Closing Time Looms

There is a place near my house--near a lot of houses actually--where there are people with more loose parts than you'd find at a ball bearing factory. It is a branch of Nassau Downs OTB, and it is set to close at the end of the year.

Times are tough all over, and even what would seem like a guaranteed money maker needs to sell off assets. This will be another example of closing doors to the marginally sane and giving them no place to go.

There is the fellow who roots any horse coming down the stretch with a chance to overtake the leader with spirited, loud and repeated shouts of "Hi-Ho Silver." He does this whether the horse is grey or not. Just coming down the stretch is good enough. And since there are races broadcast from several tracks, sometimes minutes apart, this fellow gets to cheer a good many horses on throughout the day. Whether he actually benefits from any of them winning is unknown, but he doesn't get up often to collect, or make fresh bets. He is there for the cheering.

Another fellow, suspended from the premises for an indeterminate time, would make a real pest of himself trying to retrieve a refundable soda can or bottle--whether you were finished with it or not. Even assurances that the empty was his as soon as it was empty were met with skepticism.

And then there is Droopy Drawers, a middle-aged fellow who walks in a crouch like Groucho Marx. Droopy just seems to do guard duty by walking back and forth and mumbling something you can almost understand, but know there's no good reason to try and understand. He is not very tall, so at least he never gets in the way of blocking even the lowest TV on the wall.

There are more. Many more. The good news is they're not there all at once. In fact, I'm not even there anymore, but my friend brings back the Alumni News.

And by December 31st, another outpatient facility will close.

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