Big crowd welcomes opening
of new community center at Yokota
By Jennifer H. Svan, Tokyo
Bureau Chief
Jason Carter / Stars and Stripes
Customers line up outside the new community center at Yokota minutes before the grand
opening Wednesday morning. |
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The new Yokota Community Center opened Wednesday morning,
more than four years after the project began.
Customers began lining up outside before the doors swung open at 9 a.m. Security was
tight, with armed airmen near the building and a Humvee on the parking lot perimeter.
But even with the reminder of the current state of world affairs, the mood was festive:
Yokota residents have been waiting a long time. Tech. Sgt. Vernon McTear, 33, has been
waiting since June 1999, when he moved to Yokota. His first stop was the commissary.
"I was told they were going to be stocking lots of different items, like sweet
potatoes — the real potatoes," he said.
The commissary is carrying an estimated 1,500 new items, a mix of Korean produce, local
Japanese products and goods from the United States, said Yokota commissary director Karen
Ochsner.
Jason Carter / Stars and Stripes
Cinnabon employees rush to meet the demands of a long line at the new community center at
Yokota during the grand opening. |
"I don’t think any of us have slept in a month," Ochsner said of the
work that went into getting the shelves stocked and ready for opening day.
The deli’s hot rotisserie chicken caught the eye of military spouse Paula Vroom.
She also was impressed by the facility. "It looks very spacious, it looks good,"
she said. "I like the fact that it’s all inclusive — no more three
stops."
The two-story building houses both base exchanges and an expanded food court with Taco
Bell, Anthony’s Pizza, Charlie’s Steakery, A&W Rootbeer, Robin Hood,
Baskin-Robbins, and Cinnabon. Retail shops include China and Crystal, a 100 Yen store,
Asian Bazaar, New Car Sales, One Hour Photo, Pack-n-Wrap, Tommy China, Far East Furniture,
military clothing sales, and trophy, art and frame, optical, barber and beauty shops.
The commissary will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, seven days a week. Hours at the BX
are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Many shoppers made a beeline for the BX, where clothes were flying off the racks.
One customer was excited to find the new store carried his size in jeans. The center
"will do a lot for this base," said Air Force Maj. Willie Williams, 39.
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