BestCraps.com

Gettysburg Casino Battle Attracts Star Power

Posted on September 6th, 2010

News Sponsored by Online Vegas Casino

Rated 5 Stars by BestCraps.com

Read Review

Visit Casino

Download Software

————————————————

The modern day battle in Gettysburg between delopers who are planning to build a casino near the area and those against it has once again attracted attention. The latter group is now reinforced by star power – Hollywood celebrities who recently joined their cause in public hearings conducted for those for and against casinos to air their side. The casino project is championed by its developer, local billionaire, Harley Davidson dealer and philanthropist David LeVan, who is proposing to convert an existing hotel and conference center, which is half a mile from the battlefield, into a casino facility that will house 50 gaming tables and 600 slot machines. Among those opposed to the plan are the organizers of “Save Gettysburg”, a group that has enlisted the support of Hollywood names such as filmmaker Ken Burns, actors Matthew Broderick, Sam Waterston and David McCullough, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The group, which boasts 60,000 signatories, claim that a casino in the area will only cheapen the town’s reputation.

The area currently attracts tourists for its historical value in the whole town and the 6,000-acre park which is the site where the battle occurred. The battle of Gettysburg was fought for three days in 1863 and became the bloodiest clash the entire continent has ever experienced. Of the 160,000 soldiers from both the Union and Confederate front, an estimated 51,000 of them were captured, wounded or killed. Four months after the battle, then President Abraham Lincoln delivered the ‘Gettysburg Address,’ regarded generally as one of the greatest presidential speeches ever. Local residents opposed to the project say that the approval of a casino may be in direct contrast to the duty of the country to protect the historical place where so many soldiers lost their lives in defense of the nation. This effort was not LeVan’s first, as he had also pushed the idea of a casino in Gettysburg at least 4 years ago. Local residents vehemently opposed the idea in efforts to preserve the historical authenticity of their town. But since 2006, a number of fast food joints such as hamburger and fried chicken restaurants have already sprung up in the vicinity.

The stars who have joined the cause of rejecting the casino project have done so because of personal reasons. Burns made a documentary ‘The Civil War’ in 1990, which featured the town in a crucial role, as well as McCullough as the narrator and Waterson reenacting President Abraham Lincoln. Broderick meanwhile also played a soldier in the 1989’s ‘Glory’, a film about African-American soldiers of the Civil War which gave Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. LeVan, who plans to name his development the ‘Mason Dixon Resort & Casino,’ says this Gettysburg casino will be about the same as other casinos located in other historical sites that are already operating but have not destroyed the reputation and sacredness of the area. He further states that the town, which has not been immune to the effects of the recession, can only benefit from the casino. Gambling visitors, additional investment, and at least 400 employment opportunities are what LeVan’s project is foreseen to contribute to the local economy.

In the public hearings that started early this week, LeVan was given the first chance to present his case to the townsfolk. In his one hour audio-visual presentation, he told the Gaming Control Board of Pennsylvania that, ‘In doing so (the construction of the casino), we can lift the economy and the quality of life for our friends, neighbors and guests.’ The board also gave the floor to supporters and opponents to the casino plan which was held near the Military Park. On the part of the opposition, Susan Starr Paddock, a campaigner of the ‘No Casino Gettysburg’ group asked the board to deny the application as their legacy to save Gettysburg. Registrations to speak in the assembly reached 400, including local actors who usually do civil war reenactments in the park. One of the speakers was an actor who dressed himself Confederate general Robert E. Lee.