Northeast Shores comments on PD coverege of WRHS

Recently, the Plain Dealer wrote a cover story covering the recent challenges that the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) has experienced. This story was robust and shared various auctions of WRHS assets that have occurred in an effort to stay solvent.

Northeast Shores is very interested in the direction and future of the WRHS because of their ownership of the Euclid Beach Carrosel. Since 2004, Northeast Shores has made several failed attempts to partner with the WRHS on locating the Carrousel here in North Collinwood.

Below is our letter to the editor regarding the issue and the link at cleveland.com:

I want to thank The Plain Dealer for reporting on the current management and fiscal strength of the Western Reserve Historical Society (March 7). It is truly unfortunate that WRHS is not in a strong position to carry out its mission to inform the public about the tremendous history of Northeast Ohio.

I was disappointed that reporter John Mazzolini did not remind readers of our continued challenges in partnering with the WRHS on the restoration and operation of the Euclid Beach carousel. Since 2004, the Northeast Shores Development Corporation has boldly attempted to implement the North Collinwood portion of the lakefront plan. For the last six years, our staff and volunteers have unsuccessfully attempted to initiate dialogue with both current and previous WRHS management about their plans for the currently warehoused carousel horses.

While we do not dispute WRHS' ownership of these important historical artifacts, our attempts to complete the lakefront plan are stymied by a daring disregard for our intent and ability to return the carousel to its proper regional prominence. In an effort to ignite conversation, Northeast Shores has the assistance of several local officeholders in an effort to leverage an objective conversation about returning the carousel to its original location inside Euclid Beach State Park.

The Western Reserve Historical Society refuses to acknowledge our efforts or receipt of a full-blown proposal for the carousel. This report was created and delivered at the request of the WRHS. Our submittal has still not been acknowledged six months after its delivery. While our fruitless efforts to work with the WRHS were reported previously in the pages of The Plain Dealer, it would have been insightful to Plain Dealer readers to realize that the WRHS continues to build ill will in the community toward current efforts for partnership and collaboration.

Brian A. Friedman, Cleveland
Friedman is executive director of the Northeast Shores Development Corporation.

http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2010/03/western_reserve_historical_soc_4.html