“Every year at this time the members of the Coquille Indian Tribe take great pride in being able to give back to the many communities that we call home. The needs are great throughout our region, and we are pleased that our Community Fund can provide some much needed assistance.” -Coquille Tribal Council Chair Brenda Meade

The Coquille Tribal Community Fund awarded $207,000 in grants to the following 34 area non-profit organizations and public agencies this week:

• Alternative Youth Activities – $2,000 to expand production aspects of the mushroom project.
• Bandon Historical Society Museum – $2,000 for wall and floor displays.
• Chetco Historical Memorial Committee – $5,000 for cement benches at the memorial.
• Coos Bay Seventh-Day Adventist Food Pantry – $9,000 for food purchases.
• Coos County Friends of Public Health – $5,000 for health service vouchers.
• Coos County STEP – $10,000 for a hatchery alarm system.
• Coos Historical & Maritime Museum – $35,000 for Maritime Museum and Plaza.
• Crossroads Community Café – $5,000 for a pilot project involving nursing students.
• Dolphin Players – $2,000 for theater infrastructure.
• Ecumenical Emergency Food Cupboard – $6,000 for food purchases.
• Egyptian Theatre Preservation Assoc. – $10,000 for structural improvements.
• First United Methodist Church – $3,500 for Blossom Gulch Snack Pack program.
• Helping Hand of Myrtle Point – $4,000 for emergency aid.
• LEAF – $2,000 for the After School program.
• Maslow Project – $5,800 for homeless youth services.
• ORCCA-Share Bear Snack Pack program – $6,000 for food purchases.
• Over the Rainbow, Inc. – $2,000 for horse feed for special needs kids program.
• Pacific School of Dance – $1,700 for portable sound systems.
• Pearl Buck Center, Inc. – $5,000 for nutritional meals for preschoolers.
• Point Man Ministries Outpost 101 – $20,000 for veteran services.
• Port Orford Arts Council – $2,000 for art supplies for elementary students.
• Powers Food Pantry – $6,000 for food purchases.
• Powers High School – $4,000 for school breakfast and lunch program.
• Project Blessing Food Bank – $5,000 for food purchases.
• Restoration Worship Center Food Pantry – $5,000 for food purchases.
• Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity – $5,000 for a new truck for store.
• SBEC Senior Nutrition Program – $10,000 for home meal delivery for seniors.
• Siuslaw Outreach Services – $5,000 for emergency assistance vouchers.
• SMART – $2,500 for one-on-one reading support.
• Southern Oregon Honor Flight – $5,000 for an honor flight for 10 veterans.
• Southern Oregon Project Hope – $5,000 for homeless aid.
• T.H.E. House – $5,000 for transportation costs and kitchen upgrades.
• Women’s Safety and Resource Center – $3,000 for a Coddington Place advocate.
• Zonta Service Foundation – $3,500 for school supplies.

Each year the Coquille Indian Tribe has set aside a portion of the gaming revenues from The Mill Casino to support projects in the Tribe’s five-county service area. Since its inception in 2001, the Fund has distributed more than $4.3 million to support charitable efforts throughout the region.

Grants authorized by the Fund’s Board of Trustees provided over $125,000 to programs providing food and other assistance to individuals and families in need as well as programs targeted specifically to children.

“As has been true in most years, the requests for funding far outstripped our resources,” said Sheldon Chase, Board of Trustees chairman. “We were able to provide grants to a wide variety of programs, but the Trustees agreed that funding programs that serve the most vulnerable members of our communities would have our highest priority.”

The Coquille Tribal Community Fund supports non-profit and governmental organizations with projects in the areas of education, health, public safety, problem gaming, environmental issues, arts and culture and historic preservation. Funds are managed and distributed by a board of trustees comprised of community leaders, a gubernatorial appointee and representatives of the Coquille Indian Tribe and the Coquille Economic Development Corporation.

The fund reflects the commitment of the Coquille Indian Tribe to take a proactive, positive role in the well-being of the community. The Tribe is among the largest employers in Coos County.

For organizations wishing to be considered for the next round of funding, the deadline for applications is Aug. 31. For more information, visit the Fund Web site at www.coquilletribalfund.org.

The Mill Casino • Hotel & RV Park has a new Executive Chef!

His first job, at age 16, was washing dishes in a seafood restaurant on the Jersey Shore. Now, after more than three decades in the kitchen, Chef Henry is Executive Chef at The Mill Casino • Hotel & RV Park.

