Part IV: The beauty of Arizona and a strange desire about Bakersfield

TRAVELS WITH STARCHMAN

I have spent the majority of the past 19 years indoors with the blinds drawn and the fluorescent lights flickering overhead. I am a high school teacher and I actually have two classrooms. In room one of the main building I teach English and in the auditorium I teach drama. And these two rooms are just down the corridor from […]

Putting kids first

The Kids First organization has been making various donations to support local youth. Above left, Kids First funded Mariposa Elementary teacher Christina Packard $689 to purchase a class set of five novels. Her students will read and discuss each of these books in small group discussions. Mary Lee Moore, teacher on special assignment (left) presented her with the check. Top […]

Yosemite Community Scholarships still open

Deadline for submissions set for April 15

The 2020 process for students to apply to the Yosemite Community Scholarship is ongoing. Scholarships are available for students enrolling in colleges, universities and vocational schools in 2020. Historic scholarship amounts have ranged from $500 to $2,500. Eligibility: 1. Graduating from high school between September 2019 and August 2020. AND 2. At least one of the following: A. At least […]

Study: Recess before lunch could benefit students

Putting schoolchildren on the playground before lunch may be the best way to boost their appetites while cutting food waste and discipline problems, says a new study from Ball State University. But the majority of school administrators don’t realize the potential benefits and still feed students first before allowing them to hit the swings, monkey bars, or four-square courts, said […]

Gettin’ their asses in gear

There was a venue change this year, but spectators still enjoyed all of the thrills, spills and craziness of donkey basketball. The Mariposa FFA held its annual event on March 10 at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds, rather than holding it at the school’s newly refurbished gym. Teachers and students competed in basketball while riding atop donkeys. The event raises funds […]

What’s black and white and (maybe) out of place in California?

CALIFORNIA OUTDOORS Q&A

Question: I am a South African. I and four others were travelling by car on the 101 north from Santa Barbara, and somewhere just south of the elephant seal sighting point on the coast we were astounded to see a large herd of zebras grazing in a large grassed field. Any information you can give about these zebras would be […]

Youth art contest hosted by CDFW is now open

Theme this year is “Be a Habitat Hero”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the seventh annual California Invasive Species Youth Art Contest. This year’s theme, “Be a Habitat Hero,” encourages students to think about what they can do in their own communities to protect against the spread of invasive species. “Everyone can be a habitat hero by taking small steps to stop invasive […]

SNC board awards more than $13.5 million for regional projects

A day after a diverse panel of experts discussed a path to address significant challenges facing the Sierra Nevada amidst a changing climate, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Governing Board approved $13,555,224 in grants to 27 different projects. The projects are focused on forest health, land conservation and community resilience throughout the vital 25-million acre region. “Achieving resilience in the […]

Area Fishing Forecast

CDFW seeks artists to enter annual duck stamp contest

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is inviting artists to submit their original artwork to the 2020-2021 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. Submissions will be accepted April 27 through May 29. The contest is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age or older as of Feb. 27, 2020. Entrants need not reside in California. The winning artwork […]