Saratoga News Photograph by George Sakkestad Ninety-year-old Paul Arnerich works out three days a week to stay fit. Paul Arnerich lays claim to being the oldest LG native By Mary Ann Cook The oldest living native Los Gatan is Paul John Arnerich, who celebrated his 90th birthday Nov. 24 and has lived in Los Gatos all his life. He even lives on the same parcel of land he grew up on in the 500 block of University Avenue. Except, when Arnerich was a kid, the seven acres surrounding his home were a prune ranch, and there was only one other house on that side of University Avenue, between Saratoga Avenue and Blossom Hill Road. (Although there were a couple of houses on the other side of the street.) At the Blossom Hill end of that stretch was the sewer farm, now Oak Meadow Park, and beyond that the trash and dump site for the small town of a few hundred citizens. When Arnerich was 16, his father died, making him head of the household, a role he has held ever since. He and his wife Bernice have two daughters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. His younger sister Frances Popovich, 88, looks up to him as well. His son-in-law Jim Risdal calls him "the wisest man I know, sought out for advice by everyone. His mind still works better than most computers. He has been my best friend, my hero, and my father since I was a teenager." For one thing, the Arnerich sense of humor is obviously well intact. When asked about his secret for a long life, he responds, "Don't die." He is the oldest surviving Santa Clara County sheriff's deputy, a position he held for 22 years, beginning in 1939. He worked for five years on the Los Gatos police force when it consisted of three men, and he was a volunteer firefighter for 20 years. Paul Arnerich is known as a fine cook, does most of the family cooking, and owned two restaurants at different times--Paul's Lunch and the Manhattan and Park Cafe. Paul's Lunch operated from 1936 to 1939 and specialized in hamburgers for 10 cents and rib steaks for 35 cents. Paul's Lunch was on Santa Cruz Avenue, next to Rugani's liquor store. The Cafe was on the present site of Carry Nations, and Arnerich ran that one from 1947 to 1952. Manhattan featured Mexican and Chinese food. Arnerich's favorite meal may be a holdover from those days: it's chicken teriyaki and pork fried rice. His namesake grandson, PJ, keeps him supplied with wild duck and wild pig, plus salmon. Though hunting and fishing are past pursuits, this nonagarian works out at the Los Gatos Athletic Club three times a week. He was stricken with food poisoning a couple of years ago and the doctor said this commitment to conditioning probably saved his life. And Arnerich is still an avid gardener. Jim Risdal claims his father-in-law can bring dying plants back to life. Arnerich's nursery experience backs up the claim: Arnerich worked for Elliott's Nursery, where New Town sits now, for years. He also worked for 15 years as a gardener for others. "I'm an old farmer, after all," he says. "I'm a good pruner." Having grown up when this valley was awash in prune and apricot orchards, he naturally decries the exodus of agriculture. He also misses the ease of public transportation. "You could take the streetcar to San Jose, to Saratoga or on up the Peninsula. The train to San Francisco was right here." The streetcar played a part in courtship in those days. Bernice lived in San Jose and they went to the movies and sporting events--wrestling, baseball. Her family owned San Jose restaurants, and their families knew each other. "We get along great. Never disagreed much. Never had any major quarrels." His straightforward secret for a successful, 64-year marriage? "Don't divorce." [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 2, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.