James Ramos, candidate for San Bernardino County 3rd District Supervisor, on proposals for casinos in Barstow, CA. He is the former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians
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Showing posts with label Chemehuevi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chemehuevi. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Candidate for San Bernardino County Supervisor comments on Barstow Casinos
From the Mojave Free Press...
James Ramos, candidate for San Bernardino County 3rd District Supervisor, on proposals for casinos in Barstow, CA. He is the former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians
James Ramos, candidate for San Bernardino County 3rd District Supervisor, on proposals for casinos in Barstow, CA. He is the former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Bay Mills Indians Get $600,000 HUD Grant for Housing & Economic Development
HUD AWARDS $52.6 MILLION TO NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
Bay Mills Indian Community of Brimley, Michigan, will receive $600,000
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $52 million in grants to tribal communities in 21 states to improve or create housing and economic development opportunities for low- to moderate-income families. The competitive grants are provided through HUD’s Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program to support a wide variety of community development and affordable housing activities.
“These funds will help American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments create sustainable and community-driven solutions,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “Housing and infrastructure needs in Indian Country are severe and widespread. I’m inspired by the work the tribal communities are taking on to leverage these funds and get their communities on the right track.”
Among the 69 recipients:
State | Recipient | Location | Amount |
California | Chemehuevi Indian Tribe | Havasu Lake | $605,000 |
Michigan | Bay Mills Indian Community | Brimley | $600,000 |
New York | St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians of New York | Akwesasne | $600,000 |
Original HUD Press Release
Also see:
Sunday, September 04, 2011
indianz.com: Casino Stalker August News Archive for CA, MI, NY
TVT relevant news archive
8.02.2011 – 9.02.2011
8.02.2011 – 9.02.2011
The Obama administration brought good news and bad news for three California tribes seeking to build casinos. Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk approved land-into-trust applications for the Enterprise Rancheria and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. Both tribes are...
"Gov. Rick Snyder is opposed to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians proposed casino in Fruitport Township in part because it's for non-tribal lands, which he said could open up uncontrolled expansion of gambling throughout the state. Not surprising,..
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) opposes an off-reservation casino for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The tribe wants to build a casino in Fruitport Township. The site is about 80 miles from the reservation. “I appreciate the tough...
It looks like the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians is getting some competition for an off-reservation casino in Barstow, California. The Chemehuevi Tribe is reviving plans for a casino in the city. Its original application, like the...
James Ramos, the chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, plans to meet with leaders of the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians to discuss off-reservation gaming. Ramos and his tribe oppose the casino. They say...
"California voters never approved building tribal casinos at whatever site might get the most business. Tribes should confine gambling operations to reservations, not search for more lucrative locations. The governor and Legislature should reject a San Diego County tribe's proposal...
"With the announcement last week that Interior is going to conduct public hearings on long-stalled casino development in Barstow, California, the City is once again a prominent player in the next round of gaming in Southern California. The latest development...
The Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan will be back in court next Tuesday, August 9, in a lawsuit over its off-reservation casino. The state of Michigan and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians are suing the Bay...
The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians of California isn't worried about S.1424, a bill to restrict off-reservation gaming. The tribe is pursuing a casino in Barstow, more than 100 miles from the reservation. The bill, if enacted,...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Competing casino proposals are back
Competing casino proposals are back
Victor Valley Daily Press | 8.24.2011
...But this time around, the Chemehuevi will own the property where the proposed casino would be. Wood said the tribe is in the process of buying the 40-acre property that was sold by the original property owners right after the casino was first rejected. This ownership should be an advantage for the Chemehuevi, Wood said, because it shows there are no outside developers influencing the tribe.Read Full Story
The Chemehuevi tribe runs the Havasu Landing Casino in Havasu Lake and originally applied to operate a casino near the Barstow outlets in 2006. The Chemehuevi’s application came not long after the Los Coyotes Tribe and Big Lagoon Rancheria applied for a dual casino a mile away.
The two applications were rejected in January 2008 as a result of a federal memo that required casinos to be within a commutable distance from the tribe’s reservation. The Chemehuevi and Los Coyotes reservations are more than 100 miles from Barstow...
Chemehuevi will reapply for Barstow casino
Chemehuevi will reapply for Barstow casino
Desert Dispatch | 8.23.2011
Chemehuevi Chairman Charles Wood confirmed the tribe is preparing its application for a casino in Barstow.Read Full Story
Three years after its original application was rejected, the Chemehuevi tribe will try again for
Barstow casino down the street from another proposed casino project.
Chemehuevi Chairman Charles Wood confirmed the tribe is preparing its application for a casino in Barstow and has informally informed the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the project plans.
The tribe runs the Havasu Landing Casino in Havasu Lake and originally applied to operate a casino near the Barstow outlets in 2006. The Chemehuevi’s application came not long after the Los Coyotes Tribe and Big Lagoon Rancheria applied for a dual casino a mile away. Both casinos created municipal service agreements with the city.
The two applications were rejected in January 2008, as a result of a federal memo that required casinos to be within a commutable distance from the tribe’s reservation. The Chemehuevi and Los Coyotes reservations are more than 100 miles away from Barstow.
The rejections came after a two-year battle between the two projects. The Chemehuevi have publicly opposed the competing casino because it says the Los Coyotes, from San Diego County, have no ancestral ties to Barstow. Wood spoke at the July public hearing for the Los Coyotes Casino and said tribes like Los Coyotes have “no legal or cultural right” to a gaming casino in Barstow...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tribes fight casino plan
Tribes fight casino plan - San Bernardino County Sun
Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_18588286?source=most_viewed#ixzz1TgyaBAoj
7.30.2011
Groups argue Los Coyotes have no ties to Barstow
BARSTOW - San Bernardino County's two American Indian tribes - both of which operate casinos - oppose a north San Diego County-based Indian tribe's plan to open a $160 million casino here.
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians oppose the proposed casino and 100-room hotel advancing through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approval process.
On Wednesday night, the BIA held a public hearing on the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians' plans for the casino near two outlet malls south of downtown Barstow.
The project has been in the works for 10 years.
Jacob Coin, a tribal spokesman, said in an interview Thursday that the San Manuels have long opposed the project and would continue to make their opposition known.
"The tribe is of the mind that this is an encroachment on their ancestral lands," he said. Los Coyotes "have no historical ties to the (Barstow) area."
Charles F. Wood, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, based on the San Bernardino County side of Lake Havasu, said at the public hearing that his tribe opposes the casino for the same reason.
In 1999, during the statewide campaign to allow California tribes to have Nevada-style gambling on their land, the campaign's organizers selected Los Coyotes tribal member Francine Kupsch to illustrate that many California Indians were experiencing poverty and to promote the desire for casinos as a path to Indian self-reliance.
Today the tribe is still without a casino and has electricity only about a mile past its border.
Meanwhile, the San Manuel reservation has many large homes, more than 3,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a 2,500-seat bingo hall.
The Chemehuevi tribe owns Havasu Landing Resort & Casino at Havasu Lake, Calif., across the Colorado River from Lake Havasu, Ariz.
With just 243 slots in its casino, the Chemehuevi "are not considered a gaming tribe," Shirley Smith, vice chairwoman of the tribe, said Friday.
In an interview Wednesday night after the public hearing, Wood said the Chemehuevi would be resubmitting a proposal to build a casino in Barstow, a goal the tribe let lapse.
Ten years ago, both Los Coyotes and the Chemehuevi were proposing casinos for Barstow.
Due to changes in BIA regulations, the Chemehuevi proposal was terminated, as was the one for Los Coyotes.
But the Los Coyotes group refiled under the new guidelines.
On Friday, Smith reconfirmed that the Chemehuevi would again try for a casino in Barstow.
"We do plan to pursue it," she said but declined to say when that application might be refiled.
Coin said that because the San Manuels and the Chemehuevi historically crossed paths in the Barstow area, the San Manuels have never opposed Chemehuevi efforts to build a casino in Barstow.
"For the San Manuels, this is not a gaming issue. It is strictly and nothing but protection of ancestral lands," he said.
