The Mysteriously Migrating Bulwark

[XLFD]

In the never-ending dumpster fire known as the year 2020, somebody has flipped a switch and society has went from "stay safe, stay home" to total civil unrest.  Protests turning into small riots have rocked Michigan's larger cities over the weekend, and something more viral than COVID-19 hit Mason County on Sunday night:  rumors of violent protests heading up from Muskegon by imported instigators.

JFK once said "A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."  He should have added rumors can be even more persistent.  It's unclear how the rumor germinated, but even before nightfall, Ludington police, county deputies, and practically everyone in the downtown was prepared for potential trouble in all of its forms by standing vigilant guard.  Thankfully, there was not even an after-hours peaceful protest.

It is unclear when it exactly happened, but Ludington's combination city hall and police department was surrounded earlier today by mobile barricades, in what looks to be a way to prevent anybody from driving a vehicle into the building-- at least from the east side (you may wish to tap the picture to see the barricades close up):

Was there any credible threats made to drive a vehicle into city hall?  There doesn't appear even to be a rumor from what I can find on-line, and so it seems an odd precaution, particularly since the barricade made up of detachable segments was all disassembled by the end of the day, and apparently placed downtown in the James Street plaza area (future Legacy Park):

Suggesting this was the same barricade, one notes the amount of segments look to be the same, and the footings indicate they weren't there for very long.  There appears to be nothing that these barricades are for as far as events are concerned.  Almost everything in June has been cancelled including the Farmer's Market, which usually has a similar footprint, but no barricades.  

Earlier today, the Ludington Torch put out an article about Puppies and Putters where at one point we were curious as to why the Ludington DPW had not worked at all cleaning or maintaining the West End Slab during this spring, I checked that it was still untouched by the end of the day, along with the playground and other unfinished projects.

It appears that Ludington's DPW was busy transporting, organizing and assembling barricades for the better part of the day for some unknown purposes when there is more important things to be done.

One guesses it keeps them busy and out of trouble, but there is still a lot to do down towards the beach, Ludington's main draw for tourists and main bit of pride for its locals.  It's a shame they have to waste a day doing non-essential work while our businesses in the downtown, deemed non-essential by other politicians, are forced to stay idle.

[shinblind]

With the cancellation of Ludington's other events it does give the city workers something to do, gets them out in the fresh air and sunshine and maybe an opportunity to collect a little weekend overtime. With all the craziness going on, it was probably better to protect city hall than not do nothing.

As for the reassembled barriers at Lunatic Park maybe they will be bringing back the iceless skating rink or a beer tent or some combination of the two.

Anyone have a clue if they are going ahead with the Freedom Festival?

[Epictetus]

After attending the Farmers Market last week, the barricades there were used to shuttle folks through and keep the distance between each other. At City Hall, not quite sure other than like you said X, must've been some sort of concern regarding a "riot", whatever that means in Ludington. 

As for the Freedom Festival, while I would love to be able to sit outside my house and watch the fireworks, I don't know how they will come up with the money to pay for the fireworks. A large number of their normal sponsors were shut down for significant periods this spring which means less money to donate. Hope the Jaycees can work something out, but not feeling good about it.

[XLFD]

Thanks for that information Epictetus, I had visited the city webpage and the Ludington Farmer's Market page on Facebook, and saw both said they were accepting no new vendors at this time.  Had I scrolled farther on the latter, I would have seen that they had already held it last week with social distancing in place, which precipitated the announcement I mistook the meaning of. 

The City DDA has just cancelled the four Friday Night Lives, which is somewhat understandable even when new guidelines allow gatherings of 100 people.  The Freedom Festival can hopefully still be saved, at least in part.

[Epictetus]

Agreed about FNL. While I do love them, I don't see how they are held with those arbitrary outdoor event limits. However, sounded like they are coming up with ideas to do smaller "events" that may not attract a ton of people at once, but to spread them out to different areas to help different businesses with foot traffic.

I have to ask, why did you include a picture of asparagus as now I am hungry!?!

[XLFD]

Only because there is nothing more representative of a local Farmer's Market in May and June than fresh Michigan asparagus, and few things more tasty at this point, unless you got some good old fresh Michigan morels to cook up with them.  The mushrooms do not seem to be as prolific as they were last year, so ration the ones you get accordingly.

The picture also says volumes in that you can tell it was taken in spring 2020 by the cloth facial coverings (aka masks) and shows the mobile bulwarks so integral to this article.  Can you imagine seeing this picture four months ago; your perception then might have been that the two women were robbing the vendor of her green goodness.

[Willy]

Really folks. This has to stop. Quarantining healthy people is insane and pointless. Closing businesses and cancelling events is even more insane. What are the Republicans in the State legislature waiting for. Pass a law over riding Whitmer's strangle hold on Michigan's citizens and economy. The police are as paranoid as Whitmer.