Second Wind December, 2013

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LIFE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS FOR NORTH WHIDBEY’S 50-PLUS CROWD VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 7 • DECEMBER 2013

Safe In The Sound Disaster Preparedness For Seniors By Seniors - Take responsibility to protect your life! Prepare NOW for a sudden emergency. It’s not a matter of if but when a winter storm will hit Whidbey Island. Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning and can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or be confined to your home. What would you do if your basic services—water, gas, electricity or communications— were cut off? Learn how to protect yourself and cope with disaster by planning ahead. Even if you have physical limitations, you can still protect and prepare yourself. Local officials and relief workers may not be able to reach everyone right away. You can deal with disasters better by preparing in advance and by working with those in your support network: your family, neighbors and friends as a team. Knowing what to do is your

Vfw Ladies Auxiliary Seniors Christmas Luncheon The VFW’s Annual Seniors Christmas Luncheon, is Wednesday, Dec 18, Noon to 3 pm. All seniors are welcome. Lunch, Santa visit and Christmas festivities are part of the fun. The VFW Post is located at 3037 Goldie Road in Oak Harbor. Please RSVP by calling 279-4580 by Friday, December 13 for the food count. (Para-Transit will drop off / pick up for this event. Make reservations early.)

responsibility. Join us Monday, December 9 at 1:00 pm for “Safe In The Sound” to learn and discuss the three things you can do to prepare. Whidbey Island is a beautiful place to live but when disasters strike, we are cut off from the mainland and it may take days if not weeks for power to be restored. Living on an island presents unique challenges especially to those living alone and/or dealing with health issues. The presentation is the result of a group of older adults who experienced a two-week power outage when a massive ice storm hit the Greater Rochester, New York, area. They were unprepared. They know now that if they had only taken a few simple steps to prepare themselves, they could have eliminated many of the hardships they had to endure. Some were in good health but not quite as agile as they used to be, some had hearing or vision problems, others used a cane or wheelchair. Whatever the limitations, they still needed to be prepared. You can prepare!!! There will be handouts, displays and other information available specific to our community. Earthquakes, severe wind and snow storms are prevalent to our island. You will be able to register with the OH Fire & Rescue if you have special needs that will make you a prior-

ity to bring to an emergency shelter. Learn how to register yourself on the Red Cross website as “Safe and Well”. After a disaster, letting your family and friends know that you are safe and well can bring your loved ones great peace of mind. This website is designed to help make that communication easier. If you would like a Three Day Emergency Food Kit, sign up with payment of $9 by Friday, December 6.

Hip Or Knee Joint Replacement Patient Education Seminar Are you considering hip or knee joint replacement surgery? Join Dr. Michael Picco, chief of surgery at Whidbey General Hospital, at the Oak Harbor Library on Monday, December 2 at 1:00 pm. Learn who should consider these two surgeries, what each one entails, and the benefits of choosing this approach. The seminar, which is sponsored by Whidbey General Hospital, will be repeated at the Freeland Library on Monday, Dec 9 at 1:00 pm.

Bad Weather Closure

Tree Of Hope

The Oak Harbor Senior Center will follow the Oak Harbor School District closure policies. When the Oak Harbor School District is closed because of inclement weather, activities, meals, trips, and classes at the Oak Harbor Senior Center will be cancelled. If the South Whidbey School District is closed, the Meals On Wheels and Site Meals programs will be closed.

Make a child’s Christmas a little brighter with a donation to the Tree of Hope. A jar will be at the front desk for your donations. You may also donate a new stuffed teddy bear or toys and books by December 11.

Christmas Concert The 2013 Whidbey Community Chorus Christmas Concert is scheduled to take place at the First United Methodist Church (1050 SE Ireland Street, Oak Harbor) on Friday, December 6 at 7 pm and Sunday, December 8 at 4 pm.

Annual Christmas Light Tour Get ready to jingle your bells on our Annual Christmas Light Tour, Sunday, Dec. 22 at 5 pm. Depart from the Center. Cost is $6.00 per person and there are 20 seats available. No-host light dinner stop before the tour. Stop by the Senior Center Travel Desk to sign up.

Winter Travel Sign-Up The first day for Winter 2014 Travel Sign-ups will be Thursday, January 9 from 8:30 am – 3 pm. The Winter 2014 Travel Brochure will be mailed to current members of the Senior Center the middle of December. Others may stop by the center and pick one up after December 22. The Winter 2014 Travel Brochure will feature trips planned for January, February and March. TravelPalooza is coming January 23!

Mail For Heroes When filling out your Christmas cards, take a card and send it to: Mail for Heroes, PO Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD, 20791-5456. Pass this on and think of how many cards these wonderful people who have sacrificed so much would get. It’s the least we can do to show our love and support. Deadline is December 6, 2013.

INSIDE THIS EDITION Laughter

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Events

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Health

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Classes

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Calendar Pg. 5 Menu

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Groups

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Travel

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Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night...


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