To win approval for its casino, Los Coyotes must persuade the federal government to put a 23-acre casino site in a public trust, effectively creating a Los Coyotes reservation.
Said Coin: "The tribe (Los Coyotes) have no aboriginal connections to the lands. But this would create a brand new reservation (site), just for the purpose of building a casino."
Los Coyotes tribal Chairman Shane Chapparosa said that historically his tribe hunted and traded on the same lands as did the Serranos (San Manuels) and Chemehuevi.
A research firm hired by the financial backers of the Los Coyotes project, Detroit-based BarWest Gaming Inc., says that "the city of Barstow is not located within the aboriginal territory of any modern tribe."
The area was inhabited by a tribe known as the Vanyume, "a linguistic subgroup" of the Serrano Indians but a different group than the ancestors of the modern San Manuels, says a 2005 report by Historical Research Associates Inc. in Missoula, Mont.
Tom Shields, a spokesman for Bar West, said a historical link to the area of the proposed casino would not be a factor in the federal government's decision.
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians oppose the proposed casino and 100-room hotel advancing through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approval process.
On Wednesday night, the BIA held a public hearing on the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians' plans for the casino near two outlet malls south of downtown Barstow.
The project has been in the works for 10 years.
Jacob Coin, a tribal spokesman, said in an interview Thursday that the San Manuels have long opposed the project and would continue to make their opposition known.
A rendering shows a casino the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians propose to build in Barstow. The project is opposed by the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, saying that the casino would encroach upon their ancestral lands. (Courtesy rendering)
"The tribe is of the mind that this is an encroachment on their ancestral lands," he said. Los Coyotes "have no historical ties to the (Barstow) area."
Charles F. Wood, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, based on the San Bernardino County side of Lake Havasu, said at the public hearing that his tribe opposes the casino for the same reason.
In 1999, during the statewide campaign to allow California tribes to have Nevada-style gambling on their land, the campaign's organizers selected Los Coyotes tribal member Francine Kupsch to illustrate that many California Indians were experiencing poverty and to promote the desire for casinos as a path to Indian self-reliance.
Today the tribe is still without a casino and has electricity only about a mile past its border.
Meanwhile, the San Manuel reservation has many large homes, more than 3,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a 2,500-seat bingo hall.
The Chemehuevi tribe owns Havasu Landing Resort & Casino at Havasu Lake, Calif., across the Colorado River from Lake Havasu, Ariz.
With just 243 slots in its casino, the Chemehuevi "are not considered a gaming tribe," Shirley Smith, vice chairwoman of the tribe, said Friday.
In an interview Wednesday night after the public hearing, Wood said the Chemehuevi would be resubmitting a proposal to build a casino in Barstow, a goal the tribe let lapse.
Ten years ago, both Los Coyotes and the Chemehuevi were proposing casinos for Barstow.
Due to changes in BIA regulations, the Chemehuevi proposal was terminated, as was the one for Los Coyotes.
But the Los Coyotes group refiled under the new guidelines.
On Friday, Smith reconfirmed that the Chemehuevi would again try for a casino in Barstow.
"We do plan to pursue it," she said but declined to say when that application might be refiled.
Coin said that because the San Manuels and the Chemehuevi historically crossed paths in the Barstow area, the San Manuels have never opposed Chemehuevi efforts to build a casino in Barstow.
"For the San Manuels, this is not a gaming issue. It is strictly and nothing but protection of ancestral lands," he said.
To win approval for its casino, Los Coyotes must persuade the federal government to put a 23-acre casino site in a public trust, effectively creating a Los Coyotes reservation.
Said Coin: "The tribe (Los Coyotes) have no aboriginal connections to the lands. But this would create a brand new reservation (site), just for the purpose of building a casino."
Los Coyotes tribal Chairman Shane Chapparosa said that historically his tribe hunted and traded on the same lands as did the Serranos (San Manuels) and Chemehuevi.
A research firm hired by the financial backers of the Los Coyotes project, Detroit-based BarWest Gaming Inc., says that "the city of Barstow is not located within the aboriginal territory of any modern tribe."
The area was inhabited by a tribe known as the Vanyume, "a linguistic subgroup" of the Serrano Indians but a different group than the ancestors of the modern San Manuels, says a 2005 report by Historical Research Associates Inc. in Missoula, Mont.
Tom Shields, a spokesman for Bar West, said a historical link to the area of the proposed casino would not be a factor in the federal government's decision.
Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_18588286?source=most_viewed#ixzz1TgyaBAoj
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Leaders of tribes that have pursued Barstow casinos meet for first time
3.18.09
Tribal leaders meet to clear the air over Barstow casino projects
By ABBY SEWELL, staff writer
BARSTOW • The leaders of two Indian tribes that have proposed to build two separate off-reservation casinos in Barstow sat down together for the first time in Barstow last week.
At the urging of Barstow’s Mayor Joe Gomez, Chemehuevi tribal Chairman Charles Wood and Spokeswoman Francine Kupsch with the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno met March 10 at Quigley’s Restaurant in an attempt to clear the air between their tribes.
In the past, there had been tension between the proponents of the two casino projects, particularly over Measure H, a ballot measure voted down by Barstow voters in 2006, which would have created a casino zone encompassing the area where the Chemehuevi planned to build their casino but not the site of the Los Coyotes project.
The March 10 meeting was the first formal meeting that had ever taken place between the leaders of the tribes.
“I think the meeting went very well, and it was long overdue,” Wood said.
He said he would anticipate future meetings between the tribes. Although he and Kupsch agreed to work cooperatively in the future, Wood said he does not anticipate the tribes forming a joint venture on the casino project.
Kupsch said that after discussing the histories of their respective tribes and the struggles they had faced in the past, the leaders had a better understanding of each other’s situations. The possibility of forming a joint venture did not come up during the meeting, she said.
Gomez said he asked the tribal leaders about a month ago if they would be willing to meet, in hopes that they could find ways to support — or at least not interfere with — each other.
“I think it should have been done a long time ago,” he said. “I think we would have had a better opportunity to get a casino if they had met from the very beginning and got their input from the very beginning.”
Gomez said that he and the two leaders took part on their own time and at their own expense and that after introducing the tribal leaders and making sure they felt comfortable together, he left the meeting.
Both tribes previously applied to the U.S. Department of the Interior to have land in Barstow held in federal trust to be used for off-reservation gaming. The Department of the Interior rejected both applications in January 2008 because of new federal standards requiring off-reservation Indian casinos to be within commuting distance of the reservation. Only the Los Coyotes have so far filed an amended application.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or asewell@desertdispatch.com
At the urging of Barstow’s Mayor Joe Gomez, Chemehuevi tribal Chairman Charles Wood and Spokeswoman Francine Kupsch with the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno met March 10 at Quigley’s Restaurant in an attempt to clear the air between their tribes.
In the past, there had been tension between the proponents of the two casino projects, particularly over Measure H, a ballot measure voted down by Barstow voters in 2006, which would have created a casino zone encompassing the area where the Chemehuevi planned to build their casino but not the site of the Los Coyotes project.
The March 10 meeting was the first formal meeting that had ever taken place between the leaders of the tribes.
“I think the meeting went very well, and it was long overdue,” Wood said.
He said he would anticipate future meetings between the tribes. Although he and Kupsch agreed to work cooperatively in the future, Wood said he does not anticipate the tribes forming a joint venture on the casino project.
Kupsch said that after discussing the histories of their respective tribes and the struggles they had faced in the past, the leaders had a better understanding of each other’s situations. The possibility of forming a joint venture did not come up during the meeting, she said.
Gomez said he asked the tribal leaders about a month ago if they would be willing to meet, in hopes that they could find ways to support — or at least not interfere with — each other.
“I think it should have been done a long time ago,” he said. “I think we would have had a better opportunity to get a casino if they had met from the very beginning and got their input from the very beginning.”
Gomez said that he and the two leaders took part on their own time and at their own expense and that after introducing the tribal leaders and making sure they felt comfortable together, he left the meeting.
