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Official Publication of the Slovene National Benefit Society
YEAR CII
ISSUE 7
USPS: 448-080
ISSN: 1080-0263
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2009
Regional activities take members out to the ballgame
Join SNPJ Region 2
and Region 4 members
for their annual brush
with America’s pastime
by KEVIN RICHARDS
SNPJ Fraternal Director
IMPERIAL, Pa. — The two regional fraternal
activities that the SNPJ Fraternal Department
hosted last year with the assistance of Regional
Vice Presidents Sis. Dorothy Gorjup and Bro.
Jim Curl were such great successes that we’ve
decided to hold them again this year. Take me
out to the ballgames!
Join SNPJ members in the Cleveland area for
Slovenian Heritage Night as the Lake County
Captains play host to the Greenville Drive
Monday, July 20, for a 7 p.m. game. SNPJ
Region 4 Vice President Dorothy Gorjup will
be the SNPJ hostess for this event. Tickets are
only $9 and can be purchased by contacting
Dorothy Gorjup or any Region 4 local Lodge
secretary. The Lake County Captains team is
the Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians,
and the Greenville Drive is the Class A affiliate
of the Boston Red Sox.
SNPJ Region 2 Vice President Jim Curl will
serve as the SNPJ host when we once again
head out to CONSOL Energy Park for SNPJ
Night with the Washington Wild Things Friday,
Aug. 21. This 7:05 p.m. baseball game brings
the Windy City Thunderbolts to the park. The
Washington Wild Things are a member of the
Frontier League, an independent baseball league.
There will be fireworks after the game. Tickets
are only $6 and can be purchased directly from
the Washington Wild Things ticket office at
(724) 250-9555. Be sure to ask for Rick and
mention that you’re with the SNPJ group.
We invite all members to attend these events,
both of which are part of an ongoing SNPJ Fraternal Department project to organize regional
fraternal events with the help of our Regional
Vice Presidents.
In addition to these two events, an April whale
watching cruise has been planned in Southern
California that the Fraternal Department is
hosting with help from Region 8 Vice President
Fred Mlakar. Look for a regional event to come
to your area soon!
If you have any questions, contact me at the
SNPJ Home Office by phoning 1-800-843-7675
or e-mailing [email protected].
2009 National Bowl heading
to the SNPJ Recreation Center
IMPERIAL, Pa. — The 2009 SNPJ National
Bowling Tournament, co-sponsored by the
SNPJ Recreation Center and Lodge 776 in the
Borough of SNPJ, Pa., is scheduled the weekend
of May 1-3.
The weekend will kick off Friday, May 1,
with a welcome dance in the Gostilna featuring Ted Zalac from 8 to 10:30 p.m. The Funn-Frolic bowling outing is scheduled Friday
evening beginning at 7 p.m. at Camelot Lanes
in Boardman, Ohio.
The National Bowling Tournament events
will begin Saturday, May 2, with the men
bowling at Camelot Lanes in Boardman and
the women at Holiday Bowl in Struthers, Ohio.
Doubles and singles events will be rolled Satur-
day; team events are scheduled Sunday.
After bowling on Saturday, join us in the
Gostilna at the SNPJ Recreation Center from 7
to 11 p.m. to dance the night away to the sounds
of DJ Bob Matasy.
For those bowlers who are traveling from out
of town and need a place to stay, there are several
hotels located in the Boardman area. Mention
the SNPJ bowling tournament at the following
hotels for a reduced rate of roughly 20 percent:
Red Roof Inn (330-758-1999), Residence Inn
Marriot (330-726-1747), Hampton Inn (330758-5191), Fairfield Inn (330-726-5979) or
Days Inn (330-758-1816).
On behalf of the Recreation Center and
SNPJ Lodge 776, we welcome everybody to
the Recreation Center and wish all bowlers the
best of luck on the lanes!
PERIODICAL MATERIAL
by KEVIN RICHARDS
SNPJ Fraternal Director
SNPJ Producer Showcase......................... 2
Up-and-Coming Calendar of Events.......... 2
Slovenia From the Source.......................... 3
Slovenska Stran......................................... 4
SNPJ Recommender Coupon.................... 6
SNPJ Young Adult Conference Q & A........ 7
CAL Don Gorjup Golf Entry Form.............. 8
SNPJ Fraternal Sympathies....................... 8
brief ly
Society sympathies for
former SNPJ First Lady
IMPERIAL, Pa. — The SNPJ Home
Office has been notified of the March 24,
2009, passing of Sis. Agnes Elish, longtime member of Lodge 138 and wife of late
SNPJ National President Peter Elish.
On behalf of the entire Society, the
members of the Executive Committee
and Home Office staff extend their condolences to Sis. Elish’s family and friends.
See page 8 for the complete obituary.
W. Pa. Federation has
April 26 meeting plans
STRABANE, Pa. — The Slovene
Federation of SNPJ Lodges of Western
Pennsylvania will hold its first meeting
of 2009 Sunday, April 26, in the newly
remodeled Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106
clubroom beginning at 2 p.m. There are
some imprortant matters that have to be
addressed, and President Tony Bole would
appreciate a good turnout. The Federation
banquet honoring members celebrating
50, 60, 70 and 80 years of membership is
temporarily on hold and will be discussed
at this time. Your input would be greatly
appreciated.
BOB LAWRENCE (138)
Western Pa. Federation Secretary
Jolly Allis Lodge 686
schedules April meeting
WEST ALLIS, Wis. — The next Jolly
Allis Lodge 686 meeting will be held
April 17 at 7 p.m. We will be gathering at
the Bevsek-Verbick Funeral Home in the
meeting room on the lower level. Mark
your calendar so you’ll remember this
date. All members are encouraged to attend our Lodge meetings to stay up to date
on SNPJ news and events. If you have any
questions, I can be reached at chuckkwi@
execpc.com or at (414) 543-4429.
CHARLES A. KASSECKERT
Lodge 686 Secretary/Treasurer
Sample the vintage with
Lodge 786 members in June
by JEAN KOCI
Lodge 786 Secretary/Treasurer
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — For
more than 10 years Slovenians and their
friends in Southern California have been
enjoying wine tasting picnics in the wine
country of Temecula. Sunday, June 7, will
mark the 11th such picnic sponsored by
Orange Coast Lodge 786. For the third
year in a row, we will enjoy the facilities at Keyways Vineyards and Winery,
37338 de Portola Road, Temecula. We
reserved the entire gazebo garden area
for our use. This beautiful spot in the
midst of vineyards and horse country
is surrounded by rolling hills with the
mountains in the distance.
Plan to arrive at noon. There will be
cheese and crackers, as well as fruit and
soft beverages as we gather and listen
to some preliminary music from our
• Alora C. Verch
In This Issue
musicians. At 12:30 p.m. we’ll begin
with the first wines. A gourmet catered
lunch prepared by the German chef at the
winery will be served promptly at 1 p.m.
Wine tasting will continue through lunch
and dessert. Dessert, by the way, will be
homemade apple strudel accompanied
by a luscious dessert wine.
Fred Mlakar will again lead the tasting
of six varieties of wine. A staff of waiters
and waitresses will pour for you. Menus
will be provided to follow along so you
can learn a little about each vintage.
We are pleased to announce that the
Fontana Button Accordion Club and some
of our own Lodge musicians will provide
music during the afternoon. This party has
the reputation of being one of the most
enjoyable and relaxing times for
SEE LODGE 786 WINE
Lodge 786 meeting to
finalize wine tasting plans
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Lodge
786 will hold its April meeting at the home
of Rosemary and Fred Mlakar, 13592
Onkayha Cir., Irvine, Calif., Saturday,
April 25, at 1 p.m. This will be the last
time we gather to finalize plans for our
upcoming Wine Tasting Party. Phone
(949) 495-0097 for directions if needed.
JEAN KOCI
Lodge 786 Secretary/Treasurer
THE
DEADLINE
The next two PROSVETA issue dates
are April 22 and May 6. All material
must be received by Monday, April 13,
for the April 22 issue, and by Monday,
April 27, for the May 6 issue. If you are
running short on time and concerned
about making the deadline, try faxing
your submission to (724) 695-1555 or
e-mailing [email protected].
ON PAGE 3
Born March 19, 2008
Euclid, Ohio, Lodge 158
• Elise K. Silipini
Born Aug. 10, 2002
Euclid, Ohio, Lodge 158
• Roman M. Jursic
Born June 12, 2008
Sygan, Pa., Lodge 6
• Tyler J. Wene
Born Feb. 1, 2008
Milwaukee Lodge 584
Loyalites welcome Alora C. Verch to their
Lodge. Alora is the daughter of Michael
Verch (158) and Shea Swedenborg; granddaughter of Tony and Janice Verch (158),
and Mark and Kelly Swedenborg; and greatgranddaughter of Karol and Ruth Dratwa,
Tony Angelo, and Loren Swedenborg. SNPJ
extends best wishes to her entire family.
Loyalites Lodge 158 members welcome
Elise K. Silipini to their Lodge. Elise is the
daughter of Shea Swedenborg, granddaughter of Mark and Kelly Swedenborg,
and great-granddaughter of Karol and Ruth
Dratwa, Tony Angelo, and Loren Swedenborg. We welcome Elise to SNPJ and extend
our best wishes to her entire family.
The members of Lodge 6 welcome Roman
Matthew Jursic as the newest addition to
their Lodge. Roman is the son of Matthew
and Shaylynn Jursic, grandson of Penny
Mayhew (6), and great-grandson of Thora
F. Koop (6). We welcome Roman to the Slovene National Benefit Society and extend
our best wishes to his entire family.
Badger Lodge 584 members welcome the
newest addition to their Lodge, Tyler J.
Wene. Tyler is the son of Christopher Wene
(584) and Ann Jarvey, grandson of Mark
(584) and Joyce Wene, and great-grandson
of Don and Georgene Wene (584). We
welcome Tyler to the Society and extend
our best wishes to his entire family.
2
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
April 8, 2009
PROSVETA
ENLIGHTENMENT
(USPS 448-080)
(ISSN 1080-0263)
by FRED MLAKAR (786)
SNPJ Region 8 Vice President
The Official Publication of the
Slovene National
Benefit Society
247 W. Allegheny Road
Imperial, PA 15126-9774
Phone: (724) 695-1100
Toll-Free:
1-800-843-7675 (THE SNPJ)
Fax: (724) 695-1555
e-mail: [email protected]
web site: www.snpj.org
Editor:
Jay Sedmak
Associate Editor:
Kimberly Gonzalez
Subscription rate is $8 per year for non-SNPJ
members in the United States (Fla. subscribers,
please add 6 percent sales tax). Canadian and
foreign subscriptions, $50 per year. Advertising information available by writing our office.
Material concerning the official workings of
the Slovene National Benefit Society is given
publication priority. Unsolicited manuscripts
returned only if a self-addressed, stamped
envelope is enclosed.
Postmaster: Send all address changes to:
PROSVETA, 247 W. Allegheny Rd.,
Imperial, PA 15126-9774
(Issued biweekly on Wednesday)
(Periodical postage paid at Imperial, Pa.,
SNPJ National Board
Executive Committee:
National President
Joseph C. Evanish
National Secretary
Karen A. Pintar
National Treasurer
Robert J. Lawrence
Correspondence received at:
247 West Allegheny Road
Imperial, PA 15126-9774
Office hours are Monday -Thursday, 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.; Fridays 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Finance Committee:
Chrm.: Joseph P. Cvetas — 356
Golfview Road, Unit 602, N. Palm Beach,
FL 33408
Robert Lawrence, Secretary
Joseph C. Evanish
Kenneth Anderson — 2400 Derby Road,
Birmingham, MI 48009
Roger C. Clifford — 102 Lang Road,
Sewickley, PA 15143
Supervisory Committee:
Chrm.: Phyllis Wood — 9519 Evergreen
Lane, Fontana, CA 92335
Vincent Baselj — 1001 Grandview Ave.,
Apt 903, Bridgeville, PA 15017
Louis J. Novak — 6308 Highland Rd.,
Highland Heights, OH 44143
Stan Repos — 1255 McCaslin Rd.,
Imperial, PA 15126
Tony Volpe — 3824 Burr Court, Sterling
Heights, MI 48310
Regional Vice Presidents:
Edward Kuzma, Region 1 — Box 217,
Tire Hill, PA 15959
James L. Curl, Region 2 — 503
Orchard St., Carnegie, PA 15106
Nancy Koutoulakis, Region 3 — 4321
Beverly Dr., Aliquippa, PA 15001
Dorothy Gorjup, Region 4 — 23760
Farringdon Ave., Euclid, OH 44123
Tracey Anderson, Region 5 — 1014
Edgewood Dr., Royal Oak, MI 48067
Justina Rigler, Region 6 — 1116 Berkley Lane, Lemont, IL 60439
John Zibert, Region 7 — 284 N. 200
St., Arma, KS 66712
Fred Mlakar, Region 8 — 13592
Onkayha Cir., Irvine, CA 92620
SNPJ Recreation Center
270 Martin Road
Enon Valley, PA 16120
(724) 336-5180 • fax (724) 336-6716
Toll-free: 1-877-767-5732
web site: www.snpjrec.com
e-mail: [email protected]
Have something for
Up-and-Coming?
Lodge/Organization
Type of Event
_
Site
_
If a concert or dance, who is
performing?
_
Date
Time
Who to contact
Phone (
)
Complete and return to:
PROSVETA
247 W. Allegheny Road
Imperial, PA 15126-9774
e-mail: [email protected]
Join SNPJ Region 8 members on a whale watching cruise
_
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — As
Region 8 Vice President, I am pleased
to host a whale watching cruise as
our Southern California Regional
Fraternal activity. Join fellow Region
8 members for an afternoon on the
water with the California gray whales.
