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1989 grads want road renamed for principal
(by Sue Reid - September 22, 2011)
1989 grads want road renamed for principal
By SUE REID
Four members of Solon High School's class of 1989 made a heartfelt appeal to members of City Council Monday.
They asked that Inwood Road, where Solon High School is located, be renamed Kotora Way in honor of their late principal, E. James Kotora. The graduates noted that Inwood Road is not named after anything or anyone in particular.
To "rename it would mean a lot to a lot of people," graduate Michael Cook said.
Mr. Kotora, who served as the Solon High School principal from 1972 to 1994, died in February after being injured in a fall.
Dubbed a "student's principal," he was credited for bridging the gap between the 1970s and 1990s, according to School Superintendent Joseph V. Regano, culminating in Solon High School being named a National Blue Ribbon School.
"Think about it," Mr. Cook said. "It's something that would be a moving tribute to a good man."
Jason West, another graduate, said Mr. Kotora was a "wonderful principal.
"We are lucky in Solon to have one of the greatest public school systems in the country and it became that way because of him," he said.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab, another graduate, said Mr. Kotora never labeled students.
"I can honestly say he was one of the few people who treated every student like an individual," Mr. Astrab said. Renaming the street would "honor him and his legacy," he said.
Mr. Mersinas, who originally came up with the idea, cited the impact Mr. Kotora made on his life in a handwritten letter to Mayor Susan A. Drucker. He recalled struggling as a student and Mr. Kotora's "loving, caring nature" about every student that helped him both fit in and ultimately to succeed.
"I was not the most academic student at Solon High School, but Mr. Kotora saw that, took me under his wing several times and helped me," Mr. Mersinas said. "Any principal would have given up on me. Mr. Kotora didn't. He never let me give up."
The graduates said following the meeting that coming before the city was the first step in the process and they were optimistic.
"I hope I'll be turning right off of SOM and onto Kotora Way," Mr. Cook said.
The next steps involve this going before city committee and the Solon Board of Education and getting public feedback. Already, the graduates have the support of more than 200 other graduates, they said.
But changing the name of the road may not be that simple, Mr. Regano said Tuesday.
"We appreciate the sentiment behind the suggestion and Mr. Kotora was obviously a beloved administrator of Solon High School for many years," Mr. Regano said, "but we also have other individuals who have been associated to the district who have meant a lot to the community and our students over the years." An example, Mr. Regano said, is John Major, the former superintendent, who passed away this summer.
"Changing the name of Inwood is just not as simple as it might seem on the face of it and there are definite costs to the district associated with such a name change," Mr. Regano said. As a result, it warrants further study, he said.
"I do think change will happen," Mr. Cook said. "Mr. Kotora is looking down and getting a big kick out of this."
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