Balboa Island was once a gas

Gay Wassall-Kelly

Visitors ask Balboa Island residents all the time, “Is there a gas

station near by?” Not since 1989 has Balboa Island had a gas station.

And the last one old timers can tell you was like the friendly “Main

Street USA” kind of business owned by Jim Jennings, who still lives

on the island.

Jennings came to California in 1945 when he was 16. He married

Marybelle, his best friend’s sister, who was his first girlfriend, in

the Santa Ana courthouse for a $3 fee. Jennings recalls overhearing

someone say, “That will last about six months.” Well, some 56 years

later, they are still happily married.

One of Jennings’ first jobs, at age 23, was with Standard Oil Co.

as a manager in the gas station at the corner of Bayside Drive and

Coast Highway -- now Mama Gina’s. Just across the street, a Mobil

station, which is still there, was being built and would be ready to

lease.

“I decided I should be in business for myself.” So, in 1953, he

took the big step and leased that “big full service” Mobil station

with most of his customers coming from Balboa Island.

In 1959, he moved his growing family of three children to Balboa

Island from Santa Ana Heights to be closer to his work. That same

year, the lease for Union 76 at Marine and Park avenues on the island

-- where the fire station is today -- ran out. Jennings felt that

this smaller station with only four pumps might be easier for him. He

was a little worried that his customers might not follow him, but he

was dead wrong. Jennings’ customers trusted his honesty in taking

care of their automotive needs and, more so, they followed him to the

Union station, making it a huge success without delay.

Jennings’ customer base grew even larger since the station was now

in the middle of the more than 1,500 residents on Balboa Island. This

is the kind of man he was. Once or twice a week, a car would come

limping in missing and popping. The driver would tell Jennings that

he had driven a long distance and he was sure he needed a tuneup.

But, Jennings said, “I released the hood, surveyed the engine, put

the spark plug wire back on and off they went.”

Quite often, old folks who had been good customers but got too old

to drive would call Jennings and ask him to drive them to a doctor’s

appointment. Time allowing, he would take them where they needed to

go.

As the ‘80s rolled around, oil companies had new concerns.

Jennings got a written notice in 1988 that his station was going to

be closed for economic and environmental concerns. Holding tanks

needed to be replaced every 20 years because of leakage -- costing

about $100,000 -- plus his station only sold 25,000 gallons compared

to the 150,000 gallons at other stations.

His loyal customers found out about the closure notice and, by

noon that day, the station had collected more than 200 names on a

petition. People called Unocal, wrote their congressmen and pleaded

with the company. Headlines in the newspapers put out the call to

help save the station, ultimately receiving 2,000 signatures on the

petition. A vice president of Unocal met with Jennings and his loyal

customers at Beek Center. Even with all the community support, Unocal

stated, “The return on investment is unsatisfactory” and closed the

station in October 1989.

Jennings misses his customers but today continues to offer “full

service” on Balboa Island. He will take care of minor repairs in the

homes of folks who can’t do it themselves: many are friends from his

“Union” days.

He lets you know, “I take no money. If I take money, you own me. I

was owned for 40 years and I don’t want to be owned any more.”

Today, at 74, Jennings said he feels very strongly about people

who have lived to a ripe old age.

“I think it is very important to write down your lives’

experiences to share with future generations.” He is doing just that

-- writing his “old history stories” in paperback form.

* GAY WASSALL-KELLY is the editor of a Balboa newspaper and is

active in the community. Do you know of a person, place or event that

deserves a historical Look Back? Let us know. Contact James Meier by

fax at (949) 646-4170; e-mail at james.meier@ latimes.com; or mail at

c/o Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.