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The small space between Mt. Sanford drive and Crossroads Clinic didn't seem big enough to hold the log church building from my childhood memories. How could the main room with the cathedral ceiling, the two-story Sunday school addition, the outhouses, the "extra room" mobile home, and all those parked cars possibly fit on that small piece of land? These were my thoughts back in December 1999, as I stared at the empty space where the Glennallen Community Chapel once stood. We had recently moved...
Bird Treatment and Learning Center (Bird TLC) has ten Ambassador Birds in our education program. We could not release these birds back to the wild due to the severity of their injuries or because they are habituated to or imprinted on humans. Two of these birds are snowy owls, an iconic bird of the far North. Many of us don't have the opportunity to see these owls because they are found primarily on the Arctic tundra. Our Ambassador snowy owl, Annik, whose name means "blizzard" in Iñupiaq,...
When the U.S. Government needed them, Alaska's Native population came out in droves. From the beaches of Bristol Bay to the far corners of Bethel, Kotzebue and Barrow, villagers didn't hesitate to provide Alaska with a line of defense after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Col. Marvin "Muktuk" Marston, who'd been put in charge of organizing the Alaska Territorial Guard, traveled along 5,200 miles of western Alaska coastline to personally address the Natives, including a stop in...
If reading bedtime stories to the grandkids is a cherished family tradition, Eddie Muller has an unusual tale to share this holiday season: a gritty feline sleuth searches for a stolen artifact while encountering a host of seedy underground characters prowling through a shadowy urban setting. If that sounds like the plot from 1940s film noir cinema, you're no dope. In his first published children's book, "Kitty Feral and the Case of the Marshmallow Monkey," the Turner Classic Movies host has...
I enjoy watching the presidential debates every four years. I think the first one I saw was Carter-Ford in 1976, when I wasn’t even old enough to vote. But there is a common mistake that candidates make in these debates. They assume that everyone watching knows about all of the stuff which the political reporters have been talking about all week. A lot of the most critical swing voters —the ones who are actually watching to decide who to vote for, as opposed to just rooting for their fav...
Q. Is there a way to get a refund for apps purchased in an online store? A. There are numerous app stores but the two largest are from Apple and Google, and both offer a refund process. Keep in mind that there are two types of purchases. One type is the cost of the app itself and the other type is an in-app purchase or subscription. The rules are different depending on the purchase type. Requesting a refund for the purchase price of an app is straightforward. In-app subscriptions are much more varied, policies are affected by terms and...
Q: I am feeling stuck in life. A counselor recommends I complete aptitude testing to help gauge my interests, preferences, etc. I’m skeptical since I’m in my 60s. How would it benefit me? A: When people find themselves at a career crossroads, entering retirement, or perhaps yearning to make a life transition, often it is difficult to determine what future possibilities exist. In order to make choices that fit your personality, your skill set, or do what makes you happy, think of ways to tur...
During Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, you will likely experience more marketing from private Medicare insurance providers, such as Part D prescription drug plans. Companies try to reach consumers in various ways, like television commercials, radio ads, events, mailings, phone calls and texts. The government has rules, though, to protect you from forceful or misleading marketing. Knowing the rules and red flags can help you make the best choices for yourself during Open Enrollment. M...
The holidays are a time for celebration with loved ones, and to share stories about the past year. However, it's important to remember that safety should always be a top priority so that we can make it to the next year's celebration, too. Bringing guests into your home can increase your risks, but there are ways to address that. Prepare your home. Before your guests arrive, take some time to prepare your home for safety. This includes removing any tripping hazards like loose rugs or cords. Ensur...
"Oh!" I said looking around at the ladies. "Did I tell you that I'm going to be a grandma?" A jumble of congratulatory words followed as well as comments and stories about grandmas and grandchildren. We were a group of ten women sitting around tables having a "card party" at our little local church in Slana back in November 2005. Conversation flowed freely at these once-a-month, all day affairs. We weren't playing pinochle or poker-we were making greeting cards. I had attended my first session...
Many adventurous souls headed north during the 1890s after prospectors first discovered coarse placer gold in the Yukon River basin on Fortymile River. But a widowed German immigrant who traveled that arduous route was in search of something much more precious: her son. Anna DeGraf, who lost her husband in the West many years before, climbed the Chilkoot Trail in 1894 at the age of 55. She hoped to find her youngest son, George, who'd left Seattle for the gold-filled Yukon region a few years...
In her new book, "Connecticut in the Movies" released in October, actress Illeana Douglas explores Hollywood's long love affair with the Constitution State. "The book features movies from the silent era to modern films that were either shot in Connecticut or featured the state in some way in the storyline or production," Douglas told me when we met at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, this past summer. "On the one hand, you've got country-living comedies...
The most interesting thing about Twitter is that they changed their name to “X” and yet the ZZ Top song, “I Heard it on the X” has not been trending. But that has nothing to do with my topic today, so I’ll move on. The second most interesting thing about Twitter is that you get these conversations among experts in a particular field, but people who don’t know anything about that field get to wander in and out of the conversation. That can be fun, but it also leads to confusion and misinformat...
