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An Oak Harbor resident and survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack remembers the day that sent the U.S. into war.

SEATTLE -- The 74th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor is being commemorated Monday with ceremonies across the nation. Pearl Harbor Day honors the 2,400 people who died when the Japanese attacked the base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. It brought a war fought largely in Europe to U.S. soil. Flags will be flown at half-staff at government locations to honor those who died, and many homes across the country will display the American flag. Among the survivors, Hal Johnson, 91, remembers details like the attack was yesterday. Johnson, who enlisted at age 17, was a gunner on the USS Oklahoma during the attack. He and his fellow sailors were preparing for a free day off the ship, when he remembers a voice over the loud speaker telling the men to 'man their battle stations'. "Everybody thought it was a drill," said Johnson. "Then a second voice that came over said 'this is no BS this is the real thing.'" Just as he manned his gunner seat in the hull of the ship, the Oklahoma took a first torpedo. A total of eight smashed into the battleship sending Johnson and his fellow sailors to scramble for safety to the deck of the ship. "I jumped through the hatch, and the water was already half way up the deck," he said. As a ninth torpedo hit, the Oklahoma began listing severely to one side, making it more difficult for sailors to get to safety. "It look like it was going to come right over on top of us," Johnson remembered. "I decided to swim for it. Of course we were all covered in oil, you couldn't tell your best friend from anybody in there," There were 2,402 US deaths from the attack. 1,177 of those deaths were from the USS Arizona, while 429 of the deaths were from the USS Oklahoma. Johnson, who now lives at Harbor Tower Village in Oak Harbor, started the North Cascade Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association. Once including 60 members, Johnson is one of only four remaining survivors. "Don't ever forget Pearl Harbor," he said. "And let’s not let it happen again." " ["post_title"]=> string(45) "Pearl Harbor vet: 'Don't let it happen again'" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(41) "pearl-harbor-vet-dont-let-it-happen-again" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7208" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [1]=> object(WP_Post)#3122 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7182) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-11-12 16:51:25" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-11-12 16:51:25" ["post_content"]=> string(1593) " ISSAQUAH, Wash. – This Veterans Day, some veterans shared their stories of service and sacrifice, and to do it, they only had to walk down their hallway. They told their stories to KING 5's Ryan Takeo at Spiritwood at Pine Lake, an Issaquah retirement home. " ["post_title"]=> string(41) "Veterans share stories at retirement home" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(41) "veterans-share-stories-at-retirement-home" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-11-12 16:51:25" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-11-12 16:51:25" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7182" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#3121 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7159) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-11-03 23:38:11" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-11-03 23:38:11" ["post_content"]=> string(1772) " Village Concepts, the third generation, family-owned parent company of Mill Ridge Village, is known for providing high-quality care to residents of its retirement and assisted living communities across Washington state in a manner that is the essence of “locally grown.” With the introduction of “Northwest Grown,” a dining and lifestyle program emphasizing locally sourced products, Village Concepts is focusing on community. As of summer 2015, Village Concepts communities have begun increasing local partnering, programming and menu selections to reflect the region’s history and culture. Even their new busses are sporting local flair, courtesy of Village Concepts employee and photographer Kevin Knox. “The Mill Ridge Village bus has Lake Surprise on one side and a view of Mt. Rainer on the other,” said Knox, a Washington native. “The back of the bus has a photo of the Nyholm Windmill, which has been in the area since way back in the day. The Nyholm’s store dates back to 1912. We recognize that each of these landmarks means something special to this community, and we want to celebrate that.” As a Washington grown company, Village Concepts is committed to supporting local businesses, farmers, fishermen, and the culture of the great Northwest. Chief Operating Officer Stuart Brown developed the program as a way to connect with local partners to offer residents fresh, local food and support local growers. Look for Northwest Grown features in Village Concepts’ upcoming newsletters, program calendars and menus. " ["post_title"]=> string(49) "Milton assisted living community is locally grown" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(51) "milton-assisted-living-community-is-locally-grown-2" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-11-03 23:38:11" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-11-03 23:38:11" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7159" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [3]=> object(WP_Post)#3006 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7132) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-10-22 22:08:43" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-10-22 22:08:43" ["post_content"]=> string(1972) " [caption id="attachment_7133" align="alignleft" width="400"] Gwyneth Nightingale, left, and Ginny Smith buckle up for a birthday helicopter ride at the Tacoma Narrows Airport. Judy Smith Courtesy[/caption] It was a birthday to remember for two longtime Gig Harbor residents, as they were able to take to the skies thanks to a friendly stranger. Gwyneth Nightingale, 95, and (Sound Vista Village resident) Ginny Smith, 96, were celebrating their birthdays at the Hub at the Tacoma Narrows Airport as part of a Bon Appetit club through the American Association of University Women, an organization of which they are both members. As the group sang Happy Birthday to them, someone in the restaurant took notice. A helicopter pilot who had just landed inquired about the birthday women and offered them a present: A quick ride around the bridge and the harbor. “It was really a treat,” said Smith’s daughter, Judy, who got to go along for the ride a few weeks ago. The two women have always been adventurous, Judy said, traveling often when they were young. So when the opportunity to take to the skies on a whim came up, the two women were up for the opportunity. “At 95 and 96, they were up for an adventure,” Judy said. Both women are former teachers, and in a small-world-type of connection, Nightingale was Judy’s French teacher at Wilson High School in Tacoma. The flight was quick and