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.

• Career corner: Are you looking for a job where you can play video games all day? Do you have “experience with children” and “strong communications skills”? If so, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board is looking for you. The agency, which assigns ratings to games based on violence and sexual content, placed an ad on the GamerDad Web site seeking full-time game reviewers.

“Wild Hogs” — Biker buddies Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy are not all that wild, and more importantly, not all that funny.

The world premiere of “Red Books: Our Search for Ellen White,” an original production by Pacific Union College faculty and students, takes place on Saturday at the new Alice Holst Theater in Stauffer Hall on campus.

Back when games were regarded as kid stuff, there were plenty of furry mascots hopping around.

“The Double Bind” is simply one of the best written, most compelling, artfully woven novels to grace bookshelves in years. Immediately after the spellbinding surprise ending, readers will want to begin again at the first page. It’s THAT good.

Sweet is probably the last word you’d expect to use in describing a film about an aging black man who chains a young white woman to a radiator to cure her of her demons.

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.

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.

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

Hundreds of medical and scientific research studies have been published during recent years, all attesting to the benefits of red wine in association with health.

The number one Elzar Ramirez was wearing at the beginning of the contest merely signaled he was first on the list of the 47 skilled farmworkers who had gathered at the Gamble/Beringer vineyard Yountville Friday to test their pruning skills against others.

Stave Wine Lounge, the downtown Napa automated wine tasting venue, celebrates its first anniversary with a party March 9, 6-9 p.m. Stave will be serving free samples of its new savory Wine Bites menu at the party.

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

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.

Even if you don’t produce commercial crops, the office of the Napa County agricultural commissioner has valuable information for you. Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer Dave Whitmer and his staff are happy to share a wealth of knowledge on subjects such as pest prevention and management, protecting the environment and the accuracy of weights and measurements.

On Monday I had the pleasure of participating as an instructor in a fruit tree-pruning seminar sponsored by the California Arborists Association. A non-profit organization of professional arborists, CAA promotes training, education, and high professional standards of practice in tree care. The fruit tree-pruning seminar was one of many workshops and events on their calendar for 2007.

Most mornings this month, you’ll find me in my garden feeding, grooming and generally trying to coax my roses into putting on a superior floral extravaganza. My garden will be on the Napa County Master Gardeners’ Garden Tour on June 3, so the pressure is on to get my 350-plus roses to look their best when visitors arrive.

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

I’ll tell you right now that you’ll be sorry for reading this.