Needless to say, the pandemic forced everyone to get a little creative in 2020. The Chippewa Valley’s pick for best pandemic pivot was the Hobbs Ice Arena’s transformation into a temporary homeless shelter. This allowed for physical distancing and gave people a safe place to stay. Infinity Beverages (3460 Mall Drive, Eau Claire) shifted production to make hand sanitizer. At a time when that was in short supply, this sure was handy!  Finally, online storytimes from the Youth Services staff at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire) kept kiddos educated and entertained throughout 2020. –Natalie Rosenkranz