Valle, AZ: June 27, 2009
Planes of Fame Grand Canyon, an auxiliary of the Chino, California based air museum, has nearly three dozen warbirds and classic aircraft on display as well as a selection of vintage automobiles. The museum includes aircraft from the Planes of Fame collection,
vintage aircraft from the Friedkin Family Chino Warbirds collection and vintage automobiles from the collection of Valle Airport developer John Seibold.

Saturday, June 27 is the date for the museum’s annual High Country Warbirds Fly-In.
Plenty of up-close warbird flying action will be featured throughout the day, and even opportunities for the public to experience the thrill of orientation flights in warbirds such as the P-51 Mustang.

Also at the 2009 High Country Warbirds Fly-In, members of the P-38 National Association will conduct their Second Annual General Membership Meeting. Commemorating the combat history of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane which was flown by America’s top aerial aces of WWII, a panel of pilots will conduct a symposium where they will repeat tales of war and bravery. One of the legendary aerial aces will actually be in attendance for the symposium. The pilots will also answer questions, sign P-38 photos and be available for photographs. Steve Blake, author of “Lightning Strikes” and many other historical aeronautical books will also be on hand. Two pilots who were part of the 82nd Fighter group in Italy will also be present. The symposium will take place at 1:00 pm, Saturday at the newly constructed P-38 display located inside the museum. Before the symposium, at 12:30 pm, members of Archie Jackson’s family will be present to help dedicate the new P-38 display.

The museum is a non-profit institution relying on admission fees, donations, facility rentals and proceeds from the use of aircraft in various productions. A membership program also exists which is available to the public and has a special benefit for members allowing them to enjoy orientation flights in some of the warbirds.

High Country Warbirds Fly-In will begin at 8am Saturday. Flying activity will be conducted throughout the day with the gates closing at 5pm. Member supported orientation flights will also be available Friday June 26th and Sunday June 28th.

Planes of Fame Grand Canyon is located 25 miles south of the Grand Canyon’s south rim (at the intersection of Highway 64 and Highway 180). Parking for the event is free. Food and other vendors will be on site. Admission is: $8 for adults and $2 for children under 12. For more information, call 928 635-1000 or visit www.planesoffame.org.

Flagstaff, AZ: The City of Flagstaff is putting on the Children’s Music & Arts Festival, Sat. Aug. 16th from 10am-3pm at Wheeler Park. Last year they drew around 3000 people! They are looking for sponsors to help purchase cloth bags to be given away for free, and they’re looking for sponsors to donate in-kind prizes for the recycled arts & craft project. If you’re interested in helping out with this worthy project - contact Glorice Brehl at 213-2312 or gbrehl@flagstaffaz.gov. Thanks!

Flagstaff, AZ: From Arizona Highways Magazine: A special opportunity in honor of our Passport to Flagstaff event: Beginning July 1, subscribe to Arizona Highways for $24, and $3 will be donated back to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to feed Flagstaff and other Northern Arizona communities. Use promotion code V9FF24 from July 1 to September 30. Each subscription is the equivalent of 21 meals for families in need.

For Immediate Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Renee Moore, Barclay Communications
602-346-2596, reneem@barclaycomm.com

Arizona Highways Magazine – “Passport to Flagstaff”
Offers Cool Escape for Hot Deals with Altitude

Flagstaff, AZ: June 10, 2009 – The historic mountain town of Flagstaff has so much to offer in the middle of summer – cool temperatures, gorgeous surroundings, great spots to dine, play and stay – it’s the ultimate high-elevation destination. That’s the reason the July issue of Arizona Highways magazine is dedicated to Flagstaff. And from July 9 – 12, the town will offer even more to visitors as part of the Arizona Highways Magazine – “Passport to Flagstaff” weekend.

The folks at the magazine have partnered with the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance and the Convention & Visitors Bureau to bring great deals for those visiting Flagstaff during the “Passport” weekend. Visitors can download a special “Passport” at the Events Calendar on www.arizonahighways.com and present it to more than 70 participating retailers, restaurants, hotels and attractions to get special offers throughout the weekend. Make sure to look for the July cover of Arizona Highways magazine posted in participating businesses’ storefronts.

