By RICK ALM
The Kansas City Star
Missouri is pulling the plug on pull-tab gambling.
Declining sales have forced an end to the once-popular “pickles” or “paper slots,” sold for years at state-licensed bingo parlors and dispensed over the counter or through vending machines at 172 bars, bowling alleys and other venues around the state. They were once sold at more than 700 places.
“We’ve been watching it for a couple of years now,” Missouri Lottery director Larry Jansen said Wednesday. “Nationwide pull-tab sales are down. Players are just walking away from it.”
In Missouri, pull-tab sales have been eroding for a decade, slipping to a tad more than $15 million in the 2008 fiscal year, down from $17.4 million a year earlier and a peak of $29 million in the late 1990s.
Lottery commissioners agreed recently to liquidate the remaining inventory of pull-tab games at half price to retailers who will sell them until they’re all gone. Pull-tab vending machines already are starting to disappear from retail locations.
Pull tabs, which sell for 25 cents to a dollar, offer prizes up to $1,000. Players peel away a series of paper tabs to reveal symbols — arranged like slot machine reels — that award predetermined prizes based on each game’s rules for various combinations and alignments of symbols.
On the upside, Jansen said the Missouri Lottery expects by March to roll out “Lucky Dough,” a new online instant game that will be sandwiched every five minutes between Keno drawings — doubling the online action for players in social environments such as bars where the games are typically played using television monitors.
Game details haven’t been revealed yet, but Jansen said Lucky Dough will be based on a tic-tac-toe format.
To reach Rick Alm, call 816-234-4785 or send e-mail to ralm@kcstar.com.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Native American Healing Songs
Purchase my sister Thirza Defoe's 2009 Grammy Nominated Best Native American Music Album at Silver Wave Records Come to Me Great Mystery Native American Healing Songs
Best Native American Music Album 70
Come To Me Great Mystery is a collection of traditional Native American songs intended to heal the body and spirit. Each song has a profound depth and beauty which invokes a compassionate and mystical presence.
This stunning collection of all new recordings is another unique conceptual project by Grammy Award winning producer Tom Wasinger. As with his ground breaking World Music and Native American Lullaby collections, he works with with a talented and experienced cast of Native American singers including Thirza Defoe, Doug Foote, Lorain Fox, Allen Mose, and Dorothy Tsatoke.ÊTogether they create a healing sound that truly touches the human spirit.
Grammy 2009 list of nominations.Grammy.com
The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 8, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Friday, November 21, 2008
Lottery says illegal pull-tabs cost Wis. millions
By RYAN J. FOLEY , 11.20.08, 01:45 PM EST
Illegal pull-tab games are costing the Wisconsin Lottery millions in revenue, but prosecutors rarely go after their operators, according to an audit released Thursday.
The Lottery's sales of such tickets fell 22 percent to a low of $3.2 million in the budget year that ended June 30, according to the Legislative Audit Bureau report. Twenty years ago, pull-tab games brought in $25 million a year.
The Lottery offers 10 such games ranging in cost from 50 cents to $2 per ticket. Players pull back tabs and win money if their tickets reveal certain symbols, such as three cherries in a row.
Taverns, gas stations and other retailers are choosing to sell games offered by private vendors because they get commissions of up to 30 percent compared to no more than 6.25 percent under the state-run program.
Lottery officials say the private games are being sold illegally or under a loophole in Wisconsin law.
State law specifically bans private vendors from operating lotteries but exempts "promotional games of chance" that are sold with products. The Lottery says that's a loophole that vendors are exploiting to sell tickets, commonly with coupons or collectible "milk caps." A court decision in 2001 found such tickets qualified for the exemption.
In a letter to auditors, Revenue Secretary Roger Ervin said a staff analysis has concluded the Lottery could generate up to $23 million more per year if state law were changed to put shady competitors out of business.
Illegal pull-tab games are costing the Wisconsin Lottery millions in revenue, but prosecutors rarely go after their operators, according to an audit released Thursday.
The Lottery's sales of such tickets fell 22 percent to a low of $3.2 million in the budget year that ended June 30, according to the Legislative Audit Bureau report. Twenty years ago, pull-tab games brought in $25 million a year.
The Lottery offers 10 such games ranging in cost from 50 cents to $2 per ticket. Players pull back tabs and win money if their tickets reveal certain symbols, such as three cherries in a row.
Taverns, gas stations and other retailers are choosing to sell games offered by private vendors because they get commissions of up to 30 percent compared to no more than 6.25 percent under the state-run program.
Lottery officials say the private games are being sold illegally or under a loophole in Wisconsin law.
State law specifically bans private vendors from operating lotteries but exempts "promotional games of chance" that are sold with products. The Lottery says that's a loophole that vendors are exploiting to sell tickets, commonly with coupons or collectible "milk caps." A court decision in 2001 found such tickets qualified for the exemption.
In a letter to auditors, Revenue Secretary Roger Ervin said a staff analysis has concluded the Lottery could generate up to $23 million more per year if state law were changed to put shady competitors out of business.
Looting manager puts Kusko 300 in jeopardy: Sports | adn.com
Looting manager puts Kusko 300 in jeopardy: Sports adn.com:
"Out an estimated $15,000 and shaken by a manager looting race coffers, the one-time richest, middle-distance sled dog race in the north is scrambling to prepare for the January start of the mushing season.
The Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race from Bethel to Aniak and back is still scheduled for Jan. 16, but the purse won't be set until Dec. 15. It was $100,000 last year, mushing's third largest purse, behind only the three-times longer Iditarod and Yukon Quest International sled dog races.
But a lot has changed since the dog teams took their summer hiatus.
One-time Kusko race manager Staci J. Gillilan was arrested in May on charges that she had been embezzling race funds for almost a year. By then, she'd already been fired after the race's board of directors found out the Kusko had failed to pay the city of Bethel upwards of $20,000 in gaming taxes.
The Kusko raises a big chunk of its budget with the sale of pull tabs. Both the city and the state levy taxes on those games. The race was left liable for taxes Gillilan was supposed to pay but didn't.
Myron Angstman, the Kusko race chairman, said Gillilan is prepared to plead guilty to taking money from the race, and the race is hoping she will pay back some of the missing funds as part of a plea settlement."
"Out an estimated $15,000 and shaken by a manager looting race coffers, the one-time richest, middle-distance sled dog race in the north is scrambling to prepare for the January start of the mushing season.
The Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race from Bethel to Aniak and back is still scheduled for Jan. 16, but the purse won't be set until Dec. 15. It was $100,000 last year, mushing's third largest purse, behind only the three-times longer Iditarod and Yukon Quest International sled dog races.
But a lot has changed since the dog teams took their summer hiatus.
One-time Kusko race manager Staci J. Gillilan was arrested in May on charges that she had been embezzling race funds for almost a year. By then, she'd already been fired after the race's board of directors found out the Kusko had failed to pay the city of Bethel upwards of $20,000 in gaming taxes.
The Kusko raises a big chunk of its budget with the sale of pull tabs. Both the city and the state levy taxes on those games. The race was left liable for taxes Gillilan was supposed to pay but didn't.
Myron Angstman, the Kusko race chairman, said Gillilan is prepared to plead guilty to taking money from the race, and the race is hoping she will pay back some of the missing funds as part of a plea settlement."
Independent study challenges NIGC’s Class II figures
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association has released an independent study that shows the National Indian Gaming Commission underestimated the cost of implementing Class II regulations by $137.2 million.
