By Kelly Silva Fine Nicaragua, Part One: From Sadness to Surfing Last year I decided, with the help of my hubby, to finally do a surfing trip, since I was turning forty-five. I convinced my childhood BFF, Kari, to join me, so we traveled to Nicaragua for a week during the end of May for surfing, yoga and other activities ...

NORTH FORK – A family who had no doubt that they had lost everything to the flames during the first night of the Corrine Fire were shocked and thrilled to discover that their homes were still standing. “We watched the fire coming over the hill and surrounding our house, and I just knew it was all up in smoke,” says ...

OAKHURST – Planning ahead and being prepared for the unexpected are among the philosophies of Backcountry Horsemen of California. These simple ideals were strongly reinforced recently for Mary Odell and her friends, when they went out for what was supposed to be an easy day, and wound up on the same mountain as the Sky Fire.

OAKHURST – The fourth day of Discovery Camp started out beautifully at Calvin Crest, where kids age 5-10 were set for a fun-filled morning and afternoon of activities on the charmed property nestled in the Sierra National Forest. “Our first session of Discovery Day Camp is underway,” wrote counselors on the organization’s Facebook page. “What a joy it is to ...

In May of 2014, transgender actress and advocate Laverne Cox graced the cover of Time Magazine with the words “Transgender Tipping Point.” This year, Jeffrey Tambor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in his role as Maura Pfefferman on “Transparent.”

OAKHURST – Local filmmaker Matt Sconce and his family are in the Top 15 for director Ron Howard’s “Canon Project Imagination,” after submitting a short film trailer called, “The Hunt.” “We’re in the Finals and we need you,” says Matt. The video features the Sconce kids in super hero masks, quite naturally. Now, it’s time to vote!

Submitted by Lori Howard OAKHURST – It isn’t often that life allows you a second chance. We had the opportunity to host Miguel and Anna Perez-Spuch from Madrid, Spain this week. We see people from all over the world at our bed and breakfast near Yosemite National Park, but none with a story like Anna and Miguel’s.

MARIPOSA – The shocking robbery was over within minutes, and when it was done, more than a million dollars worth of historic gold and minerals had been stolen, destroying a collection dating back to the California Gold Rush. What had been taken could never be replaced, and in its absence there was only one thing left to do: catch the ...

With estimates of a 40 percent die-off of Ponderosa Pine this year, and dead and dying trees dotting the landscape in the mountain area, Cal Fire is offering some important assistance for homeowners. The oncoming fire season, which is forecast to be even more volatile than 2014, makes it critical that diseased, dead and dying trees be removed as soon ...

Jack and Kay Good and the Coarsegold Historical Society invite interested travelers to join them on another fabulous trip, this time to Portugal. After a very successful trip to Holland & Belgium in April, many of their travelers have express an interest in river-boating in Portugal. Based upon their interest, they have started a new group trip to “Portugal & ...