---- DRAFT ----

Introduction

In 1999/2000, the City of Page participated in an award-winning community program called "A Focused Future".  The program sponsored by Arizona Public Service, has helped nearly 30 Arizona communities - from Sedona to Douglas - develop stronger local economies, address community issues and in general improve the quality of life for residents.  The program offered strategic planning, economic development education and a blueprint for getting citizens involved in helping to build their community.

The end result was the development of the report entitled A Focused Future: The City of Page Strategic Plan.  This plan established a framework for developing Page into a truly special community.  It provided an outline of goals and objectives intended to guide the city's future community and economic development.

The Strategic Plan addressed the following "Focus Areas":

• Tourism Development
• Workforce Education and Training
• Business Recruitment and Retention
• Technology Infrastructure Improvements
• Transportation Improvements
• Image / Sense of Community
• Health Care
• Leadership / Effective Government
• Program Funding

The Focused Future Community Report for Year 2002 documents our progress as a community in these "Focus Areas".

For more information about Focus Future or to read the City of Page Strategic Plan visit our website at www.lakepowell.net/ffpage.html  

Table of Contents

Economic and Community Growth

This draft documented is being circulated for additional input. The goal is to highlight the various community activities and projects that relate to positive economic and community growth for Year 2002.   

General

Page, Arizona received recognition as one of the nations most desirable small American communities in Author Norman Crampton new book "Making Your Move to One of America's Best Small Towns - How to Find a Great Little Place as Your Next Home Base".  Page was listed in the Chapter entitled "Far Out Towns", a list of isolated communities where the living is fine despite the distance you must travel to get there.

"I think city residents continue to dream about small-town life", said author Crampton.  "It's part of American culture.  I think there's still a certain romanticism associated with small towns."

In his first book on small towns in 1993, Crampton ranked Page in a top list of desirable small towns.  In his most recent book, the overall rankings are replaced by categories that list towns according to their location or function.  Page was one of only 2 small towns in Arizona to make the list, the other being Bisbee.  The author includes a checklist of specific qualities to look for in deciding where to locate:   the amount of population growth, the quality of the schools, the quality of the public library, the appeal and attractiveness of the downtown area, the quality of the local eateries, and what Crampton calls the "walk-in-the-park test".  He also indicates the importance of the local hospital and seeing how many home-town banks a community has before deciding to move there. 

"The key to being a great town is not avoiding problems, but confronting them with new ideas and a positive sense of community and volunteerism."

Infrastructure and Capital Improvements

Improvements to Lake Powell Boulevard were completed in April by Interstate Rock Products of Hurricane, Utah.   The project included asphalt roadway improvements, beautification, new lighting and storm drainage improvement.   The project was funded by ADOT transfer monies with an additional cost to the City of $264,000 for the construction and $39,723 for design to replace 6,100 feet of water line at the same time.

In Year 2002, the airport completed about $2.5 million dollars in improvements of which 96% is funded by federal and state monies.  The upgrades include new paving on the main runway and a newly paved cross runway.  Also, new edge lights were installed on the runways and taxiways.  Storm runoff retention ponds were also constructed.   Future improvements include runway extensions and new tie-down aprons.   Equipment to be purchased include:  a runway sweeper, a fire truck and new gates.  Grant funding for new hangers will be pursued for year 2004.

Airport Use Statistics

The Antelope Launch ramp was extended in 2002 and the parking lot was paved.

Construction began on campground improvements at Wahweap.

The Carl Hayden Visitor Center auditorium was remodeled.

New public address systems were installed by the Page Unified School system at both the outdoor football stadium and the indoor sports gymnasium.

The Page Electric Utility invested in a generating facility to be constructed in Payson, Utah by a collective effort of UAMPS (Utah Associated Municipal Power System) members to replace Rocky Mountain contract power that expires at year’s end and cannot be renewed. Officials believe the project will guarantee stable, reasonable electric rates for the community and protect PEU’s ratepayers from large swings in power costs like those that affected California in 2000. The city’s cost for Payson will exceed $16 million, and city officials opted to pay $5 million of that up front from PEU’s cash reserves and finance the rest through bonding that will be arranged by UAMPS.

