Readers of her three popular Napa Valley mystery novels know her as Nadia Gordon. The book jacket photos show a stylish young woman with a model's cheekbones in a fanciful feathered scarf.

In Napa County during the last five years, an increasing number of children have been receiving needed dental care, and more families been able to get affordable health insurance. Home visits to new moms have encouraged more breastfeeding, which helps build a child's immunity to diseases. More preschool children have been learning to love books by reading with their parents.

Laughter and conversation drift through an open door in a Third Street building behind the First Presbyterian Church of Napa. Inside, people are seated at tables, steaming trays of food in front of them. Some of them are talking, some moving to music in headsets, some checking on babies in strollers. They are men and women, old, young, Caucasian, Hispanic and African-American. Many are dressed neatly and eat in quiet dignity, posture straight. Others have a harder time focusing on the task. All are grateful for the meal.

This month we will focus on jewelry: How to choose it , what to choose and why.

NEW YORK -- Linda Wells takes beauty seriously. It's the key to Allure magazine, which Wells has led as editor in chief since the magazine launched 15 years ago.

NEW YORK -- The late spring and early summer are ideal times to expand the family -- to include a new dog.

I was about 11 years old when Mr. Whelan would drop me off in downtown Napa on the corner of First and Main streets to sell Sunday newspapers. Once dropped off at 9 a.m., I was on my own until 1 a.m., when he picked me up. I had to make arrangements for food or my own calls of nature and I learned to improvise. It was worth it because I could make as much as $5 in that one day.

Education

Zanone promoted to corporal Michael Zanone of the United States Marine Corps has been promoted from lance corporal to corporal. Zanone entered military service in March of 2004, and is currently deployed to Al Anbar Providence, Iraq. Corporal Zanone is with C Company, First Battalion, First Marine Regiment. Marines with C Company are supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and are charged with continued security and stability operations, and are combining with Iraqi police to conduct anti-insurgent patrols. He is the son of Dana and Christine Zanone of Napa and he graduated from Napa High School in 2001./Register

For Jordan Williams, 12, having her art displayed in an art show was an amazing experience.