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Gov. Dunleavy's FY2022 budget includes the same fiscal agenda he has long promised: budget cuts. Released on Dec. 11, 2020, the FY2022 proposal calls for the closure of six Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations around the state - Haines, Valdez, Tok, Delta Junction, Homer and Eagle River. Budget proposals are always debated and altered by the state legislature, meaning the proposed DMV closures - mostly located in rural communities - could be nixed in the final FY2022 budget. Nevertheless,...
Alaska Health Fair’s spring schedule is now online, with most events already posted at www.alaskahealthfair.org. Check back frequently, as the spring season is fluid. We continue to add new dates as they come available and/or remove some. During spring 2021, we are following our 2020 model of “by appointment only.” To make a blood test appointment, follow these easy steps: Find the program that serves your region; pick a date you’re interested in, select the “Make Appointment” button on that line. The system will walk you through a simple proce...
Not many 18-year-old girls that I know would take on the job of being "camp cook" for five construction guys. I don't know what gave me the idea I could do it. It just happened – the job fell into my lap. In 1974 my husband Gary worked for Mercer Construction and they had just finished a big job in King Salmon. The next job was remodeling bathrooms at Ft. Wainwright Army base and, after that, they were to remodel kitchens in the family quarters on Eielson Air Force base. We all moved up to F...
In March 2020, Alaska International Senior Games athlete Goldie Southwood made a decision that had a huge impact on her life. Goldie's big heart has led her to be an awesome volunteer in her North Pole community. However, she spent so much of her day helping others that she ignored herself and her health was declining. With COVID shutting her community down, Goldie was fighting depression. Using her time to think about herself for a change, she decided that her health was important to her. So sh...
A few years before Lady Luck showered riches on Clarence Berry, the "luckiest man in the Klondike" didn't have enough money to pay his room rent. Caught in the panic of 1893, he was broke. He couldn't ask his sweetheart, Ethel Bush, to marry him and saw no particular prospect of ever being able to do so. In the Fresno Valley of California, where Berry raised fruit, he seemed destined to a lifetime of hard, plodding work for a bare living. So when he heard of riches to be dug out of the earth in...
Growing up in a large family and ten years of dabbling as a caterer makes cooking for a crowd my default. Even with many intervening years, I still tend to cook much larger quantities than truly needed - smaller amounts just don't look like enough and my go-to recipes don't help. Prior to COVID-19 limiting the social circle, extra quantities might have been shared with co-workers or friends. But without these extra eaters, and considerably more home cooking than usual for my small, safe "pod",...
We are so happy to ring in the New Year and all that it will bring to Alaska residents. We hope that 2021 brings wonderful things for those in your world. Our seasonal schedule is still in the development phase, with some events already posted on our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org. Please check back frequently, as we will continue to add new dates as they come available and we firm up the entire season. To make a blood test appointment using our website, just follow these easy steps: Pick a date you’re interested in, select the “Make App...
Alaska Health Fair is closing out our fall season, so please check our website for remaining appointment openings and changes to the schedule, www.alaskahealthfair.org. Our offices statewide will be closed from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1. We plan to post Spring 2021 office draw dates on our website before the holidays. We will reopen all offices on Jan. 4 to start preparing for our spring season. We are available for community and worksite events -- arrangements must be determined on an individual basis. Call Anchorage (907) 278-0234 or Fairbanks...
With senior centers still closed for most activities, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all December peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in person. Different topics will be discussed at each meeting. Bring your questions and ideas.. You may also schedule one-on-one a...
Cabin fever came early this year for sure. With a vaccine coming available within the next couple of months, once we can go outside with some safety it'll be like the gift of an early spring. Meanwhile, consider getting some fresh air and sunlight by watching or participating in upcoming ski, skidoo and snowshoe races. It'll help with the blues and possible depression caused by the enormity of the pandemic's effect on our mental health. The calendar is out for races across Alaska. Visit...
With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all November peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in person. Different topics will be discussed at each meeting. Bring your questions and ideas. You may also schedule one-on-one appointments and if you have q...
Alaska Health Fair is almost at the end of the fall season. During November, we will offer services on certain dates in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and will continue to provide services until the second week of December. Our offices will be closed for some days in late November for Thanksgiving, and from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, for the holidays. We will reopen on Jan. 4 to start preparing for an active spring 2021 season. We continue to work through COVID, providing Alaskans affordable, comprehensive, private blood tests, as safely as possible....
Never before have there been so many tools available to older adults in Alaska for improving the safety of their home. Alaska has one of the fastest aging populations per capita in the nation, and the majority of Alaskans want to age in place like the rest of the country. However, the challenges are different in Alaska and they can make growing old in a single-family home especially difficult, according to Karla Zervos, who is a volunteer coordinator for the North Star Council on Aging Fairbanks Senior Center’s Helping Hands Home Modifications...
