Page 4 November 1, 1995 SMOKE SIGNALS
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Over 4,000 attend opening ceremony
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Hundreds gathered inside the bingo hall to hear the dedication of Spirit
Mountain Casino.
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If you love Keno, there's a special area in the casino just for you!
Over 4,000 tribal members, civic
leaders, business vendors and others
involved in Spirit Mountain Casino cel
ebrated the opening of Oregon's new
est and largest tribal gaming facility at
a gala evening festivity on Tuesday,
October 17.
Celebrants crowded the casino's
bingo hall to hear presentations by
Tribal Chairman Mark Mercier and
Vice Chair Kathryn Harrison. They
then adjourned to enjoy gambling on the
700 slot machines, 25 blackjack and
poker tables and the other games avail
able in the 90,000 square foot facility.
Those who didn't try their luck gam
bling enjoyed musical entertainment
provided by Portland jazz musician
Tom Grant and his band. Other music
was found throughout the casino with
saxophonist Teddy Deane and an a
cappella trio "String of Pearls."
Guests were impressed by the dra
matic design of the casino, including the
twice life-sized statue of Martha Jane
Sands, the soaring 2 1 -foot ceilings, the
glass-domed rotunda in the main lobby,
the hand-cut stone and wood details, the
vibrant colors on the walls and carpets,
and the amazing sound and light dis
plays atop the banks of progressive slot
machines.
On the previous evening, Monday,
October 16, about 500 tribal members
and their friends enjoyed the very first
look inside the new Spirit Mountain Ca
sino on Tribal Open House Night.
Highlights of the event included the
unveiling of the Martha Jane Sands
statue by artist Lon Mercier and sculp
tor Rip Caswell, informal tours of the
facility, and for Tribal members over
age 2 1 , the first opportunity to try their
luck on the slot machines and poker and
blackjack tables.
"We're delighted by the comments
we've heard from visitors who came to
Tribal Night and to the Opening Cer
emonies," notes President Bruce Tho
mas. "We're confident this is a good
sign of the future success Spirit Moun
tain will enjoy."
The opening of Spirit Mountain Ca
sino has received extensive positive at
tention in the media, as well.
"In the first days of opening, we had
coverage by four Portland television
stations and all local and regional news
papers," noted Chuck Galford, Direc
tor of Marketing. "The anticipation and
interest Spirit Mountain is getting in
Portland and throughout the state is ex-
With huge crowds expected during
the first weeks, Galford has held off on
launching a full advertising campaign
in advance of the opening, but televi
sion, radio and newspaper ads for the
casino will start during the last week of
October.
A public Grand Opening Celebration
is tentatively scheduled for January.
Open to the general public as of
Wednesday, October 1 8, Spirit Moun
tain Casino will entertain visitors 24
hours a day, seven days a week, 365
days a year. "The doors are open and
they'll never close," Galford said.
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Spirit Mountain Outfitters houses a large selection of cloth- L,n.,,rlrB,nJlrr-- I ' , . - ;
ing and logo items. The main casino area offers one dollar, quarter, and nickel slot machines.