What’s your first memory of Smokey Bear? Smokey Bear has been one of the most effective characters for a continuing ad campaign — ever. He’s been in print, television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) and is recognized by 95 percent of adults and 77 percent of children in the U.S., according to the Ad Council. Smokey’s likeness has been ...

By Virginia Eaton I hate being manipulated. The only other thing that gets my blood pressure up faster is being bullied, and the current state of food marketing and labeling employs both tactics with a vicious force that has destroyed our health and endangered the health of our children, grandchildren and beyond. Do I sound angry? Good, because the more ...

By Virginia Eaton A friend once said to me that men tend to have a linear career path while women, for various reasons, have a more winding, tumbling, curvaceous career path. I have held on to that observation over the years as I have woven together an eclectic knowledge and skill set in the fitness and wellness industry that got ...

COUNTY – Here’s a chance to meet your state legislators in a one-on-one, at three different locations in a single day this month, as Senator Tom Berryhill and Assemblymember Frank Bigelow will make three stops in the foothills on Friday, Aug. 21. In the morning, the Senator and Assemblymember will be at the Miner’s Roadhouse in Mariposa from 9 to ...

OAKHURST – The town is losing another locals’ favorite establishment as the proprietor of Grocery Discount Center on Road 426 announced she will shut the doors of the little-shop-that-has-everything, this month. “We are closing the store sometime mid-to-latter part of August,” said Anita Disney, who has owned the store for almost 8 years, most of those with her husband Randy. ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – After three years and more than 13 million page views, Sierra News Online (SNO) has gotten a makeover. The new template aptly reflects the changes SNO has gone through, from its early inception as a kitchen-table startup to its current incarnation as the go-to place for news in the Yosemite gateway communities and beyond. After much debate ...

NORTH FORK – Back in the day, we called it Fire Camp. These days, it’s known as the Incident Command Post (ICP). Whatever you call it, it’s where everything happens that supports boots on the ground out on the firelines, and where all decisions are made in fighting the fire. If you’ve never visited an ICP, it’s quite an impressive ...

Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: About 15 miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevational Range: 7,868′ – 10,000′ Date: July 26, 2015 Highlights: Riding horses in Yosemite’s beautiful high country is always a special treat. Taking them up to the 10,000′ elevation where we had the towering, jagged high points of Vogelsang, Fletcher and Rafferty Peaks along our side as we mosied up the trail to Boothe Lake was extra ...

COARSEGOLD – Local instructor Don Cirillo will offer a free one hour demonstration of Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese method of harmonizing body and mind. The workshop is set for Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Coarsegold Community Center. There is no charge for this demo class. The introductory program will explain Tai Chi and its ...

YOSEMITE – A historic rededication ceremony on the Tioga Road, conducted exactly 100 years after the original dedication ceremony, was held in Yosemite National Park yesterday. Former First Lady Laura Bush, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher, and Yosemite Conservancy Vice President Jerry Edelbrock participated in the reenactment ceremony. Highlights of the event included a rechristening of the road, a ...