Brian Wilkinson

Olympic Hopefuls

World class swimmer Cheyenne Coffman shows Keylee Anderson, 10, and Benny Mace, 13, the proper arm positioning in 'sculling,' a technique important for swimmers in catching water with not just their hands, but also with their forearms while performing butterfly, breast and freestyle strokes.

Cheyenne Coffman used to swim in the Yosemite High School pool, competing against the Badgers when she lived in Prather and was a member of the Sierra High swim team. She was named the North Sequoia League MVP swimmer four times. She also played...

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Archive by category ''Brian Wilkinson

BRIAN WILKINSON

Clean Sweep

The shores of Bass Lake were a lot cleaner last Saturday after nearly 70 volunteers participated in the 15th Annual Bass Lake Spring Clean. More than 150 large plastic bags of trash was collected between 9 a.m. and noon and brought to Recreation Point at
BRIAN WILKINSON

Ending the year on a high note

Toes were tapping and hands were clapping throughout the The Yosemite High School Music Department's free "End of the Year Concert" May 9 in the school's cafeteria.
BRIAN WILKINSON

Department head responds to grand jury report

Kelly Woodward, director of the Madera County Department of Social Services, has sent an 11-page response to a grand jury report that was critical of her department.
BRIAN WILKINSON

Disappointment in closing of Sierra Lanes

Mountain Area bowlers, volunteer coaches and parents were not happy to hear the recent news that Oakhurst's Sierra Lanes would close June 7. The bowling alley that has served the Mountain Area for the past 27 years, will be converted to a Grocery Out
BRIAN WILKINSON

Yosemite High valedictorians honored

Yosemite High School's 17 valedictorians for 2013 -- seniors who will graduate June 7 with 4.0 cumulative grade point averages or higher -- were honored May 2 during the 27th Annual Paul & Martha Pitman Awards Banquet at Sierra Meadows Country Cl
SPORTS

Fisherman almost released $10,000 fish

Pete Antonino, 83, of Fresno, caught a $10,000 trout last Saturday during the 30th Annual Bass Lake Fishing Derby and almost threw it back in the lake.
BRIAN WILKINSON

State Assembly ratifies state/Mono casino compact

North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians took another big step towards a casino on Highway 99 near Madera May 2, as the State Assembly voted 41-12 to ratify the compact between the state and the tribe. Twenty-seven assemblymen did not vote on the issue.
BRIAN WILKINSON

Fitness center will fill Gottschalks space

After sitting empty and lifeless for three years in the heart of Oakhurst, the retail space that housed Gottschalks in the Raley's shopping center, will soon be the home of Form Fitness, a $2 million state-of-the-art fitness center.
SPORTS

Talented Twirlers

Alessandra Stone, 15, and her sister Angelina, 13, are national champion baton twirlers from Fresno -- Not a big surprise since their mother is former world champion twirler Yolanda Castellanos-Stone. Yolanda won her title in 1982 in Tokyo at age 18.
BRIAN WILKINSON

Destination Highway 41

When Coarsegold artist Rita Alvarez heard about the "HWY 41: Destination California," a Fresno art exhibition featuring paintings created within 50 yards of the travelled highway that stretches from Yosemite's entrance to Paso Robles, she k