Both tribes previously applied to the U.S. Department of the Interior to have land in Barstow held in federal trust to be used for off-reservation gaming. The Department of the Interior rejected both applications in January 2008 because of new federal standards requiring off-reservation Indian casinos to be within commuting distance of the reservation. Only the Los Coyotes have so far filed an amended application.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or asewell@desertdispatch.com
Monday, January 14, 2008
Chemehuevi tribe looking at options
1.14.08
Barstow and Chemehuevi officials unhappy with casino rejection.
By David Bell
The Interior Department has said no to a second Chemehuevi casino in Barstow, Calif., but city and tribal leaders are saying the fight isn't over. Barstow officials say they will not allow the issue of off-reservations casinos to die.
In letters dated Jan. 4, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Carl Artman notified the Chemehuevi, Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indian tribes that the tribes' fee-to-trust applications for land in Barstow was rejected.
And because the land would not then be considered part of the reservation, it could not qualify as a site for a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Ron Rector, acting City Manager and Director of Economic Development and Redevelopment for the city, said Barstow is reviewing its options and a response will be forthcoming.
"We believe the decision by the (Interior Department) Secretary was just to set a policy," Rector said. "It's a slap in the face of us and the governor."
"We worked with all three tribes for over five years, followed all rules established by Congress and did it all in good faith," Rector said. "We're very disappointed in the Secretary's decision."
But Barstow residents may not share that feeling. Online reader's comments to the Barstow Desert Dispatch story on the Interior Department decision are negative on the issue of Native American casinos.
"This is good news to all Barstonians," wrote the poster identified as "Yipee," while "John" wrote "Barstow doesn't need a casino the council should concentrate on trying to get businesses that are worthwhile Revitalize main street its looking like a ghost town."
Rector said the two casino proposals, the Big Lagoons and Los Coyotes, were partnering on a 40-acre casino project. This would have provided the economic boost the Web poster is looking for.
"The initial investment was about $175 million with 2,000 jobs and $50 million in payroll," Rector said. "There would be indirect expenditures of well over $30 million, and our agreement had us (the city) receiving 4.3 percent of gaming revenue for Class-3 slot machines. We anticipated that at $7 million to $10 million per year."
Chemehuevi Chairman Charles Wood previously said the tribe was looking at options the tribe could take to keep the casino project moving forward.
"Those options include responding with comments to the concerns in the letter, the appeals process and resubmission. Others (tribes) are threatening to sue. I'm not saying we would, but I would hope it wouldn’t come to that," Wood said.
Wood also said the Interior Department failed to recognize the Chemehuevis claim of ancestral ties to the area, the major factor in placing land in trust for a tribe.
"Right now we're in discussions on what will be the right course of action," Rector said. "There will be action taken by the City of Barstow."
In 2003, the Chemehuevi and Los Coyotes tribes approached the Barstow City Council about establishing off-reservation casinos. The city entered into a municipal-services agreement with the Los Coyotes in 2004 that, in 2005, announced plans to partner with the Big Lagoon tribe. Later that same year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced approval of a gaming compact between the state and the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoons.
Meanwhile in 2005 the Chemehuevi tribe negotiated a municipal-service agreement with the City of Barstow.
On Feb. 16, 2006 the Chemehuevi tribe submitted the application to acquire in trust a 40-acre parcel of Barstow land and one month later the Big Lagoon tribe and Los Coyotes submitted an application.
Last year Schwarzenegger and the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoons agreed to allow the gaming compact to expire, as it had yet to obtain passage by the state legislature.
You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.
By David Bell
The Interior Department has said no to a second Chemehuevi casino in Barstow, Calif., but city and tribal leaders are saying the fight isn't over. Barstow officials say they will not allow the issue of off-reservations casinos to die.
In letters dated Jan. 4, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Carl Artman notified the Chemehuevi, Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indian tribes that the tribes' fee-to-trust applications for land in Barstow was rejected.
And because the land would not then be considered part of the reservation, it could not qualify as a site for a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Ron Rector, acting City Manager and Director of Economic Development and Redevelopment for the city, said Barstow is reviewing its options and a response will be forthcoming.
"We believe the decision by the (Interior Department) Secretary was just to set a policy," Rector said. "It's a slap in the face of us and the governor."
"We worked with all three tribes for over five years, followed all rules established by Congress and did it all in good faith," Rector said. "We're very disappointed in the Secretary's decision."
But Barstow residents may not share that feeling. Online reader's comments to the Barstow Desert Dispatch story on the Interior Department decision are negative on the issue of Native American casinos.
"This is good news to all Barstonians," wrote the poster identified as "Yipee," while "John" wrote "Barstow doesn't need a casino the council should concentrate on trying to get businesses that are worthwhile Revitalize main street its looking like a ghost town."
Rector said the two casino proposals, the Big Lagoons and Los Coyotes, were partnering on a 40-acre casino project. This would have provided the economic boost the Web poster is looking for.
"The initial investment was about $175 million with 2,000 jobs and $50 million in payroll," Rector said. "There would be indirect expenditures of well over $30 million, and our agreement had us (the city) receiving 4.3 percent of gaming revenue for Class-3 slot machines. We anticipated that at $7 million to $10 million per year."
Chemehuevi Chairman Charles Wood previously said the tribe was looking at options the tribe could take to keep the casino project moving forward.
"Those options include responding with comments to the concerns in the letter, the appeals process and resubmission. Others (tribes) are threatening to sue. I'm not saying we would, but I would hope it wouldn’t come to that," Wood said.
Wood also said the Interior Department failed to recognize the Chemehuevis claim of ancestral ties to the area, the major factor in placing land in trust for a tribe.
"Right now we're in discussions on what will be the right course of action," Rector said. "There will be action taken by the City of Barstow."
In 2003, the Chemehuevi and Los Coyotes tribes approached the Barstow City Council about establishing off-reservation casinos. The city entered into a municipal-services agreement with the Los Coyotes in 2004 that, in 2005, announced plans to partner with the Big Lagoon tribe. Later that same year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced approval of a gaming compact between the state and the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoons.
Meanwhile in 2005 the Chemehuevi tribe negotiated a municipal-service agreement with the City of Barstow.
On Feb. 16, 2006 the Chemehuevi tribe submitted the application to acquire in trust a 40-acre parcel of Barstow land and one month later the Big Lagoon tribe and Los Coyotes submitted an application.
Last year Schwarzenegger and the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoons agreed to allow the gaming compact to expire, as it had yet to obtain passage by the state legislature.
You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Allegations that Mayor Dale's letter contributed to Interior's rejection of casino proposals
In a post at the Desert Dispatch, allegations have been made suggesting that an unauthorized letter Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale sent to an Interior Department official blasting the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe was one of the contributing factors that resulted in rejection letters sent last week by an official at the Department of Interior to three tribes who had sought to take land in trust in Barstow for the purposes of developing casino resorts.
Dale wrote a letter on Aug. 20 to Clay Gregory, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Sacramento office, accusing the tribe of providing "misinformation" to the bureau and "continued meddling in the City’s affairs." Dale wrote his letter in response to an Aug. 8 letter the Chemehuevi tribe submitted to the federal government regarding the proposal of the Los Coyotes/Big Lagoon tribes to build a casino in Barstow. In that letter, the Chemehuevi accused the two other tribes of lacking ancestral ties to the area and of "reservation shopping."
Gaming Compacts held by two of the tribes backed by Mayor Dale were rejected by the California legislature last Fall and have since expired. With this latest rejection, it seems relatively certain that Mayor Lawrence Dale has failed in his 7-year bid to bring casino gambling to Barstow -- this scheme has been the cornerstone of Dale's plan for Barstow's economic recovery.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
2003 NEWS ARCHIVE: Barwest's early involvement in Barstow; the Chemehuevi plan; and Gretchen Belli's connection to Los Coyotes
6.17.03
Tribe pushes casino plans for Barstow
As reported by: San Bernardino County Sun: -- " The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe near Lake Havasu announced Monday that it will move forward with its plan to build a casino in Barstow even though a San Diego County tribe is planning the same thing.
"We feel if the governor is going to give his concurrence to allow a tribe to do a gaming complex in Barstow, we meet the criteria that the governor is looking for,' said Lester Marston, lawyer for the Chemehuevi and husband of a member of the tribe.
