COVID Vaccine Information
Now that COVID vaccinations are available in the United States, Washington State has introduced an estimated timeline by vaccination group. To view an informative infographic describing each phase and group, go here.
Do you know a community member who needs extra assistance with signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, help is available through a collaboration between San Juan County Health and Community Services, Orcas Senior Center, and Orcas Community Resource Center.
Please contact San Juan County Senior Services Specialist Jami Mitchell at (360) 376-7926 or Jana Webb from Orcas Community Resource Center at (360) 376-3184 for details regarding this assistance.
Go here to view the latest on San Juan County’s COVID vaccination plan, including eligibility, and announcements of the opening of appointment scheduling dates and times.
Activities and Events by Zoom
We are excited to announce a our activities and events by Zoom. Check out the latest activities and events below.
New to Zoom? Go here to learn how to Zoom Like a Pro.
** For more information about the event, expand by clicking the green plus (+) sign to the left of the title. **
| Event Title: | Date(s) and Time(s): | How to Participate: | Description: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orcas Socrates Café |  | Second Sunday of every month 4:00-5:00pm | Register Here | Beginning Sunday, March 14 at 4pm, and every second Sunday of the month, Orcas Senior Center will virtually host Orcas Socrates Café. This is, by all intent, an opportunity to gather as a community for a broad conversation on philosophical perspectives. The method of conversation was developed by Christopher Phillips, who created the café framework using the Socratic method of discussion. The book, Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste by Philosophy , that explores the author’s reasons for forming and facilitating discussion, will be available at the Orcas Island Library and Darvill’s Bookstore. Orcas Socrates Café is not a book club, but rather a conversation where everyone will be encouraged to exchange philosophical perspectives based on their experiences. We hope you will be compelled to join us in a progression of questions which will broadly and thoughtfully encourage a friendly community dialog. To read more about the Socrates Café concept, go here. To register for Orcas Socrates Café, go here. |
| Joy of Movement, T'ai Chi Chih Series with Joan Roulac |  | Tuesdays, March 16-April 6 1:30-2:30pm | Contact Joan Roulac at Joan@MountaintopMusings.com or (360) 298-2789 | Many of you may remember Joan Roulac teaching T’ai Chi Chih classes at the Orcas Senior Center for 11 years starting in 2003. Joan is excited for the opportunity to offer T’ai Chi Chih classes again to Orcas by Zoom! Joan will be leading a 4-week T’ai Chi Chih Joy through Movement series for beginners starting on Tuesday, March 16, 1:30-2:30pm by Zoom. Learn flowing movements designed to strengthen your immune system, boost your vital force energy, and build better balance. This relaxing practice can be done seated or standing, and no special clothing is required. The series fee is $75 made payable to Joan. All are welcome. Joan has been teaching Qigong and T’ai Chi Chih since accreditation by Justin Stone in 1987 and has taught thousands of students in California, Oregon, and Washington. To learn more about this series or to register, contact Joan at Joan@MountaintopMusings.com or (360) 298-2789. |
| Fresh Start in 15 Qigong Practice with Joan Roulac |  | Wednesdays 9:00-9:15am | Contact Joan Roulac at Joan@MountaintopMusings.com or (360) 298-2789 or Register on Joan's website here. | In addition to Joan Roulac’s T’ai Chi Chih Joy through Movement series beginning on March 16 by Zoom, she would like to invite you to join her weekly Fresh Start in 15 Qigong practice. Fresh Start in 15 is a playful 15-minute practice that meets Wednesday mornings at 9:00am. Qigong combines mindfulness, meditation, and movement in nourishing ways that gently strengthen our immune system, elevate our energy, and build better balance. Joan has been teaching Qigong and T’ai Chi Chih since being accredited by Justin Stone in 1987 and has taught thousands of students in California, Oregon, and Washington. To learn more about the weekly Fresh Start 15 class or to register, go to here, email Joan at Joan@MountaintopMusings.com, or call her at (360) 298-2789. The fee for this class is by donation and all are welcome to join. |
