Most of these letters appear to have been generated by the Friends of SCA and its board members. There is no argument that the SCA has made great strides over the decade and has been an enhancement to the community.

What cannot be overlooked or forgotten though is SCA is a city department, is subsidized in part through local tax dollars and, therefore, must play by the same rules as every other city department. This is where it appears SCA jumped the track and led to the sudden resignation of its director. It was never meant to be the local playground for some insiders who minimized the importance of playing by the rules.

SCA will suffer short term as a result and that is unfortunate.

In response to the prior post by Harry at 7:08 AM on November 21, 2012:
With the exception of the post by Natasha Davidson, all other letters are from graduates of Solon High School and former SCA participants. These letters were written in response to what they saw as a detrimental change to this program.

SCA is a City of Solon department and unlike our Recreation Center, has experienced growth over the past few years. What should be noted is that in the early years, when Arts programming was growing, many city officials did not want to fund the arts. When the program became more self funding, they flocked to it and wanted to share in its success. Where are those city officials now?

My hope is that voters in Solon will watch our city officials closely and use the ballot box to judge their performance.

Excellent points, Steve. And to clarify, I have not been on FSCA board for the past several years.

I am not a board member and I am appalled at how the city is handling this situation. Funding for the arts works differently than a baseball team or rec center. If there was impropriety where are the charges? Either bring legal action or apologize toKaren Prasser. The city is small minded and missing the big picture. The art center was bringing in revenue to the city every time they held an event. Our children were getting first class instruction and programming brought about by a true visionary. Without arts grants and Friends funding this center will be a mere shadow of its former self. Do not discount graduates of the center......they are old enough to vote.

No offense was meant to any former or current SCA board members or students who wrote letters. My point is than no one person is bigger than the sum of the whole. Something obviously was amiss at SCA that led to the sudden resignation of the successful director.

In these litigious times no one just resigns without a fight unless some overwhelming evidence was presented. If the city was wrong in its assumption then they have a significant lawsuit on their hands like just the current one involving the mayor's former administrative assistant.

In response to "Harry"s comment made this morning, I would like to comment on the line which states that because SCA is a city department, it "must play by the same rules"... does that also apply to the fact that SCA is the only city department that has had to have a $30,000 donation line in its operating budget just to balance the budget because the percentage of subsidy from the city was not equal to that of other departments? Or that its director, unlike any other director of a Solon city department, was told by city administrators 9 years ago, to create a 501C3 group in order to be able to fundraise? Or that the director was required to fundraise, unlike any other director, in order to create programs such as the Solon Philharmonic Orchestra, Voices of Solon, NEO Arts and Chamber Music Invitational, Focus photography competition, just to name a few, because those programs were not covered in its budget? SCA also received a $30,000 grant from the Kulas Foundation to support the purchase of the Steinway grand piano currently on the stage at SCA, and the Boston baby grands in the studios. Would other departments have to fundraise for programming equipment??? What will happen to those programs now that NO fundraising is taking place? Will the taxpayers start paying for them? Why does THIS department have to fundraise to build a new outdoor patio? Would that happen at the Rec center? Just facts to ponder...

And I will point out that most of that is non-essential in terms of what a city government is required to provide to its residents in terms of quality services. Yes, some of that provides nice enhancements to those you want to avail themselves to those offerings. But if everyone would be frank and honest with each other some of those programs were money losers and a drain on the budget.

SCA was supposed to be an art center and theater for the Solon community. In my opinion, the mission and scope of services for SCA got morphed into far more than that and therein lies the problem the city government is faced with today.

Look at the history of SCA; every program that was added covered its costs through fundraising, not by the city. Those programs weren't in the budget - they were solely funded by FUNDRAISING and GRANTS!!! Visionaries are obviously few and far between... Are you saying we are poorer as a whole for having a Philharmonic Orchestra in our city? It was an intrical reason, along with schools, healthcare, and industry, that we were listed in Money Magazine, 2011, as one of the top 3 cities to live in this country!! If Karen Prasser was not the right person for the job, her performance evaluations every year would not have been stellar, including her most recent evaluation. City administrators have attended and enjoyed the various programs that SCA has offered. They took PRIDE in them. Certainly not "money losers and a drain on the budget"... (since they were NEVER IN THE BUDGET)

Harry, I understand what you are saying about city governments and what they are required to provide. Solon has always gone above and beyond what is the NORM for its constituants, that's why it's been a great city to live in. We're just trying to keep it that way, at no extra cost to the taxpayer...

If the arts are "Non essential" why does every major American city have a ballet, an orchestra and a theater? The arts give quality of life. Music lessons have been proven to increase a child's learning capabilities, and dance is not only beautiful, but a form of excercise (and since most of America's children are overweight they could use this), and performance opportunities give children confidence and new experiences just the same as being on a baseball team. People move to this community because of what it offers them in quality of life. Take it away and you become just another boring suburb.

J Miller-the difference is Solon is NOT a major city but a mid-sized suburb of a major city that is renown for the best arts and theater districts between NYC and Chicago.

Solon residents are owed excellent safety services and timely snow plowing and trash collection services. They are owed a smattering of good leisure time and senior services. I do not believe that suburban residents are owed golf courses or the absolute necessity to house and partially fund what has turned to a regional art center with a director making over $70,0000 per year plus other fulltime support staff. There is a difference between essential city services and luxury ones. SCA is a luxury albeit something that has become a nice one.

Let this investigation runs its course and, with the obvious need for modification and some better checks and balances SCA just may come out of this stronger and better than ever.

