NORTH FORK—While Christians celebrate Easter this year on April 17, Jews will already have embarked on their celebration of Passover, called Pesach in Hebrew.  This holiday, whose traditions have been passed down from grandfather to father to son for generations, recounts the Exodus of Jews from Egyptian slavery. It has been called the Festival of Liberation and is one of ...

OAKHURST—Premier Valley Bank prides itself on its small-town feel and approach to doing business. Many of its customers have banked there since its inception as Yosemite Bank back in 1977. A misconception seems to circulate among some local residents that when Yosemite Bank changed its branding to Premier Valley Bank, ownership had changed. This is not true. Ownership, local leadership ...

OAKHURST—Looks like the Easter Bunny is hop-hop-hopping around the area this week all the way from Fish Camp to Bass Lake to parts beyond. If you don’t feel like coloring Easter eggs, there are plenty of adult options to choose from as well. And who’s to say that adults can’t have fun coloring eggs! Of special note this week is the ...

BASS LAKE — The Bass Lake Ranger District is set to begin its 2022 reforestation program. During the next two months, contract crews will be replanting approximately 1200 acres, focusing on areas of the 2014 French fire and 2020 Creek fires. Approximately 200 to 260 seedlings per acre will be planted within the district — totaling up to 250,000 seedlings — ...

OAKHURST—He Made a Difference. How many of us wish our epitaph could read like this? How many of us achieve that goal? Lars Erik Thorson did. Before his passing at age 60 after a long battle with end-stage renal disease, he impacted many lives, young and old, and he leaves a living legacy through them. His wife Kimberlee, his children ...

This is the eighth and final article in a series of articles SNO has been doing called “Wildfire Wednesday.”  “The 12 Step Guide to Help Plan in Advance for Evacuation.” This guide was put together by Katie Hepler and the members of the California Fire Support Group on Facebook. The California Fire Support Group is “intended to allow collaboration between those ...

Lars Erik Thorson September 21, 1961 – March 13, 2022 Lars Erik Thorson, age 60, passed away on March 13, 2022, after a long battle with end stage renal disease. His kind-hearted and loyal soul will be deeply missed and his life and spirit will surely live on in those who loved him. Lars was born on September 21, 1961, ...

OAKHURST—Easter Basket Auctions, murders, woodcarving—it’s all happening this week in and around Oakhurst and places close by.  These are along with our regularly scheduled activities, of course, listed at the end of this article. Don’t forget that the lake resorts have opened up for spring and summer fun. See you at the lake. Or at the theatre. Or maybe with ...

OAKHURST — Nick Schneider has ties to the Eastern Madera County area. He grew up here, graduated from Yosemite High School and, immediately after graduation, joined his father Roger Schneider’s business, Yosemite Mortgage. He’s been there ever since, with no plans of moving on. He loves what he does, and he loves that members of his family have joined with ...

OAKHURST — As the long-awaited Eastern Madera County SPCA animal shelter slides ever closer to opening its doors to furry residents, three local entities recently dedicated sizeable donations to further the vision. Eastern Madera County Bar Association The Eastern Madera County Bar Association, established approximately 30 years ago, recently decided to disband due to dwindling membership and the difficulty of ...