| Show ri - ' ' The Salt Lake Tribune 0 ' ' ' Stephanie Ranchero t ' - Tribune Staff Writer WENDOVER — A thin white line painted across Wendover Boulevard is the only thing separating Wendover Utah from Wendover Nev Though the line is not a physical boundary many on the Utah side liken it to the Berlin Walt i The line serves as a reminder of the noticeable differences between d town While the the 11tah community resembles a forgotten ghost town Wendover Nev bursts at the seams with development "Crossing the line is like entering into another world not another state" said Richard Dixon Wendover Utah resident "It's like the Nevada side is free -- like West Ger- many — and the Utah side is imprisoned -- like East Germany" "peck even the Europeans were smart enough to take the wall down" Mr Dixon added "But in Utah we can't seem to move into the 20th century and bring the 'wall' ? ' Vielldovers Share' - border Wendover Utah managed barely $67 million in total sales receipts during 1988 It lays claim to Though the two towns have some only 400 motel rooms — the same number it has offered for 10 years The commercial-industribase consists of five motels five gasoline stations one grocery store one restaurant and two fast-foo- d eateries Ramshackle homes and the abandoned barracks of a World War II air base complete the scene No one can remember the last time a new business moved to town The economy as well as the population base is rapidly dying "We are a pocket of poverty" said Mike Pantelakis owner of the Heritage Motel in Wendover Utah "The Nevada side is becoming k prosperous city where people want to live and vacation The Utah side is about ready to fold up and fade away as if it never existed" To further complicate matters Utah residents pay state income and taxes while their neigh- bfood-salto the west escape both "Of course more people want to live on the Nevada side — it's cheaper and same education system and fire department the differences between the two are far more obvious The White line physically separates the two Wendovers but gambling laws draw the bigger distinction In Wendover Nev where gambling is legal six casinos that operate day and night raked in an estimated $60 million in gaming receipts in 1988 The Nevada hamlet offers 829 hotel rooms — with hundreds more on the drawing board In the last four years development has tripled including construction of four large casinos a posh golf course two restaurants and a gas station The town boasts a new residential subdivision an equestrian park library and shopping plaza But just 3 feet east of the Nevada Gambling has been legal in Nevada since 1931 but it wasn't until the gaming boom of the early 1980s that the disparity between the two W endovers grew to tremendous proportions And the differences are multiplying at an alarming rate The six Nevada casinos are steadily expanding and the Silver Smith Resort Casino recently unveiled plans for a $10 million 1990-9- 1 expansion According to many Wendover residents accepting the disparities is magnified by the fact that 85 to 90 percent of the gaming revenues come from Wasatch Front residents "It's the people along the Wasatch Front who are keeping us in business and allowing us to grow at such a rapid rate" said Stephen Perry assistant general manager of the State- - Lifestyle ab:--9thOfi':)7:- - down" 18-ho- - -- -- - - :rsigit A 0 1 '''''‘ 4 M I t :4 - 'si '' iF: f 'te g4 4 t 4 i 1: -- !v: r I - - ri : - - t - - g - 0 '' - : y - - ' - '" : ' ' - - - ' :' ' " - ' - ' '' - '"' ' '' : i rT:- ' '' ' - ' - 1 '' - - -- - ? --III WF:04 ' t:lici 1 t T 1Z 4 ' ' -- --' ::: - 7 - ' ''' 0 CZ ' t - i -:4 4 i '' 7--- co ' k I 1 2 i! ' ' t ' -'' j -- -L - "I"' il w ' -'- - '7: 41F ' : ' ' - !estip'-'4'"It'it- -- - 4'- - - -- - r- 11 P --- f- ti f " 4 - L':1 -- 1 - - ' : ' ' - - 4 I i: - ft i ' 1 :4:-7- L '' - - 4- '1:'::1 Sta ' !' t'''' ' - - i tt 444 :' '" - --- '''' 00 i - zit 1 N Iv-PI 4 ' j -k ' I1 - ' - 1 '''i t Mike Pantelakis owner of the Heritage Motel admits Wendover Utah is "a pocket of poverty" and may die before long ' ' - state would ever legalize it" Wendover residents brought the I t 1 I: ' Committee Residents suggested the state line 1e moved to include Wen- dover Utah on the Nevada side But only an act of Congress could approve such a move — and that seems unlikely in the near future Developing the city's air base into a commercial airport is another pop- ular option The air base is the famed home of the Enola Gay — the plane that dropped the bomb "Little Boy" over Hiroshima Japan on Aug 6 1945 But a recent federal study of the air base noted that it would take about 62 million to make it a viable commercial center — more than the city could possibly afford ) Wendover Utah residents conscious of the city's certain demise ! without an influx of cash have at- - '' ' 1 at ' - r to : --:- -: ' :'"-- ao id -- :i:i':' yet44--4- - - rr i:7 - :4 - - 47'!:::'''''::: :' 7 : - roiI :t1' a 21--!