Articles written by Lawrence D. Weiss
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The two lives of Anchorage's (and Denali's) Nancy Bale
When and why did you come to Alaska? I was swept up in that back-to-the-land movement of the late 60s, early 70s. And so was my husband at the time. He had gone to Alaska a couple of years prior. We...
Series: Working past retirement in Alaska
This interview was conducted on Oct. 8, 2023, at Village Inn in Anchorage. Wilson Justin, please tell us a bit about your early history. Everybody calls me Justin, but it doesn't make much...
Series: Working past retirement in Alaska
This is the third in a series of interviews with Alaskans who have continued to work beyond the usual age of retirement. In this article, Bill Weiss, Physician Assistant (a mid-level health care...
Anchorage's Jeanne Ashcraft
Jeanne Ashcraft started out as a school librarian, but for the last 10 years she has been operating Ashcraft Historical Transcription in Anchorage. She's 80 years of age now, and periodically thinks...
Series: Working past retirement in Alaska
This is the first in a series of interviews with Alaskans who have continued to work years beyond the usual age of retirement. In this article, Anchorage resident Ken Helander discusses why he worked...
'All the lonely people' includes many of us
"Ah, look at all the lonely people." -The Beatles You hear him talk or you read his words and you think, "Now, this guy's a real mensch." It's all the more amazing considering that Dr. Vivek Murthy...
Relax and let the driver take you to your destination
First, I'm going to tell you a true story. Then we'll talk about how your public transit driver can pick you up and take you where you want to go for free, or sometimes for just a buck or two. In the...
Retiree benefits for Alaska veterans and their families
There is a vast array of benefits for retired veterans and their families, but “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Not to worry, we will point you in the right direction. I recently interviewed three Alaskan experts on the topic and...
Artificial Intelligence: Bright side and dark side
I periodically listen to a New York Times podcast called "The Daily." A recent show was entitled, "The Online Search Wars Got Scary. Fast." Of course, I had to listen to that one. In this episode the...
Can new Medicare patients find a doctor in Anchorage?
We feature here selections from two interviews. The first is with Deborah Bear, Anchorage senior activist, who presents her experiences and views regarding access to primary health care as a senior wi...
An interesting take on ageism in the Alaskan workplace
Alaska is getting older every day. We expect by 2030 that 30% of us will be 55 and older and still in the workforce, so Alaska has a different issue. We are trying to bring retirees back into the workforce. – Rita Gray, MASST I had a most...
Anchorage dietitian spills the beans
"Don't be afraid of the dietitian." – Amy Urbanus You eat every day, but are you eating the right stuff? Find out here. And don't be afraid of the dietitian. Amy Urbanus has been a Registered...
New findings about assisted living for Alaska seniors
One fine day in early November I grabbed Jim McCall, who manages the Senior Office of the Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation (AHFC), for a friendly Zoom chat. His subject: The just-released Anchorage Assisted Living Survey. The following...
Electric vehicle was a good choice, says Alaskan
Richard Sewell came to Alaska in 1981 for a job at the Municipality of Anchorage as Regional Economist. He owned a couple of seafood businesses, and subsequently went to work in 2004 for the Dept. of...
Retirees with pensions energize rural Alaska
“Expenditures made by retirees of state and local government provide a steady economic stimulus to Alaska communities and the state economy.” – National Institute of Retirement Security, Pensionomics 2021 Tourist greenbacks coming to Alaska...
My adventures at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix
The surgery I needed this summer was not available in Alaska. I could have had it done in several places in the lower 48, but I picked Mayo Clinic because of its excellent national reputation. It is the number one ranked hospital by U.S. News and...
Spawned out salmon: A personal reflection
It gives me a good feeling to spend my final days surrounded by family, friends and lovers. We are a great generation. We all were out at sea for our five year migration and life cycle. Most of us didn’t make it back. But look around... We are the...
Fourth of July in Alaska 100 years ago
The following selections were published in Alaska newspapers July 1922. Nonstandard spelling and punctuation are presented as found in the original articles. Glorious Fourth Nome Nugget, July 8,...
News items from 100 years ago in Alaska
The following are selections from newspapers across Alaska, published in June of 1922. The laws of nature Editorial, Seward Gateway, June 14, 1922: Seward - Complaint was made in Seward this week that...
Telehealth is increasingly likely in our future
A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in a telehealth session with a physician assistant to discuss an upcoming visit to a local Anchorage clinic. I couldn't help but notice that it looked like s...
Beyond COVID: When do we get back to normal?
A couple of years ago we had a normal life. Since then, we’ve had a pandemic. No matter what our life was like then, it is now more isolated, more lonely, more expensive, more fearful. When do we get back to normal? I have wishful thinking, but...
A hospice chaplain considers Valentine's Day
Bianca Rauch has been a hospice chaplain in Anchorage for many years. In this interview she talks about Valentine's Day, the loss of loved ones, grief and remembering. Valentine's Day is coming up....
Pandemic tales: Bread machines and submarines
The pandemic has created a nation of baking maniacs. To wit: According to Bookscan, 200,000 more bread cookbooks sold in the U.S. in 2020 than in 2019. by April, and continuing through July 2020,...
Americans are united on the value of a pension
I am talking about the traditional pension, the kind of pension that allows you to retire with dignity. The kind of pension that pays a retirement income based on your salary and the number of years you’ve worked for the employer. This is known as...
Straight-talking Alaska pharmacist on COVID and seniors
Coleman Cutchins is a clinical pharmacist with Department of Health and Social Services. He has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is board certified in pharmacotherapy, the treatment of disease with...
