For the week of October 29 - November 4, 2003

Galena Winter Benefit approaches

10th anniversary of community
ownership to be celebrated

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By ADAM TANOUS
Express Arts Editor

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of community ownership, the supporters of the Galena Lodge and the North Valley Trail System are throwing a gala benefit that each year gets bigger and more festive. This year’s shindig, the eighth such affair, takes place 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Limelight Room of the Sun Valley Inn.

The evening begins with cocktails and a silent auction of dozens of donated items—everything from ski equipment to fine art. A sit-down dinner and live auction follows. Some of the items on the auction block include a six-night stay in an elegant Maui condominium, one week in a Akumal, Mexico, home on the Caribbean coast, a private dinner party for 25 at Galena Lodge, two plane tickets to San Francisco and a number of cross-country ski packages.

Musicians Bruce Innes and Gary Carlson will provide entertainment throughout the evening.

This benefit is one of the major fundraising sources for the lodge and trail system. With 84 percent of its budgetary needs coming from private sources, the Blaine County Recreation District, which operates the complex, relies heavily on community support in order to keep the cost of ski passes down. Passes for the 2003-’04 season go on sale Saturday, Nov. 1, at Backwoods Mountain Sports and The Elephant’s Perch in Ketchum, and at the Blaine Country Recreation District offices in Hailey.

Perhaps unbeknownst to many, the Galena Lodge has a rich and long history. Between 1879 and 1885, Galena was a settlement of more than 800 miners seeking riches in silver. The name Galena, in fact, refers to the ore comprising both silver and lead. It turned out, however, that there was less silver, and it was more difficult to extract than first thought. By the turn of the 20th century many of the miners had left.

Galena’s modern history really began in 1923 when Pearl and Charles Barber purchased the then Galena Store for $500. The Barbers sold staples and even rented out a few guest cabins. Though the highway from Ketchum to Galena wasn’t completed until 1954, the Barbers saw increasing traffic to their operation after the Sun Valley Resort opened in 1936.

After the store changed hands a number of times, an ownership group in 1976 developed a Nordic trail system on the old mining and logging roads. It was the beginning of what has become one of the gems of the area: the North Valley Trail System. The network today includes more than 110 kilometers of trails for both winter and summer use.

In 1994, a community-wide effort was successful in purchasing the lodge and charging the Recreation District with operational responsibilities.

This year, the Recreation District decided to try to raise the money to bring electric power to Galena. To that end, the group needed to raise $500,000 over the course of five years. Jenny Busdon, co-chair of the Power Galena! Campaign with Dick Hare, said that in a little over three months they have raised $355,000. She anticipates having power at the lodge for Christmas. Busdon added that one of the auction items for the benefit would be the honor of flipping the switch on the power.

Tickets for this 10-year anniversary party are $60. Dinner, wine and entertainment are included with the ticket purchase. Anyone wishing to reserve tables of eight to 10 seats may do so by calling Jenny Busdon at 726-1649.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.