BLYN — A decade after its opening, 7 Cedars Casino can finally lay claim to — well, seven cedars.
On a cool, overcast Monday morning, work crews raised two freshly carved totem poles at the casino entrance, adjacent to the five which have greeted casino visitors for years.
“Obviously, it’s exciting for us to get the seventh cedar up,” said Jerry Allen, casino assistant general manager.
“Getting our — shall we say — front door taken care of has been very fulfilling.”
The casino is owned and managed by the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
The 32-foot poles, each weighing in at about 3,000 pounds, are designed and carved by Sequim woodworker Dale Faustich.
Faustich, who also carved the casino’s original poles, began working on the final two last summer. Up to 1,000 hours of labor went into finishing them, he said.