Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

As transitions continue within PATA a wealth of material has been collected to make the ''newer'' viewer more aware of the depths of deception. With my abilities to assist PATA get this material out I've come on board so that more will be aware. (or should I say beware)


Mark W. Uher

September 20, 2000
Mr. Lyle E. Diley
Mr. Terry Dunlap
Mr. GaryWeltlich
Dear Violet Township Trustees:
As you know, the Pickerington Local School District has another bond issue/levy on the ballot this November, Issue 14. I am here to request your cooperation to ensure the activities of a very, very small group of anti-school, anti-growth individuals that happened the last time we had a bond issue on the ballot don't happen again. This fringe group has been active every time we have a bond issue on the ballot over the past decade in this district and must be stopped.

Permit me to describe a few of the activities of this group the last time we had a bond issue:
. On Saturday, November 1, 1997, when I and hundreds of other residents returned
to Pickerington after winning the first and only boys state title in the history of our high school, we were greeted with hundreds of these bright signs throughout our community along the highways and township roads. To my personal horror, I found all of these signs on my property in Glenshire. Please note the verbiage: Stop the Waste Vote No, 27 Yrs is Too Long Vote No, No Means No, and Piss Poor Management Vote No. Look carefully at
this sign, noting the professional printing and how the I is hand-written in and there are small periods after the s's. These signs were on stakes that looked like door trim. For your information, one of these signs with the piss poor management verbiage was on the property of a group of Catholic nuns that lived at the comer of Taylor Road and S.R 204. Here are some pictures of the signs throughout the district.
. That evening you'll find the sheriff logs and Pickerington police logs filled with reports of thousand of dollars of damage to levy supporters' property;
. On Sunday, November 2, 1997, I received two telephone calls, one from an anonymous source telling me to watch out. The other from a person who did identify themselves, and cautioning me about the firearms and the mini-militia
of the 'ring-leader' of this group of anti-school, ,anti-growth individuals.
That individual cautioned me from going near the group's 'headquarters.'
. On Sunday evening, after their brightly colored signs without political
disclaimers were taken down by law enforcement officials and others,
this anti-school, anti-growth fringe group put up another batch and sent
'patrols' out in pick up trucks throughout the district to watch their signs.
While protecting his own signs from frightening damage that had occurred
throughout the campaign, Terry Dunlap and I discussed the situation briefly
late Sunday evening near Yarmouth Drive.


By Webmaster III

In his own words on - black mas2

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. On Monday, November 3, 1997 pro-levy worker Hank Kerstetter who was
putting out signs near the comer of Hill and Busey Roads was approached by two
black masked men in an old pick up truck, ordering him to stop putting out Yes
signs. Hank was too frightened to think to get the license.
. Also on Monday, a black - masked man completely dressed in black with a sign
on that said 27 Years is To Long Vote No (the to is not a typo in my statement)
stood on the Northeast comer of Tussing and S.R. 256 from about 3:00 p.m. to
6:00 p.m. and greeted thousands of cars coming home from work that evening.
. And, then finally, two black-masked men completely dressed in black
approached me while I was waving a YES sign in the morning of Tuesday,
November 4 at the SE comer of S.R. 256 & S.R. 204 near the cemetery.
I am bringing this to your attention at this time at the urging of then-Township Trustee Hartman who I spoke with in detail after the election. She advised me to bring this to the attention of the township trustees at the start of the next campaign for a bond issue to publicly put an end to a practice that has continued in our community over the past decade. I spoke with her out of deference to Mr. Diley and Mr. Dunlap who I thought might want a little rest after a hard-fought campaign rather than deal with masked men in pick up trucks and vulgar signs.

Before I make my recommendations for action by the trustees, let me say that in no way, shape or form do I want to discourage free and open debate on Issue 14. In fact, I have proposed to outspoken opponents such as Bill Miller, Bob Hardy, Ted Hackworth and Ed Lannaree that they form a political action committee and formally oppose the issue. I have asked Bill Miller if he wishes to debate me personally on the issue and to jointly seek a debate sponsor & a debate date. As a political science buff, I know the more information that voters have when they vote, the better decision they will make.

To help prevent the reoccurrence of the dark, decade-old activities, I recommend you as the Violet Township Trustees do the following:
1. Request the Fairfield County Sheriff increase patrol of the township
during this election time, paying particular attention to masked men
intimidating citizens and to the private property of school, levy and
opposition leaders (anyone in the news on this issue);
2. Develop a procedure to immediately remove vulgar signs and any other signs
without the proper political disclaimers from the highways throughout the
Township;
3. Request political leaders of the other governmental entities serving the
school district consider beefing up law enforcement and dealing with
vulgar and unauthorized political signs within their jurisdiction.


