Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1055
Aug. 18 is the Alaska State primary election. Alaska uses a nonpartisan top four primary to determine the top four vote getters that will advance to the general election, regardless of political affiliation. A primary election candidate does not have to be a member of a political party or a political group to run for office, according to Alaska law. If a candidate is registered as affiliated with a political party or group, it does not imply the candidate is nominated by, endorsed by, approved by, or associated with that particular party or...
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Tribes Extension program and the Rural Alaska Community Action Program are sponsoring berry-related workshops in Bethel and Aniak in August. Led by Tribes Extension educator Heidi Rader and Chugiak berry grower Josh Smith, the workshops will be held in Bethel on Aug. 2, and in Aniak on Aug. 3-4. Rader will lead off the workshops on Aug. 2 at 4 p.m. at Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, 420 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, with a presentation on growing and managing berries. At 5 p.m., Smith will discuss...
We erred in listing Maraley McMichael’s story about hiking Lazy Mountain as being on page 14 in the July issue. It appeared on page 16 and continued on page 18. It also misstated the credit for a photo of Al Clayton, Maraley McMichael’s father, with her daughter. It was taken by Maraley McMichael....
Editor's Note: National Centenarian's Day is Sept. 22. The day honors those who've celebrated 100 birthdays or more. We're publishing profiles of people who have hit this milestone. The Alaska Commission on Aging is working with the Governor's Office, Pioneer Homes and Long Term Care Ombudsman to celebrate Alaska's centenarians. After we published this story, Betty Calhoon died. We mourn her and send condolences to her family. Betty L. Calhoon says she was born on a lucky star. That's because...
August is National Make a Will Month, a reminder that one of the most meaningful gifts we can give our loved ones is not something wrapped in a box, but a plan. Many people put off creating a will because they believe they have plenty of time, don't have enough assets, or simply aren't sure where to begin. Yet having a will is about much more than deciding who receives your belongings: it is an act of care that can provide clarity, reduce stress, and ease difficult decisions for the people you...
Ground was broken in June on an Interior Alaska Veterans Cemetery in Salcha. It will become the first State of Alaska Veterans Cemetery and the northernmost veterans cemetery in the nation, providing a final resting place for thousands of Alaska veterans and their eligible family members, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. Currently, eligible veterans can be buried at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery on JBER in Anchorage or the Sitka...
The Alaska Native Policy Center, a part of First Alaskans Institute, has created an online, interactive statewide resource map that shows organizations and programs that support suicide prevention, wellness, and safety. The map includes five main layers: Alaska Native regional nonprofits Prevention and wellness programs and organizations Regional health organizations Community health organizations Safety resources The map was created because Alaska Native communities continue to face suicide rates more than triple the national average in the Un...
A lifelong friend, who is my age, retired last year. A sibling, four years older, retired two years ago. Another friend, who is self-employed, has set up a way to bring in income with her stock picks, which pay regular dividends. These examples have made me think about my own future. So much of our financial security is riding on our good judgment. No future without a present I knew when I decided to be a journalist, I was entering a field with notoriously low pay except for a few in the...
We profiled four adults who have become more creative in the latter part of their lives from April to July. We're concluding that coverage with suggestions about how to engage in artistic pursuits through learning. We are grateful to the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism for providing grant support for this project. You haven't touched your yarn stash in a year. Your guitar gathers dust in the corner. Your camera still has an SD card from 2020 in it. Maybe it's time to get out of your...
Dr. Joan Haig, Ph.D., a former board vice president for the Older Persons Action Group, died July 7, 2026. She was 79. Joan, a longtime professor of mathematics at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was deeply involved in her community, and her board service for OPAG, the nonprofit that publishes the Senior Voice, was just part of it. While she was on the board, she was the treasurer before becoming vice president. "When I think of Joan, I think the primary impression at work and with the...
The Anchorage Municipality put out audited financials in July. The Municipality’s bond rating reserve and emergency fund have been fully restored, replenishing savings that had been drained since 2018. Having an adequate “rainy day” fund stabilizes the Muni’s financial outlook and helps protect taxpayer dollars, according to a release put out by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s office. Financial rating agencies expect the Municipality to maintain 10% of its annual “major fund” operating expenses in a reserve fund—about $52 million—with an...
Why loyalty point scams matter When’s the last time you checked your loyalty point accounts? If you can’t remember, you’re not alone. Airline miles, hotel points, and credit card rewards tend to sit quietly until you need them. Unfortunately, that lack of attention is exactly what scammers want. Loyalty points may not feel like real money, but scammers treat them like cash. Experts estimate that scammers steal more than $1 billion in rewards points each year, largely due to reduced security measures and lack of attention. How loyalty point scam...
The Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association celebrated not only the 120th Anniversary of Alaska's oldest lighthouse, but also the culmination of six years of hard volunteer and contract labor at a remote island work site when it reopened on June 1 in Southeast Alaska. Great grandchildren of the original Eldred Rock Lighthouse head keeper, Nils Adamson, received the chance of a lifetime; to stand where their ancestor served on the 120th Anniversary of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is...