Chef Mark Henry took The Mill’s culinary reins in late September after serving as Executive Chef at the Portland Marriot Downtown on the Waterfront. He had worked with Marriott International for 17 years beginning at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, the company’s flagship location in Arizona, and including stops at the Marriott Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale, McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale and the Sea View Resort and Spa in New Jersey.

But Chef Henry’s culinary roots go back much further. He credits his New Jersey childhood for sparking his interest in food preparation.

“Growing up in North Jersey we always had good food made with fresh local ingredients,” Chef Henry said. “We also learned how to prepare meals at an early age. I’ve been working in the kitchen since 1977.”

Chef Henry is wasting no time in bringing his commitment to local and sustainable foods to The Mill’s kitchens. He already is at work revising the menus at The Mill’s key dining venues.

“I want to re-energize our kitchen and our restaurants by introducing different foods and some of the newer trends to our menus,” Chef Henry said. “We need to have menus in place that will cater to the differing diets and preferences of our guests.”

Taking advantage of his experience with a variety of international cuisines in restaurants throughout North America, Chef Henry said he also plans on introducing new ingredients and dishes to guests at The Mill.

“Although we will focus on local, regional and West Coast foods,” Chef Henry said, “we also want to offer our guests and opportunity to explore some unfamiliar dining experiences.”

Chef Henry graduated in 1983 from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) program in Hyde Park, New York. He was just 19. During his training he moved to Southern California to complete an externship at the Anaheim Marriott. Immediately after graduation, he had a brief stint at the New York Hilton before returning to California and the Irvine Marriott.

His culinary odyssey took him to the Plaza Hotel in New York City and then to the Poseidon Restaurant and the Westin Harbor Castle in Toronto before returning to the U. S. and the Vista International in Waltham, Mass., and the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. From there, he began his career with Marriott International.

The holidays are around the corner, and you know what that means?  The Mill Casino and The Bay Area Rotary invite you to our annual holiday-themed fundraiser, The Festival of Trees.

Beautifully decorated trees and wreaths will be on display at The Mill Casino•Hotel November 27- December 6, 2012.

This event is a beloved seasonal tradition that gives businesses, organizations and individuals the opportunity to help families in need by raising funds for local charities while getting into the holiday spirit.

Raising over $10,000 last year, the Festival of Trees lets participants demonstrate their holiday-decorating talents while raising money for local charities. This year’s goal is to raise $14,000 for such charities as Shots for Tots and Teens and The Women’s Safety and Resource Center and Coddington Place.

Participants simply choose to sponsor a tree, a wreath or pre-decorated tree by Nov. 1, or while available trees last. Then, at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26 sponsors bring their chosen decorations to The Mill Casino’s Salmon Room for the annual Festival of Trees Decorating Party, complete with complimentary refreshments and holiday tunes.

Following the decorating party, a panel of judges will award the top choice in the following categories: Most Traditional, Most Elegant, Best Theme, Best Wreath, Judge’s Choice and, of course, Best of Show. The decorated trees and wreaths will be placed on display throughout the hotel lobby through Dec. 6.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, Rotary will sponsor a family viewing day to encourage families to come in and look at the trees from 1-4 p.m. Santa will be on hand and refreshments will be served.

Each tree and wreath will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during a public auction that begins promptly at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 in The Mill’s Salmon Room. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. to allow potential bidders to take one more look at the trees.

The fully decorated trees will be delivered (up to 30 miles away) to the winning bidder’s home or office by a member of the Bay Area Rotary. Auction winners may request to have their tree donated to a needy family.

The Mill Casino • Hotel contributes to the purchase of the trees and wreaths so that sponsorship and auction proceeds from the Festival of Trees can go directly to local charities. In addition, local vendors are used when purchasing trees and wreaths for this Bay Area fundraiser.

Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in helping those in need are encouraged to participate by sponsoring and/or decorating a tree and/or wreath. To learn more about how to get involved with this event, contact Festival Coordinator, Heidi Proett at 541-269-7929 or 541-297-8287.

photo credit: Mr. T in DC via photopin cc

photo credit: vbecker via photopin cc

ECONorthwest, a Eugene-based economic consulting firm, recently conducted an independent study to measure the total economic impact of The Mill Casino • Hotel & RV Park and the Coquille Tribal government in 2010 (the most recent data available).

