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Features for Saturday, November 25, 2006
To many adults, opera can be daunting.
Big bucks, big bang from Playstation 3
Video games aren’t a recent phenomenon, with blipping, beeping, joysticking roots stretching back to the days of the cathode ray tube. Today, games reach all walks of life and culture. We carry them in pockets, play them on cell phones, the backs of car seats, on office computers during work hours and yes, still on our televisions at home.
Coffee drinkers worship their cup of joe
ARLINGTON, Va. — America’s most finicky coffee drinkers tout their caffeine connoisseurship in many, often contradictory, ways. They spend a bundle at Starbucks, or refuse to patronize big chains. They only drink espresso, or decline any cup of joe they didn’t brew themselves.
Each fall young dancers from Sandy Nugent’s Napa Valley Dance Center begin working on holiday routines that they perform at retirement and nursing homes throughout Napa in December.
Illumination I: A depiction of light
Imagine capturing light and creating a sculpture of it. That mind-boggling feat is what artist Michael Somoroff achieved in his work “Illumination I.”
The 1806 directive from President Thomas Jefferson sent two young Army captains on a two-year, 6,000 mile journey to explore the new Louisiana Territory.
Justin-Siena celebrates anniversary with play
As a gift to the community to celebrate Justin-Siena High School’s 40th anniversary, on Dec. 7 the school presents a free performance of “Thérèse: The Story of a Soul,” a play written and produced by alumnus Leonardo Defilippis.
Dreamweavers reopens 25-seat ‘Black Box’ with ‘Tuna Christmas’
Split-second costume changes, live sound effects and side-splitting comedy are on the bill as Napa’s Dreamweavers reopens its intimate Black Box performance space with “A Tuna Christmas,” by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard.
Nnenna Freelon is a name to learn
So, you’re not familiar with singer Nnenna Freelon? Well, you ought to be, and if you’re not, you likely will be one day soon. She is exceptional.
Fiddler Bonnie Rideout and A Scottish Christmas come to Mondavi Center
What’s A Scottish Christmas? It starts with acclaimed fiddler Bonnie Rideout’s plaintive version of “Oh Come, Oh Come Emanuel,” runs through a lively program of Scottish carols, wassail tunes, jigs and reels played by a quintet of outstanding Celtic musicians, features a pair of dynamic Scots dancers, and closes with stirring chorus of Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne.”
Talented singer and friends deliver sublime tribute to ’60s at Copia
Imagine, if you will, an entertainment event where every aspect comes together perfectly, just as the artist intended.
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair opens Friday
Bid farewell to the frenetic shopping malls of the 21st century and steal away to a bustling Victorian wonderland of holiday merriment and cheer when the Great Dickens Christmas Fair kicks off Friday at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Featuring hundreds of costumed players, winding lanes filled with shops, pubs, delicious fare and colorful characters from literature and history, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a Victorian Christmas Card come to life.
A.C.T. continues a Christmas tradition with ‘A Christmas Carol’
A Bay Area tradition for 30 years, American Conservatory Theater’s “A Christmas Carol” opens Dec. 5 in San Francisco and runs through Dec. 24.
Gerald Boyd, first black managing editor of The New York Times, dies at 56
NEW YORK -- When Gerald M. Boyd was named managing editor of The New York Times, he knew he would set precedents: He was the first black journalist to hold that post, one of the top jobs at one of the world's most distinguished newspapers.
Betty Comden, famed Broadway lyricist, dies of heart failure at 89
NEW YORK -- Their 60-year collaboration was such that many believed Betty Comden and Adolph Green, whose musicals won five Tony Awards, were married.
Loretta and Katey were unfazed by the heated competition, and Ripley simply enjoyed being combed.
Great Lakes, Ill. -- Calvin Ross Gee, a 2006 graduate of Napa High School, has completed his basic training for the Navy at Great Lakes, Ill. He's now attending electronics school in Illinois, specializing in radar operations.
