Officer beaten at tribal burial grounds
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Norwich Bulletin
Posted Oct 29, 2009 @ 12:04 AM
Last update Oct 29, 2009 @ 08:38 AM
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A Mashantucket tribal police officer was attacked and beaten Wednesday night by a man at the tribe’s burial grounds on Fanning Road in Ledyard.
State police and officers from the Ledyard Police Department responded to the scene about 6:45 p.m. after tribal police told them they had lost contact with the officer after assistance was requested, according to a press release from state police.
Police described the attacker as being either Asian or Hispanic, about 5-feet, 7-inches tall, and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
The identify of the officer is being withheld pending further investigation.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call state police at (860) 848-6565, ext. 5036.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Could this happen to a Mohegan Tribal Police Officer or the Mohegan Tribal Security at a burial ground or some other place on the Mohegan reservation? Are these a sign of the times? What do you think?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
ARE MASSACHUSETTS GAMBLERS GOING TO CONNECTICUT?
Study: Most Mass. gamblers use Conn. casinos
By Brian Hallenbeck
The Day
Published 10/29/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/29/2009 02:19 AM0
Massachusetts residents made more than 6 million visits to the Connecticut casinos in 2008, as well as about 1 million visits to slot parlors in Lincoln and Newport, R.I., and less than 10,000 visits to Maine's Hollywood Slots, according to the survey conducted by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
It is the exodus of gamblers to out-of-state facilities that some Massachusetts lawmakers hope to stem by approving casino gambling. The legislature's Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies is holding the first public hearing today on 16 gambling bills now before the legislature. The session is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the State House in Boston.
The survey released this week, titled "Playing the Odds II," was based on interviews with 3,981 New Englanders. It shows that the average "slot machine patron" at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun is a woman, 40 or older, with a high school diploma or associate's degree and an annual family income between $25,000 and $75,000. A secondary group of slot players consists of males with the same demographic profile.
"Both groups willingly travel 60 minutes or more - bypassing Rhode Island's slots parlors - to take advantage of additional gaming options, such as table games, nongaming and entertainment amenities, and because of the more appealing general atmosphere and physical attractiveness of a resort casino," the Center for Policy Analysis said in a press release announcing the survey results.
Bay Staters showed an overwhelming preference for Connecticut's resort casinos, the survey found, with 86 percent of their total gaming visitations dedicated exclusively to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
About three-quarters of the New Englanders who visited Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun reported that they did not visit the Rhode Island slot parlors - Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand in Newport - though most residents live closer to those facilities.
More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents 21 and older visited Foxwoods an average of 3.3 times each, accounting for more than 3.7 million visits, according to the survey. More than 850,000 Bay Staters of legal age visited Mohegan Sun an average of 2.7 times, accounting for nearly 2.3 million visits. Nearly a quarter of Massachusetts' adult residents visited Foxwoods, while nearly a fifth visited Mohegan Sun.
Fifteen percent of those who visited Foxwoods and 22 percent of those who visited Mohegan Sun indicated they did not gamble at the casinos but instead spent money on nongaming amenities, including lodging, dining, shopping, concerts and entertainment, golf and spas
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: What percentage of total income at the Mohegan Sun is generated from the "Bay State"? Is it worth building a new casino in Palmer, for a state that had 2.3 million (2,300,000) visitors from that state? Twenty two percent (22%) didn't gamble at all. How is spending between eleven and twelve percent (11% to 12%) in interest to build a $500 million to $1 Billion ($500,000,000.00 to $1,000,000,000.00) casino worth doing? Didn't the Mohegan Sun just pay that interest rate on borrowing $200 Million ($200,000,000.00)? At ll% to 12% interest how could Palmer ever be profitable? Is it another, Pocono Downs? Is it a worse deal than Pocono Downs? We need to tell our officials (the MTGA, the Mohegan Tribal Council) we don't want Palmer. What do you think?
By Brian Hallenbeck
The Day
Published 10/29/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/29/2009 02:19 AM0
Massachusetts residents made more than 6 million visits to the Connecticut casinos in 2008, as well as about 1 million visits to slot parlors in Lincoln and Newport, R.I., and less than 10,000 visits to Maine's Hollywood Slots, according to the survey conducted by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
It is the exodus of gamblers to out-of-state facilities that some Massachusetts lawmakers hope to stem by approving casino gambling. The legislature's Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies is holding the first public hearing today on 16 gambling bills now before the legislature. The session is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the State House in Boston.
The survey released this week, titled "Playing the Odds II," was based on interviews with 3,981 New Englanders. It shows that the average "slot machine patron" at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun is a woman, 40 or older, with a high school diploma or associate's degree and an annual family income between $25,000 and $75,000. A secondary group of slot players consists of males with the same demographic profile.
"Both groups willingly travel 60 minutes or more - bypassing Rhode Island's slots parlors - to take advantage of additional gaming options, such as table games, nongaming and entertainment amenities, and because of the more appealing general atmosphere and physical attractiveness of a resort casino," the Center for Policy Analysis said in a press release announcing the survey results.
Bay Staters showed an overwhelming preference for Connecticut's resort casinos, the survey found, with 86 percent of their total gaming visitations dedicated exclusively to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
About three-quarters of the New Englanders who visited Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun reported that they did not visit the Rhode Island slot parlors - Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand in Newport - though most residents live closer to those facilities.
More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents 21 and older visited Foxwoods an average of 3.3 times each, accounting for more than 3.7 million visits, according to the survey. More than 850,000 Bay Staters of legal age visited Mohegan Sun an average of 2.7 times, accounting for nearly 2.3 million visits. Nearly a quarter of Massachusetts' adult residents visited Foxwoods, while nearly a fifth visited Mohegan Sun.
Fifteen percent of those who visited Foxwoods and 22 percent of those who visited Mohegan Sun indicated they did not gamble at the casinos but instead spent money on nongaming amenities, including lodging, dining, shopping, concerts and entertainment, golf and spas
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: What percentage of total income at the Mohegan Sun is generated from the "Bay State"? Is it worth building a new casino in Palmer, for a state that had 2.3 million (2,300,000) visitors from that state? Twenty two percent (22%) didn't gamble at all. How is spending between eleven and twelve percent (11% to 12%) in interest to build a $500 million to $1 Billion ($500,000,000.00 to $1,000,000,000.00) casino worth doing? Didn't the Mohegan Sun just pay that interest rate on borrowing $200 Million ($200,000,000.00)? At ll% to 12% interest how could Palmer ever be profitable? Is it another, Pocono Downs? Is it a worse deal than Pocono Downs? We need to tell our officials (the MTGA, the Mohegan Tribal Council) we don't want Palmer. What do you think?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
PROMOTING GAMBLING IN PALMER
Mohegan Sun promotes casino in Mass.
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Mohegan Sun promised thousands of new jobs if it's proposed casino for western Massachusetts is approved, but residents gave the idea mixed reviews over whether it would rejuvenate the area or harm its small town charm.
As Massachusetts lawmakers weigh whether to legalize new forms of gambling, Mohegan Sun held the first of a series of forums Tuesday to promote its proposed casino in Palmer. Mohegan officials showed a video reminding residents of the region's manufacturing heyday and the subsequent loss of major employers.
"This project will not end up in western Massachusetts, folks, unless it has regional support," said Paul Brody, vice president of development for Mohegan Sun.
The project would include 3,000 slot machines, table games and poker, a 600-room hotel and spa, stores and restaurants.