Workforce and Community Education

Forty-two new Page Unified School District teachers participated in a Navajo "cultural immersion day" on August 5th.  The event was coordinated by Phil Baca, PUSD professional development coordinator. Close to 70% of children enrolled in PUSD are Native American.  The event was hosted at a ceremonial hogan on the land of Betty Taryole.  The event was attended by Roger Begay, office of Dine Culture, Language and Community services in Window Rock.

Coconino Community College completed a new 5,100 square-foot addition to the Lake Powell campus.  The new Navajo Generating Station Technology Center features a new computer lab, two distant-learning classrooms, one regular classroom, three new offices and a boardroom which is available for community meeting use.  New distance-learning classes via interactive television include:  accounting, administration of justice, English, history, math, philosophy, political science, religious studies and paralegal.  CCC also has on-line class offerings via the Internet.  These include:  Introduction to Health Care, art history, computer information systems, U.S. history, Introduction to psychology and more.  Open House was held August 17th.  Contact Elaine Parker at 645-3987, ext. 102.  Fall 2002 Tuition at Coconino Community College - In-state students can receive 12 credit hours for $444.  The Navajo Generating Station pledged $225,000 to the school over a 5 year period to help fund the new Technology Center.

On September 8th, the Arizona Daily Sun reported that the headcount at the Page/Lake Powell campus was up 30%.

PUSD considers new attendance policy.  Superintendent Greg Conway called attendance "the number one barrier to student achievement". 

Page Unified School District Report Card available at:  http://www.ade.state.az.us/srcs/ReportCards/48322002.pdf

All about Kids licensed day care center which opened in November is planning a partnership with the Page Unified School District and Coconino Community College to help provide an experience for the life skills and parenting class at Page High School and an internship for students at CCC.

Page Unified School District's Alternative School names Ryan Tkalcevic as the the school's director.  The alternative school handles 15-20 at risk students and provides an alternative to dropping out of school.  The new school provides flexible schedules and an alternative to traditional stand up teacher instruction.    Students learn mostly through computer based courses called E-20/20 and PLATO.   There is a significant cost to society when a student drops out and enters the job market without a high school diploma. 

2002 Parade Listing:   Memorial Day Parade, 4th of July Parade, Homecoming, Lake Powell Stampede Rodeo Parade, Veteran's Day Parade, Toys for Tots Christmas Parade.

2002 Cultural Activities:  Lake Powell Concert Association events, John Wesley Powell Museum lectures, slideshows, book signings and Artist-of-the-Month displays, Glen Canyon Natural History Association lectures, the Moving Waters Exhibit - Arizona Humanities Council, Clay Jenkinson as John Wesley Powell, Forever Plaid musical, Friends of the Library book discussions, Page Public Library writing workshops, Dancespace performances, Page Unified School plays and musical   performances, American Cancer Association Relay for Life.

 The boys High School Sand Devils basketball team led by head coach Aaron Anderson — earned the championship runner-up trophy but remained #1 in the hearts and minds of their fans — who turned out in droves to serve as the largest portion of the 9,500 at America West Arena Feb. 21.  School was closed 1/2 day on the day of the event to allow students and family to attend the Championship Game.

The Page Attacks Trash Community Cleanup effort was held in April.

The 4th of July fireworks were held in town this year by the Golf Course and the residents of 14th avenue hosted a neighborhood Block Party earlier in the day.

The John Wesley Powell Museum and the Page Public Library hosted a series of lectures/slide shows by local Stan Jones during July and August.

Tony's 2 hour cleanup effort - Meet at the Golf Course on August 17th to help pick up trash.

