Please welcome our newest members....Mt. Village Resort in Stanley, Idaho. Heres a little press release thats very interesting... Buying Back Stanley We’re all familiar with the name “Harrah’s Casinos”. You may not know, however, that the same family responsible for the biggest casino brand in America, with sixteen properties nationwide, has for nearly fifty years, owned over half of the most-visited destination in Idaho. Stanley, Idaho (Population: 63), situated between the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountain ranges of central Idaho and the vast Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, sees over 1.5 million visitors annually. Most of these visits take place during the summer months. Stanley is often the coldest location in the lower 48 states, making for ideal summer temperatures in an absolute outdoor recreation mecca. Bill Harrah was in love with the tiny mountain town, and he had big plans for it. He purchased gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and properties to the tune of 54% of the town. He built a motel and named it the “Mountain Village Lodge”. He used to bring up his beautiful classic car collection, one car at a time, exhibited in a glass “car display case” of sorts (the building, now boarded up, still stands just beside the propane fill at the gas station). There have always been rumors of Harrah’s expansion plans including the construction of a bowling alley. However, these plans would never be as Bill Harrah died at age 67 in 1978. The locals will tell you Mountain Village has gone downhill ever since. Many of whom will not patronize the businesses associated with the out-of-state corporation. People say the place was used as a tax write-off or tax shelter of some sort. Whether this is true or not, one thing is certain: Mountain Village has been no one’s priority for quite some time. That is…until now. Less than two months ago, two local Stanley couples got together and purchased the whole of Mountain Village properties. Doug & Cheri Blevins and Russell & Mandy Clark purchased Mountain Village and all of its property on May 16, 2014, and hit the ground running. They made immediate improvements to the gas station including the addition of the town’s only service station. This is especially important as the remote mountain locale has long made a challenge for both the stranded and the less than mechanically-inclined motorist. The restaurant is also experiencing a makeover including always palatable and usually downright delicious meals. The Stanley Club at Mountain Village has quickly become the local’s new favorite with live music all summer, and the coldest beer in town always served with a smile. The list of improvements and planned enhancements is constantly evolving and has the townspeople exhilarated about the possibilities. With the hard work of the staff, continued support of the local community and the treasured seasonal visitors, Mountain Village seems likely to return to its previous Town Jewel status. While Stanley proudly remains a far cry from bright lights, glitzy glam, and loose slots, it is this writer’s opinion that Bill Harrah would approve of “Mom and Pop” taking back their town.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 18:18:57 +0000
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