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"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...
You've heard of omnivores, vegetarians and vegans and you probably have an idea of what these terms mean. But, a newer term "locavore" may be unfamiliar. Actually, the word locavore has been around for 10 years and current momentum promoting sustainable communities by "eating local" has pushed the locavore movement. The locavore chooses to eat only locally grown and produced food or as much locally produced food as possible. "Local' is often defined as grown or produced within a 50 mile radius...
Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, and available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates across Alaska to share information about issues and specific bills of concern. Teleconferences are scheduled 9:30 to 11 a.m. every other Thursday and weekly during the last month of session. The remaining 2016 meeting dates are February 11 and 25; March 10 and...
February marks the opening of TaxAide sites around Alaska. The AARP Foundation TaxAide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns for most low and middle income taxpayers, with an emphasis on seniors and disabled taxpayers. 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....
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s focus: National American Heart Month. Feb. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 23, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If y...
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 (Feb. 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Feb. 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Feb. 4, 11, 18, 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...
What do you do when you need an extra hand for a household chore and neighbors, friends or kids aren't available to help? In Fairbanks, there's a new organization for older adults that can be the answer. Aging at Home Fairbanks (AAH Fairbanks) has launched this month after a year of preparation, as part of the national Village movement. Susan Poor, co-chair of the board of Village to Village Network, spoke about the national movement at the Fairbanks kickoff event in November. In 2005, the NY...
Dear Senator Murkowski: The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) is gravely concerned about the proposed 42 percent reduction to the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), from $52 million to $30 million, at a time when Alaska and our nation has witnessed unprecedented growth in our older adult populations. Alaska’s population of people age 65 and older, who number 71,080 and growing at an annual rate of 6 percent, is projected to more than double by 2030 to 152,740. Alaska’s growth rate of the 65+ population is more than 2.5...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s focus: “What topics would you like discussed in 2016 support meetings?” All caregivers should attend and help direct the support program by sharing your training needs and areas of interest to your situation. If you are unable to attend, please call and give your input. Jan. 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.. Jan. 19, Careg...
Why hibernate when you can enroll in a class or activity and make some new friends? Anchorage learning opportunities Anchorage-area seniors can sign up now for winter session classes offered by OLE (Opportunities for Lifelong Education). Although there is no minimum age requirement, classes are geared to adults age 50 and older. Courses begin Jan. 11 and are held in classrooms on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus, along with other locations around town. OLE membership is required to enroll, however members may take as many classes as th...
One of Alaska's early pioneers, who died 33 years ago this month at age 99, left his mark on early Alaska transportation. Robert E. "Bobby" Sheldon built the territory's first automobile, drove the first car down the Richardson and opened the first auto stage line. Born in 1883 in Snohomish, Wash., Sheldon and his father arrived in Skagway along with thousands of others in search of golden riches. The pair postponed their plans when they learned the Canadian government required each person...
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. 12 and 26), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 6 and 20), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Jan. 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...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold its quarterly meeting Dec. 9 in Juneau, with the meeting videoconferenced at sites around the state. Public attendance is encouraged. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; the Pioneers’ Home Advisory Board; Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education; the Long Term Care Ombudsman and Adult Protective Services; UAA Geriatrics and the Ala...
The numbers associated with food waste are nothing short of staggering. Americans waste 35 million tons of food per year. This isn't just a loss of food that might otherwise feed us. Growing, harvesting, transporting and storing of that 35 million tons also consumes fuel and degrades our air and water. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the National Resources Defense Council estimate that "as much as 40 percent of the U. S. food supply ends up in a dumpster." This is a 50...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in December. This month’s topic 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, 3 p.m. Dec. 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Please join and share your exper...
Tired of forgetting to start your car before you head to work on a chilly morning? Looking for a stress-free way to make your daily commute more manageable? Look no further than ridesharing. The Fairbanks North Star Borough has partnered with Zimride by Enterprise to offer residents a social ridesharing network. The new network allows people to easily find carpools from others in the area that share similar commute origins and destinations. In addition to simply sharing cars with two or three commuters, Enterprise Rideshare will be conducting f...
Sled dogs have a long and illustrious history in the North Country, from the early days of Native settlements to the gold-rush booms during the 1890-1900s. Natives of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and Siberia used dogs as winter draft animals for centuries. Russians arriving in western Alaska during the early 1800s found Alaska Natives using dogs to haul sleds loaded with fish, game, wood and other items. The Natives ran ahead of the dogs as they guided them on the yearly trips between...