City Council approves in June a final plat of the North Mesa which includes a new 115 acre community open space Nature Park near the Lake View Elementary School.  

The boys Page Cross Country team takes 2nd place in the Peak's Cross Country Invitational run at Flagstaff on September 7th.  The Invitational was attended by nearly 40 schools, 1,000 runners and 5,000 fans.

The Navajo Generating Station was recognized in the August 2002 issue of Platts Power Magazine for having the lowest SO2 emission rate (0.04 pounds per million Btu) of any facility in the nation greater than 300 megawatts.   NGS was also recognized for its high unit availability (capacity factor).    To quote the magazine..."Navajo, located in a majestic part of the West, has three 750-MW supercritical units working almost flat out while maintaining a leadership position in emissions control. It produced 17,386 GWh in 2001, fifth most among coal-fired power plants, and operated at 88% capacity factor, good for 13^th place in that category. Plant heat rate is a commendable 9981 Btu/kWh."

The Bureau of Reclamation's Centennial Celebration invited the general public to an open house and barbecue for the Bureau's ' 100th anniversary on September 4th.  Free lunch and cake were served along with tours of the dam and special display trailers which highlighted the history of the Bureau and Reclamation.

Helping Hands Agency Fall Festival - The 4th Annual Fall festival and auction was held in late October.  Activities included carnival-style games, a cake walk every half-hour, a skateboard and roller blade contest and a pet costume parade followed by a raffle and including an all day silent auction of artwork produced by students at Helping Hands.  The Helping Hands Agency is a non-profit group organization that provides services for adults and children with development disabilities.

The Page Police and Fire Departments sponsor the 2002 "Shop with a Cop and Fireman Fund".  Community contributions to this fund allowed 65 children to participate and purchase Angel Tree gifts for other children.  John Bowman of Greenehaven Lake View Properties, the Rotary Club, the Elks Lodge, Page Ford, Wal-Mart, Kachina Investment Club, George Graham, Coconino County Federal Credit Union, Bo Thomas, Barberworks, Jack in the Box, The Bowl, DPS, the Coconino County Sheriff Department and the National Park Service all contributed to make this program a success.

November - Festival of Lights Holiday light show marks 20th year with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

November - The Page High School Cross Country team places 2nd in the State in the 4A and finishes the season ranked 5th in the State in the state's overall combined ranking system.

Page Eagle Scout members worked to create a new sign for the Page Youth Center

The Americans Motorcycle Club donates $500 to the Page Hospital with money raised during its annual Octoberfest.  The money was donated to a young girl with cancer as part of its "Strike against Cancer" program.

The Glen Canyon National Recreational area celebrated its 30th birthday in October.  Park Superintendent Kitty Roberts led the program and Eileen Martinez honored the park's volunteers for the service they provided

The Lake Powell Chronicle featured a special section entitled "Women in Business" in October.  Page women in leadership business roles included:  Willa Don Holmes (Boston True Value), DeAnn Elleard (National Bank), Stacy Prince, Jan Holcomb and Kelly Gain Parker (Prince Reality), Val Gleave (Gleave Insurance), LuLu Diehl (Sleep Ezze Motel), Sharon Douglas (Lake Powell Chronicle), the staff of women at Coconino Community College, Holly Sanderson (Canyon Country Appraisal), Cathy Johnstone (Law Attorney), Lori Gervais (Royalty Nails and More), Judy Kitson and Jolaine Szymkowiak (Page Supply) and Kathy Hile (Coldwell Banker).

Effective Government / Leadership / Inter-government Agreements

A balanced budget city is adopted August 12th.  Key components include a reduced dependence on land sales (that many years fail to reach target amounts), a reduction of 19 City of Page full-time-equivalent positions, and a variety of tentative revenue enhancements (i.e. taxes).  The City continues to be in emergency spending for the 3rd year in a row.

