by LINDA SHERIDAN

As I look back at 2009, I am impressed and grateful for the amount of community support we have received. Thank you to all who donated throughout the entire year of 2009, we sincerely appreciate your support. I hope this amount of community support will continue in 2010.

The County Council did not include general fund money for Orcas Rec in the 2010 county budget. The County Parks Department can only continue the program as long as all the expenses are covered from other funding sources. If Orcas Rec starts to lose money we will have to close down operations. The County Council has also determined that the Orcas Rec Program will not be part of County Parks Department operations in 2011.

At this point you may be thinking “so what about the Orcas Park and Recreation District I voted for back in November?” Good question. The voter-approved district is separate from our county-run Orcas Island Recreation Program. No funding was included in the voter approved proposition creating the district, so no funding mechanisms exist yet. The new Parks and Rec District holds its public meetings on the second Thursday of each month. Currently, our Orcas Island Recreation Program is receiving no funding from the Orcas Park and Recreation District.

What does this mean for Orcas Rec in 2010?

Our operations will be funded through donations, fundraisers, grants, and user fees until further notice. It also means that we will be pinching our pennies and operating with the following restrictions.

• Staff hours and office hours will be reduced until further notice

• Some of the less popular programs will be cut

• User fees will be increased to cover costs

• Administrative costs will be reduced. For example, we will tailor our eight-page summer flyer to a one page flyer.

• We will distribute our public information by focusing on internet-based tools like email, Facebook, and our website, www.orcasrec.org

We still need your help.

To donate, send a check to Orcas Rec today. Our youth programs thrive because of community generosity and donors like you! Tax-deductible donations may be sent to the Orcas Rec Program, PO Box 1644, Eastsound, WA 98245.

We always need volunteers for our kids programs. If you have a special talent that you would like to share, let us know and maybe we can have you run a new program for Orcas Rec.

Participate in Orcas Rec programs/events. User fees help pay for programs; the more participants the better!

We are going to hold more recreational based fundraisers this year, and we hope you can join us for one or more of these in 2010. For details, visit our website www.orcasrec.org

We hope to see you this year at our upcoming events, programs, and fundraisers. Thanks for your support.

Linda Sheridan is coordinator of the Orcas Rec Program.