The NIGC issued a cost-benefit study prepared by Policy Navigation Group on Sept. 24 prior to its adoption of new Class II regulations establishing technical standards and Minimum Internal Controls (MICs).
The study’s purpose was “to provide a comprehensive estimate of the social benefits and costs” of proposed Class II gaming regulations. The study was meant “to update and to supplement” an earlier independent study by economist Dr. Alan Meister on the potential impact of the same Class II regulations, which the NIGC had commissioned earlier this year.
OIGA hired Meister in turn to review the Policy Navigation Groups’ work. Meister has extensive experience analyzing economic issues related to the gaming industry, especially Indian gaming and online gaming. His work has included economic and fiscal impact analyses, industry and market analyses, assessments of regulatory policies, analyses of Tribal-State gaming compacts and revenue sharing, feasibility studies, surveys, and expert testimony in litigation and regulatory matters. He has also conducted independent, academic research on Indian gaming and is the author of the annual Indian Gaming Industry Report.
“When the NIGC published its cost-benefit Study on Sept. 24, 2008, we were surprised at the very low level of negative impacts found by the study – so low that we decided that an independent analysis was needed,” David Qualls, OIGA chairman, said in a press release.
The NIGC’s cost-benefit study found that the Class II MICS and Technical Standards would only impose negative costs of $7.8 million over 10 years. Meister’s study found that the negative economic impacts could be as high as $145 million in hardware costs alone.
“Our member tribes had expressed concerns for over a year that these regulations were seriously flawed and would impose significant, unnecessary costs on our tribal gaming operations. This independent assessment shows our concerns were justified and that the NIGC has purposely ignored those concerns,” Qualls said.
Oklahoma has around 60 percent of all the Class II gaming machines in the country and will be hard hit by the costs of compliance with the new regulations, which will include upgrading current machines or buying new ones.
In his executive summary, Meister said he was asked to review and comment on the methodologies and conclusions of the Policy Navigation Groups’ cost-benefit study especially as it related to his earlier study. He found a number of shortcomings, including a lack of transparency; questionable assumptions; unsupported/speculative assumptions; assumptions contradicted by available information; biased assumptions; omission or minimization of negative impacts on tribes; mischaracterizations of results from his earlier report; and lack of an adequate basis for determining whether the proposed regulations are a “major rule” within the meaning of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.
The NIGC used the cost-benefit study as a justification for declaring the regulations to not be a “major rule,” and for not conducting additional consultation with tribes or allowing for congressional oversight hearings, according to the press release.
“These shortcomings raise significant doubts about the reliability of the Cost-Benefit Study’s quantitative results and qualitative conclusions. Therefore, policymakers should be cognizant of these shortcomings when considering the impact of the proposed Class II gaming regulations,” Meister said.
The Class II MICS and Technical Standards regulations were made final and published by the NIGC in the Federal Register on Oct. 10; they became effective on Nov. 10.
The NIGC issued a cost-benefit study prepared by Policy Navigation Group on Sept. 24 prior to its adoption of new Class II regulations establishing technical standards and Minimum Internal Controls (MICs).
The study’s purpose was “to provide a comprehensive estimate of the social benefits and costs” of proposed Class II gaming regulations. The study was meant “to update and to supplement” an earlier independent study by economist Dr. Alan Meister on the potential impact of the same Class II regulations, which the NIGC had commissioned earlier this year.
OIGA hired Meister in turn to review the Policy Navigation Groups’ work. Meister has extensive experience analyzing economic issues related to the gaming industry, especially Indian gaming and online gaming. His work has included economic and fiscal impact analyses, industry and market analyses, assessments of regulatory policies, analyses of Tribal-State gaming compacts and revenue sharing, feasibility studies, surveys, and expert testimony in litigation and regulatory matters. He has also conducted independent, academic research on Indian gaming and is the author of the annual Indian Gaming Industry Report.
“When the NIGC published its cost-benefit Study on Sept. 24, 2008, we were surprised at the very low level of negative impacts found by the study – so low that we decided that an independent analysis was needed,” David Qualls, OIGA chairman, said in a press release.
The NIGC’s cost-benefit study found that the Class II MICS and Technical Standards would only impose negative costs of $7.8 million over 10 years. Meister’s study found that the negative economic impacts could be as high as $145 million in hardware costs alone.
“Our member tribes had expressed concerns for over a year that these regulations were seriously flawed and would impose significant, unnecessary costs on our tribal gaming operations. This independent assessment shows our concerns were justified and that the NIGC has purposely ignored those concerns,” Qualls said.
Oklahoma has around 60 percent of all the Class II gaming machines in the country and will be hard hit by the costs of compliance with the new regulations, which will include upgrading current machines or buying new ones.
In his executive summary, Meister said he was asked to review and comment on the methodologies and conclusions of the Policy Navigation Groups’ cost-benefit study especially as it related to his earlier study. He found a number of shortcomings, including a lack of transparency; questionable assumptions; unsupported/speculative assumptions; assumptions contradicted by available information; biased assumptions; omission or minimization of negative impacts on tribes; mischaracterizations of results from his earlier report; and lack of an adequate basis for determining whether the proposed regulations are a “major rule” within the meaning of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.
The NIGC used the cost-benefit study as a justification for declaring the regulations to not be a “major rule,” and for not conducting additional consultation with tribes or allowing for congressional oversight hearings, according to the press release.
“These shortcomings raise significant doubts about the reliability of the Cost-Benefit Study’s quantitative results and qualitative conclusions. Therefore, policymakers should be cognizant of these shortcomings when considering the impact of the proposed Class II gaming regulations,” Meister said.
The Class II MICS and Technical Standards regulations were made final and published by the NIGC in the Federal Register on Oct. 10; they became effective on Nov. 10.
Class II regulations still hot | Indian Country Today | Gaming
Class II regulations still hot Indian Country Today Gaming:
"LAS VEGAS – National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogen is still questing after a “bright line” between Class II and Class III gaming, and may find it by enforcing compliance with an opinion he issued rather than the normal way through regulations.
But Jess Green, a Chickasaw attorney in Oklahoma who is an expert in Indian gaming law, said he’s ready to litigate if Hogen takes that route.
At a presentation called NIGC Roundtable: The Commission View, Hogen spoke at length about his perception of the need for changes that would “clarify” the difference between Class II and Class III gaming machines.
Class II machines, which are used for bingo, lotto, pull tabs and other such games, don’t require a tribal-state compact or sharing the tribe’s gaming revenues with the state. Class II gaming is particularly useful to tribes in states that refuse to negotiate gaming compacts.
Class III slot machines do require a compact with the state, which usually takes a share of the tribe’s profit.
Hogen recalled the early years of Indian high stakes bingo when a bingo blower randomly selected the numbers and players could see the balls being selected and who they were playing against. Players were confident that the game wasn’t rigged because everything was transparent, Hogen said.
“It’s not easy with all this complicated environment, all this high speed electronic equipment. You’ve got to convince the player that this is fair and a square kind of deal"
"LAS VEGAS – National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogen is still questing after a “bright line” between Class II and Class III gaming, and may find it by enforcing compliance with an opinion he issued rather than the normal way through regulations.
But Jess Green, a Chickasaw attorney in Oklahoma who is an expert in Indian gaming law, said he’s ready to litigate if Hogen takes that route.
At a presentation called NIGC Roundtable: The Commission View, Hogen spoke at length about his perception of the need for changes that would “clarify” the difference between Class II and Class III gaming machines.
