Tuesday, September 29, 2009

MASHPEE WAMPANOAGS MEMBERS QUESTION THE TRIBES FINANCES

Tribe members question finances

By ROBERT GOLD

September 23, 2009

MASHPEE — Several members of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe hand-delivered a request to the tribe's headquarters yesterday seeking more information on how the tribe's money is spent.

They didn't get the sit-down they were hoping for from the administration but said they wouldn't stop until they did.

About a dozen members showed up yesterday afternoon, including several "golden elders," those at least 62 years old.

They argued that the new leaders, including chairman Cedric Cromwell, have not been open enough about the tribe's finances. Cromwell was elected in February. In the past, a financial report was given to members at a monthly meeting. But that stopped when Cromwell took over, they claimed.

Cromwell countered in a telephone interview that his administration has provided much more financial details than in years past, including the data in the monthly statements.

Last month, opponents of Cromwell called for and received an emergency meeting to talk about finances.

Cromwell said he gave out extensive information, including all bank accounts.

Some opponents at headquarters last night argued the information was not up to date.

Those who came to headquarters yesterday dropped off a sheet, demanding they could review several things including "all tribal bank and other financial accounts" and the "financial status and draw downs on all grants."

Some worried that grants could be used for incorrect purposes.

They demanded to review all checks written by treasurer Mark Harding.

"It's all on the books," Harding said last night about any checks written by him.

Opponents asserted that tribal members were being added that didn't fit tribal criteria.

Tribe member and "golden elder" Paul Mills said members were in the dark on how money was being spent, which limited them on knowing whether grant money was actually being used appropriately or not.

When asked about the questions on grant money and tribal membership, Cromwell said he couldn't "validate their (claims) at all."

In May, investors stopped monthly payments to the tribe. Those funds were being used to pay the administration's operating expenses and pursuit of a casino in Middleboro.

Tribe member and "golden elder" Norman Dias said the need for financial answers was even more urgent since the investor money was no longer coming to the tribe.

"We want answers to those questions," Dias said.

Cromwell said opponents should make their concerns known formally at the general membership meetings.

BILL LAWRENCE SHUTS DOWN THE NATIVE AMERICAN PRESS

Indian watchdog newspaper issues its final bark
The Native American Press editor shuts it down to wage his last battle -- against cancer.

By CURT BROWN, Star Tribune
Last update: September 29, 2009 - 10:36 AM

Featured comment
Bill Lawrence never flinched from scrutinizing Minnesota's tribal governments, even when someone fired bullets through his newspaper office windows in Bemidji. But a battle with late-stage cancer has prompted Lawrence to fold the Native American Press/Ojibwe News after 21 years.

"I am no longer physically able to do the tasks -- computer searches, investigating, seeking ads -- that are necessary to put out an edition," he wrote in his recent final edition, under an editorial titled "A good day to die.'' His failing health, and the difficult publishing environment, "makes it impossible for me to continue."
Lawrence, 70, is receiving hospice care in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he is surrounded by close friends and family.

Since starting his newspaper in 1988, Lawrence has engaged in relentless legal efforts to open the books of the state's 11 Indian casinos. His tireless work as a watchdog helped send several prominent tribal leaders to prison. Among his final works was a definitive series on the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome on the Indian community.

"He simply had the guts to take a look at Indian country and tell the truth," said Jim Randall, a retired Minnesota Court of Appeals judge and Lawrence's longtime friend.

A celebrated athlete, U.S. Marine in Vietnam, lawyer and one-time taconite miner, Lawrence entered journalism to challenge the tactics of powerful Red Lake Reservation Chairman Roger Jourdain, who happened to be his godparent. His newspapers soon became his obsession, prompting him to mortgage his house to help finance his work when casinos pulled their ads in protest of his scrutiny.

I cannot say with certainty that ours will be a lasting contribution. But we sure as hell roiled the waters and made a lot of enemies," he wrote at the end of his final column. "I also know in my heart that we made a lot of friends, and that our work was important to the Indian people, especially in Minnesota."

Born a Red Lake Band Ojibwe member on Aug. 31, 1939, Lawrence grew up in Bemidji and received all-state honors in three sports. He led his school to the state basketball tournament in the late '50s, earned a football scholarship with the Minnesota Gophers and wound up pitching in the Detroit Tigers' minor-league system.

"He was a hell of a competitor and might have been the finest athlete to ever come out of Bemidji," Randall said.

After earning a business degree at Bemidji State University, Lawrence joined the Marines in 1962 and served in Vietnam. After returning from the war, he attended law school at the University of North Dakota, worked as a taconite miner and returned to Red Lake as a development specialist.

His work straddled the Indian and non-Indian worlds. He served as a business manager of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in Needles, Calif., and as a Bureau of Indian Affairs agent in Arizona. He returned to Minnesota to serve as the state's assistant director of Indian education in the 1970s and joined Honeywell in the early '80s.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1970 against Jourdain, who had controlled the Red Lake tribal government for decades. He also ran and lost in a Republican bid to join the Minnesota House.

In May 1988, he published his first edition of the Ojibwe News, which included an exposé on Red Lake financial irregularities. By the early '90s, he expanded his advocacy journalism to include the Native American Press, which covered all of Minnesota's tribes and published out of offices in Bemidji and St. Paul.
"He had a real deep commitment to integrity and the guts and business acumen to do it," said Clara NiiSka , a former editor. "He consistently put his life where his values were and stood up for native rights and honest government."

Lawrence said the tribal governments used their sovereignty to avoid scrutiny and maintain a status quo of high unemployment, poverty, civil rights abuses and social dysfunction.

"He loves Indian people so much that he couldn't stand all the abuse and corruption he saw and he had to do something about it," said his daughter, Sara Lawrence, who worked at the papers in the '90s.

Former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota David Lillehaug led a wide-ranging prosecution of tribal leaders in the 1990s, which culminated in prison terms for White Earth Chairman Darryl (Chip) Wadena, Leech Lake Chairman Alfred (Tig) Pemberton and former Leech Lake attorney and State Sen. Harold (Skip) Finn. All three were targets of Lawrence's reporting.

"Bill Lawrence and the Native American Press performed a valuable service in identifying corruption in tribal government," Lillehaug said. "Some of his stories provided leads for federal law enforcement, others were dry holes. But when he was right, he was really right."

In 2003, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Lawrence its Freedom of Information Award for his legal effort to make public audits of Indian casinos, which Lawrence called "state-sanctioned monopolies that should be monitored, open and accountable."

Lillehaug called him "a force for transparency in tribal government."
His work came at the price of threats and attempts at intimidation. NiiSka said Lawrence often packed a pistol for security and recalled the time when someone drove by the office and shot out the windows.

"We served an important service in shining a light on the black deeds of those in power," Lawrence wrote in his final column. "I hated to be referred to as 'anti-Indian' because it was so opposite of my true feelings and mission. On the other hand, I was never offended to be called a muckraker or a contrarian."

Randall, the retired judge, became close friends with Lawrence after he wrote a dissenting opinion in a 1996 case that went against a woman who had filed suit against a tribe after she suffered a fall at a casino. Randall wrote that tribal sovereignty was "an illusion ... and a throwback to the separate but equal doctrine."
A few days later, a man walked into his chambers and extended his hand.
"I'm Bill Lawrence and I've been waiting 28 years for your opinion," Lawrence told the judge.

"There is an Ojibwe expression - ogema nedakwah migizi - which means 'sees far eagle leader,'" Randall said. "And that fits Bill well."

Born a Red Lake Band Ojibwe member on Aug. 31, 1939, Lawrence grew up in Bemidji and received all-state honors in three sports. He led his school to the state basketball tournament in the late '50s, earned a football scholarship with the Minnesota Gophers and wound up pitching in the Detroit Tigers' minor-league system.
"He was a hell of a competitor and might have been the finest athlete to ever come out of Bemidji," Randall said.

After earning a business degree at Bemidji State University, Lawrence joined the Marines in 1962 and served in Vietnam. After returning from the war, he attended law school at the University of North Dakota, worked as a taconite miner and returned to Red Lake as a development specialist.

His work straddled the Indian and non-Indian worlds. He served as a business manager of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in Needles, Calif., and as a Bureau of Indian Affairs agent in Arizona. He returned to Minnesota to serve as the state's assistant director of Indian education in the 1970s and joined Honeywell in the early '80s.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1970 against Jourdain, who had controlled the Red Lake tribal government for decades. He also ran and lost in a Republican bid to join the Minnesota House.
In May 1988, he published his first edition of the Ojibwe News, which included an exposé on Red Lake financial irregularities. By the early '90s, he expanded his advocacy journalism to include the Native American Press, which covered all of Minnesota's tribes and published out of offices in Bemidji and St. Paul.

"He had a real deep commitment to integrity and the guts and business acumen to do it," said Clara NiiSka , a former editor. "He consistently put his life where his values were and stood up for native rights and honest government."

Lawrence said the tribal governments used their sovereignty to avoid scrutiny and maintain a status quo of high unemployment, poverty, civil rights abuses and social dysfunction.
"He loves Indian people so much that he couldn't stand all the abuse and corruption he saw and he had to do something about it," said his daughter, Sara Lawrence, who worked at the papers in the '90s.

Former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota David Lillehaug led a wide-ranging prosecution of tribal leaders in the 1990s, which culminated in prison terms for White Earth Chairman Darryl (Chip) Wadena, Leech Lake Chairman Alfred (Tig) Pemberton and former Leech Lake attorney and State Sen. Harold (Skip) Finn. All three were targets of Lawrence's reporting.

