Club activities and Ukrainian dinners

The monthly membership meeting of the Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by commander Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), will take place at 2:30 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok” (“center” in Ukrainian). The agenda of the meeting will include reports of officers and delegates to the UAV 68th National Convention held Oct. 2-4 in New Jersey, the planning of Veterans Day observances next month, including the traditional UAV Post 40 Veterans Day luncheon at noon Nov.
 
12 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club, and other matters. The Nov. 12 luncheon tickets, at $25 per person, can be obtained from Post 40 members, including yours truly.
There will be no tickets sold at the door.
                                                            •••
 Last week’s monthly membership meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, held at the Oseredok, was chaired by vice president Lieda Boyko of Port Charlotte.
 
The guest speaker was North Port Police Chef Kevin Vespia, who was introduced by Nancy Wosny. Chief Vespia’s comprehensive and very interesting 20-minute presentation was followed by a lengthy question-and-answer period.
The meeting began with a moment of silence in memory of two members, Walter Shipka and Florence Lysak, who died since the last membership meeting.
 
Following the reports of officers, members approved the date of the traditional Christmas party as Dec. 5 (Anna Mariani “volunteered” to chair the party committee), and the club’s participation, together with the St. Petersburg Ukrainian American community, in the Dec.10 annual Headquarters of the U.S. Central Command International Coalition Night at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
 
These and other matters will be discussed in more details at the next membership meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 28. Members are being asked to bring to the next meeting nonperishable (canned and boxed) food items, which will be donated, as in the past, to the Salvation Army.
                                                            •••
The new pastor of North Port’s Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church, the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, and his wife Lyubov, are providing leadership and an example to the parishioners by being personally involved in the operation of “Nasha Kukhnya” (our kitchen), including food preparation, which serves the popular traditional Ukrainian American dinners from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday.
 
The dinners, at $12 (which includes gratuity) consist of “borsch” (Ukrainian-style beet soup), “varenyky” (pierogies), “holubtsi” (Ukrainian-style cabbage rolls), chicken and home-baked pastries with coffee or tea.
 
Guests who find the full dinner too large may choose individual menu items (price list is available).
 
In addition to the service of dinners, take-outs of borsch, varenyky and holubtsi are available from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays. Large orders, to ensure availability, should be called in in advance at 941-423-2427.
 
St. Mary’s Sisterhood will have a garage sale from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday at the Parish Center, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive, corner of West Price Boulevard.
 
Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.




  

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn