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-
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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!
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