By ALEX GIMARC
Given the increasingly chummy relationship between the Eklutna Tribe, its casino operation, the Assembly and the Suzanne LaFrance administration, my interest was piqued by an announcement out of the Muni earlier this week of a casino-themed Annual Employee Incentive Awards Night, Nov 1 at the Dena’ina Center. The announcement was sent out to all Muni employees via e-mail.
The thing that makes you go “Hmmm” was the note that “Guest must be 18+.”
There are a few things that would limit attendance to those of legal age (over 18). These include most adult pastimes, some would refer to as vices, most legal, some not, starting the old standby of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Gambling would be on that list, as would adult beverages and tobacco.
The theme of the get together is Casino Royale at a time when the LaFrance Administration and the Assembly are up to their armpits in greasing the skids for the new casino operation by the Eklutna tribe, so the question is obvious.
I asked it in the following e-mail to the HR Director on June 4 at 1323:
Howdy –
Probably ought to log this as an official press inquiry.
I am looking into your announcement of the Annual Employee Incentives Awards Night scheduled Nov 1. The announcement lists the event as an 18+ event, meaning no families with youngsters can attend. What is the reason for this?
The only two things I can think of are either gambling or alcohol, as the Muni doesn’t typically traffic in sex. If it is gambling, is the Eklutna Casino or people involved with it involved in any way? If so, how? If not, precisely what is going on that requires such a prohibition?
I am preparing a piece in Must Read Alaska for the weekend on the event. Your additional information would go a long way to making sure I am accurate in what I am attempting to report. That being said, I need a response by COB Friday.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing fr pm from you. Cheers – AG
I received the following from the Human Resources director on June 5:
Thank you for your question regarding the Municipality’s employee awards ceremony and event.
The Annual Employee Incentives Awards is planned and organized by a committee of municipal employees, and the theme, style, and location changes year-to-year. Results of an employee survey last spring indicated that many staff members would like this year’s event to be a more formal-style occasion held at the Dena’ina Center.
The annual event is held to celebrate our municipal employees and is a way to strengthen our team and bring staff together for a fun social event. Fostering a positive and supportive work environment at the Municipality is essential for promoting employee retention and delivering the best possible services to our community.
This event will be a plated dinner and is scheduled to run into the late evening at the Dena’ina Center. The cost to attend is $50 per person, and it is an optional event for municipal employees. There will be a no-host bar on site serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with bartenders performing I.D. checks.
The event is casino-themed, with tokens and games, and there will be no gambling of actual money. The gaming theme offers a way to hold a fun and engaging event in a lighthearted and interactive atmosphere. This event aims to promote team building and camaraderie among our different departments. The Native Village of Eklutna is not involved.
I certainly appreciate the quick response which seems to answer all my questions. Should be an interesting event especially if entertainment changes a bit over the course of the next four months. I look forward to hearing what goes on afterwards.
One of the lessons learned over the last decade dealing with the Assembly and those connected closely to them (Mayor LaFrance, for instance), is trust but verify.
We are well into the verify part of the discussion today.
Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.