Check This Out

This page is intended for Pataskala and area residents to voice their opinions on current issues facing our great city. These are from the people only, not from the creators of this website. If you would like to express your thoughts, criticisms, complaints - do so at the bottom of this page. Just remember, if you have a complaint, also include your suggestion to correct it.

8/03/2004

This is Andy Felty, former resident of the great metropolis of Outville. I graduated from WMHS in 1985 and moved to California after joining the Marines. I just recently relocated to Yuma, Arizona after 18 years in the Republic of California and LOVE it here. I sure do miss Pataskala though. Yeah, I'm serious. Went back in '98 and ate at Capuano's and visited the old stomping grounds- so many good memories I could fill a book. I've always regretted rushing out of town, now that I have three kids of my own, I wish they could grow up in Pataskala too. Sure would love to get in contact with anyone from my 'era' still in town. Heard a rumor that some old, close friends had recently moved back into town. Hmmmm. Pataskala will always hold some of the BEST memories of my life! And thanks to PataskalaOhio.com for maintaining the link to the Unofficial WMHS Alumni site.

Andy Felty

colt4d5@adelphia.net

7/15/04 My name is Doug Jewell and my family moved to Pataskala in 1984 from California. I went to 14 different schools before arriving at Watkins for my 6th grade year. I meet the girl of my dreams (Jenny Ledy) at one of those parties that Officer Lamplie sometimes decided to invite himself to. We now have 2 wonderful boys, Dominic is 9 and Marcus 7, both attend Pataskala Elementary and i am sure that Mr. Balmer was thrilled to see that last name again ...hahaha. We tried to move away twice and were drawn back to the quiet town. Thank you Pataskala ...for all of the great memories! if you know me email me: mykracker@yahoo.com

Doug Jewell

5/20/2003 - Hi, my name is Eileen Grimm. I used to live in Pataskala
way back in 1993. We lived on Broadway Street with John (Jack) Connelly, right behind the grade school. I was wondering if anyone knows if he is still living there. We've lost touch, and my girls would love to get in touch with him. He was very close to them at one time. Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time. E-mail grimm2882@aol.com. We now live in Toronto, Ohio, but really miss Pataskala a lot.

5/20/2003 - Polly Moore [pollymoore@centralcollegechurch.org]

Hey, Pataskala Neighbors...

Have you noticed that, despite our gas company's name -- The Energy Cooperative -- there's very little that's "cooperative" about it?

It's been a tough winter with high natural gas bills... so any customer-service oriented company would accept partial payment plans as a matter of "business as usual." Does The Energy Cooperative?

Well, nobody knows for sure. I had been doing so for three months, with no sign that this was a problem... then my gas was turned off. My neighbor was told the company would not, under any circumstances, accept partial payments (this was at the time they were accepting my partial payments with no sign of trouble). Another neighbor was told that partial payments were fine, and just to ignore the fact that the bill says "Disconnection notice" at the top -- that as long as you make your partial payment by the due date on the bill, you will not have your service disconnected. Finally, another neighbor was told, after his gas was shut off, that he could have avoided this, if he just would have called and set up a partial payment plan.

So, who really knows? What I do know for sure, is that mine was indeed shut off, despite the fact that I made significant partial payments ($120 check was processed 5 days before shut-off) on time, every time. What I also know for sure is that I was charged a $200 reconnection fee, along with a demand for payment in full of the outstanding balance.

If anyone else has experienced problems, make your voice heard! Do one of the following:

-- Call Pataskala City Administrator Reagan Parsons

-- File a complaint online, at www.bbb.com

-- File a complaint online, with Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro - it's quick and easy!

Thanks for giving me a place to vent - this deplorable lack of customer service is inexcusable and it's abuse of power on the part of The Energy Cooperative - simply because we're held hostage, with no option to choose another service provider.

8/21/02 - Vicki L. Ermeling vlermeling@lakewebs.net

You have a great web site, sounds like a town I would love to live in. I just found out the military is moving us to Columbus next spring and I am not a big city girl. I have been raised in the country and lived in the country all my life. I don't know anything about Ohio, so therefore I don't know anything about the towns in it. I am a mother of 4 and very picky to where my kids go to school and the town I live in. If anyone could help me and give me information about Pataskala or any other nearby towns it would be a huge help to me. This will be my first big move so I have found myself stressing! I know some of the smaller towns don't have many rent houses, so that is a concern of mine too. With 4 kids I will need a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home. Pataskala sounds like a wonderful town and would love to become a part of it! Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this and email me!

Thanks again,

Vicki Ermeling

McAlester, Oklahoma

8/12/02 - Abby Overmyer

Hi I am a 16 year old Homeschooler. I used to play for the Pataskala parks and Rec soccer league, this year i can't. Since the levy when down there has been nothing for my age group to participate in. If there is anyway I may be of service when the levy is on the ballot next time, please do not hesitate to ask. I would be glad to be of service.

Respectfully,
Abby Overmyer

7/16/02 - jkc3430@aol.com

With the ever growing people population we have an ever growing domestic animal population. We need to define, make public and enforce leash laws.

Thank you.

7/9/02 - Mary McKay

I grew up in Pataskala. Living there from 1973-1988 when I went to college. My parents still reside there. However, I would never raise any family that I might have someday in Pataskala. Why you ask, because the town doesn't have a plan, or a clue for that matter! It used to be a pretty good place to live, but because of lack of city planning, it looks like a KY hick town in some areas (has anyone driven into town from Cols. on Broad St.?) Someone please at least paint all of those shabby homes/bldgs. from Summit Station through to Oak Meadow drive, yes, that's a lot of shabby--and mow the fields/yards or tear it all down!

