Drugs, alcohol issues on beaches; TK launch closing early July 4
Boaters leaving the Tahoe Keys Marina on July 4 have until 9 to get back if they are trailering their boat tonight. Photo/Kathryn Reed
By Kathryn Reed
Beaches in the Lake Tahoe Basin have been busy all day with people having fun and misbehaving.
Nevada Beach’s prime fireworks viewing spots were full by 11:45 this morning, with Douglas County sheriff’s deputies not allowing people in because the lot was full.
Venice Drive in South Lake Tahoe was full of vehicles. The beach was not crowded at Cove East, but the boat traffic was constant in and out of the Tahoe Keys Marina.
New this year is the marina is closing the launch at 9pm July 4 instead of extending it to midnight like years past. An employee said he was not given a reason for the change.
This could mean some fireworks revelers will be spending the night on their boat unexpectedly. The launch opens at 8am Saturday.
The ever-increasing sandbar by Cove East could present a problem for boaters because it is not marked. Another potential obstacle is the barge that is anchored near the channel not far from shore.
U.S. Forest Service and El Dorado County sheriff’s officers broke up three large parties on Ski Beach. There have been arrests for probation violation, possession of cocaine, and outstanding warrants. Several citations have been handed out for underage drinking and marijuana possession.
Cheva Heck, spokeswoman for the USFS, told Lake Tahoe News the best news is there have been no illegal fires.
At USFS beaches on the East Shore, as of 5pm Friday there had been 30 citations, 50 warnings for alcohol possession where it is banned, and 15 citations for minors in possession of alcohol.
Douglas County sheriff’s deputies arrested two people on charges of drug possession.
The fireworks on the South Shore that are set off near Edgewood Tahoe are set to start at 9:45pm. The wind, so far, is not a factor.
By closing the launch ramp early it will force trapped boaters to stay in all of the empty slips at the marina overnight. GM Spinnato will probably try to charge the trapped boaters for the slip usage. When ever I think the marina has run out of ways to screw the locals general manager Spinnato seems to find a new way
Well it looks like another crazy 4th of July in So. Shore! Town full of folks, every vacation home around me is overloaded with people. 10 people in a small two room cabin ? Law enforcement boats sinking, high fire danger for the Tahoe basin, heavy drinking for old and young alike, dui checkpoints set up around town and temps’ in the 80’s with idiots setting off fireworks in a dry forest. What could possibly go wrong???
Oh well, have a happy 4th! OLS, who will be staying home tonight, thank you very much.
That’s very good news about no illegal fires on USFS beaches. However the Tahoe keys marina closing early could leave a bad tast in vacationers mouth and could affect the towns future economy. Addressing captain Steve’s comment; the keys marina has consistently done what they can to shoot them selfs and others in the foot. Saying that TKM management planned this is giving them far too much credit. I imagine the GM is reading Steve’s comment getting busy making plans to charge those trapped boaters and wondering why he didn’t think of it.
Very very dissappointed in Tahoe keys marina. Pulled boat up hill and opted to try and salvage the evening and find a spot to park with a boat trailer. Near impossible.
This 9 pm closure is going to negatively impact boating and the resulting money to be made as people that want to watch from the water will no longer feel it’s worth it. Even if you get your boat out at 9 by 9pm. It’s impossible to park and enjoy fireworks. I am very bummed about this. Not good for locals and local economy/marinas
Kae- This needs to be a separate article about the keys closing. This is a flagrant violation to the service industry in Tahoe. So many boaters stranded and forced to make the tough decision to dock their boat on the sea wall or beach it. Boaters bring in huge money to the community and to be unable to remove their boats after the fireworks leaves a salty taste in their mouths. Do you think after having this experience, they would consider returning to Tahoe with their families and pumping moneys into the city? Heck no. If one person has a great experience, they tell 5 people, if they have a bad experience they tell 20plus. As a hotel manager, and hearing stories at 3am from guests who had to make tough decisions with their most prized possession, the owner down there should be publicly shamed. Being petulant about not selling mooring balls? What a scumbag. The consequences of his decision to strand tourists will be subtly felt in the years to come. We need to take care of people, not piss them off.