In this issue:
• It's Summertime in Sun Valley!• Resort Manager's Letter
• No Slacking Off at Les Saisons
• Ketchum Round-up and Resort Stats
• Meet Our Housekeeping Team
• Beat the Traffic & Fly Direct to Sun Valley
On-going Summer Entertainment in the Valley
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MONDAY
- Happy Hour (daily), 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., Duchin Lounge in Sun Valley TUESDAY
- Artists' Market, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Ketchum Town Plaza
- Farmers' Market, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Fourth Street and East Avenue
- Sturtevants' Free Casting Clinics, 6 p.m., Atkinson's Park
- Ketch'em Alive, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Forest Service Park in Ketchum WEDNESDAY
- Nappy's Wednesday Night Road Rides, 5 p.m., Elephant's Perch
- Live Music, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Papa Hemi's in Ketchum
- Back Alley Party, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Wicked Spud in Hailey THURSDAY
- Thursday Night Wagon Rides and BBQ, 6 p.m., Galena Lodge FRIDAY
- Live Music, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Papa Hemi's in Ketchum SATURDAY
- Live Music, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Papa Hemi's in Ketchum
- Sun Valley Ice Shows, beginning at dusk, Sun Valley Outdoor Ice Rink SUNDAY
- Free Jazz in the Park, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Rotary Park in Ketchum
Time to Hit the Green
Golf season is underway at Elkhorn Golf Course! Member privileges apply to all Les Saisons owners, and any accompanying guests qualify for the member guest rate of $95 per person for 18 holes. For Les Saisons guests who are unaccompanied on the green by a Les Saisons owner, rates vary from $150 - $165 depending on the time of year. Don't forget that Elkhorn Golf Club members also have a reciprocal arrangement with six other country clubs:- Blue Lakes Country Club, Twin Falls, ID
- Crane Creek Country Club, Boise, ID
- Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, ID
- Spurwing Country Club, Boise, ID
- The Headwaters Club at Teton Springs, Victor, ID
- The Jeremy Club, Park City, UT
It's Summertime in Sun Valley!
Nothing beats summer in the mountains! Surrounding hillsides turn green as snow fades from the mountaintops. Creeks swell, trails thaw, and long, warm days welcome back the wildflowers. Local shops put away their skis and roll out the mountain bikes. Patio umbrellas, picnic tables and chairs scatter the sidewalks. Irving's Red Hots resumes its perch on the corner of Fourth and Main, and by the time Fourth of July festivities kick into gear, you know that summer has arrived.
With a lineup of great events scheduled through Labor Day, the summer season can flash by in a heartbeat. Here's a glimpse at some of the spectacular entertainment that keeps Sun Valley buzzing all summer long.
July 4, 2010Browse the Ketchum Antiques Show at NexStage Theatre, then head down to Hailey for the annual Fourth of July celebration. Parade starts at 12 p.m. on Main Street, with live music before and after the parade, a food court at Bullion Square, children's carnival and bike race. Fireworks begin at dusk, following the Hailey Days of the Wild West Rodeo. July 11, 2010
Sun Valley Opera presents "MIZ Saigon," an international cast performing music from hits Les Miserables and Miss Saigon at the Sun Valley Pavilion from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Tickets available at www.sunvalley.com or by calling 208.622.2135. July 22 - 24, 2010
Sun Valley Center's 29th annual Wine Auction featuring a gala picnic, auction gala, vintner dinners and wine tasting. Locations and times vary. Tickets are available at www.sunvalleycenter.org. August 2 - 17, 2010
Sun Valley Summer Symphony, located at the Sun Valley Pavilion. Pavilion seating opens at 5:30 p.m. Free concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. nightly and last for one hour. Benefit concert with Garth Brooks on August 1, followed by the opening night performance with Itzhak Perlman. This season's repertoire features music by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Brahms, an evening of Broadway show tunes and a French Horn extravaganza!
August 3, 2010Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, playing bluegrass and the banjo at River Run Lodge at 7 p.m. Tickets available through www.sunvalleycenter.org. August 6 - 7, 2010
Northern Rockies Folk Festival, a two-day event, features local, regional and national musicians from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Saturday. Guest lineup includes Olin and the Moon, Gypsy River Haunts, Fourstroke Bus and Kelly Willis. Tickets available at Chapter One Bookstore or www.nrff.net. August 20 - 23, 2010
The 15th annual Sun Valley Writers' Conference features talks, panels and readings by distinguished authors such as former Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Academy Award-winning actor John Lithgow, and many others. Please register by visiting www.svwc.com. September 2 - 6, 2010
53rd annual Wagon Days Celebration featuring antique shows in Hailey and Ketchum, a Flapjack Breakfast on Saturday morning, Children's Carnival on Fourth and Washington, the Blackjack Ketchum Shoot-out Gang appearance on Main Street at 12:15 p.m., followed by the Northwest's largest un-motorized Big Hitch Parade at 1 p.m. For more information regarding any upcoming events, or to reserve tickets, please contact the Les Saisons Concierge.
Resort Manager's Letter
Nine years of operation and sold out! It's been an honor, for eight of those nine years, to be a part of everyone's beautiful home here in Sun Valley. Many of you have watched me grow within the team and have been a supportive catalyst in my desire to excel at Les Saisons, enabling me to raise a family and cherish this stunning valley. Thank you! I am looking forward to many more seasons at Les Saisons, ensuring your precious time spent here is unforgettable.
Hopefully you are aware of our two-phase refurbishment in the fall of 2010 and 2011. Everything is on track for the first installation in late October and early November of this year, and those of you who make it out this summer will be able to view what the replacement items will look like in Phase I. As you can imagine, this is an important project that we are confident will enhance the look, comfort and value of your home.
