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As part of the Anchorage Age Friendly community initiative, AARP Alaska is covering the tuition for seven Alaskans to be a part of the Walking College through America Walks. The Walking College is a six-month, distance-learning fellowship program designed to build the capacity of local advocates to create and expand livable, walkable communities. At the end of the course each fellow will develop a walking action plan for their community. Two Alaskans have already completed the Walking College course: Charles Bingham from Sitka and Maja...
In upcoming months, Senior Voice will feature Elder Mentors from around the state to show appreciation for all they do. RurAL CAP's Elder Mentor Program, nationally known as the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program, serves children in pre-K and school settings throughout the state of Alaska. Elder Mentors are senior volunteers age 55 and older who support school readiness and improvement of academic engagement among children with special needs. Elder Mentors receive training, support...
Forty years ago, a group interested in family history gathered at the Anchorage Museum to talk about creating a genealogy society in Anchorage. In February 1983, they officially created the Anchorage Genealogical Society, with Joe Gallant as the first president. By July, they had grown to 47 members. In May 1983, they began creating a newsletter; later they created a quarterly. Over the years, publications have been produced that members and others have enjoyed. In recent years, Peggy Hempelmann has produced the AGS Digest. In 1984, AGS...
There's nothing better to warm up with on a chilly Alaska night than a romance novel with not only lust, but fire. But with Lolo Paige's books, don't expect covers with buxom women having their bodices ripped by over-muscled men with flowing hair. "I write clean, not dirty, not graphic," said Lois Paige Simenson, age 68. Her pen name, Lolo Paige, is taken from her childhood nickname. Her books are the kind of innocent romance the Hallmark Channel looks for, but the channel no longer takes...
It is midnight, and hunger strikes. You creep down to the refrigerator to find something to eat. You pick up a container, peer inside, and decide there are better options in the cabinet. You decide on peanut butter and crackers. The glass jar of natural peanut butter has yet to be opened, so you struggle to break the seal and twist off the lid. Next, you select the best container to store the peanut butter in after stirring it. This scenario isn't unique to humans. Birds must also figure out...
Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI) announces the opening of WASI Mid-Valley Adult Day Services at their Mid-Valley Senior Center location in Houston. WASI's mission is to enable seniors to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. In keeping with that mission, WASI continues to develop programs that help seniors stay independent and living at home. As the number of seniors continues to increase dramatically in the Mat-Su Valley, families are often faced with exploring how to...
Do you know someone whose outstanding service, dedication and leadership have had a significant impact on the quality of life for seniors in Anchorage? The Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission is seeking nominations for the Annual Ron Hammett Award for community service, to be presented during Older Americans Month in May. Nominees for this honor must meet the following criteria: •Nominees must be an Anchorage resident. •Nomination may be made by an individual or organization. •Nomination should include both the achievements and backg...
How to stay healthy in Interior Alaska for those age 50 and older is the focus of “Fairbanks 50+: The Art and Science of Aging,” a two-day summit April 7 and 8 at the Pioneer Park Civic Center. The event aims to inspire a healthy path to growing older, according to a press release from organizer Foundation Health Partners, a program of the Community Health Improvement Plan for Senior Care. “The better we understand what it takes to support our goals as we age, the more likely we are to enjoy wider choices and fewer surprises. We also reach out...
Tai chi can bring wellness to the body, mind and spirit with consistent practice but trying to find a teacher or starting a practice on your own can be challenging. A growing number of senior centers in Alaska are finding tai chi instructors as a result of an effort funded by the State of Alaska to hold "train the trainer" workshops. The goal is to bring tai chi to as many of Alaska's communities as possible by recruiting community members to become leaders in health as certified instructors...
The annual Bettye Davis African American Summit will take place during Black History Month at the Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Saturday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event continues the legacy of the late state senator Bettye Davis and brings together the Black community and other people of color in conversation and action to make Alaska a better place for everyone. Activities include presentation of the Black Teachers of Excellence Awards; forums focusing on health, justice and economic equity; entertainment, vendors and much...
Mat-Su Senior Services' new Golden Heart Computer Lounge is open inside the Mat-Su Senior Services (aka Palmer Senior Center) building at 1132 S. Chugach Street in Palmer. Thanks to a donation from the MTA Foundation, the lounge will offer three computers, four tables, and two smart TVs, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get online, or just recline and enjoy. For more information, call 907-745-5454....
Cameron was raised to be self-sufficient. Growing up meant sharing time between the family's home in Wasilla and their cabin off the grid up the Susitna River. The family planted garden plots in both locations to maximize what they could grow, and there was plenty of work for the family of four to share. Cameron's father taught him to make things work whether or not all the right tools or parts were available. His mother helped develop his love of nature and getting his hands in the dirt. His...
** Update: This event was canceled. Our apologies for the error. A holiday tradition, Anchorage's historic Oscar Anderson House Museum will host its Swedish Christmas Open House two weekends in December - Dec. 3 and 4 and Dec. 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Experience how a Swedish family decorated and celebrated Christmas in the early 20th century while touring one of the oldest homes in Anchorage. The Oscar Anderson House was constructed in 1915 and remains relatively unaltered....