Mohegan Sun, which operates one of two casinos in Connecticut, says the Palmer casino would create about 1,000 construction jobs and 2,500 to 3,000 permanent jobs, generate tax revenue and help tourism.
Angela Miguel, a 32-year-old Palmer resident who works in mall security, said she worries about the traffic impact in a town that still has horse carriage rides. She also expressed concerns that outsiders would take advantage of the small town.
"I think there is going to be a lot of problems with it," Miguel said. "Some people don't even lock their doors still."
But Miguel acknowledged the new jobs and expressed support with reservations.
Norberto Garcia, a 53-year-old police officer in Springfield, had no reservations. He cited the new jobs.
"I'm 100 percent for it," Garcia said.
Bruce Stanforth, a 48-year-old Amherst resident who is a portfolio manager, said he goes to the Connecticut casinos.
"That is tax revenue and business revenue going to a different state that really should be here in Massachusetts," Stanforth said.
Stanforth said he has watched a slow but steady decline of Springfield and other cities in the region. He said he would prefer high tech jobs, but believes a casino could help the area.
Emmaladd Shepherd, co-president of Quaboag Valley Against Casinos, said the Palmer project would hurt local businesses and lead to more problem gambling. She said casinos make 90 percent of their profits off 10 percent of gamblers.
"The money they will be making will be on the backs of our neighbors," Shepherd said.
Shepherd said there is a need for an unbiased study of the effects of casinos.
But Brody said only 1 to 2 percent of the population are problem gamblers. He said Mohegan Sun is a large contributor to treatment programs and provides information on every slot machine to help those with gambling problems.
The first major casino hearing of the legislative session is planned Thursday.
The town of Palmer has considered the casino idea before. Voters approved a nonbinding referendum in the 1990s that called for a casino there.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Mohegan Sun promised thousands of new jobs if it's proposed casino for western Massachusetts is approved, but residents gave the idea mixed reviews over whether it would rejuvenate the area or harm its small town charm.
As Massachusetts lawmakers weigh whether to legalize new forms of gambling, Mohegan Sun held the first of a series of forums Tuesday to promote its proposed casino in Palmer. Mohegan officials showed a video reminding residents of the region's manufacturing heyday and the subsequent loss of major employers.
"This project will not end up in western Massachusetts, folks, unless it has regional support," said Paul Brody, vice president of development for Mohegan Sun.
The project would include 3,000 slot machines, table games and poker, a 600-room hotel and spa, stores and restaurants.
Mohegan Sun, which operates one of two casinos in Connecticut, says the Palmer casino would create about 1,000 construction jobs and 2,500 to 3,000 permanent jobs, generate tax revenue and help tourism.
Angela Miguel, a 32-year-old Palmer resident who works in mall security, said she worries about the traffic impact in a town that still has horse carriage rides. She also expressed concerns that outsiders would take advantage of the small town.
"I think there is going to be a lot of problems with it," Miguel said. "Some people don't even lock their doors still."
But Miguel acknowledged the new jobs and expressed support with reservations.
Norberto Garcia, a 53-year-old police officer in Springfield, had no reservations. He cited the new jobs.
"I'm 100 percent for it," Garcia said.
Bruce Stanforth, a 48-year-old Amherst resident who is a portfolio manager, said he goes to the Connecticut casinos.
"That is tax revenue and business revenue going to a different state that really should be here in Massachusetts," Stanforth said.
Stanforth said he has watched a slow but steady decline of Springfield and other cities in the region. He said he would prefer high tech jobs, but believes a casino could help the area.
Emmaladd Shepherd, co-president of Quaboag Valley Against Casinos, said the Palmer project would hurt local businesses and lead to more problem gambling. She said casinos make 90 percent of their profits off 10 percent of gamblers.
"The money they will be making will be on the backs of our neighbors," Shepherd said.
Shepherd said there is a need for an unbiased study of the effects of casinos.
But Brody said only 1 to 2 percent of the population are problem gamblers. He said Mohegan Sun is a large contributor to treatment programs and provides information on every slot machine to help those with gambling problems.
The first major casino hearing of the legislative session is planned Thursday.
The town of Palmer has considered the casino idea before. Voters approved a nonbinding referendum in the 1990s that called for a casino there.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
FOXWOOD DEBT REPRIEVE?
Foxwoods Receives Reprieve on Debt
The Hartford Courant
6:03 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2009
The deeply indebted owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino said Monday that they have reached a deal with creditors that appears to offer some temporary relief.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council issued a statement saying that it "has entered into a forbearance agreement with its senior lenders" that extends through Jan. 20.
The Tribe did not say how much debt the forbearance applies to or offer any other terms, and said it would not comment further until discussions with creditors are finished.
The tribe, which does not publicly disclose its finances, has reportedly been trying to renegotiate more than $2.3 billion of debt, a situation that has led credit rating agencies to downgrade the tribe's creditworthiness.
In its statement, the tribe said it "remains committed to working with its lenders to reach consensual resolutions."
Last month the Pequots placed Michael Thomas, Chair of the Tribal Council, on administrative leave "pending the outcome of an internal review." Citing a memo from the six other council members to Thomas, The New London Day has reported the council ousted Thomas because he issued a letter Aug. 19 to the tribal membership in which he described his own plan and stated his own opinions about the financial crisis.
Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened with a hiring spree in May 2008, employ a combined 9,000, down from 11,000 last October. The recession has hurt revenues at both Foxwoods and its nearby rival, Mohegan Sun.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
6:03 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2009
The deeply indebted owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino said Monday that they have reached a deal with creditors that appears to offer some temporary relief.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council issued a statement saying that it "has entered into a forbearance agreement with its senior lenders" that extends through Jan. 20.
The Tribe did not say how much debt the forbearance applies to or offer any other terms, and said it would not comment further until discussions with creditors are finished.
The tribe, which does not publicly disclose its finances, has reportedly been trying to renegotiate more than $2.3 billion of debt, a situation that has led credit rating agencies to downgrade the tribe's creditworthiness.
In its statement, the tribe said it "remains committed to working with its lenders to reach consensual resolutions."
Last month the Pequots placed Michael Thomas, Chair of the Tribal Council, on administrative leave "pending the outcome of an internal review." Citing a memo from the six other council members to Thomas, The New London Day has reported the council ousted Thomas because he issued a letter Aug. 19 to the tribal membership in which he described his own plan and stated his own opinions about the financial crisis.
Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened with a hiring spree in May 2008, employ a combined 9,000, down from 11,000 last October. The recession has hurt revenues at both Foxwoods and its nearby rival, Mohegan Sun.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant
TWO MEN ALLEGEDLY PASS TWO BAD TWENTY DOLLAR BILLS
2 arrested on counterfeiting charges at Mohegan Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Oct 25, 2009 @ 07:20 PM
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Mohegan, Conn. — Two men were arrested Sunday at Mohegan Sun after they paid for a meal with what police believe was counterfeit money, police said.
Alexander Pignataro, 21, of 64 Cross Road, Waterford, and Constaninos Belezos, 20, of 98 Greenhill Road, Westwood, Mass., were at the Birches Bar & Grill at about 4:40 a.m. when they left two $20 bills as payment for food, police said.
“It was discovered that both bills had the same serial numbers and appeared to be counterfeit,” a police news release said. The men were traced back to the casino hotel and arrested.
Both are charged with first degree forgery, sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and sixth-degree larceny. They are scheduled to appear Nov. 12 in Norwich Superior Court.
