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Creamy, tangy ranch dressing, a beloved condiment that has become a staple in American households, has a fascinating origin story rooted in the rugged wilderness of Alaska. Its creation can be traced to the early 1950s when a plumber-turned-cowboy found himself cooking for hungry work crews in the remote Alaska bush. In 1949, Nebraska-born Steve Henson arrived in Anchorage to pursue a career as a plumbing contractor. While working on remote job sites, he took on the additional role of camp...
How many Alaska seniors have wings? Hmm, perhaps that's not the best way to phrase it. How about, "How many Alaska seniors are snowbirds?" Better. It's an interesting question because we all know at least a couple of snowbirds. Heck, maybe even you are a snowbird, but that doesn't really tell us much about the big picture. Turns out that counting snowbirds is a bit of a sticky wicket. "Snowbirds are hard to measure because they either remain residents and therefore aren't counted as...
The Social Security Administration (SSA) scrapped a service change in April that would have exacerbated their customer service challenges by forcing Alaskans to have to go in-person to a Social Security office in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks for routine services that have been handled over the phone. As a result of AARP’s strong advocacy, applying by phone at 800-772- 1213 and confirming your identity in the process remains an option for people claiming all types of benefits. Once you're receiving benefits, you don't have to prove your i...
Government imposter scams, where criminals pose as government employees, are one of the most common scams. Pretending to be from Social Security is one of the top government imposter scams. In 2023, Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) received 73,626 reports of Social Security impersonators and related scams, a 13.7% increase from 2022. Here is what a Social Security imposter scam looks like: You receive a call, text, or email from someone claiming to be from Social Security. The phone number may be spoofed to look like i...
Dear Readers: We invite you to contribute to a new column "I used to ..." where you can regale us with a story of your most memorable time living in Alaska. And tell us what you're doing now to cope with not being able to do what you did! I met my husband Bruce Ware, on the M/V Columbia parting out and my first impression of him was, "Must be from Haines, they don't make hippies like that anymore." But he was from Tenakee Springs and was biking down to California "to party with the hippie chicks...
Fifty-five years ago this year, John Denver performed "Take Me Home, Country Roads" for the first time in public at The Cellar Door music club in Washington, D.C. Released as a single in April the following year, "Country Roads" (as it's fondly known) quickly became a pop sensation. With its catchy, sing-along melody and heartfelt lyrics, the hit song resonated across borders-national and international-even though it paid tribute to a single U.S. state, West Virginia. Evoking deep nostalgia and...
Some years back I had a new client whose husband had recently passed away. She had gone to her broker to see about changing some things on their investment account, and was told she only had control of half of it. She was confused, and asked me why they would restrict her access to this joint account. She kept referring to that account as the “ten-com” account, which I did not understand until I finally got her to show me the account statement. After her name and her husband’s name, it said...
Q. What is a good app for taking notes on an iPhone? A. Every Mac, iPad, and iPhone has an app called Notes. This app is one of Apple’s most powerful apps, and it has a wealth of features that are not immediately obvious. The easiest way to use the app is launch it and create a new note. Add a title and start typing. The message can be as long as you want. There is a formatting bar for making text bold or underlined, and for selecting a typeface and font size. Notes also understands hashtags. Anything following a # symbol will become a tag. A...
Q: What are general recommended daily supplements, nutrition guidelines and dietary needs for a person aged 65 to 75 years old? A: It's great to see your interest in health and wellness as you navigate this vibrant stage of life. Proper nutrition and the right supplements can make a significant difference in maintaining overall health, energy, and vitality. Here are some tailored recommendations for individuals aged 65 to 75 years old: Daily supplements 1. Multivitamin: A once-daily...
Spring is such a lovely time of year with sunny days, blooming flowers, budding trees and birds chirping. But millions of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies and suffer from wheezing, sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes and other indignities. Even staying inside won’t necessarily cure the problem because indoor irritants such as pet dander, mold, dust mites and scented cleaning products can all trigger allergic reactions. Your nasal passages and the entire mechanism of the lungs (from the large bronchial tubes to the alveolae, which are t...
There are a variety of keyboards that can make accessing a computer or tablet easier. The Logickeyboard large-print keyboard provides an oversized, high-contrast print on each key, ensuring a clear, easy-to-read interface. These large-print keyboards are ideal options for those with visual impairments and low vision. Large print and high-contrast keyboards a couple of examples of keyboards that make computer use more accessible. This column is brought to you by ATLA (Assistive Technology of...
Taking the drug Ozempic and other drugs in this class may help you live longer. With GLP-1 drugs dominating headlines for their impact on weight loss and metabolic health, new discussions around their potential role in extending healthy lifespan are emerging. Dr. Christoph Westphal, co-founder and general partner of Longwood Fund, said the biotech industry is partnering with physicians and the result is rather remarkable. “Within three or four or five years, if we can prove that with GLP-1s y...
