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One intrepid postman set out from Nome in November 1905 with his team of dogs, led by a wolf, on a 15-month odyssey that would test his resolve and capture the public's imagination. Eli Smith, a seasoned mail carrier from Nome, embarked on an epic 8,000-mile trek to Washington D.C., all to settle a high-stakes wager. Born around 1855 in Wisconsin, Smith led a life of adventure long before his famous mushing expedition that would test the limits of human and canine endurance. He worked various...
Esteline "Estie" Moe, who has lived in Alaska since 1947, turned 103 this summer, celebrating her birthday with neighbors and family. When asked what the key to a long life is, she simply says, "You have to milk cows." Estie was raised on a farm in northern Minnesota, the eldest daughter in her family, and did chores alongside her father and two brothers. With 40 cows on the farm, she would milk ten cows every morning before breakfast and every night after school, shovel manure, and stack hay....
A visit to Norma Alderfer's home shows a woman who is meticulous-in her recollections, her style, her graciousness. She welcomed two visitors on a sunny day in July dressed in blue pants and a cream-colored sweater with a matching necklace, her red lipstick on and a neat stack of letters and mementos ready to share. From Kansas to Alaska At 101, Norma can tell you all about her childhood in Arkansas City, Kansas, the beloved only daughter of a couple who raised a daughter to be a doer. She worke...
Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 Online via Zoom https://alaska.zoom.us/j/82305144805?pwd=S0VIdzNCWE03Z2prMFk4V1ozWUwyZz09 The OPAG board of directors meets at 12:30 p.m., followed immediately by the annual meeting....
"How to look chic while riding a bike...denim culottes are perfect for riding since there is plenty of legroom and the 'Breton' top gives it a Parisian vibe." When I read those words several years ago in the caption under an internet photo news blurb, I almost laughed out loud. I'm an avid bike rider, but looking chic is not a priority while peddling through my Mat-Su Valley subdivision. One time, a neighbor laughed and commented that he was glad I wasn't a bandit wanting to rob his garage...
Growing older doesn't mean slowing down creatively-and for those living with Alzheimer's and related dementias, the creative arts, and specifically the Art Links program offered by Alzheimer's Resource Alaska (ARA), can be a lifeline for memory, connection, and joy. Research consistently shows that engaging in creative activities can significantly improve health outcomes for older adults, while also supporting cognitive function in people at risk for or living with memory loss. A landmark 2006...
Everyone is doing more shopping online. But Alaskans especially increasingly rely on online platforms to find products not available locally. Sometimes we crave shopping in stores, touching the merchandise, trying on clothes, but you can’t beat the convenience of going online any time of day or night and ordering exactly what you want for delivery to your front doorstep. Scammers know this and are targeting shoppers to obtain credit card and personal information. Watch for these red flags: F...
Oct. 1-31 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct. 1-31 National ADHD Awareness Month Oct. 1-31 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Oct. 1-31 National Filipino American History Month. Alaska officially recognizes October as Filipino American History Month following the passage of legislation signed into law in 2023. To learn more about the contributions of Filipino Americans to the state, check out Mana Alaska, a digital storytelling project dedicated to this community. https://www.manaalaska.com/ Oct. 4 National Golf Lover’s Day O...
Do the spirits of miners who once called the Kennecott Copper Mine home still linger in the crumbling structures and rusting machinery? Some say the remote and isolated mining town, nestled in the rugged Wrangell Mountains and abandoned decades ago, has been a hotbed of paranormal activity over the years. The story of one of the richest copper mines in the world began in 1900 when prospectors Clarence Warner and "Tarantula Jack" Smith stumbled upon bright green cliffs on the slopes of the Kennic...
One day last June I got a rather curious call from a friend. He said that he and 10 other people he knew, mostly Alaskan artists of various types, had put together an expedition to Adak in August. They had rented both halves of a duplex and three rugged trucks. They were short one person to share expenses. Would I like to go? I could tell he expected me to decline the unusual offer. I thought, "I am nearly 80 years old. If not now, then never." I said "Yes!" At the time I knew absolutely...
Air taxis are scary. I like new experiences, but I hoped this one would not be my last. I sat quietly in the unadorned waiting area at the air taxi terminal in Juneau-gritting my teeth and contemplating mortality. Then a guy behind the counter walked briskly into the waiting area, twirled his finger in the air and bellowed, "Time to go. Let's board the bus." The bus took eight or nine of us to the seaplane gently bobbing in the water next to the tarmac. As I awkwardly climbed in through the...
Generations of Alaska Natives made use of thick, black goo oozing out of the hills and beaches in the Last Frontier long before white men "discovered" oil. Sources say Northern Natives burned the tar-like chips, and Southeastern Natives used it for war paint. Oil shale was used in knives and labrets. The Russians knew of Alaska Peninsula oil seeps as early as 1860, but at this time whale oil was the important fuel. Oil from rocks was ignored. When Russian fur trade declined, the Russian...
I can still remember the day my mother announced that we were going to make jam. I was perhaps 12 years old and the oldest of four siblings growing up in Glennallen. I don't remember what kind of berries we used or where they came from. But the other details certainly stuck in my mind-washing the jars, measuring the sugar, adding the Certo at just the right time, pouring the jam into the jars, and finally adding a layer of hot wax. Mom made very few batches of jam, but that one lesson stayed...
