Exchange at the Grange a Big Win for ORS

— by Margie Doyle, updated Sept. 13 at 9:45 a.m. —

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The Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange (ORS) non-profit exceeded expectations with a community outreach Swap Exchange, with booth after booth, table after table of hardware, tools, arts and crafts, paintings, books, clothes, furniture, linens, jewelry and even a portable forge.

Clusters of swappers and shoppers gathered everywhere to exchange news and kids and dogs in plentiful measure wove their way in and out of the grassy marketplace orchard.

ORS/The Exchange Director Pete Moe said, “This has been unbelievable, as a social event generating goodwill, it’s been terrific.”  He thanked Doug Bechtel of the Actors Theater for arranging for the venue, just east of the Orcas Transfer Station, which ORS leases from the County. Moe also noted the help of OrcasSong Farm across the highway, which allowed some 70 cars to park across from the swap site.

Over 40 vendors displayed their wares outside at the Grange parking lot and inside the theater building. Moe said, “We’ve have great support from the board,” and thanked ORS Board Members Susan Malins and Tim Blanchard for helping organize the event, and Board member Kate Hansen, Bechtel and Greg Ayers for setting up in the Grange building. On site were other board members Larry Coddington, Jim Duffield, Kate Hansen and Mark Mayer running the hot dog stand.

Blanchard, ORS Board Chair, also thanked Larry Coddington and Ellen Edwardson for organizing the free back-to-school clothing exchange. Blanchard observed families finding practical items such as shoes and pants, and the more fanciful items such as hats. All remaining clothes will be donated to Kaleidoscope Child Care Center.

Booth space was made available to all comers, with a suggested donation of ten percent of all sales to The Exchange. Marta Nielsen represented the Pagan Party Girls at their booth. “I can’t contribute financially to the rebuilding of the Exchange,” she said, “but I can stay here and help out at the swap meet.” All the Pagan Party Girls’ proceeds go toward the Exchange.

“The whole thing has been wonderful today,” said Barbara Wixom, former owner of Aurora’s second-hand clothing store, who sold jewelry at a table inside the Grange itself.

County Councilman Bob Jarman was put to work at the hot dog stand when he attended in the morning. He said, “Aside from raising money for the new Exchange building, I love the camaraderie at the recycle/exchange events. My wife never lets me go tot he dump on San Juan Island because I get to talking and don’t come back for hours.” Jarman noted that the permits have been issued for the new Exchange building and said, “It will be exciting to have the Exchange again.”

Regarding efforts to build a replacement Exchange building on the county-owned site, Blanchard said, “Things are moving forward.” Exchange rebuild Project Manager Ken Katz, Blanchard and Moe are now working with County Staff Greg Sawyer, County Manager Mike Thomas and Public Works head Brian Vincent, negotiating the specifics of the ORS-County agreement. Moe said he expects that Sawyer will put together a Request for Proposals (RFP) for contractors to bid on the project by October.

“I can now say with certainty that we’ll be open in 2017,” Moe said.

Blanchard said of the Swap Meet, “This is a small sample on short notice …that certainly confirms there’s a strong demand for an Exchange. I’m hoping it’s the first of what will be an annual event. It worked out very well.”

(For more information, see https://www.exchangeorcas.org/ )

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