PHARK BATHROOMS GET MONEY BOOST FROM LOCAL BUILDERS

After dragging its feet for years because of how costly it looked to be, the city will be getting the bathroom in Phoenix Park this winter for about one-fifth of the total cost. In August the city council tentatively approved a new bathroom in Phoenix Park, provided it doesn’t exceed $150,000 (after previous estimates of upwards of $300,000). Shortly thereafter, the North Barstow and South Barstow business improvement districts pitched in more than $50,000. And most recently, the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association volunteered all the labor for the project. An estimated donation of $65,000. So by the time they’ve planned to be finished this winter, the city will have a new bathroom structure for $32,500 (plus contingency funds in case it goes over budget) thanks to the donations from the private sector.

SCULPTURE TOUR OF DOWNTOWN GETS COUNCIL GO-AHEAD

25 sculptures will dot the downtown landscape starting this spring due to the city council’s approval of Sculptures Eau Claire, a public art project. The pieces themselves will be solicited and installed by a volunteer group directed by Sherry Mohr. The sculptural promenade, slated for South Barstow Street, is based on an idea called SculptureWalk which hit Sioux Falls, South Dakota a few years back and echoed throughout various cities. Part of the attraction is the ability to vote for your faves, each of which is sponsored by a nearby business. They can even be purchased. From May 2011 to July 2012, dodge the road work and follow the sculpture walk on foot.

PIP, PIP! BRITISH COMPANY TO BRING JOBS TO BANBURY PLACE

A high-tech manufacturing company from Britain, called Culimeta-Saveguard, is making Eau Claire home to its first American plant and creating 56 local jobs in the process. The company manufactures fabrics woven from steel, glass, composites, and other materials. Culimeta-Saveguard will make insulated exhaust products for exhaust pipes, allowing vehicles to comply with environmental laws. The company will be relatively close to exhaust systems producer Cummins in Black River Falls, one of its largest customers. Culimeta-Saveguard plans to move into the 30,000 square-foot Building 15 at Banbury Place in November. Production should start in January.

SITCOM STARLET GIVES BIG UPS TO CHIPPEWA FALLS COOKWARE

Leah Remini of King of Queens recently spent some quality air-time on the talk show The Talk highlighting personalize-able pans that are made right here in the Chippewa Valley. Chippewa Falls company That’s My Pan! has had orders pouring in from across the country for these 9” by 13” cake/bar pans ever since. They’re typically etched with “From the Kitchen of (insert owners’ name)” and a cute little outline of a hobby or a flower. They also emblazon other types of cookware including cutlery and bottles. Spokeswoman Jill Harris was quoted as saying this celebrity-plug and subsequent spike in sales has “definitely helped [them].”