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Casino for Ontario? Well, maybe

Wednesday, April 12, 2006 1:25 PM PDT

Larry Meyer Argus Observer

Ontario

Rumors circulating regarding a casino for the Ontario area may be put to rest, one way or another, in the near future after a Burns Paiute Indian tribe official confirmed an announcement will be released in the next few weeks.

Burns Paiute Indian Tribal Chairman Chester D. Adams said Tuesday he could not comment regarding a proposed casino for Ontario, but said a public release, in seven to 10 days, would address the issue.

He did not confirm or deny the rumor a casino was planned for Ontario.


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While the Burns Paiute Tribe is keeping its plans under wraps, at least one state official and one local elected leader confirmed Tuesday active discussions have been conducted regarding the prospects of a gambling casino in Ontario.

Lonn Hokland, communications director for Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said Tuesday, there have been talks with the tribe about a casino in Malheur County.

However, he stressed, “We've not received a proposal or applications.”

Oregon state Rep. Tom Butler, R-Ontario, also confirmed the tribe is interested in the Ontario area for a casino.

“They have made inquiries,” Butler said.

Butler also said, though, he is not aware of the tribe's current plans.

According to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, to place a casino in Ontario, the tribe would have to get approval from the state through a negotiated compact with the governor's office, which must be approved by the U.S. Secretary of Interior. The tribe must also adopt a gaming ordinance approved by the chairman of the National Gaming Commission.

A spokeperson for the gaming commission said no ordinance has been submitted.

Butler said one key issue regarding a proposed local casino is that Oregon's policy is one casino per tribe, and the Burns Paiute band would need to create a proposal to close the Old Camp Casino on the reservation outside of Burns to establish a new one.

The Warm Spring Tribe agreed to close a casino on its reservation in Central Oregon, to get the governor to sign off on a proposed casino in the Columbia Gorge.

Ontario City Manager Scott Trainor asserted, beyond vague rumors, city officials know little about a possible casino or any endeavor by the Burns Paiute Tribe. Trainor said, however, he called Adams about the rumors, and was told the tribe would make some announcement within the next few weeks.

Trainor also declined to speculate where the tribe planned to situate any possible enterprise. He said rumors have ranged from north of the North Ontario Interchange to south near the Oregon/Idaho border.

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Comment Blog - Note: All Comments Subject To Approval

mike may wrote on Oct 28, 2009 12:47 AM:

" mike ivester is a childhood freind of mine. he had a great sense of humor and an open mind when i knew him. he also had a knack for getting into mischief in an effort to feel a sense of adventure, maybe to escape his small town fueled depression and identity crisis... juvenile incarceration shaped his prejudice, and now we've created a monster who we all want to deny. congradulations Oregon! now you have to feed and clothe your dirty little secret for at least half a century. love you mike "

bones wrote on May 16, 2009 9:40 PM:

" Until you work in a prison the general public have no basic knowledge of what fuels a prison. Gangs control everything, except other gangs. The prison politics among the gangs are to out of touch for the public to understand, who does what and why. You can believe that %99 of all sex offenders are getting extorted for money or canteen items by these gangs.
The Aryan Soldiers are a very dangerous group, but a VERY small group.
And yes, there are inmates that just want to do there time and move on. They are not affiliated or extorting anyone, just doing there own time and maintaining clear conduct. "

Angela wrote on Sep 29, 2008 9:06 AM:

" Hey Watonga,
Since you sound a little ignorant I will let you in on a little secret, not everyone in there is a murderer or rapist! There are inmates in there who are not violent and just want to do their time quietly and not be affiliated with any "Gangs" while incarcerated. So I suggest you pull your head out of the sand and stop putting everyone who is incarcerated in the "scum bag" category! educate yourself a little bit next time you make a posting, otherwise you just look silly. "

Watonga wrote on May 30, 2008 1:53 PM:

" hehe you know whats funny....These inmates constantly hurt or kill other p[eople for no reason...and people like you feel sorry for them. I hope that you continue to feel sorry for them, especially the one who may rape and or kill your daughter, or any other family member you may have. Just continue to feel sorry for them, afterall they dont know what they are doing. "

CMS wrote on May 3, 2008 7:53 PM:

" Obviously the individual who wrote the first blog (KLL) is in my opinion worse than any homeless person walking the face of this planet. I feel sorry for a person like you. Its clear by your lack of sensitivity for human life that you should step back and take a good look on who really is the scumbag! "

KLL wrote on Apr 13, 2008 5:51 AM:

" No big loss, two less scum bags on this planet. "

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