Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Payson’s final 2022 Concert in the Park is at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 30 and features MC6 A Cappella. The group will transport you back in time to the 1950s and 1960s when muscle cars were king and doo-wop music was on the jukebox at malt shops across the nation. With their smooth sound, rhythmic bass, high falsetto tenor and unique vocal percussion, MC6 will have you tapping your toes and singing along to all of your favorite songs. The group’s unique sound and broad repertoire provide rousing live performances for audiences of all ages.

Payson’s final 2022 Concert in the Park is at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 30 and features MC6 A Cappella. The group will transport you back in time to the 1950s and 1960s when muscle cars were king and doo-wop music was on the jukebox at malt shops across the nation. With their smooth sound, rhythmic bass, high falsetto tenor and unique vocal percussion, MC6 will have you tapping your toes and singing along to all of your favorite songs. The group’s unique sound and broad repertoire provide rousing live performances for audiences of all ages.

Payson Community Kids is asking residents, clubs, organizations and businesses to help in its Back to School Supply Drive. Classes resume Monday, Aug. 1, so help send the area’s children back to school well supplied.

Items needed: backpacks, No. 2 pencils, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, 1-inch and 3-inch binders, colored pencils, notebook dividers, dry erase (Expo) markers, pocket folders, correction fluid, glue sticks, scissors, headphones, facial tissue, highlighters, pens, glue, pencil sharpener, college-ruled and wide-ruled loose leaf notebook paper, Post-It notes.

Drop the items at the Payson Community Kids building, Back to Basics, Chili’s, El Rancho, or Big Lots.

These are not all the supplies that students may need, but contribution will help area families in need with a start for the new school year.

Punk Filiere Madaras hosts a book signing at the Payson Public Library, 328 N. McLane Road, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, July 29.

She will be signing and selling her book, “Sharing Shadow,” which describes how a friendship develops among a beagle, her best friend and a raven.

The cost of the book is $10, with $3 of each sale donated to the Humane Society of Central Arizona.

A Town Hall meeting is planned Friday, July 29 on Opioid and Substance Abuse in Payson and Rim Country.

Payson and Rim Country residents are invited to a town hall meeting where Gila County Health and Emergency Management staff will present findings from the Opioid Use Disorder Focus Groups.

If you or a loved one have been impacted by opioid abuse or dependency, or you’d simply like to learn more about this growing threat, please attend to share your story, voice your concerns, and hear from others in your community.

The Payson town hall is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, July 29 at Majestic Mountain Inn, 602 E. Highway 260, in Payson. It’s free to attend, but organizers request people register online at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/copy-of-gila-county-opioid-discussion-town-hall-payson-tickets-384273531477?fbclid=IwAR3mBDKHKYKQ0TxHcTmNxN5U31HHqMAtRl7pyyA9zXZcIQqRZrIQ-PE_g0U

The Payson Public Library, 328 N. McLane Road, is having an End of Summer Reading Party at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 30.

Participants in the Summer Reading Program should bring their Reading Trackers to collect their final prizes.

There is food, games and fun for children of all ages.

The library staff encourages the program finishers to wear their Squid Hats.

The End of Summer Reading Party is provided in partnership with Desert Financial.

Payson’s final 2022 Concert in the Park is at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 30 and features MC6 A Cappella. The will transport you back in time to the 1950s and 1960s when muscle cars were king and doo-wop music was on the jukebox at malt shops across the nation. With their smooth sound, rhythmic bass, high falsetto tenor and unique vocal percussion, MC6 will have you tapping your toes and singing along to all of your favorite songs. The group’s unique sound and broad repertoire provide rousing live performances for audiences of all ages.

The concert is at 7 p.m. in the amphitheater area of Green Valley Park around the bandstand. Seating is limited, so bring lawn chairs or blankets.

Payson Senior Singles with Spirit invite all interested in playing bocci ball for the first time or who have played many times before to its bocci ball events at Rumsey Park’s new bocci ball court. Play is at 9 a.m. the first and third Monday of the month, weather permitting. All ages, single or married, are welcome.

The next event is at 9 a.m., Monday, Aug. 1, at the bocci ball court, across from ramada 4, Rumsey Park. Look for the signs.

Please bring a chair and water. For more information, call Mary Nelson at 805-216-3406.

Another “Chat with the Mayor” event with Payson Mayor Tom Morrissey is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1 at Tiny’s Family Restaurant and Lounge, 600 E. Hwy. 260 (doors open at 5 p.m. for those who wish to have dinner first).

Morrissey will offer an update on what is happening in the community, with time for questions and answers.

All are welcome, no RSVP needed. For questions, call Sharon King, event coordinator, 928-978-0527.

Al-Anon helps people who can benefit from support because they have a family member or friend who has a problem with alcohol or drugs. There are three meetings in the Payson area:

• Mondays, 6 p.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 401 E. Tyler Parkway, Payson.

• Wednesdays, 1 p.m., Rim View Community Church, 4180 E. Highway 260, Star Valley.

• Saturdays, 9 a.m., Ponderosa Bible Church (building to the south), 102 W. Roundup Road, Payson.

The Pinon Café, 1001 S. Beeline Hwy., is hosting a food drive to collect items for area food banks, including hygiene items Thursday, Aug. 4. Bring in a contribution and get a discount for dining in.

The Mazatzal Hotel & Casino hosts back country music legend, Joe Nichols Thursday, Aug. 4.

Nichols has been a mainstay of country music for two decades, bridging the gap between the genre’s old school roots and contemporary era. He has a half-dozen No. 1 singles and 10 Top 10 hits that honor his heroes. From his first radio hits, 2002’s “the Impossible & Brokenheartsville,” to 2005’s “tequila makes her clothes fall off” to 2021’s “Home Run,” Nichols has proudly done things his own way.

Tickets start at $45 per person. All tickets are reserved seating for this event. Row and seat number will be displayed on ticket upon purchase.

Seating map is available on website, where tickets may be purchased, www.mazatzalcasino.com and tickets can be bought at the cashier cage inside the casino.

The event is open to guests 21 and older. Doors open 6 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.

The Kiwanis Club of Zane Grey Country is proud once again to be hosting the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo Parade Saturday, Aug. 20.

To be in the parade contact the Kiwanis at www.zanegreykiwanis.com or stop by the Payson Visitors Center and pick one up.

The deadline to submit an entry form is Friday, Aug. 5 to avoid a $5 late fee. No entries will be accepted after Aug. 15. For questions, please call 928-978-1086.

The theme this year is “America the Beautiful.” Individuals, businesses, schools, sports teams, charities, veteran groups, church groups, clubs, political candidates, etc. are welcome to enter the parade.

Entry fees are as follows:

Schools/Rodeo Royalty/Veterans — No Charge

The Town of Payson’s Concert in the Park series concludes at the end of July. But there won’t be a void for music lovers. Once again Eastern Arizona College Payson campus is presenting its Concert in the Garden series through August.

All concerts are in the garden area of the EAC Payson campus, 201 N. Mud Springs Road. If able, please bring a chair as seating is limited. The concerts are free, but donations are accepted for student scholarships.

Performers scheduled to participate are: Cinnamon Twist, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6; Copper Ridge, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13; Gary McReynolds, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 20; Bach-N-All, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 27.

Submit listings by 10 a.m. Tuesday to tmcquerrey@payson.com

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