Goosebumps at Copeyon

[XLFD]

The weekend started off cool on Saturday, but after dropping into the 30s overnight, Sunday turned into a nice mid-September sunny day with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees.  It brought out some kids to the splash pad to have some fun.  It looked as if they left a lot of dirt from their shoes behind, but on closer inspection it wasn't dirt, it wasn't even leaves from nearby trees, which are still holding onto them.  It was the all too familiar goosebumps that many people warned city leaders about, and these aren't the types of goosebumps you get when the weather suddenly turns cold or you get scared.  

Nope, these goosebumps came from multiple goose butts. I saw a flock of over 50 geese at the lake's edge two evenings previously, but since then they had apparently migrated east and left a fowl mess on and around the splash pad area.  Their discharge was not confined to one specific area of the splash pad, it was more of a collage of feces throughout.

The sidewalk out to the splash pad was probably the least affected, but it should have gave a bit of warning to those who used the splash pad that afternoon.  Even at the beginning, however, one had to do a special goose dance to get around stepping on scat.

The density of excreta only increased as the elevation of the sidewalk heightened; these weren't old droppings that had been there for a couple of days, some stools looked freshly made that morning.  

As you approach, you see evidence that the geese didn't show proper reverence to the splash pad, either that or they decided it made a great splat pad.   

The north side of the splash pad shows evidence that goose doo-doo may have been fairly equally spread about the pad, and that the users that day look to have cleaned up the central part of the splash pad.  Whether they did that by running around in the muck or spraying the jobbies into the drain is unknown.  

The whoopsies on the splash pad edges are untouched by the water and have fairly good texture and diversity.  You can see the water partially smear the caca into the general play area.  On the bright side, exposure to this crap might strengthen junior's immune system to help fight the coronavirus (or conversely, give them a serious health issue).  

In other splash pad news, the City of Ludington recently learned from EGLE (the prior Department of Environmental Quality) that they could not discharge the wastewater from the splash pad untreated into Pere Marquette Lake.  Duh.  Supposedly, they had received permission to do so before, but there is no record available showing any sort of permit issued by EGLE, and city leaders dodged the question posed repeatedly to them in multiple venues.

The City of Ludington will have to come up with $125,000 to install a lift pump, when they should have known that this discharge was illegal.  There is credible evidence that Community Development Director and Splash Pad Committee member Heather Tykoski and former City Manager John Shay played a key part in this deception to the state and public.  The Ludington Torch has listed many other locations in Ludington that could have hosted a splash pad without this costly problem that should have been known about if the City of Ludington dealt with the public openly and honestly.  

[Freedom Seeker]

Much like the West End fiasco, those with positions in government come from outlying areas to Ludington and push their ideas through without listening to the locals. Will they ever learn to listen? What a shame.

No permit for discharging the water into Pere Marquette Lake? No wonder they would never answer questions about how and where the water would be discharged.

The accounting on this project is very fuzzy. They pushed it through without showing how the money came in, and now it will cost $125,000 more? Do you have any proof that John Shay played part in the deception to the State?

[XLFD]

My proof is a little bit more than reasonable suspicion, but not enough to 'convict' John Shay outright.  Shay didn't delegate as much authority as Mitch Foster appears to, so it's difficult to believe that he signed off on so many applications and dodged so many direct questions, that he didn't know about the discharge permit he would need for the splash pad. 

Mind you, this is the same ecological nightmare leader that okayed pumping 2 million gallons of raw sewage into the PM Bayou in 2012 and never mitigated that or the Madison Street sewer rupture in 2008 which put 15 million gallons of raw sewage in the bayou and Madison Street.

[Freedom Seeker]

It will be interesting to see the proof in the pudding.  My suspicion is that the new city manager had more to do with signing off on it, and should be accountable.

[XLFD]

Local government should be more of a scientific process.  Anybody (elected, appointed or otherwise) can formulate a theory, a guess, as to what may work out for the municipality.  Experiments and data collection follows to see whether that guess is a good or bad one.  Nothing final is decided at this stage, revisions are welcome when data suggests the guess is off, the guess can be dismissed if it's way off.  A final product that best fits the data is presented, that data is analyzed by peer review, skepticism is encouraged.  If the guess does not hold muster, it's further revised until it is either dismissed as inappropriate or fine-tuned to perfection.  

Like some modern sciences, steps have been skipped and science then becomes just a tool used by corrupt scientist-politicians with an ulterior motive.  This is what happens too often in Ludington with the old guard deciding the overarching corrupted science we follow and will continue happening until enough people say STOP IT.

[Freedom Seeker]

Very thorough analysis, X, of how government projects succeed or fail. In this case, I'd like to simplify the theory by saying, "the kids" wanted it "the kids" got it pushed through, and did so at any means, against a lot of popular opinion, against State requirements, with greater needs of the community squashed, wasting tax payer money because I'm sure their rock paintings didnt pay for it all, and fuzzy accounting just pushed "so-called grant" money around and/or hasn't been accountable. At some point I hope the City Councilors realize that method of operation may not be best.

[Willy]

There is no way that entire area including the grassy sections can be completely sanitized. Children should not be allowed to play in that park. Even if they could sanitize it the chemicals themselves would not be good for the children's health. What a disaster, created by some very foolish people who think they own the town.

[AQUAMAN]

The sad and repeated things that happen here are that taxpayers have been ignored and criticized anytime they disagree with the COL's fixed agendas, simple as that. This whole idea was pushed and pushed, and even had kids put up as props in CC mtgs., to the point some of them broke down crying, all on video. Shameful and irresponsible actions will continue into perpetuity, just like the last 35 years of this. Good people for the public's best interest seldom run for any office/ward, they like their peace and tranquility, and that isn't something often appearing in these groups, sad.

[Freedom Seeker]

I agree, Aquaman, that the taxpayer citizen is largely ignored. The roads are so potholed on 1st St., Madison and parts of Washington that you can't avoid them even by going in the opposing lane there are so many and dips and sunken manholes. Our water prices have skyrocketed from what they were and taxes increase every year. What is the average taxpayer getting if you're not pushing for special interests like a splashpad or a covered farmer's market downtown?

[stump]

$125,000. wonder who pulled that number out of their a$$.  Put in  tank to catch the outfall , hook up a pump and water the park grass.

[XLFD]

I like that idea, I am not sure EGLE would.

[Willy]

[Freedom Seeker]

Lake Lady, I don't really like this recent slang term "karen" but I must use it here. Imo, nothing better represents what happened with the installation of the splashpad at Copeyon Park. By that I mean, a group of people who got together, in secret meetings, and demanded entitlement at the expense of everyone else--the angler and icefishermen whose waterfront is ruined, the people who liked a quiet walk, picnic and sunset, the dog walkers, the taxpayer who has to pick up the cost of maintenance, permits and insurance forever at the expense of these, and the geese. They supposedly raised enough money to install it, but the records have never been shown because they were a "private" group.

Even their night-time raids of chasing the geese away is not working, whatever harm is going on there. And it's not like they weren't warned and begged to put the splash pad elsewhere, if they raised the money. There is a group of people who work for the city who think they are entitled, above the law, above listening to the citizens and the karens worked through them.