Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1963)
12 A SUNDAY, DECEMBKR 1, 1963 MEDFOHI) MAIL TPIIIUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON Lake Tahoe Being Threatened With Pollution From Sewage Bv GEORGE SKELTON . United Press International AL TAHOE, Calif. (UPI) -Mark Twain once called Lake Tahoe "the loveliest sight the Whole earth affords." People don't speak that way any more especially about Lake Tahoe. Justly or not, this famed Sierra resort 6,225 feet high on the California-Nevada border is being dubbed everything from "a cesspool for gambling joints," "a recreational slum" and "a city with a hole in the middle" to "a Sierra Coney Island." At the same time, it's being acclaimed as Nevada's new "n" resort, the "coming Veg as," "the pinnacle of success" for entertainers and "Ameri ca's all-year playground." Top Performers Tahoe boasts the world's top night club performers, some of its most exquisite beauty, enough gambling to satisfy any body and more business than it can handle. Add these up and they total trouble. The 21.6 mile long lake, one of the three clearest in the world, Is threatened by sewage pollution. Along the shore, neon motor lodge signs dangle from pine limbs. "Buy now" bill boards replace limber in the forests. "Indian trading posts," "carnivals," hamburger joints, overrun lots they're every where. California plans to ring its side of the lake with a free way or "parkway." And, nl -though Lake Tahoe has 71 miles of shoreline, only seven arc public. From Mark Twain's day un til a decade ago urbanization of Tahnc's wilderness moved slow ly. Civilized life at the sleepy lake consisted mainly of a few millionaires' homes, some sum mer cabins. Scattered resorts and camp grounds. The trip was one and hard But cambling. freeways, win ter sports and plenty of promo tion changed all that in the ear ly 1050s. Now thousands arrivo daily by airplane or on two transcon tinental highways. Whereas tne trip from San Francisco for merly took days, the 20() plus miles now are traveled before lunch. In summer, tourists bring swimming suits, boats, fishing gear and hiking boots. In win ter, they lash skies to the car roof and head for nearby Squaw Valley, site of the VMM winter Olympics, or Heavenly Valley, to ride a now tramway. Expenses But always thev bring their wallets. And, as if drawn mag netically bv the razzle-dazzle atmosphere of gaming tables and showgirls, and jingle-jangle of slot machines and honky tonk, they scurry to one of a dozen Nevada casinos that sep arate the two slates at cllner end of the lake. By far the most popular and successful of these are the two big clubs at south shore liar, rah's and Harvey's Wagon Wheel. Although official figures never are divulged, informed sources say Harrah's Tahoe operation is the biggest in Nevada. They say llarveys is number three. And these two, they add, oper ate more slot machines than the entire Las Vegas "strip." "We had no idea of getting as big as we arc," Hill llarrah says. "Rut we get lucky mho In awhile." llarruh's popularity stems largely from the lop drawer en tertainment he books. Fur $1 411, including tax, a person mav sil in Harrah's luxurious South Shore Room with lour drinks of his choice and watch the world's top talent. And no wonder, llarrah pro vides his top stars with a beach house, motel suites, speed boats and even a Rolls-Uoycc. "Favors" Harrah's "favors" don't step with the performers. He offeis babysitting service for children of all ages, and virtually free round trip bus transportation from the San Francisco Ray Area. These trips average about 34 daily. Across the street, Harvey (iross opened shup in l!H with six slot machines and a small bar. Last year he completed an 11-story, $8.5 million hotel and got so big he decided to discon tinue as "unnecessary" all char tered bus trips. "We've had R!l conventions since April and have 101 bonked between now and next .lime." explains publicist Lou Hardy. Harvey offeis unique wviiw He buses hundreds ,if vaca