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News
 Sailors pay visit to local senior's center By AT2 Berman Wilkins Cheery faces met Capt. Gerral David, NAS Whidbey Island commanding officer, Nov. 19, when he paid a visit to Harbor Tower Village Retirement Center in Oak Harbor. The residents seemed happy to show their support and glad to know that the modern military still cares about them. David took the time to sit and visit with many of the residents during lunch. Upon arrival the visitors were greeted with a warm, cozy interior and home-like feel. "We try to make it feel as much like a home as we can," said Scot Ratzlaff, the center's executive director. "Sometimes we have to follow institutional laws, but where we can, we try to make our residents more comfortable." The retirement center currently has 39 residents, but has the capacity for as many as 42. Each resident has their own apartment. "We want people to see how active our residents are and that this is a fun place," said Hazel Welliver, the center's program director who arranged the visit. David wasn't the only visitor this day. He brought with him Operational Specialist 2nd Class Crystal Burnett and Yeoman 3rd Class Lance Baker to spend some time with the residents as well. The two Sailors were treated to stories about how Oak Harbor has changed into what it is today. "The Navy bought 47 acres from me to build that base for $2,600 back in the 1940s and I remember when there were only 300 people on the whole island. A lot of things have changed," said resident Charles "Chuck" A. Bos. "But I'm not angry about it." The overall feeling was one of happiness and appreciation that today's Sailors still care about their community and are willing to spend some time with those who came before them. As lunch wrapped up, many residents could still be heard talking about the Sailors that visited, and about their own pride in making Whidbey Island what it is today. "They'll be talking about this for weeks," said Ratzlaff. "It really means a lot to the residents here." |
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