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Valley News, maybe google it from Sept. 24th, 2015. Casino talk on the shores of Star Lake, 108 is already crazy at times traffic wise, now we'll get some good old fashioned collisions from drunks and casino goers who don't sleep for days at times, I can't wait, what an asset to Ottertail County this will be if it goes through. Anyone hearing anything more about this possibility ?

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The other I wonder is this is not on the reservation so any chunk of land they purchase they can do whatever on, I suppose with county approval or not ?  If OTC denies the permit then OTC tax dollars to fund lawyers, begins ? My OTC buddies never cared about the Mille Lacs saga over the years but will find out this wkd now that it's hitting their own backyard how do the boys feel now? Burn your free buffet tickets people. Will walleye netting be next on Star lake ? Then the 4 month deer season rifle by spotlight, trumpeter swan hunts, etc. If the OTC commissioner said "stick it to fargo" what's he think of this ? At least 108 is freshly paved for future casino wasters.

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Good luck trying to stop this.  Seem none of our elected officials can stand up and say no to these groups.  If you do you are racist then they drag the state into court which costs us all.  Its a no win deal.

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I live here and I don't get it.

all casinos are ON reservations aren't they?  Mahnomen, Hankinson, warroad, leech, mille lacs?   can they actually do this?

the Dead Lake/Ottertail Land & Resources totally took down a huge development here about 10 years ago, I guarantee they will fight this.

I live here and I don't get it.

all casinos are ON reservations aren't they?  Mahnomen, Hankinson, warroad, leech, mille lacs?   can they actually do this?

the Dead Lake/Ottertail Land & Resources totally took down a huge development here about 10 years ago, I guarantee they will fight this.

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I agree with what you people are saying but you need to be sending copy of all these arguments to your local officials too. These are the people that can stop this not this forum. Now is the time to start e-mailing these officials and let them know that the people of this area will not stand for this. All the people in the area have to join in the fight and keep calling and voiceing your opinion before the fight really gets rolling.

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I certainly like Slam said am not trying to bring race into this I'd be equally upset if any race wanted to park a gambling establishment on any pristine lake in OTC or any lake in the state. And jigger I think any arguments sent would be water under the bridge if I read the Fargo forum correctly it's already a hush hush done deal. Here's the clincher, they're not looking so much at the MN dollar, this casino is targeted to hit North Dakotan dollars since they own tons of lakeshore from Perham west. Friday night counted 109 ND plates from 108 near Perham to Pelican Rapids, 24 MN plates, stretch is 25 miles long, on Sundays you just reverse it they're heading west, same ratio. Still confused how the state can't open one but off the reservation I guess it's ok if your a tribe with land ? Yes I'll  be front and center boycotting it. Go support your own favorite cities with pull tabs or play the lottery, tribes have billions but even they won't share with their own, greed, crime, addiction, what else, apparently it's time to vote in new OTC people that would have a say about it, speak up Ottertail County. I think I'll go bury a buffalo on that land and hope they enshrine it instead, we don't need another casino not paying in MN state taxes and what about netting star lake walleyes ? Lida ? oh Maple Beach and it's 30MPH zone on the Lida's, you think you have traffic through there now oh how it shouldn't but will likely quadruple, tired haven't slept in days traffic, unbelievable.  

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Read some Wayne guy commissioner OTC supports this ? What ? Oh, since he sits in Fergus 24/7 won't affect him and his family oh I see. So spreading the gambling poison no prob eh Wayne ? Word  is cart b4 the horse, haven't talked to OTC yet, must be confident then.

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As an out of stater my opinion doesn't really count, but the idea of a casino there makes me sad. Otter Tail County is such a beautiful place. I hope they don't ruin that.

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I think you hit the nail square, OTC is a great county and this talk about the boom to OTC is such a crock, the casino will sell food, liquor, pop, etc. etc. likely a hotel RV park etc. that'll only take away from the local residents unless there's this endless line of being booked 24/7, people save their money to gamble it away, not spend more locally and once broke the casino goers will have little left to spend locally until the next check, social security check, disability check, etc. Someone and maybe that someone is me needs to backhand that OTC commissioner Wayne something. If his children and grandchildren were hooked on the one armed bandit maybe Wayno would care a little. Guess how they were able to pay the millions in buying land, you bet shooting star casino in Mahnomen,MN. I hope most can understand their agenda(s).

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I'm pretty sure this will be a much larger fight than Blue Heron Bay was.  Not saying it will happen, but if I was a gambling man I'd put money on the tribe getting this through 4-1.  Also, OTC nailed it with the ND money getting funneled there, with a large chunk of the region's cabin owners living to the west.  Who knows, this might give the struggling resort owners a shot in the arm...

