By Eric Wolf Schoen
Their soup, chicken noodle, minestrone always hot and fresh at the Claremont Diner on Yonkers Avenue. Top if off with bread pudding with whipped cream for dessert and you have a delicious meal. Years ago the Claremont would stay open 24/7 . Could have increased the current hours with full casino gambling at the raceway. It ain’t going to ha ppen now.
I get my hair cut and a shave at Rob’s shop next to the Dunkin Donuts on Yonkers Avenue. just $45 every 2 weeks. Well worth it. Rob would have gained a few new customers, the nail salon in the back a few and his newly opened car detailing business on Fullerton Avenue new customers?
And so it goes. The full fledged casino, something in the works for a zillion years? Appplication withdrawn by the the ones who put it in. Everyone in Yonkers supported it. And just like that it’s gone. Jobs for the little people, the people who make our city tick, gone in a Yonkers minute!
The Mayor is furious. The County Executive is furious. Could it be a move by the Trumpster. He’s making some peace in the Middle East, bringing back hostages, something better then remaining in custody and you think Yonkers Raceway is on his mind? I don’t buy it.
Do you realize how long this project is in the works for? Many years prior to the construction of the Racino. If Gov. Hochul is going to investigate something, investigate how much money the folks over the years at the raceway have donated towards political causes in Yonkers. Jobs given to politicians relatives. Maybe they just thought it isn’t worth it anymore
To go from 30 years to 15 years! Of course that’s a major reason? You would be stupid to think it was not. The casino market is saturated with players. Are people really going to connect now?
Can we come up with anything to feed our municipal needs other than vice taxes on gambling or marijuna? We are going to need to as the gambling market gets tighter and tighter. And we look out and sadly see people gambling away the rent check!
All we can do is pray!.
Reach Eric Wolf Schoen at ewschoen@icloud.com.
