Duluth Easts future.....

[karl(east)]

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.

Lee, Karl, care to interject?

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.

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.

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.

[tezer13]

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.

Lee, Karl, care to interject?

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.

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.

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.

I actually heard just the other day that East had applied this last year to join the LSC and were rejected. The source was very reliable. I did not know they had been trying and was actually surprised.

It certainly makes more sense now, East already plays 3 of them regularly, Cloquet, Superior and Denfeld. Marshall and Hermantown seem to be the games everyone wants. That only leaves Proctor and Ashland (that could be ugly), but overall it is not like it was with Silver Bay, Two Harbors etc. And back then when East left (or was kicked) Marshall and Hermantown were not good programs at all - though Hermantown was on the rise. Very interesting.

Maybe if all those schools read this thread about the Demise of East, they will let them back in

[luvuvgame]

I think if they were to go back into the LSC then all the bad things everyone has been talking about will probably happen. The independent schedule East has the ability to put together is a tremendous benefit to the program. To lose those highly competitive games to Conference games would hurt them tremendously. When you are a single A size school (this seems to get forgotten quite a bit by the way) opting up to AA hockey those games against other AA schools are very important & if that makes the other schools feel bad because they don't want to leave their cozy little blanket that is single A, especially northern single A hockey, then too frickin bad for them! East moving back into LSC would be devastating.

For those of you from Duluth that think the programs are dying up here then get off your A$$ go down to one of the local rinks and volunteer your time! If you truly care and aren't just bitching to bitch then help out I promise you the appreciation the kids will have will make it well worth your while...and you can take pride in keeping Duluth hockey relavent for years to come!