Police chief to address Ukrainian Club tonight

The monthly membership meeting of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, will take place at 6 p.m. tonight at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok” (center).

North Port Police Chef Kevin Vespia will address club members and guests after a brief business meeting.

A coffee and home-baked pastry reception will follow the meeting and Vespia’s presentation.

All are welcome to attend the meeting.

Attendance at the club’s meetings is free and open to all; one does not have to be Ukrainian or of Ukrainian ancestry to be a member. All club business meetings are conducted in English.
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There will be no membership meeting of Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans this Friday, because of the UAV 68th National Convention and formal dedication and blessing of the UAV National Monument, to be held Friday to Sunday in Somerset, N.J. Attending the convention are members of Post 40, including National Commander Ihor W. Hron, Post Commander and UAV National Adjutant Col. Roman Rondiak (Ret.), National Chaplain/ Service Officer Marian Bojsiuk, and several others as delegates.

Regretfully, due to my wife Katrusia’s and my health problems, I, past national commander and member of the National Executive Board, will not be attending.

The monthly membership meeting of Post 40 members will be held one week later, at 3 p.m.  Oct. 9 at the Oseredok.

The agenda will include a report from officers and delegates who attended the national convention.
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North Port’s Milena Rudnycka Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, popularly known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will have its monthly membership meeting at 10 a.m. Oct. 6 in the Parish Hall of St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port.

Following the traditional business meeting and officers’ reports, there will be a program in recognition of the UNWLA’s 90th anniversary. Included will be information about the 90th UNWLA Anniversary Banquet on Oct. 17, and the opening of the “Ukrainian Women Artists of the Diaspora” Exhibit Oct. 18 in New York City.

Members are asked to come to the meeting wearing the traditional embroidered attire.
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The traditional, very popular Ukrainian American dinners are being served every Friday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. by “Nasha Kukhnya” (our kitchen) at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive. A delicious three course dinner, including the Ukrainian specialties “varenyky” (pierogies), “holubtsi” (cabbage rolls), sausage or chicken, and home baked pastries, is a bargain at $12. Take-outs are available.

The Sisterhood of the Parish will hold a garage sale at the Parish Center on Oct. 10. Details to follow.

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

Police chief to address Ukrainian Club

         The Executive Board of the Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, held its first “post-vacation” meeting last Monday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center — the “Oseredok,” to plan meetings and other activities of the club for the next several months.

          After routine reports by Secretary Doris Horbachevsky, Treasurer Nancy Wosny and Correspondence Secretary Halya Lisnyczyj, a more extensive report was presented by Scholarship Committee Chair Professor Victor Lisnyczyj, who underscored very successful last year’s program and mentioned continuous contacts with the scholarship recipients.

          President Daria reported that the packages of winter clothing for Ukrainian military personnel engaged in the Anti-Terrorist Operation against Russian and Russian-supported terrorists on the eastern border of Ukraine were delivered in Sumy, where they are being safeguarded, pending distribution to the appropriate military units. She also hopes for more information about the “didusi” (grandfathers), single old men in Ukraine, which the club is supporting with small but continuous stipends.

          After a lively discussion, it was decided to hold the traditional club’s Christmas Party on Saturday, Dec. 5, to attend and support the annual headquarters of the U.S. Central Command International Coalition Night at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Dec. 10; and to sponsor the art exhibit of Ola Rondiak sometime in the first part of March 2016.

          The first “post-vacation” membership meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the “Oseredok,” with guest speaker North Port City Police Chief Kevin Vespia.

          The club meetings are open to all, as is membership in the club. Nonmembers and potential members are welcome to attend all meetings and all other club activities.
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          Monday, Sept. 28, is the worldwide “Global Day Free Savchenko,” to demand freedom for the Ukrainian Air Force pilot Lt. Nadia Savchenko, who is being held illegally in prison in Russia.