Alaska Health Fair is in the middle of a very active fall season. Though we aren’t holding traditional health fairs, we are continuing to provide appointment-based services to communities around the state. October events include multiple dates in Anchorage and Fairbanks, plus individual events in Delta Junction, Girdwood, Houston, North Pole, Palmer and Wasilla. Plus, we are holding many worksite events using the same appointment-based system. We continue to work through COVID and provide much-needed services to all Alaskans, as we have for 4...
With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all October peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its office at 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in person. Different topics will be discussed at each meeting. Bring your questions and ideas. You may also schedule one-on-one appointments and if you have q...
Every day, new steps are being taken to improve recycling programs throughout Alaska. Anchorage Solid Waste Services announced in August that it would start allowing recycled greasy pizza boxes as part of Anchorage cardboard recycling. That's because grease and small amounts of cheese in pizza boxes has no effect on the recyclability of the boxes. This rule change is just the beginning and currently different avenues are being explored to improve and expand Alaska's recycling programs. "We are...
Older workers play an increasingly important role in Alaska’s economy. The Alaska Department of Workforce Development in partnership with the Alaska Commission on Aging are launching “Strengthen Alaska Workforce by Employing the Older Worker” to raise awareness of the valuable resource older workers provide. Together with Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST), these agencies develop innovative strategies that assist seniors in obtaining employable skills and finding suitable work in today’s job market. Governor Dunleavy has proclai...
Alaska Health Fair remains open to provide the most affordable, comprehensive and private blood tests in the state, currently by appointment only. Do you have email or web access? Visit www.alaskahealthfair.org for easy, online appointment scheduling. Pick a preferred date that fits your schedule, under your region’s program. Select the “Make Your Appointment” button (on that date) and then pick a time. Type your name, email and cell phone, answer three quick questions and you will immediately receive an appointment confirmation by email...
Editor’s note: This schedule may change, due to coronavirus safety measures. Be sure to confirm with the host agency prior to visiting. With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all September peer support meetings on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., at its new office location, 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in per...
If you would like to improve your computer skills or take an art class, now is the perfect time. In Alaska, never before has there been such an opportunity to learn online and expand your mind by signing up for educational courses. OLÉ! Anchorage In Anchorage, seniors can sign up for fall session classes offered by OLÉ! (Opportunities for Lifelong Education). Although there is no minimum age requirement, classes are geared to adults age 50 and older. Courses begin September 28 and they are a...
While a Mi'kmaq friend has crossed into Canada to access his reserve in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, Canada, it has been difficult for a member of the Skagway Traditional Council. The council is a federally recognized Tribal Government for Skagway Tlingit and Haida Indians, Alaska Natives, and American Indians located in the Skagway Traditional Council service area. Tribal Administrator Sara Kinjo-Hischer said that a member had a moose hunting tag to use in Fairbanks, but was turned away at the...
It's a sobering thought for fans of classic film. The passing of Olivia de Havilland in late July, just three weeks after her 104th birthday July 1, represents the loss of the last surviving big-screen legend from Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s. While other actors are still with us who were indeed active in film during the 30s, Ms. de Havilland was truly the last A-list star from that era whose name could be bundled with the likes of Bogart, Gable, Hepburn and so many others. They are simpl...
Update: Alaska Health Fair requested the article below be updated with new details that arrived after the August print edition deadline. Online appointment registration now available Do you have email access (to a desktop, laptop, I-pad or cellphone)? Visit www.alaskahealthfair.org for easy, online, appointment scheduling. Pick a preferred date that fits your schedule, under your region’s program. Select the "Make Your Appointment" button (on that date); and then pick a time. Type your name, email and cell phone and answer three quick q...
Editor’s note: This schedule may change, due to coronavirus safety measures. Be sure to confirm with the host agency prior to visiting. With senior centers still closed, the Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold all peer support meetings in August at its new office location, 44539 Sterling Highway, Suite 202 in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. Social distancing will be respected, and masks will be worn at the office meetings, and virtual attendance via Zoom can be arranged for those who can’t make it in person. Different topics...
One morning in August 2012 I answered the ringing phone and heard "Hi, this is Kim. Gary and I have been picking blueberries in Hatcher Pass and we have more than we need. Could we bring you some?" Several thoughts jumbled through my mind including, "no, we can't accept that generous of an offer two years in a row, and yes, that would be so wonderful." Because of my health issues and our move back to Palmer, I picked not one berry during the fall of 2011. Now feeling much better a year later, I...
