Submitted by Joseph Frank OAKHURST – Despite the Internet, cell phones, email and modern communications, every year whole regions find themselves in the dark. Tornadoes, fires, storms, ice and even the occasional cutting of fiber optic cables leave people without the means to communicate. In these cases, the one consistent service that has never failed has been Amateur Radio.

NORTH FORK – On Sunday, June 16, a group of 23 bike riders from the University of Texas will be rolling into town. They are part of three teams who left Austin, Texas, on June 1, on the ride of their lives – to fight cancer. The Livestrong Texas 4000 For Cancer is the longest charity ride in the world, ...

COARSEGOLD – On Saturday, firefighters spent the day battling vegetation fires in the Coarsegold and Yosemite Lakes Park (YLP) areas, this time in sweltering temperatures. Today, it was a repeat performance, with the day starting with a fire on Road 425B, then resources moving back to the Coarsegold area for two more.

MADERA COUNTY – The County of Madera has established the following locations as Cooling Centers during times of extreme summer heat. The Centers will be open the days and times as indicated on the list below. Other Centers may be opened on an “as needed” basis and will be announced through the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

YOSEMITE – The Forbidden Fire is burning in Yosemite National Park just west of the Eagle Peak Meadow and Creek, a tributary of Yosemite Creek, and north of Eagle Peak, on the north rim of Yosemite Valley. This lightning caused fire was called in by employees and visitors observing smoke on May 21. The fire is approximately at five acres, ...

YOSEMITE – A 36-inch-wide basket that took three years to hand weave, restored film footage of American Indian history in the 1920s and an oral history of native cultural demonstrators are among the items showcased in Sharing Traditions, a new exhibit at the Yosemite Museum celebrating the 80-year history of Yosemite National Park’s basket-weaving demonstrators and their role in conveying ...

Did you know that we have our very own mini version of Devil’s Postpile at Yosemite? We visited what is known as Little Devil’s Postpile on our hike from Tuolumne Meadows to Glen Aulin. The morning reflections in the Tuolumne River, water holes, mud holes and pot holes were magnificent!

MADERA – Madera County Master Gardeners will host two free events for home gardeners in June. • On Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, attend a workshop on home irrigation systems, presented by Master Gardeners Barbara Mattice and Jim Espinola. Learn to keep your garden green while saving water, time and money on your water bill.

YOSEMITE LAKES PARK – On Wednesday, May 29, at 11:30 a.m., the residents of Yosemite Lakes Park had reason to celebrate. The bridge near the east entrance to Yosemite Springs Parkway was open for business. For nearly a year, the bridge has been one lane only, with a stop light requiring motorists to wait up to 3 minutes to cross, ...

CALVIN CREST – Many words describe the joy of zip lining, like invigorating, thrilling and spectacular, to name a few. One word we don’t hear is transformative. The experience can be moving… moving as much as 40 mph as high as 100 feet in the air. Thus was the case when a group of Yosemite High School students hiked into ...