work using “big data” and comprehensive mapping software to monitor domestic supply chains, identify potential risks, and help emergency managers plan.

Professor Ben Ruddell, an expert in data science and Director of NAU’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Security, leads a major project called FEWSION™ that maps the country’s food, energy, and water systems, yielding answers to critical supply chain challenges.

Learn more at nau.edu/research.

ALWAYS ASPIRING M 1