Let me again emphasize the need for orderly and law-abiding discussion on Issue 14.
My comments should not be misconstrued as opposing healthy debate over the issue. In fact, I enjoy discussing the issue with some of my best friends and closest neighbors who regularly vote no on school issues. However, I must also think Thomas Jefferson - the architect of the public school system that has made this country the best nation ever to exist - must be rumbling in his grave at the thought of citizens who are intimidated by masked men from supporting the public school system in America.
Thank you for your careful consideration of my request.


Sincerely,



Mark W. Uher


By Webmaster III

In his own words on-snipping R4

Apparently PLSD Board member Gail Oakes helped other citizens try to stop the automatic zoning of higher density levels. Guess who berated her and cc?’d the then Mayor and ?“next in line?” Mayor?

Mark W. Uher
Pickerington, OH 43147
January 29,2001


Mrs. Gail Oakes


Dear Mrs. Oakes,

Your participation in the recent petition drive in the City of Pickerington embarrassed our school ,district. As a non-city resident, you had no business organizing the drive to overturn a City of Pickerington ordinance. You harmed our district's relationship with the City. You did not even give City officials the professional courtesy to meet with them to discuss the issue.

To compensate for your failure as a board member, you are always 'sticking your nose' into matters well beyond your jurisdiction. Mrs. Oakes, we didn't elect you to circulate petitions, or dictate the brand of pizza sold at football games, or harass teachers in front of their students or stifle public input. In defending your actions against the Mayor and the City, your recently commented on a public website:

''Most people that I have talked to fear retaliation if they speak out. This includes
staff in all areas of the school and parents who fear retaliation will be taken out
on their children via sports or classes. This is not a healthy situation for our school and community. ''
There are some staff and parents who support our schools and are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation from you. You have singled out and harassed teachers & coaches for being loyal school supporters. You have retaliated against our outstanding district by saying: '' (our) district needs vision for the future. .. we are holding students back
because our teachers don't understand the computer and the internet. ''

t1 How could anyone possibly believe that Pickerington, one of the top-rated systems in the nation, doesn't have a vision? My vision is that you personally get in touch and begin to serve the needs of district residents. Return telephone calls and answer e-mails from people who elected you. Help secure a better tax base for our schools like you support efforts to help Canal Winchester schools attract a better commercial tax base. And, finally, please apologize to the residents of the City of Pickerington and to our outstanding teaching staff.


Sincerely,


Mark W. Uher


Cc: Mayor Hughes and Council President Postage, City of Pickerington


By Webmaster III

In his own words on-CEDA oppos 1

Mark W. Uher
. Pickerington, OH 43147
March 1,2001
Mr. Terry J. Dunlap, Sr., Chainnan
Mr. Lyle Diley, Trustee
Mr. Gary Weltlich, Trustee Violet Township Trustees l
12790 Rustic Drive
Pickerington, OR 43147


Dear Trustees
I have lived in the unincorporated area of Violet Township for 18 years. And, I have been active in the civic affairs of our excellent community. I have chaired levy campaigns for Pickerington Local School District, was elected president of the Pickerington Athletic Boosters, and have served in leadership capacities for the Glenshire Civic Association. As a community leader, I have had the opportunity to witness the first hand the efficiency of our local government.
I am most proud of the services of our Violet Township Trustees. Our streets are among the best maintained in all of Ohio. We have outstanding fire and EMS services. And, our Trustees have always been most responsive to our needs. I have repeated frequently the experience of inviting Terry Dunlap to attend a civic association meeting. Several residents expressed the need for a no outlet sign to stop unwanted traffic on Chaucer Court in our subdivision. To my amazement, a sign was posted literally the next morning by the Township. That is government at its best. I also recall in the fall of 1997 when I called upon Lyle Diley to support publicly the badly-need school levy to address the massive overcrowding in our schools. Lyle courageously helped and, in my opinion, was instrumental in the passage of that levy. I must tell you, however, that the 100-year CEDA deal exclusively benefiting Canal Winchester schools and damaging the interest of the City of Pickerington is a tremendous mistake. In fact, support of this CEDA by any elected official running for office this November in Violet Township it?’ll be political suicide. If you support this agreement, I am telling you as a friend and supporter, Terry Dunlap, you'll have given your opponents an issue to raise tens of thousands of dollars to campaign against you.


By Webmaster III