"Bill Lawrence and the Native American Press performed a valuable service in identifying corruption in tribal government," Lillehaug said. "Some of his stories provided leads for federal law enforcement, others were dry holes. But when he was right, he was really right."

In 2003, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Lawrence its Freedom of Information Award for his legal effort to make public audits of Indian casinos, which Lawrence called "state-sanctioned monopolies that should be monitored, open and accountable."

Lillehaug called him "a force for transparency in tribal government."
His work came at the price of threats and attempts at intimidation. NiiSka said Lawrence often packed a pistol for security and recalled the time when someone drove by the office and shot out the windows.

"We served an important service in shining a light on the black deeds of those in power," Lawrence wrote in his final column. "I hated to be referred to as 'anti-Indian' because it was so opposite of my true feelings and mission. On the other hand, I was never offended to be called a muckraker or a contrarian."

Randall, the retired judge, became close friends with Lawrence after he wrote a dissenting opinion in a 1996 case that went against a woman who had filed suit against a tribe after she suffered a fall at a casino. Randall wrote that tribal sovereignty was "an illusion ... and a throwback to the separate but equal doctrine."
A few days later, a man walked into his chambers and extended his hand.

"I'm Bill Lawrence and I've been waiting 28 years for your opinion," Lawrence told the judge.
"There is an Ojibwe expression - ogema nedakwah migizi - which means 'sees far eagle leader,'" Randall said. "And that fits Bill well."

Born a Red Lake Band Ojibwe member on Aug. 31, 1939, Lawrence grew up in Bemidji and received all-state honors in three sports. He led his school to the state basketball tournament in the late '50s, earned a football scholarship with the Minnesota Gophers and wound up pitching in the Detroit Tigers' minor-league system.

"He was a hell of a competitor and might have been the finest athlete to ever come out of Bemidji," Randall said.

After earning a business degree at Bemidji State University, Lawrence joined the Marines in 1962 and served in Vietnam. After returning from the war, he attended law school at the University of North Dakota, worked as a taconite miner and returned to Red Lake as a development specialist.

His work straddled the Indian and non-Indian worlds. He served as a business manager of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in Needles, Calif., and as a Bureau of Indian Affairs agent in Arizona. He returned to Minnesota to serve as the state's assistant director of Indian education in the 1970s and joined Honeywell in the early '80s.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1970 against Jourdain, who had controlled the Red Lake tribal government for decades. He also ran and lost in a Republican bid to join the Minnesota House.

In May 1988, he published his first edition of the Ojibwe News, which included an exposé on Red Lake financial irregularities. By the early '90s, he expanded his advocacy journalism to include the Native American Press, which covered all of Minnesota's tribes and published out of offices in Bemidji and St. Paul.
"He had a real deep commitment to integrity and the guts and business acumen to do it," said Clara NiiSka , a former editor. "He consistently put his life where his values were and stood up for native rights and honest government."

Lawrence said the tribal governments used their sovereignty to avoid scrutiny and maintain a status quo of high unemployment, poverty, civil rights abuses and social dysfunction.

"He loves Indian people so much that he couldn't stand all the abuse and corruption he saw and he had to do something about it," said his daughter, Sara Lawrence, who worked at the papers in the '90s.

Former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota David Lillehaug led a wide-ranging prosecution of tribal leaders in the 1990s, which culminated in prison terms for White Earth Chairman Darryl (Chip) Wadena, Leech Lake Chairman Alfred (Tig) Pemberton and former Leech Lake attorney and State Sen. Harold (Skip) Finn. All three were targets of Lawrence's reporting.

"Bill Lawrence and the Native American Press performed a valuable service in identifying corruption in tribal government," Lillehaug said. "Some of his stories provided leads for federal law enforcement, others were dry holes. But when he was right, he was really right."

In 2003, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Lawrence its Freedom of Information Award for his legal effort to make public audits of Indian casinos, which Lawrence called "state-sanctioned monopolies that should be monitored, open and accountable."

Lillehaug called him "a force for transparency in tribal government."
His work came at the price of threats and attempts at intimidation. NiiSka said Lawrence often packed a pistol for security and recalled the time when someone drove by the office and shot out the windows.

"We served an important service in shining a light on the black deeds of those in power," Lawrence wrote in his final column. "I hated to be referred to as 'anti-Indian' because it was so opposite of my true feelings and mission. On the other hand, I was never offended to be called a muckraker or a contrarian."

Randall, the retired judge, became close friends with Lawrence after he wrote a dissenting opinion in a 1996 case that went against a woman who had filed suit against a tribe after she suffered a fall at a casino. Randall wrote that tribal sovereignty was "an illusion ... and a throwback to the separate but equal doctrine."
A few days later, a man walked into his chambers and extended his hand.

"I'm Bill Lawrence and I've been waiting 28 years for your opinion," Lawrence told the judge.
"There is an Ojibwe expression - ogema nedakwah migizi - which means 'sees far eagle leader,'" Randall said. "And that fits Bill well."

Born a Red Lake Band Ojibwe member on Aug. 31, 1939, Lawrence grew up in Bemidji and received all-state honors in three sports. He led his school to the state basketball tournament in the late '50s, earned a football scholarship with the Minnesota Gophers and wound up pitching in the Detroit Tigers' minor-league system.

"He was a hell of a competitor and might have been the finest athlete to ever come out of Bemidji," Randall said.

After earning a business degree at Bemidji State University, Lawrence joined the Marines in 1962 and served in Vietnam. After returning from the war, he attended law school at the University of North Dakota, worked as a taconite miner and returned to Red Lake as a development specialist.

His work straddled the Indian and non-Indian worlds. He served as a business manager of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in Needles, Calif., and as a Bureau of Indian Affairs agent in Arizona. He returned to Minnesota to serve as the state's assistant director of Indian education in the 1970s and joined Honeywell in the early '80s.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1970 against Jourdain, who had controlled the Red Lake tribal government for decades. He also ran and lost in a Republican bid to join the Minnesota House.

In May 1988, he published his first edition of the Ojibwe News, which included an exposé on Red Lake financial irregularities. By the early '90s, he expanded his advocacy journalism to include the Native American Press, which covered all of Minnesota's tribes and published out of offices in Bemidji and St. Paul.

"He had a real deep commitment to integrity and the guts and business acumen to do it," said Clara NiiSka , a former editor. "He consistently put his life where his values were and stood up for native rights and honest government."

Lawrence said the tribal governments used their sovereignty to avoid scrutiny and maintain a status quo of high unemployment, poverty, civil rights abuses and social dysfunction.

"He loves Indian people so much that he couldn't stand all the abuse and corruption he saw and he had to do something about it," said his daughter, Sara Lawrence, who worked at the papers in the '90s.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

TWO WOMEN GET INTO FIGHT IN FOXWOODS LADIES ROOM

2 women arrested in ruckus at Foxwoods.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Norwich Bulletin
Posted Sep 18, 2009 @ 11:25 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.Two New York women were arrested Friday at Foxwoods Resort Casino after police said they got into a fight in the bus lobby restroom.

Karina Guzman, 23 of no certain address in New York City and Mwandisha J. Rivera, 27 of 75 Wilson St., Brooklyn, N.Y., each were charged with third-degree assault and breach of peace in the 4:30 p.m. incident.

Police said the two women were involved in a verbal confrontation that became physical. Guzman pinned Rivera against a bathroom sink and bit her in the arm, police said. Guzman received a minor scratch to her face and Rivera was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich for treatment of the bite.

Guzman is scheduled to appear Sept. 21 in New London Superior Court. Rivera’s court date is Sept. 28.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Does either Connecticut casino (Mohegan Sun Casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino, MGM Grand at Foxwoods) need this kind of PR? When people come from all over, are trying to have fun, with emotions at a high level, things like this happen?
If you look at the story, both women came from New York City. How far did these two women have to travel to fight in a bathroom? It is kind of absurd. What do you think?

THESE ARE THE COMMENTS, IDEAS AND OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

MASHPEE WAMPANOAGS GET HOUSING GRANT

$2 million housing grant, new tribal court help build Mashpee Wampanoag nation
By Gale Courey Toensing

Story Published: Sep 21, 2009

MASHPEE, Mass. – The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is continuing its nation-building with a $2 million housing grant and three appointments to its new tribal Supreme Court.

The housing grant is from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Chairman Cedric Cromwell said the community was “thrilled” to receive it.

“It will help us to make housing more affordable for tribal members who are too often priced out of the extraordinarily expensive housing in our tribe’s ancestral land.” Cromwell thanked the late Sen. Edward Kennedy for his help in securing the grant, as well as Sen. John Kerry and members of the state’s congressional delegation, Barney Frank and Bill Delahunt.

Mashpee Wampanoag Housing Director Alice Lopez said the funding will be used to complete infrastructure and erect a few of the planned 51 new units of affordable housing, which will be built on a 48-acre nation-owned property and leased to its citizens.

The land is currently held in fee and is subject to local and state taxes and regulations. It is included in an application with the Interior Department to take around 680 acres of fee land into trust as an initial reservation. The application includes around 540 acres in Middleborough where the nation hopes to open a casino, and 140 acres in the town of Mashpee.

An application is in the final stages of a preliminary Environmental Impact Statement. Cromwell anticipates the process to be completed by next summer.

The issue of gaming has been revived in Massachusetts. Last year, Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to authorize three commercial casinos went down in the face of opposition from some of the state’s legislators, but the proposal’s fiercest opponent is no longer there. New law makers who are more amenable to receiving millions of dollars of gaming revenues into the state’s badly stretched general fund are expected to move forward on approving a gaming proposal during this legislative year.

“The tribe definitely wants to be at the table when the state’s gaming discussion takes place and we certainly want to be considered,” Cromwell said. He said the tribe is open to various gaming options.

