Home » Community » Guest Columns (page 10)

Guest Columns

History Mystery 98: The Case of the Raymond Rail Yard

Image of the train depot at Raymond, CA.

E Clampus Vitus Grub Gulch Chapter 41-49 is working with the Raymond Museum to determine the actual locations of the structures and facilities in the SP Raymond Branch rail yard in Raymond. We have some photos and some drawings, but we are in need of more information. Many of the photos we have were taken with fisheye lenses, which distort ...

Read More »

How Art Shapes Our Lives: Creativity

Image of the Mona Lisa.

By Sal Maccarone A good imagination, careful contemplation and personal interpretation are just a few of the ingredients that go to define artistic creativity. The ability to produce something from virtually nothing requires a myriad of skills. Sometimes what appears to be haphazard is really the result of very long consideration. Studies of highly creative individuals have shown that they ...

Read More »

Virtual Yosemite: Off the Beaten Track

Image of Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite.

While Yosemite is known for popular landmarks and trails, some of its most interesting locations are sometimes found off the beaten path. See the 360° immersive VR experience here. One of these is the Old Big Oak Flat Road – the original toll road into Yosemite Valley, built (primarily by hand) in the 1870s. The wide and gently graded road ...

Read More »

Over the Garden Fence: Direct Seeding

Image of a seeds being planted.

By Bob Labozetta (UC Master Gardener, Mariposa) Some plants just don’t lend themselves to indoor seeding and later transplanting. They prefer to start and finish in the same place. This is usually due to having a delicate root system. Beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, radish, scallions, spinach, squash, swiss chard, turnips, zucchini prefer direct seeding. There are ...

Read More »

Over the Garden Fence: Multiple Raised Bed Options

Image of a raised bed garden.

By Bob Labozetta, UC Master Gardener, Mariposa Raised garden beds generally yield more produce than traditional gardens. What’s more, the tools needed to build and maintain raised beds can be limited to a garden fork, a rake, a shovel, and a hand trowel. The goal is to create a bed of loose, fertile soil that you never step on. The ...

Read More »

History Mystery #97

Image of an old sign in the woods.

History Mystery #97, Chinchilla Ranches and Mystery Signs in the Madera County Mountain Communities Prepared by Andy Brooks, Raymond Museum volunteer The Chinchilla ranch industry, though short lived by most history standards, had a favorable economic impact on the Madera County mountain area communities. How many ranches were there? What other businesses were created from the Chinchilla ranch industry? Who ...

Read More »

Over the Garden Fence: Adding Native Plants in Spring

Image of a pink shrub.

By Ron Allen, UC Master Gardener, Mariposa County Although autumn is generally the best time to add native plants to your landscape, spring is the next best time. Choosing a planting site is important. Fire-prone plants such as manzanitas, pines and plants with resinous leaves and stems should be located well away from structures. Toyon and Redbud are fire-resistant, look ...

Read More »

One Year Later: Minarets Reflects on COVID Anniversary

Submitted by Jolene Anderson & Mia Hipwood, Student Journalists for Minaret’s Press With the anniversary of COVID-19 mandated quarantine coming up this Saturday, students and staff at Minarets High School reflect on the past year, talking about their struggles and disappointments. Freshman Acacia Edeluchel recalls that her teachers had previously talked about the possibility of schools closing, but she didn’t ...

Read More »

COVID Contributions by the North Fork Rancheria to Minarets

Submitted by Trever Jobinger, Student Journalist for Minarets Press Minarets High School can’t say thank you enough for the generous grant donated by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. Almost exactly a year after the closure of Minarets due to COVID, Minarets students are hoping to return to campus to finish out the school year. It will not be ...

Read More »

How Art Shapes Our Lives: The Golden Gate Bridge

Image of the Golden Gate Bridge.

By Sal Maccarone The word utilitarian refers to something that is useful, or serves a function. Utilitarian art is something that has function as its main priority, but is at the same time aesthetically pleasing. Like many other artists, I like to think of my own work as utilitarian art. The fact is, many important architectural wonders can be considered ...

Read More »
Sierra News Online

Sierra News Online