YOSEMITE – A small school house tucked away in the big outdoors offers nearly unlimited possibilities, with an emphasis on environmental science, art, project-based and multiage learning, and flexibility. Yosemite Wawona Charter School serves grades K-8 and is now open for enrollment to students in Madera and Mariposa Counties. School starts August 17. “There are many reasons families looking for ...

OAKHURST – Two local students just experienced life-changing weeks away from home, attending summer programs designed to elevate the country’s young leaders while allowing them first-person access to the ideals and practices that shape the American goverment. Quentin Lawrence and Meagan Montalto, Yosemite High School class of 2016, shared their recent experiences with American Legion Boys State and American Legion ...

MARIPOSA –  The Mariposa County Arts Council Inc. (MCACI) has been announced as the recipient of a $33,341 California Arts Council (CAC) grant. The “Creative California Communities” grant was awarded to the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra (MSO), a program of MCACI. The orchestra’s “American Anniversaries” project won the award, helping enable the MSO to present live concerts in Yosemite National Park’s ...

MADERA COUNTY – The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino could open by the end of 2015 as part of a $35 million deal, according to a statement from the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. The Business Journal is reporting that the Chukchansi Economic Development Authority (CEDA) expects to finalize an agreement with the National Indian Gaming Commission soon and has ...

Ann Elias has discovered a new technique to add to the garden,…’hose-craft!’ Ann says, “When your hose is too worn to properly deliver water, turn it into a no-slip rug to place near your potting bench.”  Hose-craft is taking useless old hoses, considering them ‘art supplies,’ and re-purposing them in the garden. Here is the step by step “How-To” Finding ...

OAKHURST – State Center Community College District will hold its fall semester Extreme Registration on Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31, from 2 – 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Extreme Registration is a one-stop shop that offers everything a student will need to enroll at Oakhurst Community College Center, Fresno City ...

Written by Crystal Pike NORTH FORK – Kids ages 6 to 18 are invited to the Youth Boardgaming League at the North Fork Library, every Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. This unique program was designed by the Youth Boardgaming League to offer fun and educational ways to learn critical thinking and communication skills in a safe and fun environment. ...

By Monica McClanahan – OAKHURST – The Oakhurst Library invites the public to share in its celebration marking the seasonal end of three exciting library programs. The concluding Summer programs are Summer Reading for Children and Teens, Summer Art for Teens, and Summer Creative Writing for Teens. All of these Summer programs will culminate on Wednesday, July 29, with a ...

By Monica McClanahan OAKHURST – The Oakhurst Library will host a presentation by Jack and Kay Good along with local author, Marcia Freedman, on Saturday, July 25, from 10:30am to noon. Jack and Kay Good will be talking about the Coarsegold Historical Society and Historic Museum. Coarsegold is located at the southern end of the Gold Chain where the town ...

FRESNO – Yosemite High School’s Clara Briley is one of ten students from the Central San Joaquin Valley recently selected to take part in the 28th UCSF Fresno Summer Biomedical Internship Program (SBI). Students will spend the summer researching valley health issues. “The SBI program is an amazing opportunity for high school students interested in careers in medicine and science ...