City of Page staffing changes in 2002 include:  City Manager terminated - May 5th, Police Chief terminated - July 3rd, interim city manager terminated - July 15.  A new fire chief was elected by fire station employees in June.  A new city attorney (Rick Olson) with 12 years experience working for the Arizona Attorney General's office was hired in late September.  Also hired in late September was Bo Thomas as new City Manager.  Thomas is the former city manager from Hobbs, New Mexico.

The Page Unified School District announced that the district will institute an energy efficiency plan that will involve better management of heating and air conditioning and overall electricity use.

Superintendent Greg Conway assessed the performance of the Page Unified School Districts in six areas, and noted improvement in four of the six as he reflected on the accomplishments and shortcomings during the 2001-2002 school year.   Conway elected to decline a raise the school board voted to give him, saying he felt bad getting a raise he could not give his employees.

• Overall Performance = B-
• Standardized test scores = B
• Athletics and extra-curricular activities = A
• Student behavior = A
• Attendance = C-
• Teacher performance = A-

The City of Page consummated a Waste Water Treatment agreement with the National Park Service on September 20th by accepting a check for $1.1 million dollars.   The deal calls for Wahweap Marina to pump its effluent into Page's wastewater treatment via 6 miles of pipe that will run underneath the Glen Canyon Bridge.  In addition to the $1.1 million dollars, the NPS will pay the city $2.50 per thousand gallons of treated wastewater.  The treated water will then be used on the City golf courses to reduce the amount of raw water consumed for this purpose.

New City Manager Bo Thomas begins a monthly City Manager's Report.    Residents can review a copy of the report free of charge at the City Clerks office and the City Library.  The City Manager's report provides information and statistics about the city's operation, revenues and expenses on a monthly basis.  It includes detailed reports from each city department.  In addition to monthly reports comprehensive quarterly and annual reports as also expected.

City officials met with ADOT representatives on November 7th to look at a proposed site for a rest stop between Maverick Country Store and the Glen Canyon Country Club.  It's a beautiful site said LeRoy Brady, the manager and chief landscape architect for ADOT's Roadside Development Section.  The Arizona Transportation Board will have to vote on whether to include a Page rest stop in its 5 year construction plan.    If that happens the structure could take 4 years or longer to become a reality.   The cost of building a rest stop can range from several hundred thousand to a few million dollars depending on the design.  Brady said Page might be able to persuade the National Park Service to cooperate with the project in some fashion.

Coconino Community College and Page Unified School District entered into an inter-governmental agreement to allow High School students to receive both high school and college credit for certain approved high school classes.  Student will not need to pay CCC tuition to receive the credit.  The program will enable students to get a jump start on their college careers and gain the skills necessary to become successful in college.  The dual enrollment classes must incorporate the objectives of the college curriculum and the students must meet college standards.

The Page Water Department will start charging 25 cents for every day a monthly bill is past due.  The policy has been on the books for the past 17 years but apparently was never implemented.  Revenue on these late bills could run as high as $54,000 per year and over the past 17 years could have amount to almost $900,000 in lost revenue.

The Page Water Department and PEU are now set up for direct-withdrawal accounts using customer credit or debit cards. 

General Economic Development

Coppermine Chapter President Sid Whitehair and chapter delegate Wilford Lane makes initial contact with the City of Page to seek support for paving Route 20 which is now paved for 15 miles. "We’ve trying to get this road done for the last 30 years through the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Lane said noting that BIA procedures require road improvements to be on a priority list. "That road was set for 2015, we want it done quicker than that."

Family Dollar store opens August 15th.  This is the 66th Family Dollar store to open in Arizona and the 4,569th in the nation.  The retail chain specializes in low-cost, household merchandise, clothes, shoes, canned goods, toys and snack foods.   Most items cost less than $10..  The 11,000 square foot store in Page will serve as one of the largest in Northern Arizona and will be managed by John Dixon.

August - The Chamber of Commerce hosted a conference of Magicians and public shows were hosted on three evenings at the CAB.

