Our family stayed on at the park, my husband and I were the general managers.  Havasu Palms grew to 131 fully occupied mobile home sites during my father’s tenure. It had a restaurant, store and marina, much different from what had been on the premises when we arrived in 1968. Over the next few years, we installed a new water tank and pump, replaced the courtesy boat slips at the store, installed aboveground gas storage tanks, and removed the underground gas storage tanks.
            We also attempted negotiating with the Tribe for a new lease.  We’d taken the five-year option, and the final years were approaching.  Because of the new EPA rules, we close our landfill, which meant hiring an independent disposal company to haul our refuge.
            We needed to make other improvements to the park’s infrastructure. The water supply no longer provided adequate fire protection, and we needed a new well. Electrical services needed upgrading and an alternate disposal systems needed to be developed.  We felt it would not be financially prudent to undertake these projects without a new lease.  We contacted the Tribe, explaining that it would be impossible to continue operating the restaurant without upgrading the infrastructure. By 1997, we closed the Roads End Restaurant. 
            We began hearing rumors that the Tribe was negotiating with another party for a lease.  One of the principles was a past tenant of Havasu palms, and initially we felt this was simply a rumor.  One of our past employees was a friend of this person, and we understood he was living in his home.
          A man, claiming the group hired him to prepare a development proposal, contacted us. He complained they failed to pay him and he appeared to be out for revenge. He gave us a copy of their proposal, and to our surprise, it contained many of Havasu Palms Inc.'s proprietary documents, such as our expansion and development plans, including drawings prepared by my father.  The only explanation seemed to be that someone had removed copies of the documents from our office.
          Jim Foster, a former tenant of Havasu Palms was one of the primary parties of the group, later identified as Havasu Ventures. Gary Swint (who was a long time acquaintance and onetime business associate of Foster’s) had been our employee and had access to the manager’s office. During this period of the proposal, Gary Swint was living with Foster’s brother, Dick Foster.
          At one time, we considered Swint a family friend, and trusted employee. After we closed the Road’s End Restaurant, we hired Swint to work at the Copper Mine Restaurant, which my husband, Don, and I opened in Lake Havasu City in 1998. Gary quit suddenly, giving us little explanation and the next thing we heard he was living with Dick Foster. Months later, the man and the proposal surfaced. We have never again spoken to Gary Swint. (next)

Photo: View from the Road's End Restaurant, circa late 1990's