YEAR CV USPS: 448-080ISSUE 24 ISSN: 1080-0263WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012

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The next two PROSVETA issue dates are Dec. 12 and Dec. 26. All material must be received by Monday, Dec. 3, for the Dec. 12 issue, and by Monday, Dec. 17, for the Dec. 26 issue. If you are concerned about making the deadline, send an e-mail to prosveta@snpj.com or submit your material via the publica-tions area of our website, www.snpj.org.

THEDEADLINE

In This Issue

Up-and-Coming Calendar of Events ......... 2Slovenska Stran ........................................ 4PROSVETA Crossword Puzzle ................. 5SNPJ Recommender Coupon ................... 6SNPJ Fraternal Sympathies ...................... 8

• Kyle D. PribishBorn Sept. 15, 2010

Bon Air, Pa., Lodge 254

Lodge 254 welcomes Kyle David Pribish as its newest member. Kyle is the son of David (254) and Denise Pribish; brother of Matthew Eli Pribish (254); and grandson of David and Janet Pribish, and Daniel and Linda Crivellaro. We welcome Kyle to the Slovene National Benefit Society and extend our best wishes to his entire family.

SNPJ has a blog now, and we’re

doing a lot of talking there.

Scan the code to see what we

have to say.

INDIANAPOLIS — The members of Prešeren Lodge 34 held their quarterly meeting Sept. 8, during which we ap-proved hosting our next quarterly meeting and Christmas party on Dec. 9 at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at Shapiros on south Meridian St.; the Lodge will pay for the party. Please try to attend the meeting and enjoy the Christmas holiday with fellow members. Na svidenje!

JERRY WATSONLodge 34 Secretary/Treasurer

Indy Lodge 34 has Dec. 9 holiday plans

STRABANE, Pa. — Lodge 138 will conduct its final meeting of 2012 Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Lodge hall. The election of officers for the coming year will be the main order of business. Other upcoming activities include our annual Thanksgiv-ing Eve wing night, the Youth Circle 19 Christmas party on Dec. 9, and our New Year’s Eve party. Lodge 138 sends best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year to all SNPJ Lodges and their members.

BOB LAWRENCELodge 138 Secretary

Lodge 138 wrapping up 2012 with final meeting

IMPERIAL, Pa. — The SNPJ Home Office will once again serve as a drop-off location for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Please bring new, unwrapped toys to the Home Office dur-ing regular business hours and place them under the tree in the lobby. The gifts will be picked up by Marine Corps Reserve representatives Friday, Dec. 7. We thank you for your generosity through the years.

KEVIN RICHARDSFraternal Director

Home Office will again collect for Toys for Tots

by KAREN A. PINTARSNPJ National Secretary

IMPERIAL, Pa. — Effective Jan. 1, 2013, a bill passed in California changes some of our business practices as follows. This new bill:

• requires that on every policy issued or delivered in California, a provision is contained that allows for a grace pe-riod of not less than 60 days from the premium due date and that the policy remains in force during the 60-day grace period;

• requires that we give the applicant for a life insurance policy the right to desig-nate at least one other person, in addition

New bill will affect business in California

California’s annual Vinska Trgatev steals the show on the West Coast

by JEAN KOCILodge 786 Secretary/Treasurer

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Nov. 4 was another great and traditional day at the Slo-vene Hall in Fontana. Fred Mlakar (786) led the procession of harvesters and villagers into the arbor with John and Lucille Mlakar (745), the župan and županja of this year’s pageant. They really looked the part in their traditional narodna noša.

We all sang along with Fred and his father, Papa Joe, as we marched into the hall, waving to the guests seated at the tables adorned with cheese, crackers, salami, fruit, wine and juice. Watchman Frank Rote (723) was found sleeping in the center of the arbor, bottle in hand, when he was supposed to be guarding the harvest. The authorities picked him up and took him to Judge Arnie Koci (786), who sentenced him to jail, but not without excuses and arguments from

SEE VINSKA TRGATEVON PAGE 7

Toasting the harvest

LUCILLE and JOHN MLAKAR (745) did a great

job serving as župan and županja of the

2012 California Federation

Vinska Trgatev.

NATHANIEL MILLER (745), the youngest thief of the afternoon, got away scott free with his purloined goodies.

SEE CALIFORNIA BILLON PAGE 2

WARREN, Ohio — The Lodge 321 Christmas party will be held Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Chophouse beginning at 2 p.m. For additional information, please call (330) 847-8466.

JOY CHURCHLodge 321

Lodge 321 members will gather for holiday dinner

by GERRI TREBETSLodge 604 Recording Secretary

CLEVELAND — With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time once again to plan our annual Christmas party which will be held Monday, Dec. 3, at the Slovenian Society Home on Recher Ave. Festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the upper hall annex. Food and beverages will be supplied so all you have to do is bring yourself and a happy, holiday spirit.

Come enjoy a relaxing evening with your fellow Utopian members. Santa will make an appearance, gathering wish lists from the youngsters and hand-ing out gifts and goodies. Santa is also

Utopians Lodge 604 members enjoyed a pancake breakfastat the SNPJ Farm in October as one of their activities for 2012.

Utopians Lodge 604 making holiday planswilling to listen to all the adults’ wish lists; you are never too old to believe. If there’s nothing on your schedule that evening, please join us.

Utopian members were treated to a delicious pancake breakfast Oct. 28 at the SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio. It was a rather dismal, rainy morning, but with the fireplace aglow, it was nice and toasty on the inside. A good crowd was on hand to enjoy those mouthwatering pancakes, sausage patties, orange juice and beverage of choice. The best part was being able to go back for seconds! Our hard-working kitchen crew is to be

SEE UTOPIANS HOLIDAYON PAGE 5

by KEVIN RICHARDS SNPJ Fraternal Director

IMPERIAL, Pa. — The SNPJ Fraternal Department, SNPJ Recreation Center and SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center are spon-soring a children’s Christmas party at the Recreation Center Sunday, Dec. 2. The fun begins at 1 p.m. with arts and crafts, cookie decorating, balloon sculptures and Christmas ornament decorating. We’ll have Christmas music for your enjoyment and there will even be a special visit from Santa Claus!

A free lunch will be served to the children in attendance. Adults will be asked to make a $4 donation for their meal. We are also asking our guests to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Items collected at the party will be added to the collection at the SNPJ Home Office.

Please RSVP to the SNPJ Recreation Center by phoning 1-877-767-5732 or e-mailing snpj@snpjrec.com. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 28.

Don’t miss out on the holiday fun at the Rec Center

by BRIDGET GREJDA (6)Youth Circle 36 Director

SYGAN, Pa. — Youth Circle 36 in Sygan is pleased to present the Holly Jolly Holiday Party Sunday, Dec. 16, starting at 5 p.m. in the Sunshine Room.

The Junior Tamburitzans of South Hills will be performing for us. The group’s member students range in age from 4 to 18. Each student receives instruction and education in the art of tamburitza playing, folk dance and song. Stu-dents also learn about the countries and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe.

Through their performances, the Junior Tamburtizans of South Hills promote public interest and awareness of the rich cultural diversity known throughout these European regions. The folk dances and music are chal-lenging and fun to learn. With the direction of experienced instructors, students are able to enjoy and develop music and dance talents.

Celebrate with Youth Circle 36 at the Holly Jolly Holiday Party

Each student is encouraged to perform to the best of his or her ability, and there is a place for everyone in the festival-like atmosphere of the group’s performances.

Circle 36 will also welcome a visit from Miss SNPJ 2013 Kristen Cushman (138). If you missed her at Slovenefest and haven’t met her yet, this is your chance.

Jolly old St. Nick is scheduled to stop by that evening direct from the North Pole. Remember to bring your camera for pictures, and make sure the kids bring their Christmas lists for the express mailbox to Santa’s workshop.

At 6 p.m. we’ll be offering a buffet for both adults and children, and it’s sure to please ev-eryone’s tummies. The buffet will be offered free of charge to our insured youth members; for all others, the cost is $5. We’ll have the best of holiday music playing, so bring your

SEE HOLLY JOLLY PARTYON PAGE 5

2 PROSVETANovember 28, 2012

www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com

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.

Executive Committee:NatioNal PresideNtJoseph C. Evanish

NatioNal secretaryKaren A. Pintar

NatioNal treasurerRobert J. Lawrence

sNPJ NatioNal Board

Finance Committee:Chrm.: Roger C. Clifford – 568 Lang

Road, Sewickley, PA 15143Robert Lawrence, SecretaryJoseph C. EvanishKenneth Anderson – 2400 Derby Road,

Birmingham, MI 48009Richard Hervol – 183 Wylie Ave., Strabane, PA 15363

Supervisory Committee:Chrm.: Phyllis Wood – 9519 Evergreen

Lane, Fontana, CA 92335 e-mail: pwoodhcs@aol.comVincent Baselj – 1001 Grandview Ave.,

Apt. 903, Bridgeville, PA 15017Louis J. Novak – 6308 Highland Rd.,

Highland Heights, OH 44143Stan Repos – 1255 McCaslin Rd., Imperial, PA 15126Joseph M. Grkman Jr. – P.O. Box 584,

South Park, PA 15129

Regional Vice Presidents:Frank Bregar, Region 1 – 25 Willow

Crossing Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601James L. Curl, Region 2 – 503 Orchard

St., Carnegie, PA 15106Nancy Koutoulakis, Region 3 – 4321

Beverly Dr., Aliquippa, PA 15001Linda Gorjup, Region 4 – 712 Fiddlers

Way, Painesville, OH 44077Tracey Anderson, Region 5 – 1014

Edgewood Dr., Royal Oak, MI 48067Justina Rigler, Region 6 – 1116 Berkley

Lane, Lemont, IL 60439John Zibert, Region 7 – 284 N. 200

St., Arma, KS 66712Fred Mlakar, Region 8 – 13592

Onkayha Cir., Irvine, CA 92620

SNPJ Recreation Center270 Martin Road

Enon Valley, PA 16120(724) 336-5180 • fax (724) 336-6716

Toll-free: 1-877-767-5732web site: www.snpjrec.come-mail: snpj@snpjrec.com

The Official Publication of theSlovene National Benefit Society

247 W. Allegheny RoadImperial, PA 15126-9774Phone: (724) 695-1100

Toll-Free: 1-800-843-7675 (THE SNPJ)

Fax: (724) 695-1555e-mail: prosveta@snpj.com

web site: www.snpj.orgeditor:

Jay Sedmakassociate editor:

Kimberly GonzalezSubscription rate is $8 per year for non-SNPJ members in the United States (Fla. subscrib-ers, 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 So-ciety 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., and additional mailing office.)

PROSVETAENLIGHTENMENT

(USPS 448-080)(ISSN 1080-0263)

Lodge/Organization

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Complete and return to: PROSVETA

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Have something for Up-and-Coming?

Up-and-Coming...A look at events planned by the Slovene National Benefit Society• DEC. 1 .......Midway, Pa., Lodge 89 oldies dance

with DJ Dave; 7-11 p.m. Admission is $7. Kitchen will be open. For additional information phone (724) 796-0285.

• DEC. 1 .......Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106 hosts Magic Moments in concert in the Imperial Room; 8 p.m. The kitchen will be open. For details phone the Lodge at (724) 695-1411 or e-mail kevinrichards22@gmail.com.

• DEC. 2 .......Youth Circle 36 bowling at Lodge 6 in Sygan, Pa. Bowling begins at noon.

• DEC. 8 .......Samsula, Fla., Lodge 603 Christmas parade beginning at the Lodge 603 Hall; 3 p.m. For additional information contact Nancy Bass at (386) 428-5988.

• DEC. 9 .......Herminie, Pa., Lodge 87, Christmas dance in the Crystal Ballroom; 1-5 p.m. Music by Tony Kistner. Admission is $12 and includes a buffet and sweet table. Advance tickets only. For details contact Shirley Bailley at (724) 864-1606.

• DEC. 9 .......Youth Circle 36 bowling at Lodge 6 in Sygan, Pa. Bowling begins at noon.

• DEC. 15 .....Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106 dinner and jam night featuring Autobahn Trio in the Lodge 106 clubroom. Dinner served at 4 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m. For details contact the Lodge at (724) 695-1411 or e-mail kevinrichards22@gmail.com.

• DEC. 16 .....Sygan, Pa., Lodge 6 Holly Jolly Holi-day Party for all Lodge 6 youth members in the Sunshine Room.

• DEC. 16 .....Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106 youth Christmas party in the Imperial Room; 1-3 p.m. For details contact the Lodge at (724) 695-1411 or e-mail kevinrich-ards22@gmail.com.

• DEC. 22 .....Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106 adult Christ-mas party in the Lodge 106 clubroom. Food service begins at 4 p.m., entertain-ment begins at 6 p.m. For details contact the Lodge at (724) 695-1411 or e-mail kevinrichards22@gmail.com.

• DEC. 31 .....Strabane, Pa., Lodge 138 New Year’s Eve party. Entertainment by Endurance.