These endangered animals migrate
along the California coastline, trav-
eling close to the shore. Don’t miss
the opportunity to see this majestic
marine mammal, along with dolphins
and other marine life.
Tickets are only $24 for adults
and teens; $14 for children ages 3 to
12. SNPJ youth members ages 3 to
17 will be paid for by the California
SNPJ Federation. Space is limited, so
purchase your tickets today by sending
a check made payable to “California
SNPJ Federation” to Teresa Koci, 14
Dion, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. The
deadline to purchase tickets is April
15; all purchases are non-refundable.
The fun doesn’t end when the boat
returns to the dock. Join us after the
cruise at the house of Ken and Teresa
Koci for a barbecue sponsored by the
SNPJ. All musicians are welcome to
bring their instruments to join in the
music. Members who aren’t planning
SNPJ Recreation Center accommodations
filling fast for 2009 Slovenefest weekend
by JUDY GERMANI (715)
SNPJ Recreation Center
BOROUGH OF SNPJ, Pa. —
Hello, everyone in SNPJland! We
have some new information on the
rates for Slovenefest XXVIII. The
RV spots, located at the top of the
hill by the old pavilion, rent for
$50 per spot regardless of whether
you stay for one day or all three.
The electrical hook-up rate is $75
a spot. This area is filled.
The two-bedroom cabin units
rent for $180 plus tax. The onebedroom units rent for $120 plus
tax. These rates are valid for the
entire three-day event, Friday
through Sunday. All cabins have
been reserved for Slovenefest
XXVIII weekend.
Space is limited in the tenting
area. The tenting rate is $50 a spot
whether you stay for one day or all
three. We are still taking reservations for this area.
All RV and tenting spots must
be prepaid. A special pass will be
mailed to you once we receive
your payment. Make your reservation today; we look forward to
seeing you.
Slovenefest XXVIII admission
remains the same: $8 on Friday,
and $10 on Saturday and Sunday.
Swimming is free with Slovenefest
admission.
The summer pool rates are $3
for adult members age 13 and
over, $2 for youth members age
12 and under, $4.50 for adult nonmembers 13 and over, and $3 for
youth non-members 12 and under.
Pool hours are noon until 6 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, and
noon until 8 p.m. Friday through
Sunday.
Phone the SNPJ Recreation
Center today toll-free at 1-877767-5732 to reserve your tenting
spot for Slovenefest. We’ll see
you soon!
Lodge 643 continues with spring plans
by TONY KREN
Lodge 643 Secretary
GIRARD, Ohio — Planning for the April 4 Lodge
643 Easter Brunch and April 18 Brittney Zemko Day
is on schedule. Reservations for the April 18 banquet
at the Croatian Hall in Youngstown, Ohio, have been
brisk, and we expect a good turnout for this festive
occasion. We are very pleased that SNPJ National
President Joseph C. Evanish will be in attendance,
along with Girard Mayor James Melfi and a representative from Ohio senator and fellow Slovenian
George Voinovich’s office. We’ve also extended
invitations to State Senator Capri Cafaro and U.S.
Congressman Tim Ryan.
The banquet will be held Saturday, April 18.
Cocktails will be served at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6,
with presentations and proclamations following. An
open bar will be available during the banquet.
Our master of ceremonies will be Delbert Rezek,
Lodge 643 vice president and polka musician extraordinaire. Jack Vasko and his orchestra will perform
for the remainder of the evening.
Tickets for this gala affair are $25 each and can be
obtained by sending a check made payable to “SNPJ
Lodge 643” to Tony Kren, 1550 Oak St., Girard, OH
44420. Payment must be received no later than April
10. Your payment will be your reservation. If you
have any questions, please contact Tony by phoning
(330) 545-4981.
Please make a note of the following special events
to take the cruise are invited to the
barbecue. Please RSVP to Teresa Koci
so we have enough food and drink. If
you have any questions, phone Teresa
at (949) 363-1513 or e-mail tkoci@
cox.net.
My thanks to Circle 104 Director
Teresa Koci, Lodge 786 Secretary
Jean Koci and Lodge 723 President
Eric Wood for joining Kevin Richards
and me in the planning of this activity.
Producer
showcase
Sis. MARY ANN
REICHEL
Lodge 603
Sis. Mary Ann Reichel, a member of
Samsula, Fla., Lodge 603, is this week’s
featured Top Producing Agent.
According to Mary Ann, who has been
an SNPJ Producer for 38 years, the
Slovene National Benefit Society offers
quality products at a reasonable cost,
a selling point she strongly promotes.
Mary Ann remembers all of the good
times she’s had at her home Lodge in
Florida and with Youth Circle 57. She
enjoys reading PROSVETA and The
Voice of Youth.
Girard Lodge 643 members will honor Miss SNPJ
2009 BRITTNEY ZEMKO, pictured with fellow Lodge
643 member Bro. TONY KLEPEC, on April 18.
sponsored by Golden Eagles Lodge 643: Brittney
Zemko Day, April 18, 5 p.m. at the Croatian Hall,
Youngstown; Join Hands Day, May 2, 11 a.m. at
Tod Park, Girard; Golden Eagles polka dance and
Members of the Year Banquet, Aug. 9 at the SNPJ
Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa.; and Make
a Difference Day, October 2009 at the Emmanuel
Center, Girard.
The next regular general membership meeting for
Lodge 643 will be held Thursday, April 15, beginning
at 6:30 p.m. at Amen Corner, Girard. We had a good
attendance at our March meeting, and we hope to see
everyone there again for the April meeting.
Sis. Reichel has served as Lodge secretary since 1970. She enjoys reading
and watching sports, mainly NASCAR.
You can often find her volunteering at
Lodge 603 activities. Mary Ann is very
family oriented and loves spending time
with her husband, John; her daughters,
Rhonda (John) Tesauro, Sharon Wolf
and Laura Hoffman (Randy Ross); and
her extended family.
Mary Ann can be reached at 437
N. Samsula Dr., New Smyrna
Beach, FL 32168; by phone at (386)
428-9570; or by e-mail at tweetie
[email protected].
Up-and-Coming...
A look at events planned by the Slovene National Benefit Society
• APRIL 14........ La Salle, Ill., Lodge 2 tribute to
23-year Lodge Recording Secretary Eleanor Kuhar, 1 p.m. at Dickinson House,
Oglesby, Ill. For additional information
contact Delores Spelich at (815) 2238650.
• APRIL 26........ Lodge 87 Spring Social at the
Crystal Ballroom, Herminie, Pa.; 2-7 p.m.
Dancing to the Mikey Dee and Wayne
Tomsic bands.
• MAY 2-3......... SNPJ National Bowling Tournament hosted by the SNPJ Recreation
Center. For information phone Fraternal
Director Kevin Richards at 1-800-8437675 or e-mail [email protected].
• MAY 9���������� Lodge 745 picnic and wine tasting at Dobra Zemlja Winery in Amador
County, Calif. Visit www.snpj745.com or
e-mail Connie Mlakar at conniemlakar@
yahoo.com for additional information.
• MAY 12.......... La Salle, Ill., Lodge 2 wine tasting,
1 p.m. at Dickinson House, Oglesby, Ill.
For details phone Delores Spelich at
(815) 223-8650.
• MAY 17.......... SNPJ Farm Board Pancake &
Sausage Breakfast at the SNPJ Farm,
Kirtland, Ohio. Breakfast served 9 a.m.-1
p.m.; music by Boom Box Bill. For information phone Joseph Blatnik at (440)
943-1191.
• MAY 23.......... CAL Don Gorjup Golf Open at Rolling Green Glf Course, Huntsburg, Ohio;
9 a.m. shotgun start. For information
phone Linda Gorjup at (216) 731-2723
or (216) 650-1279, or e-mail lmg1020@
roadrunner.com.
• MAY 31.......... SNPJ Farm Board Picnic at the
SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, Ohio. Dinners
served at 2 p.m.; entertainment by Frank
Moravcik 3:30-7:30 p.m. For information
phone Joseph Blatnik at (440) 943-1191.
• JUNE 7.......... Orange Coast Lodge 786 Wine
Tasting Party and Picnic at Keyways Winery, Temecula, Calif.; noon-5 p.m. For reservations (required), contact Jean Koci at
(949) 495-0097 or e-mail [email protected].
• JUNE 7.......... Spartans Lodge 576 picnic at the
SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, Ohio; 2 p.m. Entertainment features Joey Tomsick, Joe
Novak and Wayne Tomsic. Phone Lou
Novak at (440) 461-6476 for details.
• JUNE 7.......... Westmoreland (Pa.) Federation
Slovenian-Italian Day Picnic at the Evanstown Picnic Grove, Evanstown, Pa.;
1-7 p.m. Music by the Sam Pugliano and
Jim Rhoades bands. For details phone
Mary Ann Bebar at (724) 668-7394.
• JUNE 8.......... La Salle, Ill., Lodge 2 50-, 60-,
70- and 80-year member luncheon at 4
Star Restaurant, Peru, Ill., beginning at
11:30 a.m. For information phone Eleanor
Kuhar at (815) 883-8983.
• JUNE 13........ Detroit Lodge 677 annual picnic and
balina tournament at Ruth’s picnic ground
beginning at 2 p.m. For information
phone Ken Anderson at (248) 649-6228.
• JUNE 14........ Loyalites Lodge 158 annual summer picnic at the SNPJ Farm, Kirtland,
Ohio. Dinners served at 2 p.m.; dancing
to the music of the Bobby Kravos Band
3:30-7:30 p.m. For information contact
Pat Nevar at (216) 481-0163.
• JUNE 14........ Westmoreland (Pa.) Federation
hosts Mikey Dee’s Polka Picnic at the
Evanstown Picnic Grove, Evanstown,
Pa.; 1-7 p.m. Music by the Mikey Dee
Band and Jack Tady & the Tady Bears.
For additional information contact Mary
Ann Bebar at (724) 668-7394.
• JUNE 21-26... SNPJ Youth Roundup at the SNPJ
Recreation Center. Contact Fraternal
Director Kevin Richards at 1-800-8437675 or e-mail [email protected] for
registration forms.
• JUNE 21........ Strugglers Lodge 614 picnic at
the SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, Ohio. Dinners
served at 2 p.m.; entertainment by George
Staiduhar 3:30-7:30 p.m. For details
phone Joseph Blatnik at (440) 943-1191.
• JUNE 21........ Westmoreland (Pa.) Federation
hosts the Steve Novosel Father’s Day
Picnic at the Evanstown Picnic Grove,
Evanstown, Pa.; 1-7 p.m. Entertainment
features the Steve Novosel and Don
Wojtila bands. For details phone Mary
Ann Bebar at (724) 668-7394.
• JUNE 26-28.......... SNPJ Young Adult Conference at the SNPJ Recreation Center. For
registration information contact Fraternal
Director Kevin Richards at 1-800-8437675 or e-mail [email protected].
• JUNE 28........ V Boj Lodge 53 annual picnic at
the SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, Ohio. Entertainment features the Joey Tomsick
Orchestra. For details phone Martha
Meglich at (440) 884-5043.
• JUNE 28............Slovene Federation of W. Pa.
Lodges annual picnic at the Recreation
Center, upper pavilion; 3-7 p.m. Music
by Bob Turcola.
• JULY 5 . ........ Westmoreland (Pa.) Federation
hosts Pam & Jerry Zagar’s Polka Picnic at
the Evanstown Picnic Grove, Evanstown,
Pa.; 1-7 p.m. Entertainment by Klancnik &
Friends and Silver Sky w/ Geoge Suhon.
For information phone Mary Ann Bebar
at (724) 668-7394.
• JULY 10-12........Slovenefest XXVIII and the 53rd
Miss SNPJ Pageant at the SNPJ Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa.
For weekend information phone the Rec
Center toll-free at 1-877-767-5732.
• JULY 18......... Lodge 745 participation in the
Eppie’s Great Race relay triathlon.
Visit www.snpj745.com or e-mail Connie
Mlakar at [email protected] for
additional information.
• JULY 18......... Orange Coast Lodge 786 Barbecue and Swim Party, noon-5 p.m. at
the Rancho Niguel Rec Center, Laguna
Niguel, Calif. For additional information
phone Jean Koci at (949) 495-0097 or
e-mail [email protected].
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
April 8, 2009
Slovenia undergoes
first OECD hearing
GREG FELTON
Marketing Director
Want to be a
part of SNPJ?
W
ith our new products, it has never been easier
to become an SNPJ member. We offer a variety
of plans, most of which can be customized to fit
any budget.
One of the new plans is Term to Age 65. This low-cost
plan provides a $2,500 death benefit with an equal amount
of accidental death protection. As you can see, the premiums are very affordable:
Ages 20-49..........$40 per year
Ages 50-54..........$50 per year
Ages 55-60..........$70 per year
The Term to Age 65 plan is only available to new members. It was designed as a quick and easy way to become
a member of the Society. Once a member is introduced
to our Lodges, activities and fraternal events, we’re sure
they’ll want to remain a member. Term to Age 65 has no
residual value, but may be converted to any permanent
plan prior to expiry.
Some have asked why this plan is just for people between
the ages of 20 and 60. This is because it’s cost effective to
provide a small death benefit for a low premium payment
at these ages. For people under age 20, Term to Age 25
is a viable option. For people over age 60, the best choice
for membership would be an annuity, Single Premium or
20 Pay Life plan of insurance.
Don’t forget to recommend your friends and family
to SNPJ. Each recommender will earn you cash and a
chance to win money in a drawing. Should you have any
questions, please contact your Lodge secretary, local sales
representative or the SNPJ Home Office at 1-800-843-7675.