- S 1 1 i ' '" ( 4 t - ' -- -- :0ti ':::''Ie-4- '' 4'":'-- ' -f 10 000--- 4:1:7'r' 'iiiIii logoL 6144k4: : - - i 0- lsw--- - : t t '1'' 41 h -- ' 4?14 ''- v J ' tll-- v:: : '''''t:"'"'ll - ' w ‘ 441- :s: - g': i t I 4kailfro L ' — A ' ' ' L''' s ' !: ''"0 " — '41' '- -- - "' tinoktolxlI' tribune He Photo Airmen stand at attention during an inspection at dover Air Force Base in 1942 During the 1940s the base Wen- I was home of the 509th Composite Group the unit that trained to drop atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima Air Force Put Utah Desert Town on Map By Stephanie Banchero Tribune Staff Writer WENDOVER — It's been termed "Lettouer" by Bob Hope and the "End of Nowhere" by Bing Crosby But at one time Wendover Utah housed the largest military reserve in the nation a reserve that was making preparations for one of the most consequential events in history — the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan Between 1940 and 1945 the Wendover Air Force Base was the training ground for some 17500 Air Force gunners and bombers But easily the most significant unit to assemble and train on the base was the 509th Composite Group Under the command of Col Paul W Tibbets Jr the 509th composite trained for a mission at the Wendover air base that proved to be without precedent Veiled in secrecy the charge of these 1700 men was to prepare to unload the US "secret weapons" over Nagasaki and Hiroshima It was Aug 6 1945 when the "Eno la Gay piloted by Col Tibbets made its historic flight across the Pacific to unleash the bomb "Little Boy" over Hiroshima Three days later "Fat Man" But in 1939 the Air Corps in "It Wendover was the place to be back then" said Blanche Weems Wendover resident who lived there during 1945 "There was a lot of military personnel and we all had a good time and enjoyed ourselves There was a lot of coming and going and we had some fun times" !MD was dropped on Nagasaki and Japan surrendered The Wendover air base now a skeletal remnant of the massive military base that flourished during World War II once housed 2000 civilians and 17500 military personnel At one time the 35 million acre base included a 300- bed hospital gymnasium swimming pool library post exchange chapel cafeteria bowling alley two theaters guardhouse mess hall and 361 housing units "It Wendoverl was the place to be back then" said Blanche Weems Wendover resident who lived there during 1945 "There was a lot of military personnel and we all had a good time and enjoyed ourselves There was a lot of coming and going and we had some fun times" Mrs Weems a native of Oklahoma decided to move to Wendover after visiting her brother who was stationed at the air base "I loved it the minute I got here" she recalled "I liked the isolation the climate and the people It takes a special person to live here because most people don't like the isolation" But times have changed The once lively air base is now an "old soldier" Dilapidated rundown barracks dot the landscape and previously active hangars and runways are barely distinguishable Prior to World War II Wendover was a spot on Highway 40 where one could stop tor a tank of gasoline good food and fresh water 1 - ' 'IP : 4 t - 3 - ' ilt'L'CL'14"Jtioy i 4 '4t11-1' r':"1"' 4 '7 IU' ' t- - SsoL0oJ14010its 11-- ' d- e- I ' 1 ''' :' tr''''''I w 4 4 ti II 11 SS el 0 ::'4AZ:P I 1 ' f ' :1 ''" - i'''1 R 0r nit 1 1 A- - - e'r g' f'i 4 - ' : 4 "4 :'::::: 13' TA 4 Johnson i - r: TA o OS k tr I c - ' ' ' ' 1 I ' q :t g ":1 ' t i-- " :' 1 ''0:1 $ii t k r - 1 hul i I 1 - ' ' i ' A - - ' ' ' 1 I i ' ' :1k tto i I 01" t 't''' v i t f 1 1 1! ! 