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Contentment in aging

by Peter Twitchell Old age is not bad. I’m more content with life, more relaxed, more focused. I regard good health way up there, it’s very important these days to take care of oneself. Paying […]

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Love others

by Peter Twitchell As I’ve grown older and wiser, and closer to the Lord and savior Jesus Christ, our Redeemer of Nazareth, I have learned a few things about my own behavior. When I was […]

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Man’s Best Friend

by Tad Lindley I have a hard time sleeping in a tent in bear country. I am plagued by visions of the bear’s gaping maw pressing against the thin nylon of the tent until he finds […]

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Ready, Set, Go!

by Dave Kutcher You’re quickly approaching your retirement date … are you ready and set to go? We overwhelmingly see folks in their years just prior to retiring. It is who we market to and […]

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Viruses

by Peter Twitchell I rarely see people mask up at the post office, at the grocery stores, at the thrift stores, at the Goodwill stores, or at the major food chain stores. The schools in the […]

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There is hope for you

by Peter Twitchell Having worked as an alcohol counselor from 1995 to 2016 when I retired, I’m convinced that native substance abuse counselors have advantage over those fresh out of college with degrees. Degrees are […]

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Guns or Butter

by Dave Kutcher In a speech from 1953, President Eisenhower specifically referred to this expression of “Guns or Butter”… “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, […]

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Home Equity Loans

by Dave Kutcher The question came across our desk recently as to how a home equity loan works. We will provide some guidance below and would like to add here that financing (debt) can be […]

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Lessons of gratitude

by Peter Twitchell Growing old has not been a drag but I found that I appreciate more of life much more and like they say, every day we’re above ground is a good day. It […]

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Where Will You Be?

by Tad Lindley Recently I was talking with my good friend, and he said, “I always read your article every week.” Forgive me for having ego problems, but in my mind I reached around and […]

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The Golden Years

by Peter Twitchell I am a member of an Elders Group who gathers together once a month to discuss issues relevant to support each other and explore affordable housing and services which would also be valuable […]

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Appreciation in the New Year

by Peter Twitchell First order of business is I wish everyone in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta a very Happy New Year. In my lifetime I’ve loved many things and many people. First, I love my […]

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Happy New Year

by Dave Kutcher It is that time of year again when we all take time to reflect on the past 12 months of our lives and then make grand resolutions for change in the coming […]

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Tales from the Crypt

by Dave Kutcher Cryptocurrency; What is it, how does it work and how can you use it in your financial life. Cryptocurrency is a digital form of currency that is transferred between parties via the […]

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Required Minimum Distributions

by Dave Kutcher The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 has caused some confusion for taxpayers in terms of their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rules. The new RMD age is 73. But hold on… if you […]

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Why a Manger?

by Tad Lindley When the angel came to the shepherds he gave them this message: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto […]

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Yup’ik names

by Peter Twitchell My relative Lillian Lliabon of Akiak, Alaska told me a story about Two Good Shaman in the Yupiaq culture who helped members of their tribe with their powers. She also told me […]

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There’s gold in them there hills

by Dave Kutcher So, you’ve decided to start saving money for your future. You’ve done your homework, and everything tells you that a well-diversified portfolio of various investments is a smart way to go about […]

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FB Christianity Attack File #27: If the Bible Says That Money Is the Root of All Evil, Then Why Do Churches Always Ask for Money

by Tad Lindley Perhaps you saw this meme posted on Facebook. I have seen it before, but it popped up recently as a repost and I thought that I would address it. I want to […]

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Passive-aggressive neighbor

by Dr. Bradbury Question: I live next door to a woman who I think is passive-aggressive. She knows I don’t like shoveling snow so comes out and says, “A lot of snow, huh.” I responded, […]

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Keep our lands pristine

by Peter Twitchell When I was growing up in the 1950s us kids always listened to what our Elders and especially moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas who were teaching us to love, respect, and be kind […]

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Thanksgiving

by Tad Lindley We tend to think of Thanksgiving as a modern American holiday. It’s not. If you attended public schools, you may have been taught that the first Thanksgiving involved the English speaking Pilgrims […]

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A time for thanks

by Dave Kutcher With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and Christmas and New Year just ahead, we like to take this time of year to reflect and be thankful for all that we have been […]

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Urban living

by Peter Twitchell It is no secret when I left Bethel October 30, 2016 it was mainly to leave the high cost of living in real Alaska for a chance to live a better life […]

