AHWAHNEE – The nonprofit women’s group Helping One Woman (HOW) is meeting on Wednesday, July 17, at the Hitching Post Restaurant to honor Coarsegold resident Heather Wilbour. The evening of food, fundraising and friendship begins at 6 p.m. Heather’s husband Shawn “Wilby” Wilhour died following a heart attack while on vacation at Redinger Lake the day before Father’s Day.

OAKHURST — The Central Valley Recreational Swim League (CVRSL) Time Trials are being held at Yosemite High School’s Baker Swim Complex on Saturday, July 13, starting at 8 a.m. and going on into the evening. The event is hosted by Yosemite Swim Club (YSC) and organizers say more than 1,000 people are expected to attend, including swimmers and their families.

OAKHURST – Local people behind Rotary International really put the “International” in the name when they met last week to dedicate and donate an ambulance to a town in Mexico that really needs it. Members of the Sierra Sunrise Rotary and Madera Sunrise Rotary gathered on July 1 for a send-off for SAS 46, formerly owned by Sierra Ambulance Service.

OAKHURST – Mariposa Martial Arts Academy (MMAA) celebrates the grand opening of their new location in the Silver Creek Plaza at 40879 Highway 41 in Oakhurst. Festivities will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will include loads of healthy fun for kids of all ages (that means grown-ups, too).

OAKHURST – Candidates for the town’s Honorary Mayor position gathered Wednesday, July 10, as officials announced the winner of the season’s charity fundraising campaign. Yosemite Bank in Oakhurst hosted the final event along with Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary and the Oakhurst Sierra Rotary Club.

OAKHURST – The Moment Gallery is truly a delight to the senses. Every corner of the place is bursting with color and style, filled with a line-up of work that’s satisfying to the soul. Industrial artist/owner Jeff Otto has put his heart into the venture, and invited a handful of artists to join in, displaying their efforts on the deep ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) successfully rescued an injured climber from the Leaning Tower on Tuesday, June 25. Reports are that solo climber Shane Houbart fell on the West Face Route, hurting his back badly enough to prevent further progress. YOSAR was alerted via telephone while Tom Evans was on hand to capture the scene in photographs. Evans ...

NORTHFORK – Singer/songwriter Jean Butterfield is planning a special presentation at the North Fork Loggers Jamboree on Saturday, June 6 at 9:45 a.m., and it couldn’t be more apropos. The performance will take place just before the Pro-Am competitions. Singing her original song, “Window of Time,” Butterfield will be accompanied by Oakhurst resident Scott Stouder on the Djembe Drum. “Window ...

SUMMERTOWN, USA – It’s one of summer’s biggest holidays and not everyone is ready. Looking for a last-minute fix? SNO asked Facebook readers for their favorite easy items to share for summer parties and got a nicely varied response. North Fork resident Sarah Crotinger says she relies on salsa de fruta, and even forked over her recipe.

OAKHURST – Branches Books has launched their “limb” of an national reading program sponsored by independent bookstores for the summer of 2013: Give Me Summer! Give Me Books! The goal is to create a vibrant community reading program that brings independent bookstores and schools together to read great books.