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Orcas Today: Monday, December 8th

GiveOrcas
December 2nd-11th
Make an impact in our community and support local nonprofits this holiday season with meaningful gifts of $10 or more. The Orcas Island Community Foundation hosts a collective giving campaign twice a year with GiveOrcas. During these campaigns, OICF solicits applications from local nonprofits to share specific funding needs and then helps the organization reach out to the community for funding. GiveOrcas grants are generously supplemented with funds from the OICF Community Endowment Fund and their Partners in Philanthropy. This holiday season, OICF is also teaming up with the Orcas Chamber of Commerce as part of the Holiday Shop Local Passport contest. If you donate to GiveOrcas, visit the OICF or Chamber offices and get a special stamp for your center square. Every completed passport gets an entry in the shop local raffle. If your center square is stamped indicating a donation to GiveOrcas, you’ll double your entry! It’s the perfect way to Give Local and Shop Local. For more info, visit giveorcas.org

Washington State Sales Tax Online Workshop
December 8th from 9:00-10:00am via Zoom
The EDC of San Juan County, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Revenue, EDASC, and Island County EDC, is hosting a free online workshop to help business owners understand recent changes to Washington’s retail sales tax laws. Beginning October 1, 2025, certain business services, including advertising, IT, and more, became subject to retail sales tax under ESSB 5814. This one-hour session, New Washington State Tax Codes, will explain which services are newly taxable, which are exempt, and how to correctly collect, report, and remit sales tax. The workshop will be led by Lalo Mendoza, Tax Information Specialist, and Darlene Warner, Tax Policy Specialist, both with the Washington State Department of Revenue. Mendoza has spent five years helping taxpayers navigate Washington’s tax laws with clarity and confidence. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required at https://sanjuansedc.org/bizlabs. For more information, contact the EDC at 360.378.2906 or info@sanjuansedc.org.

Yoga with Tabitha
Mondays from 9:00-10:00am at Orcas Center
Visit www.orcasparkandrec.org for more details.

Beginning Watercolors Class at Orcas Senior Center
Mondays from 9:30-11:00am
Robbie Walker, an experienced instructor with years of expertise in drawing and watercolors, will guide you through the techniques she has perfected. Participants are kindly requested to contribute a nominal fee of $10 per session. Please bring your own basic supplies. For more details regarding required materials and specific class information, feel free to reach out to Robbie directly. You can contact Robbie at 360.376.7714 or via email at robbielouwalker@orcasonline.com

Ukulele Kanikipila
Mondays from 1:00-3:00pm at the Orcas Senior Center
Experience the joy of making music at Ukulele Kanikipila, Hawaiian for “play music,” Mondays from 1 to 3 pm at Orcas Senior Center. This gathering is open to everyone with an interest in playing music for two hours each week. If you’re a player looking to dive into the world of ukulele playing, join Kathy Collister’s twice weekly for ukulele class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12 p.m. If you are a true beginner Kathy has an 11 a.m. class on Thursdays that will get you up to speed in no time!

Orcas Island Public Library Game Night
Mondays from 6:00-9:00pm
Join Woody every Monday for board games All ages are welcome. Choose from our large selection of games or bring your favorites.

18+ Goaltime
December 8th 6:30-8:30pm at the Orcas High School Gym
Goaltimate games on the full court in the gym. Goaltimate is a type of indoor ultimate frisbee where small teams work together to successfully throw the frisbee through an arch in the middle of the court. New and experienced players are invited to join a team. The gym opens at 6:30pm each Monday, and play continues through 8:30pm. Indoor shoes are required. Balls and first aid kit are provided. Pay $5 for a one-time drop-in, or pay $30 for an all access pass that last 6 months and allows you to drop-in to any adult sport, including soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

16+ Tango
December 8th at 7:30pm at Oddfellows Hall
This ongoing course will provide you with a solid foundation in technique to enjoy the music, the dance, and an evening out with a wonderful community of people. Each class will include elements that build upon each other as well as stand-alone components. Feel free to drop in when you can. When we can connect, regardless of our skill levels, we can enjoy the music, enjoy each other, and enjoy the night! For those with some experience in the Tango world, we will cover La Cruzada, La bocata, and Ochos Adela and Detras. Depending on who attends, we will explore styles of music and embrace. Please reach out if you have any questions! Email: jeffdoylesteele@gmail.com Cell: 608.513.9198 Register here

Get out and Hike

Little Summit Trail – Difficult

2.2 miles. 430 feet elevation gain/loss Little Summit rests above Mountain Lake on the eastern side of Mount Constitution. The Little Summit Trail starts at one of the best picnic vistas in Moran State Park, with several tables for visitors to relax on as they enjoy views of Mount Pickett and the south sound. The trail continues along the sloping ridge of the mountain towards the summit through variable terrain populated by switchbacks, ant hills, and ancient Lodgepole Pine growth. Several vantage points along the trail offer breathtaking views and photo opportunities of eastern Orcas Island, including Mountain Lake and Twin Lakes, and the waters of the Salish Sea. Take the mid-way cutoff towards the Cold Springs Trail for further hiking or continue the ascent towards the summit and see the best view in the San Juan Islands.

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A Bite Of Orcas

Matthew’s Smokehouse and Deli – By Simon

A Brief Overview Southern cooking, at its essence, is comfort. Comfort for both body and soul, and a place for people to come together in an environment, created as much by the food as anything else, and share experiences. Fueled by salt and fat, southern cooking is not a tame cuisine and takes a skilled and sure hand to wield it well. A chef must walk the path of authentic southern cooking lest they move towards unflattering imitation, slathered in store-bought barbecue sauce, reliant on little more than sugar to mask the clear lack of flavor. It is unexpected then, at least to me, to find something so outlandish as a Southern-style smokehouse located here on Orcas Island, especially in the building that once housed what was perhaps “just another American-Italian semi-fine-dining restaurant”. While I came away from my meal somewhat conflicted, certain things were never in doubt. Clarity, however, eludes me when examining the intricacies of the ownership of the establishment. Despite this fact…

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