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The abuse and neglect of American Indian and Alaska Native Elders occurs with alarming frequency in tribal communities. Tribal leaders from across the country have identified three major challenges in addressing elder abuse and neglect issues on reservations, including: There is a need to increase training among tribal healthcare providers and tribal governments about elder abuse and neglect, There are few tribal codes that specifically address elder abuse issues, and There are few established policies and procedures for tribal agencies handlin...
"If you have room, would you like to take a petunia wave basket?" asked Evelyn Bush, a former employer of mine. "You can't just give away baskets for free," I replied. But when her granddaughter, Michelle, said Evelyn could very well do whatever she pleased, I accepted. Of course I could find room in our truck camper for a free flower basket, even if it was already full. Bushes Bunches Greenhouses and Garden, just outside Palmer on the Old Glenn Highway, was my husband Gary's and my last stop...
After Alaska became part of the United States in 1867, the U.S. military ruled America's newest possession for about 17 years. Then on July 4, 1884, U.S. President Chester A. Arthur appointed Republican John Henry Kinkead of Nevada as the District of Alaska's first governor. And Kinkead has the distinction of serving as the district's governor for the shortest amount of time – less than a year – as he resigned in May 1885. Kinkead, who served as Nevada's governor from 1879 to 1883, knew qui...
A staple on the old TV westerns, Don Collier got his first break as a lead actor in the short-lived series "Outlaws" in the early 1960s. "I interviewed for the role in December 1959 and they called me back for three weeks the following January/February when we shot the pilot," recalled Collier. "NBC wanted a prime time slot for Ralph Edwards ('This is Your Life') and they had to move either us or Bonanza. Bonanza was in color and we were black and white (for the first season) so we lost out. But...
I recently saw the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody", which tells the story of the rock band Queen and its lead singer, Freddie Mercury. Having come of age in the ‘70s, I found it interesting enough to look up some of the background. One of the more interesting stories told in the movie, and with fair accuracy, is Freddie’s relationship with Mary Austin. For many years, Mercury referred to Mary as his “common-law wife”. Even after they broke up, he referred to her as his “only true friend”. He even bou...
Q. Most retail stores accept merchandise returns, but what about software? Is it possible to get a refund from the App Store? A. Although the details are often buried in the fine print, both the Google and Apple stores provide a return policy for apps. In the Google Play Store, time is of the essence. You have to request the refund within two hours of purchase. If you miss the two-hour deadline, there is another path best tried within the first 48 hours. The procedures vary slightly by media type. For example, movies, music and apps have...
Congressional Democrats are pushing an ambitious plan to expand Social Security and put it on a sustained long-term footing in an effort to overturn 20 years of attempts by congressional Republicans to scale back entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security. The New Deal social insurance program had been one of the primary targets of former House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., since his arrival in Congress in 1999. Ryan always believed Social Security “is an undeserved entitlement,” and lawmakers have often suggested that it...
Working at the office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman, I am often asked, “What exactly, do you do?” The answer is simple, we visit elders who live in assisted living homes and nursing facilities. We listen to what they have to say and work to resolve any problems they are having. Elders face a range of problems from disliking the food being served or staff being mean to elders, to physical and sexual assault. As Long Term Care Ombudsman, our job is to resolve the problem to the satisfaction of the elder. If the elder is not able to com...
A decade ago, Rushern Baker III started seeing signs that something was wrong with his wife when she was still in her late 40s. Christa Beverly was forgetting things and losing things. It took some doing, but he convinced her to see a doctor. She was tested, and at age 49 was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Within a few years of the diagnosis, Christa had lost most of her functions. Today, at age 58, she is unable to talk, walk or eat on her own, but she remains at home. Baker, 60, has r...
It’s National Social Security Month and this year we’re highlighting some of the time-saving features of the “my Social Security” account. Once you create an account, you’ll see that we already have your work history and secure information to estimate what you could receive once you start collecting benefits. With your personal my Social Security account, you can also: Request a replacement Social Security card; Set up or change direct deposit; Get a proof of income letter; Change your address; Check the status of your Social Security applicati...
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times in April: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (April 9 and 23), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (April 3 and 17), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (April 4, 11, 18 and 25), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s Southeast communities can cal...
As adults we tend to think only kids need to know how to behave around dogs. But actually we all need to know how to be safe around dogs. Anchorage Animal Care and Control teaches kindergarten through sixth grade students how to behave around dogs to prevent dog bites. But adults often need the same lesson. April 7-13 is Dog Bite Prevention Week, so here are some tips and illustrations from our school presentation for everyone in the family: When a dog is happy and feels secure, their face...
“Gary,” I said to by husband, “I think a couple moved in while we were gone, and not only had babies, but invited the whole extended family.” It was early April many years ago and we had just returned to our home in Slana after an absence of a few months while being “snowbirds”. Other winters we had done the same and not had a problem, but this time was different. We found mouse sign everywhere -- in the cellar, the kitchen, the living room, bedroom and even upstairs. Since I was so glad to be back in my own home and since I planned to...
