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All Aboard: The Alaska Railroad Centennial On view May 5, 2023 – Feb. 18, 2024, Anchorage Museum Atrium, first floor. Opening in the centennial year of the completion of the Alaska Railroad, this exhibition created in collaboration with Alaska Railroad historians and experts looks at the history, impact and legacy of the railroad through archival images, objects and ephemera. Examining three key eras of railroad history spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, the exhibition highlights crucial m...
As we joyfully bask in the extended daylight hours of the Land of the Midnight Sun this July, let’s not forget that this month is also UV Safety Month. We Alaskans cherish our unique summers but it’s crucial to remember that the risk of harmful UV radiation exposure is real and can increase, especially for those enjoying the outdoors or planning trips to sunnier locales. Exposure to UV radiation, whether from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds, can cause significant health issues. It’s the leading cause of skin cancer, inclu...
Family Caregiver Support Programs offer free support meetings to allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (ARA) organizes caregiver support meetings around the state, including Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau/Southeast, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su Valley, Seward, Sitka, S...
One spring morning during breakfast, back in 2003 when we lived in Slana, my husband Gary said, "I turned the oil stove on out in the greenhouse. Let's move plants today." "Fine," I replied, glad to get the seedlings in the upstairs room and the front porch out of the house. This was our second season to have a garden and greenhouse in Slana. The greenhouse was his domain and the vegetable and flower gardens were mine. We didn't plan it that way; it just happened. When I was a kid growing up in...
It seemed like it would never happen, but the snow is gone and you can take to the road to check out all the great summer fairs and festivals Alaska has to offer. This year, try voyaging in a direction you've never gone by taking the Alaska Marine Highway to Cordova, Haines or Ketchikan, and be treated to bubble feeding whales, porpoises trailing alongside and breaching belugas-all at no extra cost. Here are some fairs and festivals to put on your list. Southcentral Anchorage Love My Pet Fest,...
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 late 1990s Christy (my wife) and I lived for nearly a year in Huntsville, Alabama, while I did research for a book I was writing. On weekdays she took our car to her job, and I took a city bus to the law office where I was doing the research. After a few months I got to know the bus drivers pretty...
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (ARA) organizes caregiver support meetings around the state, including Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau/Southeast, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su Valley, Seward, Sitka, Soldotna, Talkeetna, Willow. Call 1-800-478-1080 for details. ARA also hosts a statewide call-in meeting on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of every month, 1 to 2 p.m. For information, call Gay Wellman, 907-822-5620 or 1-800-478-1080. The Homer caregiver support group meets at the Homer Senior Center on the second and fourth T...
Registration is open for this year’s Alaska International Senior Games, taking place Aug. 5-13 in Fairbanks. The online registration portal is at www.alaskaisg.org. The annual event brings together athletes and recreation enthusiasts age 50 and older from all around the state and beyond. This year’s events include archery, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, ice hockey (co-ed), indoor shooting, mini golf, pickleball, power walk, road race, swimming, table tennis, team toss, tennis, track and field and triathlon. Com...
Thousands of gold seekers flooded into the North country during the late 1800s and settled around new towns such as Nome, Juneau and Dawson. Several also streamed into Cook Inlet. They hacked out primitive trails connecting scattered camps and eventually unified the region between Cook Inlet on the south and the Talkeetna Mountains on the north, and the Matanuska River on the east and the Susitna River in the west. Although few of the prospectors who entered Cook Inlet became rich, by the early...
Recently, a press statement came in from online travel guide Travel Lemming that reported on national parks ranked by affordability, accessibility, biodiversity, crowds, reviews and weather. The overall rankings of Alaska's National Parks are: Kenai Fjords, No. 13; Katmai, No. 21; Denali, No. 36; Wrangell-St. Elias, No. 39; Lake Clark, No. 43; Glacier Bay, No. 48; Gates of the Arctic, No. 62; and Kobuk Valley, No. 63. All eight of Alaska's National Parks were in the top 15 for crowds. Gates of t...
May has arrived, and as we welcome the warmer weather and blooming flowers, let us also take a moment to recognize the importance of mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is dedicated to raising awareness for mental well-being. Mental health is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being, as it encompasses our emotional, psychological and social wellness. Our mental health influences how we think, feel and act, and plays a significant role in our ability to cope with stress, relate to others and make d...
Noel Wein Library in Fairbanks will close for renovations starting May 1, according to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Libraries website. The renovation work is expected to last about 10 months. During that time, library services will continue at other locations in town, including North Pole, and a new location will open temporarily on June 1 at Joy Community Center, 24 Margaret Ave. The book mobile will continue service at its regularly scheduled times and locations. Books on hold will continue to be picked up at the Noel Wein location...
