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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...
AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center resume the “Age Smart – Let’s Talk” forums this month on Aug. 10, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using Zoom. This month’s topic focuses on the impact of music on brain health. Music is all around us. Learn how it can benefit us by decreasing depression, lowering blood pressure, reducing chronic pain, elevating mood and much more, with presenter Ann Farris, Education Specialist at Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska. The...
A strong and growing labor movement is good for workers and for all Americans. The labor movement has been and continues to be the leading force in the fight to strengthen Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring a measure of retirement security for all Americans. Our country, our democracy, and our people benefit when workers have a strong voice at work and are able to join together to build a more secure future for their families and their communities. Union jobs often come with negotiated defined benefit pensions which ensure...
I’ve had a front-row seat to the growing senior care crisis in Alaska, and I am worried. I’m worried about our seniors not getting the care they need, and I’m worried about professional caregivers leaving this field or Alaska to find better jobs elsewhere. I’ve proudly served as a professional home care provider to help Alaskans age at home safely for almost a decade. Caregiving is a valuable and rewarding job. Over the years, severe cuts to Medicaid services and care hours undermined the ability of professional caregivers to provide the car...
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 July meeting is July 14, hosted by the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons...
Aging surely has its challenges and one is keeping up your physical health as your body slowly deteriorates. Add an injury or major operation and the road to recovery may be too hard to meet – especially for those who spent a lifetime in competitive sports because they can no longer function at the high level they once could. Some seniors have found a low impact activity that allows them to bounce around a court and smash the heck out of a perforated ball with a ping pong paddle. That's p...
Alaska International Senior Games bowlers Phil and Lois Heine continue to encourage each other to expand their activities. This past year the Fairbanks couple have stepped up their personal geocaching challenge, which sends them out of the house exploring and creating new adventures. Some of you may be wondering, what is geocaching? Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt. Founded in 2000, there are now over 3 million geocaches in 191 countries on all seven continents. GPS coordinates are...
