Amid about 40 neighborhood voices against turning Ordean Middle School into an eastern Duluth high school, Tom Kasper shared some positive news Saturday at Duluth Congregational Church.
Kasper, a resident of the Ordean neighborhood and a spokesman for the opposition group, said the plans for the site's stadium have been reduced to a practice field and that the number of necessary parking spots has been decreased.
Kasper used this message to encourage his neighbors to continue their opposition the School Board's plan for Ordean.
Doug Hildenbrand of Architectural Resources said the word "stadium" should not have originally been used. He described it as more of a "multi-purpose field" with an artificial surface.
Hildenbrand said decisions on whether to put a track around the field, lighting, fencing and seating need to be determined. He said the current 500-seat bleachers could be moved to the new field location, and an addition of 500 to 1,000 could be added.
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For one hour on Saturday, residents in the Ordean neighborhood were united in their opposition to the threat of eminent domain to remove homes to accommodate the parking spots and access roads, the environmental concerns and the influx of traffic.
Residents Nancy Johnson and Charlotte Boyd spoke about their adamant opposition to how their family homes are slotted to be taken.
"We are in this for the long haul," Johnson said about her "little piece of Camelot."
"We will not be taken over by this outrageous, outrageous plan," Boyd said. "We have run out of adjectives to describe this plan."
Kasper called the eminent domain plan on the Johnsons and Boyds a "despicable act."
Mayor Don Ness was in attendance and said the school district has a "bunker mentality" and should listen to the concerns of residents.
School board member Gary Glass advised the group to request time to speak at the School Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
