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.
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Siletz News
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July 2010
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