          Lt. Savchenko, who is a member of “Verkhovna Rada” (Ukrainian parliament), and of European parliament, was kidnapped by terrorists after her plane was shot down, and illegally forcefully transported to Russia over one year ago. Russian authorities do not recognize her diplomatic immunity, and are charging her in the complicity of the killing of two Russian journalists and illegally crossing the border into Russia. Both accusations have no merit, because she had nothing to do with the death of the journalists (her defense lawyers have proof, but the Russian authorities do not want to see it), and she was forcefully transported to Russia by the Russian-supported terrorists.
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          Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, is the last chance Jews have to wipe their slates clean of the debris of the previous year and be inscribed in the book of life. It is being observed by our Jewish friends and neighbors today.

          My wife Katrusia and I would like to greet our friends and neighbors here and in the Greater New York City area with “G’mar hatimah tova.”

          It appears appropriate now to share the news that at the recent Publishers’ Forum, Sept. 10, in L’viv, Ukraine, the first modern Yiddish-Ukrainian Dictionary was presented. It contains 30,000 words and phrases.

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

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

    On Thursday,  Sept. 17, we  should be observing  “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” to commemorate the signing  of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”

This commemoration had its origin in 1940 and was known as “I Am An American Day,” but in 1952 Congress repealed it by passing a new law establishing Sept. 17 as the date to commemorate “the formation and signing on Sept. 17, 1787, of the Constitution of the United States.” The day was still designated as “Citizenship Day” to recognize all those who had attained American citizenship.

      It should be noted here that in many countries, constitution days are national holidays. Just to mention two countries of which numerous representatives live in our area: May 3 is the national and public holiday “Constitution Day” in Poland, and June 28 is the public holiday “Constitution Day” in Ukraine.

      The first Polish Constitution was adopted  May 3, 1971, by the Great Sejm (parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The first Ukrainian constitution, known as “Pylyp Orlyk Constitution,” was written  in 1710 by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, Kozak leader of Ukraine, then within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The current Ukrainian constitution  was adopted by parliament “Verkhovna Rada” (supreme council) June 28, 1996, to replace the worthless constitution  of the so-called Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, a puppet entity of the Russian Communist Soviet Union.

      I am not necessarily advocating making this day a national holiday, but there should be more attention devoted, especially in the schools, to it.

      The so-called “Stalin’s Constitution” of the former Soviet Union was also observed as a national holiday and presented to the public, especially to the school children (“Constitution” was one of the required subjects in schools), as the most democratic document in the world, while none of the provisions  of said constitution was observed by the Communist party and the Soviet government. 

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     The traditional and very popular Ukrainian American dinners at the Parish Center of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive, will be served between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., starting this Friday, Sept. 18. The menu will include, but not be limited to, the famous Ukrainian “varenyky” (perogies) and “holubtsi” (cabbage rolls). For more information, including cost, call St. Mary’s at 941-426-7931.

      Volunteers will gather at 8 a.m., Thursday at the Parish Center to make these delicacies. Individuals who would like to learn how to make these Ukrainian specialties  are welcome to join the regular volunteers. 

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     Members of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, led by Post Commander Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), met last Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok.”     

    They elected delegates to the UAV 68th National Convention, confirmed the post’s participation  in the Nov. 11 North Port Veterans Day observances, and confirmed the traditional Veterans Day Luncheon at Heron Creek Golf &  Country Club on Nov. 12.

 

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

Veterans meeting, other upcoming events

The first post-vacation monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by retired Co. Roman Rondiak, USA, will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok.”) The change of the meeting from the traditional first Friday of the month was made in consideration of Labor Day weekend observances.

The agenda of the meeting will include, in addition to the customary reports of officers, the post’s participation in the UAV 68th National Convention that will take place Oct. 2-4, in Somerset, N.J., and the dedication of the UAV National Monument honoring Ukrainian and Ukrainian American veterans of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces serving since the Revolutionary War for Independence of the United States. The monument, located at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J., will be officially blessed and dedicated at 4 p.m., Oct. 3.

