Bellingham Casino News Source: http://www.bellinghamherald.com
State deal with Nooksacks echoes other tribal accords
JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
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LIBRARY LOT OFF-LIMITS TO PROTEST PARKERS
A protest planned in front of the Nooksack River Casino Saturday won't include parking at the Deming library, the Whatcom County Library System's director warned Wednesday.
Joan Airoldi said the library needs its limited spots for patrons. She said she would ask that a Whatcom County sheriff's deputy be on hand to ensure protesters don't take the parking spaces.
Jeff Littlejohn, an organizer for casino opponent North County Community Alliance, said the group now plans for protesters to park along Mount Baker Highway. He said protesters would find a spot other than the library parking lot to organize for the protest, scheduled to begin about 11:30 a.m.
on the web Listen to state hearing on Nooksack Tribe's state gaming compact
What state officials viewed as a routine change to the Nooksack Indian Tribe's gambling compact last year actually started a series of events leading to a proposed casino north of Lynden.
The new rules of the compact between the tribe and state matched those of larger tribes, allowing for two casinos to be placed on reservations, Washington State Gambling Commission Director Rick Day said at the time. They also allowed the tribe to use trust lands neighboring a reservation for casinos, which he described as nothing too new.
"For tribes like Nooksack it standardizes the language, but their market and location really isn't going to create that kind of growth," Day told a joint state Senate and House committee in July 2005. "It is going to exist on paper to be consistent, but in reality, you'll never see that type of growth up there as far as we can see."
The new rules would give the tribe the opportunity it needed to expand its Nooksack River Casino in Deming to a 40-acre property across the Mount Baker Highway. Now a year later, the tribe has announced plans to build another casino near the Canadian border to finance the Deming expansion.
Profits from that proposed casino, at the corner of Northwood and Halverstick roads, would go toward building a new casino and hotel resort in Deming, said Mike Wootan, manager of the Nooksack River Casino. By doing that, the tribe can stay away from private investors and retain control of its operation, borrowing money from commercial lenders, he said.
Private investment groups finance and control parts of other tribal casinos, like Lummi Nation's Silver Reef Casino.
"This is a big deal for the tribe," Wootan said.
At the time of the compact negotiations, discussions were limited to concerns about the tribe's community contribution obligations. The compact calls for the tribe to give 2.5 percent of the net win of its table games to Whatcom County for law enforcement efforts, said Melinda Froud, a lawyer with the state gambling commission.
In a letter dated July 25, County Executive Pete Kremen told the gambling commission he met with the Nooksack tribe to discuss its community contributions. However, Kremen said Wednesday he knew nothing then about the tribe's plans to build the 35,800-square-foot casino north of Lynden near the Canadian border.
After the tribe announced its plan in May, critics warned the casino would destroy the surrounding farmland. Tuesday night, the Whatcom County Council voted to ask the tribe to talk to county officials before proceeding with the construction project. However, the land is in a tribal trust, exempting it from state and local control.
Pat Check, Nooksack's tribal administrator, said Wednesday the tribal council had yet to discuss the County Council's decision. However, Wootan issued a statement suggesting the County Council should have engaged the tribe privately to avoid the "political mess they're in currently."
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