WHISTLER: WORKERS FIND HOUSING ON THE STREET
Seasonal workers in Whistler/Blackcomb are selling themselves on streets to find housing, Pique newsmagazine reported. Instead of using classifieds or Craigslist to find housing in the tight market, this year's batch of seasonal workers are strolling the streets with billboard-like signs boasting their qualifications and amount they're willing to pay. And, it's working. After one new worker was successful, the trend took off and now several homeless and couch-surfing seasonal workers can be seen strolling the Whistler pedestrian malls in hopes of a home.
VAIL: BRAVO BRINGS IN BLING
The more than 61,000 people who took to Vail's music festivals this summer spent $11 million in the area, the Vail Daily reported, which is $1.6 million more than the same events brought in the prior summer. The Bravo! music series takes place during the summer, and tourist dollars also contributed an extra $906,823 in taxes. In the study's survey of 501 concert-goers, it found about 27 percent of them were in Vail on vacation. Nearly 60 percent of those visitors said the music festival was a big reason they came to Vail. Those visitors spent an average six nights in Vail and spent $163 per person per night. Overall, the visitors spent about $9 million.
SUN VALLEY: LOT TAX REVENUE DOWN
Tax revenue in the city of Ketchum is down 2.5 percent from the year before, and $173,111 less than anticipated for the 2007-2008 year, the Idaho Mountain Express reported. Local option taxes brought in just over $2 million from the area, and the city saw declines in every industry besides liquor receipts, which increased 3 percent, or $6,000. Retail, room, condominium and building material receipts all declined, with an overall decrease of $51,841.
