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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...
“Expenditures made by retirees of state and local government provide a steady economic stimulus to Alaska communities and the state economy.” – National Institute of Retirement Security, Pensionomics 2021 Tourist greenbacks coming to Alaska fluctuate dramatically year to year. Same with fishing revenue, oil bucks, construction expenditures, and federal dollars. Some years it’s downright scary. So, what are the stability superheroes of the Alaskan economy? An important one is the traditional “defined benefit” pension plan where, regardless...
The surgery I needed this summer was not available in Alaska. I could have had it done in several places in the lower 48, but I picked Mayo Clinic because of its excellent national reputation. It is the number one ranked hospital by U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek. I picked the Phoenix facility (as opposed to Mayo Clinics in Florida or Minnesota) for the food. No need to be snarky. It was a dumb idea, but at the time I was trying to make the experience seem somehow festive, less tense, so I focused on southwestern food, which I love. I...
It gives me a good feeling to spend my final days surrounded by family, friends and lovers. We are a great generation. We all were out at sea for our five year migration and life cycle. Most of us didn’t make it back. But look around... We are the lucky ones. We made it back. And not only that, we successfully spawned. Now here we are in our last days, swimming to stay in one place, to stay with our community. We are elderly now. We’ve stopped eating but we have grown larger teeth. Ironic, isn’t it? In our final days we have large hooked noses...
The following selections were published in Alaska newspapers July 1922. Nonstandard spelling and punctuation are presented as found in the original articles. Glorious Fourth Nome Nugget, July 8, 1922: At one o'clock, notwithstanding the various handicaps [bad weather and a flu epidemic], the Square presented a lively appearance, many adults braved the inclement weather while the children formed the majority, the enthusiastic element of the days celebration. Taking it all in all the day was...
The following are selections from newspapers across Alaska, published in June of 1922. The laws of nature Editorial, Seward Gateway, June 14, 1922: Seward - Complaint was made in Seward this week that fishing boats were killing the seals on rocks at the mouth of the harbor. While there is no law to prevent these animals being slaughtered, for sentimental reasons the few that congregate in these haunts should be preserved. They are objects of great curiosity to tourists and invariably are mention...
A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in a telehealth session with a physician assistant to discuss an upcoming visit to a local Anchorage clinic. I couldn't help but notice that it looked like she was sitting in her home, maybe at the kitchen table. Being a curious kind of guy, I was compelled to ask her about where she was. Yes indeed, she was sitting at her kitchen table...in Oklahoma. Turned out that she used to live in Alaska and worked at that clinic, then moved out of state a few yea...
A couple of years ago we had a normal life. Since then, we’ve had a pandemic. No matter what our life was like then, it is now more isolated, more lonely, more expensive, more fearful. When do we get back to normal? I have wishful thinking, but that is a far cry from an informed discussion. For that, we’ll have to turn to some public health folks who do not offer hard and fast recipes to make a determination, but do offer some interesting ways to think about the question. Anne Zink, MD, is Chief Medical Officer for the Alaska Department of Hea...
Bianca Rauch has been a hospice chaplain in Anchorage for many years. In this interview she talks about Valentine's Day, the loss of loved ones, grief and remembering. Valentine's Day is coming up. This is an especially difficult day, I assume, for those grieving for a loved one. What do you tell them? Chaplain Rauch: Valentine's Day is just one event, one day that may be difficult among many. There are many firsts, especially in the first year after you lose someone. There's an anniversary if...
The pandemic has created a nation of baking maniacs. To wit: According to Bookscan, 200,000 more bread cookbooks sold in the U.S. in 2020 than in 2019. by April, and continuing through July 2020, retail shelves were cleared of yeast products within hours of stock replenishments, as reported by Food Business News. Eater.com reports King Arthur sold a lot of flour in 2020, growing by over 50 percent compared to the previous year. Research firm Stackline found that bread machine sales were up an...
I am talking about the traditional pension, the kind of pension that allows you to retire with dignity. The kind of pension that pays a retirement income based on your salary and the number of years you’ve worked for the employer. This is known as a “defined benefit pension.” I am not talking about dodgy, relatively new-fangled retirement schemes such as 401(k)s, which are hardly more than savings accounts. On the one hand, a traditional pension is financially the most secure type of retirement. On the other hand, it is on its way to becoming t...
Coleman Cutchins is a clinical pharmacist with Department of Health and Social Services. He has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is board certified in pharmacotherapy, the treatment of disease with drugs. He has a long history in research, and working with infectious diseases. I interviewed him September 6. These are some highlights. What have you been focused on recently? I've been on this [COVID] team since really right after the Wu Han flight landed. At least 80% of my time or so has been on...
What are the chances that you will need services like these at some point in your life? - nursing home - assisted living - home health care - homemaker and chore services It turns out that the chances are quite good. The WA Cares Fund – a new program in the State of Washington, discussed below -- estimates that 7 in 10 Washingtonians over the age of 65 will need long-term services and supports within their lifetimes. That seems to parallel comparable national estimates. More to the point, these services can be extremely expensive. For e...