September – The annual Arizona Planning Association Conference is hosted by the City of Page.

Baltimore-based Phillips Edison & Company purchased the Page Plaza from longtime owner Downey Savings and Loan for approximately $3.2 million dollars.    Phillips Edison specializes in refurbishing and transforming commercial properties into thriving, occupied retail centers.  Phillips Edison owns 42 retail centers across the country and chose Page Plaza because it considers it a good opportunity.   "It is the ground-zero commercial property in town.   The location is anchored by a strong grocery store.  There's a high tourist population.  The base population isn't growing rapidly, but it's solid", said President Mike Phillips.   Presently, there are 6 vacant stores in Page Plaza totaling about 28,000 square feet.  Phillips said complete revitalization and stabilization may take from 2-3 years.

New zoning changes for property in the Planned Recreation Development area along U.S. 89 would allow movie theaters, office buildings, restaurants with drive thru's and multi-family dwellings.

A new family style Mexican restaurant opened in December. The Fiesta Mexicana is past of a small chain with the other restaurants located in Colorado. Manager Moises Pescador said he selected Page because "it’s a good place and good town and "I want this to be a place where locals come."

2002 General Economic Statistics

Community Services

KXAZ radio provided hundreds of community service bulletins and event notices in 2002 as well as continuing the academic student and teacher profiles and live radio broadcasts of Page High School Sand Devil football and basketball games.

The Lake Powell Chronicle coverage of community, academic, city government and business news provides important documentation of our town’s growth and development.

January - The National Park Service unveils "Educator 1", a 3-D scale model of a houseboat that can be used to educate the public about the dangers of carbon monoxide.  The model is the brainchild of NPS education specialist Joan Mayer and was constructed by area resident Dick Raisch.  Monies for the project came from the Glen Canyon Natural History Association's Coopersmith Fund which is money set aside for water safety education.

January - The Page Lake-Powell Humane Society donated $3,500 to the Page Animal Hospital to be used for an emergency fund for injured or sick animals.   The money was raised from the Pet Parade, Pet Pictures with Santa and Humane Society Association membership dues.

April - MCM Engineering, Project Engineer for the Lake Powell Boulevard improvement Project offers a free car wash and hot dogs to show appreciation to Page area drivers for their inconveniences during the project.

September - Community Health Behavioral Services announces plans to restore daycare service.  The "All about Kids" daycenter will operate at the First Baptist Church and will accommodate up to 57 children.  Day care director Kathy Dollar says the new center will accept children up to the age of 12 and will provide afterschool care until 7 p.m.   CHBS Executive Director, Joe Wright called the day care situation in Page "an almost crisis situation".

September - Community Health Behavioral Services announces that groundbreaking on a new CHBS main facility is expected in January 2003.  The new building will be located between Coconino Community College and the tennis courts.

September - The Page Lake Powell Chronicle ran a special newspaper insert called a "A Tribute to Volunteers" saluting all those who volunteer their time to make Page a special community.

Page Hospital Patient Survey - A recent survey conducted by Press Gainy indicates that Page Hospital performed better than 99% of the other 1,000 hospitals in the survey.  "There are few rural hospitals in the nation that have accomplished what we have", said Eric Buckland the CEO of Page Hospital.  The improvement in its patient satisfaction rating is coupled by current efforts to upgrade the Page Hospital under the "Campus Master Plan".  For 2003, the plan calls for the remodeling of the medical records department, the hospital lab and the gift shop.    Also, the old patient wing will undergo reconfiguration to better maximize space.   Future work also will involve the expansion of the emergency room and the lobby.   The hospital in March of 2002 received a "Critical Access" designation which has allowed a better system of transporting patients and their records to other hospitals and also creates the opportunity to collect more reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare.  