Class II machines, which are used for bingo, lotto, pull tabs and other such games, don’t require a tribal-state compact or sharing the tribe’s gaming revenues with the state. Class II gaming is particularly useful to tribes in states that refuse to negotiate gaming compacts.
Class III slot machines do require a compact with the state, which usually takes a share of the tribe’s profit.
Hogen recalled the early years of Indian high stakes bingo when a bingo blower randomly selected the numbers and players could see the balls being selected and who they were playing against. Players were confident that the game wasn’t rigged because everything was transparent, Hogen said.
“It’s not easy with all this complicated environment, all this high speed electronic equipment. You’ve got to convince the player that this is fair and a square kind of deal"
Friday, November 07, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
"Charlotte's Web."
Review
Check out my sister's new play if you are in the area.
First Stage weaves 'Web'
Troupe captures essence of classic
By ELAINE SCHMIDT
Posted: Oct. 20, 2008
enlarge photo
First Stage
Charlotte's handiwork is apparent in First Stage Children's Theater's production of "Charlotte's Web."
more photos
First Stage
Charlotte's handiwork is apparent in First Stage Children's Theater's production of "Charlotte's Web."
Close Friendship is the star of the First Stage Children's Theater production of "Charlotte's Web," which opened this weekend.
The production, directed by Xan S. Johnson and featuring Joseph Robinette's adaptation of the E.B. White classic, captures the story's warmth and simplicity through a particularly likable cast of talking creatures.
Centering on the unlikely friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte, the story finds the wise, literate Charlotte saving Wilbur's life by writing grand things about him in her web. The "miracle" of words in the web persuades Wilbur's owners to keep him as a pet.
When Charlotte's life ends, Wilbur safeguards his dear friend's eggs and makes sure they hatch in the spring.
The First Stage production features Thirza Defoe in the role of Charlotte/The Narrator. As The Narrator, Defoe takes the persona of an American Indian storyteller, with a gentle, listen-and-learn wisdom in her delivery.
As Charlotte, she moves with balletic grace in a dimension of her own, thanks to scenic designer Sarah L. Hunt-Frank's brilliant floor-to-ceiling metal web. She presides over all the action on stage, watching over her friend Wilbur and fighting to save his life. Her presence, and constancy and wisdom are the heart of the show.
Friday's opening performance featured the "terrific" cast of young actors, which put John Filmanowicz in the role of Wilbur. Filmanowicz created an adorably innocent Wilbur, maintaining that sweet character without fail throughout his long scenes on stage.
Part of the charm of this production rests in the caricature animal characters that figure so heavily in the story. A combination of Rachel Anne Healy's clever costumes, which capture a few iconic elements of each of the animals, and portrayals that also center on a few iconic elements of each animal, creates delightful characters.
Todd Denning's Templeton (a rat) is a wonderful balance of greed and selflessness, spiced with facial/physical humor. Alison Mary Forbes creates a delightfully maternal Goose, reminding us of her animal nature with waddles and honks. All of the adults play multiple roles.
Bo Johnson, Elaine Wyler and Allen Edge round out the strong adult cast of characters.
IF YOU GO
"Charlotte's Web" runs through Nov. 16 at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. Call (414) 273-7206 or visit
First Stage
Check out my sister's new play if you are in the area.
First Stage weaves 'Web'
Troupe captures essence of classic
By ELAINE SCHMIDT
Posted: Oct. 20, 2008
enlarge photo
First Stage
Charlotte's handiwork is apparent in First Stage Children's Theater's production of "Charlotte's Web."
more photos
First Stage
Charlotte's handiwork is apparent in First Stage Children's Theater's production of "Charlotte's Web."
Close Friendship is the star of the First Stage Children's Theater production of "Charlotte's Web," which opened this weekend.
The production, directed by Xan S. Johnson and featuring Joseph Robinette's adaptation of the E.B. White classic, captures the story's warmth and simplicity through a particularly likable cast of talking creatures.
Centering on the unlikely friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte, the story finds the wise, literate Charlotte saving Wilbur's life by writing grand things about him in her web. The "miracle" of words in the web persuades Wilbur's owners to keep him as a pet.
When Charlotte's life ends, Wilbur safeguards his dear friend's eggs and makes sure they hatch in the spring.
The First Stage production features Thirza Defoe in the role of Charlotte/The Narrator. As The Narrator, Defoe takes the persona of an American Indian storyteller, with a gentle, listen-and-learn wisdom in her delivery.
As Charlotte, she moves with balletic grace in a dimension of her own, thanks to scenic designer Sarah L. Hunt-Frank's brilliant floor-to-ceiling metal web. She presides over all the action on stage, watching over her friend Wilbur and fighting to save his life. Her presence, and constancy and wisdom are the heart of the show.
Friday's opening performance featured the "terrific" cast of young actors, which put John Filmanowicz in the role of Wilbur. Filmanowicz created an adorably innocent Wilbur, maintaining that sweet character without fail throughout his long scenes on stage.
Part of the charm of this production rests in the caricature animal characters that figure so heavily in the story. A combination of Rachel Anne Healy's clever costumes, which capture a few iconic elements of each of the animals, and portrayals that also center on a few iconic elements of each animal, creates delightful characters.
Todd Denning's Templeton (a rat) is a wonderful balance of greed and selflessness, spiced with facial/physical humor. Alison Mary Forbes creates a delightfully maternal Goose, reminding us of her animal nature with waddles and honks. All of the adults play multiple roles.
Bo Johnson, Elaine Wyler and Allen Edge round out the strong adult cast of characters.
IF YOU GO
"Charlotte's Web" runs through Nov. 16 at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. Call (414) 273-7206 or visit
First Stage
Friday, October 10, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Now, every penny counts
Battered by the bleak news from Wall Street and Washington, many Americans are frightened about the prospect of yet another blow.
“I don't know what's going to happen to the economy,” said Barbara Foster, after doing some banking at a Washington Mutual branch near Bellis Fair mall.
“It seems like it's going to collapse. I'm horrified. I haven't even looked at my retirement account, it's so scary.”
Ms. Foster, who has held health care positions and is looking for work, is in full scrimp mode, where every expenditure, from whether to buy blueberries to even renting a movie is scrutinized. “We've been living on credit for so long, the government and the people, it's insane,” she said.
Near Bellis Fair, at the Slo Pitch pub and casino – open 24 hours a day – it's also pretty empty. “I'm cutting back on all and any extras,” said Mike Glick, a technology consultant, nursing a beer.
“Like gambling. I'd be playing pull tabs, I'm not doing that. And I took the bus here,” Mr. Glick said. He figures he's in good company. “Normally, this bar would be full. People are in conservation mode, to pay mortgages, rent, those basic bills. Just in the last six months, it's been a huge change.”
And Mr. Glick, who has closely followed the amazing implosion of Wall Street this month, has little faith the situation will turn around any time soon.
“I don't think we've seen the real depth of how far this'll go,” said Mr. Glick, in a ball cap, sweater and blue jeans, dismissing the rescue plan. “You have to be a real fool to believe that. This isn't going to be solved by Congress approving $700-billion.”
“I don't know what's going to happen to the economy,” said Barbara Foster, after doing some banking at a Washington Mutual branch near Bellis Fair mall.
“It seems like it's going to collapse. I'm horrified. I haven't even looked at my retirement account, it's so scary.”
