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Still haven’t used or picked up your Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program checks, worth $35 toward fresh produce? The booklets are available at local senior centers and other agencies and may be used through Oct. 31. Links to program information and a downloadable application are at https://bit.ly/3BfGvLV. Or call your local senior center or meal program for details. There’s also a proxy application form that allows someone to apply on behalf of someone else....
Hello there! My name is Rosemary Havens and I am a longtime Elder Mentor volunteer in Anchorage. I am 91 years old, and I was born in New York City. I love music, all kinds of music. When I was 14, I worked in the movie theater sorting the candy for sale then moved to cashier. I heard the music and I was so drawn to it. That's where I saw my first opera on film. Beacon Theatre in New York. It's still there. I came to work early one day just so I could see the opera. It was "La Traviata."...
There was something different about one of the quilters at the monthly Guild meeting. There among all the women oohing and aahing at a "show and tell" presentation. It was pretty obvious. It was a guy. The Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild has about 150 female members-and George Taylor, who seems puzzled when you ask him why he wants to hang out with a room full of women. Well, OK. That's probably a stupid question. George, now in his 70s, just smiles. In the public imagination, "quilters" are...
Alaska’s work creating “Age-Friendly Communities” is thriving, making the places we live better able to support people of all ages. The age-friendly program process began with Anchorage’s enrollment in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities as the 678th community nationwide, with Juneau following shortly thereafter as the 734th member. As AARP Alaska enters the second year of membership in the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, efforts are focused on community needs assessments in both Anchorage and Juneau....
Hi, my name is Anna Mae Andrew and I am 76 years old. My maiden name is Anna Mae Walcott. I have lived in New Stuyahok for more than 50 years-I moved here in 1968. I grew up in Ekook, where it is beautiful all year long. I got married in New Stuyahok to a local named Moxie S. Andrew. My hobbies include sewing, knitting and crocheting cultural things, and also artwork. I love to travel on a boat to my fish camp and camp outdoors up the river, and I love subsistence fishing. Splitting fish during...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc., earned honors for its monthly, statewide publication Senior Voice in the 32nd annual National Mature Media Awards Program. The program, presented by the Mature Market Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for the senior market, recognizes the nation’s finest marketing, communications, educational materials and programs designed and produced for older adults. OPAG and Senior Voice won three awards: Merit Award in the Best Newspaper/Newsletter category for the April 2022 edition; Merit Award in the Best N...
In May, the Juneau AARP Community Action Team (CAT) and the Juneau Commission on Aging (JCOA) joined forces to celebrate National Older Americans Month with three listening sessions to gather information for Age-Friendly Juneau. Earlier this spring Juneau became the second Alaska Age-Friendly community, joining the AARP Age-Friendly Network shortly after Anchorage. Co-chairs of Age-Friendly Juneau, Dr. Emily Kane (cChair of the Juneau Commission on Aging) and Linda Kruger (lLead for the AARP Juneau Community Action TeamAT), announced the...
Last month, fifty Elder Mentors from all over Alaska gathered in Anchorage for the annual Elder Mentor conference. This year's theme was "Connecting Through Service". Returning Elder Mentor volunteers were celebrated for completing another year of service as new volunteers were welcomed into the program, all the while preparing for another upcoming school year mentoring youth. Elder Mentors participated in several workshops and presentations, sharing their stories, learning and growing together...
What does it mean to be a Livable Community? As defined by the AARP Livable Communities project, a Livable Community supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages. Communities should supply safe, walkable streets, affordable housing, safe transportation options, access to needed services and opportunities for residents of all ages to take part in community life. How does that translate to life in Anchorage? This is the first in a...
With the arrival of summer, you will begin to catch glimpses of a small but speedy bird in flight, looping through the sky, searching for insects to eat. Its underside is white, and it sports a dark iridescent back that flashes varying hues of blue as the sunlight passes through its feathers. The tree swallows are back! The tree swallow is one of several swallow species that come to Alaska to breed. This small songbird, weighing around 20 grams, arrives from regions as far south as Cuba, Costa...
The Elder Mentor Program is pleased to continue our monthly feature in Senior Voice, each article highlighting an Elder Mentor who has generously offered their time, support, wisdom and care to their local communities throughout Alaska. For the next three months, our New Stuyahok Elder Mentors will be sharing their stories and recipes. Elder Mentors volunteer in school with students, serving as role models, tutors and, often, also Culture Bearers. Culture Bearers pass down their knowledge to...
Nothing seems to stop Rick Mystrom. From the quest to hold the Olympics in Anchorage, to building an ad agency, to running for mayor of Anchorage, to facing the scourge of Type 1 diabetes, Mystrom has not backed down. Born in Minnesota in 1943, he moved to Alaska in 1972 and three years later established Mystrom/Beck Advertising, now the Nerland Agency. He's contributed a lot to the life of Alaska. "I started Big Brothers Big Sisters after doing it in Los Angeles," he said. "I called the...