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Norwich Bulletin
Posted Oct 25, 2009 @ 07:20 PM
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Mohegan, Conn. — Two men were arrested Sunday at Mohegan Sun after they paid for a meal with what police believe was counterfeit money, police said.
Alexander Pignataro, 21, of 64 Cross Road, Waterford, and Constaninos Belezos, 20, of 98 Greenhill Road, Westwood, Mass., were at the Birches Bar & Grill at about 4:40 a.m. when they left two $20 bills as payment for food, police said.
“It was discovered that both bills had the same serial numbers and appeared to be counterfeit,” a police news release said. The men were traced back to the casino hotel and arrested.
Both are charged with first degree forgery, sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and sixth-degree larceny. They are scheduled to appear Nov. 12 in Norwich Superior Court.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
TRIBAL STIPENDS UNDER SCRUTINY
Tribal stipends under scrutiny
By Brian Hallenbeck
The Day
Published 10/25/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/25/2009 01:56 AM0
0
COMMENTS ( 9 ) Lenders interested in distribution of revenues
Times were flush when the Mohegans sought the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs' approval of the tribe's plan for distributing gaming revenues.
After ensuring that the plan provided adequate funding for tribal government and economic development, among other things, the deputy commissioner of Indian Affairs signed off on the plan on July 16, 2001. It calls for 40 to 50 percent of the tribe's net gaming revenues from Mohegan Sun to be distributed to the tribe's adult members on a quarterly basis.
More recently, on Jan. 4, 2008, the office of the secretary of the Department of the Interior approved a Gaming Revenue Allocation Plan submitted by the Mashantucket Pequots. Under the plan, up to 30 percent of the net gaming revenues generated by Foxwoods Resort Casino (including MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened in May 2008) are to be distributed to tribal adults "to help advance their personal health, safety and welfare."
The plans, which the BIA requires of tribes that choose to make so-called per capita payments to members, have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, particularly in the case of the Mashantucket Pequots, who are seeking to restructure a debt load of more than $2 billion. Gaming industry analysts and the Mashantuckets' creditors are more interested than ever in how the tribe distributes its gaming revenue.
The creditors were alarmed in late August when Mashantucket Chairman Michael Thomas, addressing tribal members about the "dire financial times" facing the tribe, vowed to protect funding for tribal government and per capita "incentive" payments from further cuts. The pledge, which many within and without Indian Country considered irresponsible, cost Thomas his chairmanship. Placed on administrative leave and facing a tribal council vote to expel him from the council, Thomas announced he would not seek re-election Nov. 1.
"He's not that relevant at the moment," Jane Pedreira, a gaming analyst with Rye, N.Y.-based Clear Sights Research, said last week.
With Thomas out of the picture, the investment world is keen to learn about the tribe's funding of its tribal operations and the payouts its members receive. If they're having trouble finding such information, "it's not for our lack of looking," one investor said.
Plans' percentage breakdowns
Copies of the revenue-allocation plans, which The Day obtained from the BIA through a federal Freedom of Information Act request, detail the percentage breakdown of the tribes' allocation of their net gaming revenues. The Mohegans' 10-page plan specifies that 30 to 40 percent of the tribe's revenue is to be dedicated to tribal-government operations and programs, including investments and education; 5 to 15 percent to the general welfare of tribal members, including investments, health, housing, social services and youth services programs; and 10 to 20 percent to economic development, both gaming and non-gaming related.
The plan also provides for charitable contributions, funding for local government and "any purpose authorized by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act" in amounts "deemed appropriate by the Tribal Council."
The per capita distributions - 40 to 50 percent of the tribe's gaming revenue - "shall be provided to qualified tribal members in equal amounts, unless determined otherwise by the Tribal Council," the plan says. Per capita benefits for minors are placed in trust.
The Mashantuckets' six-page plan specifies that 25 percent of the tribe's revenue is to be allocated to tribal government; 15 percent to the general welfare of tribal members; 25 percent to economic development; 5 percent to charitable contributions and 30 percent to per capita distributions.
Mashantucket per capita payments are paid monthly in amounts that vary based on a tribal member's age. Adult members, of which there are about 450, are divided into three age groups - 18 to 34; 35 to 54; and those considered tribal elders, 55 and above. Fifty percent of the payment for those 18 to 24 is determined by whether they are employed full time, enrolled full time in "a qualified school," in military service or in the ministry.
The plan specifies that the tribe provides full medical care and payment of educational expenses, including tuition, for those under 18.
A spokesman for the Mashantuckets did not respond last week to requests for comment on the subject of revenue allocation plans. Lynn Malerba, the newly elected chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, was traveling much of the week and conveyed answers to questions e-mailed through Chuck Bunnell, the tribe's chief of staff.
Malerba said her tribe does not publicly discuss details of its plan, and characterized the Mohegans' per capita payments as "modest." Reportedly, the payments are about $28,000 a year, a figure Bunnell would neither confirm nor deny. About 800 adult members of the 2,000-member tribe are eligible for the payments.
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates Mohegan Sun, released preliminary financial results for its 2009 fiscal year in advance of last week's private sale of $200 million in senior secured notes. The authority said its distribution of casino revenues to the tribe during the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, totaled $72 million, and that it expects to distribute between $59 million and $64 million to the tribe in fiscal 2010.
"Much of the distribution ... funds tribal services and programs," Malerba said. "Our philosophy has been to support cultural preservation, education, health care, elder care and child care above all. Our priority is programs."
The chairwoman said the projected reduction in the authority's distribution to the tribe "is directly tied to decreases in casino revenues, which are an effect of the global economic downturn. … We remain deeply committed to honoring all our financial obligations."
Pequot payments higher
While the Mashantuckets have never disclosed their per capita payments, it's long been believed that they are considerably higher than those paid by the Mohegans. In August, a source who discussed the Mashantuckets' finances with The Day on condition of anonymity said the payments have been reduced in recent years and now range between $90,000 and $120,000 a year. Tribal members who spoke to The Day confirmed that payments are in that range.
Unlike the Mohegans, the Mashantuckets do not register their debt with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and are not obligated to report their financial results. Sources, however, have said the tribe counts on $90 million to $100 million a year in Foxwoods casino revenues to fund tribal government and per capita payments.
Given the Mashantuckets' need to restructure their debt and the prospect that Connecticut's casinos will face increasing competition from virtually every direction in the years ahead, some analysts have questioned whether the tribe can maintain its current level of funding for tribal expenses.
"I personally don't have a problem with the tribe providing support to tribal members if they want to go to college, say, or to get training for better jobs," said Pedreira, the gaming analyst. "But I would object to 'disincentiving' them by paying them for doing nothing. You don't want to undermine them.
"What if Massachusetts (casinos) come in a big way and tribal members aren't prepared for careers? They miss the boat. … I'd rather see them keep it (gaming revenues) for a rainy day fund and to provide for training and education so members can stand on their own two legs. Perhaps in economic times like this you come in and help out."
b.hallenbeck@theday.com
• 230 tribes operated 425 gaming facilities in 28 states
• Tribal gaming facilities generated about $26.5 billion in gaming revenue
• 73 gaming tribes distributed per capita payments to tribal members
SOURCE: Indian Gaming Industry Report, 2008-09 edition
Popular on theday.com
StoriesMediaDiscussedMost-Read Stories
By Brian Hallenbeck
The Day
Published 10/25/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/25/2009 01:56 AM0
0
COMMENTS ( 9 ) Lenders interested in distribution of revenues
Times were flush when the Mohegans sought the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs' approval of the tribe's plan for distributing gaming revenues.
