COARSEGOLD – Though not every El Niño brings torrential rain and the resulting disasters, analysts believe with 95 percent certainty that this winter’s event will do just that, says John Kirk of the California Department of Water Resources. Kirk addressed a standing-room-only crowd at the Clubhouse in Yosemite Lakes Park on Saturday, introducing them to new terms and concepts, such ...

Submitted by William Miller COARSEGOLD – Yosemite Lakes Owners Association (YLOA) and Yosemite Lakes Community Church have scheduled a timely Town Hall Meeting on El Niño preparation. The meeting is open to anyone in the greater foothills community, and is set for Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the YLOA Clubhouse. A “monster” El Niño event has ...

MADERA COUNTY – The next time you are summoned to appear for jury duty, the experience is likely to be far more pleasant as you report to the brand new Madera County Courthouse that replaces the century-old building in which the court has been operating. On Friday, Aug. 14, several hundred people gathered for a ribbon cutting and tour of ...

YOSEMITE – State Route 140 at El Portal is closed at the Yosemite National Park boundary in Mariposa County due to a mudslide. The El Portal entrance to the Park  is shut down today and meanwhile, alternate routes are necessary to gain entry to the Park. The road closed overnight on Tuesday, July 21, due to heavy debris flows following ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – Residents and visitors may soon see stormy skies, as a hazardous weather outlook and flash flood warning has been issued for the higher elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada, with the prospect of isolated thunderstorms continuing late Monday night and possibly through Tuesday. The National Weather Service reports from Hanford that moisture from tropical storm Dolores in ...

CENTRAL SIERRA – Whether you’re new to the mountain area, or have lived here for generations, the historic drought and extreme fire conditions warrant a close look at how you’ve prepared for the fire season. Karen Guillemin-Kanawyer, Cal Fire’s MMU Fire Prevention Specialist, says the potential for dangerous, destructive wildfires is very real. “It is up to everyone to be ...

EASTERN MADERA COUNTY – A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team for the Sky and Corrine Fire is working to complete its assessment and recommendations to lessen immediate hazards to public resources from the effects of the fire. The team is led by geologist Alan Gallegos from the Sierra National Forest. The BAER team is made up of specialists from ...

We headed through Potter Pass at 8,980′ elevation to the Twin Lakes, then on to George Lake for a nice spring hike. Beautiful lakes reflecting white puffy clouds, with wildflowers along the trail and a geology lesson from our resident geology buff made for a wonderful adventure in the Kaiser Wilderness in Sierra National Forest.

Rain Day Poem by Beth Wilson I stood on the curb of this flooded city.Silently I watch the world drowning,from the safety of my umbrella.Pitter patter, pitter patter. The rain drums endlessly down above my head.The snaking chill pervades through my bloodstream.The flowers in their earthy tubs droop under overbearing water, droplets sliding off their tender petals. As the clouds ...

This photo is of the Lisenby CCC Camp that we received from the Bass Lake District of the Sierra National Forest. We know there were two major Civilian Conservation Corps camps in North Fork during the 1930s. The one referred to as the North Fork Camp was located on Road 222 between North Fork and Manzanita Lake, but we don’t ...