Gary Bauder

Orcas Recycling Services Heavy Equipment Operator, Musician, Former Video Store Owner and OPAL Homeowner

Working at the transfer station where he is a heavy equipment operator, Gary Bauder processes nearly every piece of trash and recycling generated by islanders and visitors alike. Like many OPAL homeowners, he is an essential worker.  

You may know Gary from the many bands he’s played in, his run for Orcas Idol, or as an actor in local theatre productions including Camelot and The Rocky Horror Show. 

Moving to Orcas from Santa Barbara in 1969, he cut a unique figure at Orcas High School in baby blue platform shoes. Although Gary’s family didn’t know it at the time, they discovered an ancestor Albert VanSant was among the first island settlers in the 1860’s and is credited with developing the Red Gravenstein apple.

But not even deep roots kept Gary from being priced out of housing on Orcas. After living in Seattle, Gary and his daughter returned to Orcas in 1989 to live in a variety of rental housing over the years. When a landlord became too old to manage the property and decided to sell, Gary applied for homeownership through OPAL.

He explained, “I knew OPAL was my only bet for staying on the island – and now I pinch myself every day to have the security of my own home.”

Today, Gary enjoys his standalone home with a fenced yard for the dogs and enough space from neighbors to turn up the amp now and then.  “With stable housing, I have the freedom to do more long-term planning and participate in community. OPAL provides more than housing: they lay the groundwork for a shared sense of belonging, connection and care for one another.”