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White-winged Crossbill Puyiiq

by Frank Keim Have you ever come across a little pink bird singing in chirpy twitters on the top of a spruce tree in winter? Or even better, singing almost continuously in the same sweet […]

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What’s your social status?

by Dave Kutcher Each October the US Social Security Administration announces annual changes to the program for the upcoming year. For 2023, those changes include a significant Cost of Living Adjustment, an increase in the […]

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Commitment to education

by Peter Twitchell I’m thinking back in time to 1954 when Mom brought me to the log cabin building – the school in downtown Bethel which was located next to the Cowan Hut, across the […]

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Big Mac, Large Fries, and a Diet Coke

by Tad Lindley You’ve probably been there and seen it happen. You’re not a doctor, but, nevertheless, when you sized them up, you felt that MacDonald’s was not the best dietary choice for them. Perhaps […]

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Something better

by Peter Twitchell Everybody feels down in the dumps at some point in their lives, bummed out, discouraged, gloomy, and miserable. This is a normal human reaction when you lose your job, lose a friend, […]

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Hero of wisdom

by Peter Twitchell Elder Adam Kawagley of Akiak used to bring the subject up of “Wars and Rumors of Wars.” As we know a rumor is not always proven to be a fact or genuinely […]

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Charging ahead…

by Dave Kutcher It seems so easy, doesn’t it? You walk into the store to buy something, step to the register and pull that credit card out without even thinking twice. While using a credit […]

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Taste the Mayo

by Tad Lindley Growing up Mom was paranoid about mayonnaise going bad. My memory could be exaggerating it, but it seemed like if the jar of Hellman’s Real mayonnaise (we never used Miracle Whip) ever […]

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Honey, we need to talk

by Dave Kutcher How many times has your spouse uttered those words and you cringed as to what might be coming? Sometimes, though, we do just need to talk. In preparation of retirement, married couples […]

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Music throughout the years

by Peter Twitchell Since I was a boy growing up in Bethel, my favorite person way beyond my age range was Sonny Hoffman. Every time he saw me with my Dad or walking the streets […]

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Ciivikaaq Bristle-thighed Curlew

by Frank Keim Once back in the mid-1990’s I was picking blueberries above Marshall and a large sickle-billed bird flew over. It was making a bee-line south, probably in migration mode, and on a whim […]

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When Your In-Law is Psycho

by Tad Lindley M y wife’s family is one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life. My father-in-law taught me so much through the years, and I dearly miss him. […]

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Death and Taxes

by Dave Kutcher “Death and taxes” is a phrase commonly referencing a famous quotation written by American statesman, Benjamin Franklin, in his letter of 1789 to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy. Our new Constitution is now established […]

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Respect and protect nature

by Peter Twitchell The Ancients of our Yupiaq Tribe made the ancient laws. Our Ancients and Ancestors of our Yupiaq Tribe made accurate predictions of what was to come in the future. They had a […]

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World War III is in the Bible

by Tad Lindley Last week war erupted in Israel, with over 700 dead, including some American citizens, and thousands injured. Could this be the start of WW III? In World War I the total number […]

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Nothing is safe anymore

by Peter Twitchell How does one person maximize their life? I’ll share how our Yupiaq Ancestors maximized their lives and their existence as Tribal members. They took to heart and practiced the laws set forth […]

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Dope Dealer Turns Hope Dealer

by Tad Lindley If we were to talk to every kindergartner in every local school and ask them what they want to be when they grow up, we would get responses like, pilot, agent, health […]

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Fear factor

by Dave Kutcher Whether we are working with folks in that pre-retirement window of age 50+ who are trying to ready themselves for the retirement road ahead or folks that have already pulled the retirement […]

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Traditions and happy memories

by Peter Twitchell Long before I came into the world how were people of Southwest Alaska, the Yupiaq? We’re blessed with the beautiful tundra that provided berries, our sloughs and rivers, we’re full of fish […]

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Live long and prosper

by Dave Kutcher Increased life expectancy seems a good thing, yes? We agree. However, with increased life expectancy come new challenges that can bring significant hardship to our loved ones. Putting aside the need to […]

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A radio station is born

by Peter Twitchell 1971 was an exciting time for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region because a group of men; Ap’a Ted Stevens, our brother George Hohman, and our Chief and Leader Edward Hoffman; pushed to acquire approval […]

