Spring Skiing is Here, Sun Valley Sees Big Changes

With the last day on Baldy expected to be Easter Sunday, and the Round House already closed up for the ‘08/’09 season, the rest of the mountain is slowly retiring its lifts for the remainder of the year. Beginning on Sunday, March 29th, Exhibition and Sunnyside lifts will close and on Sunday, April 5th, Greyhawk, Mayday and Cold Springs, as well as all of Seattle Ridge will shut down.

As always, this is subject to change depending on weather and snow conditions but at least Late Season Rates go into effect on March 30, with the $30 College ticket available to college students and faculty with valid college I.D.

Skiing may be winding down, but with warmer days on the horizon, a little après ski action at the base of Warm Springs’ sun deck mixed with some live tunes certainly keeps the alpine spirit alive. And don't forget about the Holding Cup Race March 27 & 28. No race experience is needed for this one. Recruit a team of four skiers from your alma mater, and win great prizes!

In other Sun Valley Company news, long time General Manager Wally Huffman will be trading in his hat to become the company’s new Director of Resort Development in late April or early May.

Huffman has seen the company through a number of resort developments including the new Sun Valley Golf/Nordic Club House, the White Clouds Golf Course and the Sun Valley Pavilion. Next on his agenda is a 160 acre development at the base of River Run. The new village may include a hotel and residential units.

Stepping into Huffman’s place is former Sun Valley Lifts Operations Manager Tim Silva, who for the past 17 years has been General Manager at Northstar Resort in Tahoe.

Sun Valley Gets a Bit O' Green

Happy St. Patty’s Day from all of us at Les Saisons! Don’t worry if you didn’t have your Irish Blood Sausage for breakfast this morning; a number of restaurants around town have their pots simmering with an assortment of traditional cuisine that any Irishman would raise a glass to…

Celebrating its 11th annual St. Patty’s Day feast, The Roosevelt Grille will be cooking up some Corned Beef and Cabbage (while supplies last) and the bar will be flowing with specials on Guinness Stout, Kells Irish Lager and other Irish concoctions.

The Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey is also whipping up an Irish lover's feast, with Guinness-inspired stew, brownies and stout, while down the street at The Mint, the Damphools, a favorite local bluegrass band, will be playing starting at 6:30pm.

If you haven’t had a chance to dine at the Elkhorn Supper Club, tonight is as good a night as any! Specialties from the club's St. Patrick’s Day inspired menu include Scottish Smoked Salmon Cakes, Guinness and Onion Soup, Shepherd’s Pie and Bread Pudding, to name a few.

Ketchum’s buzzing with spring break goers and now that the rain has finally stopped, it’ll be a great night to walk around town and see what's going on. Just be sure to wear green!

Photo courtesy: cygnus921

Locals Debate Ketchum, Sun Valley Merger

What do you think about having one main town? A ‘Svetchum’ or a ‘Sunny Ketchum Valley’ as some locals have suggested? Well, it turns out ‘Ketchsun’ may soon become a reality. With the city of Ketchum making cuts to meet its budget and Sun Valley sitting comfortably on reserves, city officials are urging locals to consider the benefits of consolidating both communities under one roof.

According to elected officials, the merger would help offset the costs of duplicate services like fire stations and police departments and would save close to $2 million a year. It would also provide Ketchum with a sort of kick back for all the services its downtown core businesses provide for the entire valley.

The issue has been met with mixed reviews and heated debate, especially on the Mt. Express forum boards. Some residents think the plan smells too much like a bail-out. Others like the idea of One City, One Town (which also happens to be the slogan for the organization developed to bring the merger to city residents).

Regardless of the ever evolving debate, officials are putting the decision to a vote! One City, One Town is in the process of collecting signatures from residents of each city for a petition. At least 20 percent of registered voters’ signatures are needed to get the proposal on the ballot in the next election.

So stay tuned! We’ll keep you posted on the status of our mailing address and let you know if we plan on simplifying it in the near future…

PHOTO COURTESY: GLOBAL JET