Recycle your Christmas trees
People can recycle their Christmas trees and help support the Wood River High School cross-country and track teams. Team athletes will pick up and recycle Christmas trees for a $10 donation to the team. Donations will assist the teams in purchasing a pop-up tent for shelter at events.
To arrange pickup on Saturday, Jan. 9, call 481-0389.
Christmas trees can also be recycled by dropping them off in Ketchum at the parking lot north of the YMCA through Sunday, Jan. 10.
Blaine County residents can also take their trees to Ohio Gulch at no charge. Trees will be shredded with other wood waste, composted and later sold for landscaping uses.
Hailey praised in Sunset magazine
The next city down the road from Ketchum and Sun Valley gets a thumbs up from Sunset magazine in its current issue, which advises its readers to "consider Sun Valley's budget-friendly neighbor to the south."
The article mentions the Blaine County Recreation District's south valley Nordic ski trails, including Quigley Winter Nordic Park. The article also mentions CK's restaurant, Zaney's café and cheap accommodations at the Wood River Inn as a draw.
"With a down-home main drag and a median house price of $400,000, Hailey is far less upscale than its brand-name neighbor," the article reports.
The article also mentions a free bus route to nearby Sun Valley Resort.
Chamber drops senior pageant
The Ms. Senior Idaho Pageant is not scheduled to return to Hailey. The 2009 event was co-hosted in May by the Hailey Chamber of Commerce and the Blaine County Senior Connection at the Community Campus.
"You have to ask the question, what did it do for our businesses?" Hailey chamber board President Krista Gehrke said. "It didn't really fit under our mission."
Bridge classes start this month
Four bridge classes, along with a new weekly "party duplicate" game for newcomers to competitive bridge, begin this month.
Party duplicate games will be held every Monday from 3-5:45 p.m. in the community room of Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Sun Valley. A brief talk on bridge techniques will precede each lesson.
Bridge classes are as follows:
· Beginning Bridge, 13-week class starting Jan. 6, 3-5:30 p.m., church community room.
· Declarer Play of the Hand, eight-week class started Jan. 5, 3-5 p.m., Golden Eagle.
· Drop-in Review and Play, Wednesdays through April 28, 3-5:30 p.m., church community room.
· Advanced Conventions, such as splinters and reverse Drury, Fridays through March 26, 3-5:30 p.m., church community room.
For additional information, contact Jo Murray at 720-1501 or Peter Gray at 726-5997.
< <
Memoir writing workshop set
Light on the Mountains Spiritual Center will host a five-week memoir-writing workshop based on the work of Natalie Goldberg, author of "Writing Down the Bones."
The workshop will begin today, Jan. 6, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Light on the Mountains, just north of the Sawtooth Botanical Garden on state Highway 75.
Participants can bring works in progress, but will also be expected to write on open topics in the workshop.
The instructor will be award-winning Idaho Mountain Express writer Tony Evans.
To reserve a space in the workshop, call 720-4821 or e-mail twoskies@hotmail.com.
Free skiing on Nordic trails
People will have an opportunity to get a free ski lesson at the Quigley Nordic Winter Park near Hailey on Sunday, Jan. 10.
Blaine County Recreation District Nordic instructors and Sturtevants of Hailey have teamed up to host a day of activities to highlight the park's yurt, sledding hill, snowshoe trail (conditions permitting), terrain park and ski trails. Activities include free introductory learn-to-ski lessons from 1-3 p.m. (advance reservations required through Sturtevants in Hailey, 788-7847) snacks and hot chocolate, sledding and snowshoeing.
In addition to the free lessons, the district will offer free skiing that day on its entire Nordic trail system. Snow conditions will dictate which trails will be groomed and open for skiing. Check the grooming report at bcrd.org or call 578-9754. For more information, call 788-2117.
Plan for Galena trails benefit
The 14th annual Galena & the Trails Winter Benefit will be held Saturday, Jan. 16.
Individual tickets are $85. Special "premier sponsorship" tables of 10 cost $1,750; regular tables of 10 are $850; tables of eight are $680 and include dinner and wine.
The evening will feature a live and silent auction and a raffle for a combined Sun Valley ski pass and a youth pump bike donated by Scott USA. Live auction items include trips to Paris and Mexico, and Nordic vacation packages.
Those who cannot make it to the winter benefit can take part in the Blaine County Recreation District's Galena & the Trails Online Auction by visiting bcrd.auctionfrogs.org through Jan. 20.
