SOS Lifeguards for Ludington: Saving People not Ships

[XLFD]

Grassroots Effort to Build Awareness of Lifeguards at Stearns's Park Future

 

August 3, 2011, LUDINGTON, Mich. - In an effort to build awareness and support of the continued operation of the lifeguards at Ludington's city park beyond the 2010-2011 Budget Cuts, 6 members of the community have joined together to begin a grassroots effort- Save Our Swimmers!

 

Blog magnate XLFD, Dr. Edie Lindsey, Aquaman, Dave, Max, and Victoria George Cook have come together to spread the message that the Ludington Area needs the lifeguards at Ludington to continue operations beyond 2011 in order to remain a competitive player in the region’s tourism and manufacturing industries.

 

“There is a real possibility that the lifeguards may have to remain out of operation in 2012, but we are hopeful that the S.O.S. campaign will help demonstrate that our communities need the Stearn's beach lifeguards and influence wealthy cronies and the local government to come to an acceptable solution to continue operations”, XLFD, creator of the Ludington Torch said.

 

The S.O.S. Task Force has teamed up with Mayor Justin Nickels' poolboy from the City of Manitowoc and other members of the community to take on this issue together, as the Ludington lifeguard operations affect both communities.

 

“Our lifeguards are an important asset to both of our communities and surrounding regions,” XLFD said. “We look forward to working together with Manitowoc and bringing light to the issue at hand”.

 

“The lifeguard program really is the anchor of our community; it is the cultural, historical and economic centerpiece of Ludington” Dr. Edie Lindsey, SOS Task Force member and co-owner of a Dell computer said.

 

“The Save Our Swimmers campaign is focused on informing the public of the issue and gathering the community together to make sure that in the end, the lifeguards remains in service”, Victoria George Cook, co-owner of a fancy automobile added.

 

Save Our Swimmers is the beneficiary of the online auction of authentic lifeguard and beach artifacts taking place now through August 26th 6pm ET at www.ludingtonlifeguardstore.com/auction. Items include a life ring, rare photographs, captain’s jackets, swimsuits and many more historic artifacts.

 

The community is encouraged to get involved and join the S.O.S. Team help SAVE OUR SWIMMERS by visiting the S.O.S. website, www.soslifeguards4Lud.com.

 

[The above websites are not active, it is a lampoon of a campaign (in honor of The Ludington Diaries).  The text is a slightly modified version of the SOS Badger campaign, a campaign to raise awareness of the upcoming 2012 deadline for that ship.  Whatever will happen with the Badger will be the end result of how those at Lake Michigan Carferry deal with the EPA's (a government agency) dictates. 

Ergo, the government may shut this enterprise down in the same manner the lifeguard program was disabled.  The EPA made their decision by considering the health and safety of citizens; the Ludington City Manager made his decision with the absence of such considerations-- supposed potential liability issues being more important. 

Mayor Henderson is on record saying that re-instituting the lifeguard program was the best thing he had done, and many agree.  He has plugged it after its successes, and before he left it  in the deep water last year, he had only praise for it. 

Now he, and several other city employees devote their time to raising funds for an awareness campaign for a private business, when we had three deaths and no lifeguards last year.  Would lifeguards have saved any of those who drowned?   Anthony Goldsmith, I'm convinced, would have never drowned, and he is the person in the big 'O'  2010 Drowning .  To all those that knew and loved the man, I extend an apology from this Ludington citizen, in that we failed to have lifeguards in place last year and now you have not had his presence for nearly a year.  And now the dangerous season begins.  Take care everyone.]

[Sweater Cows!]

Oh boy, your bound to tick someone of with that one.

[Edie Lindsey]

Like me!  I part-own an Acer computer , not a Dell.  You could also attribute that 2010 drowning thread to me as well.

Nice to see the Hendersons are investing their time and other people's money into something other than the City Marina.  It would have been nicer if they did the same with the lifeguard program-- or felt the same about the fate of Pomorski's, PM Sports, or The Plaza.

I wonder if Penny is looking at this and saying "Ewww" again!

