Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 36 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
photo by Marcus Frazier
Isle of Capri Casino interim General Manager John Moran and Director of Finance Jay Underkofler welcome patrons Monday morning when the casino re-opened its doors after a month-long hiatus due to the flooding of Silver Street.
Isle of Capri reopens after floods forced closure
Published Tuesday, May 13, 2008
NATCHEZ — Sandbags, silt and debris couldn’t stand in the way of the Isle of Capri casino boat re-opening at 10 a.m. Monday.
Interim General Manager John Moran said he was pleased to return to business as usual.
“It feels wonderful,” he said of being re-opened. “It’s a beautiful day, I couldn’t have asked for a prettier day to re-open.”
As Moran stood outside welcoming the stream of customers, he said the week’s worth of cleanup wasn’t bad.
“Nothing’s ever too difficult,” he said. “It just takes a lot of time and energy.”
Cleanup involved disassembling the walls of sandbags that were no longer needed.
One wall remains but the water is still too high to remove it.
“We’re still above flood stage,” Moran said.
The Isle also had to clean up about six inches of silt and smatterings of debris that were left after the water receded.
“We still have some cleaning to do,” Moran said.
That’s not stopping the patrons from pouring into the boat.
As Natchez citizen Barbara Anderson, hopped off the Isle’s shuttle bus and headed toward the boat, she said she was glad the Isle had re-opened.
Anderson described herself as a regular visitor of the boat.
Mary Brown and Brenda Holmes frequently cross the river from Ferriday to enjoy a few hours at the boat.
Both were excited the boat was open.
“We came about 2 p.m.,” Brown said of the pair who was waiting on the shuttle bus around 4 p.m.
Holmes said only once in the month that the Isle was closed did they go to another casino out of town.
For the most part, they just waited until the Isle reopened, she said.
While casino representatives have said the casino worked closely with the city in its decision to reopen, City Engineer David Gardner said ultimately it was the casino’s call.
That does not mean there was not good communication between the two, Gardner said.
“This particular go- around we worked with the casino closer than we have in the past,” he said. “It’s proven to work a lot better. I like the way we did it this year.”
The only two streets that grant patrons access to the casino are D.A. Biglane and Silver streets — which have been fully or partially closed for weeks.
Both were opened on Thursday when the water receded completely off the base of Silver Street.
Gardner said the city didn’t do much to clean up the area, and the Isle of Capri really took charge of the task.
“We brought a fire hose down there and provided the water,” Gardner said of the city’s involvement.
Other than that, the Isle took care of it, getting their own employees and using their own front-end loader.
Gardner said the Isle had to reposition the boat before re-opening.
When the water reached between 52 and 52.5 feet, the boat had to move a few yards.
“The river fell to a point where the boat had to move otherwise it would be on dry ground,” Gardner said.
He said the boat was moved over the weekend.
The Isle closed when the water hit 55.5 feet.
With D.A. Biglane and Silver streets open, Gardner said in the next week the city will work to reopen Roth Hill Road, which has been closed since April 8.
Parts of the grassy embankment have been washed out from the river slapping ashore, and Gardner said those holes will need to be filled with rock.
A simple fix, he said it’s just a matter of getting public works down there to fix it.
Comments
Posted by bereal2 (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 1:42 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by doubled (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 7:12 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by awayfromhome (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 7:22 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL!! All comments removed!!! Too funny!
Posted by sandyman7 (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 8:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
GEE People lined up "dreaming" of getting rich!!!! Or maybe just the "thrill" of gambling...Either way its just sending money away from here....Like 43,000,000 dollars, less there payroll of , I'd guess less than 7 million, which means that at lest about 36 million goes to the boats headquaters....That a tidy sum of money leaving this area!!!!!!!!And do I remember the "promise" when the boat first came here.....ENOUGH MONEY GOING INTO TO SCHOOL TAXES THAT OUR TAXES WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE RAISED....So much for a promise.......
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember that sandyman! Big business lies.
I guess the Isle wants me to take out a big loan and bring the money to them.....Hey! That's their dreams of riches, not mine.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Promises, promises, if only they were groceries our kitchens would be very well over stocked. We would have plenty to eat for a lifetime.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who was the mayor at the time the casino boat came to town? Careful, or these comments will be deleted as well!
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That money did come in and had to come in by law sandyman. The only problem it was and still is looted by our local goverment. If you want to know where a good portion of that money went ask our former mayors West or far back as Butch Brown, or better yet, go to the 2 biggest money loosers in town the convention and visitors center and ask them how they stay in business. This city goverment has been in a Peter pay Paul circle for years. If you doubt what I say just look at our streets. Even in this article" Gardner said the city didn’t do much to clean up the area, and the Isle of Capri really took charge of the task". The Isle had to if it wanted to open, the street belongs to the city. The city should be doing the work not a tax paying business. If the isle was doing all the work why isn't Roth hill cleaned up and open. There was a lot of fuss over how much tax money would be lost while they were closed. I believe there should be just as much over the city not being proactive in getting the mess cleaned up and things back to normal. If the city would sit back and let one of its largest employers and tax paying business do most of the dirty work, what do you think they will do for one of the little guys in business who was down and needed help. And you think Natchez is a business freindly city? Look no farther.
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“We brought a fire hose down there and provided the water,” Gardner said of the city’s involvement. What a JOKE!
Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone walks on that boat thinking they will leave rich. Reality is there have been families destroyed since the boat came to Natchez.
How many people can tell of a winning story they had on the boat? Very few compared to the people that are packed in like sardines.
In a comment on another article someone had said how bad it smelt well what can you expect when people loose their money & can't affort a bar of saop or deodorant.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NE you have it figured out. Looks like our onetermers in the hizzoner office are not doing what the people who run Natchez want them to. With the new people in office maybe some of the drug places on North MLK will get cleaned up. If we could consolidate the city and county some on the public dole would have to leave and the rest might have to do something.
Still they have to do what the rich white men tell them to.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Drug markets wouldn't exist if people didn't buy drugs. Such an honor to Dr. King to buy drugs on a street named for him.
Rich white men? In Natchez? HA! Aside from Callon, there aren't any.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
families are not destroyed because of gambling. Families are destroyed by the irresponsible behavior of the member of the family who lost their money gambling.
Many millions of people gamble responsibly.
No sense placing the blame anywhere but on the guilty party. Look in the mirror. There is the culprit.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, isn't it something to witness people of ALL races, purchase drugs from a street named for Dr. King. A street.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I will have to agree, when someone makes the CHOICE to step into ANY establishment and participate, it is a CHOICE. Whether you win or not is the CHANCE you take.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From reading the article and comments from the posters, it seems that the City should have provided more "help" in the cleanup effort to assist the bisiness in question? Remember "Money" is the root of all evil!
Posted by musicman (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rushinghjr, I believe the quote states "the love of money is the root of all evil."
Posted by cynthiafleming (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me start out saying that I am glad that Natchez has a casino. I remember the days when we didn't. The casino is a major employer for the Natchez area and they pay alot of taxes and have always been excellant community partners. They are the first to sponsor events for the community and are always good about donations of both time and money. To gamble or not to gamble, that is ones personal decision. It is a form of entertainment and as usual too much of ANYTHING is not good. I prefer to spend my hard earned money on my kids or grandkids but I am thankful that if I so choose, I do have the option of visiting the casino as a form of entertainment. To those poo-pooing the reopening of the casino I say, please just don't visit. For those of us who enjoy an occasional visit, we probably won't get rich but money isn't what makes one rich anyway...
Posted by musicman (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Teach4Peace, the mayor at the time Lady Luck evolved in Natchez was David Armstrong. It was hearsay that when he was not re-elected, he was working for Lady Luck on the coast. I'm not sure, but sounds suspicious!
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Right on Cynthia! Not to mention the golf tournaments they have backed or all of the local businesses they keep in business by buying their products or goods. Most people in this town do not know how much of a financial asset the casino is to the community. And it is a shame!
Posted by imoonu2004 (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
are you people just going to make the same silly comments every time an article about the casino is posted? it's always the same thing, "people go down there and lose all their money" plus another 20 variations of it. why can't you live and let live?
Posted by GarnishedWages (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah! Live and let live!
And always bet on black.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks musicman, I was wondering and I do remember him. I am trying to figure out why Phillip West's name came up when I asked that question?
Posted by Preacher (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 7:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for all the help folks. I'm glad somebody understands. I'll save my comments for tomorrow when I have a few statistics to back them up.
Posted by doubled (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 7:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oooohhhhh...........rats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
David Armstrong was mayor when the Lady Luck first began business, but NatchezEnema (I still hate that moniker) happens to be right this time. Soon after Armstrong left office and Butch took over the revenues were robbed to use as collateral against bonds issued by the City to build the two great monuments to his mayorship, the Intermodal Center (as one previous mayorial candidate called it, 'the world's most expensive rest stop and outhouse') and the Convention Center that he actually could have done for the same amount of money, but with much bigger bang for the buck eight years earlier.
Unfortunately, all those who have followed Butch have been saddled with this budget burden. Natchez citizens have paid a heavy price for those bronze plaques with his name on them.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 8:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Teach4Peace, cynthiafleming and NatchezEnema...have to agree on this one...it's about personal responsibility...no preacher should be able to dictate our personal morality...look forward to your return Preacher.
Note: He's always sniping at the casinos.
PS...thank you Cynthia for using your own name, it takes courage, but it's the right thing to do.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on May 13, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't see any bashing of the stock market and people lose money there all day every day.
You purchase a raffle ticket, you lose that money if you don't win. Even churches and schools sell raffle tickets; and it was the soldiers casting lots for Jesus' robe that is often the reference preachers use against gambling.
So, which would be more like casting lots...gambling, stock markets, or raffle tickets?
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is Russia's Vladamir Putin standing in the pic greeting people onto our boat!
who invited him to this party?
Posted by Preacher (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The wonderful world of gambling.