The city would have not taken such drastic action on Karen Prasser if it did not feel it was justified under its fraud policy. She is age protected. The city has enough of a problem on its hands with the Sally Dietrick wrongful dismissal lawsuit surrounding the mayor's office. It would be unfathomable to think she could handle another personnel issue as badly.

Harry,I disagree, for reasons I cannot comment on a public forum at this time... yes, that would be unfathomable!!! and Solon's citizens owed a smattering of leisure time? Go take a walk, ride a bike, run in the metro parks!

At least taking a walk or riding a bike in the metro parks doesn't cost anything or comes with an admission fee (which I often felt was very high given the venues). But I also think SCA and its volunteers have many fine accomplishment in which to be proud. Just don't risk further tainting SCAs image until the facts are revealed. There will be plenty of time for further debate and, perhaps, the vindication you are hopefully seeking for all involved. I practiced law for a long time. Err here on the side of caution and not emotion.

I hear you. we have kept quiet thus far and look forward to the day when this is all behind us. happy thanksgiving!

Harry, I don't understand how you think these comments are tainting SCA. We are supporters of the arts and what SCA , under Karen's leadership,was able to accomplish was amazing. We need a mayor that supports the arts. We need a mayor and a city government that appreciate the hard work and dedication of people like Karen and the Friends of SCA and not throw them under the bus.

Sally, nice to have "met" you! Harry (one can find humor in almost any situation).

What I do not understand (after reading the letters here and in both local newspapers) is who is giving the impression or sending the message that the future is SCA is in doubt. Why all the panicked letters and statements? Has anyone at City Hall told you they are shutting it down? All I have heard coming out of there is it is business as usual.

There is no doubt that a segment of the community that participated in SCA programs and activities are better for it including students.

The city is in the middle of a fraud investigation and it appears at least the former director has been implicated. Unless she is vindicated (even though she resigned and was not fired) Karen Prasser is not coming back. Sadly people need to recognize and get over that.

This ongoing controversy and rumors surrounding it have not been good for the city or SCA. If everyone would calm down and let this play out the reputation of SCA can be stronger than ever just with some better controls. This is the second fraud issue (the million dollar Cochran Road repair swindle was the first) the city has had within the last four years because of poor checks and balances.

I spoke with the mayor yesterday and got a very different image of the future of SCA. There is an interim director, Russell Schneider from the Solon Rec Center, who is running the center now, and the Mayor stated there is no search for a new executive director at this time with an arts background. The Mayor said that Mr. Schneider is there to provide basic management to the facility at this time.

The Arts Center catalog has been combined with the city catalog of "Recreation & Culture" where "Arts" is a bullet point.

New programs such as pumpkin decorating, and movie nights are popping up on the calendar. Whereas a long standing annual Friends fundraising event, Deck the Hall, scheduled for December 7th was mysteriously left off the calendar and a movie night was put in its place.

Arts center volunteers, like me, used to flock to the Arts center to run events free of charge to the city, but now paid Rec Center workers are running many of the events (which I witnessed most recently at the Solon Tree Lighting last night).

It is clear that the city has severed ties with Arts volunteers and patrons and it is already changing the way that SCA is being run.

We as students are concerned and raising red flags because we see the changes taking place already and can see that the future is at stake for SCA. Believe me, I wouldn't spend my few days off from school before college finals advocating for the center if I didn't think I had good cause to be concerned.

..she quit on her own... there is some "smoke" wait for investigation..!!!!!..

Good insight, Zach. It appears to me that the Mayor is significantly scaling back on the scope and offerings of what SCA used to be just a few months ago before this controversy came to light. That is interesting because she feigned to be such a supporter of the Arts when she was running for office. She must feel really burned about what was going on at SCA that led to Karen Prasser's "resignation".

What happened that so soured her on/or SCA and the Friends? Does anyone know? All one has to do is read the local newspapers to see there is a strained split. And why doesn't she want the Friends to do anymore fundraising or grant applications? Does it have something to do with part of this investigation?

Schneider is a recreation department employee and his expertise is maintenance. He knows as much about running an Art Center as Holub did when the mayor handed him Grantwood to run. Maybe he'll grow into the job but this is a curious appointment in the midst of this swirling controversy.

tomcody--of course Prasser did not resign on her own accord. However, if there is innocence a person does not resign. You fight back and if you are fired and later exonerated the employer is libel. The mayor already is being sued over the way she treated and abruptly dismissed an older female employee. I find it hard to believe that she would make the same mistake again.

HARRY, was it did or did not..??.

She did resign but it seemed like a case of either resign or be fired.

is all this fact or FICTION.!!..??..

Only City Hall knows for sure. Details to follow. I would have taken Dietrich's case but not Prasser's.

Did the Friends cancel the Deck the Halls or did the administration?

Friends did not cancel their event, Deck the Hall. It somehow disappeared off the calendar, after having been on the calendar since Feb. 2012, and Friends spending $1200 to promote it. hhmm... but it was replaced with "movie night", in case you're looking for something to do.

I never saw it advertised, what a shame.

What was the movie "White Christmas" or " Christmas Vacation"? Wow, it seems to me that the Friends are toast in the eyes of Drucker. What did you do to so infuriate her?

Warning: She can be hell-on-wheels when you get on her bad side.

Makes me wonder as well.

hell on wheels?

That is an old 1950's term from high school.

golly gee, you're older than i thought! LOL - i know what it means. it doesnt take much, to answer your question.

Was today supposed to be Deck the Hall? Why was it not scheduled, did the scheduling go through the former director, or someone else that resigned? Did the Friends have to rent the building like a resident would?

Friends would have rented the space....the event was on the calendar and then suddenly was not there....even though it had been on the schedule for month, but I believe that has been covered here. ...smh