Breakthrough. As in falling through thin ice? No, this one is different, and it may be more important to seniors than any other age group. Here’s how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put it: “COVID-19 vaccines are effective. However, a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus that causes it. These are called ‘vaccine breakthrough cases.’ This means that while people who have been vaccinated are much less likely to get sick, it will still happen in some ca...
A few weeks ago I asked my wife if she would like to go on a "date." I told her that it has two parts, and the second part is a picnic here in Anchorage featuring Arctic Roadrunner hamburgers. With some apprehension, I circled around to the first part of the date. "But first, let's go take a look at the free electric car charging station in the parking lot of Chugach Electric." During the previous few months I had been - perhaps obsessively - perusing the internet about electric vehicles, watchi...
Are you a senior chafing under the debt burden of a student loan? It may be perversely comforting to know that you are not alone. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in 2015, nearly 870,000 borrowers age 65 and older were burdened by federal student loans. Certainly the numbers are even higher now. Moreover, the amounts of money involved are staggering. According to AARP, in 2004, adults age 50 and older owed $47 billion in student loan debt. By 2018, that figure had exploded to $289.5 billion, making it one of the big...
No point being a member of the “Nice Club.” We seniors are important, and there are a lot of us. There are 139,000 seniors (age 60+) in the state. We represent 19% of the total Alaska population. According to the June 2019 issue of Alaska Economic Trends, Alaska seniors are growing faster than in any other state. We are one heck of a voting bloc, and we contribute billions of dollars to the state’s economy every year. Nevertheless, I resist beating my chest yelling, “We are invincible!” Because we are not. The pandemic hit us pretty hard and...
The other day I had a most interesting interview via Zoom with several sterling denizens of Alaska civil service, discussing several employment programs that have tons of money, no waiting lists and just might make a huge difference in your life. In attendance were Duane Mayes, division director for the Alaska Department of Labor; Lisa Morley, executive director of the Alaska Commission on Aging; and Jim Swanson, southeast regional manager with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. They have...
I got vaccinated at the Alaska Airlines Center, a large sports stadium on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. I said to Christy, my wife, “Now I know what salmon on a cannery conveyer belt feel like.” OK, not a perfect analogy because the salmon is being disassembled while I was just getting a COVID-19 shot. Nevertheless, the whole process was tightly organized and moved right along at a brisk pace. In fact, it lived up quite well to the (possibly informal) Alaska COVID Taskforce motto, “Shots in arms – fast and fair.” Here’s th...
What next, meteor strike? Invasion of space aliens? Zombie neighbors? We live in strange, worrisome times, but fear not. A good book will transport you to a calmer universe, or at least a different one. These are highly-rated books that feature main characters who are older persons. Some are light and humorous, others more thoughtful and somber. Perhaps you will find one or two that pique your fancy. Want someone to read to you? I do. I use the internet to check out audio books from the local...
No matter what else happens during these nonstop tumultuous times, a good book is sure to improve your outlook. These books feature main characters who are older persons. I select highly-rated books that tilt toward uplifting rather than depressing. Some are light and humorous. Others are more thoughtful, maybe a bit philosophical. Perhaps you will find one or two you feel compelled to read. Family Matters, by Rohinton Mistry "Rohinton Mistry's enthralling novel is at once a domestic drama and...
By LAWRENCE D. WEISS For Senior Voice “Help is on the way!” -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. I’ll amend that – not only is help on the way, but it is here now. Alaska’s initial allocations of vaccines are: Pfizer: 35,100 doses Moderna: 26,800 doses The Pfizer doses arrived the second week in December, and the Moderna doses should now be in Alaska. All together these are intended to be the first of two doses for approximately 62,000 Alaskans. After that, regular shipments of vaccines...
These books feature main characters who are older persons. I select highly-rated books that tilt toward uplifting rather than depressing. Some are light and humorous. Others are more thoughtful, maybe a bit philosophical. Perhaps you will find one or two you are compelled to read. The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table, by Rick Bragg "This is one of the sweetest, tenderest, most endearing memoirs I have ever read from a boy to his mother, his grandmother and grandfather, and...
The first fully approved COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped to Alaska for distribution perhaps as soon as the end of this year or early next year. Since it will be new, there won’t be much of it, so you will be assigned a priority. You will be vaccinated when the state of Alaska tells you it is your turn. Will you be in the top priority? The answer is a developing story with a few twists and turns. Late in August the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted public health officials in Alaska and across the nation to prepare to d...
Every day I take a 45-minute walk around my neighborhood, and the last few months I have noticed something rather curious. Every week or two I walk past a car parked in the street with someone just sitting in it, often reading a book. I don’t strike up a conversation because they seem totally engrossed in their pursuit, and pointedly sealed into their metal and glass capsule. Maybe they seek solace from the kids? The spouse? Loud music? Inner demons? Not really sure. Regardless of where you choose to read, or why, here are some suggestions y...