“While we’re looking at sovereign Indian gaming, we want to understand what other gaming opportunities are available for the tribe and we’re definitely flexible to talk about them and negotiate them.”

The nation’s land into trust application may depend on a solution to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year in the Carcieri case – named after the governor of Rhode Island – that the Interior Department secretary does not have the authority to take land into trust for tribes recognized after 1934. Mashpee received federal acknowledgment in 2007.

“We’re still closely monitoring the Carcieri situation and hoping for a quick resolution,” Cromwell said.

The nation has asked the state’s congressional delegation to support a “Carcieri fix” that would recognize the right of all American Indian nations to seek land into trust no matter when they were federally recognized.

Meanwhile, the nation continues to build its internal governance infrastructure.

In late August, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe held a swearing in ceremony for three new Supreme Court justices – Chief Justice Henry Sockbeson, Justice Robert Mills and Justice Rochelle Ducheneaux. All three were recommended by the tribe’s Elders Judiciary Committee and approved by tribal council.

As chief justice, Sockbeson, a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, will hear the majority of cases and assist the tribe as it further develops its sovereign judiciary system.

Sockbeson is a Harvard Law School graduate who has practiced law for more than 25 years and has been involved in land claims, tribal taxation and religious and voting rights issues.

He worked as the directing attorney for the Native American Rights Fund in Colorado and Washington from 1983 to 1993 on a variety of federal legislative issues including the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Settlement Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the Indian Reorganization Act amendments.

Mills, a graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School, is an active Mashpee Wampanoag tribal member and a partner at Wynne and Wynne law firm on Cape Cod where he has worked as an attorney for nearly 20 years.

Ducheneaux, who has served as an interim judge for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe since last year, is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and has extensive experience in Indian law.

Aside from the new justices, the tribe is also seeking a $2 million grant for health care.

“We’re aggressively working with the congressional delegation about appropriations for a health care center. Indian Health Service is talking about funding a health clinic and dental clinic for the tribe that would also fund some job positions. When we think about the health of our tribe, the good news is we’re now being served where we’ve been traditionally underserved,” Cromwell said.

The nation is aggressively seeking recovery funds and other grants from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various agencies and other sources for education funding for its K-12 students who attend local public schools. Part of the plan is to provide cultural training to staff in the schools and attract American Indian teachers to the local schools.

The Mashpee Wampanoags are building their nation in the wake of a scandal that culminated early this year when the former chairman, who was convicted on various charges of embezzlement, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.

“It’s very exciting,” Cromwell said. “We’re able to tell positive stories now and let all of Indian country know that what has happened with the previous administration in a negative sense for many years is far behind us and when we look forward to positive prosperity for our tribe we have a whole host of optimism, and not only do we move forward for us, but as ambassadors for all of Indian country. After all, it all started here in the east.”

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Good job Mashpee Wampanoags. Are you watching adn listening, Mohegan Tribal Council?

Recently Brokenwing was told by a government official, that in the Spring of 2010, the Tribal Council, will again look at continuing the Government Community Center. Hopefully, this is not true.

Where does the Tribal Council think it is going to get the funds? Is there a shortage in the Mohegan Tribal Government Budget year 2009, ending September 30, 2009? What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.

SHULTZ; "PALMER OR BUST"

Mohegan Sun: Palmer or bust
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
By NANCY H. GONTER
ngonter@repub.com
WARE - A representative of Mohegan Sun, the group that wants to build a $1 billion casino off Thorndike Street in Palmer, faced questions from senior citizens Monday, telling them the company is firmly committed to the site.

Peter J. Schultz, project coordinator, also heard concerns about traffic and job preference for Palmer residents. More than 20 people attended the event at the Senior Center, some of them members of the Quaboag Valley Against Casinos, which opposes the project.

Grace A. Sheehan of Palmer, a member of the group, said she is worried about gang activity increasing in town, as well as the effect of the casino on downtown restaurants and traffic.

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"I don't think it's going to help our property taxes. Once they are up they are not going to go down. And I don't think our property will be worth as much," Sheehan said.

Linda J. Francis of Palmer, said she supports casinos believes property values will go up if the casino is built.

Schultz made it clear that having a casino is far from a done deal, and even if it is sited here, it could be four years before it opens. The state Legislature is expected to take up the issue of legalizing gambling in the next few weeks.

If it is legalized, there will still be a site selection process to determine where casinos will be allowed, Schultz said.

"Mohegan Sun is committed to Palmer. If Palmer doesn't get it (a casino), we're done," Schultz said.

Schultz tried to allay concerns expressed by those at the meeting, saying that potential traffic problems and water supply issues are being studied and should be resolved at no cost to taxpayers. The casino owners also would pay for construction of an exit directly from the Massachusetts Turnpike, he said.

The Mohegan Sun proposal calls for the casino to be on 152 acres between Thorndike and Breckenridge streets. It would include a 600-room hotel and an entertainment venue and would provide 2,400 jobs once fully operational, Schultz said.

Schultz stressed that he believed many of the casino employees would come from this area because there is a large labor pool and high unemployment. He said the idea of giving Palmer residents preference would be considered.

Maria N. Thomson of Brimfield, a member of the group opposing casinos, said she believes businesses near casinos in Connecticut had lost business after the casinos opened. Thomson said the casino would increase the number of people who are addicted to gambling and who would become impoverished.

"I suggest you go down and talk directly with the mayor of Montville," said Schultz, in reference to the Mohegan Sun facility there.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Do the good people of Palmer really want this casino? A large pool of unemployed people, to support a casino/ Hello? Where does the management of the Mohegan Sun Casino, think the customers are coming from? It sounds like a bad deal to me. What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS, AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.

NEW LONDON LEDGE LIGHT

Ledge Light needs help

By Carol W. Kimball Published on 9/21/2009

I have learned two things about Ledge Light since I wrote about it last month. (New London Ledge Light: An Area Landmark, The Day Aug. 3).

First, since the light was built in 1909, this year marks its centennial. I guess I wasn't paying attention to my math at the time.

Second, when my brother in Virginia read that column, he e-mailed me to say that our father had told him that he worked on the construction of the wooden foundation for the light, a huge crib that was built on the Groton shore and floated out to the site to be filled with concrete.

I knew that my father had been a construction foreman for H.R. Douglas, the firm that built Ledge Light, but I had never heard that story. It must have been early in his career, perhaps when he was an apprentice carpenter. I have always loved Ledge Light, and I found the fact that my father worked on it very exciting.

TO HELP:
For more information about the Centennial Gala, e-mail Light@ Gipstein.com, phone 860-445-1949 or write New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, P.O. Box 855, New London CT 06320.

Now that the light has been guarding our harbor for 100 years, time has taken its toll. Wind, rain, blizzards, hurricanes and ice storms have battered the structure, causing damage and deterioration. No longer is the Coast Guard responsible for the care and maintenance of the light. New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, the volunteer group now in charge, faces a grave challenge.

Neglected for years, the light's in a bad way. The foundation is worn and pulling away from the base. Metal fittings are rusted. Bricks need repointing. The interior needs repair and repainting and updating of electrical systems and plumbing. What's necessary is a professional survey to find exactly what has to be done. This venerable structure needs a lot of work if it is to survive another century.

That's why the Ledge Lighthouse Foundation is planning a centennial gala. This once-in-a-century celebration of the light will recognize its birthday, and also will be a fundraiser to finance the survey.

Scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Port 'N Starboard, Ocean Beach, New London, the gala will include a cocktail hour and music, a buffet dinner and a silent auction of unusual objects related to the light. Tickets are $75 each.

The committee promises presentations and surprises, including some songs written especially for the light. In addition, the special feature will be the premiere of National Geographic photographer/producer Todd Gipstein's new documentary film titled “Ledge Light.”

For 100 years the beams of Ledge Light have guided mariners to safety through treacherous shoals and ledges at the entrance to New London harbor. It's one of our most recognizable landmarks, with its unusual Second Empire architecture. It's also the exclusive domain of Ernie, resident ghost. Now this local treasure is in need of help.

carolkimball0647@yahoo.com


"Regional"

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: One hundred (100) years of history. Think of what the lighthouse could tell us if it could speak. Think of the hearty souls, who served there and the ships and people, its inhabitants helped. Maybe going to the fund raiser would be a good thing. What do you think?

My grandfather served as the assistant lighthouse keepers at Montauk Point Lighthouse and Orient Point. He would row a boat from Orient Point light to visit the Plum Island Lighthouse. My grandfather married the Plum Island Lighthouse keeper's daughter. My grandfather's name was William C. Baker.

THESE ARE THE COMMENTS, IDEAS, AND OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.

TO GET THE FLU SHOT OR NOT?

Editorial »Opinion Seniors, Don't Be Frightened About Need For H1N1 Flu Vaccine

Published on 9/7/2009
By Kathryn Johnson

The author of the letter titled “Seniors vulnerable and need to have vaccines,” published Aug. 22, asked a few questions about the H1N1 vaccine that might confuse seniors about the H1N1 vaccine recommendation.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) takes the lead in recommending which specific flu vaccine should be prepared each year, and which group is at most risk and should be immunized first.

Traditional flu vaccine

Traditionally, seniors have been considered at risk for the seasonal flu. There is no indication that the usual recommendations for the seasonal flu shot will be any different than the previous years, in which seniors will be targeted for the immunization, along with other groups with specific medical conditions.

The H1N1 influenza virus is different. It has features similar to the swine flu, which is similar to the flu that caused the epidemic of 1918.

In that epidemic, U.S. soldiers from World War I brought back the virus from overseas and the death rate was most high in the younger population, and not in the seniors.