In addition to Post 40 members who are national officers, National Commander Ihor W. Hron, Post Commander and National Adjutant Col. Roman Rondiak, National Chaplain/ Service Officer Marian Bojsiuk, and yours truly (past national commander), Post 40 is entitled to four additional delegates, who will be elected at the Sept. 11 meeting.
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Last week’s meeting of the Parish Council of Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port, chaired by the Rev. Vasyl Petriv, pastor, and attended by members of the parish, discussed, among other important issues, the operation of the parish kitchen, known as “Nasha Kuklnya” (our kitchen) and serving of the very popular traditional Ukrainian American dinners on Fridays.

It was decided to start serving dinners between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept 18. The Rev. Petriv, being new to the parish, announced that he and his wife Luba will actively participate in the preparation of dinners, specifically in making the traditional Ukrainian “varenyky” (pierogies) to familiarize themselves with the volunteers and the kitchen operation.

This exposure will enable him to see if any administrative and/or operational changes in the kitchen and serving staffs will be in order.
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This Sunday, at sundown, the Jewish new year 5776, Rosh Hashanah, will begin. My wife Katrusia and I are very happy to convey our sincere new year’s greetings and best wishes to all our Jewish neighbors and friends here and in the greater New York City area.
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Sept. 13 is also Grandparents Day, which, unfortunately, does not receive the publicity nor commercial exposure it actually deserves, especially in our area where many grandparents and great-grandparents reside.

Katrusia and I, both grandparents and great-grandparents, usually receive greetings and well-wishes on Mother’s and Father’s days from our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A few days ago we were pleased to receive a beautiful “Happy Grandparents” card signed by some of our grandchildren and both of our great-granddaughters.

Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn

Ukrainian-American community events ramp up

The 70th annual convention of the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention in the USA, the very first conference in the State of Florida, with activities scheduled to be held at the local Ukrainian Baptist Church and at the North Port Performing Arts Center, will dominate the Southwest Florida Ukrainian American community this Labor Day weekend.

 

The organizers are inviting all and are expecting many local residents who are not members of the church to attend many segments of the conference, and especially the youth program which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the North Port Performing Arts Center at North Port High School. The program will consist of choral presentations by the UBC Youth Choir, United Choir of the Philadelphia area churches, a choral ensemble from Cleveland, Ohio, and soloists Katya Kishta, Alina Rabchuk and Lesya Hordynska.

 

The solemn divine service, at 10 a.m. Sunday at North Port Performing Arts Center will feature common and choral singing, along with soloists Nadia Hordynska, Alina Rabchuk, and Vitaliy Velenchuk, in addition to prayers, scripture readings and sermons.

 

The host church of this 70th annual conference is the Ukrainian Baptist Church at 3950 Wall Lane, North Port, whose pastor is Vitaliy Bernatskiy. For more information, visit ubcnorthport.org.

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 The days of monthly membership meetings of North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by retired Col. Roma Rondiak, USA, normally held on the first Friday of the month at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, the“Oseredok”, will take place at 3 p.m.

on Friday, Sept. 11, (so as not to interfere with the long Labor Day weekend), and again at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, (so as not to interfere with UAV 68th National Convention Oct.

1-3).

The traditional annual UAV Post 40 Veterans Day Luncheon at the Heron Creek Golf and Country Club is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12. 

 Members of UAV Post 40 will miss one of its members, decorated WWII veteran and UAV Past National Commander (1949-1950) Walter Shipka, who was born on May 18, 1924, in Plainfield, N.J., grew up in New York, moved to Ohio, and passed away on June 28, 2015, in Englewood.

Post 40 members express their deepest sympathy to PNC Shipka’s wife of 62 years, Helen, their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other relatives. May he rest in peace: Veechnaya Pamyat!

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 The Parish Council of Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Port, and Pastor Rev. Vasyl Petriv, will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday with volunteers who were and, hopefully, will again be working in the parish kitchen. The agenda will include the serving of very popular traditional Ukrainian American dinners, held on Fridays, which include “varenyky” (pierogis), “holubtsi” (cabbage rolls) and Ukrainian pastries.

The Parish Council also will consider other matters and will more fully brief the recently installed Rev. Petriv about the parish life and proposed plans for the foreseeable future.

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