ps: Don’t call me before eight that Friday. No, I’m serious,...
©2007 Ann E. Sabo : click on image to enlarge.Now, before y’all start giving me the stink eye, this is not a commentary on the ‘dos’ or the ‘don’ts’ of legalized gambling. It’s more a rant on how governmental fires place ever increasing heat on our already evaporating Florida history. Whether it’s paving the Everglades, propagandaing mythical bullet trains or allowing for airports were they don’t belong, bit by little bit, a part of old Florida dies. Broader casino gaming now has a green light to a select few and more hometown landmarks will feel the burn. You can’t throw a stone in St. Petersburg without hitting a point of interest and DERBY LANE has held it’s fort there for almost a century. T. L. Weaver, a lumber entrepreneur, constructed the greyhound track in the 1920’s. The LANE was featured in the 2001 film ‘Oceans Eleven.’ Such star greyhound athletes like Racing Ramp, Lucky Pilot and Keefer raced there. Just a romp uptown is Tampa’s historic TAMPA BAY DOWNS, who’s doors opened in 1926. In 1943, the U.S. Army used the track as a training facility. In 1983 the track began offering a periodic Arabian races. Sadly these establishments may quietly slip away as legalized gaming encourages a different direction. A direction where the new rules, for the old guard, do not apply.
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Comments
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2007 at 2:23 pm and is filed under KOMMENTARY, KRITTERS, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Ann! You are brilliant! Love the bone in the mar’GRR’rita glass! Yea, those Seminoles really know how to work the system and use their power.
Hey, Miss Jo Ann!
It just don’t seem right to give so much leeway to one group of folks at the exclusion of others who can not mutually participate and will, in time, face inevitable consequences. I’m not sure what the answer is… but this Florida trouble is five hundred yards of baaaaaaaad road.
ANN
LOVE THE HORSE-
I THINK I BET ON HIM ONCE…
TBD OPENS THE 8th OF DECEMBER.
WILL THE LAST OF THE TWO DOLLAR BETTORS BE THERE THIS YEAR?
HOPE YOU HAD A NICE THANKSGIVING!
STEVE
Steve!
Oh goodness me, is it that time of year again?
The King of the Two Buck Minimum won’t be attending with me this year, but I’ll be rootin’ in the grandstands (just ’cause i don’t bet don’t mean i don’t love a good horse race!)
Lunch at the clubhouse?
Let me know.