Registration is open for this year’s Alaska International Senior Games, taking place Aug. 5-13 in Fairbanks. The online registration portal is at www.alaskaisg.org. The annual event brings together athletes and recreation enthusiasts age 50 and older from all around the state and beyond. This year’s events include archery, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, ice hockey (co-ed), indoor shooting, mini golf, pickleball, power walk, road race, swimming, table tennis, team toss, tennis, track and field and triathlon. Com...
My name is Leeta Topps, and I moved to Alaska from Chicago and have lived in Anchorage for a long time. I enjoy reading, walking and volunteering. I love my neighbors because we live in a beautiful community. I have a lot of fun playing games with my grandkids and the kids at school. I have been an Elder Mentor for about five years. I love my service in the community and have made great friendships and connections. At Mountain View Elementary last year, I supported children with special needs,...
Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI) will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, Friday, May 5 at 2 p.m., to celebrate the new WASI Mid-Valley Adult Day Services, located at 11975 W. Mid-Valley Way in Houston. All are welcome. WASI’s mission is to help seniors live as independently as possible for as long as possible. As the number of seniors continues to increase dramatically in the Mat- Su Valley, families, friends and professionals are seeking out more specialized care and support services for a vulnerable adult. The WASI Adult D...
Noel Wein Library in Fairbanks will close for renovations starting May 1, according to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Libraries website. The renovation work is expected to last about 10 months. During that time, library services will continue at other locations in town, including North Pole, and a new location will open temporarily on June 1 at Joy Community Center, 24 Margaret Ave. The book mobile will continue service at its regularly scheduled times and locations. Books on hold will continue to be picked up at the Noel Wein location...
As part of the Anchorage Age Friendly community initiative, AARP Alaska is covering the tuition for seven Alaskans to be a part of the Walking College through America Walks. The Walking College is a six-month, distance-learning fellowship program designed to build the capacity of local advocates to create and expand livable, walkable communities. At the end of the course each fellow will develop a walking action plan for their community. Two Alaskans have already completed the Walking College course: Charles Bingham from Sitka and Maja...
In upcoming months, Senior Voice will feature Elder Mentors from around the state to show appreciation for all they do. RurAL CAP's Elder Mentor Program, nationally known as the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program, serves children in pre-K and school settings throughout the state of Alaska. Elder Mentors are senior volunteers age 55 and older who support school readiness and improvement of academic engagement among children with special needs. Elder Mentors receive training, support...
Forty years ago, a group interested in family history gathered at the Anchorage Museum to talk about creating a genealogy society in Anchorage. In February 1983, they officially created the Anchorage Genealogical Society, with Joe Gallant as the first president. By July, they had grown to 47 members. In May 1983, they began creating a newsletter; later they created a quarterly. Over the years, publications have been produced that members and others have enjoyed. In recent years, Peggy Hempelmann has produced the AGS Digest. In 1984, AGS...
There's nothing better to warm up with on a chilly Alaska night than a romance novel with not only lust, but fire. But with Lolo Paige's books, don't expect covers with buxom women having their bodices ripped by over-muscled men with flowing hair. "I write clean, not dirty, not graphic," said Lois Paige Simenson, age 68. Her pen name, Lolo Paige, is taken from her childhood nickname. Her books are the kind of innocent romance the Hallmark Channel looks for, but the channel no longer takes...
It is midnight, and hunger strikes. You creep down to the refrigerator to find something to eat. You pick up a container, peer inside, and decide there are better options in the cabinet. You decide on peanut butter and crackers. The glass jar of natural peanut butter has yet to be opened, so you struggle to break the seal and twist off the lid. Next, you select the best container to store the peanut butter in after stirring it. This scenario isn't unique to humans. Birds must also figure out...
Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI) announces the opening of WASI Mid-Valley Adult Day Services at their Mid-Valley Senior Center location in Houston. WASI's mission is to enable seniors to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. In keeping with that mission, WASI continues to develop programs that help seniors stay independent and living at home. As the number of seniors continues to increase dramatically in the Mat-Su Valley, families are often faced with exploring how to...
Do you know someone whose outstanding service, dedication and leadership have had a significant impact on the quality of life for seniors in Anchorage? The Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission is seeking nominations for the Annual Ron Hammett Award for community service, to be presented during Older Americans Month in May. Nominees for this honor must meet the following criteria: •Nominees must be an Anchorage resident. •Nomination may be made by an individual or organization. •Nomination should include both the achievements and backg...
How to stay healthy in Interior Alaska for those age 50 and older is the focus of “Fairbanks 50+: The Art and Science of Aging,” a two-day summit April 7 and 8 at the Pioneer Park Civic Center. The event aims to inspire a healthy path to growing older, according to a press release from organizer Foundation Health Partners, a program of the Community Health Improvement Plan for Senior Care. “The better we understand what it takes to support our goals as we age, the more likely we are to enjoy wider choices and fewer surprises. We also reach out...
Tai chi can bring wellness to the body, mind and spirit with consistent practice but trying to find a teacher or starting a practice on your own can be challenging. A growing number of senior centers in Alaska are finding tai chi instructors as a result of an effort funded by the State of Alaska to hold "train the trainer" workshops. The goal is to bring tai chi to as many of Alaska's communities as possible by recruiting community members to become leaders in health as certified instructors...