• DEC. 31 .....Imperial, Pa., Lodge 106 New Year’s Eve party in the Lodge 106 clubroom. Entertainment by Renewed Memories II. Advance tickets only. For details phone the Lodge at (724) 695-1411 or e-mail kevinrichards22@gmail.com.

2013• JAN. 26 ......Samsula, Fla., Lodge 603 venison

and wild game cook-off at the Lodge 603 Hall; 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. For details contact Pauline Lockwood at (386) 428-8868.

• MARCH 1-3 ......... Florida SNPJ Days hosted by Lodge 603, Samsula, Fla. For details contact Ruth Benedict at (386) 427-1410.

• JUNE 16-21 ......... Youth Roundup at the SNPJ Recreation Center. Contact Fraternal Director Kevin Richards at 1-800-843-7675, ext. 144, or krichards@snpj.com for registration forms or additional information.

• JUNE 21-23 ......... SNPJ Young Adult Confer-ence at the SNPJ Recreation Center. For registration details, contact Fraternal Director Kevin Richards at 1-800-843-7675, ext. 144, or krichards@snpj.com.

• JULY 12-14 ........... Slovenefest XXXII and the 57th Miss SNPJ Pageant at the SNPJ Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa. For additional information phone the Recreation Center toll-free at 1-877-767-5732.

• JULY 21-27 .......... First Family Week at the SNPJ Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa. For additional information phone the SNPJ Recreation Center at 1-877-767-5732.

• JULY 28-AUG. 3 .. Second Family Week at the SNPJ Recreation Center, Borough of SNPJ, Pa. For additional information phone the SNPJ Recreation Center at 1-877-767-5732.

Photo submitted by Sis. Nancy Novak (576).Spartans Lend a Helping Hand for ThanksgivingA crew of volunteers from Spartans Lodge 576 spent several hours working at the Cleveland Food Bank Oct. 8. The Lodge extends a special thank you to all of these members for giving their time to such a worthwhile cause.

by RUDY PIVIKLodge 257

CLEVELAND — The Lodge 257 Christmas party is set for Thursday, Dec. 6, at the West Park Slovenian Home. President Marie Pivik will serve as the evening’s chef; dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Ladies, bring something sweet to share and make us men a little sweeter.

While we are gathered for the holiday celebration, we’ll hold our 2013 election of officers. Hope to see many members in attendance.

The West Park Slovenian Home is lo-cated at 4583 W. 130th St., Cleveland. For directions or more information, contact President Marie Pivik at (216) 433-1941 or Secretary/Treasurer Patricia Juda at (216) 267-1656.

Lodge 257 looks to 2013 with elections

CALIFORNIA BILLFROM PAGE 1

to the applicant, to receive notice of lapse or termination of a policy for nonpayment of premium;

• requires an insurer to provide each applicant with a form, as specified, to make the designation and to no-tify the policy owner annually of the right to change the designation;

• prohibits a notice of pending lapse and termination from being effec-tive unless mailed by the insurer to the named policy owner, a named designee for an individual life insur-ance policy, and a known assignee or other person having an interest in the individual life insurance policy at least 30 days prior to the effective date of termination if termination is for nonpayment of premium.

I will be working on the policy forms and notices that will be necessary to comply with this bill. In addition, we will be modifying our business practices at the Home Office to provide the informa-tion, forms and notices to our members in California as required by this bill.

Expect change with the new California bill

by VONNIE DOMBROSKYLodge 776 Recording Secretary

BOROUGH OF SNPJ, Pa. — Lodge 776 will hold its annual Christmas party and meeting Sunday, Dec. 16, beginning at 2 p.m. It is imperative that those at-tending make a reservation. Contact John Pierog at (330) 757-1369, Ed Snyder at (330) 427-6298 or Vonnie Dombrosky at (724) 336-6500 by Dec. 12 to make your reservation.

Save your seat for the Lodge 776meeting and party

by LEE JACKOPINLodge 355 Secretary

FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio — The Fairport Lodge 355 annual meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 10, at the Fairport Slovenian Club

beginning at 6:30 p.m. Our Lodge Christmas party will follow the meeting with good food, beverages, gifts and fun. All members are invit-ed to attend and may bring a guest.

Take a break during this busy

holiday season and have a gala time of camaraderie with your fraternal Sisters and Brothers. Please join us. For more information please contact me, Lodge Secretary Lee Jackopin, at (440) 943-3170.

Join Lodge 355 members for a celebration

by GINA VOLPELodge 158 Treasurer

EUCLID, Ohio — The Christmas holiday is upon us. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun, or when you’re so busy that you don’t even know what day it is. In any event, we have been blessed with some beautiful weather for this time of year. Let’s hope Mother Nature will keep it that way for a little while longer.

Our November drawing winners were Linda Gorjup, Stephie Segulin and Donna Helmacy. Happy birth-day to Brad Stroth (Nov. 23), and Gabe and Marsh Gorjup (Nov. 29).

Donna Helmacy’s granddaugh-ter, Brittany Stuber, was accepted into the Pi Beta Phi sorority at the University of Toledo. Lauren Se-

busch was nominated as Volunteer of the Year from the New Horizons Organization. She helps out at Broadmoor School on Saturdays and weekly during the summer months. She attends Mentor High School and carries a 4.125 GPA. Lauren is also in the flag corp., which just recently qualified for state finals. Good job, girls!

Congratulations to Stephie Segulin for being named Women of the Year at Recher Hall.

Donna Sebusch is back to work after surgery. She thanks everyone for the get well wishes. Linda Gorjup will be undergoing hip surgery Dec. 3. Please say a prayer that all goes well.

On a much sadder note, we say goodbye to our wonderful friend El-

eanor Godec. Eleanor passed away rather suddenly and will be missed by many. Eleanor was involved in everything; no matter what event you attended, she was there working or participating.

We would like to extend our sympathies to the family and friends of Dolores Dobida, a member of Cleveland Lodge 142. Dolores was very involved in her Lodge as well as the SNPJ Farm Board.

The December Lodge 158 meet-ing will be held on Dec. 13 in the annex at Recher Hall. Please con-sider joining us at 7 p.m. The annual meeting will follow immediately after, and there will be a holiday social in the clubroom for those in attendance.

Happy holidays!

Loyalites Lodge 158 ready for the holidays

by PAULINE BARBISH Lodge 53 President

CLEVELAND — After a thankful dinner celebration on Nov. 22, it is time to turn our attention to the holiday season of Christmas. Oh, yes; that means potica, cookies, bells, carols, Christmas cards, gifts and of course, the annual Lodge 53 party.

We are once again extending an invitation to all Lodge members, youth and adult, to attend. Let’s rekindle the Christmas season,

starting with some Lodge member camaraderie.

Our Christmas party will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home, 15335 Waterloo Road, in the upstairs barroom off the main ballroom. Doors will open at noon and the format will be the same as last year; a buffet luncheon which will be ready around 1 p.m. You can be assured that Santa will make an appearance with many gifts in tow. Of course, his helpers will be assisting him.

Come enjoy an afternoon filled with food, fun, laughter, conversa-tion and much more. Jingle your way to the Lodge 53 Christmas party and let us all make merry.

For additional information or to make your reservation, contact Lodge Secretary Martha Meglich at (440) 884-5043 .

To our Lodge members who are unable to attend, and to all members in SNPJland, please accept our warmest wishes for a merry Christ-mas and a happy, healthy new year.

Christmas camaraderie on Lodge 53 agenda

from thesource

3PROSVETANovember 28, 2012

www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com

DENISE HERRONSNPJ Marketing Department

A CENTURYin the making

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Payment in full must accompany all orders. Make checks payable to SNPJ.Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Proud of your SNPJ membership? Then you 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.This richly-illustrated chronicle of SNPJ history compiled and written by SNPJ Pub-lications Editor Jay Sedmak is now available for purchase.

$15.00 each — plus $2.50 s/hadd $1 shipping for each additional copy ordered

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Presidential elections:Pahor, Türk in round twoLJUBLJANA (STA) — Slovenia’s former prime minister, Borut Pahor, emerged as the surprise winner of the Nov. 11 presidential election, edging heavily favored incumbent Danilo Türk 40 to 37 percent, according to unofficial results released by the National Elec-toral Commission. A third candidate in the election, Milan Zver, received 23.7 percent of the vote.

According to a series of polls con-ducted during the final week of the campaign, both Pahor and Türk were expected to advance to the Dec. 2 run-off election; yet all but one poll showed Türk finishing firmly in the lead, even though Pahor was quickly closing the gap just days prior to the election.

Pahor said the results inspired him. Speaking after the results were an-nounced, he said, “You have honored me with exceptional trust, which gives me strong inspiration to continue this path together... As your probable future presi-dent, I will surpass your expectations.”

Türk down-played the election result, saying it was only “the first half, and the first warning of the disappointment and discontent of the people with our politi-cians and our state.”

The Dec. 2 run-off election promises to be interesting. It will mark the first time that voters will have to choose be-tween two center-left candidates, but the outcome will ultimately be determined by the center-right voters who voted for Milan Zver in the election’s first round.

Preliminary results suggest the elec-tion turnout barely exceeded 43 percent, the lowest on record for any election since Slo venia won independence in 1991. Türk noted that the turnout was “extremely low, and this should be cause for concern.”

Slovenia hard hit by November flood watersLJUBLJANA (STA) — A heavy rain that soaked Slovenia during the night of Nov. 4 caused numerous roads, mostly in west-ern Slovenia, to be closed due to flooded rivers, landslides and downed trees.

Hardest hit were the northwestern parts of the country, where the Soča River, which overflowed its banks, and heavy rain flooded the roadway between Bovec and Kobarid. Several other roads, including the main road between Kobarid and Tolmin, were closed because of small landslides, Zoran Kenda, a spokesman from the regional Civil Protection, told the press.

Heavy rain and strong winds also caused trouble in the Gorenjsko region, where Civil Protection teams were called to respond several times. Several roads were closed, including the main con-nection between the lakeside resorts of Bohinj and Bled.

In northern Slovenia, a portion of an outbuilding was carried away by a tor-rent in the village of Črna na Koroskem and several roads were closed. In the Ljubljana area, some 4,500 households were left without electricity.

Civil Protection teams remained on duty throughout the first two weeks of November as additional flooding was expected on Nov. 5 and 11, in cluding in the Maribor area, for which the Envi-ronmental Agency issued a warning of severe flooding due to a rapidly rising Drava River.

The agency also issued flood warn-ings for the coast where a high tide was expected. As the agency explained, the combination of a high tide and strong winds can cause flooding to spread fur-ther inland than typical.

Military, police personnellaunch Nov. food driveLJUBLJANA (STA) — In mid-Novem-ber, members of the Slovenian police and armed forces launched a charity food drive. Through the end of November, military bases and police stations across the country will be collecting food for impoverished Slovenians.

The Chief of the General Staff, Briga-dier Dobran Božič, explained during a press conference that helping those in need was “our moral obligation.” The troops, who have witnessed tough social situations abroad, are especially sensitive to the problems at home, Božič said. “For me, personally, deployment in Kosovo was an eye-opener. That’s when I real-ized that we also need to help the people

in Slovenia.” As Police Commissioner Stanislav

Veniger pointed out, “the smallest ges-tures can make the Christmas holidays a lot more beautiful for people in need.”

The campaign will receive assistance from the Never Give Up humanitarian as-sociation, and the Anina Zvezdica (Ana’s Star) charitable foundation, the latter of which initiated the project. Never Give Up director Matej Markovic said the situation in Slovenia was much graver than reported in the media, adding that he was especially happy that military and police personnel have decided to join the effort.

Traffic an environmental concern for SloveniaLJUBLJANA (STA) — Road traffic is one of the biggest environmental prob-lems in Slovenia, and traffic generates the majority of greenhouse gas emis-sions, Slovenia’s Environment Agency (ARSO) reported in early November as it presented the nation’s new environment indicators. In addition, the pollution and noise generated by traffic are the cause of numerous illnesses, the Public Health Institute (IVZ) added.

According to Environment Agency representative Nataša Kovač, greenhouse emissions created by traffic have been declining since 2008, both in Slovenia and across the EU, in the wake of the economic crisis. Furthermore, the grow-ing intensity of road traffic, a major factor in pollution, also settled after the crisis started in 2008. However, Slove-nia’s biggest investments are focused on roads, which contributed to a loss of competitiveness for the public transpor-tation system which could have helped reduce pollution, Kovač argued.

A number of goals set forth in the EU’s white paper on transportation will be hard for Slovenia to reach, Kovač said, highlighting the goal of using 10 percent of renewable fuels as energy sources by 2020. According to her, biofuels account for only two percent of all fuels used in Slovenia.

Although the pollution generated by traffic is on the decline, air quality re-mains a problem, she noted. At present, Slovenia’s biggest concerns are with nitrogen oxides and dust particles, espe-cially near the busiest roads and in cities.

