Editor, News-Register:

On May 10, 2025, this newspaper published my letter to the editor raising concerns about the utter lack of experience of Recreation Resource USA, the company the City of Wheeling hired to install new pickleball courts at Patterson at a cost of $72k. Three days later I attended a City Council meeting with other long-time pickleball players to try and convince Council that Recreation Resource’s recommended 2-inch milling depth of the court surfaces would not resolve existing cracks that were more than 2 inches deep.

After Councilman Dave Palmer made assurances that Council had relied upon the “expertise” of Recreation Resource (who, by their own admission, had never before done this type of work) to determine the 2-inch milling depth, Council voted unanimously to move forward, accepting an additional $35k bid from Semper Fi Paving to do the milling and paving.

On July 16, 2025, with the millwork and paving complete, I visited the site. It had been raining and I observed significant pooling and puddles over all the courts. Even after the courts were painted and nets installed, the pooling and puddles remained – perhaps even worse than before the project began. This was despite assurances by the paving crew that the existing natural slope of the courts would be maintained and would be adequate for drainage.

Then with much fanfare, on October 17, 2025 the courts were officially opened to the public. After a ribbon cutting ceremony, Dave Palmer and other council members spoke to the media and posed for pictures. Superficially, with fresh paint and new nets, the courts looked wonderful. But looks can be deceiving. Less than two months after the “grand” reopening, there are significant cracks apparent on the courts. Unfortunately, unless they are sealed, the cracks will surely worsen with the ordinary freeze and thaw of winter. It’s embarrassing that over $100k of taxpayer money was spent on courts that, except for having new nets and paint, are really in no better condition than they were before the project began.

Diana Mey

Wheeling