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Hundreds Pack OP Town Hall To Attend Poker Room Debate

POSTED: Tuesday, August 28, 2007
UPDATED: 12:08 am EDT August 29, 2007

A Poker Room push is under way in Clay County to determine if a new legal gambling option is in the cards for Orange Park.

Tuesday night, a full house of supporters and opponents gathered to sound off on the issue of whether a Poker Room should be added to the Orange Park Kennel Club.

"I'm against the gambling because the gambling brings the good, the bad and the ugly," said Poker Room opponent George Ihle.

"Well, it would bring more money into our town and the Jacksonville area, Duval County and everything else," said Poker Room supporter Neal Heil.

Hundreds of people attended the Orange Park Town Council meeting, which was divided about 50-50 for and against the change.

"It's good, clean fun. Nobody gets hurt from it. People may lose their money, but it's kind of like alcohol -- it's all self control," said Bryan Calhoun.

Poker Room supporters wore T-shirts that read, "Poker Room = Jobs." However, the local gambling critics said they questioned who was wearing the T-shirts.

"A lot of those people don't live here, and a lot of them are teenagers and relatives of people who work there. I know, I just talked to them outside," said Rene Wilke.

The Poker Room told Channel 4 it had a petition in circulation that had 1,900 signatures in support of a new Poker Room in Orange Park. They said more than half of the signatures came from Orange Park residents.

The final decision is up to Orange Park's Town Council to determine whether cards will come to the dog track. The council is expected to vote on the issue during its meeting on next Tuesday.

One commissioner said the council took a straw poll a few months ago, and the results were four to one in favor of Poker Room.
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