Peter Otorepec, a representative from the Public Health Institute, explained that among other illnesses, long-term exposure to air pollution near busy roads increases the risk of asthma in children and the risk of cardio-vascular diseases in adults. Almost half of Ljubljana’s population lives near the busiest roads, Otorepec added.

Slovenians now feelingpinch of the recessionLJUBLJANA (STA) — The perception of the economic crisis among Slovenians is increasing to an all-time high, accord-ing to the results of a Marketing Monitor survey which shows that 80 percent of Slovenians personally feel the impact of recession on their everyday lives, an increase of three percentage points over spring figures.

According to the Slovenian Marketing Association, which commissioned the survey and presented its results in late October, the recession has been “internal-ized” and Slovenia is now looking for a new balance. “Consumers continue to rationalize their spending, and although they place greater emphasis on locally produced food, they will not stick to it at all costs,” association president Maja Makovec Brenčič explained.

The main reasons for consumers to continue purchasing Slovenian products are trust, the belief that they are of higher quality, and the support of the Slovenian economy. Around 60 percent of survey respondents said they were willing to pay more money for Slovenian products.

Brenčič added that for the first time, food and beverages topped the list of products people said they would economize, since roughly a fifth of the respondents said they were trying to save money in this area.

Among the 18 percent of Slovenians who said they felt the recession the hardest, more than 70 percent were older than 40, and half were over age 50. A

quarter of all respondents also expect their financial situation to deteriorate.

A total of 88 percent of those polled said they were consuming home-grown food, with 72 percent saying they produce some food themselves, 43 percent con-suming food produced by relatives, and 41 percent purchasing food from local producers and farms. By far, the most common food items produced at home or received from relatives or friends is fresh fruit and vegetables (94 percent).

In Slovenia, wine was abundant on St. Martin’sLJUBLJANA (STA) — On Nov. 11, festivities were held throughout Slovenia in celebration of St. Martin’s Day, the date when grape juice of ficially turns into wine. Although this year’s harvest was below average in terms of quantity, the quality of the wine will be reason enough for celebration.

Dusan Brejc, director of the Vinska druzba Slovenije wine company, said the technological expertise in the production of wine in Slovenian wineries has made immense progress in recent years, so it might be sensible to abandon the old idea of vintage years. “Greater emphasis on the technology of work in the vineyard and wine cellar in the past five years means that we always produce distinc-tive and interesting wines, except for the vintage year 2010, which was truly excep tional. “The debate over vintage years has become out of place really, considering that oscillations are fewer and affect much less what the wines in a given year will be like,” Brejc explained.

Still, oenologists assess that as a result of drought, the reds – late varieties in par-ticular – will show even more potential than the vintage year 2009.

In terms of quantity, Brejc expects this year’s yield to be between 20 to 30 percent below last year’s production, which trans-lates to nearly 16 million gallons of wine.

For winemakers, St. Martin’s Day remains the birthday of wine, even though the grape juice now turns into wine much ear lier since harvests are being held earlier each year due to climate change.

The St. Martin’s Day wine festival is celebrated throughout Slovenia, not only in the wine-growing regions. Vari-ous events feature wine tastings and the christening of young wines, as well as the preparation of a number of dishes typi-cally served for the occa sion, including roast goose or duck stuffed with chestnuts or apples and served with crackers and red cabbage as a side dish.

One of the biggest St. Martin’s Day events is held annually in Maribor, where the 29th Martinovanje, celebrated Nov. 9, attracted several thousand visitors from around the country. In Ptuj, Slovenia’s oldest city, the wine festival is associ-ated with carnival, or Kurentovanje. The inauguration of the 14th Carnival Prince, who will be in charge until Ash Wednesday, was staged Nov. 11

In the western Primorsko region, the christening of the new wine in Šempeter on Nov. 11 was accompanied with the selection of the St. Martin’s couple and a celebration that continued well into the night. Koper, on the Adriatic coast, inaugurate the new “Godmother” of Malvasia, a white wine, and “Godfather” of Refosk, a red variety.

Given the large quantities of wine of-fered throughout the weekend, medical professionals warned of the risks associ-ated with excessive alco hol consumption, while traffic police closely monitored the roads for drunk drivers.

Maribor hosts YouthChess ChampionshipMARIBOR (STA) — Young chess play-ers from 90 countries around the globe sat down to their chessboards in Maribor where the 2012 World Youth Chess Championship was held Nov. 8-18.

Some 1,600 players, including 149 Slovenians, competed for victories in 12 categories. According to organizer Georg Mohr, the sheer number of participants makes this year’s Chess Championship the second-largest chess competition in the world, if “not already the first [largest].”

The champions received their awards on Nov. 18 from the hands of Russian chess legend Gari Kasparov who is plan-ning to open a European chess academy similar to those in the United States and the South African Republic.The articles comprising this feature have been reprinted with permission from the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

The holiday season is upon us, and that usually means a lot of family time. Most would admit that their family probably wouldn’t qualify for the Norman Rockwell

award, but like it or not, they belong to you. That unique mixture of people form your history and your future, and each one adds texture to the band of individuals called your family.

Family is what links us to the past and makes us a part of that history. It’s more than just stories that a family shares around the table, it’s a piece of yourself that you never knew existed. And as you continue to share the stories with your children and grandchildren, you give them a little piece of their history that otherwise would have been lost.

Slovenians are proud of their heritage and understand the importance of passing a little bit of their history on to their families. SNPJ membership is a valuable way to pass on a piece of the past, and the Recommender Program adds even greater value to making that link. For every valid referral that is submitted, $10 is paid to the recom-mender. On top of that, the recommender’s name goes into a quarterly drawing for $100 and an annual drawing for $500. Passing on history can prove to be profitable!

Passing on history is also a way of ensuring the future. The ancestors who were the beginning of the family are carried into the future in the hearts of relatives they may never have met. The Slovene National Benefit Society’s future is ensured as well with new members who help the Society grow and stay strong for generations to come.

The holidays are the perfect time to approach your fam-ily about the possibility of becoming a part of SNPJ. Your holiday dinner and the guests sitting around the table may not look exactly like a Norman Rockwell painting, but your group will definitely be sharing lots of love and warmth. Fill out the SNPJ Recommender Program form on page 6 and send it into the Home Office today. Connect your family’s past with the future.• Thought for the Week — In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.

Alex Haley

Family time for the holiday season

SNPJ now offers Roth IRAs in addition to our regular IRAs and

annuities to help build a safe finan-cial future for you and your family. We’ve helped build secure futures

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money... and it’s up to you whether you pay now or pay later.

Uncle Sam wants your

4 PROSVETA28. Novembra 2012 www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com

SlovenskaStran

Ureja Vida Kosir

HEADLINE: One hundred eighty-eight tent skirts

TOPIC: The Boy Scouts from the Northern Primorska region organized a two-day gathering which will rewrite history. A few weeks ago on a field near Sotočje, they erected a 541-foot-long tent, the longest tent assembled in Slovenia to date, and perhaps even a world record.

Matjaž Kos, the chief of the Tolmin Rod Rebels, said that the tent, which extended from one end of the field to the other, was assembled from 188 tent skirts. The Boy Scouts counted 1,170 holes through which they had to thread twine. It took more than two hours for a group of 81 Scouts – both boys and girls – to put the tent together, and only a few minutes to tear it down.

The Scouts arranged an attractive program during the two-day event. One of their projects, a clay model of the Tolmin basin, was fashioned in numerous workshops with the help of

materials found in nature.With over 8,000 members, the Boy

Scouts organization is still the largest youth organization in Slovenia.

Dvodnevno srečanje tabornikov sever-noprimorske območne organizacije bo zapisano v zgodovino. Pred nekaj tedni so namreč na travniku pri Sotočju postavili najdaljši šotor doslej v Sloveniji, morda celo širše.

Na vprašanje enega od tabornikov, ali je 165 metrov dolg šotor morda celo svetovni rekorder, sicer ni odgovora, je pa zagotovo najdaljši postavljeni šotor doslej v Sloveniji.

Tako vsaj trdi starešina tolminskega Roda puntarjev Matjaž Kos, ki je razkril dimenzije šotora, ki se je raztezal z enega na drugi konec travnika, kjer je poleti glavno prizorišče metal koncertov: “Dolg je 165 metrov, sestavili pa smo ga iz 188 šotorskih kril, po 94 na vsaki strani.” Taborniki so prešteli 1170 lukenj, skozi katere so morali pretakniti vrvico. Skupina 81 gozdovnic in gozdovnikov v starosti

od šestega do devetega razreda osnovne šole in 31 vodnikov je nenavadno platneno zgradbo postavljalo dve uri in pol, podrli pa so ga v nekaj pičlih minutah.

Tolminski Rod puntarjev je sobotno in nedeljsko srečanje popestril z atraktivnim programom, za katerega sta poskrbeli or-ganizatorki Lara Batistuta in Katja Uršič. Gostom iz Nove Gorice, Idrije, Spodnje Idrije, Cerknega, Deskel in Ajdovščine so približali Tolminsko s poudarkom na tolminskem kmečkem puntu, kateremu je bilo srečanje posvečeno. V številnih delavnicah so s pomočjo materiala iz narave izdelali maketo tolminske kot-line, predstavila so se številna tolminska društva. Ko so s tolminsko friko pregnali lakoto, so se odpravili še na orientacijski pohod po Tolminu.

Taborniška organizacija je z 8000 člani še vedno najbolj številna mladinska organizacija v Sloveniji. Rod puntarjev, ki je lani praznoval pol stoletja delovanja, povezuje sto članov.

PRIMORSKE NOVICE

Kar 188 šotorskih kril

HEDLINE: Jan Gričar captured second place in America

TOPIC: Twenty-year-old saxophonist Jan Gričar from Trebnje recently participat-ed in the ISSAC international competition of saxophones, held in Georgia, in the age-30-and-under category, in which he was the only Euro-pean entered. Among the 40 competitors, he advanced to the semifinals with 12 other competitors, and later the finals, where six saxophon-ists competed. He finished in second place.

Gričar is a third-year stu-dent of the Music Academy and the recipient of numer-ous awards at domestic and

Jan Gričar osvojil drugo mesto v Ameriki

international competitions.Dvajsetletni saksofonist

Jan Gričar iz Trebnjega se je udeležil mednarodnega tek-movanja (saksofonov) ISSAC v zvezni državi Georgia (ZDA) v kategoriji do 30 let, kjer je tekmoval kot edini Evropejec. Od 40. tekmovalcev je bil uvrščen v polfinale, kamor se jih je prebilo 12, kasneje pa še v finale, kjer je tekmovalo šest saksofonistov. Dosegel je odlično 2. mesto.

Jan Gričar je študent tretjega letnika Akademije za glasbo. Je dobitnik več najvišjih nagrad na državnih in mednarodnih tekmovanjih, bil pa je tudi final-ist “Evrovizijski mladi glasbe-nik” leta 2008 na Dunaju.

DOLENJSKI LIST

HEADLINE: At one time a Ger-man officer’s, today Tone’s

TOPIC: One year ago Jože Pezdirc from Griblje found an old bicycle at home, made some repairs and started to use it. Then he con-vinced other people in the village to look around their homes for old bicycles. Thus originated, spontane-ously, the Griblje Tourist Associa-tion, a club of old bicycle fans which now has 24 members. The only condition for membership is that the bicycles must have a torpedo, not a gear. Every Thursday from spring to autumn, club members go on a ride through Bela Krajina and into Croatia. This year they completed 17 such rides, ranging in distance from 18 to 24 miles.

The bicycles owned by the Gri-blje cyclists are between 40 and 80 years old. Tone Pezdirc from

Griblje has the oldest bicycle, a Wittler Record made in Germany in 1932 and used by German mili-tary officers.

“I am an antiques collector, and at one time I was in Ljubljana pur-chasing old furniture when a vendor asked me if I wanted a bicycle that he didn’t need. I kept it in the base-ment for 30 years, and when the people from Griblje started to use their old bicycles, I remembered the old bike. I only had to replace the tires before I could ride it,” said a pleased Tone.

Griblje club members recently organized their first rally. Brane Tavčar had the oldest bicycle at this event, a bicycle made in 1870 in Germany or France. “It was restored, but a few parts are still original. This is the first metal bicycle; its precursor was wooden.

The Germans called this bike, which has a large wheel measuring four feet in diameter, the “bone breaker” because riders often fell from it,” said Brane, who has also fallen from his bicycle often.

Jože Pezdirc iz Gribelj je pred letom dni našel doma staro kolo, ga nekoliko popravil in se začel z njim voziti. Potem pa je prepričal še druge možakarje v vasi, da so pobrskali po svojih domačijah in privlekli na dan po nekaj desetletij stare bicikle ter se začeli prevažati z njimi. In tako je povsem spontano nastala pri Turističnem društvu Griblje sekcija ljubiteljev starodobnih koles, v kateri je danes že 24 članov.

