Third rink likely too pricey for Congdon Park Elementary School
September 10, 2012 at 4:19 pm in Duluth News Tribune
The final major bid package for the Duluth school district’s Red Plan will go to a vote next week, and it leaves little room for that third rink at Congdon Park Elementary School.
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Really? Now they are worried about the budget? Might have had a few bucks left to make this work – considering they tore down and destroyed what these community members paid for over the years – had they had a bit of restraint early on. Not to mention all the money wasted on mistakes that had to be corrected..
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WHAT? What the “H” are you smoking Doug? It is no wonder that people in your district told you to take a hike when you tried to get elected to the screwel board. Nut jobs need not apply.
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ulysses – I for once agree with you.
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To avoid these issues, the district should have hired a good landscape architect from the beginning.
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I understand that when you get to the end of any project, looking back you might find ways to save money….hindsight and the whole 20/20 thing…but these rinks are very important to the quality of life…perhaps the City can contribute something from the $60,000.00 matching funds toward the cost of this wall.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Do all Duluth elementary schools have three rinks? If not how about the quality of life in those neighborhoods? What about equality of opportunity?
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HAHAHAHA, Like those out East have ever shown much of a concern for those out West!
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Since DNT won’t allow comments on the Seaway Hotel story, I’ll post it here. Why does the Seaway owner Mr. Cala get to access $100,000 from the Flood Relief Fund when his building was not damaged by the flood of 2012? Instead it’s in a state of disrepair due to his lack of basic general maintenance! He’s taking $100,000 out of the fund that should go to the thousands of homeowners that actually had flood damage and had wet basements, ruined furniture, walls, carpets, etc. Rewarding this slumlord for pocketing his rent checks and disregarding his property is completely wrong and a fraudulent use of the Flood Relief Fund. Where’s the outrage with this blatant theft from the real flood victims? Quote from the story: “Caya will make needed repairs with the help of a $100,000 emergency flood repair loan from the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund”
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In regards to this Congdon story, why is the Duluth School Board worried about a budget now? They never have been in the past! They’ll blow any budget if the result is a benefit to themselves, but when it comes time to simply REPLACE what they TOOK FROM THE KIDS, oh no! Can’t pay for that. Disgusting. By slowly taking away all the outdoor pleasure rinks and hockey rinks, the City and School Board are doing a great disservice to the children of Duluth by taking away their places to exercise during our long winters. Instead they will stay inside and be unhealthy playing video games. Nice priorities School Board.
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It seems to me that the district has just about bent over backwards to accomodate a third party who has been using school district property rent free for decades.
If you’re really interested in helpin youth hockey in Duluth, focus your attention, labor and money out west where the outdoor rinks are just about gone.
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Even a blind squirrel can occasionally find a nut. Doug you finally found a tidbit of truth to post about. I am amazed.
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I agree. How many rinks do all the other Elementary Schools have? I don’t see this as a School District concern. More Like a Congdon Hockey Problem. Do what others have done in the past Congdon people. Find a new location, and put some elbow grease into it. And quit whinning!
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Maybe they can put the third rink over at the high school. They have extra room as they built the track too big.
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Wow, can you feel the class warfare?! ?
This is not about a school having something that the others don’t. These rinks have been used for DECADES by the community,..at no charge to the public. Free outdoor winter entertainment provided by regular old hockey parents who have put in 100′s if not 1000′s of volunteer hours throughout those decades to maintain and run the rinks. Oh, and not everyone on the East side of town is rollin’ in the cash. Most of us are no different then those folks on the West side. We have our struggles too.
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I still say they should have considered Woodland as an alternate to the Congdon site. All kinds of room at Woodland. But the plan is what it is. Not much the district could do if the homeowners refused to sell. I guess 2 rinks are better than none.
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Unless we are talking High School Hockey, this has nothing to do with schools. I grew up playing hockey in Duluth. Back when there were no less than 15 Community Clubs. I remember parents working long hours to keep these rinks in good shape. Several locations had 2 rinks. I specifically remember my Community Club and rinks which were relocated. Most of the work was done by the parents. We didn’t expect the School District to cover it. Nor did we ask for more than most other clubs currently had. Find some space, and work together to make it happen if thats your desire.
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The rinks and warming shack were built and paid for by private donations from hockey parents. The facility was maintained by hockey parents, but also used by countless kids, families and students as a skating rink. The hockey people gladly shared the facility with anyone who wanted to skate at Congdon.
This is not an East/West issue. Congdon Hockey supports all rinks in the city. The current group donated money to help Irving deal with their flood and also donated equipment to GMP to cover their losses from a fire.
This is not a financial issue. The school board has routinely blown past budget issues, and most on this board are not qualified to negotiate construction contracts, and even less capable when it comes to handling change orders, adders, and typical issues people from the private sector learn to address on a daily basis. Remember, this is the same group that spent over $20 million on pools (nice to have to be sure but how many in our climate participate in swimming programs – like Fort Lauderdale deciding to build indoor hockey rinks and eliminate community pools).
