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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...
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is announcing plans to open a “Complex Behavioral Neighborhood” serving people age 60 and older who experience complex behaviors related to dementia. The addition, on the newly remodeled fourth floor of the Anchorage Pioneer Home’s Southside Building, will serve up to nine elders and is expected to accept its first residents in early 2022. The Anchorage Pioneer Home is one of six licensed assisted-living homes owned and operated by the State of Alaska Division of Alaska Pioneer Homes...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The January meeting is Jan. 12, hosted by Assistive Technology of Alaska (ATLA). Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group, Inc. for more information on...
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is holding Older Driver Safety Awareness Week December 6-10. According to the Center for Disease Control, the ability to drive can be affected as we age. Older drivers are also more likely to be injured in a crash. As part of Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, the Center for Safe Alaskans wants to share the following tips to help you stay safe. Gordon Glaser, the former Chair of the Alaska Commission on Aging, says, “I use these driving tips below to keep my passengers, other drivers, and my...
Traveling in the dark can be treacherous this time of year, but now many transportation systems are being kicked into motion. The COVID-19 pandemic left many stranded at home for weeks and months at a time. However, this year can be different. Last month, Senior Voice reviewed ride services in the Anchorage area. This month we look at the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak. Kodiak The Kodiak Area Transit System (KATS) has been in operation since August 2000, under the administration of Senior Citizens...
Think life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard? Imagine what it’s been like for Alaskans who have been fighting cancer. Add the terrifying experience of chemotherapy, radiation and being immune-compromised during a pandemic to the list of other effects such as isolation, loneliness and lack of access to health care – yet many Alaskans have survived and thrived. Pandemic Portraits, an exhibit honoring Alaska women who have faced cancer during COVID is a new Affinityfilms, Inc. project, and can be experienced at a venue near you. “We...
Older Persons Action Group will hold its 2021 annual membership meeting virtually on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 12:15 p.m. The board business meeting starts at 11:30 a.m., followed immediately by the membership meeting. Due to COVID concerns, meetings will be conducted online via the Zoom web platform. Attendance will require a Zoom log-in link, provided by email to those who RSVP no later than Nov. 16. To RSVP, call 276-1059 or 1-800-478-1059, or email admin@opagak.com. Senior Voice wins awards Seni...
Walking is a great way to get around and to get exercise, especially as we age. You can follow the tips below to stay safe when walking. This is very important during Alaska's dark winter months, when roads may be slick, you're less visible, and more likely to be hit by a car. Wearing items that make you more visible, such as reflective tape, is an easy way to help drivers see and avoid you in the dark. To help all Alaskans be more visible on the road, Center for Safe Alaskans is giving out...
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a lecture series on Southeast Alaska Native history in November in honor of Native American Heritage Month. All lectures will be live streamed on SHI’s YouTube channel at noon Alaska time. Visit https://bit.ly/3GkBm6G. Some of the talks will also be available in-person to attendees who show proof of vaccination cards. Space is limited to half capacity of SHI’s clan house because of COVID-19 concerns. Here is the schedule: Nov. 2, “Tlingit Society and the Crucible of Contact, 1741-1867,” by Stephen...
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...
“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s topic: “Project Access: What it is and How They Can Help”. The project’s stated mission is to increase access to health care for low-income, uninsured individuals by coordinating a network of committed and compassionate volunteer providers. The “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” series is a mon...
=The Alaska Disability and Aging Coalition will host the 7th Annual Disability and Aging Summit, October 5-7, 2021. The summit will be held virtually and include presentations on Aging Well in Alaska. Topics include a keynote presentation on Positivity and Aging and workshops focused around mental health, aging and COVID effects, and building resiliency. There will also be an elder panel and a legislative panel addressing topics such as the impact of COVID-19 on the aging population, budget assurance and the future of the work force for aging...
A new 5,400-square-foot clinic is open and operating in Shishmaref after about 16 months of construction amidst a pandemic. On Sept. 10, Norton Sound Health Corporation hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new clinic and welcomed the community to celebrate the new building. Residents enjoyed cake and refreshments and socially distanced tours through the new space. The new facility replaced a clinic that was originally built in 1983 and renovated in 2014. It was only 1,850 square feet. "In...
Weddings usually change the couple that decide to unite their lives and set themselves off on new lives and adventures. For Anchorage DJ Ron Stein, aka Rockin' Ron, his cousin's wedding gave him a new direction as well, creating "Sir Reginald Wingsworthy, Airship Battlegroup Fleet Commander of Steampunk," a title he has proudly worn for the past 14 years. Inspired by that steampunk-themed wedding at the UAA Planetarium, he created a "contraption" of his DJ booth just for the event. Stein, 68,...