Good Read here:

http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/24912/

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Are those resorts in that region struggling ? Maybe gambling is at the forefront of resort struggles ? Far to many people see blowing a grand into a casino in a night or more $ somehow more fun then spending a week at a lake with family and friends. If the casino has an RV park and hotel I'm not clear how much overflow will land at the nearby resorts, are these resorts seasonal anyway ? What I meant by the backhand comment was just like "wake up" have you Wayne yourself toured the Star Lake, Lida's, Silent Lakes area and talked to the "people" or is this a Fergus Falls decision made just because you can ? Have you Wayne talked to law enforcement and the EPA, MPC, etc. Do some homework please. How about MNDOT ? Maybe a free google of casino/gambling problems and crime. Please vote no and leave OTC as it is.

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More to read here, and I was also able to find those meeting minutes discussed in the article.  Both Star Lake and Ottertail County are mentioned, and this has been in talks since at the very latest Feb 2015.

http://www.indianz.com/IndianGaming/2015/09/25/white-earth-nation-linked-to-l.asp

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I love how OTC land resources board will lecture me and deny me to build a new house 25 feet closer to my shoreline, but wayne would be fine with this casino?  what a joke.  I officially hate this whole political landscape.  time for regular joe's to rise up!

I talked to a casino member, they are serious about putting this up. 

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Wayne sent me a quick thanks for your email but in one ear out the other I would think. Logged onto the star lake association website there you can send he or others an email. I pay OTC taxes and who's footing the law enforcement bill around there ? I'm assuming a deputy or 2 more will be necessary in that area 24/7 almost. Thing is HWY 108 & 41 will never be the same ever again, the traffic volume will go up big time. Going to help the area is a pitch and I think how, if you need cheap cigarettes won't you skip the locals and load up at the casino ? Why stay at a resort when I'm getting 1/2 room rates and comp points at the casino, free buffets if you bring a guest etc. IDK, I'd like to put that ? to the tribe, How will this specific casino and it's location "benefit" the locals and their economy ? Then let the local people and businesses also answer that ?. Is Dent gonna grow like crazy no. Vergas ? I just don't see the need. With it will come illegal drugs that are made/grown up there daily and a new pipeline this will be will emerge under the radar. Where are the primary roots to the Native Mob gang ? From my google it's the white earth nation, this thing is aiding that outfit as well I would imagine.

May wonder why this OTC guy cares, just do like many and look away, don't speak up etc. I currently live plenty close to the Mille Lacs Casino and lake and I'm not seeing a boom to their economy maybe at first idk but eventually the shine rubs off and you're left with a Mc Donalds in Garrison and I can't say I've seen much else maybe I'm missing it. Area golf courses around ML you don't need to call in a tee time really, not many are golfing. Resorts are boarding up their windows mostly because the ideal walleye sizes are gone, could this become star lake someday, the casino won't help those resorts enough to keep them a float, if netting somehow gets started on Star and or Silent or Lida etc. So a Burger King goes up in Dent lol, that'll help the area no it'll hurt the existing restaurants etc. For every 1 ok thing 2 things will worsen etc. Someone ask Wayne OTC Commish the Mille Lacs Casino, what help or what good has that casino really brought to the area ? A place for the wives to mess around while we're deer hunting ? I asked everyone at work today that same question and none of them could answer it and they all live in the area. I'm praying when they dig they find a bald eagle carcass, a buffalo, and a wolf so maybe they'll go the museum sacred ground route and drop this endeavor. Please make your voice heard somehow, we can never turn back father time, there are enough gambling places in MN already. Aren't the tribes concerned about kinda watering down kinda swiping from one kitty to put in another, but this one has ND in it's crosshairs.  

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October 8th, Thursday at 6:30 at Dent Schools the Star Lake Assoc. is meeting with the public I believe on this topic. PS. If you are aware of the positives this or any existing casino bring to the area please post it as I certainly am only providing my side to this and it may or may not be very accurate. Looking at sustainability positives, not 6 new businesses opened but eventually 8 shut down, what is the long term benefit to the region or not. Also remember this casino is not going into a town or all that close to a larger town, I guess Pelican to the west and Perham to the east. I hope someone can confirm that netting fish will not be a part of this on Star Lake, I want to see that from the W.E. Nation in writing or it'll be a double tragedy in my book.

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The gist of what OTC sent me is there is nothing they can do on that 14 1/2 acres, they can do whatever they want I guess, the 217 acre chunk they have some say because it wasn't trust land. I guess our drunken fore fathers should've pleaded the 5th b4 signing anything.

