HOLYOKE - Leonard A. Houle may live in Westfield now, but as soon as the Holyoke native heard about an informal bumper sticker rally for a casino here, he got in his Honda Odyssey to attend it.
Houle, 68, put the "Holyoke casino = jobs" bumper sticker on his back windshield, and said he wants to do anything he can to help Holyoke get a casino.
"You don't lose the feeling for the
The rally on Saturday morning at J.P.'s Restaurant was sponsored by Paper City Development, the group pushing for a resort casino at Wyckoff Country Club off Interstate 91.
Media consultant Anthony L. Cignoli, of Springfield, said he, along with former Springfield City Councilor Anthony W. Ravosa Jr., of Connecticut, and Joseph A. Lashinger Jr., a Florida lawyer, compose Paper City Development, which has an option to buy the 108-acre property. A filing with the secretary of state's office only lists Lashinger as manager of the company.
Cignoli and pro-casino supporters were at the Whiting Farms Road site from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. He said they gave out approximately 100 bumper stickers. Cignoli said they got plenty of encouraging beeps from passing cars, and surprisingly, no jeers.
Even though Palmer in eastern Hampden County has grabbed its share of headlines regarding a possible casino there, especially since Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun wants to build on land across from turnpike Exit 8, Cignoli and his group maintain that Holyoke is the superior site. He said traffic would come directly off Interstate 91, and the current entrance to the country club off Route 141 would be closed. The new entrance would be an expense borne by the developer, he said. Cignoli, along with fellow casino supporter Martin J. Dunn, a former Holyoke mayor and state senator, said a casino would bring badly needed jobs to a region hammered by high unemployment.
They are hopeful the Legislature will revisit the gaming issue by the end of the year.
Dunn said 15 years ago, he was opposed to a casino, and was hopeful for other development. While there have been some economic opportunities in some sectors, unemployment is still an issue, he said, adding a resort casino would bring "3,000 jobs to the table."
"A casino at this point and time makes sense. We desperately need the employment opportunities," Dunn said.
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