A ne le iz Gribelj, ampak tudi iz sosednjih vasi. Dobrodošli so prav vsi, pogoj je le, da imajo kolo na torpedo, in ne na prestave. Vsak četrtek - od pomladi do jeseni - se odpravijo na

kondicijsko vožnjo po Beli krajini in sosednji Hrvaški. Letos so imeli že 17 voženj, dolgih od 30 do 40 kilometrov.

V Beli krajini so gribeljski ljubitelji starih koles edini, a tudi v južni Slo-veniji tovrstnih klubov ni v izobilju. Kolesa gribeljskih biciklistov so stara od 40 do 80 let. Najstarejšega ima Tone Pezdirc iz Gribelj. Je znamke Wittler Record, narejeno je bilo leta 1932 v Nemčiji, z njim pa so se prevažali oficirji.

“Sem zbiratelj starin, in ko sem nekoč v Ljubljani kupoval staro pohištvo, mi je prodajalec rekel, naj vzamem še kolo, ker ga ne potrebuje. 30 let sem ga imel v kleti, a ko so se začeli Gribeljci voziti s starodobnimi kolesi, sem se spomnil na staro kolo. Da je bilo vozno, sem zamenjal le gume,” je zadovoljen, a tudi nekoliko nostalgičen Tone. Pravi, da je še iz tistih časov, ko so se v službo vozili

še z bicikli. Gribeljski ljubitelji starodobnih

koles so minulo soboto pripravili prvi reli, na katerega so povabili tudi člane društva Rovtarji iz Škofje Loke, ki ohranjajo kulturno dediščino. Najstarejše kolo na reliju je imel Brane Tavčar. Narejeno je bilo leta 1870 v Nemčiji ali Franciji. “Res je nekoliko prenovljeno, nekaj delov pa je origi-nalnih. Gre za prvo metalno kolo, saj so bili predhodniki leseni. Nemci so kolesu, katerega večje kolo ima 140 cm premera, rekli lomilec kosti, ker so kolesarji z njega pogosto padli. Sicer pa so se v glavnem ob njem sprehajali v fraku in cilindru,” se nasmehne Brane, ki je z lomilca kosti tudi že večkrat padel, a se je že naučil, kako se mora na tleh ujeti. Toda kdor hoče voziti takšno kolo, mora imeti precej akrobatskih sposobnosti.

DOLENJSKI LIST

Čebelarji spodbujajo pridelavo ajdeHEADLINE: Beekeepers are stimu-

lating the buckwheat productionTOPIC: The return of buckwheat to

Slovenian fields is universally profitable, and apiarists are calling for even greater buckwheat production since buckwheat blooms during a time when there is no other natural pasture for bees. In cooperation with various organizations and institutes, the Apiary Association of Slovenia has launched an program calling for large-scale production of buckwheat.

According to Agriculture State Sec-retary Branko Ravnik, buckwheat has been planted on 3,000 acres in the last two decades. Buckwheat is profitable for the farmers, very good for the bees and healthy for people.

Vračanje ajde na slovenska polja je vsestransko koristno, še največ zavzetosti

za njeno večjo pridelavo pa izkazujejo čebelarji. Ajda namreč cveti v času, ko v naravi za čebele ni druge paše.

Čebelarska zveza Slovenije (ČZS) je zato v sodelovanju z različnimi or-ganizacijami in institucijami sprožila akcijo za večjo pridelavo ajde. S projek-tom Promocija sejanja medovite ajde in uživanje izdelkov iz ajde želijo za začetek s pomočjo informativnih zgibank ozaveščati potrošnike o pomenu uživanja slovenskih izdelkov iz ajde in spodbuditi pridelovalce k njenemu sajenju. Namen projekta je vzpostavitev kratke verige od pridelovalca do odkupovalca, cilj pa je povečana poraba lokalno pridelanih izdelkov iz ajde, pri čemer bi imele korist tudi čebele, saj je ajda pomembna paša za čebele, ker cveti v obdobju, ko v naravi za čebele ni obilne hrane.

Po besedah državnega sekretarja za

kmetijstvo Branka Ravnika smo v Slo-veniji v preteklih dveh desetletjih ajdo pridelovali na 400 do 1200 hektarih površin, večinoma kot naknadni posevek. Spodbudno je, meni, da se v zadnjih treh letih obseg površin, zasejanih s to poljščino, ohranja na najvičji ravni, njeno pridelavo spodbujajo tudi v okviru spre-jetih ukrepov kmetijske politike.

Ajda je koristna za kmeta, zelo dobra za čebele in zdrava za ljudi, poudarjajo zagovorniki njenega vračanja na sloven-ska polja.

Nekaj posebnega je zato, ker zraste brez uporabe fitofarmacevtskih sredstev, tudi gnojiti je ni treba. Na nek način razstru-plja zemljo, korenine spraščajo snovi, ki uničujejo plevel. Tudi ekonomika govori v njen prid. Je dobičkonosna, ker je trikrat dražja od pšenice.

DELO

V jabolkih je vse, kar potrebuje naše teloHEADLINE: Everything

that our body needs is in apples

TOPIC: There aren’t many fruits that grow in so many different varieties, and even their taste, despite originating from one main variety, is so very different.

Apples are suitable for all kind of dishes (perhaps not so much for a beef soup), and different apple varieties are better suited for different dishes. Apple trees bloom in the spring, apples are picked in the fall, and we use apples all winter long, both peeled and unpeeled.

Their healing power has been known for centuries. These days the apple is the trademark of many doctors, in Greek mythology the gods had gardens with apple trees,

and a golden apple is the mark of prosperity. At one time there was no doctor who would not recommend an apple every morning and evening for any kind of illness, and records of the apple’s healing powers are numerous and long.

An apple contains every-thing that our body needs, from vitamins and minerals to sugar and, of course, the pectin which is a greatly ap-preciated substance today.

Malo je sadežev, ki rastejo v toliko sortah in različicah, pa še njihovi okusi, čeprav iz ene glavne zvrsti, so tako različni. Jabolka so primerna za vse jedi (mogoče malo manj za govejo juho) in, kar je najbolje, za vsako jed je na voljo posebna sorta. Jablana cveti maja, sadeže obiramo jeseni, upora-

bljamo jih vso zimo, olupljena ali neolupljena.

Njihova zdravilna moč je znana že stoletja, prav tako njihova zapeljiva vloga. Eva je premamila Adama z jabolkom, danes je jabolko zaščitni znak zdravnikov, v grški mitologiji so imeli bogovi vrtove z jablanami, zlato jabolko je znak blaginje. Nekoč ni bilo zdravnika, ki ne bi priporočal jabolka zjutraj in zvečer pri vsaki bolezni, zapisi o njegovi zdravilnosti in uporabnosti so pogosti in dolgi.

V jabolkih je vse, kar naše telo potrebuje, od vitaminov do mineralov, sladkorjev in seveda pektina, ki je danes zelo cenjena snov. Jabolčni pektini so zelo zanimive snovi, na sluznici naredijo zaščitno prevleko in tako blažijo vnetje, pospešujejo strjevanje krvi.

Naribana jabolka ustavljajo drisko, najbolj priporočljivo je, da takrat dan ali dva uživamo samo naribana jabolka. Nezrela se izkažejo še bolj kot zrela.

Čaj iz jabolčnih lupin blaži revmatične bolečine, sicer pa je zdravilna moč tega okrog-lega sadeža najbolj cenjena na Angleškem, kjer jo priporočajo pri skoraj vsaki težavi od pokvarjenega želodca do vsakršnega slabega počutja. Najbolj cenijo dve leti star jabolčnik, hranjen na temnem in hladnem, ki ga kot zdravi-lo omenja že grški antični zdravnik Galen.

Jabolko zbija tudi vročino. Skuhamo ga ali spečemo, namažemom z maslom in jemo večkrat na dan. Pa še nismo pri koncu: priporočajo ga tudi pri putiki, prehladu...

DELO

HEADLINE: Japan’s acknowledgement to Slovenj Gradec

TOPIC: For the 20th an-niversary of re-establishing diplomatic relations between Japan and Slovenia, Japa-nese Ambassador to Slovenia Toshimitsu Ishigure received diplomats, government rep-resentatives and others who contributed to strengthening the diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between the two countries. For the occa-sion, the ambassador granted three distinct acknowledge-ments: to the Slovenj Gra-dec city municipality, to the Slovenj Gradec High School, and to the Department for Asian Studies at the Philoso-phy Faculty in Ljubljana.

To date, Slovenj Gradec is the only Slovenian city to form a partnership with any Japanese city, and since 2000 it has been formally connected with Myoko. Part of the partnership includes a high school exchange student program between Slovenj

Priznanje Japonske Slovenj Gradcu

Gradec and Myoko.Ob 20. letnici vzpostavitve

diplomatskih odnosov med Japonsko in Slovenijo je japon-ski veleposlanik v Sloveniji Toshimitsu Ishigure sprejel diplomate in predstavnike vlade, gospodarstva in druge, ki so prispevali k vzpostavit-vi in krepitvi diplomatskih, kulturnih in gospodarskih stikov med državama. Ob tej priložnosti je veleposlanik podelil tri posebna priznanja Mestni občini Slovenj Gradec, Gimnaziji Slovenj Gradec ter oddelku za azijske študije Filo-zofske fakultete v Ljubljani. Slovenj Gradec je do zdaj edino slovensko mesto, ki je sklenilo partnerstvo s kakšnim od japonskih mest in je na ta način že od leta 2000 tudi for-malno povezano z japonskim Myokom.

Del sodelovanja so tudi letne izmenjave dijakov gim-nazij iz Slovenj Gradca in Myoka, zaradi česar je vele-poslanik podelil priznanja tudi slovenjgraški gimnaziji.

DELO

Zdravilna črna čokoladaSte nori na čokolado? Odlično. Uživanje sto gramov temne čokolade vsak dan dva tedna zniža sistolični in diastolični krvni pritisk. To je v nasprotju z belo, mlečno čokolado, pri kateri raziskovalci niso našli posebnih zdravilnih učinkov. Temna čokolada vsebuje flavanole, ki znižujejo tudi raven slabega holestorola.

Neuspeh? Smejte seSte naredili trapasto napako, za katero bi se najraje živega požrli? Pozabite na izbruhe jeze, neskončno samoobtoževanje in iskanje krivca v drugi osebi. Raje preprosto sprejmite, kar se je zgodilo. Poglejte na zadevo z humorne plati in se iz srca nasmejte. Psihologi trdijo, da je ta metoda soočanja z manjšimi nauspehi najbolj učinkovita.

V dveh dneh več kot 5000 prekrškovHEADLINE: More than

5,000 offences in two daysTOPIC: In its first two

days of operation, the new radar system in Maribor registered more than 5,000 offences. The radar system was introduced in conjunc-tion with a project aimed at improving automated control of the street traffic in Maribor. For this reason the municipality signed a public-private partnership

agreement with the Iskra Sistemi Company, which will modernize the entire traffic light system in Maribor and install radar at crossroads to measure vehicle speed. The company will also install de-vices that will record vehicles driving through red lights.

Nov radarski sistem, ki na območju Maribora deluje le nekaj dni, je v prvih dveh dneh zabeležil več kot 5000 prekrškov, so sporočili z

mariborske občine. Omenjeni radarji so začeli delovati v ok-viru projekta nadgradnje in av-tomatizacije cestnega prometa v Mariboru. Za to je občina letos sklenila pogodbo o javno-zasebnem partnerstvu z družbo Iskra sistemi, ki bo posodobila celoten semaforski sistem v Mariboru ter vzpostavila nov center za vodenje prometa in ob tem v križišča namestila radarje za merjenje hitrosti vozil ter tudi naprave za ugo-

tavljanje vožnje skozi rdečo luč. Medtem, ko zadnje še ne delujejo, so radarje za zdaj, od načrtovanih 23, namestili v 14 križiščih.

S prihodki od prekrškov bo občina podjetju Iskra Sistemi odplačevala naložbo, ocenjeno na skoraj 30 milijonov evrov. Po neuradnih informacijah je Iskra do zdaj v celoti prenovila semaforje v treh križiščih v središču mesta.

DELO

Nekoč nemški oficirji, danes Tone

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PROSVETA CrosswordWorld Cities (#2412) by StatePoint Media

ACROSS1. Collect6. R&R hot spot9. Summit location13. Like Babe Ruth the pitcher, e.g.14. Broadcasting medium15. Gauntlet16. Pirate Black_____17. Start of a golf hole18. Senior19. Medium’s seance state21. *“Sex and the City” locale23. ___ capita24. Gun shot sound25. Flat-muzzled little dog28. Belonging to you30. Uncivilized person35. Affirm solemnly37. Show of appreciation39. Trickeries40. “____ of thumb”41. Iron+nickel43. They’re on Freddy’s street44. Relating to ilium46. Sign of a saint47. *It wasn’t built in a day48. Holy Hindu50. Taunt52. Summer color53. ____ code55. Not safe in baseball

57. *aka Peking61. Miranda rights occasion64. *One of the twin founders of 47 across65. First name of former child-actor turned director67. Small body of land69. Very angry70. The Doors’ hit “The ___”71. “London Calling” band, The _____72. They’re meant to get you in shape73. Like Buzz in “Toy Story 3”74. Hole for an anchor rope

DOWN1. Priestly vestment2. “____ Me in St. Louis”3. At a great distance4. Bra holder?5. *Famous for its Opera House6. Fill to satisfaction7. Type of chart8. Madison Square Garden, e.g.9. USSR to USA during WWII10. Type of list11. Completed12. Company car, e.g.15. Cheap showy jewelry20. Crocus, pl.

