Mayra Garcia and Matthew Wildberger were married on their third anniversary, June 14, 2008, in Fort Bragg, where the water is bright blue and the scenery is breathtaking. The couple’s youth pastor, Ben, from Hillside Christian Church, did the honors of officiating the ceremony.

Jill Kirsten McChesney Decker and Charles Whitney Applegate are delighted to announce their engagement to be married on Sept. 13, 2008, in Napa. The wedding will take place at Jill’s childhood home, the home of Kelly Decker and Erik Harvey in Alta Heights. Charlie’s sister will officiate the wedding.

KENWORTHY — James M. Kenworthy vs. Allison Williams, June 26, 2008.

QUEEN OF THE VALLEY

John Bardeen, son of Isabel Lenahan, a Napa Valley Unified School District employee, and Tom Bardeen, a business consultant, has received a full scholarship to attend the nation’s top science and engineering school, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass. The $40,000 annual award is renewable for four years. Bardeen has also been awarded a $3,000 annual scholarship by the American Physical Society to study physics at MIT.

Mason Thomas of the California Conservation Corps’ Napa Center is one of two corps members statewide chosen for an international work exchange in Siberia.

Casey Forrest Mongelli Richey graduated cum laude from Grace College with a bachelor of science degree in math: statistics. The commencement ceremony took place at the Orthopedic Capital Center on the Grace College campus in Winona Lake, Ind., on May 3.

When the Napa Valley Opera House opened in downtown Napa in the 1880s, local businesses supported the fledgling entertainment house by advertising on the stage curtain.

The National Society of High School Scholars announced the membership of Justin-Siena High School student Alyson Smith, of Napa, in the organization. The society recognizes top scholars and invites only those students who have achieved superior academic excellence. The announcement was made by NSHSS founder and Chairman Claes Nobel, a senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.

Vintage High School Class of 2001 valedictorian Griffin Hetrick has completed U.S. Navy jet pilot training. Hetrick qualified with 10 carrier landings on the U.S. Aircraft Carrier John Stennis at sea off San Diego on May 13 and was awarded his Navy Wings on May 30. He has been assigned to fly the Navy’s top of the line fighter — the F/A 18 Super Hornet at Oceana, Va.

Brett and Rebecca (Norman) Richter celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Chris Schaefer, a 2003 graduate of Vintage High School, was commissioned June 28 as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He attended Napa Valley College for two years, then transferred to University of California, Davis, where he joined ROTC. In June 2006 he spent five weeks at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, for Air Force ROTC field training. In March of 2008 he graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor of science degree in physics.

The Napa Valley Register publishes your photos of community events and people around town. Just send us a photo with your information and then look for it every Sunday in print and online.

Education

Having completed spring 2008 classes with at least a 3.4 GPA, Danielle Coker of Napa was recently named to the Dean’s List at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas./Register

Elizabeth Neumann of Napa recently graduated from the University of Portland with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. University President Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., conferred 607 bachelors’ and 162 masters’ degrees during the commencement exercises held May 4, in the Earle A. and Virginia H. Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, announced that Ben Bowman of Napa will be attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Thompson nominated Bowman for entry into West Point last year and celebrated his acceptance at a reception on May 28.

Hilary Margaret Burns of Napa has accepted membership in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She will be honored during an induction convocation this fall on the campus of University of California, Davis.

I have an energy rant stored up in me. It goes like this.