Thursday, 6/4

Well, it looks like the tours are a go.

If you've been reading these since the pandemic started you may recall that I've been wondering if I'll get to do my Jim Koski ™ walking tours for the Marquette Regional History Center this summer. Now that the state's stay-at-home order is lifted and now that the History Center itself is reopening June 15^th, the answer to my question is “yes”. A qualified “yes”, but it's still a “yes”.

And these days I'll take a qualified “yes”.

Here's why the yes is qualified. Despite the fact that the state's stay-at-home order is lifted, there is still a ban on gatherings of more than 99 people. Now, for most things that really doesn't matter, but seeing as how my tours average 160 or so people, and the last one I gave—South Marquette—almost topped 300, that could be a problem

Hmm.

Now, the possibility exists that the limit on gatherings may be raised by the time the first tour—Third Street Night & Day—rolls around July 8^th. That part of it wouldn't be a problem. But I do have a concern about socially distancing 99 or 160 or 300 people while walking up a street.

Is that even doable?

That's why the “yes” was qualified. I will be doing the tours, but we're just not quite sure what form they will take. One option is for me to give it several evenings in a row to smaller groups. That way, everyone who wanted to go could go, and hopefully we can maintain some kind of social distance. The other option would be to give the tour once, cap the number of people who are actually physically there, and then livestream it to everyone else. I think it's kind of a neat idea, but with one big problem.

I give these tours to make money for the History Center. Would people donate if they could only go virtually? Is there even a way for them to make a donation?

Once again, that's why the “yes” is qualified.

We still have a couple of weeks to figure things out before the first tour rolls around (the second, if you're curious, is in late August). We'll just have to see if that “yes” becomes more qualified or less qualified.

Keep your fingers crossed that it's the former.

(jim@wmqt.com)