Late one evening in early October 2005, I stood at the top of the stairs in my home in Slana, unsure of what to do. Having just finished working on one of my quilts, I had switched off the lamp intending to go downstairs, but found myself in total blackness. Should I blindly feel my way down, holding onto the railing, or should I turn the lamp back on, run downstairs, turn a lamp on, run back upstairs, turn that lamp off, and then be able to descend the stairs in safety? "Commercial power is...
In August of 1969, the Alaska Children's Zoo opened its doors with a baby Asian elephant, a seal, black bear, fox, goats and a few other animals. At the time, zoo founder Sammye Seawell envisioned a place where the public could come to learn about animals who were taken in because they needed homes. Over the years, generations of Alaskans brought their kids to the zoo and those kids grew up to bring their kids. While the look of the zoo has changed and the animal collection has grown, the...
Fall is back to school time, with educational programs for older adults kicking off their fall semesters. Here is an overview of the OLE and OLLI programs’ offerings. OLÉ! Anchorage OLÉ, which stands for Opportunities for Lifelong Education, is raring to go after a summer off with classes both online and – on Fridays – in person. Whether you want to learn about invasive plants in Alaska, films from storytellers around the globe, seabirds and shorebirds, Antarctica or electric vehicles, OLÉ has classes! Online classes through Zoom take place Tu...
Preservation Alaska, also known as the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation (AAHP), seeks nominations for its 14th Annual Historic Preservation Award. This award honors excellence in historic preservation throughout Alaska by recognizing a project, organization, agency or individual exemplifying the highest standards in Alaska preservation in different categories: Lifetime Achievement, Adaptive Use, Stabilization, Renovation and Restoration Projects; and the Stewardship Award for property owners, organizations, firms, governmental...
Anchorage Genealogical Society holds its fall seminar Oct. 2, virtually via Zoom this year. The seminar will be led by Lisa Alzo, a freelance writer, instructor and internationally recognized lecturer specializing in Slovak/Eastern European genealogical research, writing family histories, and using the internet to trace female and immigrant ancestors. She is the author of nine books and numerous magazine articles. Seminar sessions will include “10 Ways to Jump Start your Eastern European Research”; “Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Prese...
There’s still time to grab and use this year’s Senior Farmer’s Market coupon booklet, distributed through local senior centers and other agencies. Each booklet includes five coupons valued at $7 each, which can be used to buy fresh produce and other items at local farmer’s markets, authorized roadside stands and other select locations. Applicants must be at least 60 years old and meet low-income eligibility guidelines. Links to the online application and a list of where to get the booklets are at the state’s Dept. of Health and Social Se...
This story has been updated to correct errors in the earlier version. Since its inception 47 years ago, Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) has seen the state's elderly population skyrocket. According to CIHA statistics, in 1990, Alaska's overall population stood at 550,000 and the state's median age was 29. Approximately 6 percent of the state's population was over age 60 at the time. Of those, about 1,200 Alaskans were over the age of 85. Some 47 years later, the state population now stands...
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new order temporarily halting evictions in areas with heightened levels of community transmission of COVID-19. The order makes it illegal to evict any individual who qualifies, and allows tenants to stay in their housing through Oct. 3, 2021. Meanwhile, state of Alaska officials are still determining the specifics of this new order. The most current guidelines are numbered below. Go to https://www.alaskahousingrelief.org/renters/eviction-guidance for updated information. Eligibility...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast (formerly known as the Interagency Breakfast), sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the monthly event currently meets virtually online via Zoom. The August meeting is Aug. 11, hosted by the Stone Soup Group. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group,...
Since 2014, I've enjoyed working each Wednesday and Thursday morning in the Flower Department in the Barn at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. Wednesdays I fill the "vase" bottles with water and help exhibitors with their entries and Thursdays I'm one of the judges' helpers. For this volunteer work, I receive a free ticket for myself and one extra for each of those four days, as well as parking passes. But, after working my volunteer shift I'm usually too tired to take in many fair activities....
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has digitized and posted online video of its third Celebration, a dance-and-culture festival first held in 1982 that has grown into the world’s largest gathering of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people. The entire event, which was documented in 1986 on now-obsolete video tapes, is viewable on SHI’s YouTube channel for the first time. Go to the link https://bit.ly/2WmPAl0. Celebration 1986, held in Juneau November 20-22, featured dance performances from 19 different groups, speeches by prominent Elders and...