This coming Memorial Day, it seems fitting to honor the sacrifice that America's brave military made in the Aleutians 80 years ago this month. Under the mistaken belief the Doolittle Raiders had taken off from an air base in the Aleutian chain to bomb Tokyo during spring 1942, Japanese forces bombed Dutch Harbor two months later. They then proceeded to occupy the islands of Kiska and Attu, although most Americans had no idea the enemy was entrenched on our soil – no enemy had occupied A...
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 moderator interviewed a long-time NYT technology analyst, Kevin Roose. Roose is normally a rather blasé "been-there-done-that" kind of guy when he discusses the latest whiz-bang developments in technology -- but not this time. He was freaked out and shaken up. Here's what happened. Bing is...
As part of the Anchorage Age Friendly community initiative, AARP Alaska is covering the tuition for seven Alaskans to be a part of the Walking College through America Walks. The Walking College is a six-month, distance-learning fellowship program designed to build the capacity of local advocates to create and expand livable, walkable communities. At the end of the course each fellow will develop a walking action plan for their community. Two Alaskans have already completed the Walking College course: Charles Bingham from Sitka and Maja...
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to reduce the stigma associated with alcohol addiction and encourage people to seek help if they need it. Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease that affects millions of Americans and can have serious consequences for their health, relationships and well-being. There are many resources available in Alaska to help you find treatment and recovery support: ARG Addiction Treatment Centers: This is a network of outpatient and residential treatment facilities that offer evidence-based programs for alcohol...
Family Caregiver Support Programs offer free support meetings to allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member or friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend. The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office is located at 35477 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 205 (located in the 4D Professional Building). You can call them at 907-262-1280. Call with suggestions and...
Spring weather makes me think of summer's influx of visitors to our wonderful state and I am reminded of our years living in Slana running a bed and breakfast in our home. My husband Gary and I provided a home away from home for many people from 2001 through 2006. Each year was busier than the one before, until we stopped serving the public due to health reasons – first my dad's and then my own. I was surprised how disappointed I was to close our business when we did. I had doubts back in 2...
Have you ever wondered how the mall that sits at Northern Lights Boulevard and the New Seward Highway got its start? This Anchorage landmark opened its doors to the public for the first time 55 years ago. When shoppers streamed into The Mall, then Alaska's largest shopping center, on Jan. 31, 1968, they found a covered, weather-conditioned facility anchored by Sears Roebuck Company at one end and the newest Carr's Quality Food Center at the other. The Mall was the brainchild of Lawrence J....
I will admit to being an enthusiastic, nutrition-minded cook with a penchant for making twice as much as my household can eat and often neglecting many purchased fresh edibles until they appear fit only for compost. Just this week, my countertop fruit bowl with tomatoes, avocados, apples, oranges and limes, transformed from beautiful and welcoming to "oh, no, I've done it again," with a couple overripe avocados and a seriously deteriorating, bruised apple. Even though none of us likes to throw f...
If you're a senior, family member of a senior or social worker, you know the frustration of trying to find availability in long term care. With long waitlists for senior housing across the state, Timber Creek Senior Living is welcome news not just for Fairbanks, but for the state as a whole. As the aging population continues to grow across the state, seniors and families sometimes feel left behind as senior services and care communities are not keeping up with the growing demand. Timber Creek...
March is National Kidney Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. and the National Kidney Foundation are urging everyone to take healthy steps to protect their kidneys. An estimated 26 million American adults have kidney disease, though most don’t know it. To protect your kidneys, you should get tested for kidney disease, reduce the use of NSAIDs (over the counter pain medicines), cut down on processed foods, exercise regularly, and control your blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are major risk factors for developing k...
How to stay healthy in Interior Alaska for those age 50 and older is the focus of “Fairbanks 50+: The Art and Science of Aging,” a two-day summit April 7 and 8 at the Pioneer Park Civic Center. The event aims to inspire a healthy path to growing older, according to a press release from organizer Foundation Health Partners, a program of the Community Health Improvement Plan for Senior Care. “The better we understand what it takes to support our goals as we age, the more likely we are to enjoy wider choices and fewer surprises. We also reach out...
Thousands upon thousands of travelers have been stuck recently in transportation hell due to a number of problems. Whether it's weather, lack of airline employees, FAA system failures, it's a real bummer. Stalled before even boarding There is nothing more chilling for a traveler that to arrive at the airport and see "canceled" up and down a flight monitor. That's what happened on Dec. 22, when a bomb cyclone hit the upper Midwest, shutting down 2,700 flights on Dec. 22 and 5,700 the next day....
Alaska Health Fair’s Spring 2023 schedule is now online, with most events already posted on our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org. Please check back frequently, as the new season is fluid. We continue to add new dates as they come available and rarely postpone one. We have provided services to Alaskans for 43 years and continued helping residents see to their needs over the past few difficult years. We offer a selection of draw dates from our offices to a handful of February community events as our busy schedule ramps up for a busy spring. W...
