WAWONA – We surprised ourselves this morning by getting up and out of the house by 8:10 a.m., only ten minutes later than we’d expected, which isn’t bad considering today’s mix was two parents, two teens, and a 90 lb. chocolate lab. Setting off from Coarsegold we took a leisurely drive north on Highway 41 up to Yosemite National Park, ...

OAKHURST – Students at Oakhurst Elementary School (OES) looked under car seats, checked pockets and looked everywhere they could think of this spring, and ultimately the scheme paid off: as a group, the children collected 4,040 quarters for a local Kiwanis who will donate the money to Children’s Hospital. The spring philanthropic project for OES kids was their participation in ...

MADERA COUNTY – For anyone interested in becoming a school board member in Chawanakee, Bass Lake or Yosemite districts, now is the time to pick up the necessary paperwork to get started. A total of nine offices in those three districts are scheduled to appear on the ballot for the Statewide General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

OAKHURST – What does an experienced hairdresser have in common with an ambassador for Yosemite National Park? More than you might think; just ask Donna Dozier. Donna spent more than three decades behind a chair as a popular hairdresser, then decided it was time to cross a few key items off her “bucket list.”

OAKHURST – It’s never too late to teach your faithful companion about some of our most venomous hillside inhabitants. Luckily, Kellen Rescue offers a one-day Rattlesnake Avoidance Training on Saturday, July 12 and another one-day class on Saturday, July 26. The classes start at 9 a.m. and the length of time the program takes each day varies.The class on July ...

OAKHURST – Quiety and without much fanfare, for five years now, the Bass Lake Education Foundation (BLEF) has successfully supported and promoted science, arts, sports and more for school age children in the mountain area. They’ve met their goals by bringing a diverse set of programs to the foothills, says BLEF Founder Kriszti Mendonca, and the plan going forward is ...

NORTH FORK – She walked away with 8 gold medals in the last Transplant Games two years ago, so it’s not like the pressure is on or anything. Jill Nolen calls that experience beginner’s luck, which she must have had since the day she was born a little more than 25 years ago, although it may not have seemed that ...

“Well, here I am in a foreign land again. I saw a Dutch windmill the other day, and it’s just like in the books I used to read, but you don’t see any flowers or rosy-cheeked girls in sun bonnets. Instead, you see shell craters, ruined houses. Some of the girls are pretty, but I wouldn’t trade two dozen of ...

OAKHURST – Hundreds of happy people took to Oakhurst Community Park on Saturday, June 28 for the first-ever Yosemite Festival in Oakhurst. One sign things went well for the inaugural event? Plans are already underway for next year. The community was greeted by members of the Festival committee, who guided them to different fun areas spread throughout the park. Area ...

OAKHURST – A family is mourning the loss of a loved one today, as they confirmed the death of longtime Oakhurst resident Lee Vick, 44, whose body was recovered from the Fresno River on Monday, June 30. Sheriffs deputies responding to a call just north of the bridge on Road 426 report that no foul play is suspected in Vick’s ...