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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2010)
Chinook Winds’ Anniversary We are proud that we are a major every two years. This was the second It’s been 15 years since the opening landowner in Lincoln City as well as the year and the Tribe and the city agreed to of the Tribe’s historic Chinook Winds major employer in Lincoln County. We renew it. Casino. The beautiful gaming and conven celebrated last month by bringing together The meeting was cordial and we tion center we see today, however, didn’t people who worked with the Tribe to look forward to working together for the just miraculously and suddenly happen. establish the casino 15 years ago. coming year. Important events preceded its estab lishment. Early on, faced with diminish Meeting with Lincoln City Council Memorial Day ing fishing and timber industries and de Mayor Lori Hollingsworth reviewed It’s important to always remember all clining Tribal revenues, the Siletz Tribal the successful partnerships the Tribe and of our veterans and the Tribe does this at Council and General Council looked to the city have accomplished in the past the annual Memorial Day Ceremony. It’s gaming as a potential economic resource year, including the continued Memoran also important to know and remember, as some other Tribes around the country dum of Agreement, funding of the Taft specifically, our WWII veterans. already were doing. High 7-12 jazz band class, opening of With the recent passing of Eddie In late 1991, the Siletz Tribe’s six- Siletz Technologies in the business incu Collins and Kenneth Hatch, we have few member Ad Hoc Gaming Committee bator space and the Golf Course Water WWII veterans still living. They include studied a number of possible sites for a Agreement we just signed. Alfred Lane Jr., Buck Downey, Calvin gaming center, including some along 1-5 The Tribal Council and the city both Van Pelt and Ed Ben. and the Oregon Coast. After several years Delores Pigsley agreed that the Memorandum of Agree The Tribe recognized and gave tribute of intensive exploration of potential sites, ment has served us well. The cooperative to these veterans when the WWII Memo we settled on a few closer to home. agreement allows the Tribe to make a con rial in Washington, D.C., was christened. Although then-Gov. Barbara Roberts tribution to the City of Lincoln City and The veterans and their spouses were af Chairman’s Report and her staff were resistant to the idea in exchange the city agrees not to protest forded a trip to the event and participated of the Tribe establishing a casino off of fee-to-trust applications under certain in activities that took place on The Mall. existing Tribal property, a field trip for the conditions spelled out in the agreement. It was a memorable event that When it wasn’t the severe winter governor to the scattered, hilly and virtu The Tribe’s contribution is $80,000 showed the Tribe’s appreciation for our weather that tried to devastate our efforts ally un-passable forest lands the Siletz per year and the agreement is reviewed Tribal heroes. to establish a gaming center, it was a owned convinced her that only land newly group of hostile Lincoln City citizens acquired by the Tribe would be suitable who campaigned vehemently against our for a casino. casino, claiming our Tribe would attract The Tribal Council focused on a site prostitution, drugs and organized crime in Lincoln City on the beach overlooking to our community. They were absolutely the Pacific Ocean. Mark Hemstreet was wrong, of course. the owner of the Lincoln Shores Develop O * Throughout the winter of 1995, PCL, ment property on which the proposed site which was contracted to build our casino, was situated. managed to successfully fulfill its con Hemstreet offered to sell several par tract despite fighting against absolutely cels within Lincoln Shores to the Tribe. horrendous weather. PCL was, after all, It so happened that the property was a the 1 l'h largest construction company in former Tribal allotment owned by the the country that had built, among other Roger Freeman family. The Tribe agreed to purchase the property, but because of major facilities, the Mall of America and the Denver airport. certain conditions imposed by the Indian Andy McCord was assigned as man Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), it was ager to construct our 152,000-square-foot necessary to have the land taken in trust for gaming, a complicated process requir casino, which he did by moving PCL forward on a very fast track, even working ing congressional action. at night with floodlights in driving rain. Our Tribe was fortunate to have friends Fabricated structural steel for the facility in Washington, D.C., such as Franklin was delivered as ordered on Dec. 26. Ducheneaux, who was thoroughly knowl Courtesy photo The casino also had a Bingo hall edgeable of IGRA. He helped move the designed to serve as a theatre. From its Gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber (center) kicks off his general election congressional process forward. inception, Chinook Winds has attracted campaign at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on June 7. Joining in the discussion The Tribe also owes a great deal of celebrity entertainers. were Tribal Chairman Delores Pigsley and Lincoln City Councilman Rick gratitude to then-Sen. Mark Hatfield, who Mary (Dolly) Fisher, who then was a Brissette. Kitzhaber continued his statewide tour that evening with a stop at sponsored the legislation in the Senate, and council member, was the one who named to then-Rep. Bill Richardson (now gov Rogue Ales Public House in Newport to continue the discussion on his ideas our casino Chinook Winds. ernor of New Mexico), who successfully •for governing the state of Oregon. Our Tribal Gaming Commission was introduced the bill in the House of Repre responsible, among other tasks, for ensur sentatives. The legislation was the very last ing the casino complies with all gaming action taken by the 1994 Congress. laws, regulations and policies, and oper Our beautiful casino is the end result Send letters to: ates according to established minimum Siletz News is free to enrolled of planning that started as a dream. standards and internal controls. The Siletz Tribal members. For all others, Siletz News Council member Jessie Davis chaired the Human Resources Department did the a $12 annual subscription fee applies. P.O. Box 549 Ad Hoc Gaming Committee that held demanding job of hiring staff.- Please make checks payable to CTSI Siletz, OR 97380-0549 numerous community meetings that led Burgess Harmer, formerly of the and mail to Siletz News. 541-444-8291 or the process ultimately to our success. Comstock Casino of Reno, Nev., was 800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Many members within, and persons out hired as our first general manager. Fax: 541-444-2307 side of, our Tribe supported us throughout Name:______________ ___________ Amazingly, within just one year, the E-mail: pias@ctsi.nsn.us the process — Tribes, lobbyists and friends large permanent facility was built. It was Address: ___ too numerous to mention. a red letter day for the grand opening of Deadline for the August issue is When the construction of the major our beautiful casino. July 9. Submission of articles and facility began, we had erected a temporary As most of you know, since the photos is encouraged. Please see the Phone: Sprung structure that we lovingly called opening, our Tribe has purchased addi Passages Policy on page 23 when ‘‘the tent.” During the winter of 1995, our tional properties adjacent to or in close submitting items for Passages. tent with its 250 slots, 12 card tables and a proximity to the casino - the Shilo Inn Change of address: Tribal mem deli sustained a hurricane-velocity storm luxury hotel, a nearby golf course, an of bers - call the Enrollment Department that ripped off a number of Lincoln county fice building on the hill overlooking the at 541-444-8258 or 800-922-1399, building rooftops, blew down trees and casino and 10 additional acres of clear ext. 1258; all others — call the newspa Member of the Native American ripped apart trailer homes. But the storm land known as lot 57 that sits adjacent to per office. Journalists Association amazingly left our tent in place. our casino on the beach. -------------- 2 • Siletz News • July 2010 I —— __________ .
