
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels
UPDATE: SS Badger announced today that they would be delaying their sailing season to June 12th.
Local leaders are expressing concern about how the COVID 19 Pandemic will impact an otherwise busy summer tourism season.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels said of the S.S. Badger delaying the start of their season until June 12th and eliminating the evening commute to and from Ludington Michigan, “That’s very concerning. That’s going to have an impact on the community in many ways…That is definitely on the top of our radar.”
Nickels says another entity that could be impacted is the Aquatic Center. According to the Mayor, the City is having conversations about “what it would look like if we only had one or two months of the Aquatic Center instead of three or four.”
With Governor Evers extending his “Stay at Home” Order until May 26th, many traditional events such as the Memorial Day parade and ceremony, Fourth on the Shore and Sub Fest remains in limbo, but Mayor Nickels says “We need to give people some hope…that this is going to end. As long as we take it very seriously right now, hopefully, we can enjoy and appreciate all those events that we love in the warmer months.”
Nickels says although many communities have proceeded to cancel similar gatherings, he continues to take a “wait and see” approach adding he’ll make decisions based on what’s best for the health and safety of the city.