As we read in the media every day, it is a "buyers" market. We have seen a relatively steady sales pace at Les Saisons, with five re-sales in 2009 and two re-sales so far in 2010. With the many listings in Sun Valley, the number of sales at Les Saisons is undoubtedly a reflection of our beautiful property, service and amenities that are delivered for the price. We currently have one, 2 bedroom interest listed at $150,000 and four, 3 bedroom interests starting at $195,000. If you, or someone you know, is considering purchasing an interest, please do not hesitate to give them my contact information. With an active real estate license in the state of Idaho, working with Sun Valley Brokers, LLC, (www.svbrokers.com) I would be pleased to be of assistance.
Your graciousness and genuine kindness make it a pleasure to work at Les Saisons. With employee turnover generally high in a resort community, I am thankful to see the team we had this winter ready to be a part of your vacations this summer. Many thanks for your support and candor to ensure your home in Sun Valley remains immaculate. I look forward to a memorable summer!
-Jon GilmourResort Manager, Les Saisons
No Slacking Off at Les Saisons
Even during our busy season, the Les Saisons hallways can seem relatively quiet. Thanks to 12 spacious, two-story residences that provide ample space for families and friends, the first time you bump into other guests may not be until our weekly Wednesday night cocktail party! If you do happen to stay at Les Saisons during the shoulder season (which is becoming more popular every year, slack is one of town's best kept secrets) you really might wonder where everyone has gone, including the staff! It's during this time that we roll up our sleeves and get down to business, buffing out the resort so that it's in prime condition for summer. Here's a quick run-down of our spring cleaning routine:
ResidencesEach residence is extensively cleaned from top to bottom. All furniture, including couches, beds, stoves, refrigerators and ovens, are moved aside and every wall and ceiling corner is wiped down. Vents and ceiling fans are cleaned, kitchen and bathroom cabinets are thoroughly washed from the inside out and residence linens such as blankets, bedspreads and comforters are washed. All surface wood is hand-oiled, carpets are steam cleaned and windows and screens are washed off as well. Interior & Exterior Building
Common area carpets throughout the building are steam cleaned, windows and screens are washed and paint touch-ups are made where needed. As the weather warms, the rooftop pool is drained and scrubbed, and hot tub repairs are made to ensure everything is working properly before the start of the summer season. This year in particular we have replaced the elevator carpet with a durable stone surface, repainted all green balcony railings and re-grouted and re-caulked all upstairs master bathrooms. The lobby has also been refreshed with a new coat of paint and one of the lobby couches has been re-upholstered.
Ketchum Round-up and Resort Stats
Ketchum's a busy town and there's always a lot going on. Here are some stats in brief to bring you up to speed with resort developments:
- The skier count for Sun Valley's 2009/2010 74th winter season was up 20% and exceeded the resort's goal of 400,000 visitors. Only three of the last five years have surpassed the 400,000 mark.
- The snowpack in the Big Wood Basin, which includes the Wood River Valley, is up to 72% of average.
- According to a report in the Mt. Express, not a single building permit has been filed in the cities of Ketchum, Sun Valley or Bellevue this year for new construction. Hailey has received just one application to build a new home. For Blaine County, 20 building permits have been requested for property outside city limits, but none of these are new construction. For 2010, Ketchum currently has 23 building permits, Sun Valley 15, Hailey 36 and Bellevue 10. Of these 84 projects, all are remodels and add-ons, except one new house to be built in Hailey.
- The Ketchum City Council has voted to approve annexation of 140 acres where Sun Valley Co. wants to build a large hotel and residential complex at the base of the River Run ski area on Bald Mountain. The council also approved changes in the company's plan that will be incorporated into a planned-unit development agreement between the city and the company. Company officials say the development at the base of that side of the mountain will help make the resort competitive with other resorts vying for visitors. Company spokesman Jack Sibbach explains that economic factors will determine when construction will begin.
- Ketchum has received approximately $961,000 in unexpected revenue for fiscal 2010, allowing it to cover some unforeseen expenses. City Administrator Gary Marks explains that the money came from four sources: $547,000 from housing complex Northwood Place's property lease, $242,000 from hotel development fees, $132,000 from developers to offset the city's review-processing expenses and $40,000 from an energy-efficiency grant. This is good news for the city, which can now offset costs that were unanticipated when it planned its budget last spring.
- Bald Mountain Lodge developers received their final approval on Monday, May 17 to build the five-story Main Street hotel, across the street from NexStage Theatre. Ketchum has given them $6.6 million in incentives to have the hotel built by January 2015.
Meet Our Housekeeping Team
Beat the Traffic and Fly Direct to Sun Valley
Traveling to Sun Valley in the summer is a piece of cake compared to winter! Thanks to minimal weather hazards, direct flights into Hailey can help ease you into vacation mode. Here are the direct flights Horizon is offering from Seattle, Los Angeles and Boise:| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2341 | SEA | SUN | 12:10 | 14:50 | ||
| SUN | BOI | 15:20 | 15:59 | May 28th thru June 5 | ||
| BOI | SEA | 16:30 | 17:05 | |||
| 2341 | SEA | SUN | 12:20 | 14:59 | June 6 - September 6 | |
| 2344 | SUN | SEA | 15:30 | 16:20 | (except June 22/23) | |
| 2342 | LAX | SUN | 09:40 | 13:05 | ||
| SUN | BOI | 13:30 | 14:10 | June 26 - September 6 | ||
| 2343 | BOI | SUN | 15:45 | 16:25 | ||
| SUN | LAX | 16:50 | 18:20 |