• Thought for the Week — A pessimist sees the difficulty in every
opportunity; an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill
Share the fruits of the vintage
with Orange Coast Lodge 786
LODGE 786 WINE
FROM PAGE 1
our members and friends. It is
important to make your reservations early. Last year we
couldn’t accommodate everyone who wanted to attend.
The ticket donation is $20
per adult, which includes
everything. Children ages 6
to 16 will be admitted for $5;
SNPJ youth members will be
admitted free of charge. Please
let us know how many youth
will be attending so we can plan
to have enough food and beverages for them. If you don’t
drink wine but love to socialize
and listen to music, don’t stay
away. There will be plenty of
non-alcoholic beverages offered at no extra charge.
For information and ticket
reservations, contact Jean Koci
by phone at (949) 495-0097
or e-mail [email protected].
Mail checks payable to “SNPJ
Lodge 786” to 29476 Vista
Plaza Dr., Laguna Niguel, CA
92677.
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Ljubljana/Paris (STA) — During
Slovenia’s first hearing in the accession
process to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), a Slovenian delegation headed
by Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik
participated in a March 23 session of
the OECD Investment Committee, the
Economy Ministry reports.
The basis for the meeting was a report
of the OECD Secretariat, which contains
a series of findings and the first assessments of Slovenia’s ability to take over
certain responsibilities as a member of
the OECD, the ministry announced in a
press release.
The Secretariat highlighted a few
areas which it sees as discriminatory
toward OECD members. These include
priority treatment for members of the
EU or the EEC in some Slovenian laws,
and the issue of reciprocity for thirdworld countries; issues which conflict
with OECD standards. The report also
contained a list of reservations regarding
Slovenia in fields which are subject to
negotiation with OECD members.
Slovenia has since established a
national contact point for multinational
companies and an inter-ministerial
working group which will deal with
the implementation of guidelines on
multinationals. This means that one
of the conditions for membership has
been met.
The March 23 meeting will be the basis for a second OECD accession hearing
expected in autumn this year.
Campaign addresses
motorcycle road safety
Ljubljana (STA) — Slovenia’s
police officers are launching a campaign
to improve the safety of motorcyclists as
the warm and sunny spring weather lures
a number of bikers back onto the roads.
“Last year alone, police investigated 46
fatal accidents involving motorcycles,”
Police Administration representative
Robert Susanj told the press.
Although the number of fatalities in
motorcycle crashes is dropping, more
needs to be done. Susanj explained that
the police will introduce additional measures, while improvements in infrastructure will also increase safety. “A driver’s
license is far from enough when driving
a motorcycle,” Susanj said, stressing the
importance of training and education as
well as experience.
The police will organize free training
and workshops for motorcyclists. The
campaign will also warn other drivers,
as well as bikers, to pay more attention
while driving and anticipate possible
driving events. “There needs to be a
great measure of respect for each other,”
Susanj emphasized.
Bojan Zlender of the Slovenian Road
Safety Council warned that driving a
motorcycle was much more dangerous
than driving a car, and therefore motorcyclists should be much more cautious
and aware that other drivers could make
a mistake while driving.
The Roads Agency will also contribute to improving road safety: in 2009,
the agency earmarked $48 million to
improve the road infrastructure.
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owe it to yourself to delve deeper into SNPJ
history through the pages of An Inspired Journey
— The SNPJ Story: The First One Hundred Years
of the Slovene National Benefit Society.
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history compiled and written by SNPJ Publications Editor Jay Sedmak is now available
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$15.00 each — plus $2.50 s/h
add $1 shipping for each additional copy ordered
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Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Too few cars in the
lowest emissions class
Ljubljana (STA) — A Slovenian environmental non-governmental
agency announced that a recent survey
found too few newly-registered cars in
Slovenia fall in the class with the lowest
emission rates.
The Planet Zemlja (Planet Earth)
organization said that only around 10
percent of cars newly­registered in 2008
had CO2 emissions below the 130 g/km
level proposed by the EU. More than
half of all new cars registered emissions
levels between 130 and 161 g/km, nearly
a quarter of the cars had emissions between 161 and 200 grams of CO2, while
roughly eight percent exceeded 201 g/
km, according to the report.
The EU mandated last December that
75 percent of the new vehicles in the EU
should register 130 g/km by 2013. The
percentage should rise to 80 percent in
2014 and reach 100 percent in 2015.
The survey included 20,168 vehicles
registered in January, June and December 2008. There were a total of 95,713
newly-registered vehicles in Slovenia in
2008, including used imports.
The Planet Zemlja 10-month campaign “Planet Earth Friendly Vehicles”
from the
source
found that numerous car makers offered
green vehicles, but the models were
obviously not popular enough with buyers. Since awareness campaigns have
a limited scope and green cars are not
profitable enough, the Planet Zemlja
has called on the Slovenian government to encourage people to purchase
greener cars.
Planet Zemlja proposes lowering the
tax for green vehicles and increasing the
tax for those with higher CO2 emissions.
The organization has also suggested that
tax breaks be introduced for cars that
can be recycled and for diesel cars with
dust particle filters. In addition, Planet
Zemlja hopes that more cars can run on
natural gas.
Police expect more crime
due to economic crisis
Ljubljana (STA) — Presenting
their statistics for 2008, Slovenian police
reported that they expected the crime rate
to escalate in 2009 due to the economic
crisis. Last year the Slovenian police
investigated 81,917 criminal cases, according to Branko Japelj, head of the
Criminal Department at the Ljubljana
Police Administration.
“Nearly half of the investigated criminal cases were reported in Ljubljana,”
Japelj stated. He also said that the police
investigated more cases of domestic
violence than in prior years. Authorities
believe that the increase in the number of
domestic violence cases can be attributed
to people becoming more aware of the
economic crisis.
The police looked into 4,755 cases
of economic crime, most of which
involved bounced checks or abuse of
ATM cards.
Japelj also said that minors were
suspects in 1,097 criminal cases, adding that just over 10 percent of all crime
reported to the police were perpetrated
by minors.
Jožef Štefan Institute
celebrates an anniversary
Ljubljana (STA) — On March 24,
Slovenian President Danilo Türk addressed a ceremony marking the 60th
anniversary of the Jožef Štefan Research
Institute. President Türk said that Slovenians could be proud of such a marvelous
institute which “has developed in its 60
years into a Slovenian brand name.”
According to President Türk, “The
institute is a real basis for hope in the
development of science in Slovenia and
our development in general. Science is
the vital precondition for further development of the world and of any society.”
The president warned, however, that
science could not perform miracles.
President Türk also called for a reflection on whether scientific funding was
sufficient. “We are not doing very well
when it comes to connecting science and
the economy,” he remarked.
The evening’s ceremony was also
attended by Parliament Speaker Pavel
Gantar, Prime Minister Borut Pahor,
Higher Education and Science Minister
Gregor Golobic, and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Boštjan Zeks.
The Jožef Štefan Institute, named
after distinguished 19th century physicist
Jožef Štefan, is the leading Slovenian
research center. It is involved in a wide
range of basic and applied research in the
natural sciences and technology fields.
The institute, founded in 1949, specializes in research in physics, chemistry
and biochemistry, electronics and information science, nuclear technology,
energy utilization, and environmental
science.
Provider offers electricity
at a discount to homes
Ljubljana (STA) — GEN-I, an
energy distributor in Slovenia, recently
presented its newest project, “Cheap
Electricity” (Poceni energija), with
which it will enter the household electricity distributor market. GEN-I is planning
to offer electricity at prices that are 10
percent lower than the average.
The company, established as a 50-50
joint venture of the Gen Energija and
Istrabenz Gorenje energy companies,
has more than 50 employees in Krško,
3
Ljubljana and Nova Gorica, and has
become the third largest energy supplier
to Slovenian businesses since it was
formed in 2006.
During a press conference, GEN-I
Chairman Robert Golob said that the
company launched a test market on a
small number of households when the
household market opened a year and a
half ago, and that the time has come to
offer cheap electricity to all of Slovenia.
He explained that one of the reasons for
the project is the recession, which has
brought energy prices very low, except
those in the household market, where
prices have only been rising.
According to Golob, it was key to
be the cheapest supplier in all areas of
Slovenia. “It doesn’t matter where you
live and how much [electricity] you
use, in any case you will get the lowest
bills with us,” he stated, and added that
the more a consumer uses, the more the
change of supplier will pay off since
the company charges the same rate for
all consumers.
For 2009, GEN-I will purchse the
electricity to supply households on the
international market. It will begin selling
electricity produced by Gen Energija to
households in 2010.
The company wants to cover 10 percent of Slovenia’s 780,000 household
market in three years, and is hoping
to supply between 10,000 and 20,000
customers by the end of this year, Golob
explained.
Gen Energija director Martin Novsak
pointed out that the GEN group, which
covers around 40 percent of Slovenia’s
energy needs, provides consumers with
energy alternatives, and contributes to the
improvement of competition in the Slovenian energy and industry markets.
President Türk confers
honors in the cultural field
Ljubljana (STA) — In late March,
President Danilo Türk bestowed the
Golden Order for Services on Reginald
Vospernik, former principal of the Slovenian secondary school in Klagenfurt, on
the Radio Murski val radio station and on
the KUD Beltinci folklore outfit.
Türk said at the ceremony in Ljubljana
that he had decided to honor the recipients
for their contributions to the cultural
development of Slovenia.
Vospernik was recognized for his
special contribution to the life of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian province
of Carinthia. Among other things, he
served as the principal of the Slovenian
secondary school in Klagenfurt between
1978 and 2000.
As for Radio Murski val, President
Türk said he admires its diverse program
and its message of mutual understanding, cooperation and harmony among
members of the Hungarian minority in
Slovenia and the Slovenian minority in
Hungary.
The Beltinci folklore ensemble celebrated its 70th anniversary last year. The
group was honored for its contribution to
the preservation of Slovenia’s heritage
and for its appearances abroad.
The Golden Order for Services is
awarded to individuals who have made
outstanding contributions to Slovenia
in the civil field, diplomacy and international affairs, and the military or
national security.
Time Warner buying into
the Slovenian TV market
New York (STA) — Media giant
Time Warner is reportedly planning to
spend $241.5 million on 31 shares in
Central European Media Enterprises
(CME), a Bermuda-based broadcast
network operator. This would give Time
Warner an indirect share in Slovenian
commercial television stations POP TV
and Kanal A, both of which are owned
by CME.
According to reports by various press
agencies, the deal still requires the approval of regulatory bodies, but should
be wrapped up before the second half
of the year.
CME owns television stations in
Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and
Ukraine.
POP TV produces POP TV and Kanal
A programs, the two biggest commercial
programs in Slovenia. The company
generated $85.5 million in revenues
last year and had reported earnings of
$27 million.
The articles comprising this feature have been
reprinted with permission from the Slovenian
Press Agency (STA).
4
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
8. Aprila 2009
O Emoni bomo vedeli še več
Slovenska
Stran
Ureja Vida Kosir
Predsednik Türk na
Čebelarski zvezi Slovenije
HEADLINE: President
Türk at the Apiary Association of Slovenia
TOPIC: Slovenian President Danilo Türk recently
visited the Apiary Association of Slovenia in Brdo near
Lukavica. In the company of
Association President Boštjan
Noč , President Türk visited
the beehive near the center,
a laboratory for the intensive
control of bee products and
the Janez Goličnik Apiary
Library, which opened last
year and now has more than
3,000 volumes of literary
material. The most valuable
item in the library is a complete, 110-year collection of
the professional magazine
Slovenian Beekeeper.
Predsednik države Danilo
Türk jepred dnevi obiskal sedež
Čebelarske zveze Slovenije na
Brdu pri Lukavici. V družbi
predsednika zveze Boštjana
Noča si je ogledal čebelnjak v
okolici centra, laboratorij za interni nadzor čebeljih pridelkov
in lani odprto Čebelarsko
knjižico Janeza Goličnika, v
kateri je več kot tri tisoč enot
knjižnega gradiva. Največja
dragocenost knjižnice jepopolna zbirka vseh 110 letnikov
strokovne revije Slovenski
čebelar. Predsednik je prevzel
častno pokroviteljstvo mednarodnega kongresa o apiterapiji
in apikvaliteti, ki bo prihodnje
leto v Sloveniji, zavzel pa se
je tudi za ustrezno uporabo
fitofarmacevtskih sredstev in
podprl prizadevanje čebelarske
zveze in vlade, da se lanski
pomor čebel ne bi ponovil.
Lukovški čebelarji so povedali,
da so bili prijetno presenečeni
na Türkovim poznavanjem
čebelarstva, saj jim je med
predstavitvijo postavil tudi
nekaj strokovnih vprašanj.
DELO
HEADLINE: We will know a lot
more about Emona
TOPIC: During a press conference at
the City Museum, excavations manager
Martin Horvat said that they will soon
start with the archeological excavation
work in Ljubljana’s Kongres Square. In
three separate steps, the archeologists
will search more than 7,000 square
meters of surface in the area of a future
underground parking garage. They
hope that all the excavation work will
be completed in a year.
This will be the biggest archeological
project in Ljubljana, in terms of both
size and scope. In some areas they will
dig as deep as 18 feet.
Na tiskovni konferenci v Mestnem
muzeju je Martin Horvat, vodja izkopavanj, povedal, da se bodo kmalu na delu
Kongresnega trga v Ljubljani začela
arheološka izkopavanja. Arheologi bodo v
treh ločenih stopnjah na območju bodoče
podzemne garaže preiskali več kot 7000
kvadratnih metrov površine, izkopavanja
pa bi po njihovih predvidevanjih končali
v letu dni.
Na predstavitvi so povedali, da bo to
največji arheološki projekt v Ljubljani tako
po vršini kot zahtevnosti. Ponekod bodo
kopali skoraj šest metrov globoko.