included a trip around the Tacoma Narrows Bridge before landing back at the Hub at Gig Harbor. Although the pair only got the pilot’s first name, Grant, the women were able to share a special afternoon with him. " ["post_title"]=> string(72) "Pair of seniors celebrate their 95th and 96th birthdays among the clouds" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(72) "pair-of-seniors-celebrate-their-95th-and-96th-birthdays-among-the-clouds" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-10-22 22:08:43" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-10-22 22:08:43" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7132" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [4]=> object(WP_Post)#3007 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7125) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-10-15 21:52:05" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-10-15 21:52:05" ["post_content"]=> string(907) " Team Spiritwood Unforgettables, representing Spiritwood at Pine Lake Assisted Living and Memory Care, raised $2,465.35 in September for the Alzheimer's Association 2015 Walk to End Alzheimer's, with overwhelming support from the residents, resident families, staff and the Issaquah community. Through car wash tickets sales, a wine-tasting event and a bake sale, the team more than doubled its initial goal of $1,000. The fight against Alzheimer's is near to hearts of the Spiritwood community with a number of residents living with diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. 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Congratulations to Country Meadow Village, Spiritwood at Pine Lake, Mill Ridge Village, Sound Vista Village, Pioneer Village Senior Apartments, Covington Place Senior Apartments, and Riverside East for receiving President's Awards recognizing your excellence in staff, customer, and occupancy achievement! 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The educational initiative has increased resident engagement in programming with very little overhead — and the provider believes that the initiative could come to define its brand. Village Concepts, which operates 15 independent living, assisted living and memory care facilities across Washington state, has turned some of its residents into “university” students working toward a “degree.” The new program is “going to define the company,” according to Tracy Willis, director of corporate development at Village Concepts. To her knowledge, a similar program has not been done anywhere else before. Willis first pitched Village Concepts University idea to the company a couple of years ago, she told SHN. There are a few aspects of the program that make it appealing and able to be readily implemented, she noted, including little need for additional capital or outside partners to get it off the ground. Notably, a program like Village Concepts University can be implemented easily, even without a university partner. Some CCRCs have partnered with local universities on education-related initiatives. Nurses at Clark Retirement in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for example, have participated in the instruction of nursing students from Grand Valley State University. Village Concepts University, on the other hand, adds an educational component to the company’s pre-existing activities programs. This makes the initiative low-cost, Willis explained. To earn a “degree” from Village Concepts University, residents take a variety of classes, ranging from general education classes in history and business, to electives on topics like physical fitness and film. Some classes are led by visiting instructors and others are resident-driven or self-taught. Students earn credit for their music appreciation class, for example, by listening to a live musical performance and writing up a mini-review afterward. Sometimes visiting musicians give a talk before their performance as well, Willis said. Each class is worth between three and nine credits, and residents must earn 60 credits to “graduate.” The curriculum, outlined in a course catalog similar to those found at real universities, also involves an internship and a senior project. After graduation, residents can serve as mentors or tutors for others in the program, Willis said. Fulfilling Ambitions Willis said she felt inspired to create the program by her grandparents, who expressed an interest in learning in their later years. Like many seniors, neither of her grandparents had the opportunity to attend college, as military service interrupted plans for higher education—and it wasn’t as common for women to attend universities during that era, as well. Willis also noted the distinction between educating, inspiring and engaging, as opposed to simply entertaining. “We want to keep it fun and light,” she said of the program. Two Village Concepts communities are currently offering in the program: El Dorado West in Burien, Washington, and Country Meadow Village in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. As of Sept. 22, more than 100 students were enrolled in Village Concepts University, Willis told Senior Housing News. Village Concepts has more than 1,400 residents companywide, according to its website. Willis said Village Concepts will benefit from the program because it is “branding a whole new idea.” “The idea of integrating the formalized university model with activity programs is unique,” said Stuart Brown, COO of Village Concepts. “VCU is our solution to unifying our programming and engaging residents.” " ["post_title"]=> string(62) "How One Innovative Provider Could ‘School’ Its Competition" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(58) "how-one-innovative-provider-could-school-its-competition-2" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-09-30 17:51:27" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-09-30 17:51:27" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7087" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [8]=> object(WP_Post)#3255 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7060) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-09-21 22:58:02" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-09-21 22:58:02" ["post_content"]=> string(368) " Park View Villas was voted the Best Assisted Living Community in Clallam County for the eighth year in a row in the Peninsula Daily News contest. " ["post_title"]=> string(64) "Park View Villas voted Best Assisted Living eight years in a row" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(61) "park-view-villas-voted-best-assisted-living-8th-year-in-a-row" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-09-21 22:58:02" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-09-21 22:58:02" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7060" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } } ["post_count"]=> int(9) ["current_post"]=> int(-1) ["before_loop"]=> bool(true) ["in_the_loop"]=> bool(false) ["post"]=> object(WP_Post)#3126 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(7208) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_content"]=> string(3991) "

An Oak Harbor resident and survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack remembers the day that sent the U.S. into war.

