Contributed by Orcas Park and Recreation District commission chair Martha Farish.

On July 20 the Port of Orcas loaned the Orcas Island Park and Recreation District $65,000, to be repaid in full within the first four years of the six years of voter approved tax funding. OIPRD has used the funds to begin legal operations, capitalize on a United States Tennis Association matching grant to fix the Buck Park tennis courts, and to begin development of an online registration and payment system for island recreational activities.

Other progress since May

In May OIPRD received an interim year of insurance coverage for sponsored activities through a grant from The Orcas Island Community Foundation funded by Carl DeBoor.

In June OIPRD purchased used recreational equipment owned by the county and the previous Orcas Rec program at the lowest legal price of $342, thanks to auditor Milene Henley and a grant from an anonymous donor. Greg and Marguerite Stafford donated funds to replace or repair aging athletic equipment.

In late July the United States Tennis Association (USTA) awarded OIPRD a matching grant to resurface and re-line the Buck Park courts to accommodate both regular and Quick Start Tennis. Resurfacing took place the week of Aug. 17.

Additional support from USTA was obtained for a “train-the-trainer” workshop scheduled for Sept. 7 at Buck Park. Co-hosted by the Orcas Island Tennis Association, the workshop will be conducted by nationally recognized trainer Ted Sayrahder and will prepare 25 or more island volunteers to teach or coach Quick Start Tennis.  Quick Start Tennis encourages younger and older players to play tennis and to participate in USTA Quick Start tournaments on a smaller, shorter court. The training is $10. To sign up, call 376-6199.

USTA will also donate a state-approved Quick Start curriculum to OIPRD to enable the school district to incorporate Quick Start Tennis into the curriculum if desired.

After a search, OIPRD has hired independent contractor and Orcas Islander Leslie Rae Schmitz for an interim period between August and January 2012. Schmitz comes to OIPRD highly recommended and with an impressive on- and off-island background in successful system development and project management.

Schmitz will help the commissioners set up an accounting system to facilitate the transparency in accounting that donors and grant makers require while also answering to the demands of the state auditor. She will also help the commissioners oversee the selection and installation of an online program registration and payment system expected to be operational for the 2012 recreation season.

In June OIPRD and OISD began collaborative and cooperative discussions toward the proposed legal transfer of Buck Park from OISD to the Orcas Park and Rec District.

In July, OIPRD was given a $2,000 non-directed, anonymous, grant through the Seattle Foundation.

OIPRD commissioners have decided to hire independent contracted services as needed in lieu of hiring permanent staff at this time. Many traditional OIPRD fall programs have been “picked up” by other providers and the commissioners feel the district’s start-up operations can be most efficiently handled by the board. Monies that might have gone to staffing are instead being directed toward infrastructure, including the accounting setup and the new online system.