“In addition to the cool temps, art, culture, history and great restaurants, Flagstaff is the mother lode of Mother Nature,” said Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways magazine. “You can’t ask for anything more in a mountain retreat. When the community heard we dedicated our July issue to the town, they gave us even more, via great deals in and around town. We’re inviting everyone in the state to the ‘Passport’ weekend, and if you can’t make it in July, Flagstaff is open for business year ‘round.”

Also at the Events Calendar on www.arizonahighways.com is a list of participating businesses (which is constantly being updated) as well as a line up of special activities scheduled for the weekend – a hike with magazine editor Robert Stieve hosted by local hiking clubs, a photography workshop with photo editor Jeff Kida, book signings, “Passport Parties” at participating establishments, tours of the local distillery, prize giveaways, outdoor movies and music at Heritage Square and more.

About Arizona Highways

Arizona Highways magazine’s award-winning photography, travel journalism and its steadfast commitment to discovering the state’s treasures has brought the beauty and splendor of Arizona to visitors and natives alike for more than 80 years. Helping to drive tourism to and through the state, Arizona Highways has subscribers in all 50 states and
more than 120 countries. It also has a publishing imprint, Arizona Highways Books, and physical and online retail stores. Newsstand price for Arizona Highways is $3.99 US / $4.99 Canada. Subscriptions are $24 per year. The magazine now is available in digital format at http://www.arizonahighways.com/digital.html. For more information, visit www.arizonahighways.com. # # #

You can also get the full list of Passport participants and a schedule of events here.

Flagstaff, AZ: Sun, Jun 21 Flagstaff Community Band 2:00-4:00pm
Come hear the band! Riordan Mansion State Historic Park will be hosting the Flagstaff Community Band on Sunday June 21st from 2-4pm. Step back into yesteryear to listen to the band play under the pines. The Flagstaff Community Band provides music for all ages so come and enjoy an afternoon at the Mansion!

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Evening Slide Presentation Series, 7pm RSVP Free!
(Program is Free. Reservations are recommended due to limited availability.)
Jun 20 “Louis Akin’s Lost Bride: The Photos, Poems and Adventures of Mai Richie Reed”
Erik Berg, Historian
In the last years of his life, famous Grand Canyon painter and Flagstaff resident, Louis Akin was briefly married to a young woman from Philadelphia. Largely forgotten in Flagstaff after Akin’s death, her identity and the details of their marriage soon faded into obscurity. But Akin’s mysterious wife had a story all her own. Young, single, independent and restless, Mai Richie Reed had originally set out to explore the southwest at a time when Arizona was still a rough territory and women did not yet have the right to vote. During her brief - but active - years in the west, she explored the Grand Canyon on trails now largely forgotten, hiked to the mesa-top pueblo of Acoma, climbed glaciers in a newly-established Glacier National Park and helped build one of Flagstaff’s landmark buildings. Based on Reed’s recently rediscovered travel journals and photographs as well as extensive original research, this presentation will tell a little-known story of traveling adventure, ill-fated romance, and one of northern Arizona’s most overlooked early citizens.

Jun 27 “Arizona Mineral Belt Railroad”
Richard and Sherry Mangum, Historians
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a major transcontinental line, costing a fortune to build. When it was completed across Arizona in 1883, the door was opened for smaller investors to build branch lines. Col. Eddy dreamed of a railroad from Flagstaff to Globe. It would carry timber to the mines and return to Flagstaff with ore. The line would carry passengers as well as freight and would open up a huge region of central Arizona to commerce. Eddy raised $54,000 and used it to build a tunnel on the face of the Mogollon Rim in 1883, then had to stop when he ran out of funds. The story is a fascinating chapter in the history of Flagstaff. You will learn about the railroad, the men connected to it, how logging was carried on before and after the railroad was built, and how Lake Mary was built.