September 2025 Edition

Down the Hobbit Hole on a writing retreat

Lawrence D. Weiss, For Senior Voice

Air taxis are scary. I like new experiences, but I hoped this one would not be my last. I sat quietly in the unadorned waiting area at the air taxi terminal in Juneau-gritting my teeth and contemplating mortality. Then a guy behind the counter walked briskly into the waiting area, twirled his finger in the air and bellowed, "Time to go. Let's board the bus." The bus took eight or nine of us to the seaplane gently bobbing in the water next to the tarmac. As I awkwardly climbed in through the...

First oil rush fueled the rise and demise of Katalla

Laurel Downing Bill, Senior Voice Correspondent

Generations of Alaska Natives made use of thick, black goo oozing out of the hills and beaches in the Last Frontier long before white men "discovered" oil. Sources say Northern Natives burned the tar-like chips, and Southeastern Natives used it for war paint. Oil shale was used in knives and labrets. The Russians knew of Alaska Peninsula oil seeps as early as 1860, but at this time whale oil was the important fuel. Oil from rocks was ignored. When Russian fur trade declined, the Russian...

Squeezing the best out of summer berries

Maraley McMichael, Senior Voice Correspondent

I can still remember the day my mother announced that we were going to make jam. I was perhaps 12 years old and the oldest of four siblings growing up in Glennallen. I don't remember what kind of berries we used or where they came from. But the other details certainly stuck in my mind-washing the jars, measuring the sugar, adding the Certo at just the right time, pouring the jam into the jars, and finally adding a layer of hot wax. Mom made very few batches of jam, but that one lesson stayed...

100 years young and living up to his name

Yasmin Radbod, Alaska Commission on Aging

Editor's Note: National Centenarian's Day is Sept. 22. The day honors those who've celebrated 100 birthdays or more. If that's you, happy birthday! We're publishing several profiles of people who have hit this milestone this month and in following months. The Alaska Commission on Aging is working with the Governor's Office, Pioneer Homes and Long Term Care Ombudsman to celebrate Alaska's centenarians. See page 25 for another centenarian profile. At 100 years old, John F. Strong has truly lived...

Now is a good time to hire an older worker

Jim Warren, For Senior Voice

Every year, the Department of Labor designates the last full week of September as National Employ Older Workers Week: Sept 21-27, 2025. The NEOW Week recognizes the vital role of older workers in the workforce, and it highlights the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which provides on-the-job skills training for seniors, 55 and older, with limited financial resources. SCSEP was authorized under the Older Americans Act of 1965. Here in Alaska, SCSEP is known as Mature Alaskans...

103-Year-Old Esteline Moe finds the good life in Alaska

Yasmin Radbod, Alaska Commission on Aging

Esteline "Estie" Moe, who has lived in Alaska since 1947, turned 103 this summer, celebrating her birthday with neighbors and family. When asked what the key to a long life is, she simply says, "You have to milk cows." Estie was raised on a farm in northern Minnesota, the eldest daughter in her family, and did chores alongside her father and two brothers. With 40 cows on the farm, she would milk ten cows every morning before breakfast and every night after school, shovel manure, and stack hay....

Kodiak seniors visit Coast Guard base

Senior Voice Staff

In August, Island Cove adult day care program participants had the opportunity to attend a field trip to U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak. Lt. Jeff Batchelder gave participants a tour of the hangars on base, answering questions and providing photo opportunities. Afterward, participants enjoyed pizza at the bowling alley and arrived back safely to Island Cove. Island Cove offers a safe, caring, and active environment for seniors and adults with special needs. The program supports participants'...

Lifelong learning opportunities abound this fall

Paola Banchero, Senior Voice

The Organization for Lifelong Education, commonly known as OLÉ, has a full schedule of classes and activities this fall for Anchorage-based learners. In Fairbanks, a program through the University of Alaska Fairbanks also offers courses. Sandra Christopherson is one of the founders of OLÉ. She a group of friends thought Anchorage needed more opportunities for adult learners. They put together a nonprofit in 2007 with that aim, enlisting people known for getting things done, such as Gretchen...

  • Create your emergency medical file now

    Christian M. Hartley, For Senior Voice

    When a medical emergency happens, you may not be able to speak for yourself. That's why having an emergency medical file ready is one of the smartest things you can do to protect your health and safety. An emergency medical file is a simple folder or envelope that contains all your important medical information in one place. You know all those questions the EMTs and nurses and doctors ask so often? It's because the answers are key to the care you need. This file is your medical story told...

  • Seeking better outcomes for women with breast cancer

    John Schieszer

    A new AI-based breast cancer software has received FDA Breakthrough Device destination, accelerating the path to approval. The system analyzes mammograms to produce a risk score estimating the likelihood that a woman will develop breast cancer over the next five years. The technology is compatible with both types of mammogram imaging available: the four 2D views of the breast produced by full-field digital mammography and the synthetic 3D view of the breast produced by digital breast...

  • UAA researcher studies malnutrition among older adults

    Paola Banchero, Senior Voice

    Amy Urbanus was already an assistant professor in the dietetics and nutrition program at the University of Alaska Anchorage but missed working with patients. So she started working with patients at the Anchorage Senior Activities Center, putting in about 20 hours a month to address seniors' nutrition needs. That work, and a professional career as a diabetes educator drove Urbanus to seek a Ph.D., which she is completing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She designed her own...

  • Fueling yourself the right way for healthy aging

    As we age our nutritional needs change. Paying attention to the foods we consume can keep our energy level, vitality, cognition, stamina and strength, and prevent chronic health problems. Strategies to increase or to maintain muscle mass and its functional capacity are essential to preserve the quality of life of aging adults. Here is a quick guide for aging well. 1) Boost protein intake-it helps to preserve immune system, prevent the loss of muscle mass and strength and helps to aid recovery....

  • Common Medicare open enrollment notices

    Sean McPhilamy, Alaska Medicare Information Office

    For those of us enrolled into Original Medicare (Parts A & B), most of us have also enrolled into one of Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). Each year, we may make changes to this prescription coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, for changes which will then go into effect from Jan. 1 onward. Leading up to this open enrollment, you will start to receive notices with information relating to any changes in your plan for the...

  • Does Medicare cover ambulance rides?

    Jim Miller, Savvy Senior

    Dear Savvy Senior, A few months ago, I took an ambulance to the hospital emergency room because I had a nasty fall at home, but just received a hefty $1,050 bill from the ambulance company. Doesn’t Medicare cover ambulance rides? - Frustrated Beneficiary Dear Beneficiary, Yes, Medicare does cover emergency ambulance services and, in limited cases, nonemergency ambulance services too, but only when they’re deemed medically necessary and reasonable. So, what does that mean? First, it means that your medical condition must be serious enough...

  • Prepare yourself and your ride for Alaska's winter

    Dimitra Lavrakas, Senior Voice Travel Correspondent

    More and more people are getting stuck in their cars due to floods or snow storms because of severe changes in the weather. There's also troubling, more frequent rock and landslides that can trap you. Be prepared for anything. As someone who's traveled throughout Alaska, the Yukon Territory, the Norwest Territories in Canada, and up and down the Alaska Highway to the Lower 48, I know being prepared not only saved me some discomfort but also discomfort for fellow travelers. A courtesy of the...

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