Eclipse mania has subsided. One friend advised me to make a pinhole camera with two sheets of paper, which I failed to do. But I should have, as the event proved somewhat underwhelming. I didn’t want to subject my long-suffering eyes to the hazards of direct observation, so all I noticed around 11:15 a.m. Monday was a subtle effect on lighting as the colors of vegetation and buildings took on that burnished bronze-ish tone usually associated with what photographers call the “magic hour” just before dusk. Hardly a life-altering experience, but lovely just the same.
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Spring weather might have arrived, but it won’t truly feel like spring until the Saint Helena Community Band performs its annual Spring Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the St. Helena Performing Arts Center, 1401 Grayson Ave. Admission will be free and the music will be splendid — I guarantee it!
People are also reading…
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Remember the PlayRead at the St. Helena Public Library last spring when Bruce Miroglio, Antonia (Toni) Allegra and Mara McGrath portrayed an Italian brother and sister and a lady at a dog park? Well, the trio is returning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, when UpStage Napa Valley presents “Life As I Knew It,” starring Bruce as a confused library reader seeking a lost book with a blue cover, Mara as a stern librarian and Toni as a bossy library patron. (This might be your only chance to encounter a stern librarian at the St. Helena library, which is exclusively stocked with warm and friendly ones.) Also expect a scene from UpStage’s next production, “The Sound Inside” by Adam Rapp.
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I’ll admit the title made me blush at first glance, but there’s nothing unwholesome about Sunday Swingers, featuring vocalist Kellie Fuller and the Mike Greensill Trio, at 7 p.m. April 21 at Blue Note Napa in the old Napa Valley Opera House. Kellie and Mike (St. Helena’s most accomplished pianist) will present swinging classics made famous by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. The band includes Mike, Ruth Davies on bass and Jack Dorsey on drums. Tickets are $20-$35, and advance purchase is strongly recommended.
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Sportago, Healdsburg Running Company and the Napa Valley State Parks Association are sponsoring a Patagonia Film Night at the Cameo Cinema at 6 p.m. Monday, April 22. Patagonia Films is “a collective of storytellers who make films on behalf of our home planet.” Short films will include “Running Up for Air,” “Wolfpack,” “Mile for Mile,” “Run to be Visible,” “Run to Salvar una Cuenca” and “Closer to Home.” Tickets are $10 at cameocinema.com and include a raffle ticket.
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In other Cameo news, mark your calendars for Sunday, May 19, when the Cameo’s Science on Screen series treats us to “Deep Rising,” a documentary said to be packed with astonishing underwater cinematography. Jason Momoa narrates the film and marine biologist Stephen Palumbi will be on hand for a Q&A. More details to come.
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Downtown merchants are holding their annual Sidewalk Sale May 3-5. Expect some unique deals. When I learn more details, so will you.
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The deadline is April 19 to apply for the Napa Valley Community Foundation’s Coppola Family Travel Scholarship, a one-time educational enrichment grant for local 10th- through 12th-graders. Learn more at napavalleycf.org (on the home page click "I'm a student").
