The trio Red Molly is set to perform Jan. 12. Photo courtesy of Pistol River Concert Association

Since 2004, this Americana trio has been bringing audiences three-part harmonies, crisp musicianship (dobro/banjo/bass/guitar), and an engaging stage presence.

The band consists of Laurie MacAllister (bass, banjo), Abbie Gardner (dobro, banjo) and Molly Venter (guitar).  This year, the group was invited to open multiple shows for music legend Willie Nelson, and appeared at the venerable RockyGrass festival in Colorado.

They perform original works composed by each of the group members, as well as covers of other songwriters including Hank Williams, Gillian Welch and Ryan Adams. Their enthusiastic fans are known as “Redheads.”

Tickets are $15 each and are available at The Book Dock in Harbor, Wright’s Custom Framing in Brookings and Gold Beach Books. A $5 student discount or refund is available at the door.  For ticket reservations or more information, call (541) 247-2848 or visit www.pistolriver.com.

Red Molly was formed late one night at the 2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Three solo singer-songwriters were the last ones left at a song circle; they liked the way they sounded together and decided to form a band.  The name Red Molly is taken from a character in the Richard Thompson song, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” 

From the start, the trio got attention with its lively, engaging stage performances. The musicians have performed on National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage.

Known as the “Master of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar,” Keola Beamer performs Jan. 11 in Crescent Elk Auditorium. Photo courtesy of Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness

Considered the “Master of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar,” Keola Beamer is one of Hawaii’s premier singer/songwriters,  arrangers and composers.

He has recorded and produced more than  20 albums. His considerable talent springs from five generations of one of Hawaii’s most illustrious musical families.

Beamer will be accompanied by his wife, hula master Moanalani, who also chants, sings background vocals and plays ancient Hawaiian percussion instruments.

Tickets cost $18 for general admission, $15 for seniors 65 and older, $12 for students (K-college, full-time) and will go be available at the door and at Del Norte Office Supply in Crescent City and Wright’s in Brookings.

 For more information, call DNACA at (707) 464-1336.

Smith River School band students made the rounds before starting their Christmas vacation, spreading holiday cheer through music performances. They played their 10th mini-concert in one day recently at the corner of Third and H streets, led by Marshal Jones, director of the music department at Smith River School. “The kids are tired, but they’re working hard,” said Charlene Knowlton, a sixth-grade teacher at the school who joined the outing.

Martha Johnson has one wish for 2103.

She’s hoping the quest for New Year’s resolutions leads a few retired professionals in Del Norte to the doorstep of the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program.

 “We need to recruit some volunteers, and retired professionals are our best bet because they are able to understand the technical information we deal with and they’re comfortable with computer technology,” said Johnson, the HICAP manager. “Understanding Medicare is not for sissies.”

The program provides free, unbiased Medicare counseling to 30,000 Medicare recipients on the North Coast. In the nine benchmarks HICAP is evaluated on for service, the HICAP for Del Norte and Humboldt counties has the “exemplary” rating that is tops, but Johnson is troubled by those HICAP doesn’t reach.

“We get to about 10 percent of the North Coast beneficiaries,” she said. “We need more volunteers, and we especially need volunteers in Southern Humboldt, in Willow Creek, and in Del Norte.”

Del Norte used to have two volunteers. Now, it’s zero. Nada. Zip. No one based in Crescent City to serve the county’s 5,000 beneficiaries. It’s the same story in many rural areas, where the lack of access to HICAP services can mean hundreds of dollars in additional costs to Medicare beneficiaries who are confused by health insurance plans and options that are ever-changing.

Example: Johnson and the 10 people she supervises, six of them volunteers, are less than three weeks removed from the chaos of Medicare’s annual enrollment period.  

From Oct. 1 through Dec. 7, HICAP conducted 1,455 individual appointments, fielded 1,524 phone calls, and completed nearly 300 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan worksheets. Nearly half of HICAP’s annual caseload takes place in the 10-week race to help clients find the plan that gives them the best coverage at the lowest cost.