After ensuring that the plan provided adequate funding for tribal government and economic development, among other things, the deputy commissioner of Indian Affairs signed off on the plan on July 16, 2001. It calls for 40 to 50 percent of the tribe's net gaming revenues from Mohegan Sun to be distributed to the tribe's adult members on a quarterly basis.
More recently, on Jan. 4, 2008, the office of the secretary of the Department of the Interior approved a Gaming Revenue Allocation Plan submitted by the Mashantucket Pequots. Under the plan, up to 30 percent of the net gaming revenues generated by Foxwoods Resort Casino (including MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened in May 2008) are to be distributed to tribal adults "to help advance their personal health, safety and welfare."
The plans, which the BIA requires of tribes that choose to make so-called per capita payments to members, have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, particularly in the case of the Mashantucket Pequots, who are seeking to restructure a debt load of more than $2 billion. Gaming industry analysts and the Mashantuckets' creditors are more interested than ever in how the tribe distributes its gaming revenue.
The creditors were alarmed in late August when Mashantucket Chairman Michael Thomas, addressing tribal members about the "dire financial times" facing the tribe, vowed to protect funding for tribal government and per capita "incentive" payments from further cuts. The pledge, which many within and without Indian Country considered irresponsible, cost Thomas his chairmanship. Placed on administrative leave and facing a tribal council vote to expel him from the council, Thomas announced he would not seek re-election Nov. 1.
"He's not that relevant at the moment," Jane Pedreira, a gaming analyst with Rye, N.Y.-based Clear Sights Research, said last week.
With Thomas out of the picture, the investment world is keen to learn about the tribe's funding of its tribal operations and the payouts its members receive. If they're having trouble finding such information, "it's not for our lack of looking," one investor said.
Plans' percentage breakdowns
Copies of the revenue-allocation plans, which The Day obtained from the BIA through a federal Freedom of Information Act request, detail the percentage breakdown of the tribes' allocation of their net gaming revenues. The Mohegans' 10-page plan specifies that 30 to 40 percent of the tribe's revenue is to be dedicated to tribal-government operations and programs, including investments and education; 5 to 15 percent to the general welfare of tribal members, including investments, health, housing, social services and youth services programs; and 10 to 20 percent to economic development, both gaming and non-gaming related.
The plan also provides for charitable contributions, funding for local government and "any purpose authorized by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act" in amounts "deemed appropriate by the Tribal Council."
The per capita distributions - 40 to 50 percent of the tribe's gaming revenue - "shall be provided to qualified tribal members in equal amounts, unless determined otherwise by the Tribal Council," the plan says. Per capita benefits for minors are placed in trust.
The Mashantuckets' six-page plan specifies that 25 percent of the tribe's revenue is to be allocated to tribal government; 15 percent to the general welfare of tribal members; 25 percent to economic development; 5 percent to charitable contributions and 30 percent to per capita distributions.
Mashantucket per capita payments are paid monthly in amounts that vary based on a tribal member's age. Adult members, of which there are about 450, are divided into three age groups - 18 to 34; 35 to 54; and those considered tribal elders, 55 and above. Fifty percent of the payment for those 18 to 24 is determined by whether they are employed full time, enrolled full time in "a qualified school," in military service or in the ministry.
The plan specifies that the tribe provides full medical care and payment of educational expenses, including tuition, for those under 18.
A spokesman for the Mashantuckets did not respond last week to requests for comment on the subject of revenue allocation plans. Lynn Malerba, the newly elected chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, was traveling much of the week and conveyed answers to questions e-mailed through Chuck Bunnell, the tribe's chief of staff.
Malerba said her tribe does not publicly discuss details of its plan, and characterized the Mohegans' per capita payments as "modest." Reportedly, the payments are about $28,000 a year, a figure Bunnell would neither confirm nor deny. About 800 adult members of the 2,000-member tribe are eligible for the payments.
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates Mohegan Sun, released preliminary financial results for its 2009 fiscal year in advance of last week's private sale of $200 million in senior secured notes. The authority said its distribution of casino revenues to the tribe during the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, totaled $72 million, and that it expects to distribute between $59 million and $64 million to the tribe in fiscal 2010.
"Much of the distribution ... funds tribal services and programs," Malerba said. "Our philosophy has been to support cultural preservation, education, health care, elder care and child care above all. Our priority is programs."
The chairwoman said the projected reduction in the authority's distribution to the tribe "is directly tied to decreases in casino revenues, which are an effect of the global economic downturn. … We remain deeply committed to honoring all our financial obligations."
Pequot payments higher
While the Mashantuckets have never disclosed their per capita payments, it's long been believed that they are considerably higher than those paid by the Mohegans. In August, a source who discussed the Mashantuckets' finances with The Day on condition of anonymity said the payments have been reduced in recent years and now range between $90,000 and $120,000 a year. Tribal members who spoke to The Day confirmed that payments are in that range.
Unlike the Mohegans, the Mashantuckets do not register their debt with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and are not obligated to report their financial results. Sources, however, have said the tribe counts on $90 million to $100 million a year in Foxwoods casino revenues to fund tribal government and per capita payments.
Given the Mashantuckets' need to restructure their debt and the prospect that Connecticut's casinos will face increasing competition from virtually every direction in the years ahead, some analysts have questioned whether the tribe can maintain its current level of funding for tribal expenses.
"I personally don't have a problem with the tribe providing support to tribal members if they want to go to college, say, or to get training for better jobs," said Pedreira, the gaming analyst. "But I would object to 'disincentiving' them by paying them for doing nothing. You don't want to undermine them.
"What if Massachusetts (casinos) come in a big way and tribal members aren't prepared for careers? They miss the boat. … I'd rather see them keep it (gaming revenues) for a rainy day fund and to provide for training and education so members can stand on their own two legs. Perhaps in economic times like this you come in and help out."
b.hallenbeck@theday.com
• 230 tribes operated 425 gaming facilities in 28 states
• Tribal gaming facilities generated about $26.5 billion in gaming revenue
• 73 gaming tribes distributed per capita payments to tribal members
SOURCE: Indian Gaming Industry Report, 2008-09 edition
Popular on theday.com
StoriesMediaDiscussedMost-Read Stories
Saturday, October 24, 2009
FORMER VERMONT POLICE CHIEF CHARGED WITH USING VILLAGE FUNDS FOR GAMBLING
Former Bellows Falls, Vt. chief deals on gambling debt .
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The Associated Press
Posted Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:45 AM
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BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — .The former Bellows Falls village police chief has reached a deal with federal prosecutors over charges he embezzled village money to use at Connecticut casinos.
Prosecutors say John Dunfee will formally enter his plea to one count of federal wire fraud at a sentencing hearing early next year.
Court documents say that in June 2007 when Dunfee was interim chief in Bellows Falls he used a village credit card to pay for gambling trips to casinos.
The same documents say he submitted a payment request for $2,300 to village officials claiming he used the money to buy firearms for new officers. Instead he used the money to pay a credit card charge from a casino.
He resigned in September 2007.
Dunfee could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The article shows that anyone can allegedly get caught up in gambling, in this case a police chief. Are the casinos a problem for people? What can the casinos do about these problems? What do you think?
THE ACCUSED IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Associated Press
Posted Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:45 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — .The former Bellows Falls village police chief has reached a deal with federal prosecutors over charges he embezzled village money to use at Connecticut casinos.
Prosecutors say John Dunfee will formally enter his plea to one count of federal wire fraud at a sentencing hearing early next year.