Editor's Note: National Centenarian's Day is Sept. 22. The day honors those who've celebrated 100 birthdays or more. If that's you, happy birthday! We're publishing several profiles of people who have hit this milestone this month and in following months. The Alaska Commission on Aging is working with the Governor's Office, Pioneer Homes and Long Term Care Ombudsman to celebrate Alaska's centenarians. See page 25 for another centenarian profile. At 100 years old, John F. Strong has truly lived...
Last April, I attended a lady's program at Lazy Mountain Bible Church on Clark Wolverine Road (going out toward the Butte), and since I was not in a hurry, on the way back to Palmer I decided to stop at Bushes Bunches Produce Stand. They've been open for several years and even stayed open all winter the past three years, but I rarely get to that part of the Valley. I expected to find a lot of empty spaces knowing it was too early in the season for local produce, but figured they'd at least have...
When Joy-El Culligan first came to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank in 2022, a new MASST participant at age 87, executive director Anne Weaver immediately thought she would make an excellent greeter. The Food Bank had used greeters during the COVID-19 pandemic and managed to keep the operation safely going and steadily growing. As the Food Bank's 2020 Annual Report put it, "Our amazing Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST) workers 'manned' the front door, took pre-entry temperatures,...
Aug. 1-31 National Immunization Awareness Month Aug. 1-31 National Motorsports Awareness Month Aug. 1 International Beer Day Aug. 1 International World Lung Cancer Day. A day to bring attention to lung cancer and the need for more lung cancer research. https://lcfamerica.org/get-involved/raise-awareness/honoring-world-lung-cancer-day/ Aug. 4 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Among the greatest inventions in American cooking. Aug. 8 International Cat Day (Not to be confused with the National...
A pint-sized, foul-mouthed, bear-hunting frontierswoman left her mark on the harsh Alaska wilderness. Weighing in at about 100 pounds, which included a bottle of homebrew she always had tucked inside her boot, Fannie Quigley was made for the tough life she carved out for herself near Denali. Born in 1870 to Czech immigrant farmers in Wahoo, Nebraska, Fannie grew up enduring blizzards, droughts, and plagues of locusts that instilled in her an unbreakable pioneer spirit. At just 16 years old, she...
Lamar McGrew is 74 years old and has been in Alaska since 2001. He went from being the stepson of a sharecropper to working hard at his own successful small business. Here's his story. Q. What brought you to Anchorage? A. My brother lives here, so I decided to come up and stay. I was going to stay a couple of weeks. I got to like it here, so I stayed. Where's home? I was in Albany, New York. I was born in Alabama, but I moved to New York as a teenager. Did you mention to me that in Alabama your...
July is all about Independence Day and the multiple festivals across the state. Perhaps the most notable Fourth of July celebration is in Seward with the Mount Marathon Race. This is the 97th running of the race, which is 3.1 miles but goes straight up and (mostly) straight down Mount Marathon. The race has its origins when two men debated the possibility of climbing and descending the mountain in less than an hour. “Impossible” one said... For a more laid-back experience, consider going to Seldovia for its Fourth of July celebration. Keep in...
Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich, born in the Southeast Alaska town of Petersburg on July 4, 1911, often is hailed as a heroine in the fight to end discrimination against Alaska Natives. When she saw a sign posted on the Douglas Inn across from Juneau in 1941 that said, "No Natives Allowed," she wrote to territorial Gov. Ernest Gruening. "The proprietor of Douglas Inn does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the white boys to lay down their lives to protect the...
Assistive Technology of Alaska is celebrating World Assistive Technology Day on June 4. There is a virtual expo on emerging assistive technology from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, followed by an in-person open house at ATLA from 1 to 4 p.m. Schedule 9–10 a.m. Emerging Tech: Assistive technology for employment 10 –11 a.m. Emerging Tech: Assistive technology for community living 11 a.m.–12 noon Emerging Tech: Assistive technology for education 1–4 p.m. In-person open house at ATLA, 1500 W 33rd Ave Ste 120, Anchorage 99503. Discover what is new in assistive...
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), observed annually on June 15, is a critical opportunity for Alaskans to reflect on the safety and dignity of our rapidly growing senior population. With more than 160,000 Alaskans now aged 60 and older—representing nearly 22% of the state’s population—the risk of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation is rising in step with demographic changes. Older adults in Alaska face unique vulnerabilities, especially in rural communities. People may be isolated, have disabling conditions, or experience other healt...
Laura Long is one of just a handful of dedicated senior companion volunteers across Alaska. She gives her time, energy, and heart to support older adults in her community. Since October 2024, Long has served as part of RurAL CAP's AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program, where her passion for culture, connection, and care is helping reawaken a sense of togetherness among Elders in St. Mary's. "My community needs more activities for Elders, and I want to make that happen as a Senior Companion...
Three years ago this month, I finally planted my black currant berry patch -a total of 14 plants-along the sloping edge of my year-old lawn. It was such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to complete a project that was 10 years in the making. Normally, to develop a successful berry patch, a person would identify a location and prepare the ground before or at least at the same time as acquiring the berry plants, but not me. Those kinds of considerations rarely seem to come together for my...
