A DIFFERENT VIEW

As I am turning 40 in a few weeks I seem to think more about how the world & Saratoga Springs, where I have lived my whole life except for college, is getting crazier almost every day.  Maybe it’s just I am getting older and one starts to look at things in a different light.

In today’s Saratogian, there is a story about a mother who lived with her son in Albany County.  This loving mother killed her son using a hammer and knife.  She then lived with her dead son in their apartment for several days.  I have a feeling she was listening to Peter, Paul and Mary’s song ‘If I had a Hammer’ when she went off the deep end.  She couldn’t live with him and now has to live without him.  Crazy stuff.

From the lips of Scott Johnson, the Waterfront Park is ‘ready’ to open, however, in his words “it’s day to day”.  It has been day to day for several years now and even though it will be open, there will be no signage, no dock for non-motorized boat access, gates at the top of the park and a barrier to section off some areas that will not be open to the public.  Also, the park will have no swimming but there will possibly be two phases in the future to make swimming possible.  We will be able to go and watch the sand blow around for a day of fun in the park.  In the Frank Sinatra song ‘New York, New York’ the phrase 'it’s a city that never sleeps'.  In Saratoga, under Scott Johnson the phrase would be 'it’s a city that never finishes a project'. 

Racing Season is in full swing at the Saratoga Race Course.  In today’s Pink Sheet there was an article about how much money the State rakes in with unclaimed tickets.  Last year the total was $1,925,000.00 and in the last 25 years the average dollar amount has been well over $1,000,000.00.  This amount goes back into the State’s general fund, which is silly because it should be put back into the racing industry.  The back stretch could use some of this money every year and I’m sure Saratoga and the other tracks could use the rest for improvements.

The figures stated above would be much higher if not for the dumpster divers and scavengers who pick up tickets off the ground, in the grandstands, in the picnic areas and just about every other place in between.  Last week one veteran scavenger found a ticket that paid him $950.00.  I wish these people could find the rest of the $1,925,000.00.  It would be better for them to reap the benefits for their work than the State getting the money and not putting it back into racing.

Well, we can always go to Waterfront Park to get a tan, so maybe I’ll see you there.  I’ll be the one with the cape and sun screen.