22. Half the width of an em, pl.24. Virtuosity25. *Split by the Seine26. Palate lobe27. Extremely cold29. Bone in human forearm31. Contender32. Administer33. Fashion designer Kahng34. *Ruhr’s industrial center36. Interpret writing38. “For” in Spanish42. Sweeney Todd’s tool45. Daybed49. Coffee pot51. *A financial hub of Europe54. White heron56. _____ Motors, maker of stylish electric cars57. Where pirates were thrown58. Spooky59. Prayer leader in mosque60. Sticks out61. Artist Warhol, e.g.62. Shredded cabbage63. “____ of the d’Urbervilles”66. Lennon’s wife68. Definite article

The solution to puzzle #2412 will run in the Dec. 12 issue.

Hodgepodge from the

Reveliers Lodgeby CHRIS PETUKAUSKAS

Lodge 33 Secretary

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — Here’s to the end of daylight saving time and to the fast-approaching holiday season... my, how time does fly!

Well, a world of thanks and kudos to our Lodge officers, workers, musicians and most especially, our attendees at the Lodge 33 Fall Fest and Pig Roast. Thank you to everyone who added to the splendor of our day – you are appreciated! It was a wonderful day to meet friends, new and old; feast on some delicious food; and just have some fun among those who participated. We hope that each year it gets bigger and better.

Our gratitude is extended to our friend Nancy Koutoulakis of Lodge 721 who couldn’t attend, but sent our Lodge a do-

nation. Your kindness is so appreciated, and we hope to have you and Lou with us next year to enjoy this event. Last, but not least, we are thankful for our master chef, Michael “Hooter” Duzicky, husband of Lodge 33 Vice President Janet Duzicky. He sure knows how to make everyone enjoy the taste of succulent pig. Thanks for your hard work and time; it was worth every bite!

A warm welcome to our newest mem-ber, Irene Knight of Conway, Pa. We all look forward to meeting you and hope to see you at one of our upcoming meetings. We’re glad to have you on board!

Congratulations to one of our youth members who has received the Holy Name Society Youth of the Year Award. We are proud of Jerome Petukauskas, son of Mike and Chris, who achieved this honor by his involvement in his church, service hours and overall school performance. Jerome is a sophomore at Quigley Catholic High School, participating in sports and the musi-cal. Best wishes to Jerome and his success!

The holidays are just around the cor-ner, so we invite all of our members and friends to attend the Lodge 33 Christmas party. We will combine with our neighbors from Lodge 721 to celebrate the spirit

of the holidays. The party will be held Sunday, Dec. 2, at the Crescent Township Municipal Building, with the doors open-ing at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be served at 1:30, and the cost is $5 per person; free for children age 12 and under. Please call President Dave Pendel at (412) 264-6559 to RSVP from Lodge 33.

Mark your calendars for this upcoming holiday tradition, and we’ll look forward to you sharing the afternoon with us! We are asking for non-perishable food items as a donation with this very reasonable luncheon price.

As the holiday season draws near, we want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support through the year and wish all of our friends and SNPJ family a blessed Christmas. The best gifts we can give to one another are joy and laughter. They last in our hearts the longest and never get old!

Happy 2013 with wishes of good health, good times and good friends, always. We look forward to seeing you at an SNPJ event throughout the winter. Stay warm and be safe!

Look for the next meeting announce-ment in an upcoming ProSvETA issue. Zdravica za vas!

Official ProceedingsMinutes of the Executive Committee MeetingAug. 22, 2012

The meeting was called to order at 2 p.m. by President Evanish with Sis. Pintar and Bro. Lawrence in attendance.The minutes from the June 12, 2012, meeting were read and approved.Approved to send President Evanish to the Conemaugh Valley Federation dinner honoring their 50-, 60-, 70-, and 80-year members to be held Oct. 7, 2012.Approved to purchase a table for the dinner being held to raise money for the Slovene Home for the Aged in Cleveland.Approved the 2013 Fraternal Schedule of Events.Discussed the SNPJ Recreation Center and the possible work that will need done on the water tower renovation.Discussed Fraternal Weekend that was held at the SNPJ Rec-reation Center Aug. 17-18, 2012. The turnout was great, and the Recreation Center benefits in many ways from this event.Discussed the upcoming National Days celebration including the free dance being held Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012, at the family picnic area.Reported that we approved to send Miss SNPJ 2013 Kristen Cush-man to the Aug. 19 dinner dance at the Slovenian Cultural Center in Lemont, Ill., at the request of the Chicago District Federation.Approved a cultural donation to Chicago District Federation for a Memorial Day booklet in the amount of $100.Approved registration payment in the amount of $250 to the Michi-gan Fraternal Alliance for delegates Ken and Dorothy Anderson.

Cash Withdrawals:June 13 - There were seven Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $6,397.07; insurance, $49,250.June 19 - There was one Outlived Policy and two Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $4,754.89; insurance, $20,266.June 27 - There were four Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $4,950.13; insurance, $10,600.July 2 - There were two Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $1,353.13; insurance, $2,529.July 11 - There were two Outlived Policies and five Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $6,108.42; insurance, $11,668.July 18 - There was one Matured Endowment and two Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $2,982.08; insurance, $3,709.July 25 - There were two Outlived Policies and 10 Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $10,162.07; insurance, $37,517.Aug. 2 - There were 19 Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $16,233.72; insurance, $57,245.Aug. 8 - There was one Matured Endowment and nine Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $13,846.53; insurance, $34,866.Aug. 9 - There was one Youth Cash Withdrawal, which was not a conversion. Cash value, $0; insurance, $10,000.Aug. 15 - There was one Youth Cash Withdrawal, one Matured Endowment, three Outlived Policies and five Adult Cash With-drawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $6,650.65; insurance, $22,292.Aug. 22 - There were three Outlived Policies and six Adult Cash Withdrawals, none of which were conversions. Cash value, $13,138.46; insurance, $72,334.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

JOSEPH C. EVANISHNational President

KAREN A. PINTARNational Secretary

UTOPIANS HOLIDAYFROM PAGE 1

commended for keeping up with the lines of hungry people. As everyone left, many compliments were heard as to how great those pancakes were – as good as or better than mom’s! Utopian members in attendance were John and Rose Bregar, Linda Wilson, Gene and Deb Flanagan, Stefi Somrack, Cindy

and Sara Kolacz, Donna and Kalli We-ber, and Kathleen and Gerri Trebets.

On a sad note, I wish to extend heartfelt sympathies on behalf of the officers and members of the Utopians to the family and friends of Ginny Lipovec, wife of the late Ed Lipovec. Ginny was a very active member; she attended and worked at many of our functions throughout the years. May

she rest in peace.I’m sending sunshine and flowers

to all of our ill members. May good health return to you quickly. Special wishes go out to Charlotte Perdan, who had knee replacement surgery Oct. 15. I understand from daughter Pam Dirk that Charlotte is coming along well.

May the holiday season bring good health and much happiness to mem-

bers of all SNPJ Lodges and organiza-tions, and to our National Board and staff at the SNPJ Home Office. Let’s hope 2013 will be a good year for all. Hopefully you will try to attend the many functions held throughout the year wherever you live. Only your support can keep our ethnic heritage alive and well! We are always looking for workers at the Farm, whether it’s

cleaning up the grounds or working in the kitchen and bar area during the picnic season. If you have any spare time, why not consider lending a hand. Thanks to all for a great season, and I look forward to seeing you next year.

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain,” and when you stumble, make it part of the dance!

A holiday party just around the corner for Utopians Lodge 604 members

by DELORES SPELICHLodge 2 Secretary

LA SALLE, Ill. — Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, but oh, the endless yardwork! We finally cleaned out the garden and the leaves are all gone. We didn’t have many tomatoes this year due to the drought, so this is the first year we didn’t can. Of course, I didn’t miss all that work!

While taking our daily walk through Starved Rock State Park, we noticed a tall, thick tree uprooted from the morning’s 50 mph winds. As we walked toward a picnic bench to rest, a thunderous sharp “crack!” startled us. We looked up in time to see a huge branch break away from the tree, fall and splinter about 35 feet across the woods from us. Needless to say, we hurried to the car as so many tree branches were hovering over the long driveway. What’s the old adage? “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Not long ago, Mike Mirtich of Weedville, Pa., phoned while visiting his father Stan at a local nursing home here in Illinois. Stan, a longtime SNPJ member as were all of the Mirtichs, passed away Nov. 12 on his 85th birthday. Stan and his wife Barb were

our wedding attendants May 17, 1950. Mike and his wife Vanessa join us each year at Slovenefest at the SNPJ Recreation Center. Mike has had a few health issues,so we wish him a speedy recovery.

We have attended several wakes and funerals lately for fellow SNPJ members. Stan Erjavsek of Oglesby, Ill., passed away in September. Our sympathies are extended to his wife Barb, their children and extended family. My par-ents and Stan’s parents were friends and attended many functions together at the Dom in La Salle.

Barbara Klaesing of Springfield, Ill., passed away this summer. My parents knew the Klaesing fam-ily from attending picnics in Auburn, Ill. Jeanne Zoran of DePue, Ill., passed away earlier this month. The for-mer SNPJ Lodge in DePue merged with La Salle Lodge 2, but I remember having a lot of fun at that Lodge as a child. DePue was home to many Slovenian immigrants. We are slowly losing them. Condolences to the Klaesing and Zoran families.

Mary Aidich of Sherman, Ill., had the honor of outliv-ing her insurance policy at 99 years young. Way to go,

Mary! Congratulations also to 60-year member Juanita Koch and 70-year member Matilda Wallace.

Happy birthday wishes are sent to Mike Mirtich, Rudy Kovacevic, Theresa Mikus, Steve Nemeth, Rose Prey, Mary Rudzinski, Stan Novak, Elsie Stone and Norm Videgar.

Belated 50th anniversary wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Dean Strell of Spring Valley, Ill. May you enjoy many more happy years together. I hope to see you both at our holiday luncheon; bring Frank Strell along!

Speaking of, the Lodge 2 Christmas luncheon will be Monday, Dec. 10, at 4 Star Restaurant on Hwy 80 in Peru, Ill. The party starts at 11:30 a.m. and guests are welcome. We have some very nice gifts to give away, thanks to the SNPJ Home Office. Join us and get into the holiday spirit with good friends and good food.

Dues of $2.40 may be paid at the luncheon. For reserva-tions, please call Eleanore Kuhar at (815) 883-8983. Also, if you know any ill members or members in a nursing home, please call me at (815) 223-8650.

Happy holiday wishes to everyone in SNPJland!

Share the holiday spirit with Lodge 2

HOLLY JOLLY PARTYFROM PAGE 1

dancing shoes because there will be dancing games for chil-dren and adults alike. Guests will be able to make a ginger-bread house, and there will be a contest as one of the many events planned for the day.

We have a lot in store for that day so plan on attending! Don’t forget to RSVP by Dec. 10 to snpjcircle36@yahoo.com, or call or text (412) 773-2378. Please include the number of children and adults that will be attending.

Happy holidays!

A Holly Jolly Party for Circle 36

6 PROSVETANovember 28, 2012 www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com

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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!

Recommender Benefits

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.

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by LEE JACKOPINLodge 355 Secretary

FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio — The Lodge 355 appreciation picnic was held Oct. 7. It was an open house event from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Fairport Slovenian Club. We planned to use the outdoor picnic tables under the patio roof, but the weather was rainy and cold so it became an indoor picnic in the warm, dry clubroom where we watched the Cleveland Browns game.

The purpose of this picnic was for Fairport Lodge 355 to express appreciation to its members for their support. Our members sup-port the Lodge by attending meet-ings, serving as Lodge officers, working at Lodge activities (like spring cleaning the Fairport Slo-venian Club or hosting our picnic at the SNPJ Farm) and attending fun events like Slovenian Heritage Day at the Captains baseball game.

Lodge 355 also wanted to thank the friends of Lodge 355 who have helped our members do these specific activities.

The picnic included kranjska klobase (Slovenian smoked sau-sage), hot dogs, macaroni salad, potato salad, coleslaw and potato chips, as well as coffee, soda and other beverages. For dessert there were cupcakes and ice cream. Lodge 355 provided the food and beverages, and our members and friends provided the camaraderie and fellowship. The family names in attendance were Clingerman, Hayden, Hervatin, Jackopin, Keever, Kovach, Kovaly, Lunka, Melin, Modic, Popely, Satej and Schumer.

