As I sit here in my office, out my window and a couple of blocks away I am watching a construction crew assemble the giant crane that will begin work on the new six-story, mixed-use building on the south bank of the Eau Claire River in downtown Eau Claire. (The crane is pictured at right in its first days on the job.) It is building, of course, what is hoped to be just the first of three phases of the Confluence Project, to be followed by a performing arts center and a public plaza. Perhaps it’s just some personal swirl of optimistic end-of-the-year vibes, but it’s really pretty exciting to see it there – The Confluence Crane – rising up from the dirt as a symbol of our community’s progress. And at significant risk of sounding bumpkin-y, the crane definitely throws out a “big city” feel. You see those all the time on major metro skylines, but not often around the Chippewa Valley. Heck, when’s the last time a building over four stories tall even went up around here? As I’m sure is also the case for many of you, the end of the year is often an inspiring and exciting time for me. And looking out my window to see that giant crane just adds to the vibe. Who knows, if things keep going well in downtown Eau Claire, maybe we’ll be seeing one somewhere on the horizon for several years to come.