Submitted by Orcas Island Senior Center.

Join Orcas Senior Center and Mike O’Connell, Facilities Manager of Glenwood Springs Field Station on Orcas, to learn about the Long Live the Kings project on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. by Zoom.

The Glenwood Springs Chinook program began as an experiment in 1978. Long Live the Kings founder Jim Youngren, wanted to see if he could create a Chinook run from a small stream on his property. Nearly 40 years later, up to 4,000 Chinook return annually to be harvested in fisheries from Alaska to Northern Puget Sound. These Chinook help nourish our local population of endangered orca whales.

O’Connell is a longtime fisheries biologist with experience and training in many areas of natural resource management.

To attend, go to the Events Calendar on Orcas Senior Center’s website at orcasseniors.org. To continue offering great programs like this one, your generous donation is always welcome.

Reinvigoration of Hearts and Hands

As more people are venturing out and getting together, it is time to call on our community to help reinvigorate the Hearts and Hands program at the Orcas Senior Center. Hearts and Hands volunteers have provided in-home companionship visits to seniors and disabled adults on Orcas Island for 15 years. Caring volunteers make friendly visits to seniors and adults with disabilities to help with maintaining independence and a good quality of life. The visits include assistance with light chores, errands, and provide a social connection and companionship. As a daughter of a Hearts and Hands recipient states, “you are helping to keep my mom involved in life and her desire to continue living.”

If you would like to become a Hearts and Hands volunteer or if you or someone you know could use assistance from a Hearts and Hands volunteer, please contact Jim Glozier at 360-919-9318. (All volunteers are vetted and follow strict COVID-19 protocols.)