An honor for an islander

June Casagrande

There was a time when houses were hauled to Balboa Island by barge.

There was a time when an island resident built a bridge to the water

using an old mast shipped in from the San Pedro shipyards. And there

was a time when a cluster of young women lined up on the sand in

their latest 1922 swim fashions for the island’s Bathing Beauty

Contest.

Those times are gone, but thanks to Jim Jennings, they will never

be forgotten. Just weeks after his local history book “Old Balboa

Island Stories: From 1907 to the Millennium” was met with huge and

unexpected initial success, Jennings received a proclamation from

Mayor Steve Bromberg for his contribution to the unique nautical

history of the island.

“It’s an honor to give a proclamation to this man,” Bromberg

announced at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Bromberg also lauded the longtime island resident for his own role

in history. Jennings owned the Balboa Island Union 76 station from

1959 to 1989, where he was known as a scrupulously honest car

repairman who was also devoted to helping out neighbors any way he

could.

“Everything I did to help others I did for myself because I really

enjoy it,” Jennings said, thanking the mayor, council members and

neighbors for the honor.

The many nautical photos and stories Jennings collected over the

years have been donated to the Balboa Island Historical Society and

Museum. And of course many appear in his book, including images of

the Balboa Island Ferry in 1919 before it carried cars, a biplane

flown by Glen Martin into Newport Bay, and of course, the

well-concealed bathing beauties.