Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A series of city memos, obtained by public records request, are a window into what happened before Karen Prasser resigned in September and before the city began its investigation.
Documents in Karen Prasser's personnel file reveal reasons for why she resigned as director the Solon Center for the Arts and shed light on the city's pending investigation under the fraud policy. Read the documents in the window above. The documents attached include: Some of the contents of the documents were first reported by the Chagrin Solon Sun. In May, Finance Director Dennis Kennedy sent Prasser a memo detailing his concern about the arts center's accounting practices with Friends of the Solon Center for the Arts, a non-profit that fundraises for the SCA but is not affiliated with the city. Prasser resigned in Sept. 6 and days later the city announced it was investigating the arts center for "irregularities" under the fraud policy. …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Karen Prasser's two performance reviews on file in Solon City Hall, while not perfect, paint the picture of an employee who city leaders felt had reshaped the Solon Center for the Arts in a positive way.
UPDATE: Solon Patch has obtained a copy of another performance review for Karen Prasser. This review, conducted by Mayor Susan Drucker for Prasser's performance from January until December 2011, shows that as of early 2012 Prasser was viewed by the administration as an excellent employee who used her talents -- and the help of the Friends nonprofit group -- to take the Solon Center for the Arts to new heights. That was only a few months before Prasser came under scrutiny from city officials about her management of the center and the fact that Prasser's secretary was managing the books for a nonprofit group that fundraised for the center's programs. That sort of mingling of government and private money was against rules, according to a May …
People who donated to fund an improved patio at the Solon Center for the Arts will get their money back, as the project is not going forward.
The Solon Center for the Arts is not moving forward with a project to improve the patio outside the center and that anyone who donated will receive a refund. It's the latest change to an arts center beset by it since former executive director Karen Prasser resigned and the city officials announced they were investigating "irregularites" at the arts center. Councilman Bill Mooney announced Monday that the patio project is not moving forward and that donors will receive refunds. The city council voted to return a $25,000 donation from the Corrine L Dodero Foundation for Arts. The project had only been in the concept stage. The finance committee had signed off on an architect to create formal plans, and arts center officials were working to …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Have you heard there's something going on at the Solon Center for the Arts but don't know the details? Solon Patch has been reporting on the story, and has a number of articles that can get you caught up.
A director has resigned, but still has support from many in the community. An investigation is underway. Have you heard there's something going on at the Solon Center for the Arts but don't know the details? Solon Patch has been reporting on the story, and has a number of articles that can get you caught up. The gist: Executive Director Karen Prasser resigned in early September. The next week, the city announced that they were investigating "irregularities" at the arts center under the city's new fraud policy. Let's be clear: It has not been confirmed that Prasser's resignation is linked to the investigation, and city officials aren't talking. Russell Schneider, an assistant recreation director, has been appointed as acting director. Mayor…
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Russell Schneider, who had been leading the Solon Center for the Arts since Karen Prasser's resignation, was appointed as acting director earlier this month.
Longtime city employee Russell Schneider had been serving as interim director of the Solon Center for the Arts since Karen Prasser resigned in September. Earlier this month, City Council made that role more official by appointing Schneider as acting director and giving him a pay increase. Schneider will still have some duties as operations manager of the Solon Community Center. Accompanying Schneider's new job duties will be an increase in pay, as Schneider will now be compensated at a director's level. According to the pay scale, that compensation level pays between $60,000 and $100,000 depending on experience. Schneider will earn $78,000 plus longevity pay, said Human Resources Director Tom Cornhoff. Mayor Susan Drucker has said that …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Should the city change the direction of the Solon Center for the Arts? Take our poll and tell us!
Since we published a number of letters to the editor supporting the Solon Center for the Arts, there's been a healthy debate about the future direction of the arts center. While Mayor Susan Drucker has said that the arts center has continued offering the same, if not more, programming since the resignation of former director Karen Prasser, many arts center supporters believe the arts are being marginalized. According to their comments, they worry that the arts center is becoming an arm of the recreation department and that programming brought about by fundraising and through the work of the Friends of the Center for the Arts will be abandoned. What do you want the future of the arts center to be? Take our poll and tell us your thoughts in …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
More than a dozen Solon residents, many who were students at the Solon Center for the Arts, voiced support for former director Karen Prasser and the center's art programs in letters to the mayor.
More than a dozen former students of the Solon Center for the Arts and residents have voiced support for the embattled arts center and its former executive director Karen Prasser. The letters are addressed to Mayor Susan Drucker and were collected by Zach Davidson, a college student who graduated from Solon and was a participant in many programs at the center. Davidson and the other letter writers are concerned that the city will reduce programming at the arts center and lose the gains that the arts center made under Prasser's leadership. "There are so many that have benefited from the institution that Karen Prasser built-up with her incredible devotion during her tenure as the Center’s director," wrote Davidson in his letter. The SCA has …
Friday, November 16, 2012
The artist's exhibit of senior paintings will be on display at the Solon Center for the Arts through Dec. 14
An exhibit of paintings the artist says depict "amazing old souls" will be on display in Solon through mid-December. "The Solon Senior Project: Judy Takacs Paints Fascinating Wisdom" opens tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Solon Center for the Arts with a reception. The exhibit runs through Dec. 14. Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. "Each week, for the past nine months or so, I painted a different senior citizen at the Solon Senior Center," Takacs said in an email. "These are the paintings that resulted from these very special encounters with these amazing old souls." Takacs would show up to the senior center to paint seniors in the lobby. The models …
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
Giuseppe Verdi’s beloved opera, 'La Traviata' will open at Solon Center for the Arts this Friday.
Giuseppe Verdi’s beloved opera "La Traviata" will open at Solon Center for the Arts this Friday. The opera will begin at 7:30 p.m. It will also run at 3 p.m. Sunday and at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. SCA’s production receives public support with local tax dollars from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, to preserve and enrich our region’s artistic and cultural heritage. The show stars Northeast Ohio’s brightest and best talents including Marian Vogel as Violetta Valéry, Timothy M.R. Culver as Alredo Germont, Brian Keith Johnson as Giorgio Germont and Kimberly Lauritsen as Flora Bervoix. It is directed by one of America’s most versatile and popular stage directors, Jonathon Field. The SCA Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Maria Sensi Sellner from …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Mayor Susan Drucker said that an assistant recreation director is running the Solon Center for the Arts on an interim basis to make sure all the programs run without a hitch.
All of the classes, programs and events at the Solon Center for the Arts are operating without a hitch, said Mayor Susan Drucker. Former Executive Director Karen Prasser resigned on Sept. 6. A week later, city officials announced that the SCA was under investigation for "alleged irregularities."It's unclear right now whether Prasser's resignation is related to the investigation. Drucker said the Arts Center is being managed right now by Russell Schneider, an assistant recreation director. Schneider is "making sure things move forward smoothly," Drucker said. Drucker said the city has not yet initiated a search for a new executive director.
Anne
10:14 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Kelly, again, the arts center is a city department. It has NOT been designated as a regional arts center. Look at the city and arts center websites. Change in status must be done legally and we would hear about it at city meetings and the media. For now, regardless of what anyone says or thinks, it is a CITY DEPARTMENT. more ›