Tuesday, December 12, 2006

A group opposed to the development of a Lehigh Valley slots parlor is
gearing up to monitor plans to build a casino on the former site of
Bethlehem Steel Corp. The Bethlehem Defense Fund last week announced plans
to hire attorneys, engineers and traffic consultants to keep an eye on the
Sands BethWorks Gaming LLC plan to build a casino. Bethlehem attorney James
D. Rawlings II was retained by the group with Allentown attorney Timothy T.
Stevens. Rawlings said the goal is to block the Sands from getting a state
casino license. "The group retained us in order to, shall we say, pursue all
possible avenues" with respect to preventing gaming and casinos in the area,
Rawlings said told The Express-Times of Easton. Should the Pennsylvania
Gaming Control Board choose the Sands proposal from among five applications
for two available licenses, Rawlings promised "a very close and meticulous
oversight of any and all operations as relates to the city of Bethlehem."