July 2025 Edition
July 2025 Edition
Lamar McGrew is 74 years old and has been in Alaska since 2001. He went from being the stepson of a sharecropper to working hard at his own successful small business. Here's his story. Q. What brought you to Anchorage? A. My brother lives here, so I decided to come up and stay. I was going to stay a couple of weeks. I got to like it here, so I stayed. Where's home? I was in Albany, New York. I was born in Alabama, but I moved to New York as a teenager. Did you mention to me that in Alabama...
July is all about Independence Day and the multiple festivals across the state. Perhaps the most notable Fourth of July celebration is in Seward with the Mount Marathon Race. This is the 97th running of the race, which is 3.1 miles but goes straight up and (mostly) straight down Mount Marathon. The race has its origins when two men debated the possibility of climbing and descending the mountain in less than an hour. “Impossible” one said... For a more laid-back experience, consider going...
Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich, born in the Southeast Alaska town of Petersburg on July 4, 1911, often is hailed as a heroine in the fight to end discrimination against Alaska Natives. When she saw a sign posted on the Douglas Inn across from Juneau in 1941 that said, "No Natives Allowed," she wrote to territorial Gov. Ernest Gruening. "The proprietor of Douglas Inn does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the white boys to lay down their lives to protect the...
What is Alaska 211? Alaska 211 is United Way's statewide help line for information, referrals and assistance finding vital, available health and human services, community resources, government, and tribal assistance in the callers' communities. How did 211 come about? The first 211 in the United States launched in 1997, a joint effort of United Way Worldwide (formerly United Way of America) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems, or AIRS, in Atlanta. Three years later, the...
With the Seeing AI app, users can hold their phone up to an individual, and it will audibly describe what the person looks like, including their hair color, estimated age, and emotional state. By pointing the phone towards a product, users will receive a description of the product, its expiration date, and other relevant details. The app can also read documents and recognize various structural elements, including paragraphs, headings, and lists. The Ava app transcribes spoken words into text,...
Even if you lose at the Alaska International Senior Games, you win. "If you like to laugh and you like to have fun," said Diann Darnall, the president of the Alaska International Senior Games board of directors. "This is for you." The AISG are coming up Aug. 8-17 in Fairbanks. And though the early-bird registration ended June 30, there is still time to enter. A qualifying event The AISG is a qualifying event for the National Senior Games, which this year takes place July 24-Aug. 4 in Des...
When you have Medicare and another source of health care insurance coverage, you may at some point wonder, “Who pays first?” If you are like me, my first thought goes to the classic Abbott and Costello comedy routine, “Who’s on first?” and that is a much funnier topic. But with Medicare and other coverage, such as that offered by your employer, knowing which coverage is considered primary (and which then is secondary) can help to fully understand your covered insurance claims. Point...
We are fortunate to live here among the mountains, forests and vast natural beauty of Alaska. For many of us, hiking isn't just a form of exercise-it's a return to joy, spirituality, solitude, and connection. Whether you're getting back on the trail after a long winter or rediscovering hiking later in life, moving your body in this landscape can be deeply healing and rewarding. As a physical therapist, I see firsthand how physical activity supports not just longevity but vitality. It's not...
A large study is suggesting that women who consume caffeinated coffee in midlife are more likely to be healthy agers. However, tea and decaf coffee may not provide the same benefits. Additionally, researchers found that drinking colas was strongly associated with lesser likelihood of healthy aging. Researchers conducted a study with almost 48,000 women who were followed for 30 years. They found that a morning cup of coffee might do more than boost energy and could also help women stay sharp,...
Many Alaskans have a bucket list. Floating the Slana River by canoe was crossed off mine back in July 2002. What started out as a conversation at our weekly Bible study about doing a fun summer activity together turned into more of a community ladies' day out. Joy attended Bible study and at the time, she and her husband Steve Hobbs operated Huck Hobbit's Homestead and frequently took their guests on float trips down the Slana River. So they had the canoes, the equipment, and the experience...
Snowbirds are Alaskans who leave the state in the wintertime for some warmth and sun elsewhere, or it might be a couple of weeks to Hawaii to thaw out, get a tan, and eat fresh fruit. You'll return refreshed to face the remaining winter. Still, you'll be abandoning the most expensive item you've ever bought - your home. It's a sobering thought to consider what disaster might happen if you don't take precautions. To-do list 1. Winterize your plumbing Turn off the water supply at the main valve...
