Mayor’s Message – American Legion Paschall Post 164 Turns 100
Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage presents a congratulatory proclamation to American Legion Paschall Post 164 Commander Joseph “Woody” Woodrum during the Post’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in November.
The American Legion is a patriotic organization focused on service to veterans, service members and communities. Established in March 1919, it became a federally chartered organization as an act of Congress in September. National membership grew quickly as state and local posts were established across the country.
Grove City’s American Legion Post was one of the many groups that immediately applied for chartership in 1919. They began holding regular meetings and establishing humanitarian efforts in the community and by 1923, nearly 30 Grove City veterans were regularly attending meetings. In November that year, Paschall Post 164, named for the first soldier from Grove City who died during World War I, became a charter American Legion Post.
On November 18, I joined my fellow American Legion Paschall Post 164 members, celebrating a century of service to our community.
Over the last 100 years, Paschall Post 164 has welcomed hundreds of veterans and positively impacted the community in countless ways. Their efforts include hosting innumerable events for families, spearheading charitable campaigns, marching in hundreds of parades to honor our country’s military, participating in more than 100 Memorial Day services, and so much more.
Together with their Auxiliary counterparts, they sponsored multiple activities, including educational opportunities such as Boys’ and Girls’ State, and a decades-long connection to baseball. The successful baseball program boasted its first state title in 1965.
An extensive number of philanthropic events and in-kind gestures have been made by the Post over the last century, including an interesting story that recently came to my attention. In 1953, an American soldier killed in Korea was given a military service and burial arranged by the American Legion. Private First Class Lewis E. Canie, only 18 years old, was not from Grove City and it’s not clear how his body came to be transported here. However, after learning he only had one surviving relative – a younger brother – the members of Paschall Post 164 accepted him as their own and laid him to rest with honors in Concord Cemetery.
I was honored to take part in the 1991 ribbon-cutting ceremony of the current American Legion Post on McDowell Road, and I fondly remember in my childhood, hunting for Easter eggs in the yard of the Legion’s old Post, now home to Cardcollector2 Sports Cards across from City Hall.
Well before the egg hunts and sports cards, the white building on Grove City Road became the first Paschall Post Hall in 1928, when Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Riebel deeded the property to the Legion for “the sum of one dollar.” This incredibly kind gift was among the first of many selfless acts helping the organization focus on what matters most to them – the community, its service members and veterans.
For more information or to join the century-strong American Legion Paschall Post 164, email alpost164@gmail.com.
Council Corner – Council Expands to Seven Members
Established in 1958, the City’s charter created a ward system, calling for five council members, one for each ward and one at-large, to represent the community.
Council reviews the City’s residential growth every 10 years, and if there is a difference in population between the largest and smallest ward of 40% or greater, the areas are redistricted to distribute representation more equally.
In 2017, ballot measures were introduced and approved by voters to add a second at-large Council member and a fifth ward, expanding Council from five members to seven.
All council members serve four-year overlapping terms, with one temporary exception. To maintain the overlap in council member terms, the new Ward 5 council seat will serve a two-year term beginning 2024 and move to a four-year term beginning in 2026.
Grove City Council Members, effective January 2024:
Ward 1, Ted A. Berry
Ward 2, Randy Holt
Ward 3, Christine Houk
Ward 4, Melissa Anderson
Ward 5, Rodney Dew
At-Large, Jodi Burroughs
At-Large, Mark Sigrist
Grove City Donation Continues Buckeye Ranch Support
The Buckeye Boys Ranch, founded in 1961, originally opened as a residential treatment center for socially struggling boys. What started as one residential cottage treating 10 boys, evolved over six decades, adding services and care for girls, and ultimately changing its name to The Buckeye Ranch.
Today, The Ranch operates six different locations and is considered one of the country’s leading providers of emotional, behavioral and mental health services for children and families.
Each day, more than 2,350 youth are in Ranch care, receiving services designed to help them become successful within their families, schools and communities. The mission of The Ranch has always been to restore hope and provide healing for youth and families, adjusting programs to meet those goals as society changes.
In January 2023, The Buckeye Ranch and Nationwide Childrens Hospital (NCH), long-time partners in children’s psychiatric care, announced plans to expand the mental health treatment center in Grove City, bolstering support for youth facing such struggles. The new facility and services will help fill a gap for youth that often exists between inpatient stays and a safe, successful return to their home and communities.
Growing by more than 57,000 square feet, the $35 million project will add a 48-bed residential mental health facility, an on-site education center and welcome areas for families to enjoy during visits.
Grove City’s Action Plan to Promote Mental Health and Prevent Substance Use Disorders, introduced in July 2022, links the City’s efforts with county and state-level initiatives focused in part on improving treatment, care and support of residents struggling with their mental health, including youth. This includes supporting The Buckeye Ranch and NCH in their efforts to significantly influence the short- and long-term impact on the next generation.
In October, the City of Grove City made a substantial donation of $250,000 to the expansion project, further defining the City’s commitment to improving treatment, care and support for those in need.
“In addition to following through with our commitment to positively impact the mental health of our youth, we’re making a statement with this contribution,” said Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage. “And our statement is – It’s crucial we work together, pool our resources and work to provide our youth the best chance for success.”
City officials joined The Buckeye Ranch and NCH in a groundbreaking ceremony in early November. The new building on Hoover Road is expected to open in 2025.
According to BuckeyeRanch.org, those interested in becoming a capital supporter for the new facility and campus expansion should contact Buckeye Ranch Director of Development Jessica Brown at jabrown@buckeyeranch.org.