Glede na predhodna arheološka izkopavanja na območju sosednjega Šumija,
zgodovinskih listin ali dejstev ter 70
poskusnih jedrnih vrtin v nekdanjem
obrambnem jarku pričakujejo bogate
novodobne in srednjeveške najdbe.
Arheologi se bodo najprej lotili
manjšega območja med Filharmonijo,
stavbo Univerze v Ljubljani in parkom
Zvezda (1765 kvadratnih metrov), kjer
pričakujejo ostanke emonskega obramnega jarka. Po Horvatovih besedah naj bi
ga arheološko raziskali v 49 dneh (izvzeti
Teleing will help some people
acquire at least the essentials
for computer work.
Direktor in lastnik ljutomerskega telekomunikacijskega podjetja Teleing Janez
Smolkovič je pobudnik dobrodelne akcije Poveži se,
med katero bodo v njihovem
informacijskem središču na
Glavnem trgu v Ljutomeru zbirali rabljeno računalniško opremo za tiste, ki si nakupa nove ne
morejo privoščiti. V akciji bo
sodelovalo tudi računalniško
podjetje Hakl IT iz Murske
Sobote, pri razdeljevanju
opreme pa bo pomagal Rotary
klub. Ker imajo ljudje doma
veliko rabljenih računalnikov,
zaslonov in druge opreme, ki
je več ne uporabljajo, zaradi
škodljivih snovi v njih pa jih
je prepovedano vreči med
običajne komunalne odpadke,
DELO
Jurčič je ves čas v srcih Slovencev
HEADLINE: Jurčič is in
the hearts of Slovenians all
the time
TOPIC: In the remembrances of writer Josip
Jurčič, the Polž Mountain
Association, with financial
assistance from the Ivančna
Gorica municipality, organized the 16th Mountain
and Literary Walk from
Višnja Gora, where the novel
writer attended school, to
his birth house in Muljava.
More than 10,000 walkers
followed the seven-mile
cultural-historical path in
a display of both friendship
and culture. The crowd
literally formed a chain
between the two Dolenjsko
settlements where Jurčič’s
heros lived and whom he so
perfectly described in his
numerous books.
Every year more than
20,000 people visit the birth
house of this famous writer.
V spomin na pisatelja Josipa
Jurčiča je v marcu, v organizaciji Planinskega društva
Polž in s finančno pomočjo
občine Ivančna Gorica, potekal
že 16. planinski in literarni
pohod od Višnje Gore, kamor
je romanopisec hodil v šolo, do
njegove rojstne hiše na Muljavi.
Več kot 10.000 pohodnikov je
prehodilo dobrih 12 kilometrov
kulturno-zgodovinske poti,
ki je postala prava manifestacija prijateljstva in kulture.
Rabljene računalnike za tiste, ki jih nimajo
HEADLINE: Used computers for those who don’t
have them
TOPIC: Janez Smolkovič,
the director and owner of Teleing, a Ljutomer-based telecommunications company, is
the initiator of the charitable
activity “Connect.” Through
this program, the Teleing
informative center, located at
the Glavni trg (main square)
in Ljutomer, will collect used
computer equipment and sell
it at a discount to those people
who can’t afford to purchase
new computers. Many people
have used computers, monitors and other equipment at
home that they don’t use any
more, and because this equipment contains dangerous
materials, it is prohibited in
the regular waste collection.
By offering this program,
so dnevi, ko delo ni mogoče zaradi snega,
dežja ali zmrzali, in vse nedelje).
V približno enakem času naj bi nato
preiskali območje med Šubičevo ulico in
Kongresnim trgom. Gre za širok prehod
oziroma pešpot, ki ločuje park Zvezda na
približno dve polovici. Priblizžno 42 dni
bodo potrebovali še za del Šubičeve ulice,
ki pa jo bodo zaradi prometa raziskovali
kot ločeni del parka Zvezda. Začetek del
na več kot 2000 kvadratnih metrih površine
je predviden julija, hkrati tudi na Šubičevi
kot največjem območju ob Slovenski cesti.
Do globine treh metrov pričakujejo bogate
arheološke plasti z ostanki iz različnih
časovnih obdobij.
Boris Vičič, vodja ljubljanske enote
Zavoda za varstvo kulturne dediščine
Slovenije, je dejal, da večjih arheoloških
presenečenj, ki bi lahko zelo podaljšala
izkopavanja, ne predvideva.
bi radi v Teleingu naredili
dve dobri dejanji: nekaterim,
ki si sicer tega ne bi mogli
privoščiti, bi radi za simbolično
ceno zagotovili vsaj osnovno
opremo za računalniško opismenjevanje in delo na spletu,
ob tem pa bi okolje obvarovali
pred nevarnimi odpadki, ki bi
sicer končali na smetišču ali na
kakšnem divjem odlagališču.
Partnersko podjetje Hakl
IT bo zbrano opremo usposobilo in poskušalo za
donatorja pridobiti tudi dis-
tributerja programske opreme,
ki naj bi omogočil brezplačno
opremljanje računalnikov
z operacijskimi sistemi in
programi, Rotary klub pa bo
izbral tiste, ki so takšnega darila
najbolj potrebni. Z izkupičkom
akcije bosta sodelujoči podjetij
pomagali tudi pri vzpostavitvi
in delovanju e-učilnice, kamor
bodo lahko mladi iz lokalnega
okolja koristno preživljali svoj
prosti čas. Učilnico bodo verjetno uredili v Ljutomeru.
DELO
Obiskovalec že celo uro čaka v predsobi. Končno potrka
na vrata in vstopi v sobo. Razdražen vpraša uradnika:
“Kako dolgo se bo to še vleklo? Meni se zelo, zelo mudi!”
Uradnik ga samo s pogledom ošine in pravi: “Če se vam
zelo mudi, pojdite, prosim, do konca hodnika - druga vrata
desno je za moške!”
Množica ljudi je dobesedno
sklenila verigo med obema
dolenjskima naseljema, med
katerima so spoznavali kraje,
kjer so živeli Jurčičevi junaki,
ki jih je tako izvrstno popisal
v številnih knjigah. Ob poti
ni manjkalo niti domačih dobrot. Na cilju na Jurčečivini je
slavnostni govornik, Ivan Sivec
poudaril, da ta pot simbolizira
tudi razvoj pisane umetnosti od
prve slovenske povesti Sreča
v nesreči (1836) višnjanskega
pisca Janeza Ciglarja, pa do
prvega Jurčičevega romana
Deseti brat (1866).“Nekateri
pisatelji so šli v pozabo, druge
na novo odkrivamo, medtem
pa je Jurčič v srcih Slovencev
ves čas navzoč, o čemer zgovorno pove tudi podatek, saj
Jurčičevino vsako leto obišče
več kot 20.000 ljudi,” je povedal Sivec, avtor 90 knjig.
DELO
To in ono iz Slovenije
– This and that from Slovenia –
BISTRICA OB SOTLI - V času, ko slovensko-hrvaški
odnosi niso najprijaznejši, so v gostišču Šempeter spet
pripravili tradicionalno prireditev Jožeki kuhajo golaž, h
koltičkom pa so stopili kuharji z obeh bregov Sotle. Stroga
ocenjevalna komisija je na koncu podelila srebrne in zlate
kuhaše, kajti golaži so bili tako dobri, da bronaste sploh
niso prišle na vrsto. Ob dvanajstih kotličkih so se najbolj
izkazali člani ekipe Kumrovčaki iz Hrvaškega Zagorja, ki
so postali absolutni zmagovalci, množica obiskovalcev pa
je imela priložnost pokusitu tudi številne druge domače
dobrote in žlahtne kapljice. Srečo Kunst, šempetrski oštir
in pobudnik kuharije, ki je tudi predsednik območne gospodarske zbornice za Sotelsko in Kozjansko, je bil izjemno
zadovoljen: “Vnovič smo pokazali, da Sotla in meja nista
nikakršna prepreka za odlične odnose med ljudmi, vsi skupaj pa v turizmu vidimo eno od priložnosti za uveljavitev
v Evropi.” Bistriško srečanje so obogatili tudi slovenski in
hrvaški godbeniki.
In these times when Slovenian and Croatian relations
are not the most friendly, the Šempeter Restaurant
again arranged the annual culinary event “Joes are
Cooking Goulash,” at which cooks from the both sides
of the Sotla River participated. At the end of the judging, the committee awarded gold and silver awards.
The winners were members of the Kumrovčaki group
from Hrvaško Zagorje. Besides goulash, visitors were
able to taste numerous other homemade specialties and
wine. Event organizer Srečo Kunst was very pleased
with the outcome.
DELO
Jubilej Ortopedske bolnišnice Valdoltra
HEADLINE: Jubilee of the Valdoltra Orthopedic Hospital
TOPIC: During a mid-June
professional seminar, at which
six foreign specialists and six orthopedists from the Valdoltra Orthopedic Hospital will lecture and
compare the results of their work
in the field of spinal orthopedics
and prosthetics, this hospital will
mark the 100th anniversary since
its establishment.
The Valdoltra Hospital was
officially established and opened
on Dec. 21, 1909, mainly for the
purpose of treating bone tuberculosis. When the hospital opened, the
treatment of bone tuberculosis was
done conservatively, and the average hospital stay was 178 days. Some
patients spent an entire year or even
longer in the hospital. These days,
patients can return home seven days
after the same type of surgery.
Last year the Valdoltra Hospital
accepted 5,975 patients.
S strokovnim seminarjem, na katerem bo šest vrhunskih tujih strokovnjakov in šest ortopedov iz Ortopedske
bolnišnice Valdoltra predavalo in
primerjalo rezultate dela na področju
hrbtenične ortopedije ter operative in
propetike, bodo v tej bolnišnici sredi
junija letos zaznamovali stoletnico
te ustanove.
Bolnišnica Valdoltra je bila namreč
The Ethnic Kitchen
CHERRY CRUNCH COOKIES
Češnjevi piškoti
2¼ cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons maraschino syrup
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
2½ cups crushed sugar coated corn flakes
1 cup chopped nut meats
1 cup finely chopped dates
Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Blend butter and
sugar, and add one egg at a time, beating after each
addition. Stir in syrup and add dry ingredients. Mix
well. Spoon out cookie batter and roll in crushed
corn flake crumbs. Place on greased baking sheet.
Press ¼ of a cherry lightly into the top of each cookie and bake in a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Treasured Slovenian & International Recipes
uradno ustanovljena oziroma odprta
21. decembra 1909, predvsem za
zdravljenje kostne tuberkuloze.
Predhodnik bolnišnice je bilo
sezonsko okrevališče, ki ga je leta
1902 v tedanji Oltri imelo Društvo
prijateljev mladine iz Trsta.
Bolnišnica je sprva imela 240
postelj, danes jih je od 170 do 180.
Največ so jih imeli pred dobrimi
dvajsetimi leti, in sicer 320, a se je
po ukinitvi otroškega oddelka in z
njim najmanjše in edine bolnišnične
popolne osnovne šole v Sloveniji
njihovo število zmanjšalo. To pa je
tudi posledica napredka v ortopediji
in sodobnega koncepta bolnišnice,
kjer je ležalna doba v redkih primerih
14 dni.
Kmalu po ustanovitvi, ko so na
konservativen način zdravili kostno
tuberkulozo, je bila povprečna ležalna
doba 178 dni. Nekateri pacienti so
bili v bolnišnici celo leto dni ali več,
zdaj pa le še od šest do deset dni,
pri čemer lahko pacienti po mnogih
operacijah (artroskopskih) zapustijo
bolnišnico še isti dan, je povedal dr.
Venčeslav Pišot, že več kot 20 let
direktor bolnišnice Valdoltra. V Valdoltri je vsako leto več operacij. Pred
dobrimi tremi desetletij, natančneje
leta 1976, so jih opravili 793, konec
80. let prejšnjega stoletja od 1300 do
1500, leta 2000 že 2420, lani pa 3669
operacij. Lani je bilo v bolnišnico
sprejetih 5975 pacientov, 250 več
kot leta 2000, delež operiranih pa se
je z 42,3 odstotka povečal na 61,4
odstotka. “Razmerje med operativnim
in konservativnim zdravljenjem je
drugačno. Pred dvema desetletjema
smo denimo imeli 8000 sprejemov in
samo 1500 operacij. Naša bolnišnica
je namenjena predsvem operativni dejavnosti in zahtevnim diagnostičnim
sprejemom, obdelavi,” o konceptu
dela pravi dr. Pišot in dodaja, da ob tem
zdravniki v ambulantah opravijo še
25.000 pregledov, po katerih bolečine
večinoma rešujejo klasično, konzervativno, z napotitvijo v zdravilišča ali
pa z domačo nego.
DELO
Z mobilnim radarjem nad avtocestne dirkače
HEADLINE: Mobile radar above
highway speeders
TOPIC: The Slovenian police will
soon begin using their newest acquisition, mobile radar for speed measurements, in the Kranj Police Administration area. The police will use this device
mainly on sections of the highway where
the speed is limited for various reasons:
mainly because of road work, toll stations, and where the road narrows from
four lanes to two. Last year there were
53 accidents in such areas, most only
causing damage to the vehicles, but in
the summer of 2007 near Ljubljana,
one of the worst traffic accidents occurred in a construction zone when
seven people died.
The new German radar system, for
which Dars paid $39,000, will be the only
one on the Slovenian highways. This
radar works without police assistance,
and for this reason all traffic violators
will receive their tickets by mail. After
the first week, when the radar system is
activiated in the Gorenjsko area, it will
be moved across Slovenia to regulate
traffic in highway construction zones.