The Cleveland Browns played a decent game against the New York Giants, their old rivals from the NFL Eastern Conference. The Browns made some good plays – they gained 375 yards and scored

27 points – but all the statistics were in the Giants favor, including their 42 points.

The bottom line was that Lodge 355 had a wonderful afternoon of appreciation and fellowship with the two dozen members and friends who were able to attend. It was a chance to get together with some folks we haven’t seen for a while to talk and fraternalize. Fairport Lodge 355 appreciates its Brothers and Sisters who par-ticipated in our many fraternal activities this year.

Lodge 355 encourages all members to take the first step to becoming involved in future SNPJ events, meetings or activities. An upcoming Lodge 355 event is our annual meeting and Christmas party to close out the year... then it’s on to next year!

For information, call Lee Jackopin at (440) 943-3170. I hope to see you soon. Na svidenje!

Fairport Harbor, Ohio, Lodge 355 members and friends enjoyed an afternoon of fraternalism, camaraderie,good food andfootball during the Oct. 7 appreciation picnic held at the Fairport Slovenian Home.

Picnic thanks members of Fairport Lodge 355 for dedication

50-Year MembersNovember 2012 Lodge Member 5 John K. Wohlgemuth 5 Andrea F. LoPresti 6 Alvin Chervon 6 Don B. DeVore 8 Kenneth A. Klancnik 8 Ellen J. Frantzen 8 Patricia R. Lustig 31 Ronald J. Hanak 34 Donald M. Hopwood 53 Patricia Delventhal 87 Marianne Bencloski 106 Wilma E. Walkowski 126 Larry Bacnik 138 Janice K. Nosky 138 Joseph F. Progar

Lodge Member 190 Marian Burmeff 198 Lyle T. Huiras 225 Jerry L. Tersinar 254 Charlotte M. Torok 371 Richard G. Reedy 564 Darlene M. Wojton 564 Mary M. Kiefer 577 Antonette Lane 614 Mary J. Bradac 614 Ronald R. Simcic 723 Joyce M. Parkel 723 Francine Phaller 729 Florence Chesnick 782 Geraldine L. Fedisin 782 Ralph J. Bozich

60-Year MembersNovember 2012 Lodge Member 2 Betty Z. Ramsden 138 Matt Skittle 218 Beverly J. Bertron 225 John Sarley 245 John E. Chopp 254 Gerald L. Korber 304 Joann M. Curtis

Lodge Member 449 Michael Guriel 566 Stephanie J. Lesiak 713 Anna M. Vayansky 749 Donald Verhovsek 764 Grace Christensen 776 Frank F. Glavan

Lodge Member 1 Emma C. Cleveland 5 Robert Adamich 6 Donald J. Manzini 33 Jean Grandovic 34 Valeria R. Ferency 41 Josephine Grad 87 Carl Klun 106 Frances Daniels 138 Dorothy Gorup 218 Edward M. Tomsic

70-Year MembersNovember 2012

Lodge Member 223 Joseph A. Sever 225 Rose Lacy 254 John Krabal 321 Pete Sandor 449 Mary Laskowski 576 John S. Zelko 713 Frank J. Gruden 715 Rose M. Fazi 764 Josephine B. Ninaus

Lodge Member 723 John Taucher

80-Year MembersNovember 2012

ANNOUNCE IT

Bandleader inducted into Hall of Fame

BOROUGH OF SNPJ, Pa. — Boardman, Ohio, resident and SNPJ Lodge 770 member Bro. Eddie Vallus was inducted into the Cleve-land-Style Polka Hall of Fame at their annual Awards Show Nov. 24 at Euclid High School, Euclid Ohio.

Eddie is in his 63rd year of performing polka music, and has been the leader of the Eddie Vallus Band II for the past 20 years. At the recent Awards Show, Bro. Vallus received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hall of Fame’s highest award. With this award, Bro. Vallus has joined the likes of Hall of Famers Frankie Yankovic, Johnny Pecan and Johnny Vadnal, to name just a few

The Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame is celebrating its 25th year in 2012. The Hall of Fame consists of 1,100 members throughout the country who nominate and vote by secret ballot every September.

Lodge 770 member Bro. EDDIE VALLUS received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame Nov. 24.

Badger Jabberby BOB SMOLE

Lodge 584

MILWAUKEE — Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to the woods we go! Wisconsin’s deer gun season got underway Nov. 17, and we hunters are all fired up. I was one of the 650,000 hunters that took to the north woods to look for that trophy buck all of our wives hoped we wouldn’t bring home. It was no problem at my house; I haven’t seen a deer run through the casino in the past four years, and I didn’t expect one this year either.

At the regular Badger Lodge 584 meet-ing held Nov. 8, a lot of business transpired. After the officers’ reports and previous meeting minutes were approved, a motion was made, seconded and passed to donate $100 to the Red Cross for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. We also agreed to hold our annual Lodge Christmas party dur-ing our Dec. 13 meeting. A potluck meal coordinated by Sis. Fan Smole is on the agenda, and a gift exchange will also be part of the event. Anyone bringing a gift will be eligible to receive a gift.

We learned that Sis. Bernice Poklar is now residing at Harmony-Brenwood Park, Room 209, 9535 W. Loomis Road, Franklin, WI 53132. If you wish to call her, she can be reached at (414) 423-0348.

There were no birthdays to celebrate this month. Attendance awards went to Bro. Tim and Sis. Mary Donovan (hmmm...). The meeting was adjourned and the social began.

The Badger Lodge 584 children’s Christmas party will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, at St. Peter’s Church Hall, 7921 W. Lincoln Ave., starting at 1 p.m. Sis. Mary Donovan has sent out information regard-ing this event. If you have not received yours, please contact Sis. Donovan at (414) 817-0192 immediately, if not sooner. If you have a talent that you would like to share with the group as part of a program, let Sis. Donovan know and she will be more than happy to include you. This would be a great time for SNPJ Scholarship recipients to fulfill their obligation to assist, attend and participate in an SNPJ Lodge activity. There is always a need for helpers.

The USPEH Chorus is hosting a Christ-mas sing-along instead of a Christmas

concert this year. Wednesday, Dec. 5, is the date and Todd American Legion Post, 9159 W. Beloit Road, is the location. The sing-along will start at 7 p.m.

Join in and get into the Christmas spirit by singing favorite Slovenian and English carols accompanied by the USPEH Cho-rus. Holiday refreshments will be served and a cash bar will operate. There is no charge for this event (except the cash bar). Need more information? Contact Jeff Martinka at (414) 477-1156.

The annual Tony Verbick Fraternal Memorial Bowling Tournament is coming up on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. This is an event we wait for each year. You must be a member of SNPJ, CFU, Sloga or KSKJ to participate. Mix and match men, women and organizations to form your team.

The tournament will be held at Riv-iera Lanes with a starting time of noon. The entry fee for this event is still to be determined. There will be a cash bar, and Slovenian sausages will be available for purchase. Proceeds from this event will be split between the four organizations and their scholarship funds. The organizers are still looking for door prizes and would accept anything you care to donate. You can contact Sis. Mary Donovan at (414) 817-0192 for more information regarding this event and entry availability.

The bowling season in Milwaukee has some news to circulate. Bro. Gordy Gundersen (584) continues to have a good year on the allies, scoring his fifth career perfect 300 game at Beloit Lanes with a 705 series (181-300-224). Congratulations, Gordy! Let me know of any more. If you have some good scores you’re proud of and would like to have posted in “Badger Jabber,” give me a call or e-mail rsmole@wi.rr.com with “SNPJ tidbits” in the subject line.

The Junior Hall of Fame Tourna-ment, rolled at AMF Bowlero Lanes in Milwaukee, is a tournament where two youth bowlers – each with an average of at least 100 – are paired with a celebrity pro bowler. Participating in this year’s sixth annual Junior Hall of Fame Tournament was Badger Lodge youth member Tyler Mouthey, 11. His teammates, Vickie Piehl and celebrity pro bowler Jaime Cullin, made it to the second round of bowling. The tournament provided scholarship prizes to the top 48 teams, and since Tyler’s team placed 26th out of 96 teams, he received

$50 in college scholarship money. This was his first of hopefully many more bowling scholarships to come.

Tyler entered the tournament with a 121 average and finished with a 138 average. His father had better watch out! Tyler is the son of Bro. Jeff and Sis. Sue Mouthey (584), and the grandson of Bro. John and Sis. Bernice Poklar (584). We’re proud of you, Tyler. Keep up the great bowling!

Thursday, Dec. 13, will be the last Badger Lodge meeting of 2012. Mary Queen of Heaven gym, 2360 S. 106th St. in West Allis, is the place. Our election of officers to lead our Lodge through the coming year will be one of the main orders of business conducted. If you are interested in being one of these officers and meet the qualifications, please attend this meeting.

The Badger Lodge will host its annual Christmas party before this meeting with a potluck dinner served at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting will start at 7:30. Please contact Sis. Fan Smole at (414) 258-5572 as she will be handling the food coordination – we like chocolate cake, but we don’t want everyone to bring chocolate cake!

There is always plenty of food remain-ing to continue the party after the meeting and during the gift exchange. Anyone wishing to participate in the gift exchange must bring a gift not exceeding $10. Gifts should also be marked if they are gender specific. The Lodge will be purchasing some hams and summer sausages to give as gifts as well. Come get into the spirit; you’ll enjoy yourself.

Badger Lodge 584 member TYLER MOUTHEY teamed up with bowling pro Jaime Cullin and youth bowler Vickie Piehl for the sixth annual Junior Hall of Fame Tournament held Nov. 11.

PROSVETANovember 28, 2012www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com 7

The cookbook sponsored by the SNPJ Heritage Center is now on sale! For additional information, contact the SNPJ Recreation Center toll-free at 1-877-767-5732.

$20 eachplus $3 s/h for first 2 copies

For 3 or more books,add $1 shipping for each copy.

Name _________________________________________

Address _______________________________________

City/State/Zip ___________________________________

Phone __________________ Number of copies _______

Return this order form to:SNPJ Heritage Center • 270 Martin Road • Enon Valley, PA 16120

Cookbook forthe Ages

Make check or money order payable to SNPJ Heritage Center.

VINSKA TRGATEVFROM PAGE 1

the watchman. But justice prevailed.

The celebration continued with greetings and a toast by the župan and županja, then a dance by the honored couple. Everyone joined in for danc-ing to the great music of Fred Mlakar and his Oberkrainer Orchestra. Thank you to the policemen/sheriffs who did a great job keeping track of those stealing the good-ies, although I’m sure there were some who got away with paying a penalty. Don Milek and Paul Jensen did an admirable job!

All in all it was a great day and we were able to raise several hundred dollars for the SNPJ Scholarship Fund. The harvest baskets donated by Lodges 304, 723 and 786 were beautiful, and we thank these Lodges for their contributions. I’m sure the winners were happy. The centerpiece of the arbor, the coveted Krona, was stolen by Ken and Teresa Koci (786). The theft landed them in jail and cost them a hefty fine, but it was all in fun and for a good cause.

We enjoyed having Miss SNPJ 2013 Kristen Cushman (138) and SNPJ National Secretary Karen Pintar with us for the weekend. Thanks to John Eric Wood (723), who was their driver on Saturday and brought them to Orange County for a little gather-ing at the home of Ken and Teresa Koci. Members of the Mlakar, Koci and Wood families represented Lodges 723, 745 and 786. Kristen and Karen were even able to put their feet in the Pacific Ocean in Laguna Beach and walk through the sand on a glorious sunny day. It was a really nice time.

I must also say thank you to Mark Ryavec (786) for donating two boxes of records, cassette tapes, CDs and books. Folks were en-couraged to browse and take anything they liked, and make a donation to the Scholarship Fund for whatever they chose. We were able to raise about $150 and we still have more items available. Hvala lepa!

We’re looking forward to more of these celebrations as time goes by. Thanks to all who helped in any way. Na svidenje!

vinska Trgatev steals the show on the West Coast

Caught in the act, NATALIE MLAKAR (786) and Dennis Imhof were forced to spend some time in jail.

News from Here & There

by GRACE DOERKLodge 559

CHICAGO — The sudden change in temperature has made many people ill. I spent a few days in bed this week since that seems about the only way that I can get well. It gave me a lot of time to think.

The election is over, and I’m hoping that everyone is happy with their decision. I was appalled to see that two Illinois congressmen found guilty of fraud and corruption were re-elected by a 68 percent vote. Where’s the justice in that? We also had an amendment that passed that will really affect the pensions of those who are employed by the state.

Well, let’s get on the way to making America a wonderful place to live. We have to get the economy going and the debt lowered. With the President facing a majority of his opposition in the House, he may run into some battles.

Working at the polls on Nov. 6 was quite a challenge. There was never a dull moment or time to rest. We had 70 percent turnout in our precinct. The outcome in my precinct was quite different from the northern part of Illinois

Belonging to an association in one’s development can be pretty costly, and that’s exactly what our association dues have been. Some of the resident recently took action to stop the spending. Does that sound familiar?

