'Breaking a Legacy Park

[XLFD]

At noon today, the City of Ludington (COL) broke ground for the new Legacy Park, which apparently has gotten a $2.1 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to proceed with their plans.  The COL apparently found $210,000 secreted somewhere in their Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to match the grant, remarkable in that their prior budgets showed no such savings over the last ten years as they claim there to be.  The process to get this grant had its share of unanswered questions and fraud, from the 2018 TIF Plan to the MEDC grant application.

The event took place in what is currently named the James Street Plaza and what will eventually be transformed into Legacy Park.  With the mayor and a representative of the main contractors wielding shovels, they dug into the ground which formerly used to be where their small stage was.  

The groundbreaking was noticed with an alert that there may be a quorum of city councilors who may attend through invitation (thus running the risk of being a public meeting of the group if they conferred at all), but only two showed up:  Kathy Winczewski and Brandy Miller.  I counted five (out of 13) DDA members present so there was no issue that this could be considered a meeting.  

The usual supporting cast was present, with Jen Tooman, the DDA's marketing person, handling the camera (a mounted cellphone), and Heather Tykoski, the community development director, handling the emcee duties along with the mayor.  

Fortunately, this wasn't an affair where one city official praised one or more other city officials ad nauseum, though there was some of that in the brief ceremony.   The majority of the groundbreaking involved an abbreviated ritual by an authentic native American blessing the project by invoking the spirits of the four winds.  He was on the east portion of that journey when photographed:

This was followed by the usual group picture of those who made and will make this $2.4 million project possible.

Ms. Tykoski, you will notice, is the only one not wearing a mask in the picture (other than the contractor's representative who later donned one), I'm sure she didn't want the camera to miss the satisfaction on her face of getting this costly project's grant when many downtown businesses lost so much money this summer due to being closed down by the very state government giving away all of this money for 'placemaking' an area which is already a place.  

Video of the event was added to the DDA's Facebook page and is shown below:

[AQUAMAN]

And another grand waste of time and huge monies for a sad endless project that does nothing for infrastructure so badly ignored here in Ludville.

[Freedom Seeker]

True, Aquaman. I was thinking what's all this for? And it dawned on me that they "need" a firepit and covered shelter for the new year's ball drop, and other venues? And sheltered farmer's market. Should be nice and everyone can enjoy it, but it is irresponsible, imo, that our infrastructure and roads are neglected meanwhile and our rates just keep rising every year.

It's interesting that they've included Little River tribe and makes me think what propaganda they won't present to get a grant.

Of the two million dollar grant, what are there roughly 25 businesses, idk. But let's say 25 viable businesses could each receive $80,000 plus if they money was given directly to them. Now, will this covered pavillion and updated bathrooms give each business an $80,000 boost? This should be asked to the MEDC for blowing state money.

And where suddenly did the matching DDA money come from? Probably the same secret squirrel stash that the splash pad came from. Someone should be accountable to show these monies.

[Willy]

[Freedom Seeker]

I think it really nice the tribal spokesperson came and gave a Fourwinds prayer. Quite humbling, especially knowing of the legacy riverbank of bones.

We're going to need any kind of prayer we can get, but calling the ancestors out of their graves in Ludington may cause a few to roil their spirits at the legacy of our debt and deception.

[AQUAMAN]

And another question, where was the Kaye Holman character that started this nightmare in the first place? The closing of N. James St. was her bright idea to start with, and look what's it's turned into now. To think, that $2 Million could have paved a lot of streets, fixed hundreds of potholes, and many other needs of the taxpayers today.

[XLFD]

Aquaman, two noticeable absences yesterday were City Manager Mitch Foster and prior mayor and councilor Kaye Holman.  I can only hope that Foster's absence was due to an incomplete support of the project, had he done his research he would have seen the issues I had brought up with the TIF Plan and this grant application.  I also hope/believe he has enough common sense to realize with the $2.5 million designated to this fluffy placemaking project he could solve a lot of other city issues that have cropped up on his watch, and continue making the city more walkable/ridable.  Kaye Holman has had health issues of late which has prevented her from serving on city boards, one can gauge that she did not want to compromise her health any further.

FS, this would have been a total blah affair of officials saying how wonderful their fellow officials are, if not for the very personable tribal spokesperson and the rituals he invoked.  Maybe all that chlorinated water in PM Lake from the splash pad will keep those ancestors wanting fiscal accountability dormant.

[AQUAMAN]

This place, as I have said before, should be named Lunacy Park, which is much more fitting for it. This past spring Holman asked on FB where she could get a face mask to walk outside in the fresh air, Lunacy again showing it's face.

[XLFD]

You were the first to use that term here or other places, Aquaman.  One of your many legacies.

[Willy]

Aquamans's creative name fits more than just the park.

[Freedom Seeker]

XLFD, I think otherwise about the Earth and Water gods and chlorination leeching from the splashpad without proper disposal.  The god of all Great Fishermen should not be happy either as just a small amount of chlorination kills fish.  Anyone who has a fishbowl knows this also.   I liked that the Tribal spokesperson apologized to the Earth god for disturbing the earth "for progress."  If only he knew how many times the Legacy has been disturbed recently in the name of progress and greater progress.

[XLFD]

I meant the chlorine in the water would keep the ghosts and gods of our ancestors underwater, not bothering to come out because of the added acidity and toxicity.  

But thanks for reminding me about fishing and the long history of Copeyon Park as a great place to fish off the shore.  In the spring, plenty of fishermen were noticed around where the 'raw wastewater' pipe was located.  I haven't seen any fisherfolk hanging around that area all summer; fishing turned bad unless my observations are mistaken.  Thank your community development director for that who told news outlets there was permission for raw wastewater discharging there.

[Freedom Seeker]

I see your point, now, XLFD. But really?

The CDD actually told news outlet that raw wastewater discharge was ok? Was that in writing?

Walkup fishing at Copeyon isn't possible now with the long grass growing in the water bogs around and running off the "hump splashpad." Next they'll have mosquitos. Can't even walk there anymore. Ruined the whole place.