The CDC is recommending that the vaccine for the H1N1 be first given to the groups that have been most affected, based on the research into the H1N1 flu in the last year.

Small children and pregnant women are most at risk, then older children and young adults and certain adults with chronic diseases.

Strong senior antibodies

It may be that the group older than age 65 have more antibodies than the younger groups for this specific virus.

So seniors, get ready to get your usual seasonal flu shot, but be aware that you may not need the H1N1 vaccine, which will be a two-shot series and will be available after the seasonal flu shot. There will be much smaller quantities of this H1N1 vaccine, so be prepared to allow the high risk groups to receive it first.

Ask your doctor at your next regularly scheduled appointment what he or she recommends.

Editor's note: The writer is a physician who lives in East Lyme and practices preventive medicine.


"Regional

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

NORWICH WOMAN DIES IN AUTO ACCIDENT ON ROUTE 32

Woman dies in 3-car crash on Route 32

Published on 9/22/2009

Montville - State police are investigating an accident in which a 77-year old Norwich woman was killed Sunday afternoon.

The three-car accident happened at about 1:45 p.m. on Route 32 near the Route 2A intersection. Police said a Nissan Xterra, driven by Lisette Oblitas, 28, of Port Chester, N.Y., and a Toyota Sienna driven by Joap Ortiz, of 2 Alexander St., Norwich, were driving south on Route 32.

Police said the Nissan struck the Toyota, which crossed into the northbound lane and into the path of a Hyundai Elantra driven by Phyllis S. Porter, 77, of 370 Hamilton Ave., Norwich.

Porter suffered what police described as a severe head laceration. She was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, then air lifted to Hartford Hospital where, police said, she died as a result of her injuries.

The Mohegan Fire Department ambulance, which transported Porter, also took Mercedes Ortiz, 44, of 2 Alexander Ave., Norwich to Backus.

Police said all three cars sustained heavy damage. The Toyota and the Hyundai were totaled police said.

Police a said the front end of the Nissan, which they said had just left the Mohegan Sun casino, was pushed back into the front wheels.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Please be careful on Route 32, Route 2-A and I-95. It is dangerous out there. I don't know what a driver can do when someone comes across the highway at you, but I guess we have to figure out what we can do as drivers to prevent this. Is it dangerous on our roads? What do you think?

Our condolences to the family of Ms. Potter. We are sorry for your loss.

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS, AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.

WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR, SUN FANS?

Will the Sun rise again?

By Mike DiMauro , Day Assistant Sports Editor Published on 9/15/2009

After a summer of watching hideous basketball, a crowd of 9,047 showed up Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena to send the Connecticut Sun into the most important offseason in the history of the franchise.

I'm not sure why 9,047, a virtual sellout, was there for a meaningless game on a 75-degree sunny day, let alone on the first Sunday of pro football. Maybe it's more proof that this is a women's basketball state before anything else. Or that the Sun's fan base has decided to remain loyal, despite a dark arena at playoff time.

The 2009 season was a gross disappointment. Period. And mercifully, it's over. The good news is that with a high draft pick, cap room to sign free agents and a foundation of four very good players, the summer of 2010 should be better.

The Sun were not good enough to overcome Asjha Jones' injury. No shame there. Look around the league. Indiana stunk when Katie Douglas missed some time. Ditto for Los Angeles without Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie. Chicago without Sylvia Fowles. Nobody is good enough anymore to overcome injuries to key players because the WNBA's moronic decision to cut rosters to 11 won't allow it.

Remember this, though: The Sun weren't exactly the '86 Celtics with Jones, either.

Here's the deal as they move forward:

The Sun have a top five player in the WNBA at two positions: point guard (Lindsay Whalen) and power forward (Jones). They have a promising center (Sandrine Gruda who earned some face-to-face compliments recently from Leslie). Mike Thibault has found a reliable shooter in Anete Jekabsone-Zogota.

Hence, they'll go into next season very solid at point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center.

And then everyone else on this team should be prepared to rent and not buy.

Start with Erin Phillips and Amber Holt. Phillips must be a crowd favorite because she's blond and dives on the floor a lot. Certainly not for her production. This is not easy to write because I like her personally. But the enduring image of the 2009 season for me is Phillips catching a pass and looking befuddled, freezing like a batter who sees a good breaking ball when he's expecting a heater.

She wouldn't shoot. Or pass. She would dribble the shot clock away, or worse, on to an island and turn it over. If she has aspirations of being the point guard for the Australian Olympic team, she better acquire some basketball instincts forthwith. Because right now, she is an athlete first and a basketball player second.

Then there's Amber Holt. After earning a spot on the all-rookie team last year, she broke her hand in training camp and was a microcosm of the team. Some good, some bad, never consistent.

They have much to prove here next summer. And they better realize it.

Kerri Gardin and Tan White deserve to be back. Gardin plays her keister off. She defends and rebounds. White is a decent shooter. But they are complementary players. The more for which they are responsible, they more they will be exposed.

The Sun need help for Jones and Gruda in the post. It's not Tamika Whitmore anymore and might not be Chante Black. They need help at small forward unless Holt improves drastically. What they might get with a high draft pick isn't clear right now. But they should try - very diligently - to get Cheryl Ford, an unrestricted free agent.

Is there a risk? Sure. Ford will get maximum money with a body that hasn't been healthy in a while. But she would give the Sun some fiber in the post and benefit from assistant coach Scott Hawk teaching her.

The Sun have been a lot like the old Marino Miami Dolphins. Always good enough to win, never good enough to win it all and always with a lousy draft slot because of their success. They didn't protect Erika de Souza in the 2008 expansion draft in favor of Phillips. (No one criticized Thibault for that at the time and no one should now).

Katie Douglas decided she didn't want to be here anymore. Because she wasn't a core player, she had the Sun on that tenuous piece of real estate east of the rock and west of the hard place. The Sun got what they could for her in Whitmore, who killed them in the playoffs the year before. Whitmore has not been the same player here.

Some want to blame Thibault. Free country. Here is what I know:

The two-time WNBA Coach of the Year hasn't suddenly hit every branch falling through the idiot tree. Jeff Van Gundy didn't recommend him for this job because he had an insatiable urge to call Mitchell Etess' answering machine. And when next season starts, one (and only one) team in the WNBA will have a coach who has been to the finals twice: the Connecticut Sun.

The Sun have a chance to be as good as anybody else next summer. They're lucky 9,100 people cared enough Sunday to watch the first meaningless home game in franchise history. Most season ticket holders, as well as the rest of the fan base, will give the Sun another chance in 2010. And the Sun need to do a hell of a lot better than this.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.


"Regional"

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The reality was the Connecticut Sun did not play well enough this year. The way the Sun played, they didn't deserve to be in the playoffs.

Who created and coached this team? Who is responsible? Should the GM (General Manager) or the coach go? Do we need different players?

How long will ESPN (national) television, continue to televise the Connecticut Sun games? Who wants to watch a losing team?

What was wrong with the team? Wait until next year? Hello?

Could it be the 9,100 people were there for the tee shirts? What do you think?

CITIZENS BANK WAS ROBBED

Bomb threat at Montville bank closes Route 32

By GREG SMITH
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Sep 21, 2009 @ 11:43 PM

Montville, Conn. — .Route 32 was closed and a bomb squad called in Monday after police said a woman robbed the Citizens Bank in Montville.

Police said a heavyset woman between the ages of 20 and 30 and wearing a blue hoodie walked into the bank at 12:19 p.m. and placed a handbag on the counter.

The woman passed a note to the teller, told her a bomb was in the bag and demanded money, said Montville Police Sgt. Richard Crooks.

The woman made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. The bank was evacuated while state and local police closed Route 32 for safety reasons in the event the bag did contain a bomb, Crooks said. Traffic was rerouted to side roads.

Bank employees huddled together in a parking lot across the street from the bank but declined to comment under direction from police.

A state police bomb squad technician, dressed in a protective suit and helmet, entered the bank shortly before 2 p.m. and emerged several moments later to give the all clear, indicating the bomb threat was a hoax.

State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said detectives are investigating a possible link between the robbery and a purse snatching with a female suspect reported earlier Monday at Mohegan Sun casino.

Anyone with information or who may have seen anything suspicious in the area of the bank is asked to contact state police at Troop E in Montville at (860) 848-6500.


EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: What happened at this bank, a bank robbery? What about in Waterford, the Dunkin Donuts was almost robbed? What about the DUI arrests, the shootings and crime in New London and Norwich?

Is Southeastern Connecticut changing from the sleepy corner of the state to a crime area? Are the crime rates going up every where in the state? Is the crime rate up dramatically in southeastern Connecticut, compared to the rest of the state?

Is Southeastern Connecticut a safe place to live? Could friends or relatives of ours, have been caught in the bank, when this happened? Do our friends and relatives, use this bank? What do you think?

Hopefully, the Connecticut State Police will catch the bank robber.

THESE ARE THE COMMENTS, OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.'

Monday, September 21, 2009

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

A New York Times Editorial ...
Freedom of the Press
Published: September 17, 2009

Congress and President Obama face a test Thursday of their commitment to freedom of the press and to holding government accountable. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to consider a proposed federal shield law that would protect the public’s right to learn vital information about the workings of its government. But some senators are trying to weaken the bill, and the White House has sent mixed signals.

It is critical that the committee approves a strong version of the law to ensure that the news media are free to report news obtained from confidential sources.

Without the ability of reporters and news organizations to protect confidential sources, many important reports about illegal, incompetent or embarrassing behavior that the government is determined to conceal would never see the light of day. In recent years, the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the secret C.I.A. prisons in Eastern Europe for terrorists and warrantless wiretapping all came to light through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

If reporters can be hauled into court and forced to reveal their sources, it makes it hard for them to gain the trust of people who have information that the public needs to know, and it makes it hard for their news organizations to publish or broadcast those reports.

