Any fears that the Idol NV teen singing contest at the Napa Valley Opera House was becoming a predictable affair were smashed in just two electrifying hours Saturday night.

In need of a good laugh at political antics in D.C.?

As the project coordinator of Arts Council Napa Valley’s initiative to create a cultural plan for Napa County, I’ve been asked to write ongoing updates regarding the process.

Best known to a certain generation as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride” on the big screen, and to another as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on the TV series “Chicago Hope,” for which he won an Emmy, it was Mandy Patinkin’s Broadway pedigree that rang out at the Napa Valley Opera House on Friday night.

JERUSALEM — Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics.

Stone Bridge School, a Waldorf-methods public school, holds its annual benefit party and auction “Extravaganza 2007: Mardi Gras!” Saturday at the Meritage Resort at Napa. Proceeds benefit Waldorf-methods education in Napa and offset costs associated with the school’s move into its permanent home on the Salvador Elementary School campus in the fall of 2007.

This was not your routine wine and cheese reception for artists; the menu tended more towards juice boxes and animal crackers.

Because my daughter has a role in Napa High’s production of “The Music Man,” which opened last Friday at the District Auditorium, I had to recuse myself from writing a review, which is why Mike Waterson, editor of the American Canyon Eagle and longtime performer around the Bay Area, kindly agreed to take the job.

To purchase tickets for upcoming concerts, contact the Copia box office at 259-1600 or visit www.copia.org. The March lineup is:

It is not often that lovers of opera and lovers of a good ghost story can come together and enjoy a single stage work.

From Register staff

This is a big year for the Novak family and their Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery.

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ pruning contest has been re-scheduled for Friday at 8:30 a.m. at the Beringer Blass Gamble Ranch in Yountville. It was postponed because of the rain two weeks ago.

When it comes to motivating people to wash their produce before eating it, visuals seem to help.

It’s 90 minutes before dawn on a freezing January morning.

A sell-out crowd of some 600 retailers and restaurateurs spent more than $2 million Saturday for close to 200 lots of wine handcrafted solely for the trade attending Premiere Napa Valley.

There’s something incredibly homey about savory, saucy foods topped with bread baked in the juices of the dish.

If you’re searching for a spot that serves terrific comfort food, look no further than Napa’s Pearl.

Older homes have a history. We're lucky in Napa to have several historic districts that have houses brimming with interesting links and lineages. Some of these beauties have been turned into bed-and-breakfast establishments or inns.

>By BILL SILFVAST UC Master Gardener

One of the most popular kitchen appliances to come along in the last several decades is the garbage disposal. In remodeling nowadays, who would think of putting in a sink and not including a disposal?

NEW MARKET, Va. -- Live in an apartment long enough and you'll eventually embrace that old adage about there being no place too small to fit a garden.

There are few things worse than knowing when something is good for you, and will surely benefit you, yet you simply are not able to get yourself to do it. For whatever reason, you cannot muster up the energy or put aside the initial time to get yourself started on something that's been on your To Do list for ages. The "secret" to getting organized is all in the motivation behind it, and then having a deeper understanding of why you want to do something in the first place. By being mentally strong and realizing the power that you have within yourself to make the changes needed, you can create the right experience with the right people, and acquire the focus needed for you to conquer your clutter.

Bria Backhaus and Justin Schlottman, both of Vashon, Wash., announce their engagment to be married on April 22 in Foresthill.

Melissa Floss of Costa Mesa and Aaron Amavisca of Newport Beach announce their engagement to be married on Sept. 16 at Viansa Winery in Sonoma.

BERENT-CO -- Adam David Berent, 26, East Avenue, Napa, to Suzarrah Rebutar Co, 28, East Avenue, Napa.

Queen of the Valley