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Partnering with churches to help family caregivers
When Altrice Ward’s 82-year-old mother was hospitalized after falling for the third or fourth time, Ward knew she had to face an uncomfortable reality: Her mother could no longer live on her own. So, despite holding down a full-time nursing job,...
Christmas was truly special in Alaska
As a child in Anchorage, Seward and then Glennallen, I remember many magical Christmases. Then, in third grade, I got into a big argument with another student about Santa. I was devastated after a...
Dancehall girls mine prospectors
During the Klondike Gold Rush, Dawson's dancehall girls offered prospectors a welcome diversion from their grueling, lonely days of digging in the sub-arctic tundra. "The sourdoughs lay on their...
A Lassie Christmas with Jon Provost
BDuring the seven years Jon Provost starred as little Timmy Martin in the CBS TV series "Lassie" from 1957 to 1964, several end-of-year Christmas episodes aired. Most still stand out in Provost's...
Big TVs, voice assistants, preserving online accounts
Q. TVs in my price range are twice the size they were a few years ago. What should I keep in mind when buying one of these big sets? A. There are two measurements to focus on, screen size and resolution. The ideal screen size mostly depends on the...
Stonewall veterans speak: Val Harris
This year, SAGE commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the night in 1969 when New York City's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community fought back against years of...
Older adopted cat a perfect match
Imagine being older and losing the only home you’ve ever known. Everything that was familiar to you is suddenly gone. That’s what happened to Qin Qin (pronounced Chin Chin), a 12-year old cat who had lived with the same people, in the same home,...
Grandma's tiny house
"Would you be willing to drive to Slana and help me retrieve the little 1955 camp trailer?" I asked my son Patrick. "Sure," he replied. He had just told me he was coming to Alaska this past August, on...
First Alaska Territorial Legislature convenes in 1913
Americans have been casting ballots on the first Tuesday in November since the mid-1840s. Why November and why Tuesdays? The answer goes back to our founding fathers when agriculture was prominent. Co...
Dee Wallace battles more Critters
The Critters are back and meaner than ever. Fortunately, Dee Wallace has also returned to take aim at the miniature alien monsters in "Critters Attack!" Released straight to Blu-ray, DVD, and...
New iPhones, streaming TV, and the Apple Watch
Q. What are your favorite new features on this year’s new iPhone? A. Every September Apple releases new iPhone hardware and a major system software update. Both deliver plenty of new features. This year the big hardware update is longer battery...
Still in limbo: Senior health, hunger and finances
Congress is making its end-of-year legislative sprint, with hot-button health care legislation stuck behind critical must-pass spending bills before a government shutdown. But lawmakers often push shutdowns off with temporary all-inclusive spending...
Submit proposals for 2020 American Indian Aging Conference
You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA)’s 2020 American Indian Aging Conference. The conference will be held August 17-21, 2020 in Reno, Nevada at the Nugget Resort & Casino (1100 Nugget...
A working adventure in King Salmon
During my senior year at Glennallen High School, my husband-to-be, Gary, was hired by Woodruff Construction, who had the contract to build an addition to the high school end of the K-12 building. Afte...
Myth surrounds Alaska purchase
One hundred and fifty-two years ago, a ceremony held in Sitka transferred Alaska from Russia to the United States. The agreed-upon purchase price of $7.2 million had been paid earlier in the year. It...
Growing up with 'Dracula' in your blood
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó was a veteran of over 170 stage plays and several silent films in his native Hungary when forced to flee to Germany in 1919 for political reasons. Known under the stage...
Password managers to the rescue
Q. What is a password manager and how does it work? A. Password managers are apps that use a master password to protect confidential information. They enable users to securely store more information than can be memorized. The two common...
The dual stigma of being HIV-positive and over 50
HIV/AIDS used to be considered a disease of the young. In the early 1980s, when doctors first reported cases of HIV, nearly 70% of diagnoses were among people under 40. Fast forward four decades later and more than 50% of Americans with HIV are now...
Tales of The Beast and its admirers
While looking through a box of artwork a while back, I came across an 11-inch by 14-inch pencil drawing of "The Beast." At the bottom right corner were the words: "To Pop... Christmas 1990...love,...
Captain Healy rules Alaska waves
A "floating court" of sorts evolved when justice was meted out from the decks of revenue cutters beginning in the late 1880s. And a commander in the U.S. Revenue Marine, precursor to the U.S. Coast...
Newhart turns 90
Known for his gentle satire, basset hound eyes, and witty routines, former Chicago accountant-turned-comedian Bob Newhart turns 90 this month (Sept. 5). This year is also the 60th anniversary of...
Internet speed, surfing incognito, USB-C flaws
Q. The Internet in my house seems slower than at my local coffee shop. How do I measure the speed and compare the two? A. My favorite test site is located at www.speedof.me. Each connection has three numbers: Ping, Download, and Upload. Ping...
Successful aging and community engagement
The school classroom is filled with children eager to hear stories from Marge, who is volunteering in the classroom. Marge speaks fluent Yup’ik and was raised in the community where she has lived her entire life. In both Yup’ik and English, Marge...
Public assistance allowed my refugee family to build a better future
Born in Santa Ana, Calif., to two Muslim refugee survivors of the Cambodian genocide, Hatefas Yop wasn't aware of her family's use of public services when she was a young girl. After all, her peers...
The discovery day that started the Klondike Gold Rush
Three men found a large deposit of nuggets on Aug. 17, 1896, which started the famed Klondike Gold Rush. George Washington Carmack, who came north in 1885, James Mason, better known as Skookum Jim,...
