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Editor’s note: This press release was received July 14. On the 50th Anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA), The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is calling on Congress to reauthorize this vital legislation, which supports programs and services for approximately 11 million individuals and their families. Through a national network of aging services and funding, the OAA offers a wide range of supports, including home-delivered and congregate meals,...
We had been having a wonderful summer and I always expect a colorful autumn here in Anchorage. That is, the summer started out well, but I had an unexpected problem. I wasn’t feeling well and when a friend stopped in to see me, I must have looked very bad because he immediately called 911. The EMTs thought I needed to go to the hospital and that is where I ended up. I was standing next to a nurse, who for some reason was holding on to me. She let go and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor,...
Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Alaska announced it would be losing the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division due to an Army wide 40,000 troop reduction. The loss of 2,600 troops and the accompanying civilian positions will be a blow to the local economy and the U.S. Arctic Defense Force. The Alaskan Congressional delegation promised to fight the move in the face of the growing threat from the People’s Republic of China, Russia and North Korea. “Alaska based ass...
Prospectors searching for gold in the Wrangell Mountains during the early 1900s found a mountain of copper instead. Others had discovered coal and oil in the Prince William Sound and Bering River regions. Only transportation – a railroad – was needed to bring copper, coal and oil together to unlock the riches of Midas. Five separate railroads were started from three different points on the coast. Then the fight was on – gun battles, political battles, court battles, fantastic right...
Generally regarded as one of the classic beauties to grace the big screen throughout the '40s and '50s, Arlene Dahl's career extended beyond the reach of the camera. "I've had many different careers," said Ms. Dahl, who turns 87 in August, from her home in New York. "I was a writer for twenty years with a beauty column in the Chicago Tribune, which was syndicated in 180 newspapers around the world." As an author, Dahl has penned 14 books and is currently working on more, including an...
Dear Jonathan: My wife and I prepared wills several years ago. We thought by doing so that we were avoiding probate which was the main purpose why we prepared wills. However, a close friend of ours recently died and her estate is now being probated even though she prepared a will. This came as quite a shock to us as we thought we had everything covered. Could you please shed some light on this? Jonathan says: Yes. Unfortunately, many people share the same misconception that by preparing a last will and testament probate can be avoided. Whether...
Q. It seems like lots of “experts” have varying opinions about Net Neutrality. Can you explain it in layman’s terms? I am against the government sticking its nose into my business, but I don’t understand the issue. A. Net Neutrality 101. It’s a complex subject about which volumes have been written, but in its simplest form, Net Neutrality is a principle that states that all information flowing across the Internet should be treated equally. With more people streaming data-rich video, Skype (Internet telephone), playing online games, watching...
Under the guise of compassion a Physician Assisted Suicide Bill (HB99) has been offered by certain members of the legislature. The so called “Right to Die” bill is nothing less than “State Sponsored Homicide”. In 1959 Alaska instituted the state constitution. Section 7 provides that no person will be deprived of life without Due Process of Law, and Section 22 protects a person’s Right to Privacy. The Supreme Court in Sampson vs. Alaska held that physician assisted suicide is illegal. Notwithstanding, authors of HB99 state that the bill is a...
Unless you have been living in a cave in the Tri-border area of Pakistan, you realize the State of Alaska is facing a serious budget crisis. The Governor chaired a fiscal sustainability conference in Fairbanks earlier this year to address the state’s finanace and cost saving options. One of the many suggestions was to have the Department of Health and Social Services contract for a feasibility study to determine if out-sourcing or privatizing the management of the Pioneer Homes system was cost effective. DHSS is considering issuing a c...
’Tis the season for summer vacations! Whether traveling in your home state, throughout the U.S. or to a foreign country, taking precautions and knowing about potential scams could save you from a ruined vacation. Book online securely When booking travel arrangements and hotels online, it is safer to go to a company’s official website or call them directly. Do not click on online ads or links from emails. If using travel search engines, be wary of sites that offer prices significantly lower than other sites. If you choose to book through a thi...
It is the middle of this year and time to talk about the valuable Medicare Preventive services that you are entitled to if you are on Medicare Part B, the part of Medicare that helps pay for non-hospitalized benefits. (FYI, Medicare Part A is the part of Medicare that helps pay for the expenses you incur when you are hospitalized. If you have worked under Social Security and paid into Medicare for 40 quarters at any time during your life, you automatically receive Medicare Part A without a...
It’s an alarming and disturbing fact but older veterans have a higher suicide rate than the general public, including returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. In fact, veterans over 50 years of age have a 70 percent higher suicide rate than the non-veteran general population. According to Tom Berger, executive director of the Vietnam Veterans of America national health council and a Vietnam Navy Veteran, “You know, ‘We’re just old guys, and we’re going to die, so why pay much attention...
At 2 p.m. on June 30, 1958, teletypes and telephones all across Alaska began buzzing with exciting news. After six days of debate, the U.S. Senate had voted 64-20 to add Alaska as the 49th state. The House of Representatives already had approved its admission by a vote of 210-166 on May 28. The long battle for statehood was over. Sirens blared in towns across the territory. Crowds celebrated in the streets. Alaskans had won their 91-year struggle for self-government. Following the...