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Nothing new to report other then the e-mails I received from OTC there's one word used in them that irk me the most. The word is "gaming". Isn't this gambling ? Gaming is a xbox, a play station, a pinball machine, isn't it ? Do people say "lets go game at the star lake casino" ? Everyone is so gutless nowaday. We're talking about a permanent establishment that will be an eyesore forever in OTC and the state and us will be left with much of the damage these places bring to individuals and their families. Yes people should have the will power to stay away if they can't afford to be there, but we know it can be a very addictive thing. For too many it's all they look forward to, as age comes into play and we can't do some of things we used to love to do due to physical limits maybe or otherwise, people search for something they think will bring them happiness but that happiness is generally put to the test with chunking 20 after 20 into a machine that can gobble that 20 in under 2 minutes. Just trying to save a few people from the bug. Stay out of em all please.

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I wish McGurk, looking to the Star Lake Association website for an update myself. A side job I do is coach football (18th year) and as a lone coach I couldn't let my team down and skip the game. We won 42-8 btw. Wanted to be there badly to become more informed about this even though it would've been a 3.5 hour drive as I no longer live in the great OTC.

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  • 1 month later...

I concur, heard absolutely nothing. Sunday's Fargo Forum had a tiny paragraph that said construction of the new casino is underway. I guess that's that. If me and my boys see nets starting to be placed in Star Lake there's gonna be one heck of a fight on the shore of Star Lake. The way I see it those nets would be in State waters and since they are their own nation and not part of Minnesota they have 0 rights to it. We're so gutless anymore with those kinds of issues like the protests in Mpls every night, can anyone speak up and tell the truth that we're wasting taxpayer dollars on Law Enforcement so they can stand outside Precinct 4 and guard their own police station ? Meanwhile their buddies are burglarizing the tar out of MPLS among other things as we have too much law enforcement tied up guarding a police station, incredible. It's nearly funny how on camera they have to talk around the truth of the situation, blocking off I-94 might be the most selfish thing I've ever seen. This Casino is all about greed and the North Dakota wallet.

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Well that stinks.  I kinda doubt we will see any nets in the lake.  Things could change though.  All it takes is a little group that thinks their rights are being violated and before long laws in place for the minority machine.  Its really all about money with these casinos.  People lose their hard earned money gambling but don't realize it is being used against them for lawsuits for this or that and land buy backs.

 

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The lake isn't Indian land and as a result cannot be netted.  The land though was Indian Land through a trust and can be used as the tribe feels as in its best interest.  Does it suck for the lake YES but it's their choice to build on their land, it's no different then anyone of us building what we want on our own land.  I'm sure people will complain about my post but complaining wont do anyone any good.  If you own a business in the area it'll help with tourism.

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10 4 Slam and Chill I hear ya, can't find anything saying they'll net so I'm breathing a little easier, I feel really bad more so for my boys that love the lake whether fishing is good or not or anyone who loves the lake, it'll never be the same. They live right there and the extra traffic, drunk drivers, and whatever else comes from it is something they'll deal with for the rest of their lives unless they decide to re-locate which seems unlikely once your career has started. I wish the tribes could come up with a business that makes them money but doesn't involve gambling or netting lakes we all help stock, but it's the easiest turn around, the only product changing hands is money or walleyes. Keeps it simple. The main issue Chill is we can't build a casino on our own land or it would've been done years ago, heck I can't even put in some sort of a road/trail on my OTC land, soil and water said no dice. Help with tourism lol, I own a liquor store, the casino liquor store will undercut my prices, same with tobacco, it will not help with that nor will the 110 room hotel unless theirs spill over, many of the local resorts are seasonal anyway and with a coupon you can stay at the casino way cheaper then at my resort. Plus the kids have an indoor outdoor pool so safer then lake water, they have it covered nicely. Or is all my thinking there way off course which it could be. How's tourism up at Red Lake ? Non-existant. Cass Lake ? It didn't add to it they already had it. Mille Lacs ? Call around Mahnomen Mille Lacs and ask the ones living it, I have yet to see that interview of the happy local business owner hugging a casino. Chill if you own a business might be the magic words as their aren't many businesses other then resorts between pelican and perham, guess Dent has a little bit. Time to open a tow truck service maybe for winter and 108 and a gambling crisis center ? This big casino will not pay state taxes so state dollars spent in there won't be coming back into the state correct ?   

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Not trying to start a fight but everyone complains about drunk drivers.  Yes maybe it's the bars fault for serving them but they don't put the driver behind the wheel.  Instead of complaining about the bar/restaurant/event why not complain about the highway/state/police departments not enforcing enough to put the fear of God in them about getting behind the wheel in the first place?  Heck even a Mahnomen county deputy got a DUI this weekend, obviously he's not afraid of police catching him otherwise he wouldn't have been leaving Fargo heading home drunk.