He said the tribe will submit its plans to the Barstow City Council at the council's first July meeting.
Marston said he and Chemehuevi chairman Edward D. "Tito' Smith met with city officials Monday to discuss the tribe's plans, which have been in the works for eight years. The proposal includes a hotel, retail shops, RV park, water park, condominiums, golf courses, spa, outdoor amphitheater and possibly a rodeo arena. The project would be located near the Factory Merchants Outlet Mall.
The project would have moved along much more quickly, Marston said, but Gov. Gray Davis has shown an aversion to off-reservation gaming. He said Davis has shown himself to be more open now.
John Rader, spokesman for the city, said the proposal is very similar to the one presented two weeks ago by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians in San Diego County.
However, he said, the city has an exclusive negotiating agreement with Los Coyotes that could last nine months. After that period, the city could take action with the Chemehuevi.
Tribe officials and project representatives from the Los Coyotes tribe could not be reached for comment.
Los Coyotes announced plans June 2 to build a 180-room hotel casino with a theme park near the Factory Merchant Outlet Mall. They partnered with Detroit-based BarWest.
The Los Coyotes still need the governor and the federal government to approve putting the site into a federal trust.
Many gaming insiders feel that because the Los Coyotes don't have aboriginal ties to Barstow, it will be very difficult for them to get Davis' nod.
"You can't just pick a property because it is a lucrative location,' said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. "If it goes through, I will be very surprised.'
The announcement two weeks ago caused a stir among the Chemehuevi, who felt they were cheated by the city. But it also upset a Beverly Hills-based public relations firm that said it had been working with Los Coyotes and was squeezed out at the last minute.
Dean Delorean of Harris Delorean Public Relations went to the City Council meeting Monday night to complain about the situation.
Delorean said he and his firm have been planning since 2001 to link a tribe that is not federally recognized the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe of Chino with the Los Coyotes, who are federally recognized.
Delorean's group wanted to build the Desert Oasis Hotel and Resort with five restaurants and a theme park. There were also plans to build a diabetes center.
Rader said before the meeting that Harris Delorean was one of many groups with casino proposals.
"It is sour grapes,' he said. "They came late to the table, and the city never promised them anything.'
As reported by: San Bernardino County Sun: -- " The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe near Lake Havasu announced Monday that it will move forward with its plan to build a casino in Barstow even though a San Diego County tribe is planning the same thing.
"We feel if the governor is going to give his concurrence to allow a tribe to do a gaming complex in Barstow, we meet the criteria that the governor is looking for,' said Lester Marston, lawyer for the Chemehuevi and husband of a member of the tribe.
"We are not trying to acquire land in another county or outside our aboriginal territory,' Marston said, referring to the Los Coyotes tribe of San Diego County. The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians submitted their proposal for a casino two weeks ago."We are not trying to leapfrog over other tribes,' Marston said.
He said the tribe will submit its plans to the Barstow City Council at the council's first July meeting.
Marston said he and Chemehuevi chairman Edward D. "Tito' Smith met with city officials Monday to discuss the tribe's plans, which have been in the works for eight years. The proposal includes a hotel, retail shops, RV park, water park, condominiums, golf courses, spa, outdoor amphitheater and possibly a rodeo arena. The project would be located near the Factory Merchants Outlet Mall.
The project would have moved along much more quickly, Marston said, but Gov. Gray Davis has shown an aversion to off-reservation gaming. He said Davis has shown himself to be more open now.
John Rader, spokesman for the city, said the proposal is very similar to the one presented two weeks ago by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians in San Diego County.
However, he said, the city has an exclusive negotiating agreement with Los Coyotes that could last nine months. After that period, the city could take action with the Chemehuevi.
Tribe officials and project representatives from the Los Coyotes tribe could not be reached for comment.
Los Coyotes announced plans June 2 to build a 180-room hotel casino with a theme park near the Factory Merchant Outlet Mall. They partnered with Detroit-based BarWest.
The Los Coyotes still need the governor and the federal government to approve putting the site into a federal trust.
Many gaming insiders feel that because the Los Coyotes don't have aboriginal ties to Barstow, it will be very difficult for them to get Davis' nod.
"You can't just pick a property because it is a lucrative location,' said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. "If it goes through, I will be very surprised.'
The announcement two weeks ago caused a stir among the Chemehuevi, who felt they were cheated by the city. But it also upset a Beverly Hills-based public relations firm that said it had been working with Los Coyotes and was squeezed out at the last minute.
Dean Delorean of Harris Delorean Public Relations went to the City Council meeting Monday night to complain about the situation.
Delorean said he and his firm have been planning since 2001 to link a tribe that is not federally recognized the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe of Chino with the Los Coyotes, who are federally recognized.
Delorean's group wanted to build the Desert Oasis Hotel and Resort with five restaurants and a theme park. There were also plans to build a diabetes center.
Rader said before the meeting that Harris Delorean was one of many groups with casino proposals.
"It is sour grapes,' he said. "They came late to the table, and the city never promised them anything.'
Tom Shields, the Los Coyotes project spokesman, said he never heard of Harris Delorean or their involvement. He said his interaction has mostly been between the BarWest investors and the city before he met Los Coyotes."When you first announce these things you have people coming out of the woodwork who say they also wanted to do these things,' Shields said. "But no one ever did it.'
But in November, Kevin Siva of the Los Coyotes met Gretchen Belli, a friend of Harris and Delorean, they said. Belli is the former daughter-in-law of the late lawyer Melvin Belli and was recently indicted on suspicion of stealing and defrauding the city of Taft.
Delorean said shortly after Siva and Belli met, Harris Delorean and the Costanoan were squeezed out.
Belli and Siva could not be reached for comment.
DeLorean said the firm was talking to other tribes over the past six months. But two weeks ago, Siva and BarWest came forward with their proposal.
"It is a bad feeling, but I am used to it,' said Costanoan chairman Tony Cerda, 66, a retired foreman who has also worked with boxers. "I've seen a lot of things look like they are good and turn out bad.' "
Belli and Siva could not be reached for comment.
DeLorean said the firm was talking to other tribes over the past six months. But two weeks ago, Siva and BarWest came forward with their proposal.
"It is a bad feeling, but I am used to it,' said Costanoan chairman Tony Cerda, 66, a retired foreman who has also worked with boxers. "I've seen a lot of things look like they are good and turn out bad.' "
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Schwarzenegger official said the Governor would negotiate off-reservation gaming Compacts with tribes that meet terms set out in 2005
Governor's aide does not rule out Compact negotiations with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
A letter dated September 17, 2007 from the director of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) indicates the Governor will negotiate with any tribe which seeks to establish gaming in Barstow, CA and which meets the terms outlined in his May 2005 Proclamation on Indian Gaming.
A report put forth by Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale following a September 6, 2007 meeting with Cynthia Bryant, the director of the Governor's OPR, misconstrued what Bryant had said and attempted to suggest the Governor would not negotiate with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe or others.
Bryant makes it clear in her letter that the Governor would negotiate with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe or other tribes seeking off-reservation gaming Compacts provided they meet terms set forth by the Governor in 2005.
A report put forth by Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale following a September 6, 2007 meeting with Cynthia Bryant, the director of the Governor's OPR, misconstrued what Bryant had said and attempted to suggest the Governor would not negotiate with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe or others.
Bryant makes it clear in her letter that the Governor would negotiate with the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe or other tribes seeking off-reservation gaming Compacts provided they meet terms set forth by the Governor in 2005.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Big Lagoon intends to return to development on its Reservation; public urges council to move on
9.18.07
Tribes update council on casino plans
Big Lagoon may build back home; land into trust process to continue
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
Big Lagoon may build back home; land into trust process to continue
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — Big Lagoon could be breaking out the bulldozers back at their Northern California home instead of in town.
After Monday night’s expiration of an agreement allowing a casino to be built in Barstow, the tribe will begin site preparation work to possibly build a casino on their Humbolt county reservation, according to a representative for the tribe.
