LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Great article on Jack’s

To the editor:

What a great story about China General aka Jack’s. I grew up a few doors down and spent at least a few minutes every day picking a handful of the scrumptious sticks of Jolly Ranchers! Danny often made me an Italian for my lunch. Kim, Pat, and Ann had the biggest most genuine smiles each time anyone walked in. The crew there was a family, everyone could feel that! Jack’s was known for the best meats anywhere around. One could barely fit through every early morning when the men’s “coffee club” was in session.

Jack’s is the last place I remember being able to run a tab. Halloween in the village was a huge deal and Jack’s always gave a bag of chips and soda. The store was the heart of the community when I grew up. Jack’s, the post office, the library, and the church, made my childhood the stuff story books tales are made of. Great people everywhere.

It was a sad day when the new owners changed staff, didn’t sell gas, and finally infested the town with rats. Certainly not the business family the Sylvester family was. So sad to see the run down shamble left behind.

I feel blessed to have grown up in China before everything went downhill. And to everyone who treated me so well, I haven’t forgotten and never will.

Danielle Foster
former China resident