Father Gordon Kalil calls it “a great witness of the community coming together.” Those who’ve attended Armonia concerts in the past know the event is also great entertainment.

Artist Gretchen Kimball offers would-be painters a fool-proof opportunity to create a painting with her two-day plein air workshops in the valley.

Haven’t you secretly wished sometimes that you could just break out of your boring life for a while and go some place far away and really live? Take a vacation from responsibility and have a little wicked fun? That’s the premise of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” which opens this weekend at Napa Valley College.

Literature meets fine art this month when renowned Napa Valley artist Gilbert Wheat is featured in a one-man show at two venues in downtown Napa.

The North Bay children’s choir known as VOENA — for Voices of Eve’n’Angels — has sung its way to international acclaim over the past 12 years as it performed for two U.S. presidents, a pope and audiences from Carnegie Hall to China.    

A remarkable woman named Bernie Endrosolan, a Napan for more than 30 years, will celebrate her 60th birthday Sunday by competing in a triathlon “Escape From the Rock.” Starting from a point near “The Rock” (Alcatraz) she’ll swim to Aquatic Park, a distance of a mile and a half in cold Bay waters — and that’s just for openers. The triathlon continues on dry land with a 2 1/2-mile run to pre-parked bicycles, a 13-mile bicycle race and finally a 7 1/2-mile run to the finish line at Crissy Field.

Top right: Ali Amaral is announced as Justin-Siena's homecoming queen. The announcement came during half time of Justin-Siena's football game against Redwood High School. Bottom: Napa High School homecoming king Jose Calderon and queen Jennifer Keisling.

Napa Valley sees its share of celebrities — but few who owe their fame to autobiographical books.

Helping change attitudes toward those with mental illness is one of the goals of the Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health, held in September; the other is to raise money to research the causes of mental illness, and help find ways to treat and even cure this devastating problem.

Long ago, people believed that physical diseases were caused by sins or demons, but now we know that most are triggered by environmental factors such as microorganisms and chemicals. And recently, we’ve started to understand the important role in illness of defective genes inherited from our ancestors.

From Register Staff

“Get On Track” will take place at St. John’s Lutheran Church and the north field track at 3521 Linda Vista Ave. today, with open ceremonies at 12:15 p.m.

Care for some spinach?

The opportunity to cook with a Napa Valley chef can often be a big-ticket item. Visitors plans trips around a class, travel hundreds of miles and pay hundreds of dollars for a session.

Those not fortunate enough to be in Greg Cole’s cooking class at Napa Valley Language Academy will have an opportunity to work with the chef Oct. 28 at Copia when he discusses how to select a great steak.

Chef Greg Cole, Celadon, Cole’s Chop House

CONCORD, N.H.  — Love is looking for tractors. Endlessly.

Each Tuesday The Register reviews an area restaurant, with an emphasis on establishments where a couple can dine for $30 or less.  Reader suggestions are welcomed.

Kaiser Hospital Vallejo

DEBELL -- C. Debell vs. B. Debell, Oct. 4, 2006

MONTIEL BAUTISTA-VAZQUEZ ORTIZ -- Carlos Hugo Montiel Bautista, 30, Coombs St., Napa, to Noemi Aracelli Vazquez Ortiz, 28, Madrid Court, Napa.

Morris-Guerrieri

Stallcop-Perkins

Goymerac

For many years, airline pilot Denis Waldron encouraged his son to follow in his footsteps. Being a pilot is “an exciting profession,” he says. His son showed interest, and Mr. Waldron enjoyed introducing him to prospective employers.