Tyrone folds on bid for casino

Council members say they were swayed by opposition from borough residents

TYRONE -- By vote of Borough Council on Monday, Tyrone became the second Blair County municipality to eliminate the possibility of hosting a mini- or satellite casino, after residents in a full meeting room -- citing the Bible, addictions and preservation of small-town culture -- lambasted the idea of opening the borough to gambling.

Last week, Martinsburg Borough Council passed a similar resolution opting out of the opportunity created by recent amendments to the state's Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.

Municipalities have until the end of the year to opt out or be subject to potential development of a Category 4 casino that could include between 300 and 750 slot machines and eventually up to 50 table games, most likely as an outreach of an existing casino, according to a letter from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The vote count -- if not the decision -- would probably have been different if not for the "passion" of the residents who spoke, said Mayor Bill Latchford, explaining that he was on the fence, but probably would have voted for opting in, except for the speakers.

Only Councilman Dave Snyder voted in favor of keeping the town open to gambling, but qualified that by saying he voted thus not because he thought opting in was best, but to signal to outsiders that the borough is open to new ideas -- while resting assured that the rest of council was going to vote to opt out.

Two members -- Courtney Rhoades and Michelle Miller -- were absent.

The key for Latchford was the plea of William Kline, who said he has struggled with drugs and alcohol but has been sober for three years with the help of the "refuge" away from temptation that living in the borough provides.

"That touched my heart," Latchford said.

When she was a young woman, Tyrone native Bonnie Richardson couldn't wait to get out of town to the hustle, bustle and culture of a big city, but after 10 years in the Washington, D.C., area, she returned to raise her family.

"Small town culture brought me back," Richardson said.

A casino would bring more chain restaurants and hotels and thus more jobs, but it would also bring more traffic and put that small-town culture at risk, she said.

"'(Let) no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way,'" said Pastor Ken Patterson of Bible Baptist Church, urging rejection of gambling with a verse from Romans, Chapter 14.

Tyrone already has its share of problems with drugs, alcohol and robberies -- the main issues that afflict the many prison inmates he's counseled -- and it hardly needs to add gambling addiction to those, Patterson said.

A casino in the borough would likely mean an increase of all kinds of crime, with consequences for generations, Patterson said.

A Borough Council in the past allowed wind turbines to be built, contradicting the will of the people, and that didn't turn out well, said Dan Stonebreaker, urging the council to heed the will of the people on gambling.

Casinos would be a community "blight," said Roy Garthwaite.

Despite the residents' concerns, it's highly unlikely that a company would choose Tyrone for a mini-casino, given regional opportunities in large population centers, Latchford said.

And despite rumors, there has been no such interest expressed, he said.

Snyder ultimately agreed with the residents, despite his vote.

"I'm trying for kids," he said. "I want to keep them safe."

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.