More than 160 supporters and opponents of a nationally publicized plan to put a resort casino just south of Gettysburg National Military Park came out to watch investors make their case for the state's last resort casino license.



Both groups, wearing white T-shirts and buttons with red and blue lettering, filled The State Museum of Pennsylvania's auditorium as representatives from Mason-Dixon Resort and Casino explained their plans to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board through Powerpoint presentations and videos.



The hearing today is for the gaming board to determine whether the plan is eligible and suitable for a casino license.



The proposal, at the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center in Cumberland Twp., has drawn national attention because of its proximity to the national landmark.



Robert Gilbert, 75, joined fellow supporters with a T-shirt reading "Pro Jobs, Pro Tax Relief, Pro Casino."

A lifelong resident of Gettysburg, Gilbert said the area needs new development to sustain itself in the future.

"I don't tell people out of state how to live and I don't expect people out of state to tell me," Gilbert said.

Carey Moore, a retired archaeologist and professor from Gettysburg said

should remain untouched because of its historic significance. He compare the project to a proposed development at the ancient Egyptian pyramids, when he lived there in the 1980s.

"It's not just the inheritance of Adams County," Moore said. "It's the inheritance of the entire world."

Moore joined supporters in wearing a shirt with the slogan "

."

Mason-Dixon Resort and Casino is competing with three other sites for the license, which allows up to 50 table games and 600 slots. Hearings for the other applicants are this afternoon and tomorrow.

Gaming board officials said they plan to award the license at their meetings in either December or January.