We are Hiring!
Are you creative? Are you good at coordinating events, programs, or activities? Orcas Senior Center has the perfect job for you! We are seeking applicants for our Programs and Activities Coordinator position. This position oversees and supports ongoing activities, events, and programs at Orcas Senior Center, like “the virtual vineyard,” Orcas Socrates Café, Yoga, Art with Carla, and Strength Training.
To read more about Orcas Senior Center Programs and Activities Coordinator position and how to apply, go here.
Orcas District Committee Election
June 21 to July 1, 2021
IN-PERSON VOTING:
- June 21 to July 1, 2021
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10am to 4pm, or Thursday, 10am to 6pm
- @ Orcas Senior Center, 62 Henry Road
MAIL-IN VOTING:
- June 21 to July 1, 2021
- Copies of documents showing eligibility to vote must be included with ballot.
- Ballots must be received by 3:30pm on Thursday, July 1, 2021.
- Mail to:
Nominating Subcommittee
Orcas Senior Center
PO Box 1653
Eastsound, WA 98245
PRESS RELEASE:
Orcas Senior Center will be conducting an election for the Orcas District Committee June 21 through July 1, 2021. Orcas District Committee (ODC) is the operating committee for the Orcas District of the Senior Services Council of San Juan County nonprofit.
To participate in the Orcas District Committee Election, vote in-person at Orcas Senior Center (62 Henry Road) June 21 through July 1, 2021, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10am-4pm, or Thursday, 10am-6pm. If you are unable to vote in-person, call (360) 919-9312 or email admin@orcasseniors.org to arrange to pick up a mail-in ballot.
Voters must prove eligibility by providing evidence of residency on Orcas, Waldron, Obstruction, Crane, or Clark Islands with a current Washington State issued identification (e.g., driver’s license). Voters must also show that they are either age 60 or over, with official documents showing age (e.g., driver’s license, passport), or have a disability, in which case they will be asked to certify with a signature that they are living with a disability.
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To read about the Orcas District Committee candidates, eligibility requirements, and how to prove eligibility see our Special Election Newsletter [corrected] here. (We sent 1300 Special Election Newsletters with mail-in ballots for the Orcas District Committee election beginning June 21, 2021. We were notified about a misprint on page three of the newsletter. On page three in the Mail-in Ballot Instructions box, it states that ballots must be received by Thursday, June 1, 2021. The correct date and time that mail-in ballots must be received by is Thursday, July 1, 2021 at 3:30pm.)
COVID-19: Be in the Know
To see the latest information about San Juan County’s COVID vaccination effort, including eligibility, announcements of vaccination dates, and to schedule a vaccine appointment, 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.
Keep up to date with the latest information about COVID-19 locally, statewide, and globally:
San Juan County
Washington State Department of Health
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
How Many Books Can You Find?
Introducing Orcas Senior Center‘s Little Free Library! May thanks to all who made this a reality, especially former OSC employee, Vicki O’Keefe (pictured), now Orcas Island School District Librarian for envisioning this project. Also, thanks to Stu Stephens for masterfully building it complete with cedar shake roofing. And thank you to OSC’s Art with Carla class, Carla Stanley, Karen Johnston, Barb Garrett, Jari Brenner, Sharon Inman, and Kim Rose, who artfully designed and painted the library with images from classic books and local Orcas authors. Orcas District Committee members Allan Rosato and Darcey Miller, installed and weatherized the library to complete the project.
So, on your next trip to town, stop by Orcas Senior Center at 62 Henry Road, borrow a book, and check out our Little Free Library masterpiece. While you’re at it, how many classic books can you find in the artwork?
Mask-Maker, Mask-Maker
Super volunteer Maggie Kaplan has been hard at work hand-making masks for our community and visitors alike since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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!! (Maggie has even had so much time on her hands from being stuck at home that she’s sewn a beautiful quilt made of all the leftover mask fabric!)
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.
Buddy Check-In
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.
Real Time Air Quality Measurements @ OSC
As part of its Air Quality Monitoring Project, San Juan County has installed a PM2.5 monitor on the Orcas Senior Center building.
What are PM2.5? PM2.5 are microscopic particles that are only a few percent of the diameter of a human hair in size. Their microscopic size allows them to bypass the protective areas of the nose and throat and penetrate deep into the lungs, potentially causing health problems. On Orcas Island, the most common sources of PM2.5 are motor vehicles, residential wood burning, and seasonal forest fires.
The box below shows up-to-date readings from the PM2.5 air quality monitor installed at the Orcas Senior Center. Any number less than 50 is considered safe. Click on the “Purple Air Map” text at the bottom to get even more information from the sensor and to see readings in other locations.
For public health guidance from San Juan County Health & Human Services for PM2.5 concentrations, go here.