The bipartisan bill is backed by Senators Arlen Specter, Democrat of Pennsylvania; Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York; Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina; and others. It would establish a calibrated right of reporters not to reveal the name of confidential sources. It already contains many conditions and qualifications to protect national security. For example, it expressly does not cover information gained from terrorists and agents of foreign powers.

A question for the senators in committee is whether to retain a balancing test on national security. A draft version of the bill provides that in leaks of information related to national security, a judge must weigh the security interest against the public’s interest in learning the information. The news media would not always prevail, but it would give them a chance to make the case before a judge that their sources should be protected.

As a senator, Mr. Obama was an outspoken supporter of a federal shield law, and he co-sponsored a strong bill. On the campaign trail, he said a shield law was important to ensure that there is appropriate oversight over the government. Judges, he said, are generally pretty good at weighing the competing interests.

As president, Mr. Obama’s position has been harder to discern. He has been disappointingly protective of executive branch prerogatives on issues like detainee policies and the state secrets doctrine. The administration has been sending mixed signals on the shield law, but there have been recent indications that it may yet weigh in with senators in favor of a good bill.

We hope it does. Many believe that the First Amendment and the right to free speech are all that are necessary to ensure a robust press and the free exchange of ideas. But the right to collect important information, and to protect the sources who provide it, is also vital.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Does the Mohegan Tribal Government try to stop Mohegan Tribal Members from exercising their Freedoms of Press and Speech? Does the Council of Elders along with the Tribal Council try and control what people say? Is the Mohegan Tribal Government a secret society? Is that the Oral Tradition of the Mohegan Tribe? Could it be that government officials don't like criticism and therefore try to punish its members? Isn't the Mohegan Tribal Government there to protect and defend its members rights? What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

ALL ABOUT STEVE

All About Steve (2009)

Crossword puzzle constructor Mary Horowitz (Bullock) is smart, pretty - and a natural disaster that shakes news cameraman Steve (Cooper) to the core. Set up on a blind date with Steve, Mary thinks the chemistry is undeniable and just knows she's found her soulmate. She decides to do anything and go anywhere to be with him. Mary's escalating infatuation is encouraged by the self-serving actions of news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church) who enjoys torturing his insolent cameraman at every opportunity. As the news team crisscrosses the country covering breaking news stories, Steve becomes increasingly unhinged as Mary trails them. But when the overzealous Mary becomes embroiled in the news story of the year, Steve and Hartman begin to see her differently. Hartman is plagued by guilt knowing his game of one-upmanship with Steve has placed her squarely in harms way while Steve is feeling his own pangs of remorse at his callous behavior. Despite the media storm surrounding her, Mary with her upbeat unaffected manner not only brings everyone together but finds her own oddball friends and discovers her true place in the world. [D-Man2010]

A brilliant crossword-puzzle designer travels across the country in hopes of convincing a CNN cameraman that the pair is meant to be together, only to find her quest taking an unexpected turn in this romantic comedy starring Thomas Haden Church and Sandra Bullock. Despite the fact that she has only gone on one short date with the man, a love-struck puzzle creator becomes enamored with a successful cameraman and follows him to a series of media events in hopes that the feeling is mutual. While she is saddened to discover that it is not, she soon becomes involved with a group of misfits who selflessly accept her at face value. First-time feature filmmaker Phil Traill directs a screenplay penned by License to Wed scribe Kim Barker. [D-Man2010]

The story centers on a brilliant crossword constructor (Bullock) who, after one short date, decides that a CNN cameraman (Church) is her true love. Because the cameraman's job takes him hither and yon, she crisscrosses the country, turning up at media events as she tries to convince him they are perfect for each other. [D-Man2010]
Page last updated by D-Man2010, 2 weeks ago
Top Contributors: D-Man2010 (View full history)

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EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: I like Sandra Bullock. I think she is a great actress. This is not an Academy Award winning film, however it is funny, and a good way to escape the dull drums on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Go and see it, I don't think you will be disappointed.

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

WHERE IS EVERYONE?

Foxwoods, Mohegan: Where is everybody?
By Thomas Grillo
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - Added 7h ago

The once hot resort-style casinos have turned ice-cold as the economic downturn lowered gambling proceeds by double digits last month, capping another miserable month where slot revenues have plummeted.

Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand reported yesterday that slot revenues in August fell by 13.3 percent to $63.1 million, down from $72.8 million, the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year declines.

Mohegan Sun saw slot returns slip to $68.9 million last month compared to $77.5 million one year ago, an 11 percent dip and the 15 consecutive month of declines.

“Casinos rely on discretionary income and that’s one of the first things that people cut back on in a recession,” said Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. “And this (recession) is the worst one since the Great Depression.”

Barrow also noted that increased competition from Twin River Casino in Rhode Island and the Empire City Raceway in Yonkers have siphoned off gamblers who would have spent their cash at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods.

Michael Speller, president of Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises, the company that operates Foxwoods, said that, while the economic downturn continues to present challenges to the gambling industry, hotel occupancy rates are at or near 100 percent.

Barrow said occupancy is up at both casinos because hotel prices have been lowered and the casinos are providing more free rooms to customers.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: More grief for the Mohegan Sun Casino? When is the leadership of the Mohegan Tribe (the Mohegan Tribal Council) going to do something about this situation? Are the members of the Mohegan Tribal Council helpless, in fixing this situation for the Mohegan People? Are they (the MTGA) lost souls? Have they lost their way? Will things get worse for the Mohegan Tribe because of their actions or possible lack of leadership? What do you think?

Where is everyone? The economy is in terrible shape. The MTGA did not plan for this. They had no DOOMS DAY PLAN. The facts are the MTGA didn't pay down the casinos debt when they had a chance. Now the moment is gone. What do you think?

Friday, September 18, 2009

ARE SOME TEAM OR MASCOT NAMES OFFENSIVE TO NATIVE AMERICANS?

Column: Mascot Madness
What are we losing when we reach for the blandest of names?
By John U. Bacon
September 18, 2009


John U. Bacon
Mascots are supposed to inspire those who play for the team, but just as often they provide amusement for those who don’t.

On college campuses nationwide there are no fewer than 107 teams named for Lions, Tigers and Bears – oh my – but only the University of Idaho dares calls its teams the Vandals. I only wish the Vandals of Idaho could engage in macho combat with, say, the Ne’er Do Wells of Nevada.

With some teams, it’s hard to tell just whom they’re trying to scare. Take the Centenary College Ladies and Gentleman – the actual mascots. Are they intended to intimidate the ill-mannered? Or, how about the Brandeis University Judges, named after Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. Who’s afraid of the big bad Judges – the Parolees of Penn State?

And what are we to make of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons? What are they, Demons or Deacons? I think they should pick one, and stick to it. Their oxymoronic mascot reminds me of a chant I once heard at a Friends School in Pennsylvania, where the seemingly oblivious cheerleaders broke into the classic mantra: “Fight, Quakers, Fight!”

This otherwise silly subject takes a serious turn when we start talking about Native American nicknames. Some 600 high school and college teams have dropped such names, but over 2,400 still use them.

It seems pretty obvious to me such pejoratives as Braves, Blackhawks and Redskins need to be replaced – and hundreds have been. But that shouldn’t mean all team names should automatically be changed.

There is no better example of good intentions gone awry than the mascot mess Eastern Michigan University stirred up a few years ago. The athletes there called themselves, at various times, the Normalites, the Men from Ypsi and, from 1929 to 1991, the Hurons.

Despite the fact that the Hurons are an authentic tribe indigenous to the region, and that the school created no offensive logos or rituals, a movement arose to change the name. Many of the arguments for doing so were of the “How would you like it?” variety.

This position ignores the many teams named for groups such as the Hoosiers and Cornhuskers, the Sooners and Aggies, not to mention the Midshipmen, the Mountaineers and the Minutemen. Believe it or not, Notre Dame’s teams used to be called the Vagabonds, but school officials felt that name would only reinforce negative stereotypes, so they changed it to the Fightin’ Irish, adopting a logo depicting a leprechaun with his dukes up. Problem solved.

In the professional ranks you have the Celtics and the Knickerbockers, the Canucks and the Yankees. Atlanta’s former minor league team was called – get this – the Crackers. That’s right: the Crackers. And don’t get me started on the Minnesota Vikings – named after my people – whose sideline mascot walks around wearing that silly horned helmet, which comes not from Nordic custom but a Wagner symphony.

Well, whatever.

I realize there is a fundamental difference between a bunch of white students deciding to call their squad the Minutemen, and a group of, say, African-Americans deciding to call their team the Crackers. Something tells me that wouldn’t go over so well.

But it’s also true that when we eradicate all group names – no matter how respectful or accepted they may be, we lose something. If we are to get rid of the Hurons, should we also rename Lake Huron, Port Huron, the Huron River and Huron High School? The vast majority of states adopted their Native American names, including Michigan, Mississippi and Minnesota, for starters.

Here’s another consideration – which too often seems to be an afterthought: What do the Native Americans think? Believe it or not, according to a Sports Illustrated survey, when asked if school teams should stop using Native American nicknames, 81% of Native Americans said no.

Shouldn’t that matter? It seems to me it’s almost as arrogant to assume Native Americans shouldn’t be insulted by the Redskins as it is to assume they should be by the Hurons – even if they’re not.

The officials of the University of Utah Utes did something almost revolutionary: They actually asked the members of the Ute tribe what they should do. The Utes said, please keep the name. And then, more incredibly, the university listened.