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I Alke itaio41611140 V ' ' '''' k- 4 i IP '1' 4 'I' ':' l'ik 1 t 40) lAI 45:11V 'p c Arlii ' : '' JudifkLAssoo- '? - - 4'fi12e::r:Z:c: A o r'il 'It ' 45 tvecvA: 'e - - l lr'fr: It ' L'w- S '::Al ar$ T ' 'tfiT" III 0- 1III:' La c - ::::?: 461 But for now all of these ideas are i Just designs on a drawing board : Most residents of the tiny Utah corn- munity say they'll support anything : that will save their struggling town but they caution legislators that if : something isn't done soon — it may be too late ""4!"7"071111 VV - 7' : : '' 4 2:-:- I f tti 44 'w - ': ' t 4r:'' '4410411111SA77:::0 b :2' 4 1 Fa ' ' :Am 41"4Ir e- 0"tkaee!M 'f 7!!t rir 49 - 'til i i a - 1 ' t 4 —'- - a litowairabowmoliliomosaalmommouikkaosamall Richard Dixon owner of Wendover Utah's only grocery store says it would take legalized gambling to save the town By Stephanie Banchero - " : - Ift - 4401 : —Tritium Staff Pho4os by Lynn 0 - i i — iiiir4:661‘044: - ' 11 - "o! t ' ' ' I - ' 11"'"?1 1 7''''' ' 15 - '''' Utah's Wendover Dyg In Shadows of Nevada Gambling Mecca k ' re 11111111111111R' 4: W1' I 9 -- - e : 'Pn140Plul'Irl7A t k : i 7 ' " 1110 t CAa:j )1'7:: ? 1 iN::-::21:' ": rokdow ' e 1 'k'''':--' - fi r - 4- - '"! I :11 F " ' j ' 1 riK""j Ir'''''''''"'''A'' d : 1 EONt ---' '''''''''"0P9 kr ' ' 12441' - it 4 ctritit A ie - 0- - kW t4(41 t " " vl ! tempted to entice hazardous-wast- e companies and recycling plants to help breathe life into the dying city The possibility of making the town an exchange center like Clearfield's Freeport Center has also been Economic Development Interiml " ' t4" ' : ‘1' - '''''' ''' : - Wendover struggles to avoid becoming a ghost town Many on the Utah side say the town will die without gambling 11 gaming idea to the Legislature in 1989 but after making it through the Utah Senate Rules Committee the bill died in the Business and Labor! Committee The same contingent also brought1 their plight to the Utah Legislature's ' i ' t' '": t 4i !1A ''''7 ''"''"' '''' h IA-- 1 ::'' ' :' 1' r'' rt '177 !O " tS: :adsseasVASSolommonstossissokgasuasit14Jdiss4OJisisistissIm: ' " i' 1" - - ' '"' ''' en1 o : :: ' 1 - c '-' ' : - - v '''''''' - -- -- -' 1:60 SOMOP- ' -- ltit '! 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' 1I - I :- $ 4 1 oki - - ! c- -t: - - If 4 -t C4e -""' - ''' ' - 7 '11 14' ' ' - - r ( While Nevada's Wendover enjoys the hustle and bustle of gambling and prosperity just three feet to the east Utah's line Casino "We see more and more Utahns coming across the border to gamble every year They pack the casinos day and night" And with the boom in gaming receipts comes a boon in state monies available for education residential redevelopment and curb gutter and road improvements The fact that the majority of these improvements are financed by Utah dollars is a sore spot for many Wendover Utah residents "Utahns are supporting Nevada's education system" Mr Dixon said "We are paying good money to educate their kids while our kids are strapped by an increasingly tight education budget Something is not right here" Some residents say legalizing gambling is the panacea to the problem They argue that the outflow of Utah residents and dollars to Nevada would be halted if gaming was permitted on the Utah side "Most of us would vote for the gambling issue if we thought it could save the economy" said Wendover Mayor Albert Smith "But I'm not going to knock my head up side of a solid wall — there's no way that the ' MT ' ' '' : r : l ":' Als(444:Iviis 44154: t - '" ! ) " ''''::: -' - 7 1 pji------ - - p --- ' - i- 1 3"! 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'" ila't 47j4'll'477-- - It i : J- 6 75'16111 -t L : 4: I ---- " '' ' ' ' - J471-- - 76 o- - --- '' : !1- - 7 4- -- it 1 1 - f' - 411---- k '4441:4't4 - 1 -- - v-- --- 4 ' i — - r7 'f -- --'' -- --- — I i I kV' '014 ': 1 11 4:1- - 1 1 i -7 I - 5 - '' s - 411z- -- ' -- y--- 1 i$-1-- :'04-' ' -'- 1 '' - - t 2: 7 ---- 0- ''"-- t !: 0 :- - i '''' 'I'' 1'f ' :''11 - E:77--ir-- 3414 " -- r ' 4 - bO'AelllaWitse - i0bi4 '44! - r T- "' -- ' 1 - -:- - i - wtlii - - "" -- -- -' - t i!:'7':14-efgiJ- - 1 J - 1 ' ' - - t f : I " irerf'::k ''''"'"'"'"f-4'nogpm- : - i - - ' j ' I f - simL - Je 1 - "sit-dow- state-divide- ) t B5 Monday October 22 1990 ' ' I need of bombing and gunnery ranges initiated a massive expansion of the Wendover Air Force Base Geographically Wendover was a prime location because the Western Pacific Railroad ran directly through the center of town and was equidistant from the three major West Coast ports (Los Angeles San Fransisco and Seat- tle) Wendover also was far enough inland to make it secure from an attack on the Pacific Coast The fact that the desert town had little rain and the snow seldom stayed long enough to interfere with air traffic were also major selling points Wendover's basic mission during most of WWII was to train heavy bombardment groups — 4 and 9 crews of 7 bombers The abundance of salt in the area proved conducive to the construction of mock "cities of salt" used for bombing practice The urgent need for trained bomber pilots in