By Cara Goger — MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Mariposa County Arts Council welcomes you to the 30th Annual Mariposa Storytelling Festival. This year will be the Grand Finale of this time-honored festival, featuring six acclaimed, all-time county-favorite tellers: Bil Lepp, Marilyn McPhie, David Novak, Tim Tingle, Donna Washington, and Kim Weitkamp. Click on image to enlarge. Prepare to be captivated and ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — The Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit wants to remind everyone that on Sunday, Mar. 12, daylight saving time begins. When you set your clocks forward one hour, they also suggest you make another change that could save your life: change the battery in your smoke alarm. A working smoke alarm provides an early warning of a fire and critical extra seconds for you ...

Submitted by Nikki Van Velson OAKHURST — Women of Soroptimist International of The Sierras invite the community to their semi-annual Soup & Salad Luncheon. All are welcome to indulge in a salad bar set up with fresh toppings plus various homemade salads and two delicious soups  (chicken tortilla and Irish potato), along with rolls, iced tea or coffee, and dessert. This ...

YOSEMITE LAKES PARK — District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will be hosting a Town Hall meeting tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Blue Heron in the YLP Clubhouse. On the agenda is a discussion of the Neighborhood Watch Program by Madera County Sheriff Sgt. Larry Rich, and a presentation on Measure L – the proposed ...

OAKHURST — Fluffy pancakes, any-style eggs, ham, sausage, orange juice and milk for $3? That’s the price for kids age 5 – 12, as members of the Sierra Oakhurst Kiwanis invite the community to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast. The price for adults is $7 and senior citizens are offered a new discount with a price of $5. Children under 5 enter ...

NORTH FORK — Have you dreamed of becoming a proficient painter in oils, acrylics, watercolor, or pastels? Here is your chance to learn from an accomplished artist. Trowzers Akimbo will give expert instruction in your medium, at the Artists’ Loft in the North Fork Studio. All levels of proficiency are welcome — even beginners are great for this workshop. “We may ...

NORTH FORK — Over 100 people gathered tonight at the Town Hall to celebrate the naming of North Fork’s 2016 Citizens of the Year. Al and Robyn Flory have been nominated before for their service to the community, and this year they were chosen to take the top honors from a slate of very deserving candidates. The Flory’s moved to ...

Starting Monday, Feb. 27 – Wednesday, Apr. 17, Virginia Eaton leads Restorative Pilates classes at the Oakhurst Community Center, twice a week. See flyer below for details. About 15 years ago, I ruptured a disc in my back (L5/S1 for those who like details). My doc was sure that surgery was in my future but I had other ideas. After ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite Renaissance is an annual exhibit presenting diverse artistic interpretations of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. This year, 65 works by 61 artists were selected from 846 entries. The exhibit includes paintings, sculpture, textiles, photographs and three-dimensional works by artists from across the country. The public is invited to join the artists and others for an special reception and presentation of ...

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today is inviting high school and college students throughout central and northern California to apply for a Better Together STEM Scholarship. The program awards a total of $100,000 in scholarships annually to local high school, community college and non-traditional students pursuing higher education in the engineering, computer science, cyber security and environmental sciences. ...