TRIBE HAS NO CASINO PLANS LETTERS CLAIM GROUP AIMS TO BUILD NEAR SIX FLAGS.Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer VALENCIA - A Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern Indian tribe INDIAN TRIBE. A separate and distinct community or body of the aboriginal Indian race of men found in the United States. 2. Such a tribe, situated within the boundaries of a state, and exercising the powers of government and, sovereignty, under the national and Newhall Land and Farming said they have no involvement with a purported plan to build a casino, hotel and resort near Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park located just west of the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 29, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company,[1] . Letters mailed to potential investors say the Shasta Nation tribe would be involved in building the casino, but Shasta officials said they have no authority to operate a casino and no plan to do so in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . ``We're not aware of this proposed property in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. ,'' said Gary Lake, vice chairman for the Shasta Nation. ``There is no focus to build a casino outside our ancestral lands.'' A Newhall Land spokeswoman said the company owns the land near Six Flags Magic Mountain cited in the investment letters but has no plans for a casino. ``We heard vague rumors over the last year, but have not seen anything specific on proposals or interests,'' said Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer. ``We own the property surrounding Magic Mountain. Part of it is in the Valencia Master Plan. None of those plans include casinos. Obviously, it's not something that we're involved with or would occur on property surrounding Magic Mountain.'' The letters come from a company called First California Diversified Fund Diversified Fund A type of investment fund that contains a wide array of securities and is adequately diversified. A mutual fund classified as a "diversified fund" will actively maintain a high level of diversification in its holdings, thus reducing the amount of risk in the fund, , which lists a Santa Monica Boulevard address. The letter states that the land proposed for the casino is owned by Tom Kelly and Bill Macaley, and is held in perpetuity Of endless duration; not subject to termination. The phrase in perpetuity is often used in the grant of an Easement to a utility company. in perpetuity adj. forever, as in one's right to keep the profits from the land in perpetuity. to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1979 and dedicated to the acquisition of land in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, north and west of Los Angeles, for preservation as open . Officials of the firm could not be reached Tuesday for comment. The letters ask potential investors to buy into 300 shares of limited liability company interest in the casino at $25,000 a share. About $7.5 million is needed to open the casino, the letter says. ``This letter serves as your passport to become part of the casino rather than just another player,'' according to the letter. ``You are an owner and your return is off the top from casino revenues, monitored by the state of California.'' Shasta Nation officials said Tuesday that they are alarmed by the letters and that they have no intention of starting a casino in Los Angeles County, a spokesman said. With about 1,500 members mostly in the Yreka area, the Shasta Nation is seeking federal recognition as a tribe, leaders said. Until then, it cannot operate a casino. Shasta Nation financial adviser Thomas Hice and Lake said they believe the tribe is being exploited. California is already home to more than 50 casinos operated by Indian tribes. These letters have surfaced before, a spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said. ``We heard about this six months ago and we investigated it and there was no such investment firm,'' said Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San . ``If they have re-emerged, they are ripping people off, and that's not acceptable. They should be penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. .'' U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek in Los Angeles said he had not heard of the letters or the proposal. Meanwhile, Shasta Nation vice chairman Lake said if members of the public receive such letters, they are advised to conduct research. ``It kind of reminds me of the days of the Gold Rush,'' he said. ``That's what helped destroy the Shasta people who were sitting on land where there was all this gold, and people did whatever they could to take that gold. We didn't forget that.'' Susan Abram, (661) 257-5257 susan.abram(at)dailynews.com |
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