VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAME Officials seek venue for inductions

State support for the hall is not certain, its CEO said.
SHARON, Pa. -- The Vocal Group Hall of Fame is looking for the right place to stage its 2004 induction ceremony.
The event was held the last two years at Cafaro Field in Niles. But hurricane weather last year played havoc with performances, and another outdoor event cannot be risked, said Bob Crosby, the hall's chief executive.
"We have to look toward a large indoor venue," he said. "We are talking to places all over the country."
The 2004 inductions are being planned for late spring, but a ceremony date is not set as a venue is being sought.
At the same time, balloting for 2005 inductees is also beginning.
Crosby assured that both springtime inductions will be held.
Inductees
The 2004 inductees are American Quartet, The Four Tunes, The Cadillacs, The Crests, The Dells, The Diamonds, The Jordanaires, The Penguins, The Beatles, The Marvelettes, The O'Jays, The Ronettes, The Tokens, The Doobie Brothers, The Stylistics, Alabama and The Everly Brothers.
Crosby also noted the hall is moving forward on a plan to secure state funding to finance ongoing operations and induction programs over the next few years.
"The Vocal Group Hall of Fame is going to live. It's just a matter of if it's going to be supported by the state of Pennsylvania, or if the inductions are going to be held somewhere else," Crosby said.
Origin
The hall of fame was founded in 1996 to recognize vocal groups and singers. The hall, now in the Columbia Theater, has experienced difficult financial issues since it was formed.
Hall officials, however, have announced a media product distribution agreement for the hall's DVDs, CDs and other media products from its 2002 and 2003 induction concerts that will pay off the hall's $200,000 debt.
There's now a dispute between the hall and a founder.
Last month, Sharon police arrived at the hall, which was housed in another Sharon building, the former Willson's store, owned by James E. Winner Jr. Crosby was directing workers to remove memorabilia, chairs, glass cases and other items into rental moving trucks.
The items were moved to the Columbia Theater a few blocks down the street, which Tony Butala, the hall's chairman and founder, owns and is hoping to renovate.
Winner said the hall had improperly removed property he and others owned.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inc. was a company created by Winner to form the hall in 1997; Winner, however, withdrew his involvement in the hall in 2001.
Police had allowed Crosby to take what had already been loaded on a truck and told the men to resolve the matter in court.
Winner has now filed a suit against the hall for breach of contract and unjust enrichment, seeking repayment of a $10,000 loan plus interest. Crosby said he had not seen the lawsuit Tuesday, and Winner was said by his office to be out of town; the hall's lawyer Ronald Amrhein could not be reached.