SEATTLE -- The 74th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor is being commemorated Monday with ceremonies across the nation. Pearl Harbor Day honors the 2,400 people who died when the Japanese attacked the base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. It brought a war fought largely in Europe to U.S. soil. Flags will be flown at half-staff at government locations to honor those who died, and many homes across the country will display the American flag. Among the survivors, Hal Johnson, 91, remembers details like the attack was yesterday. Johnson, who enlisted at age 17, was a gunner on the USS Oklahoma during the attack. He and his fellow sailors were preparing for a free day off the ship, when he remembers a voice over the loud speaker telling the men to 'man their battle stations'. "Everybody thought it was a drill," said Johnson. "Then a second voice that came over said 'this is no BS this is the real thing.'" Just as he manned his gunner seat in the hull of the ship, the Oklahoma took a first torpedo. A total of eight smashed into the battleship sending Johnson and his fellow sailors to scramble for safety to the deck of the ship. "I jumped through the hatch, and the water was already half way up the deck," he said. As a ninth torpedo hit, the Oklahoma began listing severely to one side, making it more difficult for sailors to get to safety. "It look like it was going to come right over on top of us," Johnson remembered. "I decided to swim for it. Of course we were all covered in oil, you couldn't tell your best friend from anybody in there," There were 2,402 US deaths from the attack. 1,177 of those deaths were from the USS Arizona, while 429 of the deaths were from the USS Oklahoma. Johnson, who now lives at Harbor Tower Village in Oak Harbor, started the North Cascade Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association. Once including 60 members, Johnson is one of only four remaining survivors. "Don't ever forget Pearl Harbor," he said. "And let’s not let it happen again." " ["post_title"]=> string(45) "Pearl Harbor vet: 'Don't let it happen again'" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(7) " " ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(41) "pearl-harbor-vet-dont-let-it-happen-again" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2015-12-07 18:32:52" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(43) "https://villageconcept.wpengine.com/?p=7208" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["comment_count"]=> int(0) ["current_comment"]=> int(-1) ["found_posts"]=> int(177) ["max_num_pages"]=> float(20) ["max_num_comment_pages"]=> int(0) ["is_single"]=> bool(false) ["is_preview"]=> bool(false) ["is_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_archive"]=> bool(false) ["is_date"]=> bool(false) ["is_year"]=> bool(false) ["is_month"]=> bool(false) ["is_day"]=> bool(false) ["is_time"]=> bool(false) ["is_author"]=> bool(false) ["is_category"]=> bool(false) ["is_tag"]=> bool(false) ["is_tax"]=> bool(false) ["is_search"]=> bool(false) ["is_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_comment_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_trackback"]=> bool(false) ["is_home"]=> bool(true) ["is_privacy_policy"]=> bool(false) ["is_404"]=> bool(false) ["is_embed"]=> bool(false) ["is_paged"]=> bool(true) ["is_admin"]=> bool(false) ["is_attachment"]=> bool(false) ["is_singular"]=> bool(false) ["is_robots"]=> bool(false) ["is_favicon"]=> bool(false) ["is_posts_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_post_type_archive"]=> bool(false) ["query_vars_hash":"WP_Query":private]=> string(32) "07a8ec97adb93b72efe404eaac58b99c" ["query_vars_changed":"WP_Query":private]=> bool(false) ["thumbnails_cached"]=> bool(false) ["allow_query_attachment_by_filename":protected]=> bool(false) ["stopwords":"WP_Query":private]=> NULL ["compat_fields":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(15) "query_vars_hash" [1]=> string(18) "query_vars_changed" } ["compat_methods":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(16) "init_query_flags" [1]=> string(15) "parse_tax_query" } }