Local Officials Call for Public Input as Casino Deadline Looms

With a critical deadline approaching, Oklahoma City residents in the vicinity of a proposed casino are rallying their neighbors to voice their opposition.

Friday is the last business day that the Bureau of Indian Affairs will take public input regarding the controversial casino proposed by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe to be located just 1.7 miles away from Remington Park.

The comment period officially ends Sunday, June 8th, so local leaders
are urging those who wish to participate in the public comment to get
their messages to the BIA by Friday.

State Rep. Mike Shelton, whose district contains Remington Park, will
help lead a community meeting Tuesday night to raise awareness of the
casino's enormous negative influence to the area and to remind residents
that their opinion won't matter after Friday when the BIA's 30 day
public comment period ends.

While local, state and federal officials are publicly opposing the casino, local leaders like Shelton, say input from citizens in the immediate area is crucial.

"The BIA must consider the will of the people, and we must clearly communicate that will, but we have only until Friday for that message to
count," said Shelton.

The public meeting will be held at Millwood Arts Academy at 6700 Martin
Luther King. Millwood is one of the school districts whose tax base would be devastated if the BIA allows the casino and the subsequent demise of Remington Park. The meeting begins at 6:30 PM.

Shelton, who represents District, said he urges all Oklahomans to convey
to the BIA the hurt that will visit the region if the federal agency permits the casino.

"There will be so many people, businesses, schools injured by this casino that is incomprehensible that the BIA would for even one moment consider allowing this proposal," said Shelton. They have a job to do, but so do the people who live and work here. That is why we must send a perceptible and unambiguous message to the BIA, the Department of the
Interior and even the President: do no harm to northeast Oklahoma City.

So it is vitally important that the public make its way out to Millwood Tuesday night to unite and focus our opposition."