Gambling brings crime. Three years after the introduction of casinos in Atlantic City, there was a tripling of total crimes. Per capita crime there jumped from 50th in the nation to first. In the first 4 years of gambling in Atlantic City, major crimes jumped from 4700 to 14,416. Two thirds of those crimes occurred in the casinos. Pickpocket arrests went from 15 to 1,247, purse snatching increased 48 percent, shoplifting 342 percent, parked car theft up 347 percent and building theft up 76 percent, rape up 54 percent, aggravated assault up 76 percent and robbery up 49 percent. (National Gambling Impact Study Commission) Overall Atlantic City crime in 2004 was still 3.3 times the national average. With 2 other casinos in the works, our problem in Natchez is compounded. It was slower arriving, but the crime is now here. No one wants to print a negative study on gambling in Natchez, but you can simply read the paper or ask your neighbor if crime has increased since gambling arrived.
Gambling is bad for other businesses. Most casinos attract 80% or more of their market from a 35-50 mile radius. Casinos absorb existing entertainment, restaurant and hotel business, and deplete dollars available to other retail businesses. (Grinols, Earl L. Gambling in America, Costs and Benefits) Also very true in Natchez.
Gambling creates addiction. The American Psychiatric Association says between 1% and 3% of the U.S. population is addicted to gambling, depending on location and demographics. Youth have even higher addiction rates, between 4 an 8%. (Shaffer, Howard, Harvard University addictions department)
Addiction rates double within 50 miles of a casino. Probable pathological gambling in Nevada in 2000 measured 3.5%. Other states ranged from 2.1% in North Dakota in 2000 to 4.9% in Mississippi in 1996. A casino within 10 miles of a home yields a 90% increased risk of its occupants becoming pathological or problem gamblers. Neighborhood disadvantage (poverty) increases that risk another 69%. (Volberg, Rachel A., Ph.D. “Gambling and Problem Gambling in Nevada: Report to the Nev. Dept. of Human Resources)
Gambling causes personal bankruptcy. The most recent study of all the casino counties in the nation confirmed personal bankruptcy rates are 100% higher in counties with casinos than in counties without casinos. (Shaffer, H.J. & Hall, M.N. (1996). Estimating prevalence of adolescent gambling disorders)
Gambling is a major influence in suicides. A study of addicted gamblers revealed, “Between 20% and 30% of the respondents made actual suicide attempts. No other addictive population has had as high a prevalence for attempts. Nevada has been the highest in the nation for suicides for 10 of the last 12 years. (American Association of Suicidology)
Posted by Preacher (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It couldn’t be clearer. Gambling does more harm than good. It hurts more people than it helps. It’s time to get rid of gambling and get back to looking for real jobs producing tangible goods and services instead of taking advantage of our poor and creating a gambling addicted society. Your child, mother, daughter, husband or wife may be next. Natchez has other positive choices if we would simply look past the gambling mania.
Posted by Cursechez (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Casinos and Lotteries are a tax on the poor and dumb (at math).
Most people who "win" a few hundred dollars are also those not smart enough to take it and never return; eventually they give it right back, and more, for many years.
It's expensive entertainment that will keep them poor and dumb.
If you started gambling at 21 years old, and spent $20 a week on lottery tickets and casino slots until the age of 71 years old, that money, invested in good mutual funds averaging 12% over that entire period would, instead of buying false hopes of get-rich-quick and entertainment, have a future value of $2,374,768.50
Sure hope y'all are having fun down on the boat..
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 9:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Preacher...once again, point by point:
1. Atlantic City was a dead ghost town before the advent of gambling which brought in new development, people with money and the others who prey on them. More people, more money equals more crime...bogus statistic.
2. All businesses like entertainment, restaurants and hotels receive most of their business within a 35-50 mile radius, the casinos are just another competitor in the market. The non-casino businesses that directly compete with them also deplete the casino's business...another bogus stat.
3. This stat itself says that 97% of people aren't addicted to gambling and the gambling addiction isn't the casino's fault, it's the weakness of character of the individual...work on them! BTW, youths can't get on the boat.
4. Again, worst case scenario Mississippi in 1996 4.9%...this means that 95% of the people within 50 miles were perfectly OK. Of course people who live closer to a casino gamble more often and of those 5% will be addicted, the numbers are exceedingly small...another non-stat.
5. Keep in mind, the bankruptcies caused by problem gambling are only happening in at most 5% of those who live closest to a casino...see point 4 above...this is another scare stat.
6. Statistically among professionals, doctors and pharmacists tend to become drug addicts, lawyers tend to adultary and divorce, architects tend to become alchoholics, law enforcement officials tend to have more domestic violence, dentists have the highest suicide rate. Does this blemish all professionals? No, because the rates are extremely low. The same can be said of this statistic, the rates are extremely low because it is only a percentage of the respondents.
Preacher get yourself some better stats or work on the poor INDIVIDUALS that have a problem. Get your nose out of the business of the rest of us who are fine without your input.
Posted by Preacher (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm glad I don't have stock in the casino and feel the need to defend its corruption of society.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 9:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't own stock and rarely visit, but I don't want you inflicting your morality on me or society, particularly with scare tactics, anecdotal evidence and sham statistics.
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)