Ms. Foster, who has held health care positions and is looking for work, is in full scrimp mode, where every expenditure, from whether to buy blueberries to even renting a movie is scrutinized. “We've been living on credit for so long, the government and the people, it's insane,” she said.
Near Bellis Fair, at the Slo Pitch pub and casino – open 24 hours a day – it's also pretty empty. “I'm cutting back on all and any extras,” said Mike Glick, a technology consultant, nursing a beer.
“Like gambling. I'd be playing pull tabs, I'm not doing that. And I took the bus here,” Mr. Glick said. He figures he's in good company. “Normally, this bar would be full. People are in conservation mode, to pay mortgages, rent, those basic bills. Just in the last six months, it's been a huge change.”
And Mr. Glick, who has closely followed the amazing implosion of Wall Street this month, has little faith the situation will turn around any time soon.
“I don't think we've seen the real depth of how far this'll go,” said Mr. Glick, in a ball cap, sweater and blue jeans, dismissing the rescue plan. “You have to be a real fool to believe that. This isn't going to be solved by Congress approving $700-billion.”
Pea-Shake Raid May Result In Charges - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis
Pea-Shake Raid May Result In Charges - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis:
"The alleged operators and patrons of a house that police said is long known to host pea-shake gambling could face charges as soon as this week.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office plans to charge as many as a dozen people who were arrested or cited at the home in the 3700 block of North Keystone Avenue last week, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
Police raided the home nine days ago, but it apparently reopened for business the next day.
For years, the heavily fortified home equipped with surveillance cameras was widely known as a pea-shake house, a gambling game deemed illegal in Indiana, police said.
A business at the home called M&W Distributors sells pull tabs, bingo cards and tip books, said Indianapolis police Lt. Tom Black.
'It's basically a nice sign that's fronting as a legitimate business, which in fact is an illegal gambling establishment,' Black said. 'It's the same old pea-shake that's wrapped in a different package.'"
"The alleged operators and patrons of a house that police said is long known to host pea-shake gambling could face charges as soon as this week.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office plans to charge as many as a dozen people who were arrested or cited at the home in the 3700 block of North Keystone Avenue last week, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
Police raided the home nine days ago, but it apparently reopened for business the next day.
For years, the heavily fortified home equipped with surveillance cameras was widely known as a pea-shake house, a gambling game deemed illegal in Indiana, police said.
A business at the home called M&W Distributors sells pull tabs, bingo cards and tip books, said Indianapolis police Lt. Tom Black.
'It's basically a nice sign that's fronting as a legitimate business, which in fact is an illegal gambling establishment,' Black said. 'It's the same old pea-shake that's wrapped in a different package.'"
News: Bingo: A FWB pastime (with VIDEO) | bingo, petty, pearson : NWFDailynews.com
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/bingo_11475___article.html/petty_pearson.html:
"Bingo Castle uses only paper cards, something players such as Betty Petty prefer. Electronics, they say, gives a natural advantage to those who can afford to play the most cards, because the tallying is automatic.
But not everything revolves around the little balls with the numbers on them. 'Pull tabs,' which are a little bit like instant lottery cards, are very popular. And there are progressive games involving pull tabs that can have payouts of as much as $5,000.
'This is better than a casino,' Houston said. 'It's not just a walk in and leave and ‘See you in two or three weeks.' And in the winter a lot of our snowbirds are repeat people.'"
"Bingo Castle uses only paper cards, something players such as Betty Petty prefer. Electronics, they say, gives a natural advantage to those who can afford to play the most cards, because the tallying is automatic.
But not everything revolves around the little balls with the numbers on them. 'Pull tabs,' which are a little bit like instant lottery cards, are very popular. And there are progressive games involving pull tabs that can have payouts of as much as $5,000.
'This is better than a casino,' Houston said. 'It's not just a walk in and leave and ‘See you in two or three weeks.' And in the winter a lot of our snowbirds are repeat people.'"
Smoking ban turns 1: What's changed? - TwinCities.com
Smoking ban turns 1: What's changed? - TwinCities.com:
"Yet, one indication of how many people are going to bars — charitable gambling receipts — seems to back up the claim. They've plummeted more than 13 percent since the ban went into effect, according to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. Church groups, fraternal orders and youth sports organizations once raked in $100 million to $120 million monthly from pull tabs and other bar games; they now are out millions of dollars every month.
But with a tanking economy, it's tough to blame the smoking ban for all the ills. The Gambling Control Board is undertaking a broad study looking at ways to increase charitable gaming revenues, which could include allowing new types of gaming in bars and restaurants.
'We're working with the industry ... and trying to find ways to help them,' Executive Director Tom Barrett said.
The ban was part of an anti-public smoking wave sweeping the country. Following Minnesota's law, the state of Iowa, the city of Fargo, N.D., and, most recently, Wisconsin's Dane County passed comprehensive public workplace smoking bans. Minnesota is one of 24 states that ban smoking in all public establishments.
Even some of the ban's most ardent opponents seem resigned to the fact the law is here to stay.
'I think that many of the owners have tried to move on and undo the damage that's been done,' said Kenn Rockler, executive director of the Tavern League of Minnesota. 'Not everyone was damaged.'"
"Yet, one indication of how many people are going to bars — charitable gambling receipts — seems to back up the claim. They've plummeted more than 13 percent since the ban went into effect, according to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. Church groups, fraternal orders and youth sports organizations once raked in $100 million to $120 million monthly from pull tabs and other bar games; they now are out millions of dollars every month.
But with a tanking economy, it's tough to blame the smoking ban for all the ills. The Gambling Control Board is undertaking a broad study looking at ways to increase charitable gaming revenues, which could include allowing new types of gaming in bars and restaurants.
'We're working with the industry ... and trying to find ways to help them,' Executive Director Tom Barrett said.
The ban was part of an anti-public smoking wave sweeping the country. Following Minnesota's law, the state of Iowa, the city of Fargo, N.D., and, most recently, Wisconsin's Dane County passed comprehensive public workplace smoking bans. Minnesota is one of 24 states that ban smoking in all public establishments.
Even some of the ban's most ardent opponents seem resigned to the fact the law is here to stay.
'I think that many of the owners have tried to move on and undo the damage that's been done,' said Kenn Rockler, executive director of the Tavern League of Minnesota. 'Not everyone was damaged.'"
Monday, September 15, 2008
BINGO: Some blame casino for losses
By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — Around town, the twirl of the bingo cage might soon be replaced by the pull of a slot machine lever. The bingo hall at the city’s AMVETS Brian Simpson Post 692 has increasingly become more silent, as those who joyously yell “bingo!” when they have a winning card have left the game for higher-stakes gambling at Anderson’s new Hoosier Park Casino.
Since the casino opened in June, Post 692 has seen a decrease in bingo players, from about 250-260 players a night to 130-180, leaving the post’s operations and charity work, funded by bingo and pull-tabs, floundering for more money.
“When the casino opened in June, it pretty much just annhilated all the bingo in the area as far as making a normal profit,” said Phil Ray, financial officer for Post 692. “It put us in a tailspin.”
The Indiana Gaming Commission has not done studies on whether casinos affect the profitability of charity gaming sites, like bingo halls.
“We have at this time no statistics to support that,” said Diane Freeman, director for charity gaming at the IGC. “We definitely have not done any type of statistical analysis of that so far.”
As a not-for-profit, Post 692 depends on the money earned from charity gambling to fund its overhead costs and contribute to its charitable causes. Before the casino came, it was giving about $30,000 in scholarships a year, but since has had to withdraw from that amount and cut back on other charities as well, Ray said.
