The South Valley Merchants Alliance and the Hailey Chamber of Commerce met last week to work out the details of a long-term collaboration. The merchants' alliance is a three-year-old volunteer organization of 30 retailers working to jumpstart the economy in Hailey by organizing family events and beautification projects.
During a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 21, at Notes Music store in Hailey, representatives from the two groups formed committees to work out terms of their collaboration.
Thanks partly to the two groups' efforts, Hailey merchants came out of a painful retail slump with a banner holiday season this year.
"Hailey retailers were singing the blues in September after the Castle Rock Fire," said chamber Executive Director Jim Spinelli. "But I have been told by merchants recently that they had a terrific holiday season, the best in a very long time."
Much of the local enthusiasm stemmed from a Christmas Parade and tree-lighting reception at the Ellsworth Inn. Those events and many others have been sponsored by the merchants' alliance and paid for by local retailers, including $2,100 spent on Christmas lights on Main Street.
During summer, the alliance has sponsored the Children's Carnival and Hailey Artists' Market, leading up to a Halloween Hoopla party in October. Last summer, the organization raised $20,000 from local businesses to display and maintain 50 flower baskets and barrels around the city.
By contrast, the entire Chamber of Commerce beautification budget is $8,000.
After noting the alliance's determination and successes, Spinelli offered an arrangement in November to bring it under the auspices of the chamber, while allowing for continued autonomy. Under the plan, the alliance would become eligible for a percentage of local-option tax funds for alliance projects. The collaboration would also provide for administrative activities, promotion of alliance events and expanded insurance coverage. That arrangement was up for discussion at Thursday's meeting.
"They came to us three years ago for support and the chamber just didn't have the wherewithal to help them at that time," Spinelli said. "Since then they have done such a spectacular job. This group has great ideas which the chamber would like to help push forward."
Those ideas are often hatched during informal brainstorming sessions at the Golden Elk café, where alliance organizer Sarah Hedrick has been instrumental in gathering the group's leaders, including R.L. Rowsey of the Company of Fools, and business owners Kim Garvin of Vintage Gypsy, Petrea Mara of the Body Buff and Doug Brown of Jane's Paper Place.
"Our motto from the beginning has been 'Bring no dues, just your imagination', Hedrick said. "We get things done. It's a high--energy, productive group. The Children's Carnival takes place just after school gets out. The games and rides are all provided through business donations."
Last year carnival raised $1,800 to benefit construction of the Jimmy's Garden children's park.
Hedrick, who is co-owner of Iconoclast Bookstore in Ketchum and Sun Valley, remembers going to the Chamber of Commerce two and half years ago with some ideas and finding that there were no retailers on the chamber board. Now she sits on the board herself while helping to expand the reach of the merchants' alliance.
"We continue to need the city's retailers to support projects, like the flower baskets," Hedrick said. "Otherwise we wouldn't have that kind of money."
She said the alliance is eager to move forward on projects already in place.
"I'd like to see the Children's Carnival have a real Ferris wheel soon," she said.
Kim Garvin, owner of Vintage Gypsy in Hailey, top, takes a break Monday with JaNessa Gilbert, owner of Tater Tots. Both women said retail business in Hailey has improved in recent months.
Photo by Willy Cook