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, is the part of Medicare that covers most outpatient prescription drugs. Part D is offered through private companies as a standalone prescription drug plan (PDP) for those enrolled in Original Medicare. Sometimes a Part D plan's costs change or the plan no longer covers your medications. Today I will discuss how you can review your current plan, or choose to enroll in a new Part D plan. The goal is to ensure you have the lowest cost coverage that...
Richard Sewell came to Alaska in 1981 for a job at the Municipality of Anchorage as Regional Economist. He owned a couple of seafood businesses, and subsequently went to work in 2004 for the Dept. of Transportation Division of Statewide Aviation. Recently, he was hired as the Merrill Field Airport Manager in Anchorage. Interested in buying an electric vehicle, like many Alaskans, Richard had questions about how it would work in our cold, remote location. Quite nicely, it turns out. Here are...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event has been meeting virtually online via Zoom, but is resuming in-person meetings on site for select months. The November meeting is Nov. 9, hosted by the Palliative Care Alaska Network. Breakfast provided. Begins at...
Left: Bill Tull watches former Mat-Su Senior Services, aka Palmer Senior Center, Board President Janet Beeter demonstrate her ulu-handling skills as she processes salmon donated to the center by way of the "Silvers for Seniors" campaign. Each year, members of Northern District Setnetters donate a portion of their catch during a single day of the fishing season to the senior center. Copper River Seafoods provides a tote with ice to haul fish from the Port of Anchorage to the center in Palmer....
Sealaska Heritage Institute’s fall lecture series continues through October, with free noon lectures on topics ranging from clan crests, lost Alaskans, historical trauma in Alaska Native peoples and Alaska Native history. All lectures will be at the Walter Soboleff Building in Juneau and livestreamed on Sealaska Heritage Institute’s YouTube channel at noon and saved to the institute’s channel immediately after. The October lecture schedule: Oct. 4 “Epigenetics and Historical Trauma in Alaska Native Peoples,” by Riphan Malhi Oct. 6 “Mornings...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) will hold its quarterly board meeting Oct. 3-6 at the Anchorage Activity Senior Center. Subjects that will be covered include senior housing, updates on health and social services, the state plan on aging, Pioneer Homes, AgeNet, AARP, Office of the Long-Term Ombudsman, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and much more. While this is an in-person meeting, participation is also possible via Zoom or teleconference. For link information, visit https://bit.ly/3SlxzeT. The public comment portion of the meeting...
Update: Anchorage and Mat-Su showings for this film have been postponed to early 2023. A new documentary film, “All the Lonely People,” with a significant portion filmed in Alaska, addresses the growing public health concerns of social isolation and loneliness, and it offers solutions to help reduce the harmful effects. The groundbreaking film will have its Alaska premier showings this winter. We all know what social isolation is like. COVID-19 lockdowns showed us that. But for millions of Americans, social isolation and loneliness are all too...
Let's get right to the point. If you have never been tempted by the OLÉ catalog, one can only ask: Where were you raised? In a fun-free cave somewhere? OLÉ!, ("Opportunities for Lifelong Education") is the popular learning program for grown-ups, is back -and it's time to pick your Fall courses. The schedule this semester offers a dizzying array of options. There is the usual writing, yoga, estate planning, painting, genealogy, etc. But how about DNA technology? Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt t...
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is now recruiting for volunteers for the 2023 season. As a Tax-Aide volunteer, you Volunteers can help out in the local community, at a site near you. We do need your help, and you can really make a significant difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors here in Alaska. Free tax preparation is an important boost for individuals and families. Sometimes the tax refund means keeping the heat on or helping with rent for our Alaska’s most vulnerable residents. Becoming a volunteer tax preparer is easier than you t...
We are losing the 4th Avenue Theatre in Anchorage. Not next year. Now. The current owners/developers have already gotten a demolition permit to destroy the building and its facade. Guess what? According to several knowledgeable sources there is absolutely no rational or financial reason why demolition can't be stopped. How? Read on. Why am I writing this? How do I describe the importance of that Alaska icon without sounding like a stuck-in-the-past emotional old lady? Well, I can't. I worked...
Unless you quilt yourself, or work for one of the city's help agencies, you may not know Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters (ALCQ). Created 43 years ago by a handful of women drawn to making art out of fabric, ALCQ is one of a dozen quilt guilds in Alaska. It lists 150 members, leases permanent workspace, and fosters every imaginable creative quirk, dream and fantasy of its community-focused membership. And, oh yes, members believe in having a good time doing it. They'll teach you to make a quilt if...
In Fairbanks, OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program at University of Alaska Fairbanks, will begin registration in August for its fall semester classes and will use a new lottery system to accommodate high demand. Classes are offered to adults age 50 and older and topics cover films and photography, exercise and recreation, arts and crafts, foods and flowers, healthy living, science and mathematics, literature and languages, history, politics, other academics, and much more. The new registration system will allow students to sign...