“We had to cut back any way we could,” he said. “Up until this month, we were looking at possibly even closing.”
Thanks to tireless advertising and special food and beverage deals, the post has been able to bounce back some in the past couple months, rebounding to numbers a little closer to normal. But it’s too early to tell if the rebound is a permanent fix, Ray said.
“We’re trying to get them back from the casinos, and we’re having a difficult time with it,” he said.
Chesterfield’s AMVETS Basil Barkdull Post 332 also has seen a loss due to the new casino, said post official Jan Barkdull. The post has lost $10,000 a month since May, when things started going downhill. Barkdull said the loss was a combination of the casino and poor economy.
“I think it’s probably 50/50,” she said. “I’m hoping the newness of the casino is kind of wearing off.”
Post 332’s profits go to Stepping Stones, an organization with a $350,000 to $400,000 annual operating budget that provides transitional housing for homeless veterans and women going through drug court. If losses grow, the post could have to stop giving money to the shelter.
“I keep praying that’s not going to happen,” Barkdull said.
But Bob Burns, who runs bingo operations at Anderson’s Elks lodge, said summer is a slow time for bingo anyway, with players having more options for spending their time outdoors or with their children who are home from school. The Elks bingo only has been in operation since April, so it’s too soon to tell if the casino will affect it, Burns said.
Read more >>
ANDERSON — Around town, the twirl of the bingo cage might soon be replaced by the pull of a slot machine lever. The bingo hall at the city’s AMVETS Brian Simpson Post 692 has increasingly become more silent, as those who joyously yell “bingo!” when they have a winning card have left the game for higher-stakes gambling at Anderson’s new Hoosier Park Casino.
Since the casino opened in June, Post 692 has seen a decrease in bingo players, from about 250-260 players a night to 130-180, leaving the post’s operations and charity work, funded by bingo and pull-tabs, floundering for more money.
“When the casino opened in June, it pretty much just annhilated all the bingo in the area as far as making a normal profit,” said Phil Ray, financial officer for Post 692. “It put us in a tailspin.”
The Indiana Gaming Commission has not done studies on whether casinos affect the profitability of charity gaming sites, like bingo halls.
“We have at this time no statistics to support that,” said Diane Freeman, director for charity gaming at the IGC. “We definitely have not done any type of statistical analysis of that so far.”
As a not-for-profit, Post 692 depends on the money earned from charity gambling to fund its overhead costs and contribute to its charitable causes. Before the casino came, it was giving about $30,000 in scholarships a year, but since has had to withdraw from that amount and cut back on other charities as well, Ray said.
“We had to cut back any way we could,” he said. “Up until this month, we were looking at possibly even closing.”
Thanks to tireless advertising and special food and beverage deals, the post has been able to bounce back some in the past couple months, rebounding to numbers a little closer to normal. But it’s too early to tell if the rebound is a permanent fix, Ray said.
“We’re trying to get them back from the casinos, and we’re having a difficult time with it,” he said.
Chesterfield’s AMVETS Basil Barkdull Post 332 also has seen a loss due to the new casino, said post official Jan Barkdull. The post has lost $10,000 a month since May, when things started going downhill. Barkdull said the loss was a combination of the casino and poor economy.
“I think it’s probably 50/50,” she said. “I’m hoping the newness of the casino is kind of wearing off.”
Post 332’s profits go to Stepping Stones, an organization with a $350,000 to $400,000 annual operating budget that provides transitional housing for homeless veterans and women going through drug court. If losses grow, the post could have to stop giving money to the shelter.
“I keep praying that’s not going to happen,” Barkdull said.
But Bob Burns, who runs bingo operations at Anderson’s Elks lodge, said summer is a slow time for bingo anyway, with players having more options for spending their time outdoors or with their children who are home from school. The Elks bingo only has been in operation since April, so it’s too soon to tell if the casino will affect it, Burns said.
Read more >>
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sarah Palin is not such a small-town girl after all
By James Bennett
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 09/09/2008
It is clear that few in America, let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin. The Republicans' vice-presidential candidate confounds the commentators because they don't understand the forces that shaped her in the remote state of Alaska.
John McCain and Sarah Palin
Thus, most coverage dwells on exotica - the moose shooting, her Eskimo husband - combined with befuddlement at how a woman can go from being mayor of a town of 9,000, to governor, to prospective VP within the space of a few years.
But, having worked with Alaskans, I know something of the challenge she has faced, and why - contrary to what Democrats think - it could make her a powerful figure in the White House.
The first myth to slay is that she is a political neophyte who has come from nowhere. In fact, she and her husband have, for decades, run a company in the highly politicised commercial fishing industry, where holding on to a licence requires considerable nous and networking skills.
Her rise from parent-teacher association to city council gave her a natural political base in her home town of Wasilla. Going on to become mayor was a natural progression. Wasilla's population of 9,000 would be a small town in Britain, and even in most American states.
advertisement
Full coverage of the US Election 2008
Barack Obama goes on attack over Sarah Palin's bridge record
Sarah Palin: an Alaskan writes
But Wasilla is the fifth-largest city in Alaska, which meant that Palin was an important player in state politics.
Her husband's status in the Yup'ik Eskimo tribe, of which he is a full, or "enrolled" member, connected her to another influential faction: the large and wealthy (because of their right to oil revenues) native tribes.
All of this gave her a base from which to launch her 2002 campaign for lieutenant (deputy) governor of Alaska.
She lost that, but collected a powerful enough following to be placated with a seat on, and subsequently the chairmanship of, the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which launched her into the politics of Alaska's energy industry.
Palin quickly realised that Alaska had the potential to become a much bigger player in global energy politics, a conviction that grew as the price of oil rose. Alaska had been in hock to oil companies since major production began in the mid-1970s.
As with most poor, distant places that suddenly receive great natural-resource wealth, the first generation of politicians were mesmerised by the magnificence of the crumbs falling from the table. Palin was the first of the next generation to realise that Alaska should have a place at that table.
Her first target was an absurd bureaucratic tangle that for 30 years had kept the state from exporting its gas to the other 48 states. She set an agenda that centred on three mutually supportive objectives: cleaning up state politics, building a new gas pipeline, and increasing the state's share of energy revenues.
This agenda, pursued throughout Palin's commission tenure, culminated in her run for governor in 2006. By this time, she had already begun rooting out corruption and making enemies, but also establishing her bona fides as a reformer.
With this base, she surprised many by steamrollering first the Republican incumbent governor, and second, the Democratic former governor, in the election.
Far from being a reprise of Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Palin was a clear-eyed politician who, from the day she took office, knew exactly what she had to do and whose toes she would step on to do it.
The surprise is not that she has been in office for such a short time but that she has succeeded in each of her objectives. She has exposed corruption; given the state a bigger share in Alaska's energy wealth; and negotiated a deal involving big corporate players, the US and Canadian governments, Canadian provincial governments, and native tribes - the result of which was a £13 billion deal to launch the pipeline and increase the amount of domestic energy available to consumers. This deal makes the charge of having "no international experience" particularly absurd.
In short, far from being a small-town mayor concerned with little more than traffic signs, she has been a major player in state politics for a decade, one who formulated an ambitious agenda and deftly implemented it against great odds.
Her sudden elevation to the vice-presidential slot on the Republican ticket shocked no one more than her enemies in Alaska, who have broken out into a cold sweat at the thought of Palin in Washington, guiding the Justice Department's anti-corruption teams through the labyrinths of Alaska's old-boy network.