Eastern Michigan officials could find only two actual members of the Huron tribe, one in Oklahoma and the other in Quebec. When asked, they urged the school not to change its name because they felt it reflected well on their tribal heritage.

So the school changed it anyway. Worse, in my opinion, they didn’t change it to the whimsical (and obvious) Emus, but to the utterly bland Eagles – the single most common nickname in college sports – a mascot picked mainly for its inability to file a class-action lawsuit.

Go Hurons.

About the author: John U. Bacon lives in Ann Arbor and has written for Time, the New York Times, and ESPN Magazine, among others. His most recent book is “Bo’s Lasting Lessons,” a New York Times and Wall Street Journal business bestseller. Bacon teaches at Miami of Ohio, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, and the University of Michigan, where the students awarded him the Golden Apple Award for 2009. This commentary originally aired on Michigan Radio.

Section: Entertainment, Opinion

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE; What do you think? Are these name offensive? Should First People be upset by this? Are First People too passive about the subject? Should we (the Mohegan Tribe) be upset by this practice? I don't know. What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.

CHIEF RALPH STURGES

Ralph Sturges, 88; was chief of Mohegan tribe
October 2, 2007

By Associated Press | October 2, 2007

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Mohegan Chief Ralph Sturges, who helped shepherd his eastern Connecticut tribe through federal recognition and the development of its highly successful casino, has died. He was 88.

Chief Sturges died Sunday night at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London from lung cancer, tribal officials said.

The Mohegans earned federal recognition in 1994, two years after he was elected chief for life. Their Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, one of the largest in the world, opened in 1996.

"We will miss his leadership, and his passing leaves a void not easily filled in our tribal government," said Bruce "Two Dogs" Bozsum, chairman of the Mohegan tribe. "I know that many of us considered him a friend and person we could approach for advice on any issue."

Born on Christmas Day 1918, Chief Sturgis traced his Mohegan ancestry to his mother's family.

Before becoming chief, he was a payroll deliveryman for an armored car company and a disaster relief coordinator and public relations director for the Salvation Army.

Chief Sturges was part of the Civilian Conservation Corps and was involved in projects such as cleanup efforts after the Northeast hurricane of 1938.

During World War II, he served in the Army's intelligence division in New Guinea and the Philippines, earning a Bronze Star, the tribe said.

In 2005, Chief Sturges was named man of the year by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeastern Connecticut and citizen of the year by the Chamber of Commerce for Eastern Connecticut.

He also was a sculptor. His works can be found at the state capitol, New London City Hall, Montville High School, and the cornerstone of Mohegan Sun, the tribe said.

Tribal flags at Mashantucket, home to nearby Foxwoods Resort Casino, the state's other Indian casino, were lowered to half-staff.

"Chief Sturges was a valued leader of his people and an inspiration to native peoples everywhere," said Mashantucket Pequot tribal chairman Michael Thomas.

Governor M. Jodi Rell also lauded the Mohegan chief.

"He will be forever remembered for his contributions not only as a wise leader - having most notably served his people during their successful campaign for federal tribal recognition - but as a skilled sculptor," she said in a statement. "The state of Connecticut and the Mohegan Tribe have lost a great friend and treasured talent, but in cherishing him we will maintain his spirit always."

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Chief Sturges touched countless lives.

"Ralph Sturges was truly a man for all seasons - a uniquely wonderful human being, a leader of courage and vision, a champion for Native Americans, and a model of public service for all of us," Blumenthal said.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Will the Council of Elders step up and have a sacred fire or some other way of commemorating his (Chief Sturges) life and death? Will he be forgotten again?

I asked the Fire Keeper of the Mohegan Tribe if they could do a sacred fire for Chief Sturges. He said I would have to ask the Council of Elders.

Should the Elders have this responsibility? Are they going along with Oral Tradition? Are they basing this policy on the 1996 Mohegan Constitution? Why should a tribal member have to ask the Elders?

Isn't it tradition that a tribal member should go directly to a lodge keeper or fire keeper and just ask? What do you think?

THESE ARE THE COMMENTS, OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.

GOODBYE DEFENDERS?

Defenders hitting the road
Fans emotional after what was probably team's last game ever in Norwich

By Stephen Chupaska Published on 9/17/2009

Norwich - As Skip Sceery entered Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium for Game 2 of the Eastern League championship series Wednesday evening, he heard the turnstile click over for what is likely the last time.

”It was emotional,” he said.

Sceery, of East Hampton, a season-ticket holder for eight years, was perched in his usual seat in Section 11 behind home plate before the Connecticut Defenders' 7-6 loss to the Akron Aeros. Connecticut trails the best-of-five series 2-0, and the next three games are in Akron, Ohio.

The Defenders, a Class AA minor league baseball franchise, are expected to soon announce they are moving to Richmond, Va., next season.

After the game, some fans lingered. One even waved goodbye to the players as they entered the clubhouse, and another held a sign that said, “This Is Not What We Meant By: Go Defenders.”

Since news of the impending move broke, there have been rumors that a short-season A-ball team will move into the soon-to-be vacant Dodd Stadium, built 15 years ago to accommodate the New York Yankees' Class AA affiliate. But so far, nothing is definite.

Still, last night, fans in the announced crowd of 4,008 (though the actual attendance was about half that) reminisced before the game about the team's time in Norwich.

Sceery wore an old Navigators cap and relished telling his favorite Dodd Stadium story, a home run blast by Pablo Sandoval, currently a breakout star with the San Francisco Giants, the Defenders' parent club.

”See that line on the centerfield wall?” he said, noting a yellow stripe above the 401-foot mark. “It went six feet above it and would have gone into orbit.”

Sitting along the first-base line, Thurston Delaney of Norwich said he took his son, Quintin, to about 20 games a year.

”It's really too bad they are leaving,” Delaney said. “We took the team for granted.”

Delaney said Quintin once caught a foul ball hit by current New York Mets outfielder Daniel Murphy, who consequently made a fan for life.

Jazz Freitas of Noank, a diehard baseball fan who was at the season opener this year, is lamenting both the loss of the Defenders and their affiliation with the Giants.

”(Giants General Manager) Brian Sabean has a deep pool of talent,” Freitas said.

It was also a melancholy night for veteran ballpark staff, some of whom started working at the park after they retired.

Ticket-taker Jim Epps of Waterford, a retired police officer and security guard, has been working at Dodd since the Navigators hired him as an usher.

”I've got to know so many people,” he said. “The team has been good to me.”

Epps, a Yankee fan, recalled fondly both the day Roger Clemens made a rehabilitation start and the Navigators' Eastern League championship in 2002.

”This is rough,” he said. “But luckily this year they made the playoffs.”

Chris Batova of Norwich has been working in the information booth and at the lost-and-found since she retired from Southern New England Telephone seven years ago.

”This the most fun I've had at any job,” she said.

Batova reports there are still plenty of lost baseball gloves that have yet to be claimed.

”Of all the things to lose,” she said.

At the team store, most of the T-shirts, caps and sweaters were 75 percent off and selling fast.

”We didn't sit down at all Tuesday night,” store clerk Kathy Bartlett.

Still, as the autumn approaches, some fans are hopeful they will be watching minor league baseball next summer.

Chris Holdridge of New London hopes an A-ball team from the New York-Penn League moves to Norwich next year.

”That league has a lot of good players,” he said.

Nick Novak of Danielson said he wouldn't mind watching some of the younger players.

”I wish it was the Defenders,” Novak said. “But baseball is baseball.”

s.chupaska@theday.com


"Regional"

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The people of Southeastern Connecticut didn't support this team. I was there one evening this summer and maybe four hundred (400) people were watching the game. I thought there were more employees than spectators. There really wasn't but the attendance was terrible. The biggest crowd of the season was probably there last night to see the team lose and probably leave forever. The Defenders were great baseball for a very cheap price. Good luck Defenders. You will be missed. Maybe the people of Connecticut are getting what they deserve. What do you think?

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

IS THE NAME REDSKINS OFFENSIVE TO FIRST PEOPLE?

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of American Indians who find the Washington Redskins name offensive wants the Supreme Court to take up the matter.

The group late Monday asked the justices to review a lower court decision that favored the NFL team on a legal technicality.

The seven Native Americans have been working through the court system since 1992 to have the Redskins trademarks declared invalid. A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel ruled in their favor in 1999, but they've since suffered a series of defeats from judges who ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their suit in the first place.

A lawyer for the group says he'd like to see the court decide once and for all whether the Redskins name defames Native Americans.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Do you think the name Redskins is offensive? What about the Cleveland Indians? How about the Atlanta Braves? How do you think the Supreme court should rule? What do you think?

DAVID COLLINS TAKE ON MICHAEL THOMAS AND RICHARD SEBASTIAN

Swapping out tribal leaders


By David Collins Published on 9/16/2009

It's a good thing the fabled magician David Copperfield will be visiting the Mashantucket Pequots' MGM Grand next month.

Maybe he can help them make Michael Thomas, their disgraced tribal chairman, disappear for good.

The Tribal Council has Thomas in a lockdown, on administrative leave, with what appears to be an understanding that they won't remove him from office now while he won't run for re-election in the fall.

It would be so much easier if Copperfield could make Thomas and his embarrassing criminal past and continuing business dealings with convicted felons just - poof - disappear.

Alas, even with the tenuous promise of Thomas exiting the tribal stage, the Mashantuckets might continue to worry how their jittery lenders, still reeling from Thomas' assertion that the tribe would make good on its stipends to tribal members before paying its debt obligations, will now have to take a closer look at their new leader.

