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January 21, 2010 / Front Page

Mankins-Bibby seeks reelection in District 3

Janet Mankins Bibby has announced that she will seek reelection as the District 3 representative on the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors . More...

Board to vote on banning medical marijuana dispensaries

Supervisors hope to curb influx of operators

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors will vote to adopted an interim urgency ordinance to prohibit the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the borders of Mariposa County. More...

Massive oak tree crushes residence

Home occupied at time of incident

By Dan Tucker, Gazette Publisher

A mammoth oak tree fell into a residence in the 2900 block of Highway 49 South just before 1 p.m. Saturday. More...

MCUSD million was a mistake, not a mystery

By Jill Ballinger, Gazette Editor

The Tax Revenue Anticipation Note (TRAN) loan that caused so much confusion in December was a mistake of the bond company, not the result of work not completed by Mariposa County Unified School District officials. More...

All roads into Yosemite are closed

Heavy, wet snow is snapping trees

According to the National Park Service, all roads into and out of Yosemite National Park are currently closed. The closures are due to downed trees and other weather-related incidents. More...

Caltrans says Ferguson fix is six years away

Road restoration will total a decade

BY JILL BALLINGER GAZETTE EDITOR

When the Ferguson Rockslide came tumbling down in 2006, no one anticipated the devastation it would have in the short term. More...

LDPE project costs top $4.2 million

BY JILL BALLINGER GAZETTE EDITOR

It’s been a long, difficult road in the construction of the Lake Don Pedro Elementary School multi-purpose room. The road has been blocked by delays, which can be costly in a construction project. More...

Storms continue to rock county

Wet and windy weather continued to pelt Mariposa County on Wednesday morning, as it had since Sunday. Heavy rain and wind caused all kinds of problems since the series of storms blew into California. More...

Local News

BBB urges caution at Census time

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. More...

JCF plans for ‘Four Seasons’ dinner

On March 20 is the annual “Four Seasons,” Ewing Memorial Garden benefit dinner on. The dinner will once again, be held in the Sequoia Building at the Mariposa Fairgrounds. More...

DMV extends appoinment window

Due to increased demand, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced last week that field office appointments can now be made 45 days in advance, either on the department Web site (www.dmv.ca.gov) or by telephone (800-777-0133). More...

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Datebook

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Friday, Jan. 22 Books Galore! at the Mariposa County Library, sponsored by the Friends of the Library from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More...

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Obituaries

William L. Metcalf

William “Bill” Louis Metcalf passed away t his home on Dec. 9, 009. He was 68. Mr. Metcalf was born in North Platt, Neb. on March 16, 941, and was 34-year resident of Mariposa. More...

James E. Hoppers, DDS

James E. Hoppers, a long-time resident of Santa Barbara, passed away Nov. 29, 2010. He was 92. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather as well as a respected member of this community and parish. More...

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Cookin' in the Country

Cookin’ in the Country

Every winter, football fans come together for the viewing party of the season. This year, as you prepare to host a hungry crowd for the big game, intercept unhealthy appetizers and lighten up your favorite game-watching dishes More...

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Sports

Make-up game --- isn't

Officials are a 'no show' -- game canceled

Monday night's rescheduled varsity Southern Athletic League contest between Mariposa and Denair was canceled after the CIF sanctioned refs didn't show. More...

Grizzlies host Denair tonight in make-up tilt

Mariposa’s Grizzlies will put their unbeaten Southern Athletic League mark on the line tonight when they host Denair. More...

Grizzlies spank Le Grand, Waterford for SAL victories

BY DAN TUCKER GAZETTE PUBLISHER

Mariposa head varsity basketball coach Trace De- Sandres has a problem, but it’s one he relishes. DeSandres doesn’t know from game-to-game which player is going to step up. More...

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Around the County

County reacts to state budget proposal

BY JILL BALLINGER GAZETTE EDITOR

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled his 2010-11 budget proposal last week, Mariposa County officials were not scrambling to hash out the details. More...

PG&E shuts off power to fix problem

The lights went out again in Mariposa County last Friday, but this time, it was planned. The utility shut off power to Mariposa County to complete repairs found after the Jan. 12 outage that kept the county in the dark all night. More...

State spares MCUSD mid-year budget cuts

BY JILL BALLINGER GAZETTE EDITOR

After spending much of the fall worrying about the potential for drastic mid-year budget cuts, the Mariposa County Unified School District can breathe a little sigh of relief. More...

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Board passes ordinance prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries

Supervisors also take action on ID cards

At Tuesday morning's board of supervisors meeting, the board voted 5-0 to immediately adopt an interim urgency ordinance that prohibits the establishment of any medical marijuana dispensaries in Mariposa County. More...

MCUSD superintendent announces his retirement

Panietz will stay until June 30

Mariposa County Unified School District Superintendent Randy Panietz has announced his intent to retire. He did so in an email to all staff on Monday afternoon. More...

Five more arrested from Sunday cock fight

One arrested carrying a rooster

Mariposa County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested five more men on Monday after they wandered out of the brush where they had been hiding since Sunday afternoon. They headed for the hills after a cock fighting incident on Heritage Lane was busted. More...

Thirty arrested in cock-fighting incident

Neighbors warned through 'Code Red' alert

Thirty people were arrested in Mariposa on Sunday after law enforcement busted a cock-fighting incident in the Yaqui Gulch Road area. All of those arrested face felony cruelty to animals charges. More...

Highways into Yosemite reopen

Drivers urged to use caution

Almost all roads leading into Yosemite National Park have reopened after being closed due to snow, ice, and fallen trees. More...

Yosemite National Park's Badger Pass Ski Area Changes Event Schedule for 75th Anniversary

Clean-up After Winter Storms Moves Celebration to Sunday, January 24

A series of winter storms that delivered over ten feet of fresh powder at Yosemite's Badger Pass Ski Area this week has prompted the popular resort to reschedule their 75th anniversary events. More...

Weather closes schools

All Mariposa County Schools, with the exception of Yosemite Valley and El Portal Elementaries, are closed today because of snow. More...

Habitat prepares to select its first family

The concept for Habitat for Humanity (HFH) of Mariposa County came from a small group of dedicated Mariposans who began meeting in January 2006. More...

Water, water everywhere

RAINY, RAINY WEATHER HAS PELTED THE COUNTY ALL WEEK. ABOVE, THE EIGHTH STREET CROSSING WAS FLOODED BY MONDAY AFTERNOON, PROMPTING PUBLIC WORKS TO CLOSE THE ROAD. More...

For the Record

Sheriff’s Dispatch Log

Jan. 11: •Cat food was stolen on Highway 49 North. •Someone was concerned about the welfare of 11 dogs on Cat Town Road. •Shooting from a vehicle was reported on Highway 49. •A 5-year-old was missing on 12th Street. More...

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Letters

Restore respect

It is time to restore respect to Mariposa. I am learning more and more that I am not alone when it comes to Asplundh employees and their disrespect toward land owners. More...

An important undertaking

According to an article recently published, the county needs to find a new cemetery because the existing one is almost fully occupied. Obviously, for those who wish to be interred in Mariposa County, this project is an important undertaking. More...

Best news this week

Here is the “happy-go-luckiest” news you will hear all week: Some time ago Baby Dori had someone “borrow” her stroller from outside Carisio Chiropractic’s office. More...

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Pet Connection

Save on Pet Care

Cut Your Costs Without Shortchanging Your Pet

By Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

Universal Uclick Let’s not kid ourselves: Things are tight, and people are learning to make do with less. That's the bad news. The good news: You don’t have to shortchange your pets to save money. More...