Residents Left on Empty After Sole Gas Station on Ga. Island Shuts Down

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. – Joe Genaro and Saulius Stanys rolled into the barrier island's gas station with the same intentions: They both wanted gas.

But the problem was the station was down to one grade, super unleaded, and had only six gallons left.

They both started pumping at once and Stanys got the few gallons he wanted to get him back to Brunswick.

But Genaro, with no pressing business, lingered, watching the pump gauge crawl until he got the last few drops available and it quit pumping.

"I got three more cents worth out of it," he said triumphantly as his golden retriever, Lucky, waited on a leash.

The station, which is about 40 years old, was to have closed Thursday, but the gas ran out early.

Actually, there was about 250 gallons of each grade left, but regulations require that it not be pumped. That prevents customers from picking up any possible contamination that may have settled near the bottom.

The building will be torn down, the underground tanks replaced and a new convenience store built in its place that will be operated privately. Until then, Jekyll residents will have to drive to stations at Exit 29 off Interstate 95 or north on U.S. 17 to a store at the end of the St. Simons Causeway. Both are about 12 miles away.

The Jekyll Island Authority, which governs the state-owned island, has not said when the new store will be open.

Not everyone appreciated the moment, or perhaps didn't know.

A gleaming black Lincoln cruised up to the pump but when the driver saw bags over all but the super unleaded nozzles, he kept going.

The authority sent out e-mails warning of the closing but was sending out more than 400 letters to all the residents and businesses to make sure they know.