This summer, Julie Newmar turns 82; but it only seems like yesterday she was prowling across our TV screens as the original Catwoman supervillainess in the '60s TV series "Batman." In addition to her acting career, Julie has long taken an interest in gardening, beauty and health. "If something bothers me, I try to live on top of it," the Hollywood beauty icon said from her home in Los Angeles. "Just let the joy in you come out and stay in love with life. That's the secret to aging well." Julie a...
Dear Jonathan: What is the difference between an executor and a personal representative? Jonathan says: There is no difference, they mean the same thing. Some states use the term executor and other states use the term personal representative. An executor or personal representative is the person who is in charge of administering a deceased individual’s estate if a probate administration is required. Dear Jonathan: What does it mean when someone dies intestate? Jonathan says: If a person has died intestate that means he or she died without m...
Q. My keyboard has several diacritic marks, including the tilde and circumflex accent. How does one place such a mark over a letter? A. Diacritic marks? Circumflex accents? Pulleeeze! Around here we refer to those as doohickies and squiggly things, so kindly refrain from using such high-falootin’ technical jargon in the future. I do have a reputation to protect, you know. Turning to the squiggly thing that is also known as a tilde, on the keyboard it’s a single character. But since you cannot press two keys at the same time – and lord knows...
I just discovered something upsetting. I'm getting older by the day. Odds are I won't forever be the active, self-reliant person I am now. Yes, it's true, and I must accept the fact one day I will need someone at least checking in on me daily. So then, what's an old soldier to do when that day comes when they no longer can fully function alone? You don't enjoy removing the beautiful snow from your 300-meter driveway as much as you once did, or cutting the grass in your yard is no longer on your...
The infant town of Anchorage, only a few years old, had always been interested in America's favorite pastime when William F. Mulcahy, later known as "Mr. Baseball," blew into the lusty, young railroad town in 1922. Everyone turned out to watch the games played evenings after supper and weekends. As far back as 1916, Anchorage had a regulation baseball diamond, built by the Bridge Engineers, located in what was known as Recreation Park in the railroad yards north of Ship Creek. A press box, with...
Her father commanded a spaceship in a popular 60s television series. Two decades later, in 1988, Melanie Shatner was featured alongside her dad in an Oldsmobile TV commercial revealing her own desire to zoom around in something "space age." But it wouldn't be the last time father and daughter acted together. The pair shared some on-screen time the following year when "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," was released. Directed by her father, William Shatner aka Star Trek's Captain Kirk, Melanie...
Dear Jonathan: My wife and I have a pretty modest estate. Basically, we have our home and a couple of bank accounts. We only have one child, a daughter, who will be the beneficiary of all of our assets. We know we don’t need a complicated estate plan, but at the same time, we want to make sure that what assets we do have pass to our daughter without having to go through probate. From doing our own research, we realize that we could set up a trust and retitle our home and bank accounts to that trust. If we do that, it is our understanding t...
Q. Is there a governing body that regulates the Internet in the United States? A. No one person, company, organization or governmental agency oversees the Internet at this time, though that is certainly subject to change. There are some individuals who feel the Internet should be overseen by the government, much like a public utility. At present, however, it is a globally distributed network comprised of many voluntarily interconnected autonomous networks. It operates without a central governing body with each constituent network setting and...
Comparing services using the Medicare website This month, I am going to use the Medicare website (which you too can easily use at www.Medicare.gov/home health care). The three homes I picked out to compare are the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Hospice & Homecare of Juneau and the Mat-Su Regional Home Care. The first two are privately owned and the third is proprietary. All three of these institutions compare favorably as to Nursing Care, Physical, Occupational and Speech therapy, Medical...
Those of you (including this retired Army pilot) who have witnessed an aircraft accident first hand know the litany of emotional phases that one experiences. At first you deny the accident happened. “I know that crew and they are the best. They’re just lost, will fix the radio and call the center or the tower.” Next you become angry, saying , “Why did this crash have to happen? Someone could have prevented this from happening. Who is that person? Let’s find out.” The third stage of grief is a...
Although the frenzied gold seekers of the North lacked most of the luxuries, not to mention necessities, of civilized living, they did have theaters – even opera houses. There had been entertainment in California's gold rush of 1849, but never had there been such garish and colorful entertainers as in the days of '98. And many of them went on to fame and fortune. Sid Grauman, later owner of Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre and high priest of Hollywood's cinematic palaces, started his career...
Only a handful of actresses danced in feature films with both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. One was Leslie Caron. Although her last feature film was a decade ago, she hasn't been exactly idle since. "I won an Emmy in 2007 for a guest role on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' which was a grand moment for me," said Ms. Caron from London, where she moved in 2013 from her native France to be near family. Her autobiography, "Thank Heaven," was published in 2010, and in 2013 she appeared in an...