Court documents say that in June 2007 when Dunfee was interim chief in Bellows Falls he used a village credit card to pay for gambling trips to casinos.
The same documents say he submitted a payment request for $2,300 to village officials claiming he used the money to buy firearms for new officers. Instead he used the money to pay a credit card charge from a casino.
He resigned in September 2007.
Dunfee could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The article shows that anyone can allegedly get caught up in gambling, in this case a police chief. Are the casinos a problem for people? What can the casinos do about these problems? What do you think?
THE ACCUSED IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.
SACHEM FUND FACES HARD TIMES?
Sachem Fund tightens up rules as money dwindles
By Claire Bessette
The Day
Published 10/22/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/22/2009 03:08 AM0
0
COMMENTS ( 1 )
Norwich - Facing dwindling funds in the future, the Sachem Fund Committee will be stricter with money already allocated, reclaiming some grant money unspent by one recipient and giving several others a Jan. 1 deadline to spend their money.
Nearly $107,000 remains outstanding in grants allocated to various agencies but not yet spent.
"We do need to recapture some of this money if we're going to have another round," committee Chairman and Alderman William Nash said.
The fund, created in 2007 by the city and the Mohegan tribe with each contributing $200,000 per year for five years, has become a victim of the recession. Both entities cut allocations to $50,000 this year, leaving the committee with $100,000 in new money by next spring's next grant round, instead of $400,000. The city's $50,000 allocation this year has earned about $26,000 in interest, giving an expected total of about $126,000 for next spring.
The grant application round will start Feb. 1, with applications due by March 1. The committee will review the applications and make a recommendation to the City Council, which must approve funding, at the first meeting in May.
The committee sent a letter last month to several grant recipients asking for the status of their grants. Based on their responses, the committee voted Wednesday to recall a $40,000 grant to the city Recreation Department that had been awarded to create a recreational boating program. The committee will send Recreation Director Luis DePina a letter inviting him to apply again for this or another program next year.
The committee also voted to give strict deadlines on several grant recipients who hold $66,943 in unspent funds, asking for significant progress on their programs by Jan. 1. The Downtown Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Committee retains $10,000 unspent for several intended programs. While committee members agreed the total is not enough for all the group's projects, they said it should be enough to create a new Web site and to publish a brochure.
Others with outstanding grants are:
• Public Works Department, $28,258 for renovation of porch at Buckingham Memorial building.
• City Manager's office, $24,092 for cleanup of 26 Shipping St.
• Public Works Department, $4,379 for neighborhood improvements at Huntington Place.
• Norwich Tourism Office, $213 for summer concert series.
c.bessette@theday.com
860-442-2200
The Day Publishing Company
New London, CT USA
Copyright © 1998 - 2009
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Because of poor management by the MTGA (the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority), the MTGA doesn't have the money to put into the Sachem Fund. Not only is the MTGA hurting it's own members (the Mohegan Tribe) by it's alleged mishandling of management of the Mohegan Sun, now they are hurting the Citizens of Norwich, Connecticut. How does a business that has made Billions of Dollars over the years find itself in this situation? Could it be poor planning? What do you think?
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.
By Claire Bessette
The Day
Published 10/22/2009 12:00 AMUpdated 10/22/2009 03:08 AM0
0
COMMENTS ( 1 )
Norwich - Facing dwindling funds in the future, the Sachem Fund Committee will be stricter with money already allocated, reclaiming some grant money unspent by one recipient and giving several others a Jan. 1 deadline to spend their money.
Nearly $107,000 remains outstanding in grants allocated to various agencies but not yet spent.
"We do need to recapture some of this money if we're going to have another round," committee Chairman and Alderman William Nash said.
The fund, created in 2007 by the city and the Mohegan tribe with each contributing $200,000 per year for five years, has become a victim of the recession. Both entities cut allocations to $50,000 this year, leaving the committee with $100,000 in new money by next spring's next grant round, instead of $400,000. The city's $50,000 allocation this year has earned about $26,000 in interest, giving an expected total of about $126,000 for next spring.
The grant application round will start Feb. 1, with applications due by March 1. The committee will review the applications and make a recommendation to the City Council, which must approve funding, at the first meeting in May.
The committee sent a letter last month to several grant recipients asking for the status of their grants. Based on their responses, the committee voted Wednesday to recall a $40,000 grant to the city Recreation Department that had been awarded to create a recreational boating program. The committee will send Recreation Director Luis DePina a letter inviting him to apply again for this or another program next year.
The committee also voted to give strict deadlines on several grant recipients who hold $66,943 in unspent funds, asking for significant progress on their programs by Jan. 1. The Downtown Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Committee retains $10,000 unspent for several intended programs. While committee members agreed the total is not enough for all the group's projects, they said it should be enough to create a new Web site and to publish a brochure.
Others with outstanding grants are:
• Public Works Department, $28,258 for renovation of porch at Buckingham Memorial building.
• City Manager's office, $24,092 for cleanup of 26 Shipping St.
• Public Works Department, $4,379 for neighborhood improvements at Huntington Place.
• Norwich Tourism Office, $213 for summer concert series.
c.bessette@theday.com
860-442-2200
The Day Publishing Company
New London, CT USA
Copyright © 1998 - 2009
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Because of poor management by the MTGA (the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority), the MTGA doesn't have the money to put into the Sachem Fund. Not only is the MTGA hurting it's own members (the Mohegan Tribe) by it's alleged mishandling of management of the Mohegan Sun, now they are hurting the Citizens of Norwich, Connecticut. How does a business that has made Billions of Dollars over the years find itself in this situation? Could it be poor planning? What do you think?
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS AND IDEAS OF BROKENWING.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
PALMER MEETING ON OCTOBER 27, 2009
Mohegan Sun to hold meetings on Palmer casino plans
By Thomas Grillo
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - Added 9h ago
Owners of Mohegan Sun will host a series of community meetings in Western Massachusetts about its plans for a casino resort in Palmer.
“We will answer questions about the project, talk about employment opportunities and vet people’s complaints,” said Paul Brody, Mohegan’s vice president of development.
The first of these meetings is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. Other sessions will be scheduled at a later date for suburban Springfield.
Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino hopes to build a $1 billion resort gambling facility near the Massachusetts Turnpike in Palmer. Mohegan’s Tribal Gaming Authority signed a long-term lease for the 152-acre parcel last year. Mohegan opened an office in downtown Palmer earlier this year to provide information about its proposed casino.
Brody said he does not expect organized opponents of casino gambling to pack the hearings.
“We do get visits from some anti-casino people in our Palmer office who say they don’t want more traffic,” he said. “But they usually say if you do build one, here are my suggestions. We rarely get someone who says they oppose casinos anywhere.”
Beacon Hill lawmakers have scheduled a hearing for next Thursday, Oct. 29 for 17 House and Senate bills that would expand gambling in the Bay State.
This week, two out-of-state developers pitched Crossroads Resort on 200 acres in Milford to local officials. Also, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has downsized its plan for a casino in Middleboro due to tight credit markets.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE; Where is the MTGA (Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority) going to get the funds for this project? Didn't they just borrow another $200 Million? Where are they going to get $1 Billion? Are you kidding me? Is this the best the MTGa can come up with? They had better fix what is wrong at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, before they take on another project. What do you think?
By Thomas Grillo
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - Added 9h ago
Owners of Mohegan Sun will host a series of community meetings in Western Massachusetts about its plans for a casino resort in Palmer.
