Saginaw Harness Raceway closes its doors
50 employees are left without a job
WJRT Jeff Piechowski
Saginaw - (10/31/05)--After 25 years in business, the Saginaw Harness Raceway has closed its doors for good. The decision was made Sunday morning. And it's now left nearly 50 employees without a job.
Those who work at the raceway say they saw the writing on the walls, but expected to make it at least through the end of the year.
But after making the decision, owners wasted no time, making Sunday the final day of racing in Saginaw.
Jean Roenicke has been at the raceway for all of its 25 years of operation. Starting as a teller in 1980, she was then working as the track's mutual manager. The news has been especially hard for her.
"I have mixed emotions," she said. "I feel badly about the tellers, that they were informed yesterday about losing their jobs."
The track lost nearly $100,000 last year, and almost $80,000 already this year.
Attendance is down, heating costs are on the rise, and the facilities were in need of repair. Owners also expected the Delphi bankruptcy to hurt business.
Owners also cite the passing of Proposal 1 last year, which limited slot machines and other gambling to casinos. But they've put their license in escrow in the hopes that off-track betting will someday be legalized. |
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