LIFE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS FOR NORTH WHIDBEY’S 50-PLUS CROWD VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • NOVEMBER 2014
Oak Harbor Ceremony Honors Whidbey Veterans The sTriKinG TreMors By Barb Spence
Hello Wii!!! The introduction of the Nintendo Wii and its sports and fitness games has greatly expanded the appeal of video games — especially among senior citizens. And Oak Harbor Senior Activity Center is right on top of the game. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30am, the Striking Tremors gather in the Wii Room at the Oak Harbor Senior Activity Center and compete for top scores, taking the sport rather seriously. They’re not the only seniors taking Wii bowling seriously: There are 186 teams and more than 1,000 bowlers in the throes of a virtual competition from California to New York as part of the National Senior League’s 2014 Wii bowling competition. Our Striking Tremors haven’t participated nationally, but could because they are that good! I’ve watched them! They are great! Nintendo created the hardware and software that are behind Wii bowling with an eye toward expanding the traditional gaming demographic. “I think what we were able to do was to make video games fun, accessible for a group of consumers who never had thought of themselves as video gamers before,” says Reggie FilsAime, president of Nintendo America. For seniors, part of the appeal of Wii bowling is the nostalgia. It mimics the moves a bowler makes in an actual bowling alley, only players don’t have to reserve a lane, don bowling shoes or pick up a heavy ball. They just have to be able to wave their hand. It may be a virtual game played on a large flat-screen TV, but when a team member, lunges forward and releases the invisible bowling ball with the hand-held controller, the emotions are 100 percent real. There is applause, victory dances and shouts from the team. Virtual sports also create a set of excuses. If a player doesn’t get the strike he/she wants, it can be blamed on the batteries in the controller. The Striking Tremors welcome any challengers and would love a little competition. So, put together a team and we’ll get a tournament going…and then who knows… on to Nationals for OHSC!
A Veterans Day ceremony to honor those who have served and those who are currently serving in the armed forces of the United States will be held Tuesday, November 11, at 11:00 AM at the Oak Harbor High School Performing Arts Center. This ceremony follows the third annual Oak Harbor Veterans Day Parade, which will take place Saturday November 8, at 2:00 pm. Veterans Day is traditionally celebrated on the same date as the former Armistice Day, inaugurated to commemorate the end of World War I, November 11, 1918 – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year. This marks the tenth year of this community-wide event, which is sponsored by the Oak Harbor Area Council, Navy League of the United States. Each year, communities across the United States honor those who have served our country, under the broad theme of “Honoring our Nation’s Heroes”. The Oak Harbor Area Council, Navy League of the United States, is honored to sponsor our tenth annual community Veterans Day program, “A Musical Salute to our Veterans”. The program fea-
tures musical performances by The An-O-Chords barbershop chorus, the Daybreak Trio, Oak Harbor High School’s Harbor Singers and Treble Choir, and the All-Island Community Band and also the Oak Harbor High School NJROTC Color Guard. Guest speaker will be Chief Petty Officer Gabriel Zaldivar, Patrol Squadron ONE. The time and date are traditional: 11:00 AM, Tuesday, November 11, at the Oak Harbor High School Performing Arts Center, 950 NW 2nd Ave., Oak Harbor. Admission is free. All are welcome! The community is invited and encouraged to attend this ceremony, to honor all of the veterans among us, who have throughout our nation’s history fought to preserve our democracy, maintain the peace and preserve our legacy.
Protecting Ourselves From Scams By Barb Spence
In the October issue of the Second Wind there was an article about Identity Theft that occurs when someone steals personal information that is then used to purchase things for themselves. In this article, from which ideas come from the AARP Fraud Watch Network, some pretty common scamming methods will be described that seem unbelievable but happen every day. Oil Scams – The scammer will call and say that they are drilling for oil off the Gulf Coast and there is brand new technology that will discover oil in places no other equipment can do so. If the caller cannot furnish credentials such as their registration with the SEC, do not give any information. Free Lunch – The scammer invites many people to a seminar where he presents an unbeatable
opportunity. The people have to sign up right then and cannot wait until later. That is because the person will be leaving town with all the money he collected. Gold Scams – Scammers persuade individuals that precious metals are the only safe way to invest. The pitch is that buying the gold and silver coins at a lower rate will guarantee wonderful earnings on investment. However, the coins are being sold at 300-500% mark up and the individual’s money is lost the minute the coins are purchased. SCaM PROTECTION continued on page 2
INSIDE THIS EDITION Guest Spot .................... Pg. 2 Library Events ................ Pg. 3 Menu ............................ Pg. 3 Volunteer Showcase ....... Pg. 4 Sudoku Puzzle ............... Pg. 4 Calendar....................... Pg. 5 Travel............................ Pg. 6 Crossword Puzzle ........... Pg. 6 Activities & Events........... Pg. 7