OAKHURST – Autumn is taking hold in the foothills, and we’re all ready for some serious sensory satisfaction. Luckily, it’s time for the annual Oakhurst Fall Festival (formerly known as Oakhurst Chocolate & Wine Festival), taking place this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 – 13, in the Oakhurst Community Park. The action goes from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. both ...

OAKHURST — With a new production staged just in time for the haunted days of October, the Golden Chain Theatre (GCT) breathes life into the deadly, ominous tale of “Jack the Ripper.” The ghoulish melodrama will only be shown during the month of October, so GTC has chosen to add Friday performances to the usual Saturdays and Sundays.

OAKHURST — The Oakhurst Boys and Girls Club (BGC) got busy with a Worldwide Day of Play on Sept. 30, with the intention of limiting access to the daily computer-centric burden most kids carry with them at all times these days. The BGC also turned off the on-site computers. Think the kids were appalled? They loved it! Oakhurst Unit Director ...

YOSEMITE — “Thank you for calling. We are currently closed due to a government shutdown of National Parks. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you.” That’s the gist of The Wawona Hotel’s outgoing phone message, a polite yet inconclusive recording that lets callers know that the historic Wawona will reopen “as soon as possible.”

Submitted by the artist Michael J. CostaSierra Art Trails 2013 Catalog # 40 Fro-Zen was a series of images I began to create as a final project for a course entitled “Concept and Design” at the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. My vision for these images was to freeze things from nature, then photograph the object through its ...

YOSEMITE — Electronic signs leading to Yosemite National Park’s south entrance blinked with news it seemed everyone had come to dread: PARK CLOSED / DUE TO GOV’T SHUTDOWNS / THRU TRAFFIC ONLY. Beginning Oct. 1, the United States Government partially shut down, leaving non-essential government employees without work and causing many facilities to be closed. The shutdown includes Yosemite and ...

COARSEGOLD — The Cigarette Shack has closed its doors as of Sept. 30, after nearly 18 years in business. The little red and white building with the friendly twin gals inside has had its last day selling smokes and accessories. People stopped by to visit, make some last-day purchases or share hugs and memories as Julie and Jean continued the ...

Submitted by Melanie Barker OAKHURST — Moxie Salon will host a Cut-A-Thon event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Oakhurst (BGC) beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Business owner and stylist Stephenie Jewett along with stylists Carrie Diffey, Michelle Eads, Martin Arce, and Cheri Roderick wanted to have a grand opening with meaning. They chose Boys ...

Submitted by the artist Judy AndesSierra Art Trails 2013 Catalog # 30 My art comes from a strong appreciation of this beautiful mountain area and the valley below. My pastel paintings capture some of the places that have touched me and I want to share that feeling. My painting, “A Quiet Moment” can be seen at the Stellar Gallery in ...

Submitted by the artist Gay AbarbanellSierra Art Trails 2013 Images flow in and through me and my camera as well as my pen, in a spirit dance which I strive to share in my photography and poetry. The beauty and mystery of the unique and the mundane beckon to be expressed in unusual, creative and even abstract forms. I incorporate ...