[XLFD]

Me bad-- that thread on Tony Goldsmith was yours, and it's one of my favorites of yours.  You actually showed that he was a person with a family, with one son who must forever carry the memory of seeing his father going under the waves in a heroic attempt to save another person.  Our local newspaper couldn't even give us any more than this about him, check out 'Goldsmith' in the archives and here's what they had to say about him: 

on Aug. 16, 2010  "A 44-year-old man from Lawton, Anthony Goldsmith, drowned in a rough and tumble Lake Michigan Sunday."

and the year end news summaries on Dec. 31, 2010 "Swimmer drowns at Stearns Park.  A 44-year-old Lawton man drowned in rough water at Ludington’s Stearns Park Aug. 15. An unsuccessful search that day failed to find Anthony Goldsmith’s body, and it was recovered early the next morning after it washed up on the beach." 

Very compassionate, the Ludington Daily News is.  NOT.  They didn't even have the compassion to tell us about him and the heroic gesture he did out at Stearn's Beach that day.

[Willy]

Why doesn't Ludington's officials use some of the bribe money paid to the County by Consumers Energy which enable them to get the illegal zoning variance to install those monsters generators? After all corrupt goverment officials should at least be cooperating with each other. That's the least we can expect of them.

[XLFD]

I agree, Willie.  By no means does Ludington have the market cornered on corruption in this area.  If I had a little bit more time and brain capacity, I could bring some more of the County's questionable activities to the front.  Maybe next year..., I need to focus on Denialville this year.

[AQUAMAN]

Took a couple quick pics the other day when the beach was very crowded and busy, guess what? The Beach Patrol, now with 2 young men in it, wasn't even on the north end of Stearns, they were on the south end beach where only a few scant swimmers were, and sat there for the entire duration of my lunch at Loomis St. ramps without even moving, some 30 minutes and more. This is guarding the public's safety?

[XLFD]

Dick & Wally's Recovery Rangers are just doing some... recovering.

If the beach was busy, this was probably for the best.  Can you imagine the City's liability if they accidentally rolled over someone who covers themself with sand on the beach? 

The City Council would then have to pass a law saying that covering yourself with sand at the City Beach is illegal, and have areas restricted to the Recovery Ranger buggy exclusively.

[Marty Redman]

I never did get the idea behind the SOS Badger thing.  How would buying an overpriced T-shirt save the Badger? 

 

I heard the proceeds from the sales would go back into buying more promotional materials to broaden the awareness.  That can only go so far.  You either wind up with a warehouse full of T-shirts and water bottles, or a lot of money that finds its way back to individuals.  And no other individual likes unearned money more than public servants in a non-profit org. 

 

Nah, if you want to save the Badger, get as far away from politicians as you can get.  Maybe Carferry CEO Manglitz will show hes more Man than Glitz and solve this problem without relying on politicians with good intentions.  As you say, these SOSers are one and the same of the people who got the carferry in this mess. 

 

I see more clearly why the local pols don't like you now.  You don't pull your punches in your writing.  You take care as well.

[Robert]

See there was a rip current incident in Pentwater yesterday. Ludington needs lifeguards, NOW! A small expenditure in the scheme of things for a resort community of this size. Bottle Bob can do nothing more than call 911 like a hundred other beach users. You may have some trained heroes on hand and you may not. Seconds matter in these situations. not signs, phones and life rings.

[AQUAMAN]

You hit a nail on the head there Robert, very well said. I'm also praying for that 13 year old girl in Pentwater at Mears State Park that is now in critical condition, no thanks to lack of Lifeguards also needed there desperately. People not originally from here need to study our area of Lk. Michigan before they make hasty budget decisions as of late here, to fully understand it's inherently dangerous yet beautiful history. It's been a graveyard of ships and lost souls for centuries.

[Robert]

Last I read the child was on life support to allow harvest of her organs. Just a shame and a tragedy that might have been prevented even though the NWS had issued a warrning.

[XLFD]

Sorry to report that this girl died, as reported in today's LDN:  LDN Delilah Perez

Delilah was a member of the Ludington community, and I hope for once, the officials in charge of figuring out whether to fund lifeguard programs take note.

I'm all for parents looking after their kids at the beach, and being aware of the conditions, but not all parents have rescue skills or equipment, and some people like being out in wavy conditions. 

There's nothing around here that compares to swimming in Lake Michigan; let's have lifeguards be available and not have to deal with swimming deaths in City/Town swimming areas.