This action does not necessarily mean that the tribe has abandoned its Barstow plans, but Big Lagoon seeks to begin negotiating with the governor’s office for an agreement to build on their reservation, said Lance Boldrey, an attorney with BarWest LLC., speaking for the tribe.
The Big Lagoon tribe along with the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians have proposed developing a dual off-reservation casino near the outlet malls in Barstow, but the proposal has stalled in the state legislature.
Representatives from BarWest LLC., developer of the project, as well as the members of the Los Coyotes tribe were at Monday’s City Council meeting to tell the public about their plans to continue with the casino project despite the expiration of the agreements.
Boldrey said that the project’s proponents will focus on securing the future site of the casino into a federal trust, a necessary step before an off-reservation casino is approved, but said the expiration of the compacts, agreements between the tribes and the governor, could complicate the process.
"The process is more difficult today because the compacts have not passed and Federal officials will want to make sure that casino development is in the best interest for the community," Boldrey said.
Representatives of the Los Coyotes tribe said that despite the defeat, they will still proceed with their plans.
"We intend to make the commitment to move forward," said Kevin Siva, tribal council member of the Los Coyotes tribe.
His aunt, the tribe’s 87-year-old chairwoman, Catherine Siva Saubel, addressed the council in her native Cahuilla language and then switched to English. She stressed the tribe’s need to continue with the casino’s development.
"We are still in Barstow because we need each other," she said. "Economically we depend on that. For us I have a home with no running water no electricity. The same things here with people around. We’re both in the same boat."
Members of the Chemehuevi Indian tribe, which also is proposing to build a casino in Barstow, were also present at the meeting. They stressed the tribe’s local connection to the Barstow area.
"This connection is important, it’s cultural, it’s your tribe," said Phil Wyman, former state assemblyman and now a lobbyist for the tribe.
Wyman said that those ties to the area will give the tribe more political clout to navigate the lengthy legal process to develop a casino.
"This tribe, the Chemehuevi tribe, can come together get a compact and bring some prosperity here. … I want everybody in Barstow to be the winner, I don’t give a damn about the people in Michigan," he said.
Some members of the public fed up with the length of the development process have suggested that the council focus on bringing any casino to Barstow rather than picking a particular tribe’s proposal.
"I don’t care what tribe it is, what developer it is. I want a casino. And if you guys can’t produce, you should let somebody else try the job," said Pat Aleman, speaking to the council.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or jason_smith@link.freedom.com
After Monday night’s expiration of an agreement allowing a casino to be built in Barstow, the tribe will begin site preparation work to possibly build a casino on their Humbolt county reservation, according to a representative for the tribe.
This action does not necessarily mean that the tribe has abandoned its Barstow plans, but Big Lagoon seeks to begin negotiating with the governor’s office for an agreement to build on their reservation, said Lance Boldrey, an attorney with BarWest LLC., speaking for the tribe.
The Big Lagoon tribe along with the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians have proposed developing a dual off-reservation casino near the outlet malls in Barstow, but the proposal has stalled in the state legislature.
Representatives from BarWest LLC., developer of the project, as well as the members of the Los Coyotes tribe were at Monday’s City Council meeting to tell the public about their plans to continue with the casino project despite the expiration of the agreements.
Boldrey said that the project’s proponents will focus on securing the future site of the casino into a federal trust, a necessary step before an off-reservation casino is approved, but said the expiration of the compacts, agreements between the tribes and the governor, could complicate the process.
"The process is more difficult today because the compacts have not passed and Federal officials will want to make sure that casino development is in the best interest for the community," Boldrey said.
Representatives of the Los Coyotes tribe said that despite the defeat, they will still proceed with their plans.
"We intend to make the commitment to move forward," said Kevin Siva, tribal council member of the Los Coyotes tribe.
His aunt, the tribe’s 87-year-old chairwoman, Catherine Siva Saubel, addressed the council in her native Cahuilla language and then switched to English. She stressed the tribe’s need to continue with the casino’s development.
"We are still in Barstow because we need each other," she said. "Economically we depend on that. For us I have a home with no running water no electricity. The same things here with people around. We’re both in the same boat."
Members of the Chemehuevi Indian tribe, which also is proposing to build a casino in Barstow, were also present at the meeting. They stressed the tribe’s local connection to the Barstow area.
"This connection is important, it’s cultural, it’s your tribe," said Phil Wyman, former state assemblyman and now a lobbyist for the tribe.
Wyman said that those ties to the area will give the tribe more political clout to navigate the lengthy legal process to develop a casino.
"This tribe, the Chemehuevi tribe, can come together get a compact and bring some prosperity here. … I want everybody in Barstow to be the winner, I don’t give a damn about the people in Michigan," he said.
Some members of the public fed up with the length of the development process have suggested that the council focus on bringing any casino to Barstow rather than picking a particular tribe’s proposal.
"I don’t care what tribe it is, what developer it is. I want a casino. And if you guys can’t produce, you should let somebody else try the job," said Pat Aleman, speaking to the council.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or jason_smith@link.freedom.com
Monday, September 17, 2007
Barwest Compacts expire; future direction unclear
9.17.07 Casino agreements expire; tribes unsure of next step
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — The agreements between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and two Indian tribes to allow an off-reservation casino to be built in Barstow expired at midnight on Monday leaving the future of the project in doubt.
The Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes had signed casino compacts with the governor’s office on Sept. 9, 2005, but those agreements would have had to have been ratified by both houses of the state legislature by Sept. 17. in order for the project to go forward. The legislature has since adjourned for the 2007 regular session.
Tom Shields, spokesman for the casino’s developer BarWest, LLC., said that despite the expiration, the tribes still hope to continue with the project
"Both tribes are still interested in pursuing Barstow,"he said.
He said the tribes and BarWest thanked the unions, environmental groups and city officials for their lobbying efforts for the project but said more efforts were needed.
"It’s really up to the governor to get the Barstow compacts passed by the legislature. While we appreciate everyone’s support, passing the compacts was never a top priority. In order to get them approved, the governor needs to do more," he said.
Shields said that compacts could be renegotiated and the developers will now focus on the lengthy process of putting the land into federal trust. He called the support of the Big Lagoon tribe a crucial part of the project, but acknowledged that the tribe has not determined how it will proceed.
Jason Barnett, spokesman for the Big Lagoon Rancheria tribe, said that the tribe is considering all its options and will meet with the governor’s office before deciding whether or not to abandon its Barstow plans.
"The tribes’ focus may shift back to Humbolt but we are not ruling out Barstow in any way. We are waiting to hear from the Governor,"he said.
In May, the tribes’ chairman, Virgil Moorehead said that the Sept. 17 deadline would be its last for the Barstow project and the tribe would pursue building a casino on its Humbolt county reservation, an environmentally sensitive lagoon. The tribe was previously involved in a lawsuit with the governor’s office about developing a casino on the reservation and the Barstow project was created as part of a legal settlement.
Sabrina Lockhart, spokeswoman with Governor Schwarzenegger’s office, said that the expiration of the compacts does not necessarily mean that the lawsuit will continue. She said that a clause in the settlement contract gives the Big Lagoon tribe the option to attempt to renegotiate a new compact in the case that the old compact expires.
She declined to comment on the status of the ongoing negotiations but said the "governor stands committed to negotiate in good faith with the tribes" in order to develop a casino in Barstow.
Barstow City Manager Hector Rodriguez said that despite the failure of the compacts the city still supports the development of a casino and particularly supports the BarWest project.
"The casinos are alive and well. The city will be looking at all options to bring a casino to Barstow," he said.
Rodriguez said he would like to see a "more defined strategic plan" created to focus the city’s efforts to lobby for casino development. He said that although the city has already signed agreements with the tribes, the city could do more to support their efforts.
The city needs to advocate in a stronger manner for the casinos. We need to be more proactive in lobbying for any project to bring a casino to Barstow.
Another tribe, the Chemehuevi of Lake Havasu, also have an agreement with the City of Barstow to try to bring an off-reservation casino to Barstow. Rodriguez said that the city could do more to support the Chemehuevi tribe in their efforts to develop a casino in Barstow as well, but that the tribe would need to receive an amended compact with the governor to include the option to build a casino in Barstow.