| Meeting of the Minds: Forage Fishes and the Beach - The Role of Local Shorelines in Marine Ecosystem Recovery by Jenny DeGroot |  | Wednesday, March 17 1:00-2:00pm | Meeting ID: 860 8924 6607 Passcode: 293821 Join Here Without the required technology? Dial-In by phone: (253) 215-8782 Would you like an email reminder? Register Here in advance. | Unbeknownst to many islanders, coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kitsutch) spawn and rear naturally in the San Juan Islands, and little is known about them to date. This discussion will focus on what we know about this wild population and the challenges they face presently. Jenny De Groot is the owner of Speckled Trout Consulting, LLC, a fisheries consulting company, and received her MSc. from the University of British Columbia and BSc. from the University of Minnesota. Jenny worked on research projects in Alaska, British Columbia, and Antarctica, studying sea otters, harbor seals, Weddell seals and coastal cutthroat trout, before making her home in the San Juan Islands. Suggested donation $5 Donate Here ALL ARE WELCOME! Optional: To receive an email reminder with the Zoom link the day before the event, Register Here in advance. Otherwise, simply login at the appointed time. |
| Book Club |  | Third Tuesday of every month 12:00 to 2:00pm | Contact Stephen Bentley at (360) 376-2299 or stephen@swbentley.com | August: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton September: The Widows of the Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey October: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers November: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern December: East of Eden by John Steinbeck January: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert February: A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe March: What's Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies April: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish |
| the virtual vineyard with Doe Bay Wine Company |  | Sunday, March 28 5:00-6:00pm | Register Here | Join Orcas Senior Center and Doe Bay Wine Company’s Cole Sisson to taste Cuvée Annie, a local hard cider by Piquenique Wines. Special guests, Nico and Tess from Piquenique Wines will be joining us to talk about how the cider is pressed, fermented, and bottled without any additions of any kind. The natural fermentation method gives the cider a fresh and fizzy taste. To complement the cider, we will be featuring a local cheese along with crackers. To participate, register here. Then, purchase and pick up your bottle of Cuvée Annie (950ml), cheese, and crackers at Doe Bay Wine Company at 109 North Beach Road Thursday-Saturday 11am-4pm by March 27. On March 28 at 5:00pm, open your cider, grab your cheese and crackers, and join your friends on Zoom! ALL ARE WELCOME. |
| Meeting of the Minds: Rediscovered Fruit: Conserving the Islands’ Ancient Food Forests by Madrona Murphy from Kwiaht |  | Wednesday, April 21 1:00-2:00pm | Meeting ID: 860 8924 6607 Passcode: 293821 Join Here Without the required technology? Dial-In by phone: (253) 215-8782 Would you like an email reminder? Register Here in advance. | When the US Coast and Geodetic Survey maps of the islands were completed in 1897 large orchards were everywhere. The San Juan Islands were growing and exporting fruit throughout the Northwest and the county at an astonishing scale for such a small geographical area. While the industry has waned, the trees and their varieties adapted to our island climate, and their unique seedling offspring are still a critical component of the islands’ foodscape and a surprisingly dynamic agroecosystem supporting diverse species of bats and birds. Madrona Murphy is a Reed graduate in botany and political science who worked as a technician at the University of Washington’s Center for Cell Dynamics at Friday Harbor Laboratories before establishing and managing Kwiáht's genotyping laboratory. As Kwiáht's botanist she also conducts botanical surveys, designs re-vegetation plans for restoration projects, and grows native food plants and heritage apple varieties in Kwiáht's research garden. Born and raised on Lopez, Madrona is currently pursuing studies of native food plants, local populations of salmon, heritage fruit trees, black-tailed deer, and island bats. Suggested donation $5 Donate Here ALL ARE WELCOME! Optional: To receive an email reminder with the Zoom link the day before the event, Register Here in advance. Otherwise, simply login at the appointed time. |