The school board demolished the warming shack and decided to pave over 2/3s of the area once used by the skating rinks. Once those decisions were made, these rinks were eliminated. The retaining wall is a smokescreen. The school board has no intention of allowing skating to take place at this site.
The Congdon people made all of this clear to the school board last year and they understood exactly what was going to happen. The comments from Gronseth, Wasson and Kasper are outright lies and they know full well that what they are saying is not true. Two rinks instead of three? After demolishing an existing community facility and reducing available space by 2/3s? Please. They are trying to manipulate the community, hoping that the same old East/West battles will keep them from having to answer for what they did here.
Make no mistake about this situation, regardless of what preconceived ideas you may have: these people are in control and they will steamroll anyone who gets in their way. This massive construction project is a means of boosting their massive egos, without any consideration of what they are destroying in the process.
Spending has been out of control from the outset. All that is left is to determine who will eventually pay for the checks these fools are writing. There is nothing of value for this group to sell. They can only cut costs (teachers, staff and health care) and squeeze the public. Be careful. You might be the next group to find yourself on the chopping block.
The local leader of Johnson Controls said at a school board meeting last year that he would gladly hitch up a tool belt and come down and help the community rebuild the warming shack. What a clown. I’m sure this fella couldn’t swing a hammer if his life depended on it.
This is not about hockey. This is about irresponsibility, incompetence and arrogance.
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What was built first? The school or the rinks? I guess those folks in support of Congdon Hockey should of known they had a good deal for a long time and sould of considered alternative locations. Almost sounds like a deer hunter complaining about losing his stand in a state forest.
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The long and short of it…..the school needs to take priorty on the site over the hockey rinks. It shouldn’t be a hockey complex that just happens to have some extra room for the school. Not every child plays hockey. It would seem that being able to put 2 rinks on the site is a decent compromise. I’m not bashing those people who are into hockey. Shouldn’t people be happy that the school is being upgraded? Or doesn’t education matter any more? I mean is shooting da puck more important than reading and math?
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John…You are absolutely right. Schools are far more important than skating rinks. Not a single person from the Congdon Hockey program would dispute that education is more important than rinks. The Red Plan stopped being about education $100 million ago.
Buildings do not educate kids. Teachers educate kids. There must be a balance between the quality of the facility and the quality of the teaching staff. We are going to have new buildings, but each class will be crammed with kids as teachers are let go and others leave because their health care and benefit packages are gutted to pay for the buildings.
Many have tried to persuade them to reign things in, and balance their approach, but they keep printing checks. This group of elected officials will go down in local history as the most inept and irresponsible board ever assembled.
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I agree. I think that some form of the red plan was needed. The issue is how the plan was executed. If the district had been more careful with spending they may have had more flexibility in the end. As it stands…they are way over budget. The district missed a huge opportunity to prove they could deliver the goods. I would take the run down schools with a full staff of teachers over what we have now.
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I believe the most incompetent person on the screwel board is probably Wasson. She did not understand finances, budgets, the bidding process, change orders and cost over-runs. When she first started demonstrating incompetence shouldn’t the citizens of the district she represents clipped her wings or even replaced her? Or is her incompetence OK until it starts to affect Congdon Hockey? BTW: What district does she represent?
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Don’t forget Mary Cameron. Hard to say who on the board is the worst. I don’t see another levy passing until we get rid of those responsible for the mess we are in. They can hold all of the town hall meetings they want and they will still be turned down for money.
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John….we hope they will be turned down for more cash! We all have to remember, around this area……they always keep voting in the same folks….again, and again, and again! The voters have a problem…..thinking about what their representatives have done and with educating themselves about what the candidates are actually saying……AND, what the candidates are NOT saying…..through their actions and what they lie about!
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At least we are not as bad off as Chicago. What a mess that is! The teachers are among the highest paid anywhere. They are being offered 16 percent over 4 years. They are upset that Emanuel has increased the length of the school day and the school year. They also want to be able to get rid of underperforming teachers. All this in a city where 8 out of 100 African American males graduate with a 4 year degree.
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My child used the rinks when he attended Congdon as something they did for recess…they were not just for hockey’s use. By the time he attended Lester Park, due to us moving, the rink there was gone. It’s unfortunate, because not only is it good exercise, it teaches kids balance and to use more muscles than it takes to lay around playing video games all day.
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My son is new to the district and is in the after school program. Check out their “handbook”, they describe the program in about 3 sentences then go on for several paragraphs outlining the fee schedule and punitive damages you’ll be charged in 15 minute increments if you’re late for any reason. Seriously, they hardly talk about the kids care, activities, programs, nothing, it’s ALL about the money. There’s even a 10 dollar “finders fee” if they lose your kid or have to look for them, that was encouraging to read. Not like it’s cheap either, $150 a month, I was pretty disgusted by the whole thing. I understand there are costs and there needs to be rules but this is simply a tacky sign of their desperation. The district has apparently become a “for profit”.
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