“We will answer questions about the project, talk about employment opportunities and vet people’s complaints,” said Paul Brody, Mohegan’s vice president of development.
The first of these meetings is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. Other sessions will be scheduled at a later date for suburban Springfield.
Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino hopes to build a $1 billion resort gambling facility near the Massachusetts Turnpike in Palmer. Mohegan’s Tribal Gaming Authority signed a long-term lease for the 152-acre parcel last year. Mohegan opened an office in downtown Palmer earlier this year to provide information about its proposed casino.
Brody said he does not expect organized opponents of casino gambling to pack the hearings.
“We do get visits from some anti-casino people in our Palmer office who say they don’t want more traffic,” he said. “But they usually say if you do build one, here are my suggestions. We rarely get someone who says they oppose casinos anywhere.”
Beacon Hill lawmakers have scheduled a hearing for next Thursday, Oct. 29 for 17 House and Senate bills that would expand gambling in the Bay State.
This week, two out-of-state developers pitched Crossroads Resort on 200 acres in Milford to local officials. Also, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has downsized its plan for a casino in Middleboro due to tight credit markets.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE; Where is the MTGA (Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority) going to get the funds for this project? Didn't they just borrow another $200 Million? Where are they going to get $1 Billion? Are you kidding me? Is this the best the MTGa can come up with? They had better fix what is wrong at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, before they take on another project. What do you think?
Monday, October 19, 2009
ONEIDAS AND MENOMINEE GET STIMULUS FUNDS
Update: Oneida, Menominee use $38 million in stimulus funds to upgrade Thornberry Creek, finance convention center, hotel expansion
Tribes get about $38 million combined
By Malavika Jagannathan • mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com • September 22, 2009
Northeastern Wisconsin tribes will receive almost $38 million in economic development bonds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act intended to provide low-cost financing for infrastructure projects.
The Oneida Tribe of Indians will use the tax-exempt bonds to refinance some construction projects they have already undertaken and fund several upgrade projects at the Thornberry Creek at Oneida golf course.
The Menominee Nation, which received more than $22.5 million in bonds, will use the funds to pay for a new convention center and hotel expansion, according to assistant tribal attorney John Wilhelmi. The tribe may find other ways to finance this project and may not use the allocation in the end, but it gives them an additional option in a poor borrowing climate, Wilhelmi said.
"It's been a tough couple of years to borrow money and this would help," Wilhelmi said. He added that the legislation also removes previous restrictions on tribes to use tax-exempt bonds, expanding the types of projects that tribes can borrow for.
About 58 tribes will receive about $1 billion in stimulus bond authority, giving them access to low-interest bonds for infrastructure projects intended to speed up economic growth on reservations. Another $1 billion will be awarded in the next round of bonds given out by the Treasury Department next year.
Lance Broberg, the president of the Oneida Airport Hotel Corp. that runs the tribal hospitality entities, said the tribe applied for bonds to refinance the purchase of the Wingate Hotel, the purchase of Thornberry Creek at Oneida and a recent renovation project at the Oneida Casino that included their buffet area.
It received $15 million, which will cover about 80 percent of the purchase price of the Wingate Hotel and Thornberry Creek, and 40 percent of the $4.1 million project at the Oneida Casino that expanded the buffet and high stakes area.
"We received partial funding for all three projects," Broberg said. "It allows us to get these dollars at low interest rates and reduce our debt."
About $1 million of the money will be used to fund ongoing and future improvements at Thornberry Creek, the golf course the tribe purchased last December out of bankruptcy court and reopened earlier this year. That includes improvements to the banquet facility, the course and renovation of its bunkers.
"It's designed to stimulate the hospitality businesses that might be struggling," Broberg said of the bonds. "Anything we can do is going to be good for this business."
Tribes across the nation plan to use the money for various projects such as a corrections facility in South Dakota, low-income housing in Washington and a marina in California.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Good for the Oneidas, Menominee and other tribes that took advantage of the stimulus funds.
We wish all the tribes that received stimulus funds, prosperity and good luck on their endeavors. Did the Mohegans apply for any of these funds? What do you think?
Tribes get about $38 million combined
By Malavika Jagannathan • mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com • September 22, 2009
Northeastern Wisconsin tribes will receive almost $38 million in economic development bonds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act intended to provide low-cost financing for infrastructure projects.
The Oneida Tribe of Indians will use the tax-exempt bonds to refinance some construction projects they have already undertaken and fund several upgrade projects at the Thornberry Creek at Oneida golf course.
The Menominee Nation, which received more than $22.5 million in bonds, will use the funds to pay for a new convention center and hotel expansion, according to assistant tribal attorney John Wilhelmi. The tribe may find other ways to finance this project and may not use the allocation in the end, but it gives them an additional option in a poor borrowing climate, Wilhelmi said.
"It's been a tough couple of years to borrow money and this would help," Wilhelmi said. He added that the legislation also removes previous restrictions on tribes to use tax-exempt bonds, expanding the types of projects that tribes can borrow for.
About 58 tribes will receive about $1 billion in stimulus bond authority, giving them access to low-interest bonds for infrastructure projects intended to speed up economic growth on reservations. Another $1 billion will be awarded in the next round of bonds given out by the Treasury Department next year.
Lance Broberg, the president of the Oneida Airport Hotel Corp. that runs the tribal hospitality entities, said the tribe applied for bonds to refinance the purchase of the Wingate Hotel, the purchase of Thornberry Creek at Oneida and a recent renovation project at the Oneida Casino that included their buffet area.
It received $15 million, which will cover about 80 percent of the purchase price of the Wingate Hotel and Thornberry Creek, and 40 percent of the $4.1 million project at the Oneida Casino that expanded the buffet and high stakes area.
"We received partial funding for all three projects," Broberg said. "It allows us to get these dollars at low interest rates and reduce our debt."
About $1 million of the money will be used to fund ongoing and future improvements at Thornberry Creek, the golf course the tribe purchased last December out of bankruptcy court and reopened earlier this year. That includes improvements to the banquet facility, the course and renovation of its bunkers.
"It's designed to stimulate the hospitality businesses that might be struggling," Broberg said of the bonds. "Anything we can do is going to be good for this business."
Tribes across the nation plan to use the money for various projects such as a corrections facility in South Dakota, low-income housing in Washington and a marina in California.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Good for the Oneidas, Menominee and other tribes that took advantage of the stimulus funds.
We wish all the tribes that received stimulus funds, prosperity and good luck on their endeavors. Did the Mohegans apply for any of these funds? What do you think?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
ARE ONEIDAS DOING A GOOD THING OR NOT?
Anti-cancer group breaks ties with Turning Stone, but SU basketball coach Jim Boeheim to continue fundraiser there
by Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
Thursday September 17, 2009, 11:35 PM
Lauren Long / The Post-Standard
Jennine Yonta and Alan Andrews, both of Syracuse, get a kick out of having their photo taken with members of the Syracuse University men's basketball team during the Basket Ball, a fundraiser for Coaches vs. Cancer, held April 25 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
The annual Coaches vs. Cancer gala, one of the most prominent fund-raisers in Central New York, is in jeopardy because the American Cancer Society has decided to sever all ties with the Oneida Indian Nation.
The gala has been held at the nation's Turning Stone Resort and Casino for eight years. This year, it raised $325,000 for the cancer society.
The cancer society announced Thursday it will no longer deal with the Oneida nation because the tribe now produces its own cigarettes. The Post-Standard reported Thursday that the nation last year bought a cigarette factory in Erie County that produced 1.4 million cartons of off-brand cigarettes in 2008.
