Cliff Buchan
News Editor

That quiet cheer coming from S. Lake Street in Forest Lake last week could well have been the voices of area senior citizens.

Why the cheer?

Full service gasoline is once again available at the Sinclair Station, 308 S. Lake St.

After two months of sitting dark, Tony Zappa has taken over as station owner and agent and restored the full service theme at the station that has long been a popular business with many area residents who donít relish pumping their own fuel or canít.

ìThey really missed us,î Zappa said last week as the gas pumps were turned on for the first time on April 25 and a long line of senior citizens drove in to have their tanks filled.

Zappa took over the facilities in early April. After cleaning and a bit of refurbishing, the garage and auto repair shop opened for real on April 10. Pump problems resulted in a two-week delay to begin gas sales, but the station is now up and running smoothly, Zappa says.

In his first month of operation, Zappa is working with two other mechanics. He has hired four others on a part-time basis to work the gas pumps.

ìOur goal is to provide a needed and valuable service to the residents of the Forest Lake area,î Zappa said. ìWe know there were many senior citizens in the area who counted on this gas station for their fuel.î

He says the business is operating on the philosophy of ìOld-fashioned full service for all your service needs.î

And that applies to gas and mechanical problems, Zappa said.

Zappa brings more than 26 years of automotive experience to the Sinclair operation. He spent 15 years with Rosedale Chevrolet and is a certified master technician for the Chevrolet Motor Division and the Automotive Society of Excellence.

ìIíve always loved repairing automobiles,î Zappa said.

Since opening on April 10, Zappa says the service department has handled a steady stream of customers who are turning to Zappa for affordable and professional mechanical repairs.

A complete list of service needs can be handled in the Sinclair garage for all makes of cars and trucks, domestic or foreign, Zappa says.

For the spring and summer seasons, Zappa has established service department hours at 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to noon on Sunday.

A more extensive schedule is in place for gas pumping hours. And it is full service all the time, Zappa said

The gas pumps at the US-61 station are in service 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 8 on Saturday and Sunday.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605