Cumberland Township voters reject pro-casino supervisors; Borovent to stop publication

[Susan Star Paddock]

Cumberland Township voters reject
pro-casino supervisors; Borovent to stop publication

Our group has been successfully fighting a casino in the neighborhood of the
Gettysburg National Military Park for 6 years. Like every war, there are
memorable personalities on both sides of the issue. In this war, Debi and Gene Golden have played important roles on the pro-casino side.

Debi Golden worked for Crossroads Gaming Resort, the first of two defeated casino proposals. She also coordinated pro-casino testimony at the PGCB hearings for Mason Dixon Resort and Casino. Both Debi and her husband Gene Golden are listed as moderators for topics on Borovent, Gene Golden's message board. Borovent’s posters seem to be primarily united by hatred for No Casino Gettysburg.

Debi was appointed as a supervisor in Cumberland Township. In the next election she
ran unopposed and was elected to the office. She ran in the 2011 election as a
Republican in a Republican district to be re-named supervisor for another term,
and as an incumbent should have had an easy win. She came in third among four
candidates.

Richard Kitner had organized "Veterans for the Casino" during the battle over the proposed Mason-Dixon
casino. Kitner also ran as a Republican for a position as supervisor and came in fourth in the election.

Independent Al Ferranto testified against the Mason Dixon casino during the PGCB hearings. He came in first in the election, just ahead of Democrat Steve Toddes. Ferranto received 956 votes, 32.11 percent of the 2,977 that voted
in Cumberland Township. Toddes had 742 votes, 24.92 percent of the vote.

Golden and Kitner received 670 and 601 votes respectively.

I do not think that the casino was an overt issue during this election, but do believe that the township failure to listen to the wishes of citizens was and is an issue, and there did seem to be an effort to punish no casino personnel.

Al Ferranto is an activist who discovered that the supervisors in
their part time job were receiving full family health and dental benefits, including full re-imbursement for all co-pays. Ferranto pledged to work without benefits.

In the election for Adams County Commissioner, voters
selected three candidates, two of whom, Jim Martin and Marty Qually, had
previously taken anti-casino stances. It appears that the Adams
County voters do not consider anti-casino positions to be a concern, although
the County had been split in its opinion. In a professional poll (Mason-DixonPolling) conducted in April 2011, 45% of Adams Countians opposed the casino proposal and
41% favored it. Statewide 66% of Pennsylvanians opposed the casino, and 59%
supported a casino-free buffer around the military park.

The day after the election, a disappointed Gene "Venter" Golden announced that Borovent is shutting down on 11/11/11 because he does not feel “appreciated”.