Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007 • Casino breaks ground on new expansion

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007, edition of the Lassen County Times.

Members from numerous community organizations around Lassen County showed up in full force to support the official groundbreaking of the 70-room hotel expansion at Diamond Mountain Casino at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 6.

The ceremony kicked off with an introduction from Casino General Manager Campbell Jamieson, who welcomed everyone and expressed his excitement at the turnout for the beginning of the biggest expansion in the casino’s history. He then passed the microphone to Susanville Indian Rancheria Tribal Chairman Stacy Dixon.

Dixon explained the basics of the project, which he said the casino plans to have complete in roughly 10 months, opening in spring of 2008.

Dixon listed a number of the features the expansion will showcase, including lodge-style furnishings in all 70 rooms, a coffee bar, an arcade, a non-smoking gaming area, a 600 square-foot conference room, a workout room, a business center and some small amenities shops.

He also spoke briefly about possibly the most exciting new feature, a 500 square-foot indoor pool and spa facility.

“If you want to swim, you’ve got to check in,” Dixon said.

“It’s going to be a great venture for us,” Dixon said, speaking on what the expansion means to SIR. “You look at the history of how we started back then, and it’s always been a battle. But I like to see this as the community working together with us. We’re as neighbors, and we’re building relationships on this venture. And there’s more to come.”

He used the opportunity to briefly mention how the Tribal Business Council had plans in the works to build a sports complex.

“I’d like to look at the complex as more of a community event with the tribe,” Dixon said. “Because it’s going to benefit everybody.”

At the end of his speech, Dixon lead everyone out to the adjacent lot where the hotel was going to be built.

With their backs to the casino and silver shovels in hand, five of the seven lead members of the TBC ceremoniously broke ground, then paused for pictures.

The members who took up the first shovel-full of land included Dixon, District 2 Councilman Doyle Lowry, Secretary and Treasurer Aaron Dixon Sr., At-large Lassen County Representative Madeline McIntire and Vice Chairman Robert Joseph. At-large On-Trust Land representative Tina Sanchez and District 1 Councilman Dwight Lowry were unable to attend.

After the ceremony, members of the community weighed in with their thoughts on the expansion.

Former Mayor Pro tem Rocky Joy said he thought the tribe had done a great job in taking care of this project and garnering community support, and was excited to see how the expansion would pan out.

Assistant to the mayor Rob Hill said this expansion was great for the entire community, and was a great step in building relations between the city and the rancheria.

During the reception, Dixon said he was very happy with the response of the people attending the ceremony. He said the hotel project was a key success in the tribe’s development.

“That’s one thing about our per capita,” Dixon said. “We don’t give out money to our tribal members. We put it back into our programs, and our expanding economic development, like the hotel.”