By Barbara Eicker —  OAKHURST — It’s been an amazing journey, but Stephen Stavast, owner of Stavast Studio/Gallery, will be closing his doors in Oakhurst after more than 26 years in business. In 1992, Stavast opened his fine art gallery on Highway 41 — the second gallery to open in what is now known as Gallery Row. During that time, ...

“I’ve been a sort of a loner all my life. I could easily be alone and do things on my own. I’ve probably seen at least a hundred movies and ninety-five were by myself. “I was roughly thirty-years-old when I decided to go live in the wilderness in Northern California. I’d been living in Hawaii growing marijuana, and I was really, ...

OAKHURST – With the reopening of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite Gateway communities have come together with #YosemiteNOW campaign on social media, to show the world Yosemite’s icons remain unharmed from the fire and to encourage visitation that is vital to the region’s economic recovery. After thirty days of challenging fire and unhealthy air quality, Yosemite ...

Sally and I had reached a threshold where we just had to get out of the smoke and heat but with Hwy 41, 140, 120 and then 108 all closed to the eastern side, it was time get serious about our escape. So, we drove south down Hwy 99 to Bakersfield across Tehachapi and up 395. Smoke was following us ...

When summer eating and drinking is out of control, it can take most of the fall to get back on track. You don’t have to deprive yourself this summer, but you can negotiate summer dining and parties without completely going off the rails. The barbecues, family vacations, and reunions — as well as all the other summer rituals that get us ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Conservancy and public officials dedicated the newly-restored Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias on Thursday, June 14, following a landmark project to protect the ancient trees and reestablish the area’s natural serenity. “As the largest protection, restoration and improvement project in park history, this milestone reflects the unbridled passion so many people have to care ...

“The song of the river ends not at her banks, but in the hearts of those who have loved her.”  — Buffalo Joe MARIPOSA — The first time Steve ever set foot on the property, he didn’t really set foot. He was just a baby, one year old, riding on his father’s shoulders. That was nearly 70 years ago. Ever ...

Nineteen days of heat and smoke from the Ferguson Fire had me looking for another short escape and adventure. Mom said she was was up for an adventure, so we headed to a place were she had spent some time but it was a long while back. It had been over 70 years since she spent a summer babysitting in ...

“I was always an artist. When my mother wrote my name to help me learn it, I was more interested in the different colors than the letters. Although I’ve had various jobs, they’ve all centered around art or design. “I even taught art in a women’s prison. There was a program called Arts and Corrections and I really felt like ...

Adventures come in every shape and size and sometimes they are not really planned. My plan was to head up to Saddlebag Lake to do some camping but the Ferguson Fire blocked my easy route there. After living in heat and smoke for 6 days and glued to the fire updates, I needed to escape and came up with the ...