The Dec. 4 Christmas meeting for SNPJ Home Office retirees has been cancelled. We are sorry to report that Marion Kieras (1) fell and broke her shoulder. She was at Plymouth Place for Senior Living, but is coming home. We wish you all the best, Marion, and no more falls.

The Slovene Catholic Center in Lem-ont, Ill., celebrated their 17th anniversary with a dinner and program. The Slovene Cultural Center grows stronger all the time since they involve the third and fourth generations. Getting the younger genera-tions involved helps keep the Slovenian culture alive. The theme of their program is

working together, and that’s exactly what the members do. There is no doubt that there is togetherness in this organization as it continues to grow in membership and activity. In spite of obstacles, they all remain friends. I highly support this theory.

I was so happy to see Dorothy Ralston (584) in attendance. Dorothy has had many health problems recently, and it was good to see her out among her friends. Thanks to her daughter for encouraging her to attend.

Pioneer Lodge 559 held their monthly meeting Nov. 9. It seems like attendance is falling due to illness and old age. Besides the reading of minutes and the financial report, we were read a letter from SNPJ National Secretary Karen Pintar. There will be a change in the Ohio and California insurance policies, and a separate letter will be sent to Lodges in those states. Sis. Pintar extended best wishes to all members for the upcoming holidays, and wrote that she would be sending out activity reports.

Secretary Vitous sent letters to all Lodge 559 youth members inviting them to attend the SNPJ Christmas party at the Slovene Catholic Center in Lemont. Our Lodge currently has 559 adult members, 33 youth members and a total of 690 certificates.

Since Lodge 559 cancelled their Oct. 24 and Nov. 15 activities, members brought toys and sweaters that were delivered to Woodlawn Cemetery for their Toys for Tots drive, as well as sweaters for the Vet-erans drive. Otto Doerk reported that the annual youth Christmas party sponsored by the Chicago Federation would be held Dec. 1, and the next Federation meeting is planned for Jan. 25, 2013.

The Lodge received an invitation from Marie Pappas to attend a Dec. 7 Christmas party from 5 to 7 p.m. at which more than 80 holiday trees from around the world will be displayed.

Pioneer Lodge members will host their Christmas party Dec. 14 during our annual meeting, at which time we will review our Lodge bylaws and elect officers for 2013. We celebrated Betty Nadvornik’s birthday, and the attendance award was won by Mike Vidmar.

Slovenian Pensioners Club members met Nov. 14. Our attendance is dropping due to illness and old age, but those of us who still attend are happy to be among our

friends. The club will host a Christmas dinner Dec. 12; the meal will cost $10. If anyone is interested in joining us for dinner, give Jean Cherway a call at (708) 485-2741. We meet at the American Le-gion Hall in Cicero, Ill.

Club members elected officers, and all current officers will serve again in 2013. Hip, hip, hooray! We thank Florence Rogel for bringing jars of candy each month.

Not that I have idle time, but one day I decided to attend a card party in my township. Meeting some new friends and learning more about the community was great. The following day I attended the Joliet Women’s Club meeting. After lunch we enjoyed a spectacular puppet show.

Congratulations are in order to Louis and Casey (559) Hoytt who were blessed with a new baby, Blake. His grandparents are Ken and Denise (559) Hoytt, and Jean Cherway (559) is his great-grandmother. Blake joins the family of great-aunts and uncles Jim and Diane Nichols (559), and Dawn and John Vidmar (559).

Zbor Spendov presented a Night at the Gostilna Nov. 17 at the Slovenian Cultural Center. It was a spectacular concert; one that made you proud to be Slovenian. The first half of the concert included variations of traditional Slovenian songs and an original piece of music composed by Janez Arko. The second half featured traditional folk songs and music situated in a gostilna/inn/bar setting.

The Cultural Center opened well before the concert to serve food and drinks. Zadnja Kaplja performed live Slovenian music after the concert. It was amazing to see so many people dancing, among whom were several children.

Zbor Spendov is a Slovenian men’s choral group comprised of first- and second-generation Slovenians from Joliet, Lemont, and Chicago. Zadnja Kaplja is the musical ensemble of Zbor Spendov that plays traditional alpine music. Congratu-lations to Zbor Spendov for presenting a wonderful concert that everyone enjoyed.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to start preparing for the Christmas holiday. There seems to be so much to do, it’s well worth spending the holiday with relatives and friends. To all SNPJ members, may you enjoy this upcoming holiday season.

by FRANK T. WRIGHTLodge 6

SYGAN, Pa. — Come on up to Sygan Lodge 6 as we round out the year with even more great events. Read all about our events details below. Happy holidays!

Attention all bowlers: Lodge 6 and the SASC have a $500 cash prize for the first person to bowl a 300 game on our new lanes during a regular bowling league or tournament. Please keep in mind that a 300 game bowled during a no-tap league, no-tap tournament or any other non-regular bowling game is not valid for any reason. The final determination will be made by the SASC athletic committee and bowl-ing manager.

Bowlers needed! The Sygan Bowling Center is welcoming individual bowlers to join leagues with openings. We also have openings available for entire leagues. The Friday Night Friends league, formerly a regular bowling league, is now a no-tap bowling league with openings available for individuals and couples. Friday Night Friends bowl every other Friday with an 8:30 p.m. start, and the cost is $20 per person. If interested please call (412) 221-9862.

Saturday, Dec. 1, we welcome Outlaw Karaoke to the downstairs bar from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. It doesn’t matter if you karaoke or not, this is a fun night for everyone. Get a group together and sing or just listen while you play some of the games we have to offer in our bar area.

For those participating in our tailgate parties at the club, please don’t forget to sign up and pay your $8 as soon as possible. The deadline is always the Thursday before the scheduled party. Upcoming tailgate party dates are Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Please see “Tailgate Party Rules” posted in the clubroom, on Facebook and on our website for outside and inside start times.

Circle 36 bowling will be held Sundays, Dec. 2 and 9, in the Sygan Bowling Center. Bowling begins at noon.

The Dick Tady Orchestra will perform in the Sunshine Room Sunday, Dec. 2. Doors will open at 1 p.m. and the band will play from 2 to 6. Admission is $8 at the door and the kitchen will be open.

Bar bingo returns in December on Wednesdays, Dec. 5 and 19. Bingo starts at 7 p.m. We’ll play nine regular games, two specials and one coverall. Bingo sheets containing four bingo cards can be purchased for $1 each and you may purchase as many sheets as you’d like. If you would like us to set up a table for your group, please let us know.

The Pittsburgh Area Jitterbug Club is scheduled in the Sunshine Room Satur-days, Dec. 8 and 15. Jitterbug lessons will run from 8 to 8:45 p.m. with dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. Check out their website, www.pittsburghareajitterbugclub.com, for more information.

Shari Richards and Rick Purcell will entertain Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. in the downstairs clubroom.

Tuesday, Dec. 11, is the Lodge 6 and SASC monthly meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Sunshine Room. The election of Lodge officers and club directors will be held during this meeting.

Congratulations to our first King of the Hill Tournament winner, Lodge 6 member Tyler Chubarov. You’ll have a chance to take Tyler’s crown at the next King of the Hill Bowling Tournament Friday, Dec. 14, at 9:30 p.m. Tournament details will be posted on the downstairs bulletin board, in the bowling alley and on our website. Please see Bob Wasky to sign up.

The SASC Christmas party is planned for Saturday, Dec. 15. The evening will begin with bar bingo from 4 to 6 p.m. DJ Dave McMurdy will begin taking requests

at 6 p.m. Dart and pool tournament sign-ups will be at 6:45 p.m. with the tourna-ments beginning at 7. Everyone is asked to please bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to share with everyone. The SASC will provide the main dishes.

The Holly Jolly Holiday Party for all Lodge 6 youth members will be held Sunday, Dec. 16, in the Sunshine Room. The children will enjoy a performance by the Junior Tamburitzans of South Hills, a visit from Old St. Nick and Miss SNPJ Kristen Cushman (138), writing letters to Santa, crafts, and a dinner buffet. Please RSVP to Circle Director Bridget Grejda by calling or texting (412) 773-2378, or e-mail snpjcircle36@yahoo.com by Dec. 10. Admission for all Lodge 6 youth members is free; non-members and adults are $5 each.

Don’t forget to recommend a new member in November and December! Lodge 6 is once again matching the $10 SNPJ Recommender Award for each person you recommend until the end of December. That’s $20 to you for each fam-ily member and/or friend you recommend who is interested in becoming an insured member. See Jim Curl or Frank Wright for recommender coupons.

The clubroom opens every day at 3 p.m. with happy hour Monday-Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. The downstairs bulletin board is the place to go to for all event informa-tion and sign-up sheets. Be sure to take a minute to read all of the postings the next time you stop by the club.

For details regarding any of the above events, log onto www.sygan.net and click on the “Special Events” tab or the “Sunday Dance” tab for dance information, or on the “Clubroom Events” tab to see what’s going on downstairs with Margie. You can find us on Facebook at snpjsygan@gmail.com.

Round out the year with Sygan Lodge 6 activities

by KEVIN RICHARDSLodge 106

IMPERIAL, Pa. — Hello from SNPJ Lodge 106! We have a busy month coming up in December at Lodge 106.

The Imperial Room at SNPJ Lodge 106 now has a website, www.imperialroomsnpj.com, promoting wedding and banquet rentals. Check it out and tell all your friends about it! Our Lodge 106 club website, www.snpjimperialpa.com, is still up and running, promoting activities and events at SNPJ Lodge 106.

The Lodge 106 clubroom is once again serving as a drop off location for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots pro-gram. Please bring new, unwrapped

toys to the clubroom during regular hours before Dec. 7. All donations will be added to those collected in the SNPJ Home Office lobby. Thanks in advance for your generosity.

Since there was no bar bingo Nov. 21 because of the holiday, there will be a special bar bingo Thursday, Nov. 29, and we will return to our regular schedule with games on Dec. 13 and 27. Early bird games start at 6:30 p.m. and regular games start at 7. Our kitchen will be open.

The fabulous oldies group Magic Moments will perform in the Imperial Room Saturday, Dec. 1. Admission at the door is only $10. The show starts at 8 p.m. and our kitchen will be pro-

viding a wonderful menu selection.Lodge 106 is hosting a dinner and

jam night Saturday, Dec. 15, in the clubroom. Food will be available at 4 p.m. and the music starts at 8. Host band for the evening will be Autobahn Trio. Bring your musical instruments and join the fun!

The Lodge 106 children’s Christ-mas party will take place Sunday, Dec. 16, in the Imperial Room from 1 to 3 p.m. Our adult Christmas party for Lodge 106 members will be held Saturday, Dec. 22, in the clubroom. We have a few special guest per-formers lined up for this party. Jan Lawrence, a talented singer from the Strabane, Pa., area, will be perform-

ing Christmas songs and other great tunes. We’ll also welcome back Clem Rolin and the Pittsburgh All-Star Jazz Band for some wonderful music. DJ Kevin will provide music later in the evening for those that want to dance the night away.

Lodge members are welcome to bring a guest. Food will be available at 4 p.m. and the entertainment will start at 6. Join us for good music, great food and a wonderful time as we usher in the holiday season.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Lodge 106 clubroom on Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Entertainment will be provided by Renewed Memories II. We’ll be offering party favors, an

extensive buffet at 8 p.m., and pork and sauerkraut at midnight. This is an adult only party. You must have a reserva-tion to attend; seating will be limited.

This party is for Lodge 106 mem-bers and their guests. Tickets are only $35 per person and reservations should be made by contacting Becky Sabo in person at the club or at (724) 695-1411. The clubroom will close at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and reopen to party ticket holders at 7:30.

Keep track of all the activities we have going on at Lodge 106 by visiting our “Upcoming Events” page on our website, www.snpjimperialpa.com. Don’t forget to check out SNPJ Lodge 106 on Facebook and “Like” us.

Ring out the old, ring in the new with Imperial Lodge 106 events

ELLEN KOCI (786) was

dolled up in narodna noša for the annual

celebration.

