About 20 years ago, I played in a few musicals for Solon Little Theater. I met my wife there - who also has a love of theater. Although I don't live in Solon, the SCA is very special to me and is unique for a non-major city.

Some of you may remember "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?".

In those days, the current SCA housed government offices and was in danger of being razed to make way for who knows what.

Look at where we are today with the building:

*Full center for the performing arts - can compete with any in the area
*Home for the Solon Philharmonic Orchestra (of which I am a member) - with two conductors - repertoire includes symphonies, opera excerpts, and other professional pieces.
*Art gallery, classes, etc.
*Serves as a cultural center of activity for various Solon events.

So Solon City Leaders: you have a choice to either:
1. Continue with or expand the Center as a cultural focal point, offering something distinct and different that surrounding communities don't have OR
2. Scale back or eliminate something that is really needed in this "tech-gone-mad" society where kids (and adults) can't write on paper, can't talk one-to-one, think a book is electronic, and haven't heard good music in decades.

Your Choice City Leaders. Please choose wisely.

A straw poll like this is futile because, at least for the next year, SCA is going to be run with a Recreation Department mentality by mayoral edict. Or at least until the results of this investigation are revealed. There is a chance that someone or a few insiders may have ruined a good thing.

I hope that's not the case, Harry.

Maybe you should run for mayor...

I would not last a month as a politician.

I've got to read between the lines and cannot help but feel that there is some kind of money issue surrounding Prasser's resignation and it may touch grants like this. Just a hunch.

Your arguments make sense in normal times but someone at City Hall (and it might be Drucker) has decided these are no longer normal times at SCA. She better be right on this one because she has a lot of people mad at her right now.

@ Harry "There is a chance that someone or a few insiders may have ruined a good thing."...Shame on them! For a decade, Karen Prasser with the help of many FSCA volunteers and her tiny staff poured their hearts and souls into building an incredibly successful Arts Center and programming...never for personal gain but for the benefit of the City and the community in Solon and beyond. Karen spent countless hours pouring over the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture grant. Two grants were quite successful, each over $30K. What a shame the City walked away from the grant this year. Several programs that were on the table for matching funds for the third CAC grant through Friends of SCA were abandoned, such as Deck the Hall (scheduled for Dec 7, 2012) and the Mayor's Gala (scheduled for Nov 3, 2012). I sure hope our City administration is listening to our voices. The City (or the taxpayers) did not pay for programs such as the Solon Philharmonic, Voices of Solon, Focus Photography Exhibition and many more. There was marvelous philanthropic support for these programs and a wonderful community spirit. Now what? The City has not made it clear what happens to these FSCA sponsored programs and what the role of FSCA will be in the future. Not a smart move.

My response to this is above. Your posting appeared and then disappeared. How widespread do you think the "upset" really is about this in all of Solon? Solon does not appear to get worked up about much anymore. I think Santa Claus was the last major issue if my aging memory serves me correctly.

yes, my kids were at roxbury at the end of the santa dibacle... what a hub bub that was... you're right, harry. the citizens are content to let the status quo tell them what will happen - right under their noses. what we need here is leadership; a leader who is interested in getting people not just to do their jobs, but getting them to do their best, and what's best for the city. natasha is correct. friends was the advocacy arm and fundraising arm for all the special programs that ran through sca. without guidance and telling friends of the need, who will be funding those programs? if council is asked for the money to fund them, without the subsidy for sca being increased for 2013, that means the taxpayers will be footing the bill - something that hasn't been "allowed" for the past 9 years - but it does put the control back in the administration's hands. maybe that's the goal?

FSCA is a 501C3 and should be completely separate from the City. So why aren't the Friends going forward with their Deck the Halls event?

Wasn't that always held at SCA or am I mistaken? If it is on city property they make the rules.

It's always been held at SCA like most of the Friends events. You can rent out SCA just like you can rent out a room at the Solon Community Center. There is a rental agreement and maybe a fee involved. It doesn't seem like the Friends need the City to raise money for the Arts. So are they not doing it because Prasser is no longer there?

So who cancelled those two events? The Friends or the city? They just don't magically disappear without explanation.

Are you truly Friends of the Center or Friends of Karen Prassner? It appears to me you deserted the center the minute Karen resigned! If you were that concerned about the community you would have at least made efforts to continue your fundraising no matter what was going on!

What have you done, what is so different now?

Please cut and paste the attached link into your web browser. It explains the limits on 501 (c)(3) organizations. These organizations are probited from political and legislative activities.

http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Exemption-Requirements---Section-501(c)(3)-Organizations

I hope this helps explain the limits on the "Friends of the Solon Center for the Arts".

As far as city council is concerned, good luck. I was stonewalled by my Ward representative. I am waiting for a reply regarding programs and the status of a new director.

They already announced a new director. He's the guy who worked over at the community center.

The problem is that there is no search in place for a permanent director according to the mayor.

In a meeting with the mayor just last week, my son asked the mayor if there is a search in place for a qualified permanent director and the answer was that there is not.

It seems to me that SCA needs to get the Mayor's backing in order to continue operating. How can that be accomplished?

