$400,000 of Tribal Revenue Granted to 40 Local Projects

Mackinac County received a total of $35,000 from gaming revenue grant funding from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Thursday, January 18, for county jail operations, a new substance abuse program through the 92nd District Court, and for the Probate Court's foster care program. Pictured are (from left) Tel Fox, manager of Kewadin Casino in Hessel, Darcy Chase, manager of Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace, District Court Judge Beth Gibson, Sault Tribe Unit 2 representative Fred Paquin, Probate Court Judge Clayton Graham, and Sault Tribe Unit 2 representative Keith Massaway.

Almost $400,000 of gaming revenue from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians was granted to local municipalities and groups at Kewadin Shores Hotel in St. Ignace Thursday, January 18.

Under a Michigan Gaming Control Board law, tribal casinos in Michigan are required to distribute two percent of their gaming slot machine revenue to local units of government where gaming has an impact. The money will help fund more than 40 projects in the Upper Peninsula.

The following are the projects that received tribal funding (some projects have been announced in previous issues of The St. Ignace News):

The City of St. Ignace received the last of its long term payments from the tribe, totaling $104,037, used for bond payments from the construction of Little Bear East Conference Center and Ice Arena, which was a joint project between the tribe and the city. The funding for Little Bear East may be redirected to fund the city's purchase of Fort de Buade Museum, which includes historic artifacts indigenous to St. Ignace and its Native American culture. Pictured (from left) are Tel Fox, St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin, Darcy Chase, Fred Paquin, St. Ignace City Manager Eric Dodson, and Keith Massaway.

Long Term Two Percent Payments (renewal of annual

payments)

City of St. Ignace - Recreation and Community Center

$85,000 - Recreation and Community Center

$30,000 - Mackinac Straits Hospital dialysis

$18,500 - Fitness Center

$6,500 - Road improvements

$5,000 - Straits Area Snowmobile Club grooming

St. Ignace Area Schools received a total of $14,000 for programs such as student advocate, high school baseball, and girls softball. Pictured are (from left) Tel Fox, Darcy Chase, Fred Paquin, LaSalle High School Principal Don Gustafson, and Keith Massaway.

$3,500 - Police Department for lodging, law enforcement

Mackinac County

$11,250 - Sheriff Department for lodging, law enforcement

$10,500 - County Clerk for probate court foster care

St. Ignace Township

$13,000 - General government services

St. Ignace Area Schools $10,000 - Student advocate

Schoolcraft County

$9,600 - Sheriff Department for lodging, law enforcement

$5,000 - Schoolcraft Snowmobile Club

Clark Township

$5,000 - Les Cheneaux Snowmobile Club grooming

$5,000 - General services

Hulbert Township

$5,000 - Snowmobile trail grooming

Unit 3 Project Grants City of Mackinac Island $14,000 - Life Pac defibrillator

$14,000 - City walkway

$5,000 - Fire Department for traditional fire helmets

$3,900 - Lawn mower with vacuum

City of St. Ignace

$10,318.06 - St. Ignace Ambulance Department

Moran Township School District

$12,500 - Gros Cap School computer replacement and teaching materials

St. Ignace Area Schools

$2,000 - LaSalle High School baseball

$2,000 - Girls softball fund

Mackinac County 92nd District Court

$6,000 - "HELP" Series - Substance Abuse

Brevort Township

$5,000 - New fire hall

$2,500 - New playground equipment

Unit 2 Project Grants

Luce County

$11,118.06 - Youth Activity Program

Mackinac County

$8,000 - "HELP" Series - Substance Abuse

Clark Township $5,000 - Recreation park

Garfield Township

$5,000 - Ambulance garage

$5,000 - Fire Department operation hose equipment

DeTour Village

$5,000 - Sacred Heart hall renovation project

$2,500 - Backhoe purchase

Doyle Township

$5,000 - Thermal imaging camera

Drummond Island Township

$5,000 - Snowmobile trail groomer garage addition

Engadine Consolidated Schools $5,000 - Youth Activity Program Hendricks Township $5,000 - Emergency shelter

Pickford Public Schools

$5,000 - Elementary computer lab printer and software

Raber Township

$5,000 - Snow removal and maintenance equipment

Tahquamenon Area Schools

$2,000 - Middle school eighth grade trip

Rudyard Area Schools $3,600 - Rudyard Indian Education program