Sewers vs. Streets

It may be hard to believe for us surface dwellers, but there are more miles of sewer (356) in the city of Eau Claire than miles of street (344.5). That’s plenty of habitat for a Phantom of the Opera-style recluse, or at least some urban alligators.

Fewer City Employees

The City of Eau Claire had 5 percent fewer employees in 2011 than it had a decade earlier, despite having a population that grew 6 percent and having more streets and parks to take care of. Remember that the next time someone complains about out-of-control government growth.

Diversity Matters

The Chippewa Valley is known as having one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States. Nonetheless, we’re far less racially and ethnically diverse than the states and nation: In the 2010 census, 93.1 percent of Eau Claire County residents said they were white. Only 3.4 percent were Asian and 1 percent were black.

Struggling Families

Poverty may not be as visible in the Chippewa Valley as in other parts of the nation, but it’s a very real phenomenon. In fact, 41 percent of the students in Eau Claire County qualified for free and reduced lunches last year; at one school (Longfellow Elementary) the share topped 81 percent.

Tattoo Parlor-palooza

It’s not just your imagination: There are a lot of tattoo and piercing shops around here – 14 in Eau Claire County, to be exact. Fortunately for those into body modification, none of them had unsatisfactory spore sample tests last year. We’re not exactly sure what that means, but we think Unsatisfactory Spore Sample would be a great band name.