The Klondike gold rush, a pivotal moment in Alaska's history, is often associated with tales of hardship, adventure, and the pursuit of fortune. But recent research has uncovered a lesser-known aspect of this era: the prevalence of practical jokes among the prospectors and settlers-and not only on April Fools' Day. Practical jokes and pranks were a common way for miners and settlers to find amusement and pass the long hours of toil and hardship. The monotonous routine of mining life and the...
Q. I am going to retire soon and I plan to write a book. Is there an app that will help me create an outline? A. There are so many apps that fit the criteria of your question that it is difficult to recommend a “best” one. Most word processors can generate outlines. There are also dedicated outliners. If you use a Mac, there are a number of excellent dedicated outliners, the best of which is OmniOutliner from Omni Software (omnigroup.com). For some reason, a great outliner app has never appeared on Windows. Search online for a Windows out...
Switching permanently to either standard time or daylight saving time would disadvantage either early risers or night owls, according to experts. The current system provides each group with benefits for half the year. Now, the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time is calling for change. The group contends abolishing seasonal time changes and adopting permanent standard time, follows science and prioritizes public health, safety and efficiency. A survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that half (50%) of Americans support...
When I first started at Senior Voice, I asked my boss how long she’d worked here. She sighed, “Thirteen years.” That was thirty-one years ago. I was straight out of college, coming from a news editor position at UAA’s student newspaper, and in my early 30s. Senior issues were not something I was familiar with. But soon I was neck-deep writing about hospital Certificates of Need, Medicaid spend-down tactics, municipal senior property tax exemptions and other dense but important topics. One of my recollections from those early days is a convers...
Here is a true story. The recorder was on. One day, during the reign of Anchorage Mayor Daniel Sullivan (2009 – 2015, not to be confused with current Senator Dan Sullivan), I was interviewing the mayor for a local newsletter. We were up in his eighth floor office that had a spectacular view of downtown through a number of floor-to-ceiling windows. I asked him for his comment about a University of Alaska study which found that, for several decades, the percentage of business contributions to property taxes had been steadily falling, and the perc...
The concerns we hear about from older Americans and older Alaskans and see in poll results most frequently are worries about retirement income, support for family caregivers, and programs for aging independently at home. AARP Alaska’s top priorities focus on policies that address these concerns. Retirement income security Retirement readiness is good for Alaska and good for Alaskans. Protecting Social Security is a top priority at the federal level, but Social Security is not enough to live on. Increased savings and access to benefits e...
Our Congress wrote legislation which was intended to reinforce the opportunity to enroll into Medicare when first eligible (if a delayed enrollment, such as when you are covered by your employer’s healthcare plan). This was done by adding a ten percent (10%) additional amount to the Part B monthly premium, for each 12-month period without fully enrolled Medicare coverage. Also, for individuals and couples filing jointly who may have greater annual modified adjusted gross incomes, an Income-Relat...
Q: Ice patterns and reduced snowfall in Alaska have created challenges for those who rely on subsistence hunting and gathering. These changes threaten access to fresh water and impact animal migration, leading to hardships for communities that depend on a stable environment. Elders like my grandmother note that shorter seasons and unpredictable ice conditions affect traditional lifestyles. It is crucial to explore ways to preserve these cultural practices. How can we do this? A: You pose an...
As Mount Spurr shows signs of potential activity, many Alaskans are wondering how to prepare for possible volcanic ashfall while maintaining their daily routines. Understanding how to protect ourselves and our homes during these events is crucial for everyone in our region. Being prepared for volcanic ash will help keep you safe and comfortable if an eruption occurs. Volcanic ash isn't like regular fireplace ash—it's made of tiny, sharp pieces of rock and glass that can hurt your eyes and lungs....
One day last summer, as the dental hygienist walked me to the front desk, she said, "I'm excited to go home and tell my family tonight at the dinner table, that I saw a Walkman in use today." Filling in for my regular hygienist, she said this with a smile, but it still took me a few seconds to realize it was a positive comment. I've been accused of being a "dinosaur" as far as electronic devices go and been told that if I had a smart phone, I wouldn't need my Walkman – a reject left behind by o...
Spring comes to Alaska on the wings of nearly five billion birds, making epic journeys under the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Many will breed and nest within the state's 16 National Wildlife Refuges. Americans didn't always preserve wild birds this way. A century ago, birdwatchers would have spotted species from waxwings to warblers to woodpeckers adorning hats. Bird hats became popular in America in the late 19th century, when mass printing of fashion magazines spread the trend...
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898 drew thousands of hopeful prospectors north in search of fortune. While often overshadowed by tales of strong, rugged male adventurers, numerous courageous women also made the arduous journey, carving out unique roles and leaving an indelible mark on this pivotal chapter of North American history. While dancehall girls like the infamous Kate Rockwell – known as Klondike Kate-and prostitutes were indeed part of the Klondike landscape, they represent only a f...
First it was COVID, then a chronic non-life-threatening illness kept Richard Glazier from performing. This year, he returns to the stage where audiences can again experience the pianist seamlessly blending recitals with fascinating personal stories describing friendships with legendary figures in American popular song such as Ira Gershwin. I first encountered the master musician and music storyteller in 2011 during a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. Wandering the decks late one Friday night,...
