[NEohioPAL] NEWS HERALD CUT ARTS COLUMNS

[Cathee Thomas]

Hello everyone, 
I have some rather unfortunate news to share with all my dear friends and 
associates in the arts. 

As you look for Gallery Glances in Friday's TGIF - or on-line Thursday 
evening (if you are as anxious as NL), you will not find it.
Nor will you find Curtain Call next week, as my closing curtain to a 14 year run 
was last Friday.
The powers that be at the News Herald have made a budget cut to eliminate all 
freelance writers, of which I am one.
Perhaps my absence in print will cause a sufficient reaction to rescind this 
folly of a decision. 

That is out of my hands - but in yours. 
I want to say thank you for the wonderful way you have all treated me and been 
so forthcoming with timely information to fill my columns. I did not know when I 
wrote my last Curtain Call that it was to be the last. So I want to make a point 
to thank our great local theaters for so many years of participation with the 
Free Ticket contest. I've loved reading the comments people add to the cards and 
their follow up comments after the shows. There is so much talent in NE Ohio. 
It has been my supreme pleasure to visit the galleries and attend performances - 
which of course I will continue to do because I didn't do it for my job, I did 
it because I love the arts. I will always treasure the special gifts from my 
artist friends; and will certainly seize any opportunity to continue my public 
support of the arts and keep people aware of the treasures to be found here.
I am truly blessed as a freelance writer to have been in print weekly for the 
past 20 years! Wow - and not just via the New Herald, sometimes even 2 or 3 
articles in a week! So please don't think of this as a pity me letter. I was not 
the only squeaky wheel  to get these columns rolling (thank you Pat) and will no 
doubt continue just fine. I feel the real injustice is to the arts and those who 
need encouragement to pursue them - as entertainment, for appreciation, or as a 
profession.
Thank you - and please think some warm happy thoughts (or let yourself be 
inflamed by the situation) to melt this dang snow! 
Cathee 
PS
Feel free to share this with others of a like mind, my contact list is large and 
unsorted for the arts - my friends and contacts seem to overlap. . . a good 
thing. I apologize if I have missed sharing this anyone who should have been 
alerted - or if I have contacted anyone unaffected or disinterested by this 
decision. 

PPS
If you are looking for past columns, they are still available via: 
 http://www.news-herald.com/shared-content/search/index.php?search=go&l=20&s=recent&r=&d1=12-1-2000&d2=today&q=CATHEE+THOMAS

Jeff Sudbrook, Publisher publisher at News-Herald.com<publisher at News-Herald.com>;
Brian McCloskey, General Manager 
bmccloskey at news-herald.com<bmccloskey at news-herald.com
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