The OB Historical Society had a packed house with their monthly meeting at the Waters Edge Community Church on Nov. 21. The crowd gathered to honor the incredible number of community contributions by the James family, known to many as the James Gang.
The James Gang has been instrumental in creating a major number of Ocean Beach traditions. For over four decades, five brothers of the James family, Mike, Greg, Ron Pat, and Rich, worked together with their wives developing the family business. Somehow they found the time to also dedicate themselves improving the community of Ocean Beach. 
The James family was an integral part in the creation and leadership roles of the Ocean Beach Merchants Association, known today as the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. They also have held leadership roles in the Ocean Beach Town Council, the OB Planning Board, and the OB Historical Society.
The brothers and their wives, over the years, have been the catalyst to many other events such as the OB Street Fair, and the OB Community Mural Project. Pat James and his wife Susan helped develop the OB Historical Society, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The James family contributions such as the Holiday Parade and the Christmas tree would not be financially possible without the annual OB auction. Auctioneer Mike James and the Sunshine Company hold this yearly event to help fund several of these traditions.
The family tribute by the OB Historical Society was a great success. What would Ocean Beach be without the contributions of the James Gang?
A special tribute was made to the family’s late brother, Rich James, who actually founded the Christmas tree tradition, and whose life epitomized the spirit of Ocean Beach