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New Ripon AM/PM claims lowest gas prices in region for station opening
Ripon Gas DSC 7317
AM/PM staffers at Ripons new convenience store gathered by pump # 1 Thursday morning where they listed gas the lowest in all of Northern California. Mostly members of an Indian family from Tracy they are from left Vikramjeet Singh, manager Ranjeet Singh, Jasbir Kaur, Ramjit Dhanju, Dennis Akin, Arco Northern California sales manager; Gurdev Teer and Brandi Gaston, Arco Northern California business consultant. - photo by GLENN KAHL

RIPON — Gasoline prices were possibly the lowest in Ripon Thursday in all of the Northern San Joaquin Valley at $4.29 a gallon.

An Indian Sikh family from Tracy opened the 16 hose Arco convenience store this week on Colony Road near the Highway 99 onramp at Jack Tone Road where their gas price compares to that of Costco at $4.39. They also have a station in Tracy.

Manager of the new facility located on 2,900 square feet of land between McDonalds Restaurant and the Save Mart Market,  Ranjeet Singh and his staff welcomed customers at their new 24-hour a day facility Thursday.  The firm is doing business under the name Aasra Petrol Inc. in a franchise with Arco and its parent British Petroleum.

He said a grand opening celebration is scheduled in some four weeks that will include coupons and specials for their customers.  A state-of-the-art car wash is awaiting the installation of a vehicle height bar that will guard customers with oversized cars or trucks from entering the cleaning operation.

It was a soft opening for the station on Thursday with a few motorists like Andrea Cahoon of Oakdale spotting the price sign posted on the corner of the property.  Cahoon, a single mom with a nine and a 13-year-old, said she was on her way from business school in Salida to her work place in Tracy when she rounded a corner and was surprised at the cost of gasoline at the new station.

She made use of the credit card and cash payment island positioned between the pumps,  sliding her greenbacks in for her purchase.

A Manteca motorist who didn’t want to be quoted or photographed said she drives through Ripon three days a week dropping her children off at a preschool and then driving on to Modesto.  She said she had been watching the facility under construction and didn’t know it was open until she looked at www. Gasbuddies.com online and then saw it lit up with the best price yet for unleaded.

Two workers in a pickup truck later pulled up to the pumps to fill up after they found the lower gas price than they had found on their morning run from Turlock.  They said they weren’t aware of the station until they had pulled off of the freeway on the Jack Tone Road off ramp.

The business front to the east of the AM/PM will be home to a new Togo’s sandwich shop in the near future. 

In addition to Costco the AM/PM station on South Main Street at Industrial Park Drive in Manteca was also at $4.39 a gallon.

Quicki Kleen at 707 East Yosemite Avenue was at $4.33 a gallon and Kwik Serve located at Yosemite and Powers Avenue was at $4.35 Thursday afternoon.