Osage tribe holding a job fair Tuesday in Sand Springs

The Osage Tribe's newest casino is just weeks away from opening near Sand Springs. And job applications are pouring in faster than coins out of a slot machine. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Steve

Monday, May 17th 2004, 11:06 am

By: News On 6

The Osage Tribe's newest casino is just weeks away from opening near Sand Springs. And job applications are pouring in faster than coins out of a slot machine.

News on 6 reporter Steve Berg explains how people want to cash in on casino work. After weeks of looking for work, Karen Copeland has had plenty of time to assess the job market. "Not very good. You put in application after application and you don't hear back from anybody." So she's trying her luck with the Osage Tribe's new Million Dollar Elm Casino.

"You know, in this area, there've been a lot of jobs leaving the town itself." The casino's developer, David Hunter, says they've gotten 700 job applications in just one week. The tribe is actually building two casinos; the first one in the hills northwest of Sand Springs and another one will come along later in north Tulsa. Together, they expect to provide 500 jobs.

The corrugated metal is meant to resemble the old tin buildings from the oil industry which provided the Osage with their first fortune, now they expect the casinos will provide them with another one. The name, Million Dollar Elm, also refers to the Osage's history with oil. When the tribe sold their first million dollar oil lease in the early 1900's, it was done under the tribal elm tree, which became known as the Million Dollar Elm.

It's by sheer coincidence that it makes a good casino name. "Yeah it does, it does, and it worked out real well." They're even going to make a replica of the tree in the middle of the casino. "When everybody sees the tree recreated, it's really going to be spectacular."

Copeland just hopes she can work here for herself and her 11 grandkids. "When Christmas and birthdays come up, I need the money."

You can apply for jobs at the casino at the Sand Springs Job Fair Tuesday at the Sand Springs Community Center. They say if two job-seekers are equally qualified that tribal members will get preference, but they say there's no set quota for how many tribal members will be hired.

The job fair from 10 AM until 4 PM Tuesday.