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An unofficial head count taken at Sitka by the U.S. Army in 1869 revealed 391 civilians made up the town’s population, which included 10 saloonkeepers and 29 prostitutes. It was hoped that the 1880 Census would elevate Alaska’s image. Chosen to take the important tally was one of the most controversial figures in Alaska history, Ivan Petroff. Years later, historians would say Petroff was everything from a “Prevaricator Par Excellence” and able historian, to a three-time Army deserter, falsifier of documents and “teller of tall tales.” P...
If you’re a fan of old movies, you’ll recognize what the classics “Gilda,” “Blackboard Jungle,” “Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” and “Fastest Gun Alive” all have in common: Glenn Ford. Oddly enough, though he appeared in around 100 feature films, the first biography on Ford was only published in 2011. Ford’s son, Peter, authored “Glenn Ford: A Life,” and talked about his dad and the book, which is an insightful Hollywood bio filled with stories of one of film’s most underappreciated actors. In a...
The world is an economic mess. People with means are doing fine but they are a small portion of the population. We here in Alaska have not been hit as hard as parts of Europe but some of our older residents have changed their expectations. The March copy of the state Dept. of Labor Economic Trends show that Alaskans in the 55 to 65-plus age bracket are increasingly participating in the overall labor force. The percentage of increased participation is up about 6 percent for 2011 compared to previous years. It is more likely than not that the inc...
Just as many retiring baby boomers are seeking to buy long-term care insurance, the companies that provide it are making it more difficult to purchase by raising premiums, weakening coverage and charging women higher rates than men. According to data from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, premiums have risen dramatically in just the last year, by an average of 10 percent for couples and 20 percent for singles. Alternatively, more companies are giving customers the option to...
For older Alaskans living on a fixed income, senior housing can be a great option. Sometimes, though, our office receives complaints about senior housing property managers who abuse their power, repeatedly entering tenants’ units without permission or threatening eviction if seniors complain about poor service. Thankfully, this does not happen often. It is very important for seniors to know their rights as tenants in order to avoid being intimidated. I’d like to recommend an easy-to-read boo...
The Alaska Brain Injury Network and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) present “Artistic Journey for Brain Injury Awareness,” May 11 in Anchorage, featuring folk music, art and educational presentations to highlight brain injuries and their impact on individuals and families. Informational booths will be on site, along with door prizes, raffles, and desserts provided by Sugar Spoon. The event takes place 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the ANTHC building, 4000 Ambassador Drive. Call 274-2824 or visit www.alaskabraininjury.net for more informa...
What do David Filby, Wilbur Post and Scrooge McDuck have in common? They were all characters (“The Time Machine,” “Mister Ed,” and “DuckTales,” respectively) played by actor Alan Young. A resident of Studio City, Calif., for over 50 years, Angus, as he was once known, was born in Northern England. His Scottish father soon moved the family to Edinburgh, then later to Canada when he was six. He suffered from prolonged bouts of asthma as a child and was bedridden for months at a time. During those depressing weeks, his spirits would be lifted b...
How long will your tax-deferred retirement savings last as you use them to supplement your Social Security checks? Obviously the answer is affected by how much you saved and the unknown factor of how many years you will live in retirement. But it also depends to a large extent on how much Uncle Sam leaves you after he takes what he calls his fair share. This is when the juggling act begins, figuring out ways to live comfortably and still make your retirement income stretch. Here are some ideas to help you save money by reducing how much Uncle...
From the stables to the tracks, people across the United States are already talking about this year’s Triple Crown. The three biggest thoroughbred horse races in the nation — the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York — take place in the coming weeks. It has been 34 years since a horse has won all three and taken the U.S. Triple Crown. Social Security has a horse in the race, so to speak. We offer our own “Triple Crown” of social media at www.socia...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (May 14 and 28), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 1 and 15), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s southeast communities can call the Jun...
Q. Sometimes when I drag a file from one location with the intention of placing it in another location, I fumble with the mouse and it winds up in the wrong spot. When that happens, is there some way I can cancel what I just did so I can start over? A. Windows does provide a second chance of sorts in the form of an Undo keystroke command for this type of oopsie. (It’s a technical term.) The universal Undo command is CTRL + Z, which works just about everywhere within Windows. You can use it copying or moving objects, pasting and even when e...
Dear Jonathan: I am a single man. My net worth is between $9 million and $10 million. I understand that under the current law the federal exclusion from federal estate taxes is $5 million, which means that if I die this year, my estate will incur a federal estate tax. My financial advisor is encouraging me to purchase a life insurance policy with a death benefit sufficient enough to offset any federal estate tax liability that will be imposed against my estate. Do you think this is a good idea? Jonathan says: The exclusion from federal estate...
We entered 2012 with a deficit, but with hard work and diligence we now operate in the black. In fact, this November, your board of directors passed the 2013 budget with a small surplus. We were able to achieve a surplus budget by reorganizing “Senior Voice” operating procedures (cutting expenses), increasing advertising income and receipt of a state NTS grant. Paid membership is down, so please take the time to pay your $20 membership fee. Many of our members have been donating fine art and cash to OPAG. These generous gifts help us del...