It seems to be that the Mayor has her dander up over this whole thing and is being stubborn. A group of adults (not students) need to show up at a city council meeting. Put her on the spot. Ask questions in public and demand answers.

Let's strongly encourage the Mayor to hire a director soon with a "Prasser-like" vision through letters and the media. Check out:
solon.patch.com/articles/solon-accepts-sponsorships-for-arts-center-c...
Apr 18, 2012 – ... University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center was approved by the Solon City Council, ... Solon Accepts Sponsorship For Arts Center Courtyard ...

Ahuja recognized the value of a local arts center and sponsored $125,000
( over 5 years) to SCA for a new courtyard.
The fact that Mayor Drucker and the city administration are missing this connection and value borders on management malpractice.

And John, in defense of Friends, of course they were friends of Karen Prasser, that was also one of her many accomplishments, and the next director should cultivate some friends too.

well, well, well, you all make valid points... steve, thank you for the piece on 501C3's. sally, thank you for your recognition of the AMAZING commitment Ahuja made to SCA, as well as a few private donors. as for russ schneider, he has always been a big supporter of sca and friends and has always had sca's back with projects, etc. russ will do his absolute best for sca and everything asked of him. don't forget that the executive director of sca had an excellent assistant director who is currently on maternity leave until the end of december. perhaps there is a plan in place for a management change at that time. time will tell... we will work with whomever the city puts in that position and cooperatively do what's best for the department. and sally is correct - of course friends worked closely with karen prasser. that was part of her job description!!!!!! we can only hope that moving forward the value of having a group like friends of solon center for the arts (read the mission statement, people!) is recognized as the resource that it is... i LOVE IT... MANAGEMENT MALPRACTICE!!!

valerie, do you mean SCA, or FSCA? SCA has the mayor's backing and FSCA doesn't need it...

The level of backing and support for SCA is in question.
FSCA doesn't need backing, but can only offer help...it can't make the city accept it.

@queen of the may - I mean SCA.
If the Mayor supports SCA, then why isn't City Hall being more aggressive in supporting its continuation? Is there a political reason or a legal reason for the lack luster support by City Hall? I would like honest and clearly stated answers to these questions. I am a long time Solon resident who has supported SCA through paying for classes and through donations. I do not want to see this quality institution just tossed by the wayside due to lack of political interest.

Valerie, the answers to your questions aren't hard to provide even to the most casual observer of government. Why aren't the eight elected politicians over at City Hall currently being more supportive of SCA or FSCA right now? Answer: There is an investigation taking place.

If Karen Prasser and other assistants resigned at the start of this investigation as part of the new fraud policy chances are the results are not going to be good for SCA or the city especially in the area of checks and balances. So none of the eight elected politicians are going to offer much in terms of support right now. If they do their words might come back to haunt them in an election year next year.

So for now it is better to sit back and let the mayor's office take the heat (also up for re-election in 2013) and let this scenario play out. Then when the dust settles they will be back to making supportive statements of SCA and its personnel. Some of them may even catch an occasional production there again.

On the heels of a multi-million dollar construction swindle on Cochran Road involving a city employee who had exclusive sign off on all billing no one at city hall is probably taking any chances on being associated with much at SCA right now. It is not difficult to read between the lines on this one just by reading the Patch, Solon Times and the Sun.

Another thought is if people want the "genuine truth" then people ought to ask Karen Prasser why she resigned.

harry is correct... we are coming into an election year.

“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”

And everyone who is up for re-election will probably run unopposed. Welcome to Solon 2012.

yes, harry sounds like they are in the "know"... perhaps served in some capacity in solon's government? hhmmm... anyway, i digress... did i miss the article earlier in the month about russ schneider being named permanent director for SCA? or did that just happen this morning? so there you have it. it will be russ until he retires next year. so congratulations to russ!

No, I am just a distant observer and HR consultant. I get my information from local papers (if you want to call the Sun that anymore) and don't even watch the local government channels. But my business makes me a pretty fair judge of people and human nature. I learned a long time ago when it come to government expect little to make sense. I have met Russ a couple times and he seems like a nice guy. It's just an interesting position to put him in given from where he came.

queen, I will also make an assumption that you must have spent some time already discussing this with him because I denote new found passivity from your statements.

@Harry: Thanks for saying what I did not want to hear: The last thing a politician up for re-election wants to do is support SCA. So sad.

At last night council meeting it was announced that the proposed brick patio will not be constructed and all donations will be refunded Councilman Mooney made the announcement.. There were NO objections when the legislation was discussed and passed No one from the audience spoke about the arts center. It looks like the friends group has fallen out of favor with council.

You sound happy, Anne. Are you?

Yes Ann, you do sound Happy. It's unfortunate that the project was pulled. Especially since University Hospital,The Dodero Foundation, The Solon Rotary Club, Solon citizens and (gasp) Friends had already donated significant funds to go ahead with the patio.

If I recall Anne told anyone who wanted to listen that Prasser and Solon's HR director treated her sister very poorly.

City Hall is retreating from any and all donations and fundraising surrounding SCA. Does anyone know why? Is what they are looking at via this investigation possibly criminal? If it isn't they are sure seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill.