Bingo parlor plans go forward

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SHABBONA - A new bingo parlor operated by an American Indian tribe may soon be built near this farm town, despite the concerns of many local residents, a top attorney from the National Indian Gaming Commission told a packed high school gym Monday night. Penny Coleman, acting general counsel for the commission, tried to explain the complex bureaucracy involved in approving and overseeing an American Indian bingo parlor to a group of about 200 concerned Shabbona area residents and government officials from the city, county, state and federal levels.

At issue is a plan to build a bingo parlor at University and Preserve roads, two miles outside of Shabbona on 128 acres of farmland. The bingo hall would be less than an hour's drive from Dixon and would be a quick jaunt over the county line on U.S. Route 30 for residents of eastern Lee County.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation bought 128 acres of farmland near Shabbona about a year ago for roughly $9 million. The tribe plans to build a 30,000 square foot bingo hall and 25,000 square foot government center at the site as soon as they get their affairs in order, Tribal Chair Tracy Stanhoff said Monday.

"We stand firm that this is a reservation and we also stand firm that we will not be a burden," Stanhoff said after the heated informational hearing.

Stanhoff's tribe says their newly-purchased land sits on a reservation given to the tribe in a 1829 treaty with the U.S. Government. On Monday, Coleman tried to explain the process the tribe will need to go through to legally run a bingo parlor on the site.

Coleman's explanations were often convoluted, sometimes referring to opposing U.S. Supreme Court decisions, but the gist was that the gaming commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior are working together with the tribal group to determine if the tribe has jurisdiction over the land they've purchased.

"We're trying to make the right decision, one that's based on law, not on politics," she said.

If approved, Coleman said the tribe would likely not pay taxes, but could make agreements to reimburse the strain on local governments.

After Coleman finished taking questions, U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Plano, took the podium to thank those who attended.

"I think this is the beginning, the kind of tip of the iceberg. We're going to have to work this out," he told those in the steaming auditorium.

Many in the audience, including 14-year Shabbona resident Steven Carnana, said they were concerned with the impact on roads, sewers, schools and other infrastructure the parlor would bring. Carnana said he also was worried about the potential "crowd" attracted by gambling, particularly if, as many feared, the bingo parlor is only the first step in Prairie Band's plans to start a full Vegas-style casino on the property. The tribe runs such a casino on tribal land in Kansas.

While he was personally against bring gambling to the area, Shabbona United Church of Christ Pastor Jim Allen said he thinks the town's residents have mixed views on the proposal. Some think the bingo parlor could have a positive impact on the local economy, while Allen and others worry about a lack of control over their new neighbors.

"I'm not happy with the answers we received," Allen said. "I worry there are too many foregone conclusions."