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Boonville's pay-off
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By Kris Hilgedick
khil@newstribune.com
Six years after the Isle of Capri Casino was constructed along Boonville's northern riverbank, most citizens of the small town appear to have a live-and-let-live attitude toward its operation.
“For the ones who were against gaming in the beginning, I'm pretty sure they are holding their ground,” said Police Chief Jim Gholson.
But others - who initially worried about skyrocketing crime rates - have seen their fears ease. Crime appears to have dropped by a third since 2002.
Gholson asked: “Is it because of our excellent police work? Or is it because there's less crime regionally?”
“Crime comes in waves,” he shrugged.
The chief believes having a casino nearby has not generated significant problems for his officers.
“We had one armed robbery at a pizza store that was directly related to the Isle,” he said. “But we do not patrol the Isle of Capri any more than any other business. The security at the casino is great.”
The main infraction his officers respond to, as a result of the casino, are rural drivers who come into town with their license tags expired.
Several people interviewed for this story had positive things to say about the casino. The town of 8,000 people derived almost $4 million from the casino in 2007.
“It's a nice attraction,” said Boonville City Councilman Jim Painter. “It's had a positive impact.”
When the casino was first proposed, leaders really feared a jump in licentious behavior. As a result, a significant portion of the casino proceeds are funneled toward law enforcement - not only in Boonville, but in communities nearby.
The town has been able to build a new police station and buy patrol cars. Town leaders are looking at ways to improve the fire service. They also want to construct a water tower.
“The problem is, with such a sudden influx of money, you want to spend it on various things to improve the city,” Painter said. “You want to do everything all at once.”
Having the extra money has allowed leaders to do some of the less-than-glamourous tasks that needed to be done, he added. In 2007 a large portion was spent repairing the city's water plant and improving its wastewater system. Officials also spent $326,322 on street overlays and $32,487 for sidewalk matching funds.
Several years ago, town leaders used $500,000 in casino funds to purchase the former campus of the Kemper Military Academy. In 2007, they spent $455,774 to improve Johnston Field House, which now is home to Boonville's YMCA.
Theresa Krebs, editor of the Boonville Daily News, believes citizens there have a “primarily positive” perception of the casino.
“I know some in the church community don't support it,” Krebs said, adding that, when people are down on their luck, they tend to ask church leaders for assistance. “But from the city's perspective, it's been a godsend.”
Krebs said the casino has helped the community update infrastructure and meet the regulatory demands of federal and state government. Without an influx of casino dollars, Krebs believes citizens would have faced “really drastic rate increases” for water and sewer service.
Six years ago, casino naysayers also worried that traffic congestion would swamp the small town.
Gholson, who has been with the police force since 1970, said he and his fellow officers used to love Friday nights when a football game would bring a little more excitement to town.
Other nights of the week? “The streets folded up,” he remembered.
Today, there's a few more drivers on the city streets, but it's not overly congested, he said.
Gholson said when open boarding was legalized - which allows casino patrons to come and go as they please - it helped disperse crowds. “If you don't drive past it, you'd never know it was there,” he said.
But Gholson's praise isn't unqualified.
People always tell him how much they won. “I don't see how they are still open with all the winners,” he scoffed.
When he watches people leave the building, body language clearly reveals who got lucky and who didn't.
“There are more frowns,” he said.
Steve Wehrle, owner of a downtown gift shop, believes gambling has replaced pastimes such as bowling, dancing and skating.
“Things go in a cycle,” he said. “Eventually, people will get tired of losing” and gaming will be replaced with a new fad.
“It does bring people in,” he added. “They want something to do.”
Wehrle - a former General Motors employee - is concerned the industry “takes money out of our country.”
“Is it circulating in our country? Or does it go overseas?” he asked.
Wehrle doesn't believe the Isle's slot machines are as loose as they used to be. He thinks the casino used to offer $100,00 giveaways; now the contests are smaller, he said.
“That's what I watch,” he said. “It tells you how the economy is doing.”
Jewelry artist Linda Grant thinks the casino helps her small business. But like Wehrle, she has reservations.
“It's made it easier for me to sell my jewelry,” she said. “As a Christian, I don't participate. I don't care for gambling.”
She added: “I don't have anything against the casino. They have a nice facility; they keep it up.”
Insurance agent Tammi R. Post, who has offices downtown, doesn't think the casino has changed Boonville much.
“I thought it would bring things down, but it's actually brought jobs,” she said.
Post sometimes sees buses of senior citizens trundle by.
“There are lots of out-of-towners, which is good for the community,” she said.
She thinks the influx of cash into the community has made it easier for downtown property owners to fix up their business facades.
Even a local Baptist pastor didn't argue passionately against the Isle.
Mark Martin, minister of Family Life and Music for First Baptist Church, was living in Kansas City when lawmakers approved gaming. Many pastors there had a hard time dealing with the influx of people who needed help, he said.
But the young pastor hasn't responded to many gambling-induced calls for benevolence.
And he doesn't think Boonville residents are gambling heavily.
“It was a novelty at first. Now it's a tourist draw,” he said.
“As a church, I don't know that it has affected us directly,” Martin said. “I've been here 10 years ... and during that period I've had only two or three people say, ‘We're here and we don't have the gas money to get home.'
“But I also don't come out and ask them, ‘What happened?' We help people who need it. It's between them and God.”
Martin doesn't believe the tourists are stopping to explore the town.
“Has it helped the economy? Hurt it? I can't say,” he said.