It is no surprise that many of the charges laid against her have come from Alaska, as her enemies become more and more desperate to bring her down. John McCain was familiar with this track record and it is no doubt the principal reason that he chose her.
Focusing on the exotic trappings of Alaskan culture may make Palin seem a quaint and inexplicable choice. But understanding the real background of her steady rise in politics suggests that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are underestimating her badly. In this, they join two former Alaskan governors, a large number of cronies, and a trail of enemies extending back over a decade.
James Bennett is the author of 'The Anglosphere Challenge'
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 09/09/2008
It is clear that few in America, let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin. The Republicans' vice-presidential candidate confounds the commentators because they don't understand the forces that shaped her in the remote state of Alaska.
John McCain and Sarah Palin
Thus, most coverage dwells on exotica - the moose shooting, her Eskimo husband - combined with befuddlement at how a woman can go from being mayor of a town of 9,000, to governor, to prospective VP within the space of a few years.
But, having worked with Alaskans, I know something of the challenge she has faced, and why - contrary to what Democrats think - it could make her a powerful figure in the White House.
The first myth to slay is that she is a political neophyte who has come from nowhere. In fact, she and her husband have, for decades, run a company in the highly politicised commercial fishing industry, where holding on to a licence requires considerable nous and networking skills.
Her rise from parent-teacher association to city council gave her a natural political base in her home town of Wasilla. Going on to become mayor was a natural progression. Wasilla's population of 9,000 would be a small town in Britain, and even in most American states.
advertisement
Full coverage of the US Election 2008
Barack Obama goes on attack over Sarah Palin's bridge record
Sarah Palin: an Alaskan writes
But Wasilla is the fifth-largest city in Alaska, which meant that Palin was an important player in state politics.
Her husband's status in the Yup'ik Eskimo tribe, of which he is a full, or "enrolled" member, connected her to another influential faction: the large and wealthy (because of their right to oil revenues) native tribes.
All of this gave her a base from which to launch her 2002 campaign for lieutenant (deputy) governor of Alaska.
She lost that, but collected a powerful enough following to be placated with a seat on, and subsequently the chairmanship of, the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which launched her into the politics of Alaska's energy industry.
Palin quickly realised that Alaska had the potential to become a much bigger player in global energy politics, a conviction that grew as the price of oil rose. Alaska had been in hock to oil companies since major production began in the mid-1970s.
As with most poor, distant places that suddenly receive great natural-resource wealth, the first generation of politicians were mesmerised by the magnificence of the crumbs falling from the table. Palin was the first of the next generation to realise that Alaska should have a place at that table.
Her first target was an absurd bureaucratic tangle that for 30 years had kept the state from exporting its gas to the other 48 states. She set an agenda that centred on three mutually supportive objectives: cleaning up state politics, building a new gas pipeline, and increasing the state's share of energy revenues.
This agenda, pursued throughout Palin's commission tenure, culminated in her run for governor in 2006. By this time, she had already begun rooting out corruption and making enemies, but also establishing her bona fides as a reformer.
With this base, she surprised many by steamrollering first the Republican incumbent governor, and second, the Democratic former governor, in the election.
Far from being a reprise of Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Palin was a clear-eyed politician who, from the day she took office, knew exactly what she had to do and whose toes she would step on to do it.
The surprise is not that she has been in office for such a short time but that she has succeeded in each of her objectives. She has exposed corruption; given the state a bigger share in Alaska's energy wealth; and negotiated a deal involving big corporate players, the US and Canadian governments, Canadian provincial governments, and native tribes - the result of which was a £13 billion deal to launch the pipeline and increase the amount of domestic energy available to consumers. This deal makes the charge of having "no international experience" particularly absurd.
In short, far from being a small-town mayor concerned with little more than traffic signs, she has been a major player in state politics for a decade, one who formulated an ambitious agenda and deftly implemented it against great odds.
Her sudden elevation to the vice-presidential slot on the Republican ticket shocked no one more than her enemies in Alaska, who have broken out into a cold sweat at the thought of Palin in Washington, guiding the Justice Department's anti-corruption teams through the labyrinths of Alaska's old-boy network.
It is no surprise that many of the charges laid against her have come from Alaska, as her enemies become more and more desperate to bring her down. John McCain was familiar with this track record and it is no doubt the principal reason that he chose her.
Focusing on the exotic trappings of Alaskan culture may make Palin seem a quaint and inexplicable choice. But understanding the real background of her steady rise in politics suggests that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are underestimating her badly. In this, they join two former Alaskan governors, a large number of cronies, and a trail of enemies extending back over a decade.
James Bennett is the author of 'The Anglosphere Challenge'
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Building green housing for Wisconsin's tribes
UW professor, local architect assisting state tribes with housing plans that combine sustainability with family customs
Anita Weier — 9/03/2008 10:08 am
Imagine a house where an extended family could live comfortably -- grandmother, parents, children and maybe an uncle or aunt. And try making that house "green" -- one that would not harm the environment or waste energy.
Wisconsin's First Nations are taking the lead in developing such houses for their members -- with a lot of help from the University-Wisconsin Madison and a local architect.
The idea emerged from Assistant Professor Sue Thering's work with several Native American tribal groups that wanted affordable, energy-efficient houses.
At first, the plan was to provide housing that was simply green and affordable. But while working with the St. Croix Ojibwa, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Superior Ojibwa and the Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwa to develop the plans, she learned that they also wanted housing where extended families could live together.
"Traditionally, Native American families have more than one generation living together. Others call it over-crowding but we call it helping out our families," explained Duane Emery, director of community development and housing for the St. Croix Ojibwa of Wisconsin.
"We want to push green codes or green principles in our design," he added. "As Native Americans, we need to do this."
The new project has its origins in an earlier partnership that Thering fostered between the tribes and Madison-based Design Coalition, which has earned national awards for green and affordable projects. Lou Host-Jablonski of Design Coalition and others began teaching green building techniques to builders in northern Wisconsin who will use them for new housing.
"We are training the three tribes -- St. Croix, Lac Courte Oreilles and Sokaogon -- in how to use the materials. They end up with two houses on the St. Croix land that they can refer back to and a group of local professionals who know how to build. We are training the trainers," explained Thering, who works in UW-Madison's Landscape Architecture Department and in community development for UW-Extension.
Construction on two 1,400-square-foot houses on the St. Croix reservation near Hertel, Wis., is expected to be completed this fall using a combination of tribal casino revenues and grant money secured by the UW. Training on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation near Hayward and construction of a model house is scheduled for next spring. A site design and master plan also has been done with the Mole Lake tribe.
What will make the next phase of the partnership highly unusual and "rather historic," Thering said, is its emphasis on multi-generational housing.
"It would be incredibly green: instead of five tiny houses there would be one large house with less impact on the environment," she said.
Thering obtained a $116,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program, and Host-Jablonski has produced technical drawings for multi-generational homes after meeting with a steering committee from the three tribes to find out what they wanted.
Existing government-issued housing is simply not adequate for the way the people have chosen to live, Host-Jablonski said. "A standard floor plan does not work. There are not enough bedrooms and the kitchen, dining room and living room are not large enough."
He added that "in an extended family situation, the kitchen is always the center. You may have two to four adults in a kitchen preparing meals and the kids associated with those adults doing homework or needing to be nearby. The dining room needs to handle 12 to 20 people in an extended family situation, including guests. They need not only a bigger room but a bigger table and more chairs."
