"From a reporter's perspective, this was a pretty good April Fools' joke that had at least one journalist (me) going for about three minutes.

Written by John Fox, who runs the radio station at the Pala Indian Reservation, it was sent early yesterday afternoon to the newsroom.

It reads in whole:

In a stunning announcement earlier this morning, Tribal Chairman Robert Smith said that the Pala Band of Mission Indians are in the final stages of purchasing the legendary Queen Mary steamship from the city of Long Beach, adding the fabled luxury liner to the tribe’s growing list of resort properties which include the Pala Resort Casino Hotel and Spa and Warner Hot Springs. Chairman Smith had many positive comments about the purchase at this morning’s press conference. He also talked about getting the idea for Pala to purchase the Queen Mary from a trip to a riverboat casino a few years ago. Sale price and terms as well as the budget for the actual relocation of the ship are not being disclosed just yet. "

Get the Story:
J. Harry Jones: The Queen Mary coming to Pala? Reporter bites (The San Diego Union-Tribune 4/1)