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Preserving the historic 4th Avenue Theatre
If you’ve lived in Anchorage, you probably know the 4th Avenue Theatre. The facade, murals, and twinkling ceiling have entranced many locals since it was opened by Austin “Cap” Lathrop in 1947, an important figure in Anchorage history who also...
Vote Yes on Anchorage Bond Proposition 3
There are exciting, innovative, interesting events happening in Anchorage this spring. Voting for Proposition No. 3, an Areawide Facilities Capital Improvement Project Bond is not one of them. This bond provides ordinary, but important safety fixes...
Washington Watch: High pill prices are hard to swallow
House Democrats, Senate Republicans and the Trump administration agree on one thing – that drug prices must be lowered. Both parties are working through the ideas to reduce prescription drug costs, but the problem is finding common ground and...
This day of advocacy was decades in the making
Fifty years ago this June, LGBT elder pioneers started the fight for LGBT equality at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, LGBT patrons at the Stonewall Inn took a...
Memories of the 1964 Earthquake
While reading in my bedroom late in the afternoon of March 27, 1964, I suddenly felt the room swirl. I had enjoyed the day off from third-grade school work since it was Good Friday. Our family lived...
Secretary of State Seward visits Alaska, 1869
In July 1869, the steamer Active arrived in Sitka with former Secretary of State William H. Seward and his entourage on board. He had negotiated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for a mere...
Carl Reiner says keeping busy keeps you going
Turning 97 in March, Carl Reiner shows no sign of slowing down. "I wake up with ideas!" the veteran actor, writer, director and producer said from Los Angeles. One of those ideas was to colorize...
Home automation, personal dashboards, Live Listen
Q. What is a simple way to get started with home automation? A. When it comes to home automation, simple is a relative term. Compared to a few years ago, setup is easier and prices are less expensive. But after installing a few devices in my house,...
Finding a home for all of those cookbooks
"Did all these cookbooks come from one collection?" I inquired of the lady behind the desk. Several rolling carts filled with books spilled out of the small room labeled "Friends of the Library Used...
Protecting Southeast Asian American families
In elementary school, my day started with getting breakfast from the cafeteria window, where I got to choose a cereal box along with a small carton of milk from our cafeteria lady, Angie. She had...
Uncovering Alaska's first serial killer
Between 1912 and 1915, a number of single, unattached men mysteriously disappeared in Southeast Alaska. The few law enforcement officials in the territory were baffled, but a suspect finally emerged...
A Hollywood tale of two ghost singers
India Adams and Annette Warren have a lot in common. Both now in their nineties, their career paths merged in the 50s when the pair were hired by studios to dub the singing voices of actresses as...
'Neighbor spoofing,' better phone audio, and touchscreen gloves
Q. My incoming callerID information seems less accurate lately. It works fine for numbers I already recognize, but most everything else is inaccurate. A. As someone who still receives far too many unwanted telephone calls, I feel your pain. A...
New Congress has an ambitious health care agenda, but can they accomplish anything?
When the next Congress begins its work in January, lawmakers from both parties will try to work with the Trump administration to pass vital health care legislation. But getting a political advantage...
Hunting with Dad: Moose and memories
My daughter and I were visiting Dad and Mom in Homer one weekend in early January 20 years ago when I was startled awake by the phone. The clock showed it was almost midnight when I picked up the...
This year's SAGE Table is off to a bold start
On Nov. 8, 2018, in more than 150 locations across the U.S. and the globe, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and allies gathered as part of the intergenerational LGBT...
What's new in Medicare for 2019?
Welcome to 2019! There are a number of changes in Medicare this year of which you will want to be aware. New Medicare cards The New Medicare card mail-out for Alaskans began April 1, 2018 and ended Ju...
This common fitness tip is a bad idea
I used to have a fitness class instructor who liked to say about workouts, “Once you turn 40, it’s all rehab.” It brought chuckles, but it’s true that over the years we will inevitably subject our bodies to wear and tear. Various mishaps...
Willoughby and the Silent City hoax
One man who arrived in Southeast Alaska's new gold-rush settlement of Harrisburg, later named Juneau, in 1880 created a sensation by claiming he had seen a city appear above a glacier. But people who...
Loving life with Rodney Dangerfield
The Christmas season may be over, but last December held special significance for Joan Dangerfield, who married comedian Rodney Dangerfield 25 years ago on Dec. 26. The pair had dated for 10 years...
Free apps help save and find your personal stuff
Have you wasted lots of time looking for stuff you know you have, but can’t find? Where is the manual for the washing machine? What the heck did I do with the business card from the guy I met on the plane? Where is that recording I made of the...
Making the most of your Apple iPhone
Q. When I open Safari on my iPhone, I am always forwarded to Apple’s website. Is there a way to choose a different home page? A. Apple removed the custom home page setting on iPhone for some mysterious reason, but there is a work-around. I set up...
Black, Hispanic elders are especially susceptible to dehydration troubles
Elders are among those most vulnerable to dehydration, and African American and Hispanic adults are more likely to become dehydrated than whites, researchers have found. In a patient-care advisory...
Liven up those winter dog days
Winter dog walks-on the right day they can be enjoyable excursions with snow gently falling and a low winter sun in the sky, but on other days they can be downright treacherous with icy sidewalks and...
Generators as an Alaskan way of life
In October 1999 my husband Gary and I moved from Palmer to Slana, which was at that time one of the few places left on Alaska's road system still without commercial power. Residents ran their own...