Richard E. Sebastian, the vice chairman who seems to have grabbed the helm of the listing Mashantucket ship of state, has his own curious background that would at least raise eyebrows anywhere else in the regulated casino industry.

Tribal government officials do not get any regulatory scrutiny in Connecticut, under the terms of the court-imposed gaming compact that allows the tribe to operate the casino, but tribal members who work directly for the casino must be licensed.

Sebastian, who became director of security for the tribe's original Foxwoods casino, was denied a permanent gaming license by the state in 1993, after regulators alleged he had lied about being fired from a McDonald's restaurant in Providence for stealing.

Sebastian had reported on his gaming application that he left McDonald's for a better job.

State regulators, in saying Sebastian was “unsuitable” for employment at the casino, also disclosed that he had been accused of sexually harassing an employee at the tribe's bingo hall. He also did not provide his military records in response to questions on the extensive gaming application, the regulators said.

“(His) prior activities and reputation pose a threat to the effective regulation of gaming and enhances the chances of unfair and illegal practices, methods and activities in the conduct of gaming activities,” the head of the state's gambling regulation unit said at the time, in denying Sebastian's license.

Sebastian appealed the license rejection, but before the appeals process could go forward he was given a surprise reprieve by John Meskill, the son of a former Connecticut governor who was then the state's top gaming regulator.

Meskill, who vacated the decision by mid-level regulators in the Division of Special Revenue to deny Sebastian a license, later went on to work for the Mashantuckets, as head of their gaming commission, presumably being paid far more than his $73,500 state salary.

Sebastian stayed on in casino security, but he didn't stay out of trouble.

In 1995, he was part of a faction of the tribe that began investigating casino management and he was implicated, along with a state police trooper, in an after-hours break-in at casino offices, part of a records search.

Sebastian was fired from his casino job, and then Tribal Chairman Richard Hayward, loyal to the casino executives, demanded that then Gov. John Rowland investigate the break-in.

The trooper was eventually exonerated and found by a state police investigation to have done nothing wrong.

Sebastian went on to succeed in tribal politics, winning first a seat on the Tribal Council and eventually the vice chairmanship. Hayward was pushed out, unable to muster as many family votes in tribal elections as other contenders.

The move from casino employee to tribal government was good for Sebastian, who reported in a 2004 divorce financial affidavit that he was making $9,904 a week from his tribal councilor salary and $2,360 a week in tribal stipend money.

And, for now anyway, he's in charge.

Just more magic at Mashantucket.

This is the opinion of David Collins.


"Regional"

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Thomas and Sebastian alleged records, if true incredible. Do members of the Mohegan Tribal Council and the Council of Elders have exemplary character? Could any of them violated some laws along the way? Should some of our (the Mohegan Tribe) leaders be investigated. Have they violated our Civil Rights? What do you think?

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

MORE SLOT LOSSES AT THE MOHEGAN SUN AND FOXWOODS IN AUGUST?

Casinos report double-digit declines in August slot revenue

By Brian Hallenbeck Published on 9/15/2009

Both Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun experienced double-digit declines in slot-machine revenue last month.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns Foxwoods, including MGM Grand at Foxwoods, “won” $63.1 million at its slots, 13.3 percent less than in August 2008. It was Foxwoods' second straight month of 13 percent declines.

Foxwoods' August win was, however, only slightly lower than the $63.3 million it won in July, its high-water mark for the calendar year.

The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates Mohegan Sun, won nearly $69 million at its slots last month, an 11 percent decline over August 2008. The authority reported a 9 percent decline in July.

Mohegan Sun's May win of $69.9 million remains its high-water mark for 2009.

The Mashantuckets sent 25 percent, or $15.8 million, of their August win to the state Division of Special Revenue. The Mohegans' contribution totaled $17.2 million.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Again more losses, In August down again. Can't the Mohegan Tribal Council do anything to stop the losses? How long can the Mohegan Tribal Government continue taking these losses and continue to provide the benefits to the Mohegan Tribe? When are the cutbacks coming? What do you think?

DRIVER GETS 5 YEARS FOR HITTING TEEN

Driver gets 5 years for hitting teen
Former Mohegan Tribe official also faces civil suit filed by girl's family

By Izaskun E. Larrañeta Published on 9/16/2009

It is parents' worst nightmare: an early morning call that their child was involved in a serious car accident and might not make it.

Nearly two years ago, Susan Holland and her husband, George Payne, got that call.

Their daughter, Emily Vanstaen-Holland, was struck by a drunken driver who then fled the scene as the 16-year-old and her friends were walking along a Quaker Hill road on Oct. 13, 2007.

The driver, Glenn R. Lavigne, 49, was sentenced Tuesday in New London Superior Court to five years in prison, suspended after two years served, followed by three years' probation for felony evading responsibility.

”So far, we still don't know whether Emily is going to recover fully from her injuries or the extent that the events of that night are going to have on her quality of life,” said a statement read by attorney Robert Reardon on behalf of Vanstaen-Holland's parents. “It has also been agonizing knowing that the person responsible for her injuries has not come forward and assumed any responsibility for what he did, let alone apologize for what happened.”

As Reardon read the statement, Vanstaen-Holland and her mother started to cry.

Reardon is representing the family in a civil suit.

Prosecutor Sarah Steere said Vanstaen-Holland sustained numerous injuries, including a skull fracture, pelvic fracture and kidney laceration. She said Vanstaen-Holland's condition was so grave that she had to be taken by Life Star helicopter to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Steere said when police questioned Lavigne, he denied any involvement and said he was at his girlfriend's house all night.

But surveillance video showed that Lavigne, a former member of the Mohegan Tribal Council, and his girlfriend were drinking in a tribally owned bar at Mohegan Sun before hitting the victim.

Defense attorney M.H. Reese Norris said his client pleaded no contest, a plea that allows him to be convicted without admitting guilt for the crime charged, and would not speak on his own behalf because of the pending civil suit.

Judge Kevin P. McMahon acknowledged that Vanstaen-Holland was especially hurt because Lavigne never apologized or accepted responsibility for his actions.

”You're never going to get an apology with all the lawsuits,” said McMahon. “It hurts when someone does this to you. My hope is for the best recovery possible ... You are young - do the best you can to put it behind you.”

While on probation, Lavigne was ordered to undergo substance-abuse evaluation and treatment, not to drive without a valid license and to have no contact with the victim.

Evidence in the case was also ordered preserved so it can be used in the pending civil suit.

After the sentencing, Reardon elaborated on the nature of his client's injuries, which he said include a loss of smell and taste, inability to gain weight and a permanent limp.

In civil court, the victim's family is seeking monetary compensation under the Dram Shop Act as well as under laws forbidding reckless distribution of alcohol. The reckless distribution laws have no cap on the amount of the penalty.

In February, a New London Superior Court judge upheld a motion to dismiss claims of reckless service of alcohol brought by Vanstaen-Holland's family against the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and some of its officials and employees who worked at the bar. The family is now appealing that decision.

On Monday, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a brief in support of the civil suit, saying the state's two federally recognized casinos should be held liable in state court when a person who has been drinking at the tribally owed casinos causes a crash.

i.larraneta@theday.com

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Taken from the New London Day newspaper. I will reserve my comments on this issue..

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

OPEN DOORS TO THE WHITE HOUSE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS?

White House opens doors to tribal leaders
Chiefs ask administration for better communication
By Rob Capriccioso

Story Published: Sep 4, 2009

Story Updated: Sep 3, 2009

WASHINGTON – When several tribal leaders trekked to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds Aug. 31, it represented one of the rare times in American history when a cross-section of tribes were invited by a sitting president’s staff to conduct official business.

Administration officials, eager to highlight the nation-to-nation philosophy that President Barack Obama has espoused regarding tribes and the federal government, said the meeting was a first step in enhancing relations with tribes.

Shin Inouye, a spokesman for the White House, would not say precisely how many tribal leaders were invited. He described the meeting as a couple of “informal discussions.”

“I can say that President Obama is committed to improving communication between Indian nations and his administration and believes that regular dialogue will foster a respectful partnership and assist in identifying and addressing the needs of Indian country,” Inouye said, adding that the intent of the gathering was to focus on “important issues that impact Native American communities.”

While administration officials would not describe specific details of the meeting, Inouye did say the gathering was aimed at informing the administration’s agenda of what he called a “tribal nations conference” to be held at the White House in the future.

A gathering of tribal nations, which was promised by Obama during his campaign for president to be a yearly occurrence, is expected to take place sometime this fall, but the exact date has not yet been decided, Inouye said.

Details of what is to be achieved at the larger conference have not been released.

Attendees seemed generally satisfied with the proceedings. Some said it left them feeling inspired.

Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter attended the meeting and said tribal leaders spoke about sovereignty, taxation, land claims and other issues.

“We were pleased to have been asked to provide our input, and we were assured that the White House will engage in ongoing consultation.”

Still, some from Indian country said the event could have been better organized. For instance, it was closed to tribes that could not afford to attend, as well as to ones that were not invited – problems that need addressing, tribal leaders said.

The White House would not say how it went about inviting tribes, nor if every tribe in the nation was invited to participate. There are 564 federally recognized tribes, according to the BIA. There are also several state-recognized tribes.

An invitation letter sent from Kim Teehee, the top Native American affairs advisor to Obama, was released by some tribal leaders. It indicated that each tribe would be allowed two participants. The letter did not say how many tribes were invited.

The White House Domestic Policy Council, which is aimed at providing policy advice to the president, and the Office of Public Engagement, which serves as an outreach vehicle for the White House, co-hosted the event, according to the letter.

Little snafus were apparent on the day of the event. For instance, one of the few known pictures of the rare tribal leaders’ meeting was taken via a cell phone camera belonging to one of the chairmen in attendance.