| Meeting of the Minds: Forage Fishes and the Beach: The Role of Local Shorelines in Marine Ecosystem Recovery by Tina Whitman |  | Wednesday, May 19 1:00-2:00pm | Meeting ID: 860 8924 6607 Passcode: 293821 Join Here Without the required technology? Dial-In by phone: (253) 215-8782 Would you like an email reminder? Register Here in advance. | This Meeting of the Minds presentation will share the latest scientific understanding of the importance and status of marine shoreline habitats in the San Juans, highlighting connections to regional food webs. Opportunities and local actions to promote the recovery of Chinook salmon and the southern resident orca will also be explored. Tina Whitman is staff scientist for Friends of the San Juans where she has managed shoreline research, restoration and protection programs since 2002. Tina received a Master of Science from the University of Oregon and has worked on coastal habitat conservation in island communities in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Suggested donation $5 Donate Here ALL ARE WELCOME! Optional: To receive an email reminder with the Zoom link the day before the event, Register Here in advance. Otherwise, simply login at the appointed time. |
| Orcas Senior Center Stamp Club |  | Quarterly: Friday, May 28 Friday, August 27 Friday, November 26 2:00pm | Register Here | Stamp Collectors Unite! Are you wondering what to do with that old stamp collection that you inherited from your great uncle? Did you find an envelope of old stamps stashed in a drawer, and wonder if they are worth anything? Have you been thinking about stamp collecting, but don’t know where to start? Or do you already actively collect stamps or stamp-related items (such as old postcards) and what to find someone to trade with? Join Orcas Senior Center’s Stamp Club Quarterly Meetings. Friday, May 28, 2:00pm Friday, August 27, 2:00pm Friday, November 26, 2:00pm Bring stamps to show and share; bring questions to ask and learn! Need supplies? We will also be putting together a large order of collecting supplies to get a discount from Amos Advantage. All are welcome! Register Here in advance. |
| Life Line Health Screenings |  | Thursday, June 10 @ Orcas Senior Center | Schedule your appointment with Life Line Screening at 1-800-679-5609 or go here. All five tests cost $149 (Save $10 with priority code, “HEFY”) | Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will offer their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings at Orcas Senior Center on Thursday, June 10. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems including screenings for blocked carotid arteries, abdominal aortic aneurysms, hardening of the arteries in the legs, atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, and bone density. All five tests cost $149 (Save $10 with priority code, “HEFY”). To register for this health screening by Life Line Screening, call 1-800-679-5609 or go to their website here. |
Buddy Check-In in the News!
The Islands’ Sounder printed an article about the monumental effort by staff, volunteers, super volunteer Joe Symons, and coordinator John Slater about the creation and implementation of the Buddy Check-In program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the article here.
Are you a senior? Would you appreciate a regular phone check-in by an Orcas Senior Center volunteer during your self-isolation?
Are you interested in volunteering as a buddy?
Contact John Slater at John@orcasseniors.org or (360) 919-9318 or click on the button below.
Seniors Have (Virtual) Talent
Did you miss Seniors Have (Virtual) Talent, go here to watch the recording.
Mask-Maker, Mask-Maker
Super volunteer Maggie Kaplan has been hard at work hand-making masks for our community and visitors alike since March. To date, she has raised over $15,000 in donations for her masks! All proceeds have been donated to Orcas Senior Center! Thank you Maggie!!
You can pick up your very own stylish and well-sewn masks from her carport at 158 Palisades Drive.
Read more about Maggie and her masks in this article from the Islands’ Sounder here.
COVID-19
No doubt about it: These are strange times. We all need to remain diligent about our safety and well-being as well as our neighbor’s.
We are gradually re-introducing remote events and activities by Zoom, including Afternoon Tea and Meeting of the Minds. To see the current list of events and activities by Zoom, go here.
To keep up to date about the COVID-19 crisis and for resources, go to our COVID-19 page here.
Stay well and keep those hands clean!