North Shore pained by the loss of Wonderland

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August 20, 2010

By Alan Burke Staff writer The Salem News Fri Aug 20, 2010, 08:57 AM EDT

And they're off. Off the job, that is.

Roger Powers, 70, of Danvers got the word yesterday that the Wonderland greyhound track in Revere had closed, leaving himself and roughly 100 people out of a job. For Powers, the end came after 43 years.

"The handwriting was on the wall," he conceded. But yesterday morning's phone call was a cold surprise.

"We blame the governor," Powers said. "He is the one that held up the works." In its heyday, he added, the racetrack, which is only slightly older than Powers himself, employed up to 400 people.

Efforts to save Wonderland revolved around a bill that would have expanded gambling in the commonwealth. Gov. Deval Patrick declined to sign it due to a provision that would have allowed slot machines at the track. He complained that this amounted to a "no-bid" contract.

In the process of rejecting it, Patrick also shot down plans for three resort-style casinos, all projects expected to generate income for the state.

In a visit to Salem yesterday, Patrick saw events from a different perspective. The problems at Wonderland go back further than that, he said, referencing the 2008 referendum where voters outlawed dog racing. That law went into effect on Jan. 1. Since then, the track has been televising races from other states.

"I'm concerned about those jobs," Patrick said. He added that the Legislature could still come his way with a bill creating casinos.

"This is an emotional day for all of us," Wonderland President and CEO Richard Dalton said, "and the most difficult part of it is the hardworking people who have been given notice that they no longer have a job.

"Most of our employees have been with us for decades, and we are trying to be as supportive as we can as they cope with these extremely difficult circumstances."

Those workers could find themselves re-employed, said Chip Tuttle, chief operating officer at Suffolk Downs, if the Legislature and the governor pass a bill "expanding gaming." In that case, other jobs would be preserved, as well, because the two tracks, having entered into a partnership in 2008, could merge, thanks to an agreement that allows Suffolk Downs the option to purchase Wonderland.

State Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers, downplayed the impact of the closing on the North Shore, yet he also singled out Patrick as the impediment in putting people back to work.

"If the governor had signed our casino bill, this wouldn't have happened," he said.

His remarks were echoed by colleague Joyce Spiliotis, D-Peabody.

"I just think it's a shame," she said. "I was hoping the governor would sign the casino bill and save the jobs.

"Maybe a miracle will happen, and we'll have a gambling bill."

That would be a welcome development for Wonderland's workers.

Powers, who was a banker when he started working part time at Wonderland, joked that he's worked at the track so long, "The car goes there automatically."

But now, he said, "I feel sorry for the younger people depending on (these jobs) to put food on the table."

In the 1970s, Powers recalled, Wonderland was one of the finest, busiest dog tracks in the country. Long before Gov. Patrick, a series of blows marked the beginning of the end, including the lottery and out-of-state casinos. People found other places to gamble.

"People want to have access to slot machines and regular casinos," Powers said. "Dog racing is dead."

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North Shore pained by the loss of Wonderland

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