All About Kids a new licensed day care facility opened in November.   The center is certified to care for 88 children from infants to 12 year olds.   It will run year round from 7 am to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.  It will allow people to get jobs and take classes and they won't have to worry about where their children are or the baby sitter calling in sick.  The creation of the day care center was helped in large part by area businesses who made donations to the cause.    "The reality of it is that this day care center would not have opened if not for the Northern Arizona Homebuilders Association".  Other contributors were Bruce Muriado with Lakeshore Acoustics LLC, Catalina Boat and Storage, Page Fast Glass, Page Lumber, Warner's Nursery and Hancock Materials.

A luncheon was held in October to recognize the success of Another Way's thrift store and honor those who volunteer to support it.  Selling mostly $3 and $4 items the bargain center grosses more than $100,000 annually and most of that goes to help fund anti-domestic violence programs. Betty Lyle and Quila Byrom were honored as they each have volunteered more than 2,000 hours since the bargain center first opened in January 1999.  In the 2000-2001 service year, Another Way provided services for 193 clients.   In the 2001-2002 service year, 336 clients were helped for an increase of 74%.   In addition, the center has donated merchandise worth over $7,500 to families who have lost homes to fires and other emergencies and tragedies.

Volunteers from the Methodist Church and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church teamed to create the Page Soup Kitchen to provide free meals and fellowship to poor and under-employed Page area residents. The Page Food Pantry and the Soup Kitchen work hand in hand to provide the meals at a cost of less than $20 per week.   The Soup Kitchen also benefits from community donors like Safeway, McDonalds, Jack in the Box and Canyonlands. 

2002 Events and Activities:  Page Polar Bear Plunge, several fishing tournaments, Sunrise Easter Service and Easter Egg Hunt, Page Firefighter Muster, Evening Native American Dancing, NPS Campground Ranger Programs, Thunder in the Park Harley Motorcycles, Kansas Ancient Cars, Moonlight Classic Softball Tournament, Shriner's Golf   Tournament, Pow Wow Song and Dance Tournament, Lake Powell Stampede Rodeo Competiton, Stars of  Magic Shows (5), Burffel Softball Tournament, Octoberfest, Fall Festival in the Park, Parade of Lights, Page High School Sporting Events, NGS Holiday Classic Girls and Boys Basketball Tournament, Christmas Holiday Display in the Park, Navajo Village Winter Stories.

2002 Conferences and Out-of-Town Workshops: Arizona Planning Association Conference, Pacific Coast Association of Magicians' conference, Grand Circle Association Annual Workshop, Soroptimists workshop.

February - Construction of a new Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitor Center at Big Water is underway .  The $1 million facility will feature fossil exhibits from the national monument and surrounding areas, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The building is scheduled for completion sometime in September and will have a form similar to an ammonite, a fossilized invertebrate often found in the tropic shale.  From the air, the round building will appear as the spiral shape of the ammonite.  The 4,000 square foot building will feature 1,500 square feet of exhibit space and an outdoor amphitheater. The remaining square footage includes the office space for the three to four staff members that will work on the center and amenities like bathrooms.  The exhibits at the center will be free and open to the public.

The gray tropic shale beds outside of Big Water have yielded various ancient marine life fossils, including skeletons of large marine reptiles. These and other discoveries have drawn the interest of the paleontological community to the national monument.   The Grand Opening ceremony was held on September 28th and drew 215 people.    Temporary exhibits will be in place until the permanent exhibits arrive in August or September 2003.

February - Restoration work at Lees Ferry is funded by the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area - A group from the Historic Preservation Training Center from Frederick, Md., arrived at Lees Ferry on Feb. 6 to work on the project and finished up during the week of April 1. The crew repaired the roofs, windows and doors of six structures at Lees Ferry, four of which got the green roof treatment to provide lasting protection from the weather. Several buildings are made more historically accurate.    Members of the park service at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area realized they needed to stabilize the buildings and protect them from the elements before damage became irreversible.

The Tourism Board approves funds for Native American Dancers for the 2002 tourism season.

