So as it is in many places across the country, it’s construction season in Eau Claire. I likely don’t have to tell you this – there’s a significant chance one of your routes to and from home has some sort of detour going on right now. It’s as much a part of life as the cliché of death and taxes. As this issue hits newsstands they just started tearing up Galloway Street outside our office, and word has it our stretch of it – from right next to our place then East into the area near Banbury Place – will be spoken for until late October. That road has become a major new route into downtown over the last few years – so it’s due for a spruce up and it will be great when it’s done. But of course it’s that time in between that makes a neighborhood grumble – especially when there are businesses involved. It’s no big thing for us, you can still get to our place just fine, but for a lot of businesses these temporary upheavals around town are a tough-but-necessary part of life. In some ways they can force the hand of shops that are already in a tough spot to begin with. Some move, some close, but most are able to get through it OK. You hope the improved streetscape upon re-opening gives those businesses a bump after a minor drought, but you never know. Of course, downtown in particular has some big, big construction projects coming up over the next year. Thankfully there’s time to prepare and plan for a course of action that could do more good than bad. So if you encounter a business that seems land-locked by construction, take the extra minute to figure out how to get there. Even consider – gasp – walking an extra block! They’ll greatly appreciate it. And your extra effort will hopefully help them be there for you next time you stop by.