Duluth mayor offers city help to solve Congdon Park ice rink problem
February 7, 2012 at 6:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
Mayor Don Ness has offered the city’s support in resolving the saga of the Congdon Park ice rinks.
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Duluth mayor offers city help to solve Congdon Park ice rink problem
28 Comments
Oh dear. We seem to have infinite amounts of money available here in Duluth?? Why oh why are we thinking of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep an ice rink at Congdon?? Folks, it might just be time to admit that an ice rink there is not essential to the school or the community and look to consolidate these activities at other rinks. And the fact is no other elementary school in the city has an ice rink – why does Congdon need that, and why does the entire community need to pay such a steep price for it?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I would agree with Duluthian if this discussion were only about ice rinks, but it is not. The kids at Congdon need somewhere outside to exercise and play during the months of the year when there is not ice. Our kids deserve better than playing on a rubberized surface with all of the kids crammed onto the playset or paved areas because we can’t figure out how to get them some green space. Even if they ditch the rinks at Congdon altogether the kids still need a playing field. Do we need three rinks – how about two? And can’t we put up rinks without a warming shack for awhile? Heck, we skate at Congdon a lot when the shack is not open, even on cold days with young kids along. The warming shack can be built later, after there has been some fundraising. In this scenario, the school can make the first donation in exchange for tearing down the shack that the Congdon Club already spent a lot of money building.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I don’t like the rubberized surface either (artificial turf I guess). It’s expensive and wears out too.
That’s why I think the rinks just need to go, and Congdon just needs to have a nice normal playing field with grass, just like every other elementary school.
Even if this happens, I am absolutely certain any child who wants to play hockey or go skating with their family will still be able to do it (somewhere else, not all that far away from Congdon).
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Why should the kids at Congdon School be any different then the kids at the rest of the city. You should go out west and see if any schools have green fields to play in. They all have a playground set and maybe a basketball court. If the Congdon are residents “need” to have this for their kids then let them pay for it.
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They have paid for it, that’s why it’s such a tough pill to swallow now that they want to pave over it to park cars.
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Has everyone forgotten this is the Red Plan. It doesn’t matter what makes sense or what people want. Whatever gives Johnson Controls the most money is what will be done.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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This group of hockey parents are out of line. They are aggressive and demanding. This is a no brainer. Education takes a higher priority than hockey anyday. If you have one less rink and real grass to play on is that the end of the world? These hockey parents drive all over the region and state on weekends so now they can’t drive to another rink in the city, Portman or Chester? Sometimes people get stuck on stupid. Good thing the mayor offered some of that levy money to ease those hockey parents pain. After all, he is the one to run a city levy the same time as the district levy during a rotten economy. Maybe he feels a little responsible.
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The parents are parents of elementary school aged children who are not playing on traveling teams. The vast majority of their games and practices are held outside, they may play in an indoor tournament once or twice a year as far away as Two Harbors.
They are not the ones fighting for turf or anything beyond having rinks at Congdon.
There have been rinks at Congdon since my parents went to school there back in the day and the rinks are incredibly popular in the community.
There is a solution somewhere, just like with every other problem people need to stop b!tching about the ‘other side’, put down the sarcasm, and meet in the middle.
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This is not only about hockey. If the rinks go by the wayside and the plan moves forward, the kids will have a metal and plastic playset over rubber and that’s about it. The rest of the Congdon campus will be parking lot and drop-off area. The rinks are not in the plan because there is no room for playing field/green space/ice rinks at all. There is only room for a new parking lot. The only way the kids get any green space at all is if the plan is modified somehow. Ice rinks or not, this is not about hockey. It is about a bad building plan on a too-small site. The kids need playing space, maybe that comes as ice rinks for a few months, but the rest of the school year those rinks are a field. Give up the rinks and you are also giving up the field. I am glad the “hockey” people are being demanding on this one, because no one seems to be speaking for a need of an elementary school to have a play field for things like physical education class. Where are they going to play tag and learn how to play softball and soccer? Physical education and recreation are proven components of a successful school. Whether it is an ice rink or green fields, these kids need some space.