Representatives of the Chemehuevi tribe did not return calls seeking comment, but have said in the past that the expiration of the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes compacts could allow them to proceed with their own plans. The Chemehuevis have a application before the Bureau of Indian affairs to place land in to trust, but the application is still pending due to an ongoing environmental review.
Gary Garrison, public affairs specialist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said that the expiration of the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes compacts will not have any effect on the land into trust process. He said that time to complete the process varies, but recent applications have been taking as many as three years. Garrison said the process was complicated because “the Secretary of the Interior, (Dirk Kempthorne) doesn’t want to encourage off-reservation gaming, thinking instead it should be kept on the reservation.”
The federal land into trust process turns the land affected into sovereign Indian territory, necessary for gaming to legally take place on the land.
Garrison said that the land into trust applications of all three tribes are still undergoing environmental review and after this is completed, members of the public will have the opportunity to comment. After public comment, the application will be reviewed by the regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior would have final say, Garrison said.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or mailto:jason_smith@link.freedom.com
Another tribe, the Chemehuevi of Lake Havasu, also have an agreement with the City of Barstow to try to bring an off-reservation casino to Barstow. Rodriguez said that the city could do more to support the Chemehuevi tribe in their efforts to develop a casino in Barstow as well, but that the tribe would need to receive an amended compact with the governor to include the option to build a casino in Barstow.
Representatives of the Chemehuevi tribe did not return calls seeking comment, but have said in the past that the expiration of the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes compacts could allow them to proceed with their own plans. The Chemehuevis have a application before the Bureau of Indian affairs to place land in to trust, but the application is still pending due to an ongoing environmental review.
Gary Garrison, public affairs specialist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said that the expiration of the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes compacts will not have any effect on the land into trust process. He said that time to complete the process varies, but recent applications have been taking as many as three years. Garrison said the process was complicated because “the Secretary of the Interior, (Dirk Kempthorne) doesn’t want to encourage off-reservation gaming, thinking instead it should be kept on the reservation.”
The federal land into trust process turns the land affected into sovereign Indian territory, necessary for gaming to legally take place on the land.
Garrison said that the land into trust applications of all three tribes are still undergoing environmental review and after this is completed, members of the public will have the opportunity to comment. After public comment, the application will be reviewed by the regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior would have final say, Garrison said.
Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or mailto:jason_smith@link.freedom.com
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Barstow Mayor's behavior's inappropriate toward Chairman of City's tribal partner
Letters to the editor, September 4, 2007
Chemehuevi leader mistreated by mayor
I agree with Mrs. Julie Clemmer’s letter (”Larry Halstead admits to payment by San Manuel Indian Tribe,” Aug. 24) urging anyone that has a computer, or can view the city council meeting of August 6, should do so. Not for the vindictive reasons Mrs. Clemmer would like you to, but to view how our Mayor Lawrence Dale treated another elected representative with lack of respect and with outright disdain, because they have an opposite view to his.
Chairman Wood, as a representative of the Chemehuevi Nation Indian Tribe, tried to give to our city council some information concerning the progress of the two casino compacts now in front of our state legislators, along with information concerning the Chemehuevi and their right to build in Barstow. Some of this information was sent to the mayor in writing. As you can see in the meeting, it was apparent that he did not share this with other members of the council. He then rudely and abruptly cut off Chairman Wood with the excuse that he had gone over his three minute time limit.
This is the man who heads the Chemehuevi Indian Nation. The head of a Tribe that has a contract/MSA with the city of Barstow to build a casino here. Apparently not one of the two the mayor supports, but still, one that has an agreement to build here. What harm would it have been to give the Chairman one more minute to finish his statements?
The only other point that I would touch on is when Mrs. Clemmer claims those of us who want to see Barstow end up with a casino needed to resort to “trickery” in the form of Measure H.
The truth is Ms. Clemmer and her friends from Detroit are professionals at trickery. Yes, they spent more than $200,000 on their campaign to bury Measure H. That was $200,000 mostly from people who don’t live or vote in Barstow. In fact, they have yet to reveal where 75 percent of that money is coming from.
Anonymous sources outside of Barstow were the ones who funded the bulk of the $200,000 campaign to stop Measure H and preserve the Barwest monopoly — a plan that was dead on arrival at least two years ago.
Well Ms. Clemmer, the proponents of Measure H, which I was one, wanted to give priority to the Chemehuevi casino project and to further their chances of succeeding in Barstow. What’s wrong with that? You are continuing to back the failed Bar West casino plans and their tribes.
Only time will tell who was right. It certainly does not look good for BarWest, but again it never did.
Well Ms. Clemmer, the proponents of Measure H, which I was one, wanted to give priority to the Chemehuevi casino project and to further their chances of succeeding in Barstow. What’s wrong with that? You are continuing to back the failed Bar West casino plans and their tribes.
Only time will tell who was right. It certainly does not look good for BarWest, but again it never did.
Unfortunately, the citizens of Barstow will be the ones to lose out for believing in the lies and the twisted tactics that your organization and Bar West used about Measure H and Barstow’s odds for a casino. You made a big deal about where we got the funds to defend our campaign against the BarWest tidal wave and all the while you were taking hundreds of thousands through the back door and worse yet, failing to disclose where it’s coming from.
Measure H may not have been a perfect venue, but it would have opened the doors to competition rather than stand with the Las Vegas-backed developer Bar West that you, the mayor and your cronies have continued to support even when all signs indicate BarWest is Bad for Barstow.
If Barstow fails in its attempt to land an Indian casino, we can thank people like Mayor Dale, Julie Clemmer, Tim Silva, Paul Luellig and the others who allowed BarWest to hold a monopoly over Barstow and refused to consider proposals that could get approved — people who believed they were personally going to be enriched by BarWest.
Measure H may not have been a perfect venue, but it would have opened the doors to competition rather than stand with the Las Vegas-backed developer Bar West that you, the mayor and your cronies have continued to support even when all signs indicate BarWest is Bad for Barstow.
If Barstow fails in its attempt to land an Indian casino, we can thank people like Mayor Dale, Julie Clemmer, Tim Silva, Paul Luellig and the others who allowed BarWest to hold a monopoly over Barstow and refused to consider proposals that could get approved — people who believed they were personally going to be enriched by BarWest.
Manuel Gurule
Barstow
Barstow
Sunday, September 02, 2007
NAHC urges complaint to state Attorney General regarding Barstow’s CEQA-related practices
California’s Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) has urged the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe to file a formal complaint with California Attorney General Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. demanding an immediate investigation into the CEQA-related practices of the City of Barstow.
The environmental review process underway for a dual casino project to be built in Barstow by Detroit-based developer Barwest LLC has triggered awareness that local tribes routinely identified by California’s Native American Heritage Commission as having ancestral ties to the Barstow area may have been purposefully excluded from the environmental review process on that project and others since at least March 1, 2005.
In a letter dated August 13, 2007 to the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe; Dave Singleton, NAHC analyst expresses, “…the Commission is concerned that state law may have been violated if the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe was not given full and reasonable opportunity to comment on and express concerns on either a project planned under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or Government Code 65352.3,5 (SB 18). If consultation was not provided under either of these two acts of the California Legislature by the City of Barstow or its agent; then the tribe in our opinion has a right to file a complaint with the California Attorney General and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO).”
He concludes the letter by stating, “I am of the opinion that Waiting ten (10) months from the time the City of Barstow and/or its agent receive a Native American consultation list form (sic) the Native American Heritage Commission to offer the opportunity for the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe to consult on this important project may indeed be a violation of the spirit and/or the letter of the CEQA Guidelines and Government Code §65252.3 (sic).”
In a letter dated August 13, 2007 to the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe; Dave Singleton, NAHC analyst expresses, “…the Commission is concerned that state law may have been violated if the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe was not given full and reasonable opportunity to comment on and express concerns on either a project planned under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or Government Code 65352.3,5 (SB 18). If consultation was not provided under either of these two acts of the California Legislature by the City of Barstow or its agent; then the tribe in our opinion has a right to file a complaint with the California Attorney General and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO).”
