Ironically, at the arbitration hearing, one of the Tribe’s own expert witnesses praised Havasu Palms’ management and development of the resort, noting how we had maximized its earnings for the Tribe, in spite of the limitations placed on us. He actually seemed surprised that we had done so well. 
            It left some wondering why the Tribe had chosen to give a new lease to a new entity, rather than rewarding Havasu Palms for its decades of hard work and effort in developing the lease land. 
          While many speculated as to why, I have my own theory. I don’t believe the Tribe wanted us on the site because we were on the land prior to the land transfer. Many people believe the land never belonged to the Chemehuevi people, and that the transfer was done illegally. It put the Tribe in a less vulnerable position to have tenants that willingly entered the reservation. It didn’t matter that we tried to deal fairly with the Tribe; we were always a potential threat. While this is simply a theory, it is one I hold.
            Another one of the Tribe’s own witnesses gave surprising testimony. He was an attorney, who had worked for the Tribe early on, and participated in lease negotiations with Havasu Palms. He testified that it was never the Tribe's intention to grant Havasu Palms a long- term lease.  This contradicted the Tribe’s assertion that they had worked in good faith in attempting to negotiate for a long-term lease.
            The Arbitration ruled in favor of Havasu Palms Inc. Months later the judgment was set aside, as the government did not feel it was in the best interest of the tribe. Havasu Palms Inc. was never compensated for its losses. My mother virtually lost her life’s savings.
            As of 2010, my mother, Caroline Johnson, lives with my husband and me in Lake Havasu City.  Since Havasu Ventures confiscated the last mobile home owned by Havasu Palms, she has not been back to her former home of over thirty-years, and the place where her husband’s ashes were scattered. 
          Occasionally I pass the park, via water.  I can see some of the changes. One of the most heartbreaking for me is the “landscaping”.  Havasu Ventures thoughtlessly scraped the hillside, from the restaurant, down the embankment to the road leading to the store, removing all the natural flora and fauna, bringing it to dirt and covered the area with colored rock. I wondered, what were they thinking?
          They removed the intriguing natural rock and desert foliage, including sage, creosote, brittlebush, assorted flowering cactus, including prickly pear cactus with its vivid magenta blossoms, plus, mesquite, and desert wild flowers that bloomed throughout the years, a sight which delighted my family for over three decades. Some plants, illegal to transplant, much less destroy, are no longer there. It was a natural desert habitat, providing home for desert creatures, while the human visitors could relax nearby, and enjoy the spectacular desert landscape. 
            Across the lake, in Lake Havasu City, a homeowner will pay a professional landscaper thousands of dollars to create what was once on that hill.  In 2005, we drove through the park for the first time in over five years, and I noticed Mother Nature must agree with me.  Rains pushed aside the colored rock, bringing her desert foliage back to life.  I imagine it will take some time for the hill to regain its former beauty. When we last saw it, it was a bit scraggly, like an untended yard with intruding weeds.
            In spite of the negativity, we have many wonderful memories of our time there, and understand that our future is elsewhere. As my sister says….we had the best of it.

Photo: Havasu Palms store docks and Scott Holmes, circa late 1990's