tioners to church each Sunday. At north shore, one of Ta hoe's lop attractions for lac past two years has been Frank Sinatra's Cal-Ncva Club. Here one often found everybody hum Sammy Davis twisting in the lounge to Dean Martin and Si natra clowning it up on state. However, too nnny people om e taw Cosa Nostra boss Sam I ancana, the typo of clientele frowned on by Nevada stale ol ficials. So Sinatra doesn't oper ate the Cal-Neva any longer. Tourist Types What kind of tourists come to Tahoe? A Harrah's official says "they 're generally from the middle class up. The average person here Is a guy who is not liv ing to make his forlune, hut someone who is out (or an eve ning or a weekend you know, having a ball." Edward Olsc-n. the Nevada Gaming Control Board chairman says Tahoe is "certainly not" replacing Vegas as the hang out for the so-called "high-rollers." "Tahoe Is coming and is growing, no questions about that, but it's a different type of thing than Vegas," , Olscn says. "It's more liko Reno. There are proportionately more middle income people coming to Tahoe and Ilcno lhan to Veg as. Vegas seemingly has more people with a little extra wealth." Interesting Report However, the latest quarterly gross winnings released by the state, for April through June, arc interesting. Although Las Vegas' take still was 3V4 times that of south shore Tahoe, the desert oasis was down about three per cent compared to the same period a year before Meanwhile, Tahoe south shore was up about 6.7 per cent. Many theories are advanced at Tahoe as to why "the lake in the sky" changed from a quiet, Alpine wilderness Shangri-la to a brightly lit, skyscrap cred gambling center beset with countless problems. But a Nevada consulting en gineer hit it right on the but ton recently when he said; "The problem at Lake Tahoe is not sewage or gambling. It is people." In 1950, the permanent all year population of the entire 506 square mile Tahoe basin was only 2,700. Now it's 17,000 and growing at the fantastic annual rate of 30 per cent. On peak tourist days, the popula tion hits about 150.000. And by MHO, there'll be more than 400,000 here on big week- Bf LLAX IL POLLAN- 7-12.24-34 f TAURUS APR. 31 MAY 21 Ov4l-42-7l g74 77-83M OlMINI Cy JUNE 21 W 5 15 23-35 N'47-5W CANCtR JUNE 23 JULY 23 3- 8- 9-53 JULY 24 . AUG. 23 17.10.07.0nl Sy3?73-82-87 VIROO irjd AUG. Ill l 2-32-44-69 U65-72-8I-8& Your Daily Activity Guido According to th Stort. To develop messoge for Sunday read words corresponding to numbers ot your Zodiac birth sign. ITolt 31 In 2 0eol 32 Carefully 3Bri- 33 On 4tcellent 34 blond 35 Opinion! 36 Date 37 Guide 38 Run 39 May 40 Ne 41 Invitations 42 Or 43 Saying 44 With 45 In 46 Decisions 47 If 48 And 49 Into 50 Knowltd3 51 "NO" 5? A 53 Favorable 54 Notice 55 Be 56 Others 57 Money 58 Or 59 A 60 Squabble LIBRA SEPT. 23 r OCX. 23 4- 6-1 9 36, 48-68-80-90W: SO 6 For 7 Check 8 Talents 9 To 10 Something 1 1 Don't 12 Ho 13Le 14 You 15To 1 6 Advantage 17 Diplomacy 18 Seasoned 19 Making 30 Be 21 Finn 22 t.idi 23 Your 24 You 25 Emotions 26Miaht 27 With 28 Subtlety 29 01 30 Accept 61 Ta 62 And 63 Money- 64 Cod 05 Minded 60 Aogrevsive 67 Duoiree 68 Seeking 69 Actions 70 Todoy 71 Eiend 72 peopi 73 Serve 74 Them 75 Note 76 Wiidom 77Chawj 78 Matters 79 Intiilent 80 Piofemono 81 Iwially 82 Yuu 83 A.oy 84 Demands SCORPIO tlOV. 22 Vj 10-22-33-Wrt: 64.7J-85-8tV; Good ()Adverse )Nci 86 Relatives 87 Well 88 You 8V Drnbness 90 Advice 121, uirjl SAGITTARIUS II0V.23 V S DEC. 22 Jji I 1 1-13-25-37 g 46-58-69 HsL CAPRICORN JAN. 20 Vt 1-16-29-40 iO-62-76 'A AQUARIUS IAN. 21 .v; 1 ri- 159-6070 VS- PISCES MAR. 21 1 CO2l-3!