Another Town, Another Room ...
by Don Bishoff
Register Guard
November 28, 1976

ON THE PARKING strip next to the terminal at Mahion Sweep Airport sits the big four-engine white plane with the long blue stripe on its side and the name "Lisa Marie" on its nose.

Five miles away, in a third -floor suite at the Valley River inn with a view of the Willamette, sits the man who owns the plane. To the best of anyone's knowledge, the only time he's left the room in the past three days was to head for a stage

There he performed for an hour and 15 minutes, climbed into a limousine and headed back to that third floor room at the inn.

Sometime today, he'll leave the room for the last time climb aboard the plane and fly off to another town, another room, another stage.

A travelling salesman on the Spokane to Pocatello circuit would have a more exciting time.

But this is the business life style of Elvis Presley, superstar

He doesn't talk to reporters. he doesn't have to.

But he also apparently doesn't talk to much of anybody outside the 80-plus member entourage that travels with him.

"I haven't met him yet," said Inn Manager Paul Peschiera on Friday. "I don't think anyone has except possibly a maid or so."

Historically, he never leaves his room. He watches TV and never leaves until it's show time. He's quite happy just being up there.

When the decision was made, weeks ago, for Presley to stay at the inn while in Oregon for his two concerts in Eugene and one in Portland, Paul was contacted by Presley's people.

"we sent property maps to them, so they could more or less choose the rooms they wanted..." Paul said. "Of course, everything was on a very pre-registered basis.

When you're a superstar, you don't have to put your license number on the registration card. The Presley group booked 80 rooms, including the third floor.

"and security is very, very intricate." Paul continued. "They have hired people from the Eugene Police Dept, who are up there in uniform. It's impossible even for me to get down the hall there.

"IN ADDITION, THEY have their own plainclothes security personnel scattered through those rooms.

"All communications are screened - written and verbal. We have certain room numbers that we're to pass phone calls on to instead of to Elvis' room, and their people screen them"

Some of the calls have been from writers and musicians offering their material to Elvis. Or from motor home dealers, offering to pick him up and take him on a clandestine tour of the area. So far as anyone knows, none has been accepted.

While Elvis has been keeping to himself, Colonel Tom Parker - the legendary manager who created the legendary star - has been out and about, eating in the lon's dining room. "He brings his own water," Paul said. Mineral water from Arkansas."

ELVIS' OWN nutritional needs are taken care of by room service.

"He has special things that he likes to order," said Paul. Freshly squeezed orange juice and crisp bacon are among them.

I guess it's pretty common knowledge that Mr Presley's on a diet," Paul said. "And I think maybe that's as much as we should say.

But the pastry chef did make up a beautiful rich, chocolate-covered cake that looked very much like a guitar and said "Welcome Elvis" on it. It's absolutely against his diet , but I understand that it got to his room , and that he has eaten some of it."

Presley's quiet stay is seemingly reflective of his organization.

"They've been very very professional - very nice, unpretentious, pleasant people to work with " Paul said. He confessed some nervousness over whether his own organization would function as smoothly."

I GUESS when you have a superstar here, you worry about everything like Murphy's law ("If anything can go wrong, it will") coming into effect," he said. "For instance we received his show attire to go out and be cleaned today (Friday) and be back by 1pm."

Paul called the cleaning store owner and asked the man to keep Elvis' costume in sight at all times during the process:" There may be some excitable little lady there in her 40s who would like to have one of Elvis' jackets - you never know," he said.

The outfit came on time and intact.

After Paul and I had finished talking, I wandered up to the third floor. The security force wasn't in evidence.

I stopped in front of the rooms someone had told me was Presley's. The "Do not Disturb" was flipped up

I knocked . No answer. Knocked again. Silence from within.

Was he in there? Was he watching TV? Was he eating bacon and drinking orange juice? Was he having any fun?

The closed door, with the "Do Not Disturb" sign provided no answers.

Courtesy of Francesc Lopez