Prihodnji teden bodo začeli možje postave na območju Policijske uprave Kranj
uporabljati najnovejšo pridobitev - mobilni
radar za stacionarne meritve hitrosti. Tega
bodo policisti uporabljali predvsem na
odsekih avtocest, kjer je hitrost omejena
zaradi različnih razlogov: predvsem
gre za delovišča, cestninske postaje, ob
zoženju štiripasovnic v dvaposovnice in
podobno. Na predstavitvi za medije, ki so
jo pripravili na cestninski postaji Torovo
med Ljubljano in Kranjem, je predstavnik
sektorja prometne policije na generalni
policijski upravi Jože Šmid povedal, so
to avtocestni odseki, ki ob neupoštevanju
predpisane hitrosti vožnje potencialno
nevarnejši. “Hitrost na teh odsekih ni
omejena brez razloga, s postavitvijo ra-
darja pa želimo na teh odsekih bolj umiriti
promet,” je povedal Šmit. “Lani se je na
takšnih avtocestnih oddelkih zgodilo 53
nesreč, največkrat je šlo le za materialno
škodo, poleti 2007 pa se je na območju
prometne zapore Galovec na vzhodni
ljubljanski obvoznici zgodila ena najhujših
prometnih nesreč pri nas, v kateri je umrlo
sedem ljudi,” je dodal. Nemški radar,
za katerega je Dars odštel okoli 30.000
evrov, bo edini na slovenskih avtocestah,
v kratkem pa načrtujejo nakup še enega
ohišja za dva merilnika hitrosti, ki ju že
imajo. Šmid je še povedal, da radar deluje
brez asistence policista, zato bodo kršitelji
plačilne naloge o prekršku dobili domov.
Po tednu, ko bo stal na Gorenjskem,
bodo radar prestavljali po vsej Sloveniji.
In še namig - ena od najverjetnejših točk
za postavitev radarja prihodnji teden je
delovišče na avtocestnem odseku med
priključkoma Podtabor in Brezje.
DELO
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
Lodge 777
News & Views
by EVELYN VRHOVNIK
Lodge 777 Secretary
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It
seems like it’s been such a long
while since my last article. I hope my
readers don’t think I’ve abandoned
my writing. The truth of the matter
is, since our Lodge decided to hold
quarterly meetings instead of monthly
meetings, I have more time between
meetings for preparation and completion of Lodge duties. We’re hoping
this new schedule is easier for all our
members. Meeting participants also
devote time to preparation, travel and
attendance for each meeting. We plan
to continue our activities between
meeting dates.
Our first activity of the year was
held March 22. Members and friends
got together for a dinner at Athena By
The Sea where we enjoyed a Greek
dinner and warm atmosphere. We
agreed that while we were raised on
good Slovenian food, other ethnic
groups have delectable specialties
too. For you Florida visitors in the
April 8, 2009
Ft. Lauderdale area, Athena By The
Sea is a good place to seek out. It’s
located on Ocean Dr. Outdoor seating
is also available so you can enjoy the
ocean breeze. Check it out!
We missed seeing former Chicagoan Alice Birsa, her daughter Bonnie
and son Ron. Alice has been having
some health problems and we hope
that getting away from the northern
winter will help her along. Let some
of that Florida sunshine put some
spring into your step again, Alice.
If that doesn’t work, maybe Conrad
Mohar’s music at our next meeting
will do the trick.
I’m happy to hear that active
Pioneer Lodge 559 member Jean
Cherway is doing well after her hip
surgery. Jean and I were high school
friends back in my old hometown, and
I’ve enjoy reading about her many
activities through the years.
As with all of her articles, I enjoyed
reading Grace Doerk’s (559) travel
talk about the recent Slovenefest@
Sea cruise. It made me wish I could
have been there. Grace and I spent
a good bit of time together on the
last cruise, recalling childhood days
back in Chicago. Grace, Otto and I
attended Farragut High School but
during different semesters. Since the
early days of Perfect Circle, Grace
Badger Jabber
by BOB SMOLE
Lodge 584
MILWAUKEE — The mercury in the
thermometer is on the rise. Spring is just
around the corner... I hope! Although the
weather seems to make one think spring,
there’s still a threat that “old man winter”
lingers not far away. As a mater of fact,
the weatherman predicted just that for the
March 28-29 weekend. We got another
taste of that nasty four-letter word, s-n-o-w.
I guess there’s nothing we can do about it
except move to the tropics.
My last article generated a lot of comments regarding the disbanded Milwaukee
Federation of SNPJ Lodges. Yes, it is sad, I
agree 110 percent. All we can do is accept
the change and hope the individual Lodges
will stimulate activity in Milwaukee.
This is something that can be done if the
younger members become interested in
reviving or generating new activities. We
need to make these points known at our
local Lodge meetings. If nothing is done,
we won’t have anything in Milwaukee for
SNPJ members to participate in.
Our last regular Badger Lodge 584
meeting was well attended. After hearing
and approving the previous meeting’s
minutes and secretary/treasurer’s report,
a lengthy discussion was held regarding
the disbanding of the Federation. Badger
Lodge is also looking for interested young
adults ages 18 to 30 to attend the upcoming Young Adult Conference at the SNPJ
Recreation Center June 26-28. If you are
interested in attending this educational and
cost-free weekend event, contact Lodge
President Tim Donovan at (414) 817-0192.
SNPJ is now accepting nominations
from Lodges for members of the year
awards. This includes categories for youths
ages 7 to 17, young adults ages 18 to 30
and adult members. If you would like to
nominate a Society member in good standing, now is the time to forward his or her
name for nomination. Lodge 584 must act
on this at our next regular meeting.
Our Lodge’s singing talent was again
challenged as we sang to three birthday
celebrants, Sisters Toni Needham, Bernice
has never stopped being productive
for SNPJ. Now in her “golden years,”
she still sets an example of unselfish
devotion. Every organization should
have a Grace Doerk.
On a sad note, our Lodge reports
the passing of three members, Robert
Cvetan, Eleanor Heaton and Marie
Squirlock. Bro. Cvetan, a Pennsylvania resident, couldn’t attend Lodge
meetings but was, nevertheless, a
supporter by being the first to send
in his Lodge dues each year. Sis.
Heaton of Jupiter, Fla., came from
a family of five SNPJ members. We
appreciate their membership all these
years. Most recently, we lost Sis.
Squirlock, a social member who we
could count on to attend our social
activities. She helped from beginning
to end. Her late husband, Ed, was also
one of our musicians. Both were active members of the local Mummers
group that participates in entertaining
in elaborate costumes. Marie has left
an empty spot at our activities as well
as in our hearts.
I hope readers that have expressed
an interest in attending our Lodge
meetings while in Florida have noted
that we now meet at Collins Oakland
Park Community Center, 3900 N.E.
3rd Ave., in Oakland Park at the northeast section of Broward County.
Poklar and Fannie Smole. The meeting
was adjourned, but not before Bro. Sal
Sanicola won the monthly attendance
award. Kitchen Committee members Sisters Marge Alpner and Josephine Manson
skillfully arranged Bro. Bob Alpner’s
much-awaited coffee and a wide selection
of cakes, potica, candies and delicious
desserts for all to enjoy.
The Fun-O-Leers bowling social held
at the Riviera Lanes March 15 was a huge
success. Newly initiated member Craig
Frohna did an outstanding job filling the 16
lanes with bowlers. It wasn’t too difficult,
since everyone seemed to be waiting for
this annual social bowling fund-raiser. As
a matter of fact, some of us weren’t able to
bowl because of the great turnout. I happen
to be one of those, but no fret; I’m told I
can’t bowl anyway! I just enjoyed the afternoon, watching the bowlers and holding
up the bar so it wouldn’t fall over.
There was plenty of food for the bowlers
and spectators to enjoy, including Slovenian sausage and kraut, chips and all the
fixings. Craig had some pretty good help
from his wife, Helen, of course; as well
as from Mary, Bryan and Eric Donovan.
Some of the Fun-O-Leers also chipped in
to lend a hand.
This nine-pin tap event welcomed some
pretty good scores. One individual bowled
two 300 games. It was a task to pry the microphone out of Craig’s hands. He seemed
to enjoy making announcements. Nice job,
and let’s start planning for 2010.
My mother always said, “A good way
to start the day is with a good hearty breakfast.” The West Allis West Lions Club will
host a pancake breakfast Sunday, April 26.
This all-you-­can-eat breakfast will start at
8 a.m. and continue until noon for a cost
of $6 per person at Mary Queen of Heaven
Church Hall, 106th and W. Lincoln Ave.
While enjoying a breakfast of pancakes,
sausage, applesauce, coffee, juice and
milk, scrutinize the prize table filled with
several prize bundles. You can purchase
tickets in an attempt to win your favorite.
All proceeds will be used to assist the sight
and hearing impaired. Come on out and
give it a try. I know you’ll enjoy it.
After filling your stomach, work it all
off at the Polka Parade Pals Radio Show
Spring Dance at the American Serb Hall,
Famous Fads
ACROSS
1. Trendy to post this in early 1900s
5. “To and ___”
8. Inanimate pet
12.Axillary
13.3-point shot
14.Short for raccoons
15.A.K.A. “The Biggest Little
City In The World”
16.Alleviate
17.Flooded
18.Aerobic fad
20.Coarse diamonds
21.Between rain and snow
22.Short for horizontal
23.Craves in Ten Commandments
26.Not your father’s stuffed toy, released in ’05
30.Exclamation of surprise
31.Writ of ______ corpus
34.Fourth largest Great Lake
35.Disco’s “Village People” lauded
this “Man”
37.Singer Winehouse
38.Before taxes
39.German Mrs.
40.Maltreater
42.After taxes
43.Of yellow hue
45.Informal address
to someone’s wife
(#0709) by StatePoint Media
47.Said twice to the captain
48.Porch
50.It’s typically dull and
uncomfortable
52.’70s shoe fad
56.Animal trail
57.Top notch
58.To irritate
59.Legendary cowboy Bill
60.Labs and setters, e.g.
61.Beige
62.Hurry
63.“I ___” game
64.Type of terrier
DOWN
1. Psychologist Jung
2. Toward the lee
3. Phoned
4. Snooze
5. Around a picture
6. Set to zero
7. ____ and terminer
8. Colleague
9. Gray-haired
10.Of the present month
11.Religious Wednesday
13.Known for her work in Calcutta
14.Skewered meat
19.Poetic although
22.He is
Lodge 777 members and guests enjoyed an early dinner of Greek fare at
the Athena by the Sea restaurant March 22.
It was nice chatting with Angie
Zalakar, who reads my articles. Angie
attended some of our Lodge meetings
during the early days when my husband, Michael Vrhovnik, was Lodge
president. I’m sorry you’ll miss our
April meeting, Angie, but I hope
you’ll keep us in mind the next time
you visit Florida.
Please remember the next Lodge
777 meeting is scheduled Sunday,
51st and Oklahoma Ave. Six bands will
perform, including Canada’s Polka King
Walter Ostanek, and an appearance from
the Krakow Dancers. Continuous music
will be offered from 1 to 7:30 p.m. with
Dave Schmidt, Don Peachey, Dave Austin,
The Julida Boys, and Keith Zweifl and the
Stateline Playboys. Food and drink will
be available all afternoon. There will be
plenty of free parking. Admission is $10
at the door, $9 for current Polka Parade
Pals and WPHF and Wisconsin Polka
Booster members. All proceeds from this
event will benefit the on-air cost of future
radio shows. Come out and join the Polka
Parade Pals for a good time, and maybe
even become a member.
As I sit here writing, I’m listening to
the regular Saturday morning show and
enjoying the wonderful polka music. It
reminds me of the annual membership
drive. Each year the Polka Parade Pals
open the doors for individuals to join. By
becoming a Polka Parade Pal, your membership dues will contribute toward the
continued on-air cost essential to maintain
polka music in the Milwaukee area. The
show airs Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.
The Polish segment is followed at 11 a.m.
by Slovenian/Cleveland-style music. The
three-hour show finishes up at noon with
the mix hour. Set your radio dial to 1340
AM next Saturday and enjoy the music that
will make you want to get up and polka.
Become a Polka Parade Pal! For more
information contact Polka Ambassador
Dick Blaha at (414) 257-1340.
Mark your calendar for the USPEH
Slovenian Chorus’ 30th anniversary
celebration and concert Sunday, May
17, at Sacred Heart Church. Time, ticket
cost and additional information can be
obtained by contacting one of the chorus
members. Keep an eye on “Badger Jabber” for updates.
Don’t forget that Badger Lodge 584
meets on the third Thursday of each month
at St. Peter’s Church Hall, 79th and Lincoln Ave., beginning at 7:30 p.m. Mark
Thursday, April 16, on your calendar as
our next regular monthly meeting date. The
traditional coffee and cake social that normally follows the business meeting makes
for a wonderful evening of enjoying the
friendship of fellow Lodge members.
PROSVETA Crossword
23.Comfortable
24.Chicago’s ORD
25.Singing part
26.Means
27.Actor Jeremy
28.One born to Japanese
immigrants
29.Outermost part of
citrus fruit rind, pl.
32.Beanie what?
33.Ostrich-like bird
36.Going around since
about the ’50s
38.Widower’s feelings
40.“Shock and ___”
41.Expresses emotion
44.Plural of #7 Down
46.Plant reproductive structures
48.Single-mast vessel
49.Sour-tasting
50.Gorillas and orangutans
51.Andean people’s chew
52.Shoulder helpers
53.Kept as a pet in the 1970s
54.Mucky or muddy
55.Turn sharply
56.Romantic destination
The solution to puzzle #0709 will
run in the April 22 issue.
5
April 19, at 2 p.m. at the aforementioned location. We will begin planning our summer activity. As usual,
we’ll be serving dinner and, hopefully,
our musician will be available to
entertain with toe-tapping selections.
