Page 9 - AHATA

Tuesday 1 March 2022 locAl
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ATA Honoring the Peetsolds of The

Netherlands at Milagro’s Garden

Apartments

By Clyde Harms for 10+ years, “Goodwill these 4 years the Peetsolds returned to Aruba for 10 Peetsolds met good vibes
ORANJESTAD - On February Ambassador” for 20+ years made many friends among days to visit her, look up everywhere. Since that visit
25 Aruba Tourism Author- and the more recently cre- the people of Aruba. old friends and get re-ac- to Aruba, Cris and Geertje
ity (ATA) honored two loyal ated “Emerald Ambassa- Their daughter Marieke was quainted with this beautiful have returned at least 15
Aruba visitors with a cer- dors” after 36+ years. born in Oranjestad in June island and its people. It felt times, staying at differ-
tificate naming them “Am- The Peetsolds’s close rela- 1977. After she obtained like coming home. ent places looking up old
bassador of Goodwill”. tionship with Aruba goes her VWO-diploma in Hol- Little had changed vis- friends and making new
back more than 50 years. land, Marieke returned to ibly, except that there acquaintances.
In a mildly emotional, yet After marrying Geertje Dok- her birthplace and worked were many more houses Cris said that he and
very professional speech, ter in June 1972, Cris Peet- for 9 weeks at a vacation in the “kunuku” (country- Geertje had stayed at Airb-
Mr. Johnathan Boekhoudt sold came to Aruba for the job on the “Jolly Pirates”. side) and there were fewer nb all over the world, but
of ATA thanked the Peet- first time in December 1973 Following her graduation in empty beer bottles on the have never enjoyed one as
solds profusely for their loy- to assume a teaching posi- Holland in 2000, their sec- side of the roads. Beaches much as Milagro’s Garden
alty to Aruba and present- tion at Abraham de Veer ond daughter Evelien did were still clean and quiet, Apartments’s tranquility,
ed them with some Aruba School in San Nicolas. They an internship at THE NEWS and almost always there responsiveness, cleanliness
souvenirs. He also gave a first lived in Santa Cruz, but for five months. THE NEWS would be a traffic jam on and friendliness. They have
history of the three differ- later moved to Siribana was an English language the boulevard. The Aruban already booked reserva-
ent ATA certificates, “Dis- 4A where they stayed till newspaper published people were as friendly tions for the whole month
tinguished Visitor” for those August 1977 when they re- by the legendary Gerrit and courteous as the they of February 2023 for them-
coming to Aruba regularly turned to Holland. During Schouten. Cris and Geertje remembered them. The selves and friends.q

Aruba to me

Complete the sentence: Aruba to me is ……. Send your picture with
that text (including your name and where you are from) to: news@aru-
batoday.com and we will publish your vacation memory. Isn’t that a
special way to keep your best moments alive? Please do note: By sub-
mitting photos, text or any other materials, you give permission to The
Aruba Today Newspaper, Caribbean Speed Printers and any of its af-
filiated companies to use said materials, as well as names, likeness, etc.
for promotional purposes without compensation.

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you a happy reader every day again.

For today we received a picture from Silvia Sperling Canabarro from
Porto Alegre, Brazil, who wrote “Aruba to me is that one place that we
ORANJESTAD - You are back and ite vacation picture while enjoy- will choose to return to for the rest of our lives. The most beautiful and
we would like to portrait you! By ing our Happy Island. relaxing place, that brings out the best in us. Our 11th visit, during the
inviting you to send us your favor- pandemic, was healing to our souls.”q