FISH CAMP – The sounds of train whistles have fallen silent at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad now that the season has ended, and have been replaced with sounds that haven’t been heard here in nearly a century. Logging operations have commenced at the railroad, which is surrounded by Sierra National Forest land. It is the first time the ...

OAKHURST – The weather is perfect, business is brisk and there’s a new breed of pansy in town at Western Sierra Nursery. According to local experts, this is an opportune time of year for savvy gardeners, scores of whom were out Friday to see “what’s growing on.” “You can plant just about anything this time of year,” says Diane Wilkins, ...

OAKHURST – When the Met Cinema closed its doors on Nov. 1, the community began asking “what can we do to help.” Now three young men, Matt Sconce, Keith Walker and James Nelson, are teaming up to do something to save the local theater. “We have a plan, but we’re not going public with it as yet,” Nelson told us ...

MADERA COUNTY – The North Fork Mono Rancheria hopes to break ground on their new casino early next year. The 305-acre project is located adjacent to Highway 99, between Avenue 17 and 18, just north of Madera. Charles Banks-Altekruse, owner of CA Consulting, and Communications Team member for the North Fork Mono Rancheria, addressed a Town Hall meeting in Oakhurst ...

OAKHURST – Striking workers at Raley’s have put down their picket signs and returned to work as a tentative agreement is reached in the 9-day long strike, the first in Raley’s 77-year history. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) have been on strike against Raley’s/Nob Hill Stores since contract negotiations broke down on Nov. 4, and more than 7,000 ...

Newly Opened Evergreen Haus: Comfy Mountain Lodging And Affordable Rates OAKHURST – If fabled heroine Goldilocks had found herself at Evergreen Haus before she met the three bears, the fairy tale would have ended right there. According to owner Edward Rainwater, Goldilocks would have pronounced Evergreen Haus “just right.”

OAKHURST – Since Kandie Stier opened The Produce Place in 2010, she has created a bright and inviting spot for people to stop in for a nice interlude during their day, check their e-mail using her free wifi, and enjoy delicious soups, sandwiches and fresh produce.

OAKHURST – People in the community are wondering what they can do to save the Met Cinema, but in reality, it would all be too little to late. As with so many things these days, it’s all about the bottom line. Some are offering to have car washes and yard sales, but that “wouldn’t even touch what it would take. ...

OAKHURST – Tough economic times hit Oakhurst in a very public way today as Raley’s employees went on strike for the first time in the company’s 77-year history. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union members spent Sunday carrying signs and asking people to honor their picket line by not shopping at the Oakhurst grocery store.

Guest Column written by Richard Lehman – “Reservation shopping” and “off reservation casinos” are clever phrases used by opponents to vilify efforts by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to acquire land for gaming purposes. Yet, an extensive eight year review by United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs spanning two administrations, and an ...