The study revealed that over 1,300 local jobs and over $125 million in economic output in 2010 can be directly or indirectly traced to business and governmental activity of the Coquille Indian Tribe.

According to the post, ECONorthwest Estimates the Economic Impact of the Coquille Indian Tribe and Mill Casino, the principal measures of economic impacts used in this report are:

• Output: the final value of all goods and services produced. For businesses, this is approximately equal to sales. For Tribal government, output equals total spending.
• Labor Income: workers’ wages and benefits, including self-employment income.
• Jobs: full- and part-time employment.

The report added that many of the purchases by The Mill Casino • Hotel “are for services and products that come from suppliers inside Coos County. This spending, combined with the high proportion of county residents working at The Mill, means that dollars spent by The Mill circulate further in the local economy. The ultimate impact is greater economic output, higher incomes, and more jobs in both Coos County and Oregon.”

Click here to read more in Coquille Tribe added $125M to economy in 2010

About the Coquille Indian Tribe: Comprising a people whose ancestors lived in the lands of the Coquille River watershed and lower Coos Bay, the Coquille Indian Tribe today has over 900 members and a land base of 7,043 acres. After the United States re-instituted federal recognition to the Tribe and restored its full sovereignty rights in 1989, the Coquille Tribal government created an administrative program that now provides housing, health care, education, elder care, law enforcement and judicial services to its members. The Tribe is the second largest employer in Coos County, Oregon, with successful business ventures in forestry, arts and exhibits, gaming and hospitality, assisted living and memory care, high-speed telecommunications and renewable energy.

Looking for New Years Eve plans?  We’ve got you covered. The Mill Casino is hosting an all day/all night Swingin’ New Year’s Eve Party on Saturday, December 31 featuring Prizes, Costume Contests, Triple Points and Live Music!

So break out your zoot suit, put on your favorite fedora or feathery boa, and dust off those dancing shoes and join us!

The party starts at 6 a.m. Friday morning on the casino floor where guests of The Mill Casino will receive triple points for all their play until 3 p.m. Saturday at 4 p.m. the party kicks in to high gear when players will be treated to dozens of random prize giveaways, free boogie-woogie bugle beads and sizzling hot swing music.

Come evening, The Mill will be giving guests a number of ways to celebrate the arrival of 2012.

The night’s big ticket is sure to be the Swingin’ Affair in the Salmon Room featuring the popular dance band, Soulpie will be playing everything from big band hits from the 40s, to the rockabilly beats of the 50s to the neo-swing of the 90s and beyond.

The party starts at 8:30 p.m. and includes a midnight champagne toast, balloon drop, and a $100 in prizes costume contest. Tickets are on sale now at Ko-Kwel Gifts for just $27 per person, with a $3 discount for members of the casino’s player’s club, The Mill Club.

In addition to the Salmon Room celebration, inside Warehouse 101, guests can groove for free to Phamous Phaces, while those playing slots and table games on the casino floor will be treated to more prize giveaways and a confetti-filled midnight countdown.

For those who want to feast before – or after – the evening’s festivities, The Saw Blade will be offering a $19.95 New Year’s Eve all you can eat buffet from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, followed by a $17.95 New Year’s Day brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Mill Casino • Hotel and The Bay Area Rotary Club invite you to celebrate the upcoming holiday season at The 2011 Festival of Trees November 22- December 1, 2011. Businesses, organizations and individuals have an opportunity to help families in need while demonstrating their holiday-decorating talents.

This annual holiday-themed event raises funds for local charities. Last year’s event raised over $14,000 for local charities. This year’s goal is to raise $16,000 for such charities as Shots for Tots and Teens and The Women’s Safety and Resource Center and Coddington Place.

Participants simply choose to sponsor a tree, a wreath or pre-decorated tree by November 1, or while available trees last. Then, at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21 sponsors bring their chosen decorations to The Mill Casino’s Salmon Room for the annual Festival of Trees Decorating Party, complete with complimentary refreshments and holiday tunes.

Following the decorating party, a panel of judges will award the top choice in the following categories: Most Traditional, Most Elegant, Best Theme, Best Wreath, Judge’s Choice and, of course, Best of Show. The decorated trees and wreaths will be placed on display throughout the hotel lobby through Dec. 1.

On Sunday, Nov. 27, Rotary will sponsor a family viewing day to encourage families to come in and look at the trees from 1-4 p.m. Santa will be on hand and refreshments will be served.

