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Post by trackrat on Aug 27, 2011 18:16:21 GMT -5
We were informed last night (Friday) that starting some time in September, the entire second floor clubhouse dining area will be closed except for Friday and Saturday. While this only affects a handful of restaurant patrons, it chases away a sturdy group of LONG-TIME Northfield fans who sit adjacent to the dining area. The reason we sit upstairs is because it offers the best viewing perspective to watch the action (and inaction) unfolding on the track below.
Another nail in Northfield's coffin.
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Post by trackrat on Aug 30, 2011 6:01:51 GMT -5
Effective September 1, 2011, the clubhouse restaurant will only be open on Friday and Saturday. Learned tonight that long-time hostess Roseanne Ward has been laid off, which makes sense since the restaurant will only be open two evenings a week and they stopped having a Friday buffet earlier this year. Roseanne Ward is the mother of women's professional boxer Vonda Ward, whose father was former harness driver Larry Ward (60s-early 70s Northfield racing).
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Post by gtapp on Sept 13, 2011 7:58:38 GMT -5
An yet another change. Heard yesterday they fired the young lady, Mary, working at the snack bar down stairs.
She had been there for about 12 years so she probably made more than $5. (seems like they are booting out the oldtimers)
She was always pleasant and easy to look at. I don't understand
what's going on there.
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Post by trackrat on Sept 13, 2011 9:45:57 GMT -5
When I USED TO SIT upstairs with the long time Northfield regulars, the discussion among us was always related to the talents of the horse, driver and trainer. Last Wednesday, when I was FORCED to sit downstairs, the conversation around me was "Oh, I played the wrong NUMBERS...." by surrounding patrons who had difficulty speaking English, much less analyzing a race program. No, Believer, they weren't speaking Canadian. All F-ing night long, that's all I heard! Nothing about racing at all.
Here comes some trips to the Meadows!!
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Post by the believer on Sept 14, 2011 0:00:15 GMT -5
Hey Trackrat ......Canadian eh !
....I think it's sad they weren't speaking American around you at the track. In the great era of harness racing 70's and 80's .I loved to sit and study the program , watch the horses warm up and listen to the track regulars talk harness racing .On many an evening I've caught a nice price winner just watching as the horses warm up , an example - in the ten minutes or so after the post parade , if a driver was leaving for position off the starting gate he would be scoring out the horse fast several times in the minutes prior going behind the gate. I'll bet Jimhorseman watches the warm-ups when he can and has the program handicapped before getting to the track.
To conclude..change is inevitable , but money talks and at many tracks today that are gearing up for slots , they could care less if anyone is at the track period and watching the races , eating ..etc ....they get there on line money from their simulcast feed and you can hear the Nfld upper management singing -we'll be in the money soon . Till slots arrive , expect the unexpected , more cost cutting , etc.
Things will get much better....it will take some time though!
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Post by scojer on Sept 14, 2011 17:00:34 GMT -5
I cant remember the last time Northfield did anything to get me to want to come out and wager on the ponies.The $2 voucher is surely not the reason i go on their big nights,the crowd tossing around "dead money" does..I'm not sure how much slots will help,but it will only make it better till the management screws it up...I'm not a slot player(wife is)i prefer table games,poker,and horse racing.Thats why we like to go to mountaineer..(Hotel on site) They are putting all their eggs in 1 basket,guess they will get all the Akron slot players when it comes time..Hey Trackrat,are you talking about the barmaid/snackbar worker downstairs??And by the way,i'll have a few bucks on "Nathan" in the 8th race tonight.He may need another start,but i saw something i liked his last start...
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Post by trackrat on Sept 14, 2011 23:31:48 GMT -5
Good news (for me). The upstairs area that my little group frequents has been kept open. No teller, no waitress, but we don't need those anyway. Life is good again. Although I didn't have any winners tonight.
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Post by jimhorseman on Sept 15, 2011 21:46:13 GMT -5
Believer has half right. I always have the program pre-handicapped before I go to a racetrack but since most of my action is on simulcast tracks it is near impossible to watch warm ups. Instead I'm usually limited to seeing the post parade. By the way, there is a new sulky that is being used by most of the national top drivers. The only one I've seen at Northfield with the new bike is Russell Swartz. Maybe more than coincidence that he has since become a leading rider? By the way Swartz is driving at the Western NY track Batavia Downs Friday night.
As for the real topic - the Northfield clubhouse. It is discouraging to read all of the negative thoughts. My little group of harness racing friends and I made one or two weekend trips to Northfield for a decade or more. My friends went last in fall of 2009, a trip I had to miss due to a back surgery. They nor I have been back since. July 4th weekend I actually made a farther trip to the Meadows instead and while the pools are lacking the facilities and racing were top notch. Poor racing stock, declining facilities, no Giss...sadly not many reasons to plan a future trip.
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Post by kassracing on Sept 16, 2011 9:02:52 GMT -5
C'mon now, does anyone think the food in the clubhouse was anything but below par? Went to the buffet and it might have been one of the worst meals i've ever had.
Everyone talks about harness racing being a dying sport, and rather then improve the product all they do is cut cut cut. Northfield is a perfect example of this.
The track is doing everything it can to bring a new feel to the employees(i'm assuming), and I assume that by firing anyone with any seniority, they are instilling the fear of god in the ones lucky enough to still be employed. How can anyone be anything but bitter working for a nazi-esque individual like Tom Aldrich?
This is of course, just one mans opinion! LMFAO
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Post by thegiss on Sept 17, 2011 13:09:38 GMT -5
C'mon now, does anyone think the food in the clubhouse was anything but below par? Went to the buffet and it might have been one of the worst meals i've ever had. Everyone talks about harness racing being a dying sport, and rather then improve the product all they do is cut cut cut. Northfield is a perfect example of this. The track is doing everything it can to bring a new feel to the employees(i'm assuming), and I assume that by firing anyone with any seniority, they are instilling the fear of god in the ones lucky enough to still be employed. How can anyone be anything but bitter working for a nazi-esque individual like Tom Aldrich? This is of course, just one mans opinion! LMFAO First, having lost family to the Nazis, you are way out of line with this post. Secondly, as I have said repeatedly, I am not bitter and was alwyas treated well, even in my departure, by Tom and Brock. Was I frustrated at times? Sure. Isn't that part of having a job? Deal with it and move on, not that I would expect that from this particular poster. Who's the bitter one? |
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Post by thegiss on Oct 4, 2011 14:01:19 GMT -5
Fran, the longtime Security Supervisor was let go Friday, apparently.
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Post by trackrat on Oct 4, 2011 18:24:18 GMT -5
One thing I NEVER had to worry about at Northfield was the feeling of security. It seems like Northfield is dissassembling, piece-meal, its entire loyal employee base.
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