Orcas Islanders are known for their active involvement, can-do spirit, and join-the-party attitude as we preserve and grow the good life. This year we were particularly connected.
We built new homes at affordable prices – Homes for Islanders’ started, completed and started two “sweat-equity developments” this year, one near Rosario and one off North Beach Road. Of People and the Land (OPAL) Trust completed and opened Phase II of Wild Rose Meadow off Mt. Baker Road.
The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce led the business community with “Sunset Mixers,” “Business Essentials” early-morning sessions and the fabulous 4th of July Fireworks, through Herculean 11th-hour efforts of Executive Director Lance Evans. The Community Foundation managed to give out not only $81,000 in grants to community non-profits, but also lent major assistance in the Food Bank’s Building Fund Drive, conducted non-profit support efforts such as “Board Boot Camp” and “Endow Orcas” sessions – and won First Prize in the “Community in Action” theme for the Independence Day parade.
Throughout the year, Arts and Entertainment events continued, with Orcas Center and the Grange leading the way as venues for performances, dramas, talks and auditions. The Orcas Island Writers’ Festival, Chamber Music Festival, 10-minute Play Festival at the Grange, Jazz Fest at Doe Bay Resort continued the island’s festival tradition.
“Parades R Us” was also an Orcas motif, with St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools Day, Earth Day, Summer Solstice, Kaleidoscope Pet Parade, The Chamber of Commerce Independence Day Parade and Orcas. Island Homecoming Parades, to name a few of the larger parades gracing the streets of Eastsound.
Businesses and agencies vied in creativity for fund-raising such as Orcas Angels “fish-friendly” car washes, Children’s House Culinary series and “Mayoral” election, Montessori’s wreath and apple crisp sales, Kaleidoscope’s Pet Parade and “Island-raised, Island-grown” Dinner, Salmonberry’s Christmas Tree and calendar sales, Camp Orkila’s “Partners with Youth” campaign and the Senior Center’s Orcas Coupon Book project.
The environment was also the beneficiary of our involvement, as the Marine Health Observatory at Indian Island operated with beach walks and projects, including protecting the returning Oyster Catchers, and Sustainability Orcas Island’s monthly meetings resulted in a weekend “Sustainability Fair and Field Trips” with the San Juan Stewardship Network. County-wide Awards for Environmental Stewardship were won by three Orcas Islanders – Iris Parker-Pavitt for youth, Denise Wilk for educator, and Smith and Speed Mercantile for business stewardship. Islanders participated in the “Scenic Byways Project” which will bring state revenue dollars to San Juan Islands’ highways.
We acknowledged accomplishments as Orcas leaders “passed the torch”— Gene Knapp, Orcas East County Council member, Catherine Pederson, founding Director of the Orcas Choral Society, Barbara Courtney, Executive Director of the Orcas Center, Didier Gincig and Linda Sheridan of the Orcas Recreation Program and Dennis Bonner of Orcas a Cappella Singers. (To Patty Miller, Roger Sherman, an unselected candidate, the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District Commissioners and to Angel Michaels, respectively).
We were the happy beneficiaries of the continuing involvement and influence of “Long-timers” such as Bob Waunch, an “Active Alumni Trustee” of the Community Foundation, and Jan Koltun-Titus, formerly Senior Center Director and United Way of San Juan trustee, Tom Welch of the Orcas Island Historical Society.
Have we left somebody or something out? Please write in to say so! Tomorrow we’ll post a calendar retrospective of the year 2010 on Orcas Island.