Klondike Mike Mahoney's return trip to Dawson in 1898 included a hike up the Chilkoot Trail with an unusual item strapped to his back: a piano. It all started when Mahoney hopped aboard the City of Seattle and found it stuffed to the bulwark with passengers, freight and a variety of animals, including more than 100 dogs headed to Skagway on consignment and horses crowed into stalls in the dining room. Mahoney shared his stateroom with a strange little man named Hal Henry, booking agent and manag...
It's not uncommon for actors to find a second career away from the camera after spending years in front of it. In Michael Dante's case, that new vocation has been writing, beginning with his 2014 award-winning autobiography, "From Hollywood to Michael Dante Way" (see www.michaeldanteway.com). "I received the Ella Dickey Literacy Award for it last April in Marshfield, Missouri, at their Cherry Blossom Festival," said Dante. "My second book, 'Winterhawk's Land,' is the sequel to the film I...
Psychology has found its way into finance, and it’s a good fit. Behavioral economists design systems that nudge people into making the right decisions. For instance, workers save significantly more when the default is paycheck deductions into their retirement account. This type of “opt-out” policy, versus an “opt-in” standard of having to choose to participate, has gained popularity with both employers and employees. Each of us approaches retirement in different circumstances. Some started retirement accounts with their first paycheck....
I recently read an interesting case; it happened in British Columbia, but it could just as easily have happened in any U.S. state. The father owned his home. He put his daughter on the title as half owner, with right of survivorship, so that she would inherit it on his death. Later, though, he got remarried, and he decided he wanted to change that to make his new wife the joint owner. There was one little problem. When you make someone a joint owner, you can’t change that unless the joint o...
Q. Is two-factor authentication worth the effort every time I log on to an account? A. I agree that two-factor authentication is more work, but that is its most valuable feature. The extra work keeps accounts more secure. Password theft is rampant. Data breaches have become so common and the number of victims involved so large it is easy to overlook as someone else’s problem. That is an understandable point of view, but it is a mistake. Security techniques that were state-of-the-art a few years ago are not enough any longer. We have to keep a...
If you’ve lived in Anchorage, you probably know the 4th Avenue Theatre. The facade, murals, and twinkling ceiling have entranced many locals since it was opened by Austin “Cap” Lathrop in 1947, an important figure in Anchorage history who also produced the major motion picture “Cheechako,” served as a city mayor, and more. The Theatre is a part of architectural history, as well as our local culture. It is a classic example of the unique style of American architecture called Streamline Moderne, from the American Art Deco style. It was designed...
There are exciting, innovative, interesting events happening in Anchorage this spring. Voting for Proposition No. 3, an Areawide Facilities Capital Improvement Project Bond is not one of them. This bond provides ordinary, but important safety fixes and major maintenance repairs to facilities that are significant to readers of the Senior Voice who live in Anchorage, Chugiak, Eagle River, Mountain View and Girdwood. Proposition 3 on this April’s vote by mail ballot includes repairs for the Anchorage and Chugiak Senior Centers, the Anchorage M...
House Democrats, Senate Republicans and the Trump administration agree on one thing – that drug prices must be lowered. Both parties are working through the ideas to reduce prescription drug costs, but the problem is finding common ground and achieving consensus. No compromise is there yet and it may not emerge as some lawmakers could choose to use the issue for political advantage instead of working out a solution now. But an arms race of sorts is building as Democratic presidential contenders try to make the most noise on the drug pricing i...
Fifty years ago this June, LGBT elder pioneers started the fight for LGBT equality at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, LGBT patrons at the Stonewall Inn took a stand against police harassment and violence, and a riot broke out. Police reinforcements arrived and beat the crowd away, but the next night, the crowd returned even larger than the night before. In the wake of the riots, discussions about civil rights were held among New York's LGBT communities...
While reading in my bedroom late in the afternoon of March 27, 1964, I suddenly felt the room swirl. I had enjoyed the day off from third-grade school work since it was Good Friday. Our family lived in company housing next to the Copper Valley Electric power plant in Glennallen. As the movement got stronger after a few seconds, I started to go look for my mother. By this time, the very loud firehouse-type bell alarm that signaled Dad when something was wrong at the power plant came to life,...
In July 1869, the steamer Active arrived in Sitka with former Secretary of State William H. Seward and his entourage on board. He had negotiated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for a mere $7.2 million in March 1867 and now wanted to see the magnificent land for himself. U.S. Gen. Davis held events in his honor, and then Seward traveled to Lynn Canal where villagers at Klukwan gave him the honor of calling him "The Great Tyee" (chief). Seward was impressed with the ceremonial art he saw...
Turning 97 in March, Carl Reiner shows no sign of slowing down. "I wake up with ideas!" the veteran actor, writer, director and producer said from Los Angeles. One of those ideas was to colorize episodes of his crown television jewel, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Two color episodes were produced in 2017 and last year Reiner selected a couple more favorites, with plots loosely based on his family's experience, which aired on CBS over the holiday season. "I've done a lot in my life but have to say th...
