Christmas time is near. The weather is turning colder in the hills of western Pennsylvania, the sky is taking on a leaden look, and snowflakes are beginning to fall.
I grew up in a small town in western PA. Sutersville is a small town along a river that flows into nearby Pittsburgh to join the mighty Ohio.
The people of Sutersville are good people. Well, most of them are. They are steel workers, factory employees, coal miners and retirees. The town has a downtown bowling alley, a couple of good restaurants and it once boasted a town theater that showed double feature movies that my younger brothers, sister and I relished.
As I was growing up and aspiring to be a journalist, life in Sutersville went on. My dad belonged to the local Moose Club with its weekly card games. Sometimes the management would get bold and sneak in a slot machine or two. My Aunt Annie loved playing those slots. I can still see the smile in her face as she hit a jackpot and dimes or quarters would fill the tray.
There were weekly dances at the Moose Club and my parents, my Uncle Ott and my Aunt Annie made most of them. They would take me and my siblings and when the hour grew late, would leave us in the cloak room where we would nap until it was time to leave.
Sutersville had its share of churches, which the people attended religiously, but it also had its share of gamblers. There was a town bookie who operated out of a store front and who would take bets on horses and dog races. Al was a good guy who donated to the Catholic Church. I never heard of him stiffing one of his customers.
And there was The Meadows.
It was a race track and gambling casino in Washington, PA., about 40 miles from my home town.
The Meadows had a harness racing track and as its popularity spread, it added more slot machines and a poker room. The management began offering cash perks to its customers and those perks were generous. They would lure you into the casino on a regular basis by sending you coupons good for free cash through the mail.
Many of the Sutersville residents divided their time between The Meadows and Atlantic City. Today they no longer go to Atlantic City. They have all the action they need at The Meadows. My brother Legs points out that it's a lot shorter drive to Washington and gas is pretty expensive even in this time of a Donald Trump presidency.
I have enjoyed The Meadows. They run a good poker room as well as a horse room. You can watch the harness races and the food is above average.
I feel sorry for Atlantic City. The casinos there blew it when they failed to match casinos like The Meadows with their perks. You live and you learn, and sometimes the learning is costly.
Right now The Meadows is gearing up for Christmas. The management is offering cash promotions to make the holiday season more festive. I know my brother will enjoy Christmas with his family, friends and his grandchildren, but I wouldn't be surprise if he found time to visit The Meadows and make merry with his slot machines.
Let the games begin and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my readers.