By Virginia Eaton — I have been developing a Fall Prevention program for Oakhurst area residents and the most poignant fact from the research has been this: if you are afraid of falling, you are more likely to fall! Those lacking confidence in their ability to stay upright tend to keep their eyes down and thus miss important obstacles. They ...

OAKHURST — A group of parents and community members attended a Board meeting in Madera on Thursday, Feb. 11 and got their wish: the Oakhurst Head Start center, which had been on the verge of closing its doors permanently, will continue operation for the foreseeable future. At a regularly scheduled meeting, the Community Action Partnership of Madera County (CAP-MC) Board ...

O’s Badger Sports Bulletin, Vol. 1, Issue 4, by Yosemite High School Athletic Director Rusty Oetinger — Last week the Badger sports teams played their rivals over in Auberry. The week got off to a rousing start with the girls Soccer and Basketball teams visiting Sierra. The girls Soccer team played a very strange game that ended in a tie, ...

By Virginia Eaton — I’m not sure who decided that an exercise class ought to be an hour long. Why not 40 minutes, or 70 minutes? I think human beings squeeze appointments into a calendar to accommodate the calendar rather than the human being! The body needs regular movement and exercise throughout the day, and a single 60-minute session a ...

Submitted by Joey Stoops — MOUNTAIN AREA — Forte International Exchange Association (FIEA) is looking for local families to host international students, ages 15 to 18, in Madera County, Fresno County, Merced County and Mariposa County areas for the 2016-2017 academic year. FIEA is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization dedicated to international cultural exchange. It is designated by the ...

This month’s History Mystery comes from Milt Wheeler (not related to Tom). Milt attended North Fork School as a boy, but he now resides in Hawaii. Milt and his brother played on the basketball team in 1955. He has a photo of the team, but cannot remember the names of all the players. Can someone help him out and tell ...

Four of us piled in my rig and we headed up for our toughest snowshoe adventure this year, full of fresh snow. The Merced Crest is famous for the spectacular views of the high country to the east. We started our adventure with beautiful blue sky with a few clouds and we had a few surprises along the way. Where: ...

By Virginia Eaton — I have the best job in the world! I work with some amazing men and women who are improving their health, their fitness and their outlook on the world. Life is an amazing, twisty-turny roller coaster ride and, if you’re lucky, it’s full of crazy adventures with endings that give you a greater appreciation for your ...

BASS LAKE — “It’s that time of year when the ladybugs are moving on the creeks,” says area resident Paul Adelizi, who took advantage of a break in the rain to observe and photograph what he calls, without exaggeration, “an incredible sight.” Also called lady beetles and lady birds, the scientific name is Hippodamia convergens = convergent lady beetle. They ...

I have a personal goal of trying to have at least one adventure each week. Sometimes the adventures are big ones and sometimes they are pretty small ones, but they are adventures. The recent wet weather had me daydreaming about an adventure over at the coast and I had been watching for a break in the weather to escape. We ...