-43r, 5I-61.79.R41, ends. By comparison, neighbor ing alpine County in California has a population of around 400. To make matters vorse, the federal government, two states, five counties and 76 smaller agencies all have some juris diction over the lake. Efforts to place a bi-state commission in charge of public rccrea'.ion so reckless publicity releases that "destroy the worldwide image" of the lake. Brown says south shore al ready is virtually "a recrea tional slum." And he has asked his agencies to come up with a way to "save" the rest of the lake. To build more gambling far have failed. And the lake j0ints on tne Lake Tahoe shore lacks even one incorporated city, although there is a move to form one on the south shore. Controversy The most controversial prob lem at present is south shore sewage what to do with it. When the sewage, even treated to highest standards, is pumped to spreading grounds, it has a way of seeping back into streams which flow into Tahoe. This causes algae and threat ents to ruin the lake's clarity. The Lake Tahoe Area Coun cil, a private organization, fi nanced a $125,000 sewage engi neering study which recom mended that existing disposal methods be abandoned. Since then there has been a sugges tion that a $16 million, 2'-j mile tunnel be drilled through a mountain into Nevada's Carson Valley. This could house a two lane highway and also carry away Tahoe's sewage problem. One of Tahoe's biggest critics j has been California Gov. Ed- i rnund G. lirown, who ;n turn has been charged with issuing is to my mind sacnligeuus, Brown says. "Let them have their gambling at Las Vegas or Reno, but they ought to stay away from Lake Tahoe." Meanwhile, Harrah's is soinc ahead with plans to build a 25 story hotel costing . anywhere from $12 to $25 million. A sim ilar structure is being construct ed nearby by the Del Webb Corp. And an eight-story hotel soon will rise on the California side. Thomas Wolfe once said "you can't go home again." . And the same applies here. Right now the big questions arc: "Where do we go from here?" and "Will success spoil Lake Tahoe?" New Jersey Man Has Fill of Turkey ELIZABETH, N. J. (UPI) -Charles Smith of Elizabeth, N. J., doesn't care if he never sees another turkey. Smith, 50, had six of them, weighing a total of 71 pounds when police grabbed him Wednesday near a freight car. Sentenced to 40 days in jail, he arrived there in time for the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. A Tribute to . . . The Salvation Army Every Yuletide the merry tinkling of the Salvation Army's bells at the Christmas kettles on Medford streets is a reminder of the fine humanitarian work of this "Army" of international scope and influ ence. We salute the Salvation Army's staff here for In iless work in behalf of less fortunate people . . . the members of the Salvation Army citizens board, too, and the Medford service club volunteers who help to man the Christmas kettlesl Medford Pharmacy 101 North Central, Corner 6th 772-6253 We Salute Our Town! b a b g MR. KRIS KNOWS EVERY WOMAN WANTS VAN RAALTE SLIPS . . . ELEGANT NYLON TRICOT FEATURES FLORAL CASCADE LACE LINED WITH ILLUSION ON THE BODICE OF THIS LOVELY SLIP AND AT THE HEM... PROPORTIONED SIZES 32 -40. BEIGE, MIST WHITE, BLACK. ' - ; , . "tviiy ' . v -,t-i . ,m . v - i . . vrff Try.- '0)1 A' "'"l plr )i WlBF1 5.95 mm Hh) ucr in t ATK ana Jnop lots with 1 n I -. .2.00 minimum purchase , , , 1 ll A A I" Lg 6.95' vvt-H; I t lingerie, street floor (ire cr prrniium wuj el a eVL l snijll clunu . . , ""Yfciy V f i' ,R nsniy i. IH,J.M i tomRmn iri.m.(i.i n. isjrsw 4 i 1LJA. :., V. i- I W: VA--..7 "Jf At WBA. . 1 7 ' CPtrtilAT 215 E. Main 14 N. Central :'-V' " : ff" 0 . c:::,::;:t'u 773-7484 yr4i;UJil 1. i ' ma B. CUT OUT CALAIS ROSE LACE OUTLINES THE ENTIRE BOD ICE, HEMLINE AND SIDE SLASH OF THIS LOVELY SAT IN SAUVETTE SLIP. PROPOR TIONED LENGTHS. SIZES 32 38. BLACK OR SAND. R&K KNITS FOR THE HOLIDAYS . . . These irresistible superb wool knit suits have that R&K special someining . . . Left, three-piece ottoman knit suit in bright navy and while. ...39.95 Right, two-piece ripple knit, white with coral skirl 39.95 Sizes 10-20, order by mail or phone. suits, 2nd floor I NOTHING'S SO PARTY-RIGHT J-f I tt GOLD! ff ti) 12-99 Choose the high heel or the mid heel with rich crushed kid uppers and latest lowered top-lines. Perfect party-goers give you that 24 carat look with even your simplest dressesl 1
