SAND PLANT BIGWIG SAYS CONSTRUCTION SOON to START
Construction could begin within the next four weeks on the sand processing plant in northeast Chippewa Falls. On June 1, 2009, the city issued a conditional use permit to Gary Stone, general manager of Canadian Sand and Proppants, requiring construction to begin within one year of that date. If construction doesn’t begin by then, the company would have to get a new permit, a process that don’t want to endure again. It is estimated the plant will cost between $45 and $50 million to build, but the company currently doesn’t have all its investors lined up. While the move would create numerous jobs, many city residents are against the plan, stating that the plant could affect air and water quality.

EAU CLAIRE HAS ONE OF THE BEST PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORS
Scheduled to be announced during National Public Works Week (the third in May), the American Public Works Association will honor Eau Claire’s director Brian Amundson among the Top 10 Public Works Leaders of the Year. Amundson is in charge of the city’s construction and engineering projects, often associated with roadways and utilities. He was chosen by 29,000 of his public works peers, and is humbled by the honor but says he knows our society likes to put officials up on a pedestal only to tear them down. So no one complain about the roads during the third week of May.

COUNTY SEEKS ARTWORK FOR ANNUAL BOOK OF MAPS
Do you like taking photos? How about getting them published this summer in the Eau Claire County 4-H Leaders Association plat book (a book of maps)? Anyone can participate in this free contest and submit any number of photos that illustrate a trait or feature of Eau Claire County. Winners will receive a free book, as well as acknowledgement in it. Although vertical shots are preferred, horizontal shots may also be entered. Photos must be submitted in electronic format by May 14 to the County Extension Office. Email entries to katy.forsythe@ces.uwex.edu, and please call before to avoid possible problems with file sizes.

EASTSIDE HILL LAUNCHES SNAZZY NEW WEBSITE
The new EastSideHill.com launched in early April in hopes of being a worthy online counterpart to Eau Claire’s Eastside Hill neighborhood, offering articles, an event calendar, helpful information, and chances for interaction. The Neighborhood Association’s website committee, led by V1’s own Mike Paulus, worked for months gathering neighborhood info and pulling out articles from 15 years-worth of printed newsletters. Paulus said, “That printed newsletter has a legacy of great stories written by neighbors who love living here. We wanted to preserve that and keep it going. So we approached the site as a news-style website.” They hope for online interaction through comments and story submissions, setting up opportunities for offline interaction through events and gatherings.