It didn’t take long for Charlene Heckman to decide how she wants to spend the next chapter of her life.

At 83 years old and widowed since 2018, the retired kindergarten teacher is one of 55 residents of the Willows Retirement Home at the corner of Buffalo and Garrison roads.

Formerly the Clarion Hotel, the lavish retirement home opened about three years ago and Heckman hopes the local senior population knows about it when considering their next move.

Heckman moved in about three weeks ago after she and her daughters Kristen and Patricia decided she shouldn’t be at home by herself any longer, going up and down stairs and without regular company.

They got her to try a trial run stay at the site, and the rest became history rather quickly.

“By day two, I called my daughters and said this

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