the critical stages of the war prompted the Army to send thousands of fighter pilots to Wendover For much of the war it was the Air Force's only bombing and gunnery range B-1- B-2- Tribune Staff Writer WENDOVER — As far as economic development goes Wendover Utah hasn't seen any in ten years The city is in a stagnating state of limbo and no one can agree on a solution for the best way out Without question the 1980s gaming boom in Wendover Nev is central to the Utah town's deteriorating condition While the Nevada side of ' the divided town flourishes with gaming development — the Utah side flounders The most talked-abou- t question has become "is legalizing gambling on the Utah side of Wendover the solution to the town's woes" i A handful of Wendover business-'me- n who think the answer is "yes" 'took their case to Utah legislators in 1988 and found two senators willing to sponsor a constitutional amendment to legalize gambling Resolutions supporting the amendment Iswept through the Wendover City Council Tooele County Commission and the Utah Senate Rules Committee But when the amendment was brought before the Business and Labor Committee by unanimous vote it was tabled into nonexistence Sen Richard Tempest a vocal opponent of legalizing gambling once said he'd rather see the city die than have people "compromise" their principles "Gambling is demeaning to the human spirit" he said "We support hard work and perseverance in Utah and to have it all eliminated on a game of chance is unconscionable "If we legalize gambling in Wendover who knows what will come next It's morally wrong and it would put the town on a path to destruc: tion" But many Wendover Utah businessmen say it's not a question of Imorality but a question of econom 1 cs "We're not a bunch of sinners who want casinos over here just so we can gamble and throw our money away" said Richard Dixon owner of S & D Market in Wendover Utah "We need them to save our economy The i legislators making the decisions for us have absolutely no idea what kind of trouble we are in Legalizing gambling is probably the only thing that can save us" owner of the Mike Pantelakis ' Heritage Motel in Wendover Utah n situation for agrees "It's a us" he said "We're fighting a moral thing on the Utah side and an economic thing on the Nevada side We're dead in the water" Sen Tempest argues that legaliz no-wi- ' ing gambling is the "easy way" out of Utah's Economic As Development Interim Standing Corn mittee Sen Tempest said the key to transforming Wendover lies in in creasing economic development He places the blame of the city's prob lems squarely on the shoulder of the - "city fathers" "The problem is the town suffers from a lack of leadership" he said "If they want to revive the city they're going to have to look for in- ventive ways to do it They can't sim ply sit around and complain that' gambling on the Nevada side is killing them" At the urging of Wendover Utah residents members of the economic t - s - development committee visited Wendover in July to see first hand the city's economic plight "As an en- try into Utah the city is an embar rassment" Sen Tempest observed: "The tax base has eroded to the point where they can't keep up city opera' tions The living conditions are de plorable there's garbage all over and no one seems to care" Wendover Mayor Albert Smith said it's not that residents don't care' — "we're just frustrated The city just doesn't have the money to keep up and we don't know bow to get our selves out of the hole we're in" In a joint meeting with the Wendover City Council economic devel: - opment committee cussed the town's ' - - - members disoptions Most agreed that resurrecting the Wen- dover air base developing the town as an exchange port and enticing industrial businesses are potential solutions In the meantime both Wendover and state officials are attempting to improve the city's sewer problems by replacing outdated water lines and help motorists notice the tiny town: by increasing lighting and signage on t freeway entrance and exits long-ter- - Rape Crisis Groui::' Calls Volunteers t The Salt Lake Rape Crisis Center is seeking male and female volun-:- : teers to help victims of sexual abuse r The center will hold a training sion for new volunteers on weekends ' and some evenings Nov 2 through Nov 15 Volunteers will work many areas including the rape crisis:- hotline and community education The center is a organi zation which helps victims of sexual: abuse For more information contact: center director Christine Vatter& P non-prof- it i : I 1 i - - f |
