June 21, 2009

A big thanks to Vytas Vaitkus for handling the technical duties here last Sunday morning, and for all the help he has given me and Tevynes Garsai over the years. Congratulations to Vytas who will be starting medical school in the Fall at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Congratulations Matas Laniauskas & Daina Maciunas, who were wed yesterday in Philadelphia. Matas is the son of Dr. Marius and Egle Laniauskas of Mentor.

WJCU is celebrating 40 years on the air this month, and yesterday our General Manager Mark Krieger hosted a get together on campus to take a look at the station’s history. The station started out in June of 1969 with 10 watts of power under the call letters WABU, graduated to WUJC and 850 watts, and now broadcasts as WJCU with 2500 watts.

In looking at some early program guides, I was able to determine that the Lithuanian Voice has occupied the 8:00 Sunday morning slot since the Fall of 1988. I also saw the name of Ingrida Nasvytis on a WUJC staff list from her time as a student at John Carroll. Ingrida was instrumental in connecting Juozas Stempuzis with WUJC to begin airing Tevynes Garsai here.

One of the returning student DJs on hand yesterday recounted to me how she marveled at how Juozas Stempuzis was able to air live reports by telephone from Lithuania during the 1991 fight for independence. Aldona tells me we have archival tape of some of those conversations, which we’ll have to dig out and replay on the air one of these days.

The eight parish merger subcommittees met on Tuesday, June 16th to give reports to the executive committee on their progress and future plans. The subcommittees presented interesting and varied ideas for how to make the newly formed parish vibrant. The next joint meeting is scheduled for August 4th.

Voting ballots for the new parish name were mailed to St. George parishioners on June 15th. Parishioners are asked to choose five names from the included list of thirty-eight suggested names. The deadline for mailing ballots back to Birute Vedegys is June 30th. Anyone needing a ballot may contact Birute Vedegys.

The final report and list of suggested names from both parishes will be turned in to the Bishop on July 15th. At that time, the naming committee will inform everyone of the final results. The complete list of thirty-eight suggested names and their descriptions, from which the voting is taking place, as well as a sample voting ballot, can be found on the parish bulletin boards.

This weekend’s parish bulletin at Our Lady of Perpetual Help contains an insert describing a different parish name selection process. You may want to read this insert for yourself, but please be aware that this is not an official communication from the parish naming subcommittee.

This week we bring you a short bio, along with our congratulations to two Cleveland Lithuanians who are members of the Class of 2009 and one who is a member of the Class of 2008.

Alina Ceplulis graduated from Regina High School on June 1st and will continue her studies at Alfred University in western New York state. She has been awarded a Dean’s Scholarship, and plans to major in art and design, with a minor in German.

Alina’s passion from an early age has been art, and she has won various awards in the area for her artwork. She has been an exchange student in Germany, and her favorite Lithuanian memory is her four years as a member of Svyturys, especially the trip to Los Angeles for the Sokiu Svente.

Alina is the daughter of Rimvydas and Julija Cepulis.

Laura Tuljak graduated from Beaumont High School on June 7th, and plans to pursue a degree in secondary education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She will follow in the footsteps of her mother Danute Januskis-Tuljak, who is also a teacher.

Laura was a longtime Scout in the Neringa troop, and her favorite memory is the 4:00 am swim in the Romuva lake in Canada during a camping trip with her friends Daina, Daiva and others.

Nijole Pollock graduated from Solon High School in 2008. She was on the Dean’s List, and received an Honors Diploma, and the German Award all four years. Nijole is attending the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Neuroscience.

Besides being passioniate about nature and the environment, she can eat fire!

Nijole’s favorite Lithuanian memory is getting lost in the woods at Dainava and ending up in someone’s backyard.

Nijole is the daughter of Brooks and Livia Pollock.

The next meeting of the Cleveland Pensininkiu Klubas will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at 12 noon in Gintaras at Lithuanian Village.

The Lithuanian Club will hold its annual picnic on Saturday, July 25th at the Italian-American Center in Wickliffe. There will be great food and drink, entertainment by Kolorado Vabalai and the Gottsheer Blaskapelle Band, as well as a Krupnikas contest.

Looking ahead to some farewell activities at St. George, the final parish picnic at St. George will be Sunday August 9th, following 10:30 mass. And the farewell to St. George banquet will be Saturday evening, October 10th at Lithuanian Village.