When Syracuse University men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who hosts the event, was told of the cancer society's decision by The Post-Standard, he laughed.
"Jim Boeheim will hold an event at Turning Stone next year, but it will be for somebody else," said Boeheim, a cancer survivor who sits on the national board of Coaches vs. Cancer. "It will be to benefit the kids of Syracuse or city schools."
Lauren Long / The Post-Standard
Jim Boeheim, accompanied by wife Juli, recaps this year's NCAA run with the Syracuse University men's basketball team for an audience of about 700 during the Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser, which was held April 25 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
» Read our previous coverage
The Cancer Society has been criticized for holding the fund-raiser at Turning Stone because the resort allows smoking and the nation sells more than a million cartons of cigarettes each year without charging state and local taxes. But making their own cigarettes puts the Oneidas in a new league, said Lisa Smith, regional vice president of the society's Central New York branch.
"In our eyes, by purchasing a manufacturing plant they have joined the ranks of Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds," Smith said. "We're facing a tax issue, and manufacturing cigarettes is almost going backwards."
The Oneidas, like other tribes, do not collect excise and sales taxes on cigarette sales. Those taxes discourage young people from taking up smoking and helps pay for health services for the poor, Smith said.
Smith said the Oneida nation is "preemptively evading a law the American Cancer Society has been working to get enforced - a law that would prohibit manufacturers from selling tobacco products to retailers who don't collect sales tax."
Boeheim said he disagreed with the cancer society's decision, but understands it. Turning Stone has been too good a partner to abandon, though, he said. "We raise $150,000 more there than any place else because they pay for the entertainment, they charge us nothing for the facility, and they give us a deal on the food," Boeheim said.
This year's gala and golf tournament raised a combined $600,000, he said. Expenses at Turning Stone amount to about 17 percent, vs. more than 40 percent at other venues, Boeheim said.
Cancer society spokeswoman Amy Delia said the organization has not talked with Boeheim yet about next year's event, generally held the last weekend in April. "We haven't gotten that far yet," she said.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the cancer society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Oneida nation bought the cigarette plant last fall after the state Legislature passed a law designed to collect taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian tribes. The law requires manufacturers to certify that wholesalers pay the $27.50-per-carton excise tax before selling the cigarettes to retailers, including Indian tribes.
Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 470-3251.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Although smoking is not popular anymore, the Oneida Tribe producing their own smokes seems lika a smart business thing to do. The fact that they help by providing their casino and give a good deal to charity should mean something. Are the Oneidas doing a good thing? What do you think?
by Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
Thursday September 17, 2009, 11:35 PM
Lauren Long / The Post-Standard
Jennine Yonta and Alan Andrews, both of Syracuse, get a kick out of having their photo taken with members of the Syracuse University men's basketball team during the Basket Ball, a fundraiser for Coaches vs. Cancer, held April 25 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
The annual Coaches vs. Cancer gala, one of the most prominent fund-raisers in Central New York, is in jeopardy because the American Cancer Society has decided to sever all ties with the Oneida Indian Nation.
The gala has been held at the nation's Turning Stone Resort and Casino for eight years. This year, it raised $325,000 for the cancer society.
The cancer society announced Thursday it will no longer deal with the Oneida nation because the tribe now produces its own cigarettes. The Post-Standard reported Thursday that the nation last year bought a cigarette factory in Erie County that produced 1.4 million cartons of off-brand cigarettes in 2008.
When Syracuse University men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who hosts the event, was told of the cancer society's decision by The Post-Standard, he laughed.
"Jim Boeheim will hold an event at Turning Stone next year, but it will be for somebody else," said Boeheim, a cancer survivor who sits on the national board of Coaches vs. Cancer. "It will be to benefit the kids of Syracuse or city schools."
Lauren Long / The Post-Standard
Jim Boeheim, accompanied by wife Juli, recaps this year's NCAA run with the Syracuse University men's basketball team for an audience of about 700 during the Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser, which was held April 25 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
» Read our previous coverage
The Cancer Society has been criticized for holding the fund-raiser at Turning Stone because the resort allows smoking and the nation sells more than a million cartons of cigarettes each year without charging state and local taxes. But making their own cigarettes puts the Oneidas in a new league, said Lisa Smith, regional vice president of the society's Central New York branch.
"In our eyes, by purchasing a manufacturing plant they have joined the ranks of Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds," Smith said. "We're facing a tax issue, and manufacturing cigarettes is almost going backwards."
The Oneidas, like other tribes, do not collect excise and sales taxes on cigarette sales. Those taxes discourage young people from taking up smoking and helps pay for health services for the poor, Smith said.
Smith said the Oneida nation is "preemptively evading a law the American Cancer Society has been working to get enforced - a law that would prohibit manufacturers from selling tobacco products to retailers who don't collect sales tax."
Boeheim said he disagreed with the cancer society's decision, but understands it. Turning Stone has been too good a partner to abandon, though, he said. "We raise $150,000 more there than any place else because they pay for the entertainment, they charge us nothing for the facility, and they give us a deal on the food," Boeheim said.
This year's gala and golf tournament raised a combined $600,000, he said. Expenses at Turning Stone amount to about 17 percent, vs. more than 40 percent at other venues, Boeheim said.
Cancer society spokeswoman Amy Delia said the organization has not talked with Boeheim yet about next year's event, generally held the last weekend in April. "We haven't gotten that far yet," she said.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the cancer society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Oneida nation bought the cigarette plant last fall after the state Legislature passed a law designed to collect taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian tribes. The law requires manufacturers to certify that wholesalers pay the $27.50-per-carton excise tax before selling the cigarettes to retailers, including Indian tribes.
Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 470-3251.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Although smoking is not popular anymore, the Oneida Tribe producing their own smokes seems lika a smart business thing to do. The fact that they help by providing their casino and give a good deal to charity should mean something. Are the Oneidas doing a good thing? What do you think?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NEW YORK GOVERNOR SUPPORTS SHINNECOCK FEDERAL RECOGNITION
NY governor endorses Shinnecock federal acknowledgment
Follows earlier support for withdrawal of ‘commutability guidance’
By Gale Courey Toensing
Story Published: Oct 4, 2009
Story Updated: Oct 2, 2009
ALBANY, N.Y. – Gov. David Paterson has written to the secretary of the Interior Department, expressing support for the Shinnecock Indian Nation’s federal acknowledgment, an unprecedented public gesture of tribal support from a state governor.
The Shinnecock Nation was among the first Indian nations in the country to file for federal acknowledgment in 1978 under what were then the BIAs newly established regulations. It was fourth on the list of petitioners waiting to be reviewed.
“To say federal recognition of the Shinnecock is long overdue would be an understatement,” Paterson wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Sept. 22. “It is my understanding that the Shinnecock has included in its petition over 40,000 pates of documentation, demonstrating the attributes of a federally-recognized Indian tribe, including evidence of self-government that dates back to 1641. In fact, throughout New York state history, the government has maintained a government-to-government relationship with the Shinnecock.”
The nation’s journey to federal acknowledgment has been strewn with lawsuits, controversy and delays.
In 2005, a federal judge bypassed the BIA recognition process and ruled that the state-recognized Shinnecock Indians are indeed a federal tribe, but the Interior Department refused to recognize the judge’s ruling despite a law saying tribes can be federally recognized by the BIA process, by Congress or by a federal judge. The nation sued Interior, and last May the parties reached a settlement requiring the BIA to issue a Proposed Finding on the tribe’s petition for federal recognition by Dec. 15.
