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The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct a quarterly meeting May 9 by way of videoconference and teleconference sites located around the state. Public participation is encouraged. The commission advocates for state policy, public and private partnerships, state/federal projects and citizen involvement on senior issues. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Riverview Senior Living Community in Juneau, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Juneau Independent Senior Housing...
While the Southeast town of Sitka claims the first U.S. Post Office established in America's new possession of Alaska in 1867, Circle City – located on the banks of the Yukon River – holds the honor for the first post office in Alaska's Interior, according to "Directory of Alaska Post Offices and Postmasters." Circle City's first postmaster, famous outfitter Jack McQuesten, was appointed on March 19, 1896. Mail had been carried by private mail runners that traveled along a route from the new...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (May 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 4, 11, 18 and 25), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s southeast communities can call the Juneau Soc...
As a one-time professional baker (only slightly famous), I am well acquainted with the magic of sugar – a comforting sweetness, a foil for bitter, spicy and sour flavors and an essential for moist, tender and light baked products. In my more recent role as a registered dietitian, I am also aware of the pitfalls of eating too much sugar – cavities, obesity, elevated blood sugar levels and increased risk of heart disease. We are pretty clear how sugar leads to obesity, dental decay and diabetes; b...
Editor’s note: This letter was mailed in February, announcing a new arrangement for providing senior rides in Fairbanks. Dear participant, parent or caregiver: I am writing to you today to let you know about a significant change to the way we offer our high-quality recreation programs. Parks and Recreation is excited to announce that we are partnering with Van Tran’s paratransit program, which will begin providing the transportation element of the Adaptive and Senior Recreation Programs, beginning April 3, 2017. Why are we making this cha...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. offers free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health,...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in April. This month’s focus is on the Senior Companion program, with coordinator Heather Daniels sharing about volunteers age 55 and older who make a difference by providing assistance and friendship to seniors, helping them remain in their homes. April 4, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 11, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 18, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center,1 p...
The Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission invites everyone to the annual Older Americans Month Kickoff Event at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center on May 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This free event features refreshments, entertainment, a special keynote speaker and presentation of the Ron Hammett Award for public service. This year’s theme is “Age Out Loud.” Support for the event is provided by the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Anchorage Senior Activity Center, Chugak/Eagle River Senior Center, Older Persons Action Group...
North Star Council on Aging, Fairbanks Senior Center and Senior Corps are very proud to announce the startup of our local Senior Companion Program. We were awarded a grant which makes this outstanding program possible and are currently rolling out in Fairbanks, closely followed by Delta Junction, and then we will expand to North Pole and Two Rivers. We are recruiting folks, age 55 and older, to volunteer helping seniors and disabled adults remain in their own homes as long as possible. The volunteers should have an income below $29,680 per...
When looking back at her career in theater, Diane Benson shares its surprising beginnings. "I wanted to be a diesel mechanic," she reveals with a laugh. "I had no intention, no ambition to be in the theater. "I couldn't get funding to get into diesel mechanics school," she says. She went on to have an illustrious career as a truck driver, one of the first female tractor-trailer truckers on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Fate took a peculiar turn when the Bureau of Indian Affairs popped up with a...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. offers free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join Alaska Health Fair when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in March. This month’s focus is caregiver training, featuring part two of a training DVD presentation with Teepa Snow. The DVD is titled “It’s All In Your Approach.” Training covers how a person with dementia perceives his/her environment and how to properly adapt one’s own behavior to increase communication and the care partner’s quality of life. March 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 14, Caregiver support mee...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s focus is caregiver training, featuring part one of a training DVD presentation with Teepa Snow. The DVD is titled “It’s All In Your Approach.” Feb. 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Feb. 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai S...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., begins the 2017 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging...
Since the Yukon gold rush days, a road from the lower 48 states (outside) to Alaska had been discussed but it took WWll to jump start the project. The Lend-Lease Act of 1941, which authorized the transfer of military equipment to our allies before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, necessitated the construction of a land link between airstrips in western Canada and Alaska. These airfields were for refueling and maintenance points for aircraft being ferried to Ladd Field (now Fort Wainwright)...
February marks the opening of Tax-Aide sites around Alaska. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns and anyone can use the service regardless of age or income. Sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and certified by Internal Revenue Service and AARP Foundation instructors to prepare basic tax returns. By using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, these taxpayers also avoid tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans. And the service is free. Following are the dates and hours...
When Archbishop of Vancouver Island Charles John Seghers journeyed down the Yukon River in November 1886, he had no way of knowing he would never return to civilization. The Catholic priest, who originally came from Belgium, had spent many years doing missionary work in Canada and Alaska. Seghers first came to Alaska in 1873, as it was included in his diocese. He made five visits to the Great Land and set up a temporary headquarters in Nulato. In 1878, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s focus is care coordinator services, with presentations by Annett Brookshire, a certified care coordinator since 2008. She will share her experience of growing from a caregiver into care coordinator. Jan. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, with Annett Brookshire,1 p.m. Jan. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, with Annett Brookshire, 1 p.m. Jan. 17, Caregiver support meeting at K...
While many Alaskans celebrated Christmas on December 25, others from the Pribilof Islands to Nikiski to Sitka observe Christmas in January. That's because they observe the Russian Orthodox Church calendar. The Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Julian calendar, where each day occurs 13 days after the corresponding day on the modern Gregorian calendar. So January 7 is their day of rejoicing the birth of Christ. The Alaska Native people's relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church dates...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Jan. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Jan. 5, 12, 19 and 26), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can call the Jun...
You may have heard some of the following claims: gets rid of wrinkles, great for weight loss, gives your digestive system a rest, detoxifies your body and cures cancer – these are some of the health claims that proponents of "juicing" make. This popular part of the 60s and 70s health food movement seems to be back, with fresh juices standard fare in chic, health-focused eateries. With all dietary emphasis on eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and the many tantalizing health claims, you m...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in December. This month’s focus is “How to Measure Vital Signs.”. Dec. 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m. Dec. 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meeti...
My two-year-old grandson is crazy about dinosaurs. So much so that we decorated his birthday cake with small brontosaurus, nanosaurus and T-rex replicas. He received an abundance of dinosaur-themed gifts, too, including dino sippy cups, dino books, dino imprinted T-shirts and a multitude of dinosaur toys. I went to bed that evening and dreamt about dinosaurs all night! When I woke up, I still was thinking about T-Rex and his buddies. Then something rang a bell in my memory bank about dinosaurs o...
As the centennial year for the National Park Service comes to a close, I want to share some of my favorite parks in Alaska because this state has the most parks, the largest park and the most varied geologically. With its 54 million acres in the state's eight national parklands, add on top of that national historic areas. Alaska has 15 prehistoric landmarks that are archaeological sites dating back to pre-European (also called pre-contact) time and 34 historic landmarks detailing the state's pas...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., closes out their Fall 2016 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health, thyroid, pr...
