The dictionary's definition of celebrity is "a well-known person."  Although Jackson is not a person, he is definitely well known. Short legs, long ears and sweet face, some call him a burro or donkey.  But as his name implies, he is a jackass (but don't ask me the difference).
  Our family became more interested in him about twenty years ago when stopping to say hello was a must on walks with my three-year-old grandson.  Fifteen years later, we started the same tradition with our two-year-old granddaughter.  Now at ages twenty-three and seven, it's still a priority for the two grandkids to go by and see how Jackson is doing.
  He has lived in Eucalyptus Hills for about 30 years and is beloved by the neighbors along Manzanita, Rocoso Road and Pinehurst.  Generations of children have grown up walking by on their way to and from school, or waiting for the school bus.
  Other parents and grandparents also walk their children that way just to say hello and to feed him carrots.  Joggers stop for a quick hello, and people driving by get a smile on their face just to see him there -- many even drive a bit out of their way to see him.
  At Christmas he sports a big red bow around his neck, and he has his own American flag flying on the fence.
  Lakeside families who have moved away and come back for visits, often drive by to make sure he's still in his field munching away on his hay.
  He has his own nice large field, a shelter from the rain, eucalyptus trees for shade in the summer, fresh hay a couple times a day and a big tub of water.  In fact he's had such good care that he's been a landmark on

Manzanita Street for all these years.
  He came to the Finton family in the early 1970's.  Some friends were disbanding their family zoo and when the late Wes Finton heard of a small jackass needing a home, he drove north to Tracy, California.  Jackson rode all the way in the back of the pick-up truck to his new home where he's been ever since.  Wes's wife, Thelma, keeps Jackson in that same field because she knows how important he is to the neighborhood.
  There are no condos, tract houses or apartments nearby.  In fact, the street looks much as it did when Jackson first came to the area.  With all the changes in Lakeside, and the rest of the county, it's nice that some things stay the same.  It's still "just country" on Jackson's street.
  Over the years he's shared the spotlight on the three street front fields with other animals.  For a few years there was a team of sleek and feisty miniature mules who from time to time would pull a little red wagon around the neighborhood.  There were sheep and lambs that were popular with the local children too, but faithful Jackson has remained the favorite.  Sometimes a flock of guinea hens wander around the ranch, and of course always some ranch dogs, but mostly these days he has the street side showcase all to himself.  He still strolls over to see who's at the fence saying hello, but he walks a bit slower these days.
  So celebrity seems to fit as well as icon, tradition or whatever you want to call him . . . Jackson is a fixture in our neighborhood and we hope he remains so for many more years.