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The reality is though that you can have an ice rink, or you can have a green space with natural grass. The two just don’t mix. So if you really want that ice rink, you give up the green space, or vice versa. I’d prefer the green space because I think more kids would use it more often.
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What is the plan for out west or are we back to the “east cake eaters” versus the “working west”
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Seriously? Get over it already! East vs West? The people in the East don’t cry every time those in the West get something new- we are actually happy and applaud any new development in the city. Isn’t it time for this rivalry b.s. to be laid to rest, and for ALL of us to work together and support each other? I, personally, would LOVE to see EVERY school have a rink. This is MN, after all. It just so happens that Congdon does have a rink, built and maintained by volunteers for 80+ years, and this RED Plan wants to demolish it. Why is it so difficult to understand why parents, grandparents and great-grandparents might be annoyed with this? Of course the club can break up and move to other rinks, but that is one less team for the rest of the teams within the city to play against. Who wouldn’t stand up for a place where their children and their friends play, where families bond, and where traditions are made? Who’s to say that your rink won’t be next?
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The real issue is: Do we need a 75 car parking lot at a grade school? I love seeing the kids outside exercising and appreciate the quality of life the rink adds to the area. I am not sure about the artificial turf, but maybe that works.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Why spend any more than we have to? The school needs a parking lot… so use the space where they already purchased homes to make one and leave the rinks as they are.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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A parking lot isn’t free. Why not sell those houses back and leave some tax payers in our community? I think it’s a pretty sad day when we start demolishing homes to build parking lots. Given a choice between saving homes and saving an extra large ice rink, I’m with the homes.
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$150,000 to 400,000 for a warming shack???? Please tell me that is a typo! That just can’t be correct.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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A $400,000 warming shack? When can I move in???
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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funny how earlier this story had a direct link from the healined pictures now it is changed to Madonna’ cocert future I guess the paper didn’t want too many comments
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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now its back to a direct link
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Oh dear Ness is getting involved. Sure that won’t come out well for us hard working tax payers! If DAHA can’t afford to keep the rink up get rid of it. There is plenty of places available. Come to the west side or woodland or even the one on Arlington ave. with your children. We have plenty and at the cost of parents voluteering to keep up and open our rinks. Give it a try maybe some pride can be felt instead of taking from everyone in Duluth to fund your excusive rink(s).
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Mayor Ness needs to go back to dealing with more important things, like his anti-white campaign.
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If every other elementary school in Duluth has 3 rinks, a modern/expensive warming house and astro-turf, then so should this one.
If the others don’t, perhaps the city should be careful of playing favorites.
Just because a school has always had 3 rinks, doesn’t mean it’s cost effective to keep up the ‘tradition’.
If this is the first move the city makes with it’s newly acquired “parks” funding, my guess is a lot of voters will be sorry they approved it.
The more this whole ‘red plan’ thing plays out, the less it seems like there was actually any real planning involved.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Have Meierhoff pay for the rinks out of his family’s money.
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Meierhoff is the rink director, a volunteer position. He hasn’t asked for a single penny from anyone. The dollar number for a new warming shack was thrown out by Mayor Ness. Nice, and very mature of you, however, to take a personal jab at a man that is simply fighting for something that means something to him, his family and thousands of other people. Hope you feel better.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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There has been a parking issue on Greyslon for years, the school system has purchased the homes, now just vacate the street problem solved.
Hockey stuff is already there, let the overweight adults walk a few extra steps along with parents from distant parking, no need for them to park next to door like at Mall.
Mayor Donny should keep his nose to more important items and not be spending money where not advertised in his original threats.. Or did he take too much..
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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How about this? We request a waver from State regulations about school parking lots and keep everything like it is, like it’s been for 30 years WITH NO PROBLEMS. Then we don’t have to spend anything.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Dave, I love this idea. Ditch the parking lot! So simple.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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And I’m not being sarcastic. Congdon ir right on a bus line.
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