Jumpin'

We don't know what's more notable/funny: the fact that people were lined up this morning for the opening of Jumpin' Jacks today -- or the fact that a TV station was there to cover it live.

Comments

Why? Was there really nothing better to do then spend 3+ minutes on a story about Jumpin' Jacks??

CBS6 had its hands full with hard news today. Covering the opening of a hot dog stand, and then still have time discuss the Lineup for Countryfest 2009. Welcome to Albany.

What? A TV station covered something they didn't first read about in the newspaper??

I have to say it's one of the best kept secrets in the area. A romantic walk along the Mohawk. A double-dip at Jumpin' Jacks. Followed by a concert at Freedom Park. Total damage? About $3.

http://www.cafepress.com/ThymeLee/6519710

It probably does seem a bit silly for the news to cover this, but it's hard to explain the old fashioned small town charms of Jumpin' Jacks to people who haven't been there. It would be like someone from Philadelphia trying to explain Geno's Steaks, or a New Yorker singing the praises of Nathan's on Coney Island. Cheese steaks and hot dogs, so what? We had cousins visit us from England in 1973, to this day they ask if Jumpin' Jacks with their "brilliant fish fries" is still there when I speak to them. A friend in Seattle who spent his Summers living with grandparents back in the 70s asks me about it. There is even a Facebook group - "Jumpin' Jacks, The Greatest Fast Food Ever Invented," with 2,700 members. It's not even about the food (burgers, dogs, fish fries, ice cream, etc.) so much as it is about happy memories of family, friends, Summer, Little League Baseball, and free concerts. Some of us grew up there. And by some, I mean tens or hundreds of thousands over several generations.

Remember when Krispy Kreme opened in Latham? More than one TV station showed up to cover that. There was so much hoopla surrounding the opening you'd have thought the Queen was in town.

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