Hennepin County and the Nation focus on #racialhealing - Can Orono City Council Do the Same?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Hennepin County and the Nation focus on #racialhealing - Can Orono City Council Do the Same?

Ask #MayorDennyWalsh and the rest of Orono City Council to address #racialhealing in Orono. Both Orono City Council member #RichardCrosby and Orono's Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) Representative #RichAnderson need to hear how their language and actions affect women, minorities and others in Orono and our sister communities. Stand up against hate. Stand up for all Citizens in Orono and attend City Council meetings to make your voices heard.

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Where is the Revised Hackberry Park Plan? Why isn't it part of the Grant Packet for 9/25/23?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Where is the Revised Hackberry Park Plan? Why isn't it part of the Grant Packet for 9/25/23?

Once again we are discussing lack of process with the #OronoCityCouncil and #mayorwalsh

Apparently Mayor Walsh has been communicating with only one resident to revise the last publicly shared Hackberry Park Plan. Where is the new revised plan for Hackberry Park? This plan is part of a grant application that is up for approval tomorrow Monday, September 25 at the Orono City Council meeting.

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Why is Mayor Walsh Paving over T-Ball?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why is Mayor Walsh Paving over T-Ball?

It's almost Hackberry Park's 50th Anniversary and look what's happening. The City of Orono wants to pave over one of the T-ball fields for a parking lot. How about parking on the Willow side and two T-ball fields so that next year can be a celebration and not a sad event with more hardcover?

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Stop Orono Grant Funding for Parks We Don't Want
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Stop Orono Grant Funding for Parks We Don't Want

Orono City Council and Park Commission are trying to railroad through a Park Plan without Citizen input for grant applications. Once these applications are funded, the Park must include those features to which the grant applies i.e. Softball Field and yet another Soccer field.

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Who puts a parking lot in the middle of a Park?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Who puts a parking lot in the middle of a Park?

Hackberry Park Plan was presented and approved in one City Council meeting Monday August 28, 2023. There will not be a public hearing. There has not been any information in the city’s newsletter. This has all been decided by a couple of park commissioners and the city council - less then 10 people.

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The Orono 7: Civil and Federal Lawsuits Pending
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

The Orono 7: Civil and Federal Lawsuits Pending

The Orono 7. Is the City of Orono gambling away our future? There are seven active lawsuits right now against the City of Orono, et al, and four of them made it over the hurdle of dismissal already.

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Where is Orono's Fiscally Conservative Leadership?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Where is Orono's Fiscally Conservative Leadership?

It’s not Orono Mayor #SpendyDenny Walsh who wants to spend millions more of your tax dollars for a duplicate Fire Department we don’t want or need. This after placing Orono in higher debt than ever in history - $19 million plus interest - #MayorDennisWalsh raised city taxes 20.77%. last year.

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Orono's Apparent Conflicts of Interest
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono's Apparent Conflicts of Interest

Let us count some of many ways it appears there are conflicts of interest in Orono:

1) #MayorDennisWalsh will not survey the Orono citizens, nor will he listen to repeated requests for budget information regarding two of Orono’s largest projects ie: “The Taj Mahal Maintenance Shed” and the Duplicate Fire Department. Clearly, he appears to have his own agenda, and isn’t this in direct conflict with his duties as Orono Mayor to act on behalf of the citizens?

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Happy Mother’s Day!
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Happy Mother’s Day!

All along the Luce Line Trail there are patches of blooming Bloodroot. This little white single flower is nested with lobed leaves. The flower only lasts a day or two so if you see these it's a lucky sighting.

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