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Moving from Alaska to Minnesota was both difficult and easy. In a way, I figured I had done enough time in the Great Land and there are lots of wonderful things to see in the other 49 states. I spent nearly 49 years in the 49th state. I lived in Fairbanks from September, 1967 to August, 1976, when I moved to Anchorage. Moving to Minnesota was easy because I grew up in Faribault, graduated there, and my nephew still lives there. My grade school chum, Marie, still lives in Faribault. Moving to Minnesota was difficult because I made so many...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in August. This month’s focus is National Health Center Week, with presentations by Peninsula Community Health Services of Alaska. Aug. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Aug. 30, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your e...
This year's 12th Alaska International Senior Games will be held August 12-21 in Fairbanks, with the opening ceremony and gala games kicking off at 6 p.m. at the Fairbanks-North Star Borough Birch Hill Recreation Area. The event begins with a torch lighting ceremony, lead by the senior athlete Bettie Upright, 101 year young! Since 2003, AISG has attracted participants from across the United States and several other countries to compete in everything from disc golf and road races to ice hockey...
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 (Aug. 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Aug. 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Aug. 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 Jun...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in July. This month’s focus is part two of last month’s “End of Life Care and Letting Go,” featuring a DVD presentation with Teepa Snow. July 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 19, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. July 26, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your e...
We've all had them, those that hit the road for long stretches. And naturally in Alaska, where drives can stretch for days, scary road trip experiences are something we all share. Like that night at 2 a.m. in a blizzard traveling the windswept road across Kluane Lake in the Yukon, and through frighteningly named Destruction Bay in British Columbia, where my night was spent at a motel with no proprietor, just an envelope and keys to the rooms (chair up and under the door knob for security, thank...
What is more wonderful than a gloriously 70 degree temperature on an innocent day in June, especially when I am writing this on May 15 in Anchorage, Alaska? For those of you who do not believe in climate change, I feel sorry for you. I have been living in Alaska for 48 years and I have never seen a springtime like the one we are now having here. It is not so good for the fishermen and the rest of the people who live on the northwest coasts of our largest state, because they are losing land to...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in June. This month’s focus: End of Life Care and Letting Go, featuring a DVD presentation with Teepa Snow. June 7, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 14, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 21, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. June 28, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, o...
This is the second article in a multi-part series about diabetes self-management programs offered in Alaska. Type 2 Diabetes, a disease characterized by abnormally high blood sugar, is among the most common chronic diseases. People of all ages suffer from type 2 diabetes, but older adults are more likely to be diagnosed with this disease and experience diabetes-related complications. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce your risk of developing this disease, and it’s also easy to get screened. For more information about prevention and s...
Alaska Health Fairs’ spring series of health fairs wrap up this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45 and panels 27 different tests f...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in May. This month’s focus: Home safety for people with dementia. May 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. May 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. May 31, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your expe...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct its quarterly meeting May 5 in Palmer at Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 S. Chugach Street. 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 Alaska Senior Hunger Awareness Campaign; Mat-Su Council on Aging; Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; Long Term Care...
Citing low public interest and little need, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre vetoed a resolution to create a senior task force on Feb. 23. The resolution, brought forward by senior advocate Peter Zuyus and Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly member Kelly Cooper, was intended to form the task force to serve as a resource for seniors in the Kenai Peninsula. “We wanted a pathway for seniors to ask questions and offer commentary on the borough level,” said Zuyus. “Other boroughs have similar setups, and there are no representatives from...
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 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 5, 12, 19, 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 Juneau Soc...
Alaska Health Fairs’ spring series of health fairs are underway, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45 and panels 27 different tests for c...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in April. This month’s focus: Proper body mechanics and back safety. April 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 19, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. April 21, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. April 26, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to s...
"I didn't want to leave Fairbanks. I love my town." – Karen "I came back to Fairbanks after moving to Oregon. I came back to live here, at Raven Landing. It was like coming home. I had never really wanted to leave." – Patti "This community, this place, this is my family." – Patricia This was one happy, congenial group, residents of Raven Landing, gathered for dinner one mid-March evening in the community's large, light-filled dining room. (There was much laughter when one woman at the table...
The Fairbanks Senior Recognition Day returns to the Carlson Center this year on May 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy a delicious free lunch (seniors only), enjoy presentations and entertainment, gather information, and see who wins the Outstanding Volunteer and Lifetime Fitness awards. Transportation is available through the Fairbanks Parks and Rec Senior Program, but you space is limited. To reserve a seat, call 459-1136. For more information, visit www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/pr/Pages/Seniors.aspx ....
SStaff 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 (April 12 and 26), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (April 6 and 20), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (April 7, 14, 21 and 28), 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...
Native corporations, cruise lines and state ferry bargains bring Alaska to you on the cheap this season. First off, get a Puffin Pass through Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s travel subsidiary CIRI Alaska Tourism by applying for it online at www.ciritourism.com/puffin-pass. I know, many of you may not have access to a computer, and although they used to mail a Puffin Pass card out, it's paperless now, with newsletters sent to your email. The good thing about the pass is you can use it for visitors and...
Alaska seniors age 65 and older can receive a tax exemption on the first $150,000 of the value of their home, thanks to the state-mandated Senior and Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption. Different municipalities around the state have different deadlines to apply. Some communities offer more generous exemptions. To qualify, all applicants must have turned 65 on or before Dec. 31, 2015, and must own and occupy the exempted property as their primary residence. The Anchorage Municipality application deadline is March 15. Applications are...
We are not afraid of the ides of March anymore, since the IRS beckons us now to the ides of April. For the many questions I have been asked about the differences between Medicare and Medicaid, I will explain. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs like nursing home care and personal care services, for some people with limited income and resources. You may be eligible for extra help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), even if your income...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in March. This month’s focus: National Nutrition Month. March 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 15, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. March 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your e...
Denakkanaaga in February announced a new Native language tool for people interested in learning Gwich’in or Koyukon-Athabascan. Denakkanaaga is the Fairbanks-based regional non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of and for Alaska Native elders of Interior Alaska. In a Feb. 2 press statement, the organization explained that through a language revitalization grant from Doyon, Limited, Denakkanaaga has produced an everyday language video series in which elders teach commonly used words in the two Interior Alaskan dialects. The video c...
I remember the morning of 9/11 when I woke out of a deep dream that my truck was in the emergency room for repair but it was so full of people I had to abandon it, then there was a long stairway that dropped to nothingness so I popped into a bar on one of the floors and the bartender said, "Last call," as the ceiling began to lower. Really, no fooling. That day changed America, but it was in Alaska and the small town of Skagway where it seemed most apparent. Pre-9/11, you could cross the border...
