Who is creeping around your back door? #mariaveach
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Who is creeping around your back door? #mariaveach

Who is creeping around your back door?

It might be Orono Council member Maria Veach. Seems she's been emailing and apparently lobbying for Orono Fire behind the scenes with various Fire Fighter wives. Is Ms. Veach lobbying for herself? Orono Fire is the same department her husband works for and will receive a pension from.

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5/28/24 Orono City Council Stands in Front of the Officers and Explorers
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

5/28/24 Orono City Council Stands in Front of the Officers and Explorers

Monday, May 28, 2024, the Orono City Council meeting, a ceremony was held for two new police officers and a recognition of the group of Orono Police Explorers. This is the photo that was posted of the event.

To our new officers and Explorers - please note that the Orono citizens hold you front and center in appreciation for your work. This photo unfortunately showcases three city council members hamming it up in front of the good work you do. This photo should not be about a campaign opportunity, but rather showcase Police officers and the Explorers.

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Were Citizens asked about the Duplicate Fire Service?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Were Citizens asked about the Duplicate Fire Service?

Orono Citizens want to know why they haven't been asked if they want a fire department. At costs estimated in the tens of millions, many residents are saying no to duplicate fire service.

Please attend City Council meetings and make your voices heard on the public record.

#togetherwearebetter @friendsoforono

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Navarre and Surrounding Residents Should be Concerned
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Navarre and Surrounding Residents Should be Concerned

With the new Orono Fire Department July 1st start just a month away, a concerned Orono Citizen asked the biggest questions of all - "Who is going to show up if I call the Fire Department?"

Little information from the City of Orono is cited and fear of lack of Fire Department training also mentioned for this Navarre and surrounding area Orono Fire Department zone.

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Walsh, Crosby and Veach Break Open Meeting Law, Again?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Walsh, Crosby and Veach Break Open Meeting Law, Again?

During the "For Profit" Pavilion ground breaking, Mayor Walsh and Orono Council members #richardcrosby and #mariaveach decided to hold a quorum without notifying the Citizens of Orono.

This appears to be yet again another violation of Open Meeting Law https://mn.gov/admin/data-practices/meetings/rules/

This law is in place to protect the Citizens so that they can know what is happening and participate in the governance of their community.

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Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?

Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?

During the 4/22/24 City Council meeting, Ms. Veach brought up how she is trying to build trust with the community. One must earn trust, and when a relationship is so damaged by several factors, it may be an impossible hill to climb.

Since #mariaveach was appointed to the city council without a public interview, many factors keep building mistrust with the reasons she was selected.

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Why has Maria Veach flip flopped on her opinion of Orono Fire?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why has Maria Veach flip flopped on her opinion of Orono Fire?

Is Maria Veach Misleading the Public?

When Orono Council member Maria Veach spoke on 4/8/24 at the Orono City Council meeting she read a document that we now have up on our website here: https://www.friendsoforono.org/maria-veach-1 There are many misnomers and several misleading statements that we will highlight throughout the coming weeks.

How can Ms. Veach advocate spending several times more for service that is essentially the same or that may be even less safe?

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4/10/24 Coffee with Mayor: Shame&Blame LL, Citizens; Misquotes, Misinformation, Meanness, &Dating??
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

4/10/24 Coffee with Mayor: Shame&Blame LL, Citizens; Misquotes, Misinformation, Meanness, &Dating??

More Unbelievable Conversation with Orono City Officials

Listen to Mayor Walsh and Orono Planning Commissioner Dennis Libby deflect, distract and appear to blame and shame not only a Citizen at the meeting, but the City of Long Lake public officials as well.

Listen to Orono/Long Lake Firefighter apparently misquote Long Lake Mayor Miner, and then disparage the City of Long Lake.

Listen to Orono City Council member Maria Veach compare the process of fire service negotiations to her own experience of “dating in high school.” She is also taking credit for bringing the two “sides” together apparently against open meeting law.

The Citizen attending the meeting did point out that the Orono City Council does vote against Staff recommendations regularly, so if there is a plan from the two City Administrators/Fire Chiefs put forth, what will stop Walsh from block-voting against it? (Great point and this entire exercise may be a complete waste of time as the earlier Seals/Johnson negotiations were. And remember, Walsh cut the cord on communication just as there appeared to be an agreement.)

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Why doesn't Council member Veach follow our laws?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why doesn't Council member Veach follow our laws?

Why is Maria Veach taking it upon herself to singly negotiate with the City of Long Lake?

According to Orono Municipal Code, Ms. Veach cannot be exercising control over the administration of the city in trying to seek concessions from the city of Long Lake. At the very least she should have had City Administrator Edwards with her and a majority vote of the council allowing her to approach Long Lake officials on city business.

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Breaking News: City of Orono Appears to Break Open Meeting Law
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Breaking News: City of Orono Appears to Break Open Meeting Law

BREAKING NEWS: The CITY OF ORONO appears to have BROKEN OPEN MEETING LAW again.

On Monday January 8th, 2024 three Orono City Council members gathered at the Long Lake Fire Department’s “Pinning Ceremony.” Orono Council members #MariaVeach, #MattJohnson and #RichardCrosby attended without a public announcement of a quorum (half or more members of City Council) to the Citizens of Orono.

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Another Land Giveaway to the Wealthy in Orono
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Another Land Giveaway to the Wealthy in Orono

Over the past few years Mayor Walsh and three members of the Orono City Council have approved land giveaways and sales to Wealthy Lake Minnetonka homeowners. Some of these homeowners are Orono Public officials.

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Breaking News: Hackberry Grant to Eliminate T-Ball Fields is Denied
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Breaking News: Hackberry Grant to Eliminate T-Ball Fields is Denied

Breaking News

The 6th wealthiest city in Minnesota (Orono according to Forbes) was denied Hennepin County funding for the Hackberry Park project that meant losing two T-Ball Fields.

This is great news for baseball and T-ball enthusiasts because those two Hackberry fields are the only dedicated T-Ball fields in all of Orono. Mayor Walsh wanted them gone in lieu of another softball field, and multi use field we don't need or want.

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Say No to Christmas Fireworks in Orono
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Say No to Christmas Fireworks in Orono

Orono City Council does it again. Sets off thousands of dollars of Fireworks on the wrong holiday for their own enjoyment. Citizens are voicing their concerns here: https://www.friendsoforono.org/oronosunrest

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Is Mayor Walsh Pushing T-Ball out of Orono with Youth Sports Orgs?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Is Mayor Walsh Pushing T-Ball out of Orono with Youth Sports Orgs?

Is #MayorWalsh is wiping out T-ball fields in Orono so that he can put another nonregulation sized Soccer field in? Looks like this is an inside deal with #MariaVeach (Orono Westonka Treasurer) again.

The Hackberry Hill neighborhood and the Baseball Association want two T-ball fields. Orono Parks Superintendent #JoshLemons says that he is not going to follow the neighborhood's wishes because there are others out there that want a substandard another sized soccer field? Weren't you just complaining about Bederwood's substandard sized soccer field in a recent meeting Mr. Lemons?

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Who is Maria Veach? What are her motivations?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Who is Maria Veach? What are her motivations?

Something just isn’t right with Orono City Council member Maria Veach. She has two more conflicts of interest added to her list of seven.

The Orono City Council is hiring her Long Lake Firefighter husband on Monday, October 9, 2023. Why is she not recusing herself from all Fire related voting and negotiation?

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