Nearly 100 directors, board members and volunteers from senior centers across the state came to Oak Harbor this week for the annual conference of the Washington State Association of Senior Centers.

Howard Thomas, director of the Oak Harbor Senior Center, said this was the first year that the three-day conference came to Oak Harbor.

“It’s a boon for us,” he said, “because we’re bringing people from all over the state to Oak Harbor to see what we have to offer. A lot of them are going to bring their seniors here to visit.”

Roxanne Dunn-Terry, the program coordinator at the Oak Harbor Senior Center, coordinated the conference. She is a board member of the state association and the chairperson for the conference.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Bridges Not Barriers.” Thomas said a lot of the discussion revolved around the upcoming retirement of the Baby Boomers and how senior centers can serve them.

It will be a challenge. “Baby Boomers are coming along and the don’t see senior centers as a place they want to be,” Thomas said. “They don’t like to see themselves as old.”

Mayor Patty Cohen and five nationally recognized speakers on retirement issues gave presentations at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club. Anne Gerike, a Whidbey Island writer and retired psychologist, gave a speech entitled “Old is Not a Four-Letter Word.”

Pat Gardner, the senior center travel coordinator, put together a well-attended vendor fair Wednesday night. Local and regional businesses and groups presented a plethora of activities for older folks. There was everything from whale watching and hotels to museums and the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

You can reach Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or 675-6611.