Jefferson Citians will vote on a pair of issues lifting the city's prohibition on a riverside casino on April 8.
“For the ones who were against gaming in the beginning, I'm pretty sure they are holding their ground,” said Police Chief Jim Gholson.
But others - who initially worried about skyrocketing crime rates - have seen their fears ease. Crime appears to have dropped by a third since 2002.
Gholson asked: “Is it because of our excellent police work? Or is it because there's less crime regionally?”
“Crime comes in waves,” he shrugged.
The chief believes having a casino nearby has not generated significant problems for his officers.
“We had one armed robbery at a pizza store that was directly related to the Isle,” he said. “But we do not patrol the Isle of Capri any more than any other business. The security at the casino is great.”
The main infraction his officers respond to, as a result of the casino, are rural drivers who come into town with their license tags expired.
Several people interviewed for this story had positive things to say about the casino. The town of 8,000 people derived almost $4 million from the casino in 2007.
“It's a nice attraction,” said Boonville City Councilman Jim Painter. “It's had a positive impact.”
When the casino was first proposed, leaders really feared a jump in licentious behavior. As a result, a significant portion of the casino proceeds are funneled toward law enforcement - not only in Boonville, but in communities nearby.
The town has been able to build a new police station and buy patrol cars. Town leaders are looking at ways to improve the fire service. They also want to construct a water tower.
“The problem is, with such a sudden influx of money, you want to spend it on various things to improve the city,” Painter said. “You want to do everything all at once.”
Having the extra money has allowed leaders to do some of the less-than-glamourous tasks that needed to be done, he added. In 2007 a large portion was spent repairing the city's water plant and improving its wastewater system. Officials also spent $326,322 on street overlays and $32,487 for sidewalk matching funds.
Several years ago, town leaders used $500,000 in casino funds to purchase the former campus of the Kemper Military Academy. In 2007, they spent $455,774 to improve Johnston Field House, which now is home to Boonville's YMCA.
Theresa Krebs, editor of the Boonville Daily News, believes citizens there have a “primarily positive” perception of the casino.
“I know some in the church community don't support it,” Krebs said, adding that, when people are down on their luck, they tend to ask church leaders for assistance. “But from the city's perspective, it's been a godsend.”
Krebs said the casino has helped the community update infrastructure and meet the regulatory demands of federal and state government. Without an influx of casino dollars, Krebs believes citizens would have faced “really drastic rate increases” for water and sewer service.
Six years ago, casino naysayers also worried that traffic congestion would swamp the small town.
Gholson, who has been with the police force since 1970, said he and his fellow officers used to love Friday nights when a football game would bring a little more excitement to town.
Other nights of the week? “The streets folded up,” he remembered.
Today, there's a few more drivers on the city streets, but it's not overly congested, he said.
Gholson said when open boarding was legalized - which allows casino patrons to come and go as they please - it helped disperse crowds. “If you don't drive past it, you'd never know it was there,” he said.
But Gholson's praise isn't unqualified.
People always tell him how much they won. “I don't see how they are still open with all the winners,” he scoffed.
When he watches people leave the building, body language clearly reveals who got lucky and who didn't.
“There are more frowns,” he said.
Steve Wehrle, owner of a downtown gift shop, believes gambling has replaced pastimes such as bowling, dancing and skating.
“Things go in a cycle,” he said. “Eventually, people will get tired of losing” and gaming will be replaced with a new fad.
“It does bring people in,” he added. “They want something to do.”
Wehrle - a former General Motors employee - is concerned the industry “takes money out of our country.”
“Is it circulating in our country? Or does it go overseas?” he asked.
Wehrle doesn't believe the Isle's slot machines are as loose as they used to be. He thinks the casino used to offer $100,00 giveaways; now the contests are smaller, he said.
“That's what I watch,” he said. “It tells you how the economy is doing.”
Jewelry artist Linda Grant thinks the casino helps her small business. But like Wehrle, she has reservations.
“It's made it easier for me to sell my jewelry,” she said. “As a Christian, I don't participate. I don't care for gambling.”
She added: “I don't have anything against the casino. They have a nice facility; they keep it up.”
Insurance agent Tammi R. Post, who has offices downtown, doesn't think the casino has changed Boonville much.
“I thought it would bring things down, but it's actually brought jobs,” she said.
Post sometimes sees buses of senior citizens trundle by.
“There are lots of out-of-towners, which is good for the community,” she said.
She thinks the influx of cash into the community has made it easier for downtown property owners to fix up their business facades.
Even a local Baptist pastor didn't argue passionately against the Isle.
Mark Martin, minister of Family Life and Music for First Baptist Church, was living in Kansas City when lawmakers approved gaming. Many pastors there had a hard time dealing with the influx of people who needed help, he said.
But the young pastor hasn't responded to many gambling-induced calls for benevolence.
And he doesn't think Boonville residents are gambling heavily.
“It was a novelty at first. Now it's a tourist draw,” he said.
“As a church, I don't know that it has affected us directly,” Martin said. “I've been here 10 years ... and during that period I've had only two or three people say, ‘We're here and we don't have the gas money to get home.'
“But I also don't come out and ask them, ‘What happened?' We help people who need it. It's between them and God.”
Martin doesn't believe the tourists are stopping to explore the town.
“Has it helped the economy? Hurt it? I can't say,” he said.
Jefferson Citians will vote on a pair of issues lifting the city's prohibition on a riverside casino on April 8.
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