Organizers of a town hall meeting Thursday night in Gettysburg were hoping that the one-hour forum wouldn’t turn into a debate over a planned Cumberland Township casino.
An audience of more than 200 people gathered at the Gettysburg Fire Hall didn’t cooperate.
The proposed Mason Dixon Resort & Casino at the Eisenhower Inn dominated the meeting, hosted by WGAL-8 and Times & News Publishing Company.
Twenty-five citizens spoke Thursday night, with five area residents opposing Gettysburg businessman David LeVan’s project, while three citizens spoke in favor of the resort casino.
Representatives from Pro Casino Adams County and No Casino Gettysburg were permitted to open the 7 p.m. session with prepared statements. Pro Casino Adams County co-leader Captain Jeff Klein touted jobs and tax revenues, as reasons for supporting the project.
“We’re at 8.5 percent unemployment in Adams County – it’s unacceptable,” Klein told the crowd, noting that the proposal is expected to generate 400 new jobs.
No Casino Gettysburg spokesman Charles McElhose, who was the second speaker of the night, countered that “heritage tourists won’t come back to Gettysburg,” if LeVan is awarded a gaming license. The local businessman and re-enactor cited reports indicating that $45 million is “being sucked out of the local economy and going to Mason Dixon” if a casino opens here, “and only $2 million goes back” to the area economy.
“If I took $45 from you, and gave you back $2, is that a good deal?” McElhose asked the crowd. Dozens seated throughout the audience replied “no.”
Many in the crowd – pro or no casino – wore tee shirts and buttons showcasing their allegiance. When WGAL news anchor and event moderator Ron Martin asked for a show of hands to gauge support for the project, nearly two-thirds of the audience showed support.
Gettysburg resident Larry Bullis challenged a recent survey by nationally-recognized pollster Dr. G. Terry Madonna, showing that more than 60 percent of 600 residents surveyed in Adams County favor the casino.
“The media proclaimed it to be a scientific study. It was not,” said Bullis, a Belmont Road resident. “The study should not have been hailed as a great indicator of what we need.”
Gettysburg resident Daniel Smith, decked in a Pro Casino Adams County shirt, replied that “Mr. Madonna is an expert in the field” and that “he’s on WGAL all the time.”
Gettysburg College professor Jan Powers presented a petition of 100 signatures from faculty members and administration, concerned about gambling.
“The Gettysburg College faculty is expressing concern about a casino being established here,” Powers told Ron Martin, citing underage drinking issues.
A male in the crowd countered: “If you’re concerned about drinking, go to a frat house on a Wednesday night and look at that.”
Biglerville resident Melissa Klein posed a question to Gettysburg Times editor B.J. Small, regarding letters to the editor printed about the casino. She argued that the letters “seem to be 2-to-1 against.”
Small replied: “It’s a matter of perspective. We’re not manipulating anything and we’re not intentionally withholding anything.”
Residents raised concerns about topics other than the casino, such as motorcycle noise, WGET-radio programming, and a controversial trailer park in the York Springs area.
Save Our Rural Heritage spokesman Jeff King thanked the media for its coverage of the proposed Peakview Mobile Home Park in Huntington Township. The township’s board of supervisors recently rejected the project, but the developer has taken the board to court.
“We’ve been battling this project for 10 years,” said King.
WGET news anchor Larry Rhoten was asked about personnel and programming cuts at the station this year. Rhoten, the station’s director of development, answered that “the decisions made the first of the year were based on the economy.”
“We’re not alone,” said Rhoten, adding that “we’re on track to implement more original programming.”
Other topics included land-use rights, high school sports coverage, digital television, and regionalization of county services. The forum was sponsored by WGAL-8 of Lancaster and Times & News Publishing Company, which includes 1320 WGET, 107.7 WGTY, and the Gettysburg Times.
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