Guests, please call me so we have a
dinner available for you. Call me for
any reason! It’s always nice to hear
from readers. My number is (305)
759-1890. Na svidenje!
The Virgil Baker
and Bob Kravos
bands kept
guests on the
dance floor
during the final
Lodge 778
dances of the
winter season.
Lodge 778 closes out
the winter dance season
by EILEEN HARFMANN
Lodge 778 Secretary
SPRING HILL, Fla. —
Lodge 778 held its final two
dances of the winter/spring
season. On March 15 we enjoyed the sounds of the Virgil
Baker Band. This band plays
a variety of music. Virgil’s
music trivia games are always
a crowd pleaser. He really
gives us a walk down memory
lane with his vast knowledge
of songs and recording artists.
On March 21 we sang and
danced to musical favorites
performed by the Bob Kravos
Band. We were fortunate to
feature the Kravos Band twice
this season, and we hope to
see them again next year.
We received a lot of positive feedback on both performances. Everyone agrees
that they are a top-notch band
and one of our favorites.
Again, many thanks to all
of our volunteers. You prove
to us what fraternalism is
about. We couldn’t succeed
without you!
Our next meeting is scheduled Sunday, May 3. After
a short business meeting,
we’ll head outdoors for some
sunshine and great food. Our
cook, Richard, will serve
barbecue ribs and chicken,
corn, slaw, baked beans, and
lots of other picnic favorites.
Bring your appetites and join
the fun!
My husband Walt and I
are headed back to Texas;
we couldn’t stay away for
long! We would like to wish
everyone a very happy and
blessed Easter.
This is a reminder to
subscribe to our newsletter
at www.slovene-americanclub.blogspot.com or e-mail
us at [email protected].
BOB TURCOLA (643)
worked his magic on stage
at the Lodge 778 Hall.
6
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
April 8, 2009
South Hills Jr.
Lodge 207 promising a
Butte of a spring Polkafest Tams staging a
romantic journey
by CHARLES JENIKER
Lodge 207 President
Paul and Dawn Freed shot 1,340 en route to their 2009 CAL
Sweetheart Doubles adult title.
CAL sweethearts score
big in doubles bowling
by LINDA GORJUP (158)
CAL President
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Athletic League (CAL)
gets an early start each year
with the always popular Sweetheart Doubles Bowling Tournament, which was held Feb.
21 at Freeway Wickliffe Lanes
in Wickliffe, Ohio. Our participation was down a little
this year, but for those of you
who joined us, it was apparent we all had a great time.
Our bowlers were treated to
snacks, veggies and dip, and
soft drinks while they bowled.
Afterward, everyone enjoyed
pizza and wings.
Our youth winners this year
were Danielle Volpe and Billy
Frank with a 1,223; the adult
winners were Paul and Dawn
Freed with a 1,340.
I’d like to thank the CAL
reps and friends who helped
with this event: Gerri and
Kathleen Trebets, Sophie
Matuch, Pauline Barbish,
Eleanor Godec, Lou Novak,
Bonnie Godec, Rick Gorjup,
Lee Jackopin, Donna Sebusch
and Kim Gorjup. I’d also like
to thank District 4 Athletic
Director Pete Dutka for his help
throughout the day. Thank you
to everyone that volunteered.
Please watch Prosveta
for details on next year’s Sweetheart Doubles Tournament.
BUTTE, Mont. — The year 2009
marks the 16th year of the biannual
Polkafest presented by Butte Lodge
207. This festive occasion has provided quality family entertainment
through the years, including a funfilled afternoon for visiting with
friends and neighbors, a wonderful
lunch, and great Slovenian music
and dancing.
The Polkafest has grown over the
last 15 years, setting new attendance
records annually. Those of you who
have attended Polkafest in the past
have a good idea of what is in store;
a great group of people, young and
old, gathered together for the enjoyment of Slovenian polkas, waltzes and
other accordion favorites. This group
of party lovers has grown from 100
during our first fall festival in 1991 to
350 at our 2008 spring festival.
Combined with support from
members in Anaconda and East Helena, Mont., Lodge 207 will sponsor its
Spring Polkafest at the Elks Hall on
the corner of Galena and Montana St.
April 19. The scheduled time for this
event is 1 to 6 p.m. and the cost is $7.
A complimentary lunch will be served
Caught in a dilemma?
Your kids want:
• Cool clothes
• Computer games
• All the new music
Your kids need:
• A college education
• Security
• Continuing life style
SNPJ can take care of what
your children need so you can
concentrate on what they want
Slovene National
Benefit Society
247 W. Allegheny Road
Imperial, PA 15126
1-800-843-7675
(724) 695-1100
Fax: (724) 695-1555
e-mail: [email protected]
www.snpj.org
by EVE JOHNSON
Lodge 138
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — The Junior Tamburitzans of South Hills invite you to an
ethnic wedding stage production, followed
by an old-world wedding reception featuring
a mouthwatering ethnic buffet with a traditional cookie table, live music and a cash bar.
Music will be provided by a local Pittsburgh
favorite, Radost.
Join us as we take you on a romantic
journey across Eastern Europe. The stage production will begin at 2 p.m. at Independence
Middle School on Bethel Church Road in
Bethel Park. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5
for children ages 6 to 18. Children 5 and under
are free. Group discounts are available.
The ethnic wedding reception will begin
at approximately 6 p.m. in the LeGras Parish
Center, St. Louise de Marillac Church, located
at 331 McMurray Road in Upper St. Clair,
Pa. A sell-out crowd is expected, so please
reserve your dinner tickets in advance.
For additional information concerning
the show or to purchase dinner tickets,
e-mail [email protected] or phone (412)
831-5728.
An entertaining lineup at Current Zarja
the SNPJ Recreation Center lineup several
generations in
the making
by JUDY GERMANI (715)
SNPJ Recreation Center Secretary
The 2009 CAL Sweetheart Doubles youth title winners
DANIELLE VOLPE (158) and BILLY FRANK (158).
and a no-host bar will be available.
Everyone is welcome to attend!
It’s time to get out and kick your
heels to superb polka tunes featuring
the musical talents of 16 accomplished
volunteer musicians organized by the
dedicated leadership of accordionist
Joan Jones and drummer Larry Sharron. In addition to the accordion band
members from the Butte area, others
will be arriving from Anaconda, Missoula, Helena, Laurel, Great Falls and
Whitehall, Mont.
As always, the Lodge is seeking
more participation from its members.
For more information regarding
Lodge 207 activities, please call
Secretary Jeanette Wright at (406)
782-3836.
Anyone interested in participating
on stage with a musical instrument, or
who would like additional information regarding the Spring Polkafest,
contact Music Coordinator Joan Jones
at (406) 287-­5520 or jmjgornick@
aol.com.
Our Lodge is extending to you a
warm invitation to attend this enjoyable occasion for all ages. A big thank
you is extended to those supporting
our SNPJ polka parties. Without you,
we couldn’t make it happen!
BOROUGH OF SNPJ, Pa. — Hello
to all the happy people in SNPJland!
Ah, yes; the time has come for all good
polka dancers (and bad dancers too)
to head out to the SNPJ Recreation
Center and enjoy the entertainment.
On Sunday, April 26, the WKBN
Polka Show will host a dance from 2 to
7 p.m. in the Alpine Room. The Dick
Tady and Joe Fedorchak orchestras
will be playing. It will be good to see
the hall full of life and polka music,
just like the good old days. Friends
always find time to get together, relax
and talk about the events that have
gone on over the winter and what
the summer will be like. Gather your
group and join us.
The SNPJ Slovenian Heritage
Center will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.
Souvenirs are available for purchase,
along with a great display of Slovenian heritage. The new audio feature
describes each display as you walk
through the museum. The Heritage
Center Committee will also be available to answer any questions you may
have. Don’t miss it!
On Sunday, May 10, Struthers,
Ohio, Lodge 277 will sponsor a dance
from 3 to 7 p.m. featuring the energetic
Mikey Dee Orchestra. Lodge 277
will also hold a bake sale and 50/50
drawing. This Mother’s Day event is
always big for the Lodge. Come early
and stay late for a beautiful day at the
Recreation Center. Admission for this
dance is only $6 a person.
Mark May 1 and 2 on your calendar
as Gostilna entertainment nights. The
SNPJ National Bowling Tournament
will be held at the Recreation Center
that weekend. Live music will be featured Friday night, and a DJ Saturday
evening. I will provide additional
information in a future issue. The
Gostilna is a great place for fun times;
come and be part of it!
Uncle Sam wants your money
and it’s up to you whether you pay now or pay later.
SNPJ now offers Roth IRAs in addition
to our regular IRAs and annuities to help
build a safe financial future for you and
your family. We’ve helped build secure
futures for our members for over a century.
Phone 1-800-843-7675
and we’ll be happy to help you too.
by JIM KOZEL (614)
Zarja Singing Society
EUCLID, Ohio — The snow is gone and
spring is here. We’re adjusting to Daylight
Saving Time, the Cleveland Cavs have
clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Indians are breaking spring training and
Zarja singers are in rehearsal for their annual
Spring Fling titled “Alice in Zarjaland.”
Zarja, which has been in existence since
1916, consists of first-, second- and third-generation members. Second-generation members Kathy Matas and her brother, Stephen,
will portray “Alice” and “Da,” respectively.
The three Tomsic brothers, playing the parts
of “De,” “Dum” and “Dumer,” are thirdgeneration members and the sons of Richard
Tomsic. Barbara Elersich will star as “Queen”
and Ned Zallar will star as “Door.”
The music and songs are by P. H. Sattner,
L. Slak, H. Riva, V. and S. Avsenik, O. Brajko, Jules Styne, Lee S. Roberts, and Donnie
Osmond, all under the direction of Doug
Elersich with Jim Markel at the piano.
“Alice in Zarjaland” will be performed
Saturday, April 25, at the Slovenian Society
Home, 20713 Recher Ave., Euclid. Dinner
will be served at 5 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. and dancing to the Jeff Pecon
Orchestra at 8 p.m.
For tickets and additional information,
phone Vicky at (216) 531-5542 or Barbara at
(440) 257-2540. The donation is $25 per person. Remember to reserve the date of Sunday,
Nov. 8, for the annual Zarja fall concert.
SNPJ Recommender Program
I would like to introduce
_________________________________________ for SNPJ membership
Please contact:_ __________________________________________
The SNPJ Recommender Program provides an
opportunity for adult members to encourage
family, friends, children and acquaintances to join
the Slovene National Benefit Society and take
advantage of SNPJ’s competitive products and
numerous fraternal benefits. Not only will you
be helping a friend and strengthening our Society,
you’ll also be receiving benefits yourself.
Recommender Benefits
• Receive $10 for each valid referral submitted.
• Every valid referral earns the recommender
one chance in the Quarterly Drawing for an
opportunity to win $100.
• Every valid referral also earns the recommender
one chance in the Year-end Drawing for an
opportunity to win $500 cash.
By submitting one valid referral,
you have the opportunity to earn
a total of $610 in cash prizes!
(Parent or guardian if under age 18)
Address:_ _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:_ ___________________________________________
Phone: (
)__________________________________________
Indicate Preferred Agent____________________________________
(Optional)
My Name:_ ______________________________________________
My Lodge Number:_ _______________________________________
Address:_ _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:_ ___________________________________________
Phone: (
)__________________________________________
e-mail___________________________________________________
Each individual must be informed that an agent will contact him/her and the referral
must have some interest in SNPJ in order for the recommender to be considered valid.
Complete this coupon and return to
Slovene National Benefit Society
Att’n: Marketing Department
247 West Allegheny Road • Imperial, PA 15126
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
Q
and
April 8, 2009
the 2009
SNPJ
Young Adult
Conference
Part 2
by KEVIN RICHARDS
SNPJ Fraternal Director
IMPERIAL, Pa. — As I talk with young adult members
from across the country, either on the phone or in person,
there are several questions I’m continually asked about the
Young Adult Conference. In this article, I will attempt to
answer many of these questions.
Q: What should I bring to the Young Adult Conference?
A: The attire for the Young Adult Conference is very casual;
jeans and shorts are OK. Linens will be provided for those
delegates that are flying to the conference. Those that drive
should bring their own linens, towels, etc.
The SNPJ Recreation Center has an Olympic-size swimming pool and there will be some free time, so you may
want to bring a swimsuit. It has been known to get cool
in the evenings, so it might be a good idea to bring a
light jacket. You should also bring incidental spending
money.
Q: What will we do at the Young Adult Conference?
A: Delegates should plan to arrive at the SNPJ Recreation
Center between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, June 26. Transportation from the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport will
be coordinated through the Fraternal Department.
There will be a reception Friday evening to introduce
the entire group and food will be served. You will also
be served breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and
breakfast only on Sunday.
The conference begins Saturday morning and continues
until just before dinner. The meeting format follows
Robert’s Rules of Order. As with other conferences, the
Young Adult Conference will elect a vice chairperson, a
general secretary and a sergeant-at-arms. A Credentials
Committee, Resolutions Committee and Tally Committee
will also be selected to help the conference operations. All
delegates must check in with the Credentials Committee
when entering or leaving the meeting.
The Conference will discuss many topics that are important
to SNPJ. Topics can come from many sources. The SNPJ
National Board or the SNPJ Executive Committee may
suggest topics for discussion. Of course, delegates may
introduce topics to discuss as well. In the past, discussions have ranged from the SNPJ Scholarship Program
and attracting new members to the Society, to honoring
outstanding members. While you are not required to speak,
delegates have found that they are compelled to join in
the interesting discussions.
Ultimately, the conference produces resolutions that are
presented to the SNPJ National Board. This conference
has a representative on the National Board. The Young
Adult Chairperson sits in on the two National Board meetings to represent the young adults of our Society. SNPJ
realizes the importance of our young members and this
allows their voice to be heard.