“I’m hopeful that the Proposed Finding that will be issued this year will find the Shinnecock Indian Nation as a federally recognized Indian tribe,” Paterson said.
In addition to the Dec. 15 deadline for a Proposed Finding, the agreement cuts in half the comment period following the Proposed Finding from a maximum of 360 days to 180 days, though it could be as quick as 90 days. Overall, the agreement ensures that a final decision will be reached in 2010, possibly as early as June.
Shinnecock leaders welcomed Paterson’s endorsement, calling him “a man of principle.”
“New York state Gov. David A. Paterson is a true leader who has demonstrated that he understands the history of the Shinnecock people and our government-to-government relationship with New York state. Gov. Paterson also recognizes that in order for the Shinnecock Indian Nation to have a fair chance at economic opportunity and a better quality of life that the time has come for us to join the ranks of federally recognized tribes. As with other federal tribes, recognition can open a door for us leading to adequate housing, expanded health care, and economic parity for our people. We thank the governor and the state of New York for this support and pledge to work with the state in a spirit of cooperation,” Randy King, chairman of the nation’s three-person board of trustees, said.
The Shinnecock nation has around 1,300 members, more than 600 of whom live on its 1,200-acre reservation next to the Town of Southampton on the ritzy East End of Long Island, according to the nation’s Web site. The nation’s aboriginal territory stretched from what is known today as Easthampton west to Brookhaven.
In addition to federal funding for housing, health and education, federal acknowledgment would give the nation the right to open a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The Shinnecock could begin Class II gaming on its reservation, but the nation has faced local opposition from residents who worry that a casino would create a traffic nightmare in an already overburdened highway infrastructure. The nation is considering instead a full-scale – and much more profitable – Class III gaming operation elsewhere. The Aqueduct Race Track in Queens has been eyed as a potential site, but so far that plan has not moved forward.
In order to conduct gaming beyond its reservation, Shinnecock would likely have to purchase land and ask the Interior to take it into trust. That would require a legislative fix to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Carcieri ruling last February that the Interior secretary does not have the authority to take land into trust for tribes federally recognized after the Indian Reorganization Act passed in 1934.
On Sept. 24, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., introduced legislation in the Senate to amend the 1934 IRA to say the Interior secretary has the authority to take land into trust for all federally recognized tribes. There are indications that opposition to the bill is growing, however.
The Interior Department would also have to undo the Bush-era “commutability guidance memorandum” issued in January 2008 by former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. The memorandum cited “commutability” as a new standard for denying off-reservation trust applications for gaming purposes.
Last May, Paterson wrote to Salazar urging him to reverse the commutability guidance memorandum.
“During his tenure, Secretary Kempthorne took several actions that were not in the best interest of New York state and this specific policy prevented critical economic development that the legislature and governor’s office approved. I am confident Secretary Salazar will be more attuned to the needs of New York’s residents and our Indian nations,” Paterson said about his letter.
Follows earlier support for withdrawal of ‘commutability guidance’
By Gale Courey Toensing
Story Published: Oct 4, 2009
Story Updated: Oct 2, 2009
ALBANY, N.Y. – Gov. David Paterson has written to the secretary of the Interior Department, expressing support for the Shinnecock Indian Nation’s federal acknowledgment, an unprecedented public gesture of tribal support from a state governor.
The Shinnecock Nation was among the first Indian nations in the country to file for federal acknowledgment in 1978 under what were then the BIAs newly established regulations. It was fourth on the list of petitioners waiting to be reviewed.
“To say federal recognition of the Shinnecock is long overdue would be an understatement,” Paterson wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Sept. 22. “It is my understanding that the Shinnecock has included in its petition over 40,000 pates of documentation, demonstrating the attributes of a federally-recognized Indian tribe, including evidence of self-government that dates back to 1641. In fact, throughout New York state history, the government has maintained a government-to-government relationship with the Shinnecock.”
The nation’s journey to federal acknowledgment has been strewn with lawsuits, controversy and delays.
In 2005, a federal judge bypassed the BIA recognition process and ruled that the state-recognized Shinnecock Indians are indeed a federal tribe, but the Interior Department refused to recognize the judge’s ruling despite a law saying tribes can be federally recognized by the BIA process, by Congress or by a federal judge. The nation sued Interior, and last May the parties reached a settlement requiring the BIA to issue a Proposed Finding on the tribe’s petition for federal recognition by Dec. 15.
“I’m hopeful that the Proposed Finding that will be issued this year will find the Shinnecock Indian Nation as a federally recognized Indian tribe,” Paterson said.
In addition to the Dec. 15 deadline for a Proposed Finding, the agreement cuts in half the comment period following the Proposed Finding from a maximum of 360 days to 180 days, though it could be as quick as 90 days. Overall, the agreement ensures that a final decision will be reached in 2010, possibly as early as June.
Shinnecock leaders welcomed Paterson’s endorsement, calling him “a man of principle.”
“New York state Gov. David A. Paterson is a true leader who has demonstrated that he understands the history of the Shinnecock people and our government-to-government relationship with New York state. Gov. Paterson also recognizes that in order for the Shinnecock Indian Nation to have a fair chance at economic opportunity and a better quality of life that the time has come for us to join the ranks of federally recognized tribes. As with other federal tribes, recognition can open a door for us leading to adequate housing, expanded health care, and economic parity for our people. We thank the governor and the state of New York for this support and pledge to work with the state in a spirit of cooperation,” Randy King, chairman of the nation’s three-person board of trustees, said.
The Shinnecock nation has around 1,300 members, more than 600 of whom live on its 1,200-acre reservation next to the Town of Southampton on the ritzy East End of Long Island, according to the nation’s Web site. The nation’s aboriginal territory stretched from what is known today as Easthampton west to Brookhaven.
In addition to federal funding for housing, health and education, federal acknowledgment would give the nation the right to open a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The Shinnecock could begin Class II gaming on its reservation, but the nation has faced local opposition from residents who worry that a casino would create a traffic nightmare in an already overburdened highway infrastructure. The nation is considering instead a full-scale – and much more profitable – Class III gaming operation elsewhere. The Aqueduct Race Track in Queens has been eyed as a potential site, but so far that plan has not moved forward.
In order to conduct gaming beyond its reservation, Shinnecock would likely have to purchase land and ask the Interior to take it into trust. That would require a legislative fix to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Carcieri ruling last February that the Interior secretary does not have the authority to take land into trust for tribes federally recognized after the Indian Reorganization Act passed in 1934.
On Sept. 24, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., introduced legislation in the Senate to amend the 1934 IRA to say the Interior secretary has the authority to take land into trust for all federally recognized tribes. There are indications that opposition to the bill is growing, however.
The Interior Department would also have to undo the Bush-era “commutability guidance memorandum” issued in January 2008 by former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. The memorandum cited “commutability” as a new standard for denying off-reservation trust applications for gaming purposes.
Last May, Paterson wrote to Salazar urging him to reverse the commutability guidance memorandum.
“During his tenure, Secretary Kempthorne took several actions that were not in the best interest of New York state and this specific policy prevented critical economic development that the legislature and governor’s office approved. I am confident Secretary Salazar will be more attuned to the needs of New York’s residents and our Indian nations,” Paterson said about his letter.
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.
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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"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.
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
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.
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?
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.'
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.
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)
SynopsisEditHistoryDiscuss
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.
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)
SynopsisEditHistoryDiscuss
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?
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.
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.
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