Q. What is the best way to enjoy music on my smartphone or tablet? A. Digitizing audio CDs and copying them to a smart phone is still supported on desktop computers, but as more people move to a smartphone-only lifestyle this may no longer be an option for you. There are two major ways to get music on a smartphone: purchases and subscriptions. Of the two, subscriptions are the simplest to manage over time. The leading services are Apple Music and Spotify, both of which are available on all the major platforms and both cost about $10 a month....
This is the third in a series of interviews with Alaskans who have continued to work beyond the usual age of retirement. In this article, Bill Weiss, Physician Assistant (a mid-level health care provider), talks about living and working in Alaska and in other parts of the world. It's complicated. When and why did you come to Alaska? I originally came to Alaska in 1986 or 1987 after I had worked in Saudi Arabia. I came to Alaska to visit my brother [the interviewer is the brother] who had been...
Q: My mother will soon be using a wheelchair in her home. What should we be considering as she makes this transition? A: This is a really great question because there are several adjustments to be made, not only by your mother, but for others who may be visiting her home. I will only address a few potential retrofits one may take into account when getting her home ready to accommodate a wheelchair. One broad option is to undergo a full assessment of her living environment to understand where...
From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, I encourage you to review and, if needed, change your Prescription Drug Plan under Part D coverage. Changes you elect will become effective on Jan. 1. Certified Medicare counselors across Alaska can help you as part of the Medicare Information Office’s network of program Ambassadors, including through your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Give us a call, we would be glad to answer your questions, guide you through the process, and even complete the...
There is nothing that sounds like winter more than crackling wood in a woodstove and the thuds and groans of children stacking firewood. But it's important to remember that a maintained stove is a safe stove. Get an annual inspection from a chimney sweep. They'll check for creosote buildup, damage and function in the chimney. To find one, contact local woodstove vendors and ask them for referrals. Ask friends with fireplaces to get referrals or remind them to clean their own. Add a second...
Over 25 years ago, while at my sister's house in Glennallen, a gentleman dropped by to discuss some business. I found myself staring at his Carhartt vest and blue jean bib overalls, which featured multi colored patches upon patches. I had mended clothing for my family of four for over 20 years and had never seen anything like it. I couldn't help making a comment about the patches and learned he'd done all this repair work himself. I found this intriguing because many people viewed mending as...
Fire was the curse of many towns during the Klondike Gold Rush era, and Dawson was no exception. The extreme cold, coupled with dryness, meant fires burned in all buildings when occupied. Stovepipes thrust through flimsy walls or roofs of cabins and tents carried smoke from high-creosote spruce. Over time, the creosote built up on the pipes, which increased the draft, and soon that created enough heat to start the creosote burning. Eventually, a red-hot stovepipe could set a building on fire....
With Halloween coming up, there's no better time to satisfy your "Rocky Horror Picture Show" craving than by doing the Time Warp with Barry Bostwick, who will be traveling the country in October for various conventions, appearances, and screenings of the 1975 musical comedy horror classic (see www.barrybostwick.com for dates and locations). Bostwick, who starred as clean-cut Brad Majors in the original film, has attended dozens of screenings over the years but still looks forward the most to where a 'shadow cast' of local actors act out scenes...
I recently spoke to a family who had an unpleasant surprise after the father died. Everything was going smoothly as far as transfers, until they contacted the life insurance company. That was when they were told that there was something called an ILIT which was the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. What, they asked me, is an ILIT? I was a bit taken by surprise, because I hadn’t seen an ILIT in quite a few years. It stands for Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, and it is usually p...
Q. When someone tells me to "swipe right" on my phone, do they mean swipe to the right or swipe from the right? A. Technology changes so fast that the language is always trying to catch up. Early designs made gestures obvious with on-screen controls like switches. The original iPhone's "Swipe to Unlock" control became iconic. As complexity grew, and as people have become more familiar with smartphones, designers have pushed toward less explicit controls. In 2016 TikTok upended everything. Its...
Q: My wife recently moved out, and I am unsure how to begin life over at age 77. She wants a divorce and I cannot imagine my life without her. A: While not knowing the details of your situation, I acknowledge your predicament. Life transitions pose difficulties for many reasons. First, the emotional havoc of that news is tough to digest. It creates pain, anxiety or possibly guilt, then drains a person’s vitality. And people often see change as a problem rather than an opportunity. Further, it w...
As you may know, Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers approximately 80 percent of the cost of most services. But what about the remaining 20 percent, or even the other out-of-pocket costs like deductibles or inpatient copayments? You may want to obtain a Medicare Supplement Insurance (also known as Medigap) policy as a companion to your Medicare coverage. But how to know which one? My first recommendation is to obtain a copy of the Consumer Guide to Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap),...