Education
United Methodist Women's Mini Thrift Shop
Taste of the Valley: Farm opens at Carneros Inn
Intending to express the rich agricultural traditions of Carneros, Farm, the new restaurant at the upscale Carneros Inn, is now serving lunch and dinner daily.
The Phantom Fork: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Vallejo
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.
There’s something a bit smug about turkey.
NEW YORK — When Lucinda Scala Quinn was growing up, her family stuffed its turkey from both ends.
An Indian looks at Thanksgiving
During my first fall in the United States, someone asked me what Indians do for Thanksgiving.
Green beans: Something mild, something wild and something in between
Which is worse? Green bean casseroles or steamed green beans with butter? The former usually is insipidly gooey and not even remotely retro enough to be ironically cool. The latter is, well, steamed green beans with butter. Hard to get excited about that.
Online and hot line help for holiday cooks
The stuffing is dry, the turkey is pink and your relatives are irritating. Rather than let your holiday dinner turn disastrous, consider reaching out to the many groups that offer kitchen help. Their advice can’t fix your loved ones, but it could prevent you from hospitalizing them.
The right cranberry sauce makes a great garnish
No, it isn’t as easy as opening a can.
Try pumpkin pudding for a delightful dessert
If you’re hoping for tips on how to make your Thanksgiving dinner a low-cal, low-carb affair, tough. Embrace the horror — Thanksgiving is all about carbs, and with those carbs come loads of calories.
Memorabilia: How much to keep?
Worried about getting the blade through your holiday meats and fowl this year? Sharpen your carving knife and be the envy of your duller-knived neighbors.
When one problem home becomes the neighborhood's problem
Recently we attended a meeting of our county Board of Supervisors, which addresses such complex issues as transportation and development, and such seemingly minor ones as what to do about homes that are blighted or pose health or safety hazards.
The cranberry jelly on your Thanksgiving table could have been made from berries that you harvested yourself, right in your own yard. And you wouldn't have needed to slide into a pair of hip boots to wade out into a bog.
It takes a village to convene a truly magical miniature Christmas
It's late November, and Christmas has come to Beth Pitkin's sideboard.
Tips for getting started on your Christmas village
This year, augment your holiday decorations with something new
Decorating for the holidays is supposed to be fun. If you're not excited about pulling out the ornaments and tinsel this year, it might be time to do things differently.
In preparing your house for sale, early vigilance can save you some cash
When Linda Lehman decided to sell her 30-year old home, she worried that years of deferred maintenance would come back to haunt her.
St. Helena Hospital
Lisa Rice of Napa and Trent Jorgensen of Point Arena were married Oct. 14, 2006, at Anchor Bay at Mar Vista Cottages.
CALDERON -- Luz Calderon vs. Ignacio Calderon, Nov. 6, 2006
PAZ-RESENDEZ -- Paul Ramirez Paz, 45, Minahen Street, Napa, to Shannon Renee Resendez, 37, Minahen Street, Napa.
Kristen Mitchell and Joseph Longoria of Napa were married Aug. 5, 2006, at St. Apollinaris Catholic Church.
Residents of Loma Linda, Kristi Amato and Mark Brown announce their engagement with plans to marry today, Nov. 19, 2006, in Angwin.
Shannon Savage and Jim Skurner, both of Houston, Texas, announced plans to marry on May 19, 2007, at the Silverado Resort and Country Club. The bride's parents are Carole Savage of San Antonio, Texas, and Joe and Linda Savage of Napa. The bride graduated in 1994 from the University of Texas and in 1997 from the University of Houston Law Center. She is employed by Old Republic National Title Co. in Houston, Texas, as an attorney.
Jack and Barbara Peterson of Napa celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 5 in Carmel. Time was spent with family vacationing in Carmel, where the couple honeymooned. The couple married on Oct. 6, 1956, and have been in Napa County for 36 years. Jack and Barbara met at the U.S.O. in Oakland, where Barbara was a hostess and Jack was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Alameda.
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