July - Of the 19 parks consider part of the Grand Circle, visitation at the Glen Canyon National Area ranked #2 behind the Grand Canyon although visitation was down 10% compared to 2001.  Visitation at Glen Canyon topped Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Mesa Verde, Canyonlands and many other well-known western park units and Glen Canyon topped the list for the most visitor hours at 25 hours per visitor.    Glen Canyon has the distinction of having more overnight stays per visitor than any other park in the entire country.  At many parks people just stay a few hours.   Here at Glen Canyon they come to spend the weekend or five days or more.    http://www2.nature.nps.gov/npstats/npstats.cfm

August - Focused Future - Benchmark Open for Evening Business Survey - Forty three businesses were open for business on Saturday, August 17th between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m.

Grants - Year 2002

September - The Page/Lake Powell Regional Community Foundation issues their "Report to the Community:  The Power of Endowment".  The foundation is an affiliate of the Arizona Community Foundation.  Individual philanthropic gifts are pooled to create a permanent endowment which is currently at $505,000.  These monies are invested and each year a portion of the earnings are distributed to carefully selected programs and projects for tax-exempt organizations.    As the endowment fund grows so does the grant award amounts.  Starting small at $2,000 for 1999, the award amounts have grown to $22,270 dollars for 2002. 

Organizations that have received grant awards include:  The Lake Powell Region Healthier Communities Teens N' Sync, Cuddles, Inc., the Page Food Bank, the Page Adult Literacy Service/Page Public Library, the Navajo Youth Achievement Fund, Page Tourism Board, the Lake Powell Medical Center, Navajo Youth Achievement Grants and the Page Police Department.  Foundation Board Members are:  Carla Diamond, Kimberli Beck, Doug Gardner, Regina Lane, Chris Rasmussen, Kitty Roberts, Bob Talbot, Pell Wadleigh, Steve Ward and Fred Warner. 

Greg Conway, Page Unified School District Superintendent indicated that the district has received about $6 million dollars in grants over the past couple of years and in October the governing board approved the hiring of a grants management position to administer these programs.  The grants we're receiving are nice but then there's the challenge of managing the programs and the audits can be very scrutinizing.

PUSD U.S. History Grant - This grant forms a partnership with Northern Arizona University to bring in a NAU professor to work with the school's U.S. History teachers in the middle and high school to develop strategies for integrating standards into the curriculum and making history come alive in the classroom.

PUSD Dropout Prevention Grant - Will help fund programs aimed at keeping kids in school.  The grant is for $900,000 over 3 years.

PUSD "Sihasin" Indian Education Program Projects - A three year $1.2 million dollar grant project aimed at helping Native American students increase achievement, improve college planning, help with professional development and boost parental involvement.  Funds from a Title IX Indian Education Grant were used to fund Project SOAR (Student Opportunity for Academic Renewal).  Forty-five high school students were employed as mentor to tutor middle school students after receiving training through Coconino Community College.  Another program called the "Leadership Academy" is a course on the study of history, concepts and the skills of leadership which is taught by Sharon Woodard.   Middle School teacher Dave Simmons secured grant monies which allowed purchase of a computer driven telescope.  Sky gazing events are supplemented with Native American Storytelling to link tradition and culture to educational studies.

The Page-Lake Powell Regional Community Foundation and the Arizona Community Foundation hosted a grant application seminar to help local non-profits with grant making strategy.

In Year 2002, the airport completed about $2.5 million dollars in improvements of which 96% is funded by federal and state monies.  The upgrades include new paving on the main runway and a newly paved cross runway.  Also, new edge lights were installed on the runways and taxiways.  Storm runoff retention ponds were also constructed.  Future improvements include runway extensions and new tie-down aprons.   Equipment to be purchased include:  a runway sweeper, a fire truck and new gates.  Grant funding for new hangers will be pursued for year 2004. 

 Funding

 The Focused Future Implementation Team operated without a budget in 2002 and relied on community volunteers and the existing synergies community organizations and the various City funded City departments.