The conference weekend is not all work and no play.
After the conference breaks for the day on Saturday, the
Fraternal Department will host entertainment. Whether
it’s a DJ, a pool party or a live band, you are sure to have
a great time getting to know other SNPJ members your
age from across the country.
The conference reconvenes Sunday morning to take care
of any unfinished business. Delegates will also elect next
year’s Young Adult Representative/Chairperson.
The conference should wrap up before lunch on Sunday.
Delegates that have return flights will be shuttled to the
airport. Those delegates that drove are welcome to stay
around the SNPJ Recreation Center and enjoy the other
activities taking place.
Q:What if I don’t know about the formalities of meetings?
A: Don’t worry. A brief orientation for all first time delegates
will be held Saturday morning, explaining all the procedures for the conference.
Q: How many people will be there?
A: We have been averaging between 40 and 60 delegates
each year.
Clean up the clubs for the CAL Don Gorjup Open
by LINDA GORJUP (158)
CAL President
CLEVELAND — Hello from
Cleveland. As I sit here today in
front of my computer looking
out the window at a beautiful
blue sky, it reminds me that
spring is just around the corner.
This means that golf courses
around the area are preparing
for that first round. So let’s
get those clubs out and shine
them up for another CAL Don
Gorjup Golf Open. This is our
45th year of hosting this golf
tournament, and we’re always
trying to make it better than
ever. That’s hard to do, since
this tournament runs like a
finely-tuned machine; our CAL
reps, friends and volunteers all
see to that.
This year’s CAL Don Gorjup Open Golf Tournament will
be played at Rolling Green Golf
Course in Huntsburg, Ohio,
Saturday, May 23. We will
have a 9 a.m. shotgun start,
and we ask that you arrive at
the course by 8:15 a.m. for
check-in at the pavilion. Here’s
where you can pick up your
News from
Here & There
by Grace Doerk
Lodge 559
CHICAGO — Spring is in the air. It’s 70
degrees, and I can’t believe that someone
was boating on our lake. There were also
several swans enjoying the sunny day. I
wouldn’t count on this weather continuing;
sometimes you can get some cooler days
in April. My sincere hope is that Easter
will be a nice, warm day.
Since returning home from our cruise,
we’ve received many calls concerning the
passing of friends. It gets scary, but you
just can’t think about it. We take each day
one at a time — forget about yesterday and
look forward to tomorrow.
Our SWU Branch held a St. Patrick’s
Day dinner. I never saw so much food.
There is talk that SWU may offer a Slovenian cruise, possibly next spring. These
polka cruises are a lot of fun, and we’ve
attended many. Even though we don’t
dance, we do enjoy listening to all the
Slovenian melodies
It’s income tax time, and although many
people wait until the last minute, we usually try to get our taxes done as soon as
possible. Speaking of taxes, our real estate
tax bill will come soon, and we understand
it will be higher even though the price of
our home dropped. The state income tax in
Illinois will be rising from 3 to 4.5 percent,
our license plate and vehicle fees will be
higher, and there will be a higher cigarette
tax, which I don’t care about. We seniors
just don’t get any breaks.
The last two weeks have been hectic for
me with something going on every day.
It’s either feast or famine. We attended
a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the
Sokol fraternal which was out of this world.
Other then doctor’s appointments, next
week should be more quiet.
I talked to both Alice Birsa and her
daughter, Bonnie Drain, both of whom
reside in Boynton, Fla. Alice was in the
hospital for a few days some time ago.
She is now home and would like to hear
from her Chicago friends. Her address is
5943 Park Walk Circle W., Boynton, FL
33472. Word has it that Bill Bogolin, who
currently resides in the Franciscan Village
in Lemont, Ill., may go to live with his
son, Bill. Pioneer Lodge 559 Secretary
Anita Vitous and her husband, Alan,
will be spending a week in Florida. Just
recently, Amy Polis (559) spent a week in
goodie bags and scorecards
before heading out on the
links. Hot dogs and pivo will
be available at the turn, and a
great steak dinner at the 19th
hole. This is always a fun day,
meeting old friends and making
new friends.
The entry fee of $70 for
adults ($62 for youth) includes
greens fees, cart, prizes, a
goodie bag, dinner and a sandwich/beverage at the turn. We
will again offer our hole-in-­one
contest which awards $5,000 to
the lucky golfer who can obtain
Florida during her college spring break.
Florida is a great getaway for a vacation,
but I, for one, wouldn’t like to live there
permanently. A change of season adds
variety to life.
Joe Brinocar, past secretary of the
former Lodge 567, recently spent some
time in the hospital with pneumonia, but
is now back in his Auburn, Ill., nursing
home. He will be celebrating his 103rd
birthday Oct. 24.
It was nice to read the article about
the Slovenian Strollers, sisters Josephine
Sneckus and Marge Roth, in PROSVETA.
I have seen these two perform for years at
various functions. They always appeared
in Slovenian costume at the Auburn Slovenefest, and they even performed for
Joe Brinocar’s 101st and 102nd birthday
celebrations. I was so sorry to read in Bob
Smole’s “Badger Jabber” column that the
Milwaukee Federation will cease to exist.
How we enjoyed attending their annual
picnics. I guess the members are getting
older and there are no younger ones to take
their place. It’s kind of sad. I do believe
that this is a trend in many organizations
throughout the United States.
My thanks to Polka Parade Marketing
Director Irene Ridosko for the following
information: The Polka Parade Pals radio
show will host a spring benefit dance April
26 from l to 7:30 p.m. featuring Canada’s
Polka King, Walter Ostanek , at the American Serb Hall, 51st and Oklahoma Ave. in
Milwaukee. SNPJ has partially underwritten the upcoming performances of Steve
Meisner (June 21) and Jeff Winard (Aug.
16). If possible, we’ll try to get out to one
of these events.
Congratulations to Ryan Michael Erickson (1) and Victoria Teresita Van Wetering who were recently wed. Ryan and
Victoria met while attending Augustana
College in Rock Island, Ill. Ryan is the
son of Michael and Cheryl Ericksen, the
grandson of Ronnie and Sylvia Ericksen,
and great-grandson of the late Anton and
Josephine Trojar.
Daria Perse, a wonderful person I met
during Florida SNPJ Days, composes
beautiful web sites. If you are looking
for such a person, e-mail her at [email protected].
The Chicago Federation of SNPJ
Lodges held their most recent meeting at
the Slovene Cultural Center in Lemont.
During the meeting, it was announced that
Tina Rigler (449) would assume the job of
Federation recording secretary in place of
Jean Cherway. A Federation Conference
will be held at the SNPJ Recreation Center
in June; Edward Dabrowski will represent
the Chicago Federation. Reports were
that elusive ace. Other prizes
are offered on the other par-3
holes as well. Your friendly
hostesses will again be coming
around to visit each foursome
for a photo op and a toast to
Don.
Donations are pouring in
for our drawing, and we’re
planning a few surprises this
year. See page 8 for the entry
form.
Contact your golf buddies
and register early. We hope to
see you on a sunny and warm
Saturday, May 23.
presented by all four Federation Lodges,
Lodges 1, 8, 449 and 559; and an audit
was conducted.
The Federation also formulated plans
for the annual memorial service which will
be held at Woodlawn Cemetery May 25.
The next Chicago Federation meeting is
planned July 24 at the Slovene Cultural
Center in Lemont.
We were very sorry to hear of the
passing of Agnes Elish (138). I learned
so much from her obituary that I never
knew. Agnes married Peter Elish in 1953.
While Peter Elish was president of SNPJ
and I was working as an SNPJ employee,
I got to know her and her sincere desire
to preserve the Slovenian heritage. We
extend our deepest sympathies to her son
Pete, daughter-in-law Jeanette, grandson
Christopher and other family members.
Rest in peace, Agnes.
My sincere thanks to the members of
Spring Hill, Fla., Lodge 778 who recognized me in their March newsletter. Since I
was never recognized for my service to the
SNPJ after retiring, I certainly accepted this
acknowledgement with great appreciation.
My first encounter with Lodge 778 came
when Frank Groser, then secretary of the
Lodge, invited me to attend the ribboncutting ceremony of their hall in Spring
Hill. From then on I’ve been a frequent
visitor to their Lodge functions. Thank
you from the bottom of my heart, Lodge
778 members.
I can’t believe that today, March 29,
we had almost six inches of snow. It was
unbelievable. Even so, we attended the
annual meeting of the Cultural Center in
Lemont. The Cultural Center has a number of supporters who are dedicated to
preserving the Slovenian cultural heritage.
Following the annual meeting, we enjoyed
a concert by Vlado Kreslin from Slovenia,
who played guitar, sang and gave various
comical readings.
Vlado Kreslin is the most recognizable
musical artist in Slovenia, performing
concerts in various venues. Kreslin, a 55year-old solo singer/songwriter from the
Belinci village in the Prekmurje region,
performs with two bands. The Vlado
Kreslin tour began in Cleveland, continued at the Slovenian Cultural Center and
will proceed to Washington, D.C.; Tulane
University; and to Yale University in New
Haven, Conn.
Time marches on, and I think that I have
finally found my niche after many years of
retirement. Besides being involved in music and politics, and engaged in numerous
activities, my main goal in life is to preserve
the heritage and culture of Slovenia, the
birthplace of my parents. Živio, Slovenia!
Auction Services
Tom Gazvoda
PA License AU 005314
(724) 745-4537 or (724) 413-3075
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article will continue
in a future PROSVETA issue.
information
Westmoreland County Federation of SNPJ Lodges
at your
fingertips
Picnic Schedule 2009
The Evanstown Picnic Grove
Evanstown, Pa.
The grounds open at noon
June 7
Slovene-Italian Day
Sam Pugliano & Jim Rhoades
1 to 7
June 14
Mikey Dee Polka Picnic
Mikey Dee & Jack Tady
1 to 7
June 21
Steve Novosel’s Father’s Day Picnic 1 to 7
Steve Novosel & Don Wojtila
June 28
Jack Tady’s Polka Picnic
Jack Tady & TBA
1 to 7
July 5
Prime Time Polkas Picnic
1 to 7
July 19
Steve Novosel’s Polka Picnic
Steve Novosel & Eddie Rodick
1 to 7
Looking for information on
your SNPJ life insurance and
annuity policies? Simply log
on to snpj.org and follow the
step-by-step instructions.
CD or IRA Maturing?
Start earning:
4.625%
*
(Principal & Interest Guaranteed)**
For Information Call:
1-800-843-7675
July 26
American Slovene Day Radio Picnic
Frank Stanger & Kres Folklore Group
TBA
Aug. 9
Westmoreland Co. Federation Picnic
TBA
TBA
Aug. 16
Larry & Cindy Placek’s Polka Picnic 1 to 7
Karl Lukitsch & Dick Tady
Aug. 23
Mikey Dee’s Polka Picnic
Mikey Dee & The Polka Quads
1 to 7
7
* Nominal rate is 4.521%.
**
Interest compounded daily. 3% guarantee.
Penalty applied for early withdrawal.
Open a
Century Series
Annuity
Slovene National Benefit Society
247 West Allegheny Road
Imperial, PA 15126
e-mail: [email protected]
New Address?
Please use this form so PROSVETA will move with you. Type or
print name and new address in the space provided below. Mail
to: PROSVETA, circulation, 247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial,
PA 15126-9774; or e-mail [email protected].
Name_________________________________________
New Address___________________________________
City/State/Zip___________________________________
Attach old
mailing
label here
8
PROSVETA
www.snpj.org • [email protected]
April 8, 2009
SNPJ fraternal sympathies
Sis. Jennie Previc
• Lodge 715 •
UNIVERSAL, Pa. — The
Previc family and members of
Lodge 715 sadly announce the
Nov. 30, 2008, passing of Sis.
Jennie Vitavec Previc, 94, of
San Antonio, with her son and
daughter by her side.
Jennie was born in Carrollton, Ohio, Nov. 11, 1914, to
Andrei and Johanna (Vrtovec)
of Ajdovščina and Ustje, Slovenia. The family moved to
Canton, Ohio, where Jennie
lived and eventually worked at
Timken Roller-Bearing Plant
as the administrative secretary to Mr. Timken. In 1939
she married Henry Previc and
moved to Crescent Hills in the
township of Penn Hills, Pa. In
the nearby town of Universal,
Henry, his father Thomas, and
brother Frank owned the ShopRite supermarket.
Devoted to her husband,
children, and grandchildren,
Sis. JENNIE PREVIC (715)
Sis. Previc was a woman of
many interests and talents. A
promising artist, her treasured
paintings still hang in her
childrens’ homes. Her garden
was her pride and joy; under
her green thumb her plants
and flowers blossomed. Her
creativity endures in the wildflower arrangements she created for family and friends.
An avid swimmer for many
years, Jennie swam weekly
with a group of friends. For
SNPJ Crossword
SPRING’S IN THE AIR (#0609) solution
2009 Miss SNPJ Pageant
Official Entry Form
Entrants must be between the ages of 17-25 by Dec. 31, 2009,
and an SNPJ member in good standing for at least 3 months.
NAME_ _________________________________________
ADDRESS_______________________________________
_______________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP__________________________________
PHONE (
)___________________________________
BIRTH DATE_____________________________________
POLICY NUMBER_________________ LODGE_ ________
PARENTS’ NAMES________________________________
GRANDPARENTS’ NAMES_ ________________________
HOBBIES_______________________________________
LOCAL NEWSPAPER______________________________
I will compete in the Miss SNPJ talent competition
YES
NO
Type of talent________________________________
(NOTE: Talent is not necessarily proficiency on a musical instrument
or singing ability. Creativity is encouraged. Everybody has a talent.)