Each tree and wreath will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during a public auction that begins promptly at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 in The Mill’s Salmon Room. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to allow potential bidders to take one more look at the trees.

The fully decorated trees will be delivered (up to 30 miles away) to the winning bidder’s home or office by a member of the Bay Area Rotary. Auction winners may request to have their tree donated to a needy family.

The Mill Casino • Hotel contributes to the purchase of the trees and wreaths so that sponsorship and auction proceeds from the Festival of Trees can go directly to local charities. In addition, local vendors are used when purchasing trees and wreaths for this Bay Area fundraiser.

Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in helping those in need are encouraged to participate by sponsoring and/or decorating a tree and/or wreath. To learn more about how to get involved with this event, contact Festival Coordinator, Debbie Webb at 541-808-1969.

We are making the news again! Last month, The Mill Casino · Hotel & RV Park was recognized with 2 Romero Awards at the annual Casino Marketing Conference in Las Vegas.  Deana Scott accepted the awards on behalf of The Mill and noted that they represent the hard work dedication of team members from every department at The Mill Casino · Hotel & RV Park.

Overall 32 Romero Awards were presented to casino marketers from across the country. This is the second consecutive year The Mill has received the top honor in the Public Relations category!  The Romero Awards are named after casino marketing pioneer and author John Romero.   Each year, a panel of expert judges, chaired by John Romero himself, selects winners for their excellence in casino marketing, in a variety of important marketing categories.

A series of charity slot tournaments conducted by The Mill Casino in November were recognized with the Diamond Romero Award, the top award in the Public Relations Campaign category for small and mid-sized casinos. The guest and employee tournaments generated a sizable food donation to the South Coast Food Share.

The Mill also received a Gold Romero Award in the Public Relations Campaign category for the Rez Kitchen Tour held in October. The event, part of a cooperative project of Oregon’s nine federally-recognized tribes, brought culinary teams from tribal casinos to The Mill to discuss native foods and sustainable products and to take part in a chef competition that featured native foods.

In addition to the two awards, The Mill received honorable mentions in the Public Relations category for its series of RV Jamborees and in the Floor Promotion category for its Moonpie Moonlight Madness promotion. Winners were selected from among 151 entries representing 36 North American casinos.

Preparations are underway for the Eighth annual Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 10-11, at The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park on the shores of Coos Bay.

The free weekend event – featuring canoe races, cultural exhibits and demonstrations, children’s activities and a Native American marketplace – promises to be an entertaining and educational experience for the whole family. Also, tickets may be purchased for a traditional salmon bake dinner or an evening with the Pow Wow Comedy Jam.

New this year, the Celebration will include a “weigh station” for the 12th Annual Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby taking place the same weekend.

Linked to traditional observances marking the return of the salmon, The Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration, began as a means of sharing the heritage, culture and traditions of the Coquille Indian Tribe and other Pacific Northwest Tribes with residents and visitors to Oregon’s Bay Area. Now in its eighth year, the event attracts Native American artisans and musicians from throughout the Western United States and Canada.

Known for showcasing a traditional salmon bake dinner where fresh salmon is prepared in the time-honored Coquille open-pit manner, the Mill-Luck Salmon Celebration offers visitors the opportunity to experience Native American culture, art, food and music. The celebration, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, features daily performances by Native American storytellers, drummers, flutists and dancers, a marketplace offering traditional wares and foods, a bay-front canoe exhibit and races, traditional games and activities for children, plus a variety of cultural demonstrations and educational exhibits.

In addition to the free daytime events which will take place on the casino’s waterfront dock and South end of the Hotel, this year’s celebration will also feature the nation’s premiere Native American comedy troupe, Paw Wow Comedy Jam, which was recently awarded the North American Indigenous Image Award for Comedy Performance. Recognized by their peers and fans for their ground-breaking comedy, Paw Wow Comedy Jam showcases three of the best and brightest Native American comedians: Vaughn Eaglebear, Marc Yaffee and Gilbert Brown. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Salmon Room.

Tickets for the Pow Wow Comedy Jam and the popular Salmon Bake dinner, which will be served from 11a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, will go on sale at Ko-Kwel Gifts inside The Mill Casino • Hotel on Tuesday, June 7 at 10 a.m. Tickets for the concert are $18 per person with an $8 discount for Millionaire$ Club members, while tickets for the Salmon Bake dinner, including a commemorative tee shirt, are just $17 for children 12 and under and $25 for adults with a $5 discount for club members. Call 800.953.4800 for more info!