8 PROSVETANovember 28, 2012 www.snpj.org • prosveta@snpj.com

SNPJ fraternal sympathies

2012 SNPJ Family Twosome Bowling TournamentBowl anytime during the month of NovemberSubmit all entries to SNPJ Fraternal Director,247 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126

ENTRY DEADLINE is Dec. 10, 2012

Game 1

Adult

Youth

Divisions MAJORS (ages 15-18) JUNIORS (ages 12-14) PREPS (ages 9-11) BANTAMS (age 8 and under)

TEAM 1: Indicate Division and Entry Class within divisionAge Division determined by age as of Aug. 1, 2012

Entry Class MOTHER-SON MOTHER-DAUGHTER FATHER-SON FATHER-DAUGHTER GR’MOTHER-GR’SON GR’MOTHER-GR’DAUGHTER GR’FATHER-GR’SON GR’FATHER-GR’DAUGHTER

REPORT OF SCORES BOWLED — TEAM 1

Avg. Game 2 Game 3 Series Total

Adult Bowler’s Lodge No. _____Youth Bowler’s Lodge No. _____

Game 1

Adult

Youth

Divisions MAJORS (ages 15-18) JUNIORS (ages 12-14) PREPS (ages 9-11) BANTAMS (age 8 and under)

TEAM 2: Indicate Division and Entry Class within divisionAge Division determined by age as of Aug. 1, 2012

Entry Class MOTHER-SON MOTHER-DAUGHTER FATHER-SON FATHER-DAUGHTER GR’MOTHER-GR’SON GR’MOTHER-GR’DAUGHTER GR’FATHER-GR’SON GR’FATHER-GR’DAUGHTER

REPORT OF SCORES BOWLED — TEAM 2

Avg. Game 2 Game 3 Series Total

Adult Bowler’s Lodge No. _____Youth Bowler’s Lodge No. _____

Game 1

Adult

Youth

Divisions MAJORS (ages 15-18) JUNIORS (ages 12-14) PREPS (ages 9-11) BANTAMS (age 8 and under)

TEAM 3: Indicate Division and Entry Class within divisionAge Division determined by age as of Aug. 1, 2012

Entry Class MOTHER-SON MOTHER-DAUGHTER FATHER-SON FATHER-DAUGHTER GR’MOTHER-GR’SON GR’MOTHER-GR’DAUGHTER GR’FATHER-GR’SON GR’FATHER-GR’DAUGHTER

REPORT OF SCORES BOWLED — TEAM 3

Avg. Game 2 Game 3 Series Total

Adult Bowler’s Lodge No. _____Youth Bowler’s Lodge No. _____

SNPJ CrosswordTHANKSGIVING (#2312) solution

sis. MarioN e. KoBaK• Lodge 225 •

GIRARD, Kan. — With sad-ness, the members of Lodge 225 announce the Sept. 1, 2012, passing of Sis. Marion Ester (Johnson) Kobak, 85, of Franklin, Kan., at Mercy Health Care at Fort Scott, Kan.

Sis. Kobak was born July 4, 1927, in Yonkers, N.Y., the daughter of Oscar Johnson of Goteborg, Sweden, and Margaret (Bentley) Johnson of Liverpool, England. She at-tended schools in Yonkers and graduated from Yonkers High School of Commerce and Law.

Marion worked for the Department of Commerce in Pittsburg, Kan., retiring after 23 years. Before that she worked at Annshire Garment

Company and the Department of Agriculture in Parsons, Kan. After retiring, Marion worked part time at Walmart for six years.

In 1944, Marion met Navy serviceman Leo Kobak of Franklin, Kan., while he was on port in New York. They married March 25, 1945, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Yonkers. In 1948 they moved to Franklin, where they lived and raised their children. Leo preceded her in death on March 5, 2008.

Sis. Kobak was a 50-year member of SNPJ Lodge 225, a member of American Legion Lon Helm Post No. 182 Auxil-iary, and the NARFE Auxiliary in Pittsburg. She was a tireless supporter of her community and volunteered her time for the

Franklin Community Center, Meals on Wheels and Pink Ladies at Mt. Carmel Hospital.She was also a Girl Scout Leader and belonged to Friends of the Library in Pittsburg.

A lover of travel, Marion took vacations with her fam-ily and friends throughout the United States and abroad, including trips to Mexico, Alaska, New York City, Paris and London.

Sis. Kobak is survived by a son, Roger (Deanna) Kobak; three daughters, Peggy (John) Dorio, Donna Kent and Jo-eanna (Jody) Kobak Feagan; one sister, Donna Sackett; 12 grandchildren; and numer-ous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 63 years Leo Kobak; two infant sons, Robert William Kobak and Michael Leo Kobak; and two brothers, Oscar Johnson and Robert Johnson.

On behalf of the members of Lodge 225 and the Slovene National Benefit Society, we offer our sympathies to Sis. Kobak’s family, relatives and friends on their loss.

sis. HeleN K. NavrotsKi• Lodge 138 •

STRABANE, Pa. — The members of Lodge 138 sadly announce the Oct. 3, 2012, passing of Sis. Helen K. Nav-rotski, 86, of Canonsburg, Pa., in her home surrounded by her family.

Sis. Navrotski was born Feb. 19, 1926, in McDonald, Pa., a daughter of the late Walter Korzinski and Stella (Novak) Korzinski. She was a graduate of McDonald High School and lived most of her adult life in Canonsburg, where she was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church.

Helen worked as a switch-board operator for Bell Tele-phone and Sears and Roebuck, from where she retired. In her earlier years she worked as a welder during World War II as part of the war effort.

In addition to 56 years of SNPJ membership, she was very involved in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts when her chil-dren belonged. Helen was best known for the cakes she baked and decorated for all occasions, and the many different cookies she would make for Christmas.

On June 1, 1947, she married her beloved husband, Walter M. “Vug” Navrotski; he preceded her in death on April 26, 2008. Surviving are a son, Robert Lee Navrotski; a daughter, Denise N. (Ron) Levi; a grandson, Jason Levi; two “daughters of the heart,” Darlene Har-ris and Jeanne Prewitt; and many cousins. Deceased are a brother, Walter “Hunk” Korzinski, and her stepfather, Frank Navrotski. She was the last of her immediate family.

A Celebration of Life ser-vice for Sis. Navrotski was held Oct. 13 in Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church.

On behalf of the members of Lodge 138 and the Slovene National Benefit Society, we offer our sympathies to Sis. Navrotski’s family, relatives and friends on their loss.

sis. aMelia Koss• Lodge 33 •

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — With sadness, the members of Lodge 33 report the Oct. 6, 2012, passing of Sis. Amelia “Aunt Lou” Koss, 97, of Ambridge, in UPMC Cranberry Place.

Sis. Koss was born March 6, 1915, in Ambridge, a daughter of the late Anton and Jennie Plevel. She was retired from the National Electric Co.

A 78-year SNPJ member at the time of her passing, Ame-lia was also a member of the Good Samaritan Church, the former Holy Trinity Catholic Church and CFU. She loved to play bingo.

Sis. Koss is survived by a sister-in-law, Barbara Gnjato-vich; a niece, Barbara Madera; a nephew, Joseph Maletic; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Koss, in 1993; two sisters, Josephine Maletic and Jennie Truth; a brother, Joseph Plevel; two nieces, Georgiann Rozman and Christine Maletic; and her lifelong friend Mildred A. Trumbetas.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sis. Koss was celebrated Oct. 9 in the Good Samaritan Church. Interment followed in Economy Cemetery.

On behalf of the members of Lodge 33 and the Slovene National Benefit Society, we

offer our sympathies to Sis. Koss’ family, relatives and friends on their loss.

sis. PauliNe lesKovic• Lodge 259 •

MEADOWLANDS, Pa. — With sadness, the members of Lodge 259 report the Oct. 10, 2012, passing of Sis. Pauline Leskovic, 92, of Meadowlands, in her home.

Sis. Leskovic was born Dec. 29, 1919, in LaBelle, Pa., a daughter of Joseph and Pauline (Merhel) Karahuta.

A 64-year SNPJ member at the time of her passing, she was also a member of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Meadowlands, where she was a charter member of the Christian Mothers and Guild. She also belonged to the Catholic Ladies Slovak Union (Jednota).

Pauline enjoyed dancing and traveling. Her travels in-cluded trips through the United States, including the West ern states, New England, Hawaii and Alaska. She also traveled to Mexico, Canada and, on three occasions, to Europe, specifically Slovakia, where she visited with relatives and spent time with family that she cherished the most.

On June 22, 1946, in St. Hil-ary Church, Washington, Pa., she married Frank J. Leskovic; he preceded her in death on July 2, 1982.

Surviving are daughter, Paula (Richard) Kensinger; a son, Frank (Debra) Leskovic; four grandchildren, Mindi (John) Goodpaster, Bradley (Sara Samplawska) Kensinger, and Nate and Matt Leskovic; two great-grandchildren, Sofia and Nathan Goodpaster; a sister, Mary Bazzoli; several nieces and nephews; and many friends and neighbors.

Deceased are two sisters, Anne Marie Stump and Doro-thy Pochiba; and a brother, Mike Karahuta, who died fight-ing in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sis. Leskovic was cel-ebrated Oct. 15 in Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, Meadowlands, with the Rev. Carmen A. D’Amico as celebrant. Interment fol-lowed in Oak Spring Cemetery, Canonsburg, Pa.

On behalf of the members

of Lodge 259 and the Slovene National Benefit Society, we extend our condolences to Sis. Leskovic’s family, relatives and friends on their loss.

sis. Mary ZallNicK• Lodge 158 •

EUCLID, Ohio — The mem-bers of Lodge 158 sadly announce the Oct. 12, 2012, passing of Sis. Mary (Strnad) Zgonc Zallnick, 86, a longtime SNPJ member.

Sis. Zallnick was an avid bowler, gardener and Cleve-land Indians baseball fan. She loved Slovenian polka music and was a member of the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, and was known for her cooking (especially her apple strudel) and cleaning skills. Mary will be deeply missed by her fam-ily, whose hearts will always be with her.

Mary was the beloved wife of the late John Zgonc and then the late Frank Zallnick; lov-ing mother of Marilyn (Sam) Butcher, John (Janet) Zgonc, Donna (Philip) Yan and Carol (Frank) Mastalski; stepmother of Frank (Tammy) Zallnick; dear grandmother of Jason, Tracy, Frank, Lindsey, Philip and Deidra; great-grandmother of Dominic and Julian; and sister of the late Louis Strnad.

Funeral services for Sis. Zallnick were celebrated Oct. 15 at the Jakubs & Son Funeral Home; interment followed in All Souls Cemetery.

On behalf of the members of Lodge 158 and the Slovene National Benefit Society, our sympathies are extended to Sis. Zallnick’s family, relatives and friends on their loss.

In loving memory of

Who passed away Nov. 13, 2000

Sadly missed by wife Irene;son Harry Jr.;

daughters Karen Fournierand Sandra Sobata;

nine grandchildren; and sixgreat-grandchildren

Harry Cebron

Always in our Hearts Forever

Sis. MARY ZALLNICK (158)

Senior Cornerby CARL ZVANUT

Lodge 107

DEVON, Pa. — I’ve been having a hard time convincing AARP that, at 94, I re-ally don’t need an AARP subscription to live life to the fullest. My subscription expired back in July 2012 and my first reminder came shortly after. I sent back what I thought was reasonable; I checked the several reasons for joining that become less important as one grows older, and sent back the card with all the options marked “decline.”

The AARP cards kept coming, first reminders, then dire warnings of what I’d be missing. What the computer doesn’t understand is that AARP is for younger people, for those that can use their dis-

counts and other goodies. Anyway, I figure the notices will end soon. The last one was in a brightly colored envelope to better attract attention, so I expect I’m near the end of them.

At the home we had a busy two and a half days while the power was off. This was one of the times that trees, and what they provide in scenery, were the source of the problem; a 100-year-old tree fell through power lines. It happened at dusk, with enough remaining light to facilitate the change to emergency lighting. Flash-lights appeared like magic, elevators kept operating, the kitchen did the best it could with backup power. I guess I could have gotten accustomed to meals off plastic plates and cutlery, but two and a half days wasn’t long enough.

It was one of those fall days with the temperature at 80 degrees, well above the

average. High atmospheric pressure was accompanied by low humidity, making for the kind of day that brought out bikers, walkers, joggers, and me and my son to Valley Forge National Historic Park. We sat on a bench where the “people watch-ing” was enhanced from just below a high point to well above the valley below. The observation tower that had been on the high point was long gone, but my son and I could recall being on the tower, my self much younger and my son more a boy than a man.

As we sat there reminiscing, a young lady jogged off the path to us. She excused her self as she said she just “had to mention how nice it was to see you two, father and son?” With an affirmative from us, she shook our hands. After a few pleasantries, she left, taking with her the thoughts that brought her to us. It made my day.

In loving memory of

Lou “BLP” Progar

Who passed away eight years ago on Nov. 28, 2004

Sadly missed by brother Mike, Frank and Amy Mavrich, and all

of his friends and family.

We Love and Miss Youson Frank, daughter-in-law aMY, and

granddaughters katie (JiMMY) and eMiLY

Mary“Mitzi”Mavrich

who passed away a year agoon November 17, 2011

In memory of

by EDWARD GABROSEKLodge 626

BARBERTON, Ohio — The Slovene Party Center is offering another in its long series of popular New Year’s Eve parties featuring the Frank Stanger Band. This will be a great evening of popular polka

songs, plus many favorite slow pieces from the 1950s era.

As always, this year’s event will include a delicious buffet and post-midnight meal of pork chops, as well as the usual hats and noise makers. Tickets prices are the same as last year, $35 per person or $70

per couple.Table reservations can be made by

contacting Fran Pelton at (330) 825- 9390 or the Slovene Center at (330) 825-9639. Tickets may be obtained at the Slovene Center Private Club at 70 14th St. NW in Barberton.

Slovene Party Center continues new year’s tradition