To continue; there is obvious lack of community support for the parks, youth programs, community/public facilities & works and lack of support for the schools. What good town/city/community doesn't have a PARKS SYSTEM & PROGRAMS?? Guess what folks, it's VERY SAD that many of you don't realize the opportunities that Pataskala has had to grow & be better & more organized than New Albany, Pickerington etc. Granted New Albany was bought by Wexner, but admit it, the town has profited from their influence & so has their schools! Pataskala should have had all of the $ & positive draw that Pickerington has received in recent years. They have a very strong public/community system & strong growth! (Pick-town may be crowded, but Patas. has the space that would have worked out very well to accommodate the influx that Pickerington has received)!

Why do I drone on you ask? Because as mentioned above, it's very sad. This town was growing well, then went to become the low-end alternative for much more prevalent suburbs. Look at all of the low-income housing, for gosh sakes there's a Dollar General store in this town! The first time I saw one of those was in Nelsonville. Do you want to be Nelsonville? Then move to Appalachia rather than transforming Pataskala into it!

Please, I beg of anyone that gives a damn about this town & still lives there (or close by) to stand up for what is right & what should be done! Talk to the mayor & the "town council" or retire them all...aren't most of them still around from the 80's when much of this town grew up? Support your parks & youth programs!!! We had the most fun going to the pool, playing softball every summer & Y-programs for soccer & basketball every year for many years! Those and full July 4th celebrations, the Lost Arts Festival (do you remember that?) & the great street fair parades that the whole community participated in are what were fun growing up there (not to mention the huge community support for the schools & the WM athletic events/teams/athletes)! Even if you don't have children, you live in this community! Participate or contribute in some way to any community group to help build this town into what it should be (should have been already) a strong, proud, compassionate, proactive community!! Don't let this town become a has been shopping strip & forgotten pass-through. There should be a whole lot more pride than that here!

As a closing, you wonder why I rant & don't say that I'm participating. Well, this is my way of doing so. I live in the Cleveland area now & although I prefer the Columbus area, I'm here b/c of my work. I should say that there are some suburbs in the Cleve. & Cols. areas that have grown very well for all of their community, their youth & their businesses & still have their history about them in many cases! Bay Village, Westlake, Strongsville, Lakewood, Hudson, Solon in the Cleve. area. Dublin, Delaware, Grove City, Powell, Westerville, Worthington, N. Albany, Pickerington in Cols. (remember when many of these places were farm land?) In Cincinnati a good example is Madeira. Check around there are lots of ways to grow this town so that it continues to be/becomes again a respected "community"!

Mary

7/1/02 - Chuck Dunlop

The reason for the debt charge has to do with the city poor financial situation. Since all the new housing has gone up they needed to upgrade the sewer and water plants. We are getting charged this service so the SWLWS can pay the loans they have out on the new equipment. Hopefully once there are enough houses the debt charge will go away but I doubt it. Have fun watering your lawns.

4/09/02 - Jackie Davis

My family lives right down the street from Kroger. Last year our subdivision fought for speed bumps to slow the traffic down, we were told it is a liability. Why is that? There are many small children that live on our street and the parents are afraid to let them play in their own front yards or ride their bikes on the sidewalk. Would speed bumps hurt the city that much if we can save the lives of the children in our community?

Yes we did get stop signs, BIG DEAL!!! No one stops at them!!! I have seen police cruisers go through the stop sign. I do realize that Pataskala has grown tremendously and we can't afford to have an officer sit on our street 24/7.

If I could get an answer as to why we can't have speed bumps on our street I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Jackie (concerned parent of three)

joecop525@aol.com

Nice layout!- just wanted to let you know, your city has one of the finest police departments in the country. A nice group of officers.

2/12/02 - Anthony

Why are we continuing to pay a debt charge for South West Licking Water and Sewer District? This is a large amount of money each month that is being paid by residents. Can someone please explain this?

I recently coached soccer for one of the U6 teams for the summer season. I do not reside inside the city limits of Pataskala, therefore I was not ALLOWED to vote for the parks and rec levy. I find it extremely disturbing that the people who are responsible for running the parks and rec dept.(Janice) find it necessary to hold "ransom" the activities when a levy doesn't pass.

Now, I will be the first to tell you that I have no idea how much money the parks and rec dept pays in Salaries to the unknown (to myself) number of P/R employees. Nor will I claim to know how much it costs to do upkeep.

However.... I do know how much I personally paid to have my 2 children play soccer just for the summer league. I know that the "math", or (fuzzy math) does not add up. 12 kids per team, 14 teams in the U6 category @ $35.00 per child, PLUS an additional $30.00 for jerseys. Now that was just one category.. there still is U8, U12, U18 etc... that had the same number of kids turn out... Do the math...where is all that money?? Plus you have basketball, football, and other sports..

Let's evaluate the salaries for the so called leaders of the Parks and Recs. Can we say AUDIT????

Are the parks and rec budget, and expenses public knowledge? aren't' the salaries??

Pataskala may not need a levy to continue w/ the sports. Maybe we just need new leaders!

I would volunteer for the job at half of what Janice makes. Please forward this to the appropriate people. I would like a public response in the local paper.