Presque Isle Downs' main floor improvements are great. The grandstand area could use TLC

Improvements to the main floor of Presque Isle Downs & Casino make visits there most pleasant. But I wish I could say the same about the grandstand area in the horse racing area.

The benches need to be power washed, and large bushes in the infield should be trimmed. You actually lose sight of the horses momentarily as they approach the far turn.

Call me an old stick-in-the-mud when it comes to computers, but I much prefer placing a bet with a human teller. But there are only two live tellers left, and they’re stationed inside where the lines are always long.

● Now that Drew Whiting has taken over for John Persinger as CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, I hope he can inspire the construction crews on several major projects to kick it into high gear. Some of the buildings have been half-finished for nearly a year.

Whiting, a well-regarded venture capital lawyer, is said to have extensive experience in equity investing, fund formation, real estate and technology. That sounds like a solid background for the leader of this important Erie position.

Persinger, who lost a close race a few years back to Erie Mayor Joe Schember, left town last week to join his wife and children in Australia.

● Now that former Erie Otters great Alex DeBrincat has joined the Detroit Red Wings, he’ll be closer to home.

DeBrincat, who played on the same Otters squad with Connor McDavid, is a native of Farmington Hills, Michigan.

For the life of me, I don’t know why the Chicago Blackhawks severed ties with DeBrincat. The fans there loved him.

Offseason moves: Former Erie Otter Travis Dermott destined for desert, DeBrincat traded

● The Groove, led by the talented Roy Hollis, opened 8 Great Tuesdays in style. A huge crowd turned out on a perfect night on Erie’s bayfront. You couldn’t ask for better summertime entertainment.

● It’s disappointing that the Erie Jazz & Blues Festival is taking the year off. It’s always dangerous when an event like this goes dark for a year. The festival lost a major sponsor and not even John Vanco, the event’s founder, who came out of retirement to help right the ship, could pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Next year’s jazz and blues festival will be the key to the future. If it can’t make a comeback, it could be history.

● Speaking of festivals, both the Greek Festival in Millcreek Township and the Cherry Festival in North East took place on the same days. But that didn’t prevent huge crowds from showing up at both events. It’s good to see popular local celebrations pick right up after the hardship of the pandemic. A tip of the cap to the organizers and volunteers.

More: Looking for a festival in Erie County? Put these on your list

● Buffalo Concertina All Stars are set to perform Thursday in Perry Square. Nothing like a skilled polka band to get your toes tapping.

● I’d like to hear Brendan Barber’s take on Pat Fitzgerald, recently fired as Northwestern University’s head football coach. Barber, a former star at Cathedral Prep, saw quite a bit of action when he played for Northwestern. Barber is now a lawyer in the U.S. Marine Corps, based on the west coast.

Fitzgerald’s firing is shocking because he’d been such a popular coach at Northwestern. Charges of hazing among the players sound pretty nasty, however, and it’s hard to believe Fitzgerald didn’t know what was going on.

● Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game is kind of a joke anymore. Players are interviewed on TV during the game, and it seems hardly anyone takes the event seriously. Those uniforms worn by the players are really dreadful, as well.

● Longtime Erie soccer referee and fitness advocate Walt Horner is coping with a serious spinal cord injury at Cleveland’s Louis Stokes VA Hospital. An avid athlete himself, Walt participated in the QUAD Games and enjoyed cross-country skiing, cycling and hiking with his wife, children and grandchildren. Walt recently turned 80 and his many friends wish him well.

● Wanda Salvia and George Gunther, co-chairs of Academy High School’s 65th reunion, remind their classmates that a bunch of fun events are scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 18-20. The deadline for making a reservation is Friday. For questions, email Salvia at wsalviua@gmail.com.

● It was sad to watch LPGA star Michele Wie recently wrap up her competitive career at the age of 33. Wasn’t it just last week when Wie, then a precocious teenager, played in the USGA 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur at the Kahkwa Club?

● George Lyons’ Cruise Town Erie classic car event in June in downtown Erie was a smash hit, and now he’s planning another one for Aug. 18. This is the 12th year Lyons has sponsored the car cruises, and he couldn’t do it without the volunteer efforts of his staff at Contemporary Motorcar.

Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Presque Isle Downs & Casino grandstand area could stand improvements