Yesterday, a large group of people gathered at Ludington's Rotary (City) Park in order to break a world's record for the largest dessert party.  They anticipated up to 3000 in order to shatter the old record of 1445 revelers at Valadora, India.  Officially, 1558 people showed up and had their choice of three desserts, there was officially a new record holder:  the Downtown Ludington Board.  In Valadora, the Mr. Puff bakery franchise probably didn't notice or care.

Attempting to break world records has become an annual event in Ludington since 2016 when the local House of Flavors invested a lot of capital and planning into creating the world's longest sundae, a 2975 ft. confection winding its way through Ludington's downtown that broke the world's record of 1957 ft.  In June 2017, the  Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Foundation hosted an attempt to have the most number of people making sand angels at one time and truly shattered the old record of 352 by having 1387 angels being made at Stearns Park.  

Both of these records would fall later in the year that they were set, likely by those who may have seen Ludington's efforts marketed and thought they could do better.  1609 people gathered to make sand angels at Seaside Park in October 2017, and the longest dessert sundae was topped a couple of months later by another Michigan business from a smaller city, which was later topped by HEB Grocery Stores at a Spirit of Texas Festival in 2018, with 4549 ft. of yumminess.

In 2018, two world records seemed within reach, but only 835 bicyclists showed up, meaning that the longest parade of bicycles (1,186) as well as the longest line of bikes in a row not moving (1,448) were never in jeopardy.  The Mason Oceana Manistee board of realtors, Metalworks, House of Flavors, Smith and Eddy Insurance and Borema-Hamm Insurance all helped sponsor that unsuccessful attempt.

These attempts are not bad marketing ploys for Ludington, as it does capture the attention of media across the state, and promotes a positive catchphrase in the midst of a positive activity: 'Love Ludington'.   This year's dessert attempt, however, seems to signal a move away from what made the original dessert attempt in 2016 so special, and what made the others harmless fun:  corporate sponsorship.

For 2019's effort was collective, there was no ice cream manufacturer, hospital board or cycling club coordinating the event and taking care of the costs, but a nameless collective.  Anecdotally, the desserts were provided by 'more than a dozen businesses', and 22 is the amount named afterward, but none of them are named in any of the advertisements for it, and few are mentioned in news advances, if any.  The organizer is solely the Downtown Ludington Board, a government agency that serves as the DDA for Ludington, which gets the vast majority of its revenues from a 2 mil tax and tax increment financing (TIF).  They are the official record holder.

While the community has gotten its fair share of free advertisement for the successful attempt, it's unclear whether the money used to supply up to 3000 desserts and the logistics needed to make it a successful venture was all voluntarily supplied.  Call me skeptical but....

I find it highly unlikely that 22 businesses would donate all of the money and desserts for this effort without getting something tangible in return, not even recognition, from the entity that will receive the credit and honor of breaking the world record, the city government's Downtown Ludington Board.  Congratulations to our city hall for hosting the largest ever dessert party while they continue to raise our taxes and fees to fuel their excess.

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The newest proposal, I understand, is the "how many people can be board to death" record. The dull and boring will lead the quest after a City Council meeting. The head of the project will be a recent transplant who wears small dress hats. He volunteered because he admitted that he wants Ludington to be as boring as he is. Most people think Ludington is not boring, well I ask only one question. Besides Lake Michigan what exactly does the City have to offer visitors. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ludington is a jumping board town. It's used to jump to places that are truly interesting. Pretending to be interesting is why we sponsor World records that are broken immediately after being set. This is the mind set of people who think they can cook up interest long enough to take tourists dollars before they realize they have just been bored to sleep. For proof I offer this. Step outside some summer day and listen to the moans and groans of tourists and visitors when it starts raining. One can almost make out an echo of the words, "oh sh_t what are we going to do now".

Picture of record setting boredom set in Pewamo

LOL Ludingtonville Lazy inefficient Lack of Luster Lump Sum Lame.

Ludington seems to be run by a dual-head Chamber of Commerce, powerful enough in its own weight. Then we employ 2 people in Community development with basically the same purpose to bring tourists into town. What does that really do in the long run? Deter locals from going downtown because of a lack of parking? And resentment because everything is done for the businesses/tourists in this town which overruns the community.

A lackluster achievement, just to have a title, marketing and advertising. These people seem to be thinking inside a window. They should expand their views and figure how they can Develop the Community which is established by the locals, without taxing them to extinction.

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