Yeah, no doubt Duluth has its share of NIMBYs. Its very geography lends itself to some serious divisions, the most obvious being the east-west split. Trying to slap a single organizing body over that, whether in city government, the school district, or the hockey association, is naturally going to cause some messiness.PuckU126 wrote:Lee, Karl, care to interject?mnmouth wrote:Nobody in Duluth can agree on anything. It is the most backwards thinking, backstabbing community you could imagine. Put 5 Duluth civic leaders in one room and 5 monkeys in another and you would not be able to tell the difference upon entering either room. Same goes for their educational system, which obviously trickles down to the sports programs.
By what I've heard about the Duluth school system, youth system, politics and some people's interpersonal skills, I wouldn't object to that statement.
Still, because of that disconnect, I would not recommend generalizing about the entire city. Certain schools and certain neighborhoods are in much better shape than others. I had a very positive experience at the schools I went to, and the ongoing community loyalty I see suggests I wasn't an exception. Nor is it my impression that the city has gone to hell since I graduated--Duluth has been facing economic troubles for decades now, and that hasn't yet ruined East hockey or East high. If the community stays engaged in these schools and the hockey program, they will be fine. Not necessarily great, but fine.
As for the Miernecki piece, I certainly have never heard that angle before, but if anyone is in a position to know it's him. I'm also not sure what good it would do him to bring up this old topic now and make things up about it.