Eight courageous teenagers from Napa County filled the Napa Valley Opera House with music Saturday night as they vied for the title of “Idol NV.”

Formed by four veteran wine country musicians, OM-i will bring its world beat/fusion jazz to Copia next week.

A full house was on hand for the opening weekend of Dreamweavers’ 2007 season. Neil Simon’s delicately crafted “Prisoner of Second Avenue” was on the bill.

Fun is the focus as the Lincoln Theater kicks off its 50th anniversary with four shows for the whole family ranging from the live stage performance of E. B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” to the exciting high-tech laser magic and comedy of “Lazer Vaudeville.”

BEVERLY HILLS — Nine foreign-language films are a step closer to Oscar.

When the Oscar nominations are announced next week, they will undoubtedly omit some of the year’s most fun and lively performances. Among them:

PORTLAND, Ore. — Gus Van Sant, director of “Good Will Hunting,” pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of drunken driving and reckless driving. He was ordered to a Feb. 9 alcohol diversion hearing.

Every day, passersby stop to stare at the unusual cattle at Stewart Ranch in Napa.

Education

America’s current love affair with the cuisine of Spain, as well as the extensive Latin American pantry, is being explored in depth this month and next at Copia.

Churros, those tasty bits of dough fried in oil and rolled in cinnamon and sugar, get even better dipped into a cup of hot chocolate, and the combination is a sure-fire way to take the chill off these wintry days.

When the Smithsonian opens its exhibit celebrating the American wine industry, among the items on display will be the suitcase and a stack of books that Mike Grgich took with him when he left his native Croatia in the 1950s, setting out to make his mark on wine history.

The economic impact of America’s grape industry, including winegrapes, was more than $162 billion in 2005. More than 23,000 farms, 90 percent of them smaller than 100 acres, in all 50 states grow grapes, on 934,750 acres.

Silver Oak Cellars winemaker Daniel Baron has specially blended a full barrel of 2006 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon for the auction at the Vintage High School Athletic Boosters Crab Feed on Saturday.

To brighten our drab winter days, Mother Nature sent us brightly colored, juicy fruits called citrus. Those luscious round orbs of yellow, orange and green are reaching their peak for picking.

For The Associated Press

Americans weary of costly commutes and eager to live near essential services are increasingly interested in mixed-use developments, according to the American Institute of Architects.

We thought we'd share some of our best tips to help ring in your new year, home improvement-wise. We hope you find these tidbits as useful as we do.

NEW MARKET, Va. -- Residential lawns that need mowing in Virginia well into December. Plum trees blooming in the heart of Boston around Christmas. Michigan lakes still free of ice in January. Topsoil not yet frozen in central Maine.

One of the gardener's greatest delights is savoring homegrown fruit. There is no comparison between fruit bought at the market and fruit picked fresh from the gardener's own tree. Imagine biting into a warm, fragrant peach, the sweet juice bursting in your mouth and so abundant that it drips.

The Register is compiling a story about Napa Valley residents who've had rats, mice, raccoons, squirrels and other wild invaders in their homes. If you'd like to share your tale, please e-mail it to Sasha Paulsen, features editor, at spaulsen@napanews.com or send it to her care of the Napa Valley Register, P.O. Box 150, Napa, CA 94559. Submissions should be less than 250 words./Register

Copia's Director of Gardens Colby Eierman and Head Gardener Geoff Palla will hold a workshop on winter pruning 2-3:30 p.m. Jan. 21. They'll be pouring hot mulled wine for participants to sip as they they review the fine points of pruning in the winter for health and vigor.

Bill Griffiths and Melanie Rashbaum, both of Orlando, Fla., were married on Nov. 11 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Walt and Joan (McMullen) Jinks of Napa celebrated 50 years of marriage Dec. 16. The first part of December, they were accompanied by friends on a Mexican Riviera cruise. On Dec. 16, they had a family dinner party at Don Giovanni's.

Courtney McGraw of Napa and Jourdan Carter of Vallejo announced their engagement with a wedding planned for May 12 at Napa Elks Lodge. Courtney is the daughter of Don and Kris McGraw of Napa and the granddaughter of Paul Miller and the late Marge Miller of Napa and Ron McGraw and the late Janet McGraw of Vacaville.

Emily Marie Thomson and Zachary Austin Dollar have announced their engagement with plans to marry in Boston in fall 2008. The romantic proposal took place at the Boston Common in Boston, Mass., on Dec. 27. They live in Santa Barbara.

Robyn Elizabeth Stanley and Michael James Mathison, both of Napa, were married in the late afternoon of Sept. 30 at St. Helena Catholic Church. The bride wore her grandmother's diamonds and was walked down the aisle by her brother, Ian Stanley. Her cousin, Lisa Fryer, served as the vocalist. At the beginning of the reception, which was held at a private vineyard estate, a tasting of the first vintage that the bride and groom made together was served.

Kelly Kent and Abraham Rodriguez, both of Napa, announce their engagement to be married.

Joseph Anthony Schmitz and Sara Dawn Kvidahl were married the evening of June 24, 2006, at St. Helena Catholic Church.

CARR-WHITE -- Joseph Carr, Lucina Street, 75, American Canyon, to Magdelene White, 74, Lucina Street, American Canyon.

St. Helena Hospital