Billionaire couple donates to Tahoe maritime museum

Billionaire couple donates to Tahoe maritime museum Billionaire real estate developer Warren Spieker Jr. and his wife, Carol, have donated $500,000 toward construction of the Tahoe Maritime Museum on Lake Tahoe’s west shore.
   In making the donation, the Lake Tahoe homeowners hoped it would help generate an equal amount of community donations.
   The donation brings the total collected by the museum to $2.8 million. The new two-story building, which breaks ground this summer in Homewood, is estimated to cost $3.9 million when completed by the summer 2008.
   As well as owning a home on the lake, the Spiekers are museum members and wooden-boat owners.
   Featuring more than 25 historic vessels highlighting the area's long maritime history, the museum will also display a vast collection of photographs and memorabilia concerning Lake Tahoe.
   The museum will be located in temporary facilities during the construction.