Six to eight bedrooms are needed, he said, as well as facilities that meet the needs of different age groups. For instance, a home office, a workshop or craft area and a children's space such as a combination nursery-playroom-recreation room become requirements.
The dream house the three tribes envisioned was not an apartment building but a home. The two concept plans include one house of about 3,000 square feet in addition to a partially finished basement. The smaller home would be about 2,000 square feet plus a partially finished basement. The actual houses may differ somewhat from the plans, depending on the soil and slope and street location.
"That is actually cheaper, instead of two or three buildings on separate lots with water and sewer for this number of people. It is cheaper to build and heat and cool and light it. There is less exterior surface area," Host-Jablonski pointed out.
The hope is to finish planning this year and to start construction of one or more homes next spring. Locations have not been determined.
In many ways, the goals of energy efficiency and cultural appropriateness dovetailed.
The energy-efficient homes would use 100 percent recycled roofing with recycled cellulose insulation, and interior materials would be durable and low-toxin, with as much recycled and reused products as possible. The windows would be high quality for energy efficiency.
"The prototype is a wigwam, built of saplings covered with reed mats, barks or skins, depending on the season," Host-Jablonski said. "The entry originally faced east. A variance we found in the Lac Courte Oreilles was double wall construction, with an inner and outer layer and sphagnum moss in between for insulation.
"There was an earthen floor over stones, and a fire pit set below the level of the floor into a stone-lined pit. Combustion air was fed by a tube of birch bark sat in the ground, so there was a heat exchange system in a natural building. I thought I was smart as an architect to come up with ideas, only to discover the basic elements in their culture 150 years ago.
"Another culturally appropriate thing we tried to incorporate is having a circular or octagonal quality in living spaces. The building is not round -- which is somewhat antithetical to solar -- but we try to give the main living space a circular quality or focus, with angled walls and the way stairs and outer walls shape it. Round or oblong-shaped rooms, like the wigwams, meant that a small clan could sit equal, with no front or back hierarchy."
The cooperative effort between the northern tribes and the UW that has led to the push for multi-generational housing began in 2002, when the tribal planning office for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwa approached Thering's Department of Landscape Architecture for assistance.
"They wanted to develop a 200-acre parcel of land to build some housing, but were very concerned about protecting their natural and cultural resources," Thering recalled. "We did a participatory community planning process with the tribe. We worked with them and brought in our professional faculty and some students."
The UW helped figure out where to put the road and the tribe applied for development grants to get the roads built.
"Then I asked to see what kind of houses they were building. I wanted to make sure they knew technical assistance was available to them. Most of it was pre-manufactured homes and the energy efficiency was pretty low. I thought we could do better and asked if they wanted me to look around for something efficient, healthy, sustainable and green," Thering said.
Other tribes heard about it and the UW was asked to provide land use technical assistance for them. Thering also discovered the nonprofit Design Coalition, which had earned national awards for green and affordable projects.
"I talked them into partnering with us on a tech-transfer jobs training project in response to some of the requests we had from the tribes. Talented, experienced builders and artisans work within the tribes and want to learn about green construction and materials. So it was skill enhancement," she said.
Thering and tribal members have high hopes about the potential benefits of the new housing.
Thering said it would be one way of dealing with waiting lists for housing on several reservations. About 1,200 people live on the St. Croix reservation near Hertel, and there is a waiting list for housing, in part because people want to come back to the reservation, said the St. Croix Ojibwa's Emery. Some of them want to return to be near their families, Thering added.
Emery is also hoping that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sometimes subsidizes housing on the reservation, will provide matching funds to build multi-generational homes.
The effort to train builders in new techniques may also pay greater dividends.
A training program at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College is teaching green building practices, and the UW-Madison, Design Coalition and Kelly Design Group are joining with the tribal college for its construction and training program. The college has a carpentry program and an institute for sustainable living, and faculty members participated in the building of the model houses at Hertel.
Steve Kozak, renewable energy instructor at the tribal college, said his Energy Efficiency and Green Building Practices course and a carpentry class that builds houses will benefit from what the instructors learned at the St. Croix building site.
One technique in particular that the builders are using is the use of a mixture of native straw and clay to make 12-inch thick walls that provide excellent insulation.
Enterprise Community Partners, a national organization, gave $25,000 for the training project with the St. Croix, but has also asked Thering for a proposal to expand the train and build idea through the upper Midwest by working with tribal colleges.
And Thering has started to think about expanding the concept of the green affordable housing initiative beyond Indian Country. In a time of mortgage defaults, steep fuel costs and job losses, a training program for unemployed or underemployed workers that results in environmentally sound, energy-efficient affordable housing might be a good idea statewide, she said, comparing the idea with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
Anita Weier — 9/03/2008 10:08 am
Anita Weier — 9/03/2008 10:08 am
Imagine a house where an extended family could live comfortably -- grandmother, parents, children and maybe an uncle or aunt. And try making that house "green" -- one that would not harm the environment or waste energy.
Wisconsin's First Nations are taking the lead in developing such houses for their members -- with a lot of help from the University-Wisconsin Madison and a local architect.
The idea emerged from Assistant Professor Sue Thering's work with several Native American tribal groups that wanted affordable, energy-efficient houses.
At first, the plan was to provide housing that was simply green and affordable. But while working with the St. Croix Ojibwa, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Superior Ojibwa and the Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwa to develop the plans, she learned that they also wanted housing where extended families could live together.
"Traditionally, Native American families have more than one generation living together. Others call it over-crowding but we call it helping out our families," explained Duane Emery, director of community development and housing for the St. Croix Ojibwa of Wisconsin.
"We want to push green codes or green principles in our design," he added. "As Native Americans, we need to do this."
The new project has its origins in an earlier partnership that Thering fostered between the tribes and Madison-based Design Coalition, which has earned national awards for green and affordable projects. Lou Host-Jablonski of Design Coalition and others began teaching green building techniques to builders in northern Wisconsin who will use them for new housing.
"We are training the three tribes -- St. Croix, Lac Courte Oreilles and Sokaogon -- in how to use the materials. They end up with two houses on the St. Croix land that they can refer back to and a group of local professionals who know how to build. We are training the trainers," explained Thering, who works in UW-Madison's Landscape Architecture Department and in community development for UW-Extension.
Construction on two 1,400-square-foot houses on the St. Croix reservation near Hertel, Wis., is expected to be completed this fall using a combination of tribal casino revenues and grant money secured by the UW. Training on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation near Hayward and construction of a model house is scheduled for next spring. A site design and master plan also has been done with the Mole Lake tribe.
What will make the next phase of the partnership highly unusual and "rather historic," Thering said, is its emphasis on multi-generational housing.
"It would be incredibly green: instead of five tiny houses there would be one large house with less impact on the environment," she said.
Thering obtained a $116,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program, and Host-Jablonski has produced technical drawings for multi-generational homes after meeting with a steering committee from the three tribes to find out what they wanted.
Existing government-issued housing is simply not adequate for the way the people have chosen to live, Host-Jablonski said. "A standard floor plan does not work. There are not enough bedrooms and the kitchen, dining room and living room are not large enough."
He added that "in an extended family situation, the kitchen is always the center. You may have two to four adults in a kitchen preparing meals and the kids associated with those adults doing homework or needing to be nearby. The dining room needs to handle 12 to 20 people in an extended family situation, including guests. They need not only a bigger room but a bigger table and more chairs."
