By Bob Labozetta (UC Master Gardener, Mariposa) December to March is the best time to plant fruit and nut trees here in California. Selecting appropriate fruit trees, however, can be confusing. Impulsive purchases can lead to disappointment, particularly in the foothills where not every variety grows well. The key to success when it comes to fruit and nut varieties is ...

By Debby Carter, Sierra Historic Sites Association The place we know as Fish Camp has a long history. In Native American times it was a seasonal campsite for fishing and gathering acorns. After the establishment of European Americans in the area, it saw several different purposes over the years. The name “Fish Camp” waffled back and forth with “Summerdale” for ...

By Sal Maccarone Architecture has come a long way since builders first discovered how to pile stones on top of one another. In our age of information, and openly shared ideas, the sky seems to be the limit in terms of what can be done. Each time that a new building material is found, or a different way of thinking ...

Submitted by Jolene Anderson, student journalist for Minarets Press COVID-19 has affected millions of people around the world, but recent reports say that animals can contract the virus as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this only occurs when the animal contracts the virus from humans and from there, transmits it to another animal, but ...

Submitted by Emma Bloodworth, student journalist for Minarets Press This semester has been full of many achievements for Minarets FFA including numerous successes in competitions, as well as a great turnout in FFA meetings and banquets. At our virtual Fall Banquet on Nov. 12 and 13, the department recognized last year’s top freshman, top sophomore, top juniors and top seniors ...

By Sal Maccarone Due to both the availability, and permanence of the material, carving objects from natural stone is an ancient activity. Going all the way back to Paleolithic times, man has always found ways to fashion stone. After all, we use the term “Stone age” to reference some of our earliest ancestors. Back then most of the carving was ...

Submitted by Johanna Ziegler, student journalist for Minarets Press O’NEALS – Every year, Minarets juniors, along with high school juniors across the state, sit down to take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test (CAASPP). The purpose of the CAASPP test is to provide assessment information to schools and families, highlighting which areas in math and English students ...

Article submitted by Paul Netter, SCE FRESNO — Big Creek has always had “the hardest-working water in the world,” but after the devastation of the Creek Fire, it might also lay claim to the hardest-working wildfire restoration effort too. Not to mention the largest restoration effort in Southern California Edison’s history. Following a wildfire that began on Sep. 4 and ...

Submitted by Christina McDonald Munahoo (Hello) History Mystery followers! The Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center has a photo of a cabin that we are seeking information on. The photo is labeled Whisky Creek, North Fork, and is built on a foundation of granite, with peeled logs for the support posts for the porch and some shake lumber. We are ...

Submitted by Dr. James E. Starnes, D.C. A special joy of mine for the holiday season is collecting toys for the underprivileged children through the Marine Corp Reserve’s Toys for Tots program. I have been involved with them for the past several years, this being our 30th year! We are recognized as an official drop-off location and will collect toys ...