Will having the casino suck for people around Star Lake?  YES, i'm not going to argue that.  But when I go to Mile Lacs we might hit the casino for their buffet and a some slots but I'm staying at a resort.  WHY? Smoking within the casino's I can't sleep in a casino because of the smell.  As for building a casino for non Indian owners the city of Sioux Falls has done something like that.  HUGE JOKE!  State gets like 40% taxes so they started giving vouchers and you go to a machine to get your money back instead of them paying out aka no taxes lol.  I do see the resorts profiting unless the casino plans on putting a huge marina in which then would be getting state approval for shoreline wouldn't it?  

Tourism at Red Lake...How's the friendliness of the people on Red Lake?  I'm part indian and I wouldn't even want to visit Red Lake tribe!  There's good tribes and there are bad, we've all been listening to that kind of stuff in the news! lol I haven't been to Cass and it's been very long time since Mille Lacs but Mahnomen kinda sucks because the resorts there wont put anything back into the resort.  Yes I understand it undercuts your profits but if your cabins are the same broken down cabins that I come back to for the past ten years and something new gets built for same price I'm probably going to check them out.  I camp at a resort on the tribe, only reason is because of fishing.  Shower house floor is about to cave in and it's only gotten worse the last 5 years I've been there.  little has been done other then dirt work for the past 5 years I've been going up there to improve the campground.

sorry for my rant

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That was no rant really, I agree and appreciate someone placing some information in front of me to read, it helped a lot really and thanks. No kidding. The only part I question is the drunk and drowsy drivers, there will now be more of them on one of the hilliest, windiest, roads in our state and that is HWY 108. That was a smart correct answer about the differences in casino's etc. you are correct. I wonder though if a casino should be called a business. To me a business is something any legal aged resident of Minnesota could lay down the funds to start it up and a casino is not a business any 18 or over Minnesotan can start so since it's not a level playing field I can't acknowledge a casino as a business, just my view.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was in meeting with casino officials couple weeks ago, I jokingly mentioned how I was going to fight them since i live down there.  They said, Fight all you want, we've owned the land there for ricing since 1950"s and its going to be built and its going be first class and they think they will eventually outbill the mahnomen casino.

so yea, im not real happy hearing that, but what can ya do.

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Fight all you want lol my word, then rice the area for pete sake. The silent lakes and star it's gonna be just great to have more gambling and liquor and drugs, all the things that make this country so great. So is this fact or fiction that Thumper Pond is not going to rebuild because of the casino ? That was whispered on TV last week. I don't get it. Let's see the Minnesota Pollution Control's documents on this project, soil and water etc. I certainly think they're  thinking is this one being off reservation will just explode for business and the North Dakota dollars will stream in. The big ? is how do we get a strangle hold on as many wallets, retirements, 401K's and social security checks as possible, that's the round table conversation they must have behind closed doors and I wish all of us could hear those conversations because I think that would put an end to people going. There drug is gambling and they hope to addict you and as many as possible. 

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On 11/24/2015, 3:52:33, O.T.C. said:

I wonder though if a casino should be called a business. To me a business is something any legal aged resident of Minnesota could lay down the funds to start it up and a casino is not a business any 18 or over Minnesotan can start so since it's not a level playing field I can't acknowledge a casino as a business, just my view.

So OTC...A casino isn't a business because you have to be 18 years old to enter?  So you own an establishment not a business?  I thought you owned a liquor store according to previous posts?  Or are liquor stores businesses and casino's are not?  You gotta be 21 to enter a liquor store but only 18 to gamble in a casino but if you are not gambling you can be any age (Food, motel, or water park) to enter the casino.

Is thumper pond not wanting to rebuild because of this casino or is it afraid it go too much bad publicity of having a roof collapse due to building codes?  Untill thumper pond says it out loud and you don't work for them it's thin ice assuming why they didn't want to build.  I know a lot of people who have taken Thumper Pond off of their list for destination and events being hosted there because they don't want a reception or party being held in a place that the roof already collapsed once.

Your mad it's being built on the lake everyone on this page can see that.  Everyone likes hidden gems and this hidden gem is going to be exposed to others to enjoy.  With every bad that will happen people will also bring good.  If people are concerned about drinking and driving they should put more pressure on drinking and driving enforcement on the Sheriff.  Buddy used to work for the sheriffs department there and he was told not to worry about that stuff unless there's a report or accident because they are under staffed and don't want to tie officers up in court.

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