Joe Hamilton School

• Honor Roll (1st Trimester):   

Kylie Dugan, Ashley Mickee, Madison Douglas, Solo Sylvia, Gavyn Tweed, Dixie Ault, Eli Bighead, Monique Camarena, Jacqueline Gutierrez, Isaiah Labrasca, Kiana Lee, Kevin Lo, Ninadee Mattz-Mena, Trenton Sample, Keng Thao, Pa Thao, Priya Prajapati, Damian Dowd, Conner Long, Ethan Raby, Brannon Ralphs, Jeffrey Scrimsher

• Perfect Attendance (1st Trimester):  

Mayra Aguilar-Pettit, Angel Marquez, Humberto Caldera, Sierra Isbell, River Bighead-Ridenhour, Jonathan Alejos, McKenzie Hooper, Dylan Hurley, Zephyr Hussey, Erick Marquez, Timothy Levy, Amy Montano, Sharayia Bowdish, Joshua Diffey, Seth Elliston, Dryden Willson, Kelly Xiong, Douglas Bighead, Amy Bogard, Damian Burkleo-Cullum, Megan Levy, Elisabeth  Mickee, Daniel Willson, Sabrina Xiong, Kylie Dugan, Priya Prajapati, Eli Bighead, Destannie Brown, Kevin Lo, Timothy McDonald, Oscar Bowdish, Rilee Cox- Caldera

• Character Counts:   

Ezequiel Gonzalez, Devin Moua, Lilli Oliver, Evan Woodruff, Jasmynne Brown, Ezekiel Guana, Chance LaFazio, Maichi Lee, Jacob Simmons, Pha Thao, Sage Wilson, Franky Lee, Cynda Thao

• Star Readers: 

Tiara Sample, Carson Taylor, Patience Diehl, Mia Duval, Safina Hakchaleun, Christopher Doane, Alondra Hernandez, Damien Jacobus, Anthony Garcia, Douglas Bighead, Daniel Gillis, Alana Stickles, Ronnie Evans, Madison Douglas, Tucker Castro, Ethan Raby

• Star Writers: 

Europe Lor, Nakai Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Schlect, Sophia Jager, Erick Marquez, Emma Tweed, McKenzie Dugan, Jasmin Wilson, Sterling Moon, Sabrina Xiong, Jenesa Gonzalez, Konner Kissinger, Emma Pardue, Jovanni Gonzalez-Avila, Leita Lawrence, Toni Parker

• Star Mathematicians: 

Dayden Ennis, Diego Richcreek-Cruz, Brianna Brooks, Deborah Bausch, Justice Smith, Caleb Dikes, Jordan Thao, Jasmin Wilson, Pepper Grubbs, Rylan Thompson, Elisabeth Mickee, Marcus Landeros, Cheyenne Grubbs, Kevin Pardue, Ashley Mickee, Travis Bailey, Arelli Proctor-Steele

A cat amid the carrots. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

Days are so short and the temperature is low, the garden is practically an outdoor cooler, the vegetables seem to be suspended in time. It’s a neat picture, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, beets, leeks and kale all in long rows taking the abuse of rain, wind, and frost but still prevailing. The vast majority of fields are planted in cover crop and slowly but surely it fills the field with a sea of mixed greens.

If you planted your winter gardens and cover crop a bit late, you may see little signs of growth and feel your green thumb has turned brown.  Most likely you can get different results in the future if you start sooner in the season. When you’re busy with the booming summer garden and all the tasks and bounty it entails, take time to plan and perhaps start seedlings for your winter garden.

For more information about winter gardens, we recommend books by Elliot Coleman (fourseasonfarm.com). Located in Maine, Coleman is known for his skills and techniques of year-round gardening without any use of supplementary heat.

A purple cabbage. Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson

• Dormant spray your orchard

• Rake leaves and work your compost

• Review the season as a whole (note successes and failures) 

• Research seed catalogs

• Figure out a crop rotation so each vegetable will be planted in a different spot from last season

• Make infrastructure improvements

• Bundle up your water pipe lines and tender perennials to protect them from hard freezes

• Plant some bulbs for early spring color

• Can or preserve any remaining abundance (think applesauce, apple butter and so much more)

• Order some winter reading material (Acres U.S.A Books puts out a great catalog to choose from)

Scott and Ana Congdon

Ana Embry and Scott Congdon were married Sept. 14, 2012, at Centerville Estates in Chico.

Ana is the daughter of Jane and Alan Turner of Fortuna, and Gavin Embry of Grants Pass, Ore. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations and journalism from Chico State University and is employed as a copywriter for Roberts Resorts.

Scott, son of Clark and Chris Congdon of Crescent City, holds a bachelor’s degree in resort and lodge management from Chico State University. He serves as director of guest services at Kimptons RiverPlace Hotel in Portland.

Wedding attendants included maid of honor Danielle Embry; bridesmaids Amy Below, Melissa Monson, Caroline Fearrien and Lindsay Congdon; best man Chachi Gonzalez; and groomsmen Tim Dodson, Danny Barnts, Jeff Nettleton and Alex Gonzalez. The couple’s 14-month-old son, Miles, walked the bride a part of the way down the aisle.