Jess Orozco, former Union City School Board member and a successful businessman, reminisces the good old days in Santa Barbara, California, his home town, but was glad that he came and visited his brother in Union City and stayed.

Jess was born on January 20, 1924. He is 77 years old, but he looks young for his age.

In 1946 after World War II, Jess, 21 years old and still single, visited his brother in Union City to help tend his brother's store in the old Decoto. He came from Santa Barbara. He was discharged from the Marine Corp and stayed for a couple of weeks. He liked the place and stayed. He then worked for Pacific States Steel for a year and a half.

He married Ruth, now age 73, some 50 years ago and have 3 offspring. They are Andrew, John, who with his wife Claudia and two children, Aaron and Andrea live in Pleasanton, and Ruben, who lives in Rocklin with his daughter Sarah.

When Jess and Ruth got married, they lived in a 3-bedroom house at 33617 6th and F street, that they bought for $9,000. The house is still there. With his GI Bill, he bought another lot and built a service station. He sold Flying A gasoline until 1949.

He got very interested in his businesses that the businesses multiplied. He had a liquor store on Mission Boulevard and also sold automobile parts.

In 1967, Jess became a School Board member. "I felt that I owe this community for the good life given to me and I want to repay the community by holding office and helping the young Mexican-Americans improve their lives and be successful," Jess said.

His business was thriving at that time; he was travelling everywhere and got so busy, he resigned as a School Board member.

He retired from his job at age 58. He became active in the Union City Merchants Association; he was a charter member of the Union City Lions and very active in Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church under Father Duggan.

He members landmarks in Union City such as the Quonset huts used in the Army camps. One of them still stands as the Centro Del Servicio building in Decoto. He also remembers that this same building used to be variety store, owned by Al and Marcela Rodriguez, who still live in the Decoto area.

The said that the only mistake they made that time was they did not zone the lands right; there should have been more homes that time.

He and Ruth now relax in their beautiful home, which Ruth spruces up and they travel a lot. Jess plays gold and is very interested in the US Open. He was a volunteer worker for the past three Opens. He is also a volunteer worker for the Senior Tournament in Sacramento for the past 12 years. He was very proud of his Purple Heart award that he cherished through the years.

Jess and Ruth are amazed of the big change in the little town called Union City, especially the half a million dollar homes and Union Landing, which boasts of the big theater, the huge Lucky Sav-On, the big hotel and the many businesses and up-scale restaurants.