The Payson Roundup / Joy Hafford

Recent stories

Festivals give community a boost: By Joy Hafford; May 18, 2012; The spring blossoms peaking in Pine and Strawberry, spectacular scenery, perfect weather and oldies music in the air (courtesy of Payson’s own DJ Craig) made last weekend’s May Day Festival a joyful experience. Parked cars lined the highway through Pine most of the day on Saturday and Sunday as locals and visitors – some just passing through – stopped to partake in the festival spirit and join in the merriment. In Pine, the restaurants and cafes like the Randall House, the new Pine Creek Smokehouse, HB’s, as well as Sidewinders, the Pine Deli and the Early Bird were buzzing with activity. Even the Rimside Grill was open for business even though it is under remodeling construction for transformation into THAT Brewery & Pub. Owner, Tamara, along with husband, Steve, are using local contractor Blue Moon Construction and other area contractors and merchants for all of the work and materials.
Student council, adviser honored: By Joy Hafford; May 11, 2012; The Pine Strawberry School Student Council received top honors at the Arizona Association of Junior High Student Council State Convention May 3. It was designated Master Council, the highest designation a council may achieve. There were six other councils, out of 239, that also received that designation. Jan Clark, council adviser, was also recognized with the 2012 Distinguished Service Award, the first one ever presented by the Student Council State Board. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and dedication and for representing our school and community in such a positive way.
School, community — a winning combination: By Joy Hafford; May 4, 2012; Last Saturday, I attended “Disney’s Cinderella Kids” presented by the Pine Strawberry School Drama Club. I just want to say the cast and crew did a great job. The kids were fabulous. Hailey Hamblen was cast perfectly as Cinderella, with a perfect voice to match. Prince Charming and his court, the cruel stepmother and sisters, fairy godmother and the mouse chorus were well rehearsed and spectacular. Family members and classmates came out in support of the young stars of the show as well as the volunteers who put so much time and effort into making a positive impact on these kids in our community. Although I did not have a child participating, I enjoyed it immensely. Like many of you, I now look back fondly on those days of school plays, sports events, piano recitals, band and choir performances.
Pine’s inaugural Trail Day a top-notch event: By Joy Hafford; April 27, 2012; Pine and Strawberry residents share their peaceful community with visitors throughout the year by hosting some pretty fun and amazing festivals. Pine’s inaugural Trail Day event Saturday, April 21 was no exception. This was truly a family affair, with activities for everyone. With free parking, free admission and free entertainment, it proved to be a great event for anyone on a budget.
Celebrate the Arizona Trail Saturday in Pine: By Joy Hafford; April 20, 2012; A few years ago the movie “The Bucket List” inspired some people to create a list of things they wanted to do before they “kicked the bucket.” Mostly these lists consisted of travel and adventure — see the Grand Canyon, skydive, ride in a hot air balloon or even ride an elephant. I didn’t jump on that bandwagon, but if I had, mine would definitely include hiking the Arizona Trail through the rugged and beautiful Arizona backcountry.
Easter Egg Fun Day a golden opportunity for local youth: By Joy Hafford; April 13, 2012; More than 1,000 eggs were up for grabs last Saturday at the Easter Egg Fun Day at the Pine Trailhead, including six prize-packed golden eggs. Two of these special eggs were hidden inside each of the age group areas. The youngest two winners each received a stuffed bear for their lucky find, winning toddlers received a basket of play supplies, and the oldest kids won $10.
Arizona Trail brings visitors, recognition to community: By Joy Hafford; April 6, 2012; Greetings on this beautiful Easter weekend. Do you have any fond childhood Easter memories? I remember coloring eggs, baskets with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans, a church service with beautiful music and corsages for the girls (that looked nice on my pretty new Easter dress), and then a traditional big family dinner with ham, potato salad and deviled eggs. It is a special weekend here in Pine and Strawberry as the churches hold inspirational services this Sunday to celebrate the resurrection and the hope that this occasion signifies.
Spring is time to enjoy great outdoors: By Joy Hafford; March 30, 2012; The welcome was not so warm, but spring is finally here! The flowers are blooming with vibrant colors and people are out in their gardens enjoying the great weather, sunshine and clean, mountain air. I hear the call of the streams, lakes, forests and mountains. It’s time to enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate a new season here in Pine and Strawberry — where there’s always something happening.
Quilt Angel Quilt-a-Thon benefits Food Bank: By Joy Hafford; March 23, 2012; From March 14 to 16, angels gathered at the First Baptist Church in Pine — more specifically the Quilt Angels quilting group, for the annual Quilt-A-Thon to make charity quilts for those who will need a little extra comfort and warmth next winter. There were 12 Quilt Angel members, along with 16 volunteers who lent their hearts, time and talents to the three-day event. They made 213 quilts and 100 Christmas stockings. The Angels are housewives, retirees, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, nurses, office workers, artists and others from all walks of life, all united in a mission to help others. The beautiful and colorful material that was used for the project was donated to the group by someone known only as the Fabric Angel, with the stipulation that the creations would not be sold but given to the less-fortunate.
Festival fever on the rise in Pine Strawberry: By Joy Hafford; March 16, 2012; The weather on the Rim has been beautiful with mild temperatures and lots of sunshine. Like many of you, I’m wondering what happened to winter and would love more snow or rain. However, the beautiful days feel like “festival weather” and I’m ready for the fun to get under way. Perhaps it is the time of year, the weather, the food, the people, but one thing I’ve noticed, at our festivals nearly everyone is smiling! It’s time to catch festival fever. There are numerous opportunities for a great time this year! St. Patrick’s Day events

Recent photos

Strawberry resident Edwin Jett displayed his handcrafted birdhouses at the May Day Festival in Pine. Each birdhouse is accented with antiques and collectibles and odds and ends that he has been collecting for years. You can see these unique birdhouses again at the Pine Strawberry Arts & Crafts Guild Memorial Day Festival this weekend, as well as the handmade creations of 85 other talented artists and crafters.

Tamara Morken of Rimside Grill and Cabins, shows residents, Boyd and Nancy Miller the work underway to transform the popular Pine restaurant into THAT Brewery & Pub. The restaurant remained busy in spite of construction during last weekend’s May Day Festival.

Pine Strawberry School student Hailey Hamblen playing Cinderella, along with a cast of 25, were spectacular in “Disney’s Cinderella Kids” performance on April 28 at the school.