He concludes the letter by stating, “I am of the opinion that Waiting ten (10) months from the time the City of Barstow and/or its agent receive a Native American consultation list form (sic) the Native American Heritage Commission to offer the opportunity for the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe to consult on this important project may indeed be a violation of the spirit and/or the letter of the CEQA Guidelines and Government Code §65252.3 (sic).”
California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)The NAHC is the state commission responsible for advocating preservation and protection of Native American human remains and cultural resources. NAHC maintains confidential records concerning places of special religious or social significance to Native Americans, including graves and cemeteries and other cultural places. The NAHC reviews CEQA documents to provide recommendations to lead agencies about consulting with tribes to mitigate potential project impacts to these sites.
The NAHC is responsible for maintaining a list of California tribes and contacts for each respective tribe; and is responsible for identifying which tribes have ancestral lands or cultural places within a particular local government’s jurisdiction.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Barstow Museum's monument recognizes four Native American groups with ancestral ties to greater Barstow
A large permanent entry monument representative of an "open-book" marks the entrance to the Mojave River Valley Museum, located at 270 Virginia Way (just off Barstow Rd.) in Barstow, California. The monument represents that four Native American groups with ancestral ties in the greater Barstow area: Ute, Mojave, Chemehuevi & Paiute Indians.
Mojave River Valley Museum Monument
on the MONUMENT, MOJAVE RIVER VALLEY MUSEUMTHE STORY
of the MOJAVE RIVERBED TRAILYou are now traveling the Old Mojave Trail, a natural riverbed highway. First used by Ute, Mojave, Chemehuevi & Paiute Indians on the move.1776 - Padre Garces; Missionary, Explorer, Martyr
Thereafter used continually by Mormons, Immigrants, Fortune Seekers, Firefighters, Military Expeditions and Sight-Seeing Tourists
1826 - Jedediah Smith of Salt Lake City, Hunter, Trapper
1829 - William Wolfskill of New Mexico; First of the Annual Caravan Traders Bound for the Coast
1844 - Capt. John C. Fremont; Pathfinder & Mapmaker
1848 - Mormon Battalion disbanded in Los Angeles & bound for Utah
1849 - First Wagons of the Gold Seekers
Official Web site of San Bernardino County names five tribes with historical ties to the region
as presented on the "History" page of San Bernardino County's official Web site:
There is no mention of the Big Lagoon Rancheria (Humboldt County) or the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians(San Diego County); nor of the Cahuilla or Cupeno Indians who have ancestral lands primarily in modern day Riverside and San Diego Counties generally to the south of San Bernardino County and the coastal side of the San Bernardino Mountains range.
from OFFICIAL WEB SITE of SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
San Bernardino County History
Paleo-Indian sites dating from c. 10,000 BC show that the San Bernardino county area has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years. Artifacts in the Calico area suggest much earlier human occupation, but this has not been confirmed. In the past three thousand years various Indian tribes flourished in the area: the Gabrielenos occupied the West Valley; the Serranos lived in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains; the Vanyumes lived along the Mojave River; the Mohave lived along the Colorado River; and in the 1500s the Chemehuevi moved into the Mojave Desert...
There is no mention of the Big Lagoon Rancheria (Humboldt County) or the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians(San Diego County); nor of the Cahuilla or Cupeno Indians who have ancestral lands primarily in modern day Riverside and San Diego Counties generally to the south of San Bernardino County and the coastal side of the San Bernardino Mountains range.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Desert Dispatch reports current and former Councilmembers not happy with Barstow Mayor's unauthorized letter
8.31.07Council members unhappy about mayor’s casino letter
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — Some City Council members are upset about a letter Mayor Lawrence Dale wrote to the federal government accusing the Chemehuevi Indian tribe of attempting to "torpedo" the passage of the Barstow casino compacts.
Dale wrote a letter on Aug. 20 to Clay Gregory, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Sacramento office, accusing the tribe of providing "misinformation" to the bureau and "continued meddling in the City’s affairs." Dale wrote his letter in response to an Aug. 8 letter the Chemehuevi tribe submitted to the federal government regarding the proposal of the Los Coyotes/Big Lagoon tribes to build a casino in Barstow. In that letter, the Chemehuevi accused the two other tribes of lacking ancestral ties to the area and of "reservation shopping."
Council member Joe Gomez made a presentation to the City Council on Tuesday complaining that Dale’s letter appeared to represent the entire council because it was written with the city’s letterhead.
"The mayor wrote a letter representing the city of Barstow and the entire council, and he can’t be doing that," Gomez said.
Council member Steve Curran also disagreed with Dale’s decision to send the letter, but did not return calls for comment.
Former council member Helen Runyon, a 16-year council veteran who was defeated in her 2006 re-election bid, also disagreed with the mayor’s action.
"He wrote it trying to be Mr. Big Shot. He should not have used the stationary," she said.
She said she sees the council as growing more divided.
"There’s always a 3-to-2 vote on what the mayor wants; he should stop trying to be the city manager," Runyon said.
Dale disputed that he was trying to suggest that the council supported his position.
"That letter I wrote was signed by me on my stationary as it comes from the desk of Mayor Lawrence Dale. It represents only my opinion," Dale said.
According to council member Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, the mayor wanted the letter to be signed by the entire council but did not want to wait until the next scheduled meeting. The Sept. 3 meeting of the council was canceled due to the Labor Day holiday.
Hackbarth-McIntyre said that she agreed with the mayor’s position and would have signed the letter. She said that the city was working with the Chemehuevi on their plans to bring a casino to Barstow but that progress with the tribe had slowed.
"When they (the Chemehuevi tribe) get a compact with the governor, they can move forward in their negotiations with the city," she said.
Despite the disagreement among council members, Hackbarth-McIntyre said that she didn’t see the council as overly divisive.
"I think there a few issues on which we have our own opinions, but we’re all pretty much in the same direction on most issues," she said.
Former council member Gloria Darling, who stepped down due to health concerns, said she thinks the council is more divided than it was when she was a member in 2006. She said that in past years the council always strove to reach a unanimous decision because they knew state and federal agencies were keeping a close watch on Barstow politics due to the casino application.
"I think we have an aggressive council, and we don’t seem to agree on most things now," she said.
Despite the disagreements, she said that council members are trying to represent their constituents fairly.
"I do truly believe that all members of the council are trying to do the best for the city."
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — Some City Council members are upset about a letter Mayor Lawrence Dale wrote to the federal government accusing the Chemehuevi Indian tribe of attempting to "torpedo" the passage of the Barstow casino compacts.
Dale wrote a letter on Aug. 20 to Clay Gregory, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Sacramento office, accusing the tribe of providing "misinformation" to the bureau and "continued meddling in the City’s affairs." Dale wrote his letter in response to an Aug. 8 letter the Chemehuevi tribe submitted to the federal government regarding the proposal of the Los Coyotes/Big Lagoon tribes to build a casino in Barstow. In that letter, the Chemehuevi accused the two other tribes of lacking ancestral ties to the area and of "reservation shopping."
Council member Joe Gomez made a presentation to the City Council on Tuesday complaining that Dale’s letter appeared to represent the entire council because it was written with the city’s letterhead.
"The mayor wrote a letter representing the city of Barstow and the entire council, and he can’t be doing that," Gomez said.
Council member Steve Curran also disagreed with Dale’s decision to send the letter, but did not return calls for comment.
Former council member Helen Runyon, a 16-year council veteran who was defeated in her 2006 re-election bid, also disagreed with the mayor’s action.
"He wrote it trying to be Mr. Big Shot. He should not have used the stationary," she said.
She said she sees the council as growing more divided.
"There’s always a 3-to-2 vote on what the mayor wants; he should stop trying to be the city manager," Runyon said.
Dale disputed that he was trying to suggest that the council supported his position.
"That letter I wrote was signed by me on my stationary as it comes from the desk of Mayor Lawrence Dale. It represents only my opinion," Dale said.
According to council member Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, the mayor wanted the letter to be signed by the entire council but did not want to wait until the next scheduled meeting. The Sept. 3 meeting of the council was canceled due to the Labor Day holiday.
