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A lifetime of Halloween birthday parties
As all people who have birthdays on holidays know, there are good points as well as drawbacks. Through out my life, my birthday has always had an air of anticipation, excitement, and no lack of...
The new view from down here
Around the first of April of this year, I began using a wheelchair when I leave the apartment. This was an inevitability that I resisted, fought off for as long as I could. Admitting that I need a wheelchair struck me as “the last straw,” akin...
Grueling glacier trail births Valdez
After news of gold found in the Klondike spread during the summer of 1897, many people in the Lower 48 left their jobs and families to head north to search for their fortunes. And soon a hoax,...
Elvira's Halloween safety tips for pets
Disguised as little goblins, ghosts or ghouls, kids will soon be prowling the streets in their annual Halloween quest to extort candy from benevolent neighbors. But for some family members,...
Password managers, digital libraries, Google location privacy
Q. I have too many passwords to remember. I write most of them down and put them in a card in my wallet. How do you keep track of your passwords? A. Keeping your passwords in a wallet or purse is not safe. If stolen, not only does the thief have your...
Great news! Medicare is not going bankrupt
Who in Alaska is glad to hear that Medicare is not going bankrupt? Certainly the 84,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Alaska are glad to hear that Medicare is not going bankrupt. And by the way, not all those beneficiaries are elders. Medicare...
Connecting across generations to support elders
Whenever I tell people that I work in the field of aging, it raises more than a few eyebrows. I started working with the Diverse Elders Coalition before my 30th birthday, and even though I'm a few...
A soft spot for rebuilt school buses
One evening last winter while searching my TV recordings for a certain movie I wanted to watch, the words "Bus Life Ever" caught my eye. Curious, I clicked to learn more and soon was intrigued. It was...
Reindeer herding introduced to Alaska
U.S. Revenue Cutter Service captains saw a need for supplemental food for Alaska's Native people in the Last Frontier during the late 1880s, as whale and seal populations had diminished. And since...
The multitalented Richard Herd
A supporting actor for much of his film career, Richard Herd has worked with actors such as Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Robert Redford, Sylvester Stallone and Robert Duvall. He has also been a frequent...
Cautionary tales, and how to avoid dog-related injuries
True story: My husband and I are walking our two dogs on leash. Another couple is walking towards us with an unleashed dog. We step off the trail, heading slightly uphill. I place my dog in a sit and...
Adobe Flash, smartphone spies, tech tutorials
Q. I like to look at weather radar online but when I click on the radar site I get a message saying that Adobe Flash Player is blocked. What do I do? A. There are several possibilities behind why an application is blocked. Adobe is a reputable...
When Mom doesn't recognize me, I tie a knot and hold on
Editor's note: This article is part of an ongoing series provided by the Diverse Elders Coalition, focusing on different senior populations. I would have never believed there would ever come a time...
Alaska State Fair, a family tradition
My first experience at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer was back in the mid-1960s as part of a group of young 4-H girls from Glennallen. A couple mothers drove us in to Palmer to see our projects on...
Floodwaters fill Fairbanks, August 1967
Water in the Chena River inched up ever higher during July 1967 when 3.34 inches of rain, instead of the normal 1.84 inches, fell on Fairbanks. The city's 30,000 residents weren't too worried, though....
Beverly Washburn's favorite co-stars
Beginning her career as a talented child actress, Beverly Washburn worked alongside Hollywood's most popular actors and her list of favorites is long (see www.beverlywashburn.com). While she appeared...
iPhone radio, wireless speakers, yard sale apps
Q. I’m thinking I can rid my life of big, bulky speakers and use my iPhone to replace a skipping CD player. What would you recommend for listening to the radio in my house? A. Chances are excellent that you can find the stations you prefer streamin...
Blood Bank of Alaska vital to senior care
On February 15, the Blood Bank of Alaska (BBA) celebrated its second anniversary in the new facility it developed to serve Alaska’s patients in need. It has been a robust two years, and we continue to meet our primary objective of service to...
Long-term care's devastating toll on finances and emotional health
Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series provided by the Diverse Elders Coalition, focusing on different senior populations. The cost of aging in America is exorbitant, which my siblings and I are finding out firsthand through our...
The pros and cons of 'Right to Try' legislation
Congress managed to pass well-intentioned legislation recently allowing people with life-threatening illnesses to bypass the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain experimental medications. Unfortunately, it won’t do much to help the people...
Resurrecting details from a long-ago family hike
While looking for something else, I recently came across a photo that instantly brought back many good memories. In the photo, my Dad, my three siblings and I are standing by the Resurrection Pass signpost during the last family hike I participated...
Russian shipbuilding rises with the Phoenix
During July 1791, Alexander Baranof arrived at Kodiak Island to manage the fur exporting operation of Grigorri Ivanovich Shelikhov, who formed the North American Company. When he received orders to...
Eric Braeden is still the king of daytime drama
"The Young and the Restless" star Eric Braeden has been playing character Victor Newman for 38 years and says it's been an amazing run. But he doesn't believe daytime drama actors always receive the...
Advice on Windows, email addresses and smartphone backups
Q. What is the single most important piece of advice every smartphone owner should know? A. Back up your phone, especially photos. Your smartphone will eventually become the most important tech device in your life. All the gear that a generation ago...
50 years after the Fair Housing Act
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of Fair Housing Act, a pivotal piece of legislation that laid the groundwork for housing protections for marginalized populations in the United States. They say those who don't learn from history...