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Community challenges

by Peter Twitchell I have a tidbit, a small morsel that I’m thinking about and would like to share with you. Siberian rivers in Russian flow north, Alaska’s rivers flow west and south. Today, I’ve been […]

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Living trusts

by Dave Kutcher Planning for your estate can seem a bit overwhelming. One of the most basic tools used in planning for the disposition of your estate at your death is called a “Living Trust”. […]

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You Pick Your Blessing

by Tad Lindley Remember how some of those sweepstakes by mail used to let you choose your Early Bird prize if you won? It would be something like a choice between a new sports car […]

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Seal oil and walrus blubber

by Peter Twitchell We had stable food. All Alaskan Natives that had access to the sea and its tributaries. Seals and the walruses were our natural foods that gave us strength and longevity. We looked […]

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Just trust me

by Dave Kutcher Last week we discussed a very specific planning tool (funeral trusts) for those who are on the cusp of qualifying for Medicaid and who are simultaneously looking for a way to be […]

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The Computer Age

by Peter Twitchell I want to share my miracle today, and what a day it was after feeling the absence of the privilege of sharing in the joy of my children. I got into Facebook to […]

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You asked, we answered

by Dave Kutcher We have received a few requests for some information regarding trusts. More specifically, we have been asked about Funeral Trusts. In essence, a funeral trust is a trust that is being set […]

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Honor of recognition

by Peter Twitchell I remember a trip I made to Mountain Village in the not too distant past. The village was located high on the side of a hill on the lower Yukon River. I will […]

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The calm before the storm

by Dave Kutcher It is August 2023 and after a lackluster 22’ and a first half of 2023 filled with trepidation for what was going to happen this year, many people have found themselves feeling […]

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Only take some, not all

by Peter Twitchell One of the greatest tragedies in life is forgetting our culture and our people, and all that we remember hearing them talk about – how our people survived in a place where […]

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Living Outside the Ark of Safety

by Tad Lindley Noah was one of the least successful preachers in history. He preached for at least a hundred years and reached only seven souls. Those seven souls were his wife, his three sons, […]

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Surprise, surprise…

by Dave Kutcher We get questions on social security benefits all the time. The big question most often asked is whether it makes sense to delay taking benefits in order to get a higher amount […]

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The benefits of fish oil

by Peter Twitchell I believe all us kids when we were 5, 6, 7 years old did as we were told in the morning by our mother – to swallow a teaspoon full of cod liver […]

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Bless others

by Peter Twitchell When I look back in my life I took so many chances in the dead of winter driving down to Johnson River to fish for pike when it was snowing and blizzarding […]

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Instant Christian, Just Add Jesus

by Tad Lindley A question was once posed to me, “What about Mike and Mary?” Those aren’t the real names. I couldn’t remember the real names, so I used Mike and Mary instead. The thrust of […]

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What’s in a name

by Dave Kutcher While most of our articles are focused on how economic and other financial factors might impact your personal financial security, we are going to be a bit self-centered today and let you […]

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Friends for life

by Peter Twitchell Our friends are irreplaceable! As an Elder I feel this more and more as people move on to the spirit world. Most of my friends and I shared common interests like music, […]

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I’ve got good news and bad news

by Dave Kutcher Our clients at Frontier Retirement are almost exclusively from the 55 + age demographic. That makes sense since our concentration of services is in retirement planning. Financial goals and objectives are different […]

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Tears of grief

by Peter Twitchell The year was 2010, December 25 when I cried my eyes out in my little house on Watson’s Corner. I thought about this, in my 50 years back then, that I had […]

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Rock Sandpiper Cenaqiiq/Cenarpak

by Frank Keim The Rock sandpiper is a tough shorebird. Not only does it nest in the Arctic on Alaska’s Bering Sea coasts and islands as far north as the Seward Peninsula, but it also […]

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Musical Memories

by Tad Lincoln Her name was Helen Bautista, a true friend to the mentally disabled and the high school kids in Bethel from 1967 to 1970. Mom Bautista gave us high school kids the back […]

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Say’s Phoebe Sayornis saya

by Frank Keim The Say’s phoebe is one of the friendliest birds I’ve ever met, especially when mosquitoes are buzzing around your face. With their gentle facial expression, they show no fear as they hover […]

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This is no time for the weary

by Dave Kutcher We see it all the time- following periods of uncertainty in the investment markets things seem to have turned favorable again and sighs of relief can be heard across the land. We […]