OAKHURST – At the Cool Bean Café, every cup of coffee and tea has a little story behind it. Not only is the brew delicious and the blend delightful, owners Casey and Alyssa Lucas are mindful of farmers in emerging nations around the world, the people who grow the beans many local coffee lovers covet.

OAKHURST – The doors of the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) will be thrown open on Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., when the community is invited to celebrate the completion of permanent restroom facilities and other new improvements at the popular club.

AHWAHNEE – If you’ve never been to a concert at Coolwater Ranch, it’s time to treat yourself to an evening of world-class music in a down-home yet elegant setting. Grammy-winning guitarist Mike Dowling will be performing at Coolwater on Saturday, Jan. 19. at 7 p.m. Dowling draws inspiration from American roots guitar. Bottleneck blues, vintage swing and ragtime are just ...

OAKHURST – Work is underway at the Met Cinemas getting everything into ship-shape condition for their much-anticipated reopening on Feb 1. Met Heroes are out in force scrubbing and cleaning, patching and painting, and checking everything from carpets to projectors.

Annual Christmas bird counts last month in Mariposa, Oakhurst and Yosemite yielded fewer birds than last year, yet organizers of the three local events nonetheless judged them successful–and, as always, fun! The counts were part of the National Audubon Society’s 113th Christmas Bird Count, an annual avian census held between Dec. 14, 2012 and Jan. 5, 2013. Begun on Christmas ...

OAKHURST – If your über-smart electronic device is smarter than you are, this is your chance to get the upper hand and learn some new skills. Adult education computer classes start up again in January 2013 at Yosemite High School in Oakhurst. The computer lab has been upgraded to Windows 7 and the computers are working perfectly. There is also ...

OAKHURST – The Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau (YSVB) is once again teaming up with Visit California to showcases Yosemite area restaurants during California Restaurant Month. Four restaurants in California’s Gateway to Yosemite are participating this year, offering discounts on signature dishes. “California Restaurant Month is a great chance for our restaurants to showcase their amazing dishes,” said Jarrod Lyman of ...

OAKHURST – After two months of sleepless nights, dogged determination and a never-say-die attitude, the Met Heroes have won the day! As the deadline approached, at 8:18 p.m. this evening, Monday, Dec. 31, the tireless team of Matt Sconce, James Nelson, Keith Walker, all their family and friends, and a host of community volunteers, reached their goal of 3,000 subscribers, ...

OAKHURST – Today is the last day for people to sign up to be a hero and Save The Met! After many weeks of hard work and determination, Movie Heroes, Inc. and all their Met Heroes are within 250 subscribers of their goal of 3,000. Matt Sconce, one of the three local entrepenuers who have organized the “Save the Met” ...

OAKHURST – Final touches are underway for celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Evergreen Conference Center Oakhurst (ECCO) on Monday, Dec. 31, from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. Billed as “A Sensible Celebration,” the evening promises a perfect blend of socializing, dining and dancing for adults seeking a night of nostalgic fun.