LE PHILLIPS LIBRARY READY TO SHOW OFF ITS RENOVATIONS
We’ve patiently waited all summer, and now Eau Claire’s LE Phillips Memorial Public Library is finally ready to unveil the improvements. On November 21, the library invites everyone to its grand re-opening from 1 to 4 pm. Take a tour of the snazzy new youth services area as well as the reserve/hold area where librarians hang onto your requested materials. The new checkout hopes to be more efficient, and the 1,700 additional square feet in the youth services area will hopefully makes room for the additional programming and interactive fun our young ones have been clamoring for.

MURAL BUILDING ON SALE ... AGAIN
The building at 2 S. Barstow St. has been on the market for more than a decade, but everyone hoped that would end when the Redevelopment Authority approved John and Sharyn Moss’s proposal to turn it into an inn. That plan fell apart on Oct. 21, as the RDA decided to put the building back on the market after the Mosses failed to secure financing. The RDA will accept proposals for the next 60 days, and review them at their meeting in early January.

DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE GETTING ADDITIONAL THEATER SPACE
Ladies and Gents, it’s time to light up the stage, fill the seats, and drape the curtains … almost. Eau Claire Children’s Theatre’s expansion project to their Oxford Avenue building broke ground on Oct. 20. In the coming months ECCT will be continuing fundraising efforts for the $500,000 project, which includes the addition and outfitting of a new theater space. Their newest newsletter breaks down much-needed items such as six curtains ($754 each), 36 lights ($348 each), 275 seats ($75 each), a grand drape ($4,175), and lighting console ($8,630). Visit www.ecct.org to donate funds online, or call 839-8877 to help purchase specific items they need.

GROUP TO BOOST ARTS AT SCHOOL
Arts @ Large, a group which focuses on connecting art to academics, has set its sights on Eau Claire. The group created a program that will take place in three pilot schools (Delong, Longfellow, and Roosevelt), involving collaboration with artists in the community to implement inclusive, arts-integrated programming in the classroom and after school. The program kickoff event takes place at The State Theatre on Nov. 17. The evening will begin with an orientation about the three schools at 4 pm, then the lobby will be open for area educators who are interested in bringing art into the classroom to meet and greet local artists.

VISIT EAU CLAIRE RECOGNIZED AMONG BEST TOURISM WEBSITES
The Eau Claire Area Convention and Visitors Bureau website, VisitEauClaire.com, has won the 2009 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development by the Web Marketing Association in the Travel category. Visit Eau Claire’s design agency, Risdall Marketing Group, submitted the website to the competition category, which included more than 300 entries from around the world. Visit Eau Claire beat out websites such a Travel Hong Kong, Visit London, and Triporati, Inc. Eau Claire company SitePro helped construct the site. The WebAward Competition is the premier award recognition program for web developers and marketers worldwide.

STOUT DIALS UP DEGREE OPTIONS
Big things are happening to UW-Stout degrees. In mid-October Stout got approval to start three-year degree programs in psychology, business administration, and hotel, restaurant, and tourism. Although students would have to take classes during winterim and summer, the new degrees would allow students to enter the workforce and start earning a paycheck sooner. Stout also recently got the go-ahead for a new degree in applied social science. Students will develop a deeper knowledge in one social science concentration, such as history, politics, economics, sociology, and anthropology. Applied minors include business administration, military leadership, project management, and several others. The new program additions continues an effort to increase the number of majors offered at Stout, which has nearly doubled in its last 20 years.

FANNY HILL STOPS ALL KEEPS DOING STAGE SHOWS
After declaring back in July that Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre would end its stage productions in 2010, here in late October they released a complete theatrical lineup for next year. Representatives said they were calling it quits due to a dramatic drop in attendance, but “since then the numbers have shown signs of improvement,” a press release said. “The community support must continue to improve,” executive director Don Hodgins said in the release. “Many people have expressed disappointment, despair, and outright disbelief that this icon … is in danger of closing. My response has always been: we need your support.” The 2010 shows will include Red, White, and Tuna this winter, Don’t Hug Me: County Fair in spring, Always … Patsy Cline in summer, On Golden Pond in autumn, and You Better Watch Out next winter.