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it is, fix it … carefully. That’s easier said than done when a contractor promises fast repairs at an unbeatable price. Here are seven warning signs that a contractor might leave you with partial, poor, or overpriced work. 1. The “storm chaser” A storm hits, and suddenly, help is knocking on your door — or what’s left of it. A contractor says they can fix the damage on the spot. It might look like a silver lining, but reputable contractors usually book jobs in advance. And if they want you to sign your insur...
Angela Łot'oydaatlno Gonzalez sits at her kitchen window, beading what will be a doll-sized salmon that will be the center of another "Fish Camp Barbie" display, one of several she has made in recent years. Barbie herself stands to Angela's left at a small table wearing a pink kuspuk (the Yup'ik spelling is qaspeq and in Athabascan, the word is bets'egh hoolaanee). She sports a crown beaded with "B." When the display is finished, this Barbie, chosen for her caramel skin tone, will be posed...
Marjorie Kortkamp has a flower clipped to her soft gray curls, but she confessed it hasn't been the easiest morning, "I had a seizure!" she said matter-of-factly. But as she settled into her room at the Anchorage Pioneer Home, Marge (as most people call her), relaxed into a spirited retelling of her long life, from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to the Last Frontier. Her eldest daughter, Diana, was there to help her with her morning routine and to fill in any gaps in the narrative. A late-in-life...
Donna Gail Shaw trots across the street to give treats to a neighbor's dog as she heads out for a hike. She calls out to another one "Neptune! Neptunee!" on the way back. In between, she checks on the 10 wildlife cameras she has installed in an area of Anchorage known as Far North Bicentennial Park. In actuality, the wildlife she encounters can be anywhere near or even in the housing development where she lives, which abuts Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. It's something of a highway for urban...
June is peak road race season, and two of the events raise money for cancer research and bring community together to fight their respective diseases. The Alaska Run for Women, held on the first Saturday in June every year, had a big turnout thanks to good weather. "This was our thirty-fourth annual run," said Alaska Run for Women board member Nance Larsen, a public relations professional. "It definitely exceeded expectations." The 2026 run had 5,175 registered entrants; 1,100 participated...
The Anchorage Assembly voted on June 9 to approve AO 2026-72, which authorizes the transfer of land from Heritage Land Bank's inventory to Alaska Natural Burial. The 9.6-acre tract of land, which is legally described as Tract B-2 Legacy Pointe Subdivision (Plat14 2013-18), can be used for the purposes of creating a natural burial cemetery. The area is wooded city land near Golden View Drive. Alaska Natural Burial is a nonprofit organization that would like to provide what it describes as a low-cost option compared to a casket cemetery. The...
Hospice of Anchorage is organizing its first “Embrace the Journey” walk. The event is Aug. 1 at Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, 1824 W. 15th Ave. in Anchorage. The event follows a 1-mile route, making it accessible to strollers, wheelchairs and participants of all ages. You can also choose your start time: 10 a.m., 10:30 or 11 a.m. The 1-mile walk will feature several family-friendly aspects to uplift and foster connection. One is a bubble lane, another is an affirmation card pull, where you choose a message you need for your journey. In one seg...
On May 20 AARP Alaska celebrated Older Americans Month and Senior Recognition Day with an afternoon gathering at the Douglas Library. Linda Kruger, local AARP volunteer lead, provided information about AARP and AARP's 55 years in Juneau. Juneau Commission on Aging Chair Deborah Craig read an Older Americans Month proclamation signed by Mayor Beth Weldon. The AARP Alaska Andrus Award for Community Service, AARP's most prestigious volunteer honor, was presented to Bruce Botelho for his dedication...
Sharon Baker was just about to go on a bike ride when she paused to talk to the Senior Voice. The Fairbanks resident is active year-round. In the winter she skis, preparing for the Sonot Kkaazoot, a 50-kilometer ski race in late March. Then in April she straps on running shoes and begins training for the annual Equinox Marathon in September. "I love to be outside," Sharon said. Part of her athleticism is participating in the Alaska International Senior Games, both as an athlete and as an...
Family members, friends, and caregivers gathered on the morning of May 2 at the Anchorage Golf Course for the 2026 annual Alzheimer's Resource Alaska (ARA) "Amblin' for Alzheimer's" event. ARA hosts the event to raise awareness about the growing incidence of Alzheimer's and related dementias in Alaska. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia, but there are many others. https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-dementia Dementia causes issues with thinking, behavior, and memory....
The Alaska Senate passed HB 96, which creates a Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board by a vote of 19-1. The legislation is meant to expand access to affordable home and community-based care. The legislation also empowers an advisory board that will develop policy recommendations for senior care improvement, and requires agencies that provide personal care to allocate a certain percentage of funding to Personal Care Assistants. Seniors are the fastest growing demographic in the state of Alaska, with an expected 500% increase by 2050....
The SS Northwestern was launched on November 28, 1889, by the Delaware River Iron, Shipbuilding and Engine Works of Chester, Pennsylvania, under the name of the SS Orizaba and was an iron-hulled combined passenger/freighter ship that was powered by a coal-fired steam-driven engine and a four-bladed screw propeller. The first owner of the Orizaba was the Ward Line (also known as the New York and Cuba Steamship Company), and she sailed for nine years carrying passengers between New York, Mexico,...