On a separate sheet of paper and in your own words, please
describe any school honors you have received, and any organizations, clubs and activities you were involved with. Be sure to
include specific SNPJ Youth Circle, Lodge or Federation activities.
Mail completed application,
along with a clear, color photo, to:
Slovene National Benefit Society
over 20 years, she shared her
love of reading with the other
members of her book club.
A passionate interest in national and international affairs
and other cultures led to her
membership in the Penn Hills
International Club, volunteering at election day polls, and
traveling throughout the United
States and the world.
Proud of her first-generation
American citizenship, Sis.
Previc also honored her Slovenian heritage through active
membership in SNPJ Lodge
715. She wrote a book about
her family’s Slovenian heritage
called “The Seed is Planted,”
and she translated her Crescent
Hills memories into a popular
monthly column in the local
newsletter. She loved children,
teaching and continuous learning. She was a proud Girl Scout
and 4-H leader.
Jennie touched many lives
and will be dearly missed by
those who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her children,
Janet Previc Shay of Rancho
Mirage, Calif., and Fred Previc
of San Antonio; grandchildren
Andrew and Nicholas Previc;
sister Dorothy Vitavec Cordier
of Springfield, Ill.; and many
other dear relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by
her husband, Henry Previc, and
brothers Andrew and Edwin
Vitavec.
A private memorial service
was celebrated in San Antonio.
Previously in Penn Hills, her
life was celebrated by family
and close friends on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
On behalf of the members
of Lodge 715 and the Slovene
National Benefit Society,
we extend our most sincere
condolences to Sis. Previc’s
family, friends and relatives
on their loss.
Sis. Anna U. Turk
• Lodge 391 •
JAMES CITY, Pa. — With
sadness, the Turk family and
Lodge 391 announce the Oct.
27, 2008, passing of Sis. Anna
U. Turk, 91, of Frewsburg,
N.Y.
Anna was born July 25,
1917, in St. Marys, Pa., to Louis
and Frances Poklar Ulyon. On
Sept. 20, 1941, in Sheffield,
Pa., she married Peter Turk,
who preceded her in death May
19, 1970. After his death, Anna
and her son, Pete Jr., continued
to operate their dairy farm for
many years.
Sis. Turk was a 74-year
member of the Society at the
time of her passing. She was
proud of her Slovenian heritage, and enjoyed dancing to
and singing Slovenian songs.
She enjoyed cooking and
baking, and was in her glory
whenever she served a big feast
of her delicious food to family
and friends. She enjoyed company, was a lovable person and
always the life of the party. To
know her was to love her.
Anna brought joy and laughter wherever she went. She was
always welcoming with a big
Valley, Ill.
On behalf of the members
of Lodge 2 and the Slovene
National Benefit Society, we
offer our sympathies to Bro.
Rudzinski’s family, friends and
relatives on their loss.
Sis. Amandina Sladick
• Lodge 106 •
Sis. ANNA U. TURK (391)
smile, a hug and a kiss. Aside
from her great personality, she
was very generous, remembering every occasion with a
greeting card and monetary gift
tucked inside. She will be loved
and missed by her family and
friends. They wish her eternal
peace and happiness.
A very loving and devoted
mother and grandmother, Sis.
Turk is survived by two sons,
Peter L. Turk and Richard (Janine) Turk of Frewsburg; three
grandsons, Matthew (Amanda)
Turk, James (Deanna) Turk
and Peter Turk; five greatgrandchildren, Riley, Avery,
Hayden, Julianna and Annabella Turk; a sister, Nellie
(Howard) Sluga of Kane, Pa.;
and two brothers, Frank Ulyon
of Camp Hill, Pa., and M. Tom
Ulyon of Jacksonville, Fla.
Along with her husband,
Sis. Turk was preceded in death
by an infant daughter, Diana;
sisters Frances Kaluza, Amelia
Rote and Dorothy Korbar; and
a brother, Louis Ulyon.
A Mass of Christian burial
was celebrated Oct. 30, 2008,
at Our Lady of Victory Church
with the Rev. Robert Stolinski
officiating. Burial followed in
Holy Cross Cemetery, Jamestown, N.Y.
On behalf of the members
of Lodge 391 and the Slovene
National Benefit Society, we
extend our sympathies to Sis.
Turk’s family and friends on
their loss.
Bro. Roger Rudzinski
• Lodge 2 •
LA SALLE, Ill. — With sadness, the Rudzinski family and
Lodge 2 announce the Feb. 18,
2009, passing of Bro. Roger
Rudzinski, 49, of Oglesby,
Ill. He was a resident of the
Horizon House Group Home
in Peru, Ill.
Bro. Rudzinski was born
Sept. 7, 1959, in La Salle to
John and Mary (Barbic) Rudzinski, the current president of
Lodge 2. Roger was a member of Holy Family Church,
attended Lighted Way in La
Salle and was a special education student at Shepherd Junior
High School, Ottawa, Ill.
Bro. Rudzinski is survived
by his moth­er of Oglesby,
aunts, uncles and cousins. He
was preceded in death by his
father and grand­parents.
A Mass of Christian burial
was celebrated Feb. 21 at Holy
Family Church, Oglesby, with
Rev. Michael Andrejek officiating. Burial followed in St.
Valentine’s Cemetery, Spring
Att’n: Fraternal Director
247 West Allegheny Road • Imperial, PA 15126-9774
Application Deadline: June 15, 2009
CAL Don Gorjup Open Golf Tournament
May 23, 2009
at Rolling Green Golf Course, Huntsburg, OH
9 a.m. Shotgun Start
Men
Name
Check Entry:
Ladies
Lodge
Youth
Phone
Hdcp.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The $70 entry fee covers greens fees, cart, prizes, dinner, and
sandwich and beverage at the turn. Youth entry fee is $62.
Return this form, along with entry fees, to:
Linda Gorjup
790 E. 250th St., Euclid, OH 44132
Phone: (216) 731-2723
Make checks payable to
SNPJ Cleveland Athletic League (CAL)
ENTRY DEADLINE IS MAY 16, 2009
The Home Office will verify all memberships. Complete tournament
rules are available by contacting the SNPJ Fraternal Department,
247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126.
IMPERIAL, Pa. — The
Sladick family and Lodge 106
sadly announce the March 20,
2009, passing of Sis. Amandina
Marie “Dina” Sladick, 72, in
Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh.
She was a 50-year member of
the Society.
Sis. Sladick was born to
the late Senino and Sylvia
(Toperine) Prosperi. She was
a member of St. Columbkille
Roman Catholic Church, Imperial, and SNPJ Lodge 106.
She enjoyed doll collecting,
and loved children and babysitting.
Dina was the beloved wife
of Joseph F. Sladick for 50
years; the mother of Joseph
S. (Theresa) Sladick of N.Y.,
Dean S. Sladick of Oakdale,
Pa., and the late David L.
Sladick, who passed away
in 1990; the sister of Sylvia
(Richard) Parks of Oakdale
and the late Anthony Prosperi;
and an aunt to several nieces
and nephews.
A Mass of Christian burial
was celebrated March 24 at St.
Columbkille Roman Catholic
Church; interment followed in
Resurrection Cemetery.
On behalf of the members
of Lodge 106 and the Slovene
National Benefit Society, we
offer our sympathies to Sis.
Sladick’s family and friends
on their loss.
Sis. Agnes Elish
• Lodge 138 •
STRABANE, Pa. — The
Elish family and members of
Lodge 138 sadly announce
the March 24, 2009, passing
of Sis. Agnes Ducar Elish, 90,
in Consulate Nursing Home,
McMurray, Pa.
Sis. Elish was born Oct.
24, 1918, in Stockdale, Pa., a
daughter of Frank and Anna
Gazi Ducar. During her childhood she attended the local
elementary school in Stockdale. She was valedictorian
of California High School,
class of 1935. Following high
school, she earned her bachelor
of science degree from California State Teachers College.
Following her graduation from
California, Sis. Elish took a position teaching first and second
grades in her hometown grade
school. She earned $100 for
an eight-month school year,
from which she donated teaching materials such as study
guides, books and puzzles
that she brought from home to
benefit the students. She also
started a Girl Scout troop in
her hometown.
When the United States
entered World War II, Agnes
enlisted in the U.S. Navy as
a WAVE. She attended basic
training at Victoria Hotel in
Boston and Hunter College
in Bronx, N.Y., becoming
storekeeper first class. She then
served from 1941 to 1945 at
Norman Oklahoma Naval Base
where the Navy based propeller
airplanes. She was honorably
discharged as storekeeper first
class in 1945.
Following her discharge
from the Navy, Sis. Elish
resumed teaching first and second grades in Stockdale. She
received her master’s degree
in education from the University of Pittsburgh and then
attended Temple University to
obtain a school administrator’s
certification. She was offered
and accepted a position in
Riverside, N.J., supervising
the reading program from the
first to ninth grades.
In 1953, Agnes met and
married her husband, thenWashington County Controller and former SNPJ National
President Peter Elish (138),
who preceded her in death. She
taught in the Canon-McMillan
School District for 30 years
after marrying. After retiring,
she and her husband traveled
extensively throughout Europe
and the United States.
Sis. Elish was a member
of St. Patrick Roman Catholic
Church in Canonsburg. She
was also a member of the Business and Professional Women’s Association, the SNPJ
Heritage Center Committee
and the Women’s Auxiliary of
Canonsburg Hospital. She was
a member of the Mayview State
Hospital Board of Directors
and was active in various local
political organizations.
Agnes enjoyed playing
bridge, solving crossword
puzzles and reading; she was
a member of the Wednesday
Friends Book Club at Canonsburg Library. Agnes had a
strong sense of family togetherness, and enjoyed family
gatherings and reunions. She
documented many family
events by keeping records and
creating albums spanning the
four generations of her family,
thereby creating a veritable
treasure of family genealogy.
Surviving are her son, Peter
(Jeannette) Elish of Canonsburg; a grandson, Christopher
Elish; a sister, Anna Deane
Ducar; a brother, Stephen
(Judith) Ducar of O’Fallon,
Mo.; and numerous nieces and
nephews. Deceased, in addition
to her husband, is a brother,
Theodore Ducar.
A Mass of Christian burial
was celebrated March 28 in
St. Patrick Roman Catholic
Church, Canonsburg. Interment followed in Forest Lawn
Gardens, McMurray. Full
military rites were accorded by
American Legion Post 902 of
Houston, Pa., and the Canonsburg Honor Guard of Veterans
of Foreign Wars Post 191.
On behalf of the members
of Lodge 138 and the Slovene
National Benefit Society, we
offer our deepest sympathies
to Sis. Elish’s family, relatives
and friends on their loss.
In Loving Memory
Bro. Albert M. Jerala
• Lodge 88 President •
A
few days ago my grandparent’s
good friend, Mr. Al Jerala, passed
away. I knew Mr. Al since I was
a little girl. He watched my brother and
me grow up, as well as my mother and
her sister. It’s hard to put into words
what it feels like to lose a connection like
that. You get so used to having someone
around that you don’t even think about
how it would feel if they were gone until
they actually are.
I live in Maryland and Mr. Al lived in
Pennsylvania like my grandparents, and
every summer my brother and I spend a
week with my grandparents. We’d do all
kinds of things, but our weekend trips to
the SNPJ Recreation Center were what we
enjoyed most. This is how I knew Mr. Al
and how he saw my childhood. As soon as
we arrived at the Rec Center, my brother
and I would run to all the trailer court
people we knew just to say hello and nice
to see you (and maybe get a snack out of
it). Mr. Al’s trailer was a traditional stop
on our hello trip. He would always greet
us with a big smile and a bowl of Reese’s
cups. As I said, he also saw my mom and
aunt grow up, so he would often call me
Jan or Darla. I never knew whether he truly
got us confused or if he was just joking,
but I laughed just the same.
As we grew older, my brother and I
retired our tradition, but I won’t retire
those memories. Mr. Al was a true friend
to our family, and when I think of SNPJ
and my childhood, he will always come to
my mind. Those visits weren’t something
I expected to remember forever, but I will.
Sometimes the little things in life that we
take for granted stay with us longer than
the big things we expect to stay with us.
Over the summer, my grandparents
celebrated their 50th anniversary with a
party. Out of maybe a hundred people,
only my father, SNPJ National President
Joseph Evanish, Mr. Joe Cvetas, Mr. Al
and I gave a toast. Out of those five people,
Mr. Al had, without a doubt, known my
grandpa the longest. His speech was filled
with funny jokes, important moments he
experienced with my grandpa and kind
words about my grandparents. I could
tell that Mr. Al’s speech had an impact on
my grandpa just by watching his reaction.
They had been friends for a very long time
and Mr. Al was someone my grandpa respected. You really can’t buy friendship,
certainly not one like theirs.
My dad and I were talking about Mr.
Al’s funeral and how I wished I could have
been there. My dad said, “Julie, I didn’t
know you were that close to him.” I thought
about it and tried to phrase my answer right.
“It wasn’t that I was really close to him.
He was someone that I had gotten used to
being around, part of a tradition, part of
my past and someone I took for granted.”
I realized he was part of my childhood, a
part that will never be erased. Mr. Al was
part of my “Rec Center experience” and
like so many other people there, I will never
forget him. If anything, I will appreciate
everyone there more; I won’t overlook or
take anyone for granted.
My mom used to write articles for
Prosveta frequently when she was in
high school and college, and Mr. Al was
a big fan of her writing. Since I became
old enough to do the same, he told me I
should write as well. This one is for him. I
only wish I had written something sooner
so it wouldn’t have to be like this. I hope
you think this article is good because Mr.
Al deserves it and nothing less.
When I return to the trailer court at
the Rec Center this summer, I will certainly miss Mr. Al Jerala. May he rest
in peace.
by Julie Rockwell
Lodge 138, Strabane, Pa.