Tribal leaders who attended said it looked like dozens of attendees were present.

While few details were offered by way of public explanation from the White House, several tribal leaders publicly expressed their thoughts after the meeting.

Derek Bailey, chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, feels it’s important for the White House to communicate with tribal leaders who could not attend the gathering.

Bailey sent several Twitter messages during the meeting. He hopes the messages helped fill in some blanks, serving as a source of information for his own tribal members and others throughout the nation who were not invited, or could not be there.

He believes the administration should work to better communicate with tribes nationwide, through routes like providing video links to future meetings, and conducting increased outreach to the press on Native issues.

Of his own online messages, Bailey said he tried to be respectful of the administration’s process and not to insult the White House facilitators.

“I hope that I didn’t offend people by putting a tweet out. To me, it was just so important to share. … I wanted to share the exuberance I felt.

“For the effective change, tribal leaders need to have equal understanding – when you communicate, the message is shared and everyone feels included.”

While Bailey wishes more tribal leaders could have been involved, he was “very impressed” with the Native American folks and others in the White House who helped carry out the event.

“Never was there a question about whether they were engaged or not,” Bailey said of the facilitators. “This was an initial discussion – more will come from it, and I welcome it.”

Bailey noted that Teehee, a member of the Cherokee Nation, and other Native administration officials were present, including the Office of Public Engagement’s Jodi Gillette, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; IHS director Yvette Roubideaux, a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe; and the BIA’s Del Laverdure, a citizen of the Crow Tribe.

St. Regis Mohawk Chief James Ransom, who attended the meeting with the tribe’s Chief Mark Garrow, also shared a post-event message regarding White House communications.

“Our understanding is that the federal government is looking to improve communications with tribes, so this, the first ‘listening session,’ will be followed up by other meetings between White House and tribal officials.”

Ransom presented information during one of two meetings, which highlighted ways his tribe tries to communicate.

One of his descriptions detailed the history of the Mohawk and Haudenosaunee people in building relationships with others. He specifically mentioned the Two Row Wampum Treaty Belt as a positive example of the types of relationships the tribe and its people strive for.

Meanwhile, J.C. Seneca, a council member for the Seneca Nation of New York, took the opportunity to deliver a briefing paper that urged the Obama administration to live up to Obama’s campaign promise to engage in nation-to-nation consultation.

The paper called on the U.S. government to allow tribes to reject particular regulations and to require government officials who make decisions to be present at consultation sessions. It said, too, that the Seneca Nation would not comply with or implement regulations that were not created without proper notice and adequate consultation.

Editor’s note: Indian Country Today is a division of Four Directions Media, which is owned by Oneida Nation Enterprises, LLC.

MICHAEL THOMAS OUT?

Mashantucket chairman ousted amidst $2.3b debt restructuring
By Gale Courey Toensing

Story Published: Sep 11, 2009

Story Updated: Sep 11, 2009

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council has forced its chairman into an administrative leave in the midst of an unprecedented financial crisis at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Chairman Michael Thomas was relieved of his duties Aug. 31, just days after an announcement that the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, owner of the country’s largest casino, is restructuring a $2.3 billion debt and is at risk of defaulting on a $700 million loan.

In a statement, the tribal council said, “The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council has placed Michael Thomas, the chair of the tribal council, on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal review. As a matter of policy, the council does not discuss personnel matters and does not intend to comment further.”

Six of the seven council members sent Thomas an e-mail saying that he “betrayed” their trust in a letter he sent to tribal members, describing his plan to deal with the tribe’s financial crisis and giving his opinion of the situation, according to an unnamed senior tribal adviser, The Day reported. Thomas is the seventh member of the council.

“Earnings are down considerably and there are no signs of immediate improvement. These are dire financial times for our tribe,” Thomas wrote to members Aug. 19.

“Incentive” payments to tribal members have been halved over the past year and now range from $90,000 to $120,000 a year, but Thomas said there would be no further reductions in incentive payments.

“Instead, tribal government and the incentive will now be paid FIRST with any cuts or changes to our operation taking place after our members are paid. I will not waver from my pledge to protect the tribal government and the incentive,” he wrote.

“Regardless of what may happen I have made it clear that we will not accept Wall Street mandates for cuts to tribal government or the incentive. Anyone who puts the interests of consultants, bankers and bond holders ahead of our tribal community will have to answer to me.”

The six councilors said they were “appalled” by Thomas’s letter and his attempts to deal with the financial crisis unilaterally.

They gave him a Sept. 10 deadline to resign; otherwise the council could vote him out of office with a three-fifths vote and hold a special election within 30 days to fill the vacancy, according to the tribe’s constitution and bylaws.

The senior adviser said Thomas will try to maintain his chairmanship by a referendum vote from tribal members. He said the attempt to oust Thomas was “wholly without merit” and the “epitome of irresponsibility,” and that Thomas would seek a referendum vote of tribal members on his expulsion and a special meeting to recall the other six councilors.

The tribe’s financial woes sent a shockwave through Indian country.

Hit by the recession and competition from nearby casinos, Foxwoods’ revenues have dropped consistently over the past year. In July, Foxwoods announced slot revenues of $63.2 million – a 13.5 percent drop compared to the same period last year. The state’s 25 percent cut in July was $15.9 million.

In an effort to staunch the flow, the nation laid off 800 employees last year and cut government jobs.

The $2.3 billion debt is $1 billion more than the tribe’s Foxwoods Resort Casino can sustain, the senior advisor said.

Most immediately, the tribe is at risk of defaulting on a $700 million line of credit in October.

Standard & Poor’s has cut Mashantucket’s rating four steps to CCC and placed the debt on credit watch, citing the restructuring reports. Ratings of BBB or above are generally considered by regulators and market participants to be “investment grade,” while those that receive a lower rating are generally considered “speculative grade,” according to S&P’s Web site. A credit watch status means it will be difficult for the tribe to borrow.

In a statement issued after news of the restructuring broke Aug. 26, the nation said it has hired Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, as financial and restructuring adviser and legal counsel, respectively, to guide it through the process.

“We have sufficient resources to continue to operate our businesses as normal and it will be business as usual. We do not anticipate that the financial restructuring being considered by the tribe will affect our employees, customers, vendors or business partners. The tribe does not plan to make any additional comments regarding this matter at this time,” the statement said.

Foxwoods opened in 1992 to huge success. Kien Huat, the Malaysian investment company that bankrolled the casino, is owed $21.2 million of the original $160 million loan.

Last year, the nation opened the $700 million MGM Grand at Foxwoods, a 30-story, two million-square-foot facility with a new casino, a 4,000-seat performing arts theater, restaurants, signature stores, and an enormous convention space with a ballroom/dining hall that can seat 5,000 guests.

Under Thomas’ chairmanship, the tribe built a $67 million highway expansion on the state road leading to Foxwoods.

The Mashantucket Pequots’ financial crisis has raised a number of unanswered questions concerning tribal casinos in Indian country. What happens if a tribal nation defaults? Are tribal nations subject to the federal government’s bankruptcy laws? Can a nation continue to pay itself and its members while not paying its debtors?

Creditors probably can’t take over assets or operations of casinos on sovereign tribal land as they may with commercial bankruptcies, Megan Neuburger, an analyst at Fitch Ratings in New York, told www.bloomberg.com Aug. 26. That leaves them little choice other than to restructure debts and work with the tribe, she said.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Could this possibly happen at the Mohegan Sun? Is the Mohegan Tribal Council doing the right thing for the Mohegan Tribe? What is the debt of the Mohegan Tribal Government and the MTGA? What do you think?

ARE CASINOS EXEMPT FROM CERTAIN LIQUOR LAWS?

Conn. atty. gen. says casinos not immune from laws

September 14, 2009

HARTFORD, Conn. - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is siding with a Connecticut family that's suing the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority over a 2007 accident involving an intoxicated patron of the tribe's casino.

Blumenthal announced Monday that he has filed a friend of the court brief with the Connecticut Appellate Court, urging the judges to overturn a trial court ruling that determined tribal casinos are exempt from certain liquor laws, such as dram shop laws that allow someone injured by an intoxicated individual to sue the establishment that served them alcohol.

Emily Vanstaen-Holland, a pedestrian, was struck by a car driven by someone who had been drinking at the Mohegan Sun. Fifteen-years-old at the time, she suffered life-altering injuries.

AP-ES-09-14-09 1749EDT
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Was the alleged driver in this accident a former Mohegan Tribal Councilor? What was the end result of this case in the Connecticut Criminal Court System? Did the Mohegan Sun Casino over indulge him? Who is to blame, the casino or the driver? What do you think?

ALLEGED CHEATING AT THE MOHEGAN SUN

Two arrested for cheating at Mohegan Sun

Published on 9/13/2009

Mohegan — A table games dealer and a gambler playing in the Earth Casino at Mohegan Sun were arrested early Saturday morning on charges they were cheating, according to state police.

Security at Mohegan Sun contacted state police detectives assigned to the Casino Unit after observing the dealer, Peggy Lin, 40, of 10 Sachem Plains Road, Norwich, apparently manipulating the deal of Pai Gow Tile, a table game, so that Bi De Zhen, 43, of 1Manhattan, N.Y., would win.

Lin and Zhen were arrested. They are each charged with cheating while lawfully gaming, third-degree larceny, and third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny. They were each released on $5,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in Norwich Superior Court on Oct. 1.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: When money is involved, people will try to get it. People gamble because they want the easy money. Why do people cheat? What do you think?

THE PEOPLE IN THIS ARTICLE ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.

THESE ARE THE OPINIONS OF BROKENWING.