Six to eight bedrooms are needed, he said, as well as facilities that meet the needs of different age groups. For instance, a home office, a workshop or craft area and a children's space such as a combination nursery-playroom-recreation room become requirements.
The dream house the three tribes envisioned was not an apartment building but a home. The two concept plans include one house of about 3,000 square feet in addition to a partially finished basement. The smaller home would be about 2,000 square feet plus a partially finished basement. The actual houses may differ somewhat from the plans, depending on the soil and slope and street location.
"That is actually cheaper, instead of two or three buildings on separate lots with water and sewer for this number of people. It is cheaper to build and heat and cool and light it. There is less exterior surface area," Host-Jablonski pointed out.
The hope is to finish planning this year and to start construction of one or more homes next spring. Locations have not been determined.
In many ways, the goals of energy efficiency and cultural appropriateness dovetailed.
The energy-efficient homes would use 100 percent recycled roofing with recycled cellulose insulation, and interior materials would be durable and low-toxin, with as much recycled and reused products as possible. The windows would be high quality for energy efficiency.
"The prototype is a wigwam, built of saplings covered with reed mats, barks or skins, depending on the season," Host-Jablonski said. "The entry originally faced east. A variance we found in the Lac Courte Oreilles was double wall construction, with an inner and outer layer and sphagnum moss in between for insulation.
"There was an earthen floor over stones, and a fire pit set below the level of the floor into a stone-lined pit. Combustion air was fed by a tube of birch bark sat in the ground, so there was a heat exchange system in a natural building. I thought I was smart as an architect to come up with ideas, only to discover the basic elements in their culture 150 years ago.
"Another culturally appropriate thing we tried to incorporate is having a circular or octagonal quality in living spaces. The building is not round -- which is somewhat antithetical to solar -- but we try to give the main living space a circular quality or focus, with angled walls and the way stairs and outer walls shape it. Round or oblong-shaped rooms, like the wigwams, meant that a small clan could sit equal, with no front or back hierarchy."
The cooperative effort between the northern tribes and the UW that has led to the push for multi-generational housing began in 2002, when the tribal planning office for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwa approached Thering's Department of Landscape Architecture for assistance.
"They wanted to develop a 200-acre parcel of land to build some housing, but were very concerned about protecting their natural and cultural resources," Thering recalled. "We did a participatory community planning process with the tribe. We worked with them and brought in our professional faculty and some students."
The UW helped figure out where to put the road and the tribe applied for development grants to get the roads built.
"Then I asked to see what kind of houses they were building. I wanted to make sure they knew technical assistance was available to them. Most of it was pre-manufactured homes and the energy efficiency was pretty low. I thought we could do better and asked if they wanted me to look around for something efficient, healthy, sustainable and green," Thering said.
Other tribes heard about it and the UW was asked to provide land use technical assistance for them. Thering also discovered the nonprofit Design Coalition, which had earned national awards for green and affordable projects.
"I talked them into partnering with us on a tech-transfer jobs training project in response to some of the requests we had from the tribes. Talented, experienced builders and artisans work within the tribes and want to learn about green construction and materials. So it was skill enhancement," she said.
Thering and tribal members have high hopes about the potential benefits of the new housing.
Thering said it would be one way of dealing with waiting lists for housing on several reservations. About 1,200 people live on the St. Croix reservation near Hertel, and there is a waiting list for housing, in part because people want to come back to the reservation, said the St. Croix Ojibwa's Emery. Some of them want to return to be near their families, Thering added.
Emery is also hoping that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sometimes subsidizes housing on the reservation, will provide matching funds to build multi-generational homes.
The effort to train builders in new techniques may also pay greater dividends.
A training program at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College is teaching green building practices, and the UW-Madison, Design Coalition and Kelly Design Group are joining with the tribal college for its construction and training program. The college has a carpentry program and an institute for sustainable living, and faculty members participated in the building of the model houses at Hertel.
Steve Kozak, renewable energy instructor at the tribal college, said his Energy Efficiency and Green Building Practices course and a carpentry class that builds houses will benefit from what the instructors learned at the St. Croix building site.
One technique in particular that the builders are using is the use of a mixture of native straw and clay to make 12-inch thick walls that provide excellent insulation.
Enterprise Community Partners, a national organization, gave $25,000 for the training project with the St. Croix, but has also asked Thering for a proposal to expand the train and build idea through the upper Midwest by working with tribal colleges.
And Thering has started to think about expanding the concept of the green affordable housing initiative beyond Indian Country. In a time of mortgage defaults, steep fuel costs and job losses, a training program for unemployed or underemployed workers that results in environmentally sound, energy-efficient affordable housing might be a good idea statewide, she said, comparing the idea with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
Anita Weier — 9/03/2008 10:08 am
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Conference hears feedback, anticipates gaming revenue : ICT [2008/09/02]
Conference hears feedback, anticipates gaming revenue : ICT [2008/09/02]:
"A cloud on the horizon for some tribes was a proposed change in National Indian Gaming Commission rules that would return more money from casino gaming to state coffers and with which the Chickasaws, among other tribal nations, disagreed. While the harshest changes appear to have been discarded, revisions could be made that would affect electronic versions of Class II games, which include pull tabs, bingo and others.
Under the Chickasaw compact with the state of Oklahoma, 6 percent of casino gaming revenues - calculated on an amount that Anoatubby said falls between net and gross casino profits - goes to the state."
"A cloud on the horizon for some tribes was a proposed change in National Indian Gaming Commission rules that would return more money from casino gaming to state coffers and with which the Chickasaws, among other tribal nations, disagreed. While the harshest changes appear to have been discarded, revisions could be made that would affect electronic versions of Class II games, which include pull tabs, bingo and others.
Under the Chickasaw compact with the state of Oklahoma, 6 percent of casino gaming revenues - calculated on an amount that Anoatubby said falls between net and gross casino profits - goes to the state."
Worthington's Legion post struggling to keep going | Worthington Daily Globe | Worthington, Minnesota
Worthington's Legion post struggling to keep going Worthington Daily Globe Worthington, Minnesota:
"WORTHINGTON — Post 5 has occupied a role in the Worthington community ever since its organization after World War II and the post name became Calvin-Knuth. The post was active for a number of years. It moved from the church located at Sixth Avenue and 12th Street, and built a structure on the present grounds. Post 5 supported many activities in the present structure, referred to as the Post Home. Sources of income were from the lounge and other fundraising activities like steak fries, pork chop dinners, etc. Gambling activities, such as Bingo and pull tabs, became a source of income for the post.
It would seem that Post 5 would be able to exist with the income sources stated. However, those sources weren’t sufficient to meet all of the obligations. Post 5 began to cut back on its activities. The fundraising activities weren’t always profitable, and if there was income, it became a stop-gap."
"WORTHINGTON — Post 5 has occupied a role in the Worthington community ever since its organization after World War II and the post name became Calvin-Knuth. The post was active for a number of years. It moved from the church located at Sixth Avenue and 12th Street, and built a structure on the present grounds. Post 5 supported many activities in the present structure, referred to as the Post Home. Sources of income were from the lounge and other fundraising activities like steak fries, pork chop dinners, etc. Gambling activities, such as Bingo and pull tabs, became a source of income for the post.
It would seem that Post 5 would be able to exist with the income sources stated. However, those sources weren’t sufficient to meet all of the obligations. Post 5 began to cut back on its activities. The fundraising activities weren’t always profitable, and if there was income, it became a stop-gap."
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