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GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO
22NEWS AT SIX. I'M BARRY KRIGER.
AND I'M ELYSIA RODRIGUEZ.
HOLYOKE IS THE LATEST CITY TO
SHOW INTEREST IN GETTING THE
ONLY CASINO LICENSE IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS.
HOLYOKE'S CITY COUNCIL DECIDED
LAST NIGHT TO HOLD OFF ON
CREATING A SPECIAL CASINO
COMMITTEE. 22NEWS REPORTER
LAURA HUTCHINSON TALKED TO
HOLYOKE BUSINESS OWNERS
WONDERING WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
FOR THEM.
THERE ARE BIG PLANS FOR
RESORT-STYLE CASINOS IN THE
PAPER CITY AND BUSINESS OWNERS
IN THE AREA JUST WANT TO KNOW
HOW THEY'LL FIT INTO THE
EQUATION.
IF I LIVED HERE, I DON'T THINK
I'D BE AS HAPPY. WENDY WERBISKIS
DOESN'T LIVE IN HOLYOKE, BUT SHE
DOES HAVE A BUSINESS HERE AND
ONE WEEK AFTER LEARNING MAYOR
ALEX MORSE IS CONSIDERING CASINO
PROPOSALS, - SHE, LIKE OTHERS,
ARE TRYING TO GAUGE WHAT'S
AHEAD.
I GO TO MOHEGAN SUN AND FOXWOODS
ONCE IN A WHILE AND I DON'T
STOP AT ANY BUSINESSES IN THE
AREA OR ALONG THE WAY, I GO
THERE AS THE DESTINATION. SO, I
DONT THINK IT WOULD HELP US, BUT
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT
WOULD HURT US EITHER. TWO CASINO
GROUPS PAID THE CITY'S $25,000
FEE TO PROCEED WITH THEIR
PROPOSALS - ONE AT MOUNTAIN
PARK, THE OTHER AT WYCKOFF
COUNTRY CLUB.
THE BUSINESSES ALONG NORTHAMPTON
STREET HERE IN PARTICULAR ARE
FAIRLY CLOSE TO BOTH PROPOSED
CASINO SITES AND AS THE CITY
CONSIDERS A CASINO SERIOUSLY,
BUSINESS OWNERS ARE WONDERING
HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THEIR
BOTTOM LINE. NICK'S NEST OWNER
JENNIFER CHATEAUNEUF ADMITS
SHE'S NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE
PROSPECT OF A CASINO.
WE GO TO FOXWOODS WE GO TO
MOHEGAN, AND I JUST DON'T SEE
BUSINESS BOOMING THERE AND I 'M
AFRAID THATS WHATS GOING TO
HAPPEN TO HOLYOKE.
BUT, BOTH SAY THEY HAVE LOYAL
CUSTOMERS THEY THINK WILL STICK
BY THEM NO MATTER WHAT.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP THEM,
ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE
RESTAURANTS LIKE NICK'S NEST AND
WALGREENS, ... EVEN IF THEY ONLY
SPEND A LITTLE, I THINK IT'S
GOING TO HELP TO BE HONEST.
THERE IS ALSO A THIRD PARTY
THAT'S EXPRESSED INTEREST IN
BUILDING A NON- PROFIT CASINO.