Hackbarth-McIntyre said that she agreed with the mayor’s position and would have signed the letter. She said that the city was working with the Chemehuevi on their plans to bring a casino to Barstow but that progress with the tribe had slowed.
"When they (the Chemehuevi tribe) get a compact with the governor, they can move forward in their negotiations with the city," she said.
Despite the disagreement among council members, Hackbarth-McIntyre said that she didn’t see the council as overly divisive.
"I think there a few issues on which we have our own opinions, but we’re all pretty much in the same direction on most issues," she said.
Former council member Gloria Darling, who stepped down due to health concerns, said she thinks the council is more divided than it was when she was a member in 2006. She said that in past years the council always strove to reach a unanimous decision because they knew state and federal agencies were keeping a close watch on Barstow politics due to the casino application.
"I think we have an aggressive council, and we don’t seem to agree on most things now," she said.
Despite the disagreements, she said that council members are trying to represent their constituents fairly.
"I do truly believe that all members of the council are trying to do the best for the city."
Barstow Mayor's rationale for caustic BIA letter is unsupported.
At a special meeting of the Barstow City Council on August 28, 2007, Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale gave the following as rationale for writing a rather caustic letter August 20, 2007 to Clay Gregory at the Sacramento office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regarding the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe:
TVT has obtained and reviewed the August 8th letter from the Chemehuevi tribal Chairman Charles Wood to Doug Edwards, a consultant employed by Analytical Environmental Services (AES), a firm managing studies for the BIA regarding Barwest's dual casino plan for Barstow. It should be noted that the Chairman wrote the letter at the invitation of Edwards.
There is nothing remotely resembling accusations (defined as charges of wrongdoing) about the City of Barstow nor anything that appears to chastise (defined as to critize severely; rebuke) the City of Barstow.
The Chemehuevi Chairman's letter primarily addresses matters of ancestral claims/rights; and the Native American Heritage Commission and Native American consultations relative to the work being done by AES.
Mayor Dale said,
"It was in response to a letter the Chemehuevi Tribe had written to AES chastising the City of Barstow."
"The Chemehuevi had made accusations about our city and about what our city had done."
TVT has obtained and reviewed the August 8th letter from the Chemehuevi tribal Chairman Charles Wood to Doug Edwards, a consultant employed by Analytical Environmental Services (AES), a firm managing studies for the BIA regarding Barwest's dual casino plan for Barstow. It should be noted that the Chairman wrote the letter at the invitation of Edwards.There is nothing remotely resembling accusations (defined as charges of wrongdoing) about the City of Barstow nor anything that appears to chastise (defined as to critize severely; rebuke) the City of Barstow.
The Chemehuevi Chairman's letter primarily addresses matters of ancestral claims/rights; and the Native American Heritage Commission and Native American consultations relative to the work being done by AES.
The Chemehuevi Chairman makes no mention of the "City of Barstow" in the body of the his letter; and nearly all references to "Barstow" are used in context of the geographic place. There are several references to sections of the "Barstow General Plan" and one reference to a letter sent by the group TASIN to the "Barstow City Council."
Given these facts, how did Mayor Dale come to create the subject of his letter to the BIA: "The Chemehuevi Tribe's Recent Assault on Barstow;" and how was it he came to the belief that the Chairman's letter chastised and makes accusations about the City of Barstow?
Given these facts, how did Mayor Dale come to create the subject of his letter to the BIA: "The Chemehuevi Tribe's Recent Assault on Barstow;" and how was it he came to the belief that the Chairman's letter chastised and makes accusations about the City of Barstow?
If Mayor Dale truly believes the Chairman's letter makes "accusations" and "chastises" the City of Barstow; we challenge him to publicly quote specific sections of the letter that support his accusations.
Absent any other explanation one must conclude that Mayor Dale has manufactured representations that aren't supported in Chairman Wood's letter to AES simply as a "stalking horse" to provide him with the cover he needed to make the caustic politically motivated attack meant to damage the Chemehuevi and advantage his friends behind Detroit-based Barwest LLC.
Absent any other explanation one must conclude that Mayor Dale has manufactured representations that aren't supported in Chairman Wood's letter to AES simply as a "stalking horse" to provide him with the cover he needed to make the caustic politically motivated attack meant to damage the Chemehuevi and advantage his friends behind Detroit-based Barwest LLC.
If you would like a copy of the Chemehuevi tribal chairman's letter or Mayor Dale's letter, please contact TVT at allverifiable@gmail.com
Barstow Mayor thinks he pulled one over on his Council colleagues and the general public
On August 22, Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale wrote what some have characterized as a vitriolic letter to Clay Gregory at the Sacramento office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs which was an unauthorized and unwarranted attack on the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe.
At a special meeting of the Barstow City Council on August 28, 2007, Councilman Joe Gomez and members of the public chastised the Mayor for, among other things, sending the letter without first getting City Council review and approval. Those critical of the Mayor’s action feel Mayor Dale's track record may be what costs Barstow any chance to establish Indian gaming.
This was part of Dale’s defiant response:
Is that so?
TVT has reviewed the Dale letter and is astonished that Mayor Dale would make such a boldface lie to his four Council colleagues and the public when he knew the letter was going to be made available for public inspection.
You be the judge ... Consider these following details.
The first paragraph of Mayor Dale’s letter begins as follows:
The second sentence begins as follows:
Routinely throughout the letter Dale makes other representations that he is speaking for the City of Barstow and uses “we” where he would have used “I” if the letter was intended to represent it was coming from him personally rather than in his official capacity as Mayor or from the Council or the City of Barstow.
And then he begins the closing paragraph of his three page letter to the BIA as follows:
You be the judge. Is Mayor Dale being truthful when he attempted to convince his Council colleagues that the letter was not written by the Mayor in his official capacity representing the Council or the official position of the City of Barstow?
Should the Barstow City Council censure Mayor Dale for this action? How can the Council be sure Dale hasn’t abused his role as Mayor by engaging in these kinds of actions or practices on other matters? What exposure does the Council/City have if it knowingly allows Dale to get away with this behavior without a reprimand?
What would compel Dale to make such public representations when the preponderance of evidence suggests otherwise?
You may obtain copies of letter from TVT by writing us at allverifiable@gmail.com
At a special meeting of the Barstow City Council on August 28, 2007, Councilman Joe Gomez and members of the public chastised the Mayor for, among other things, sending the letter without first getting City Council review and approval. Those critical of the Mayor’s action feel Mayor Dale's track record may be what costs Barstow any chance to establish Indian gaming.
This was part of Dale’s defiant response:
- "The letter that was written, was written under my signature; not under this Council’s signature. It was not written by the City of Barstow."
Is that so?
TVT has reviewed the Dale letter and is astonished that Mayor Dale would make such a boldface lie to his four Council colleagues and the public when he knew the letter was going to be made available for public inspection.
You be the judge ... Consider these following details.
The first paragraph of Mayor Dale’s letter begins as follows:
- "The City of Barstow submits this letter in response to the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe's August 8, 2007 letter to Analytical Environmental Services…"
The second sentence begins as follows:
- "The City of Barstow suspects that the Chemehuevi Tribe’s August 8 letter is …"
Routinely throughout the letter Dale makes other representations that he is speaking for the City of Barstow and uses “we” where he would have used “I” if the letter was intended to represent it was coming from him personally rather than in his official capacity as Mayor or from the Council or the City of Barstow.
And then he begins the closing paragraph of his three page letter to the BIA as follows:
- "For these reasons, the City of Barstow respectfully requests that your review be focused on the criteria that are legally relevant…"
You be the judge. Is Mayor Dale being truthful when he attempted to convince his Council colleagues that the letter was not written by the Mayor in his official capacity representing the Council or the official position of the City of Barstow?
Should the Barstow City Council censure Mayor Dale for this action? How can the Council be sure Dale hasn’t abused his role as Mayor by engaging in these kinds of actions or practices on other matters? What exposure does the Council/City have if it knowingly allows Dale to get away with this behavior without a reprimand?
What would compel Dale to make such public representations when the preponderance of evidence suggests otherwise?
You may obtain copies of letter from TVT by writing us at allverifiable@gmail.com
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