Sunday, February 28, 2010

February 28, 2010

Good news about Radiothon 2010: Tevynes Garsai listeners came through for WJCU in a big way again this year, contributing about 10% of the overall total raised during Radiothon. The other great thing about our listeners is that they fulfill their Radiothon pledges very quickly, which makes life easier for everyone. There are just a few folks who have not yet sent in their checks, so consider this a gentle reminder to follow up on your Radiothon pledge if you have not already done so.

If you're a member of Taupa
, the Lithuanian Credit Union here in Cleveland, the Taupa annual meeting will be held this morning at 11:30 in the conference room at St. Casimir.

This afternoon, St. Casimir parish
will hold an early spring cleaning party for all organizations that use the St. Casimir facilities. The idea is to get rid of items that are no longer needed from the school building and gymnasium. The party starts at 1:00 pm today. All organizations that use parish facilities are asked to participate, and students looking for service opportunities are also encouraged to participate. If you haven't already contacted the rectory, please
see Fr. Bacevicius after mass to let him know you'll be there to help.

During Lent, St. Casimir will join with St. Jerome's, Holy Redeemer and St. Mary's for a special Lenten spiritual series each Monday evening during Lent. Tomorrow, March 1st the mass and social will be at Holy Redeemer. On March 8th the Lenten observance will be at St. Mary's, and on March 15th at St. Casimir. On March 22nd there will be a penance service at Holy Redeemer.

This Thursday, March 4th is the feast of St. Casimir
, and you're invited to a special feast day liturgy and Eucharistic Devotion beginning at 7:00 pm. The mass will be celebrated in both Lithuanian and English, and will feature special music presented by Exultate under the direction of Rita Kliorys.


Also this Thursday, the Cleveland Lithuanian Pensininkiu Klubas invites you to its monthly lunch meeting at 12 noon Lithuanian Village.

Exultate invites you to a CD release party for their most recent recording, entitled Life - A Sacred Song. The CD release party will take place on Friday, March 12th at 7:00 pm in the lower hall at St. Casimir. There will be refreshments, and you'll have a chance to hear excerpts from the new CD, and purchase a copy at a special discounted price.


The Zaibas Hall of Fame induction and Night at the Races event next Saturday, March 6th is sold out.

Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid will ask for your support on the weekend of March 13th and 14th at St. Casimir. For more information please contact chairperson Zenonas Obelenis.

The Lithuanian Scouts of Cleveland will present their annual Kaziuko Muge fundraiser on Sunday, March 21st at 11:00 am in the upper hall at St. Casimir.

The Cleveland Lithuanian Academic Scouts Filisterai are pleased to announce that they will sponsor a concert by soprano Virginija Bruozyte Muliolis on Saturday, April 10th in the upper hall at St. Casimir.


Fr. Joseph Bacevicius is pleased to announce the membership of the St. Casimir Parish Steering Committee. Steering Committee members are
Jackie Caruso-Taylor, Kestutis Civinskas, Vytas Kliorys, Grazina Kudukis, Marius Laniauskas, Egle Laniauskas, Regina Motiejunas, Hilde Novak, Robert Raddell, Erin Randel, Faye Roth, and Rudolph Simoncic.

The Steering Committee will be responsible for writing the Parish Council constitution, composing a parish mission statement. The committee's work will conclude with organizing parish council elections.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

V-16

Firstly, congratulations to the Cleveland Bendromene on a well put-together celebration this afternoon and last evening. Trying new concepts in an effort to generate more interest (and hopefully more attendance) at these events is always risky.

Changes to this year's V-16 Mineimas included a luncheon after 10:00 Mass at St. Casimir's and a 1:00 pm start time. I'm told an informal dance party at Lithuanian Village on Saturday night was well-received, especially by families with children. The artistic part of the Sunday afternoon program consisted of singing, poetry and folk dancing, all performed by members of the "third wave" of Lithuanian immigrants.


U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich made a brief appearance, and Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek kept his V-16 streak alive at 33 conscecutive appearances. The Bendromene leadership made the unusal (and classy) move of presenting Councilman Polensek, Senator George Voinovich (representated by staffer Mike Brown) and Father Joseph Bacevice with proclamations recognizing their contributions to the Lithuanian community in Cleveland. Dr. Viktoras Stankus made a special point to publicly welcome Fr. Bacevice as the new pastor of Cleveland's Lithuanian Catholic parish.


The performers (Ona Zalensas, Jurgita Dicevicius, Eugenijus Dicevicius, and the Suktinis dancers from Chicago) closed the afternoon celebration on just the right note. I heard several positive comments about the program from friends in the audience.


So what's to complain about? Attendance, or lack thereof. Poor attendance at community events has been a chronic problem for some time now, but it's especially discouraging to see it at the major patriotic event of the year. Even more discouraging is the fact that so few 'third wavers' were present, at an event that prominently featured their own peers on stage.


I'll be the first to admit that the quality of past events has been uneven. Last year's V-16 celebration was less than stellar, to say the least. But give the Bendromene leadership credit. They listened to the feedback of the community, and attempted to address many of the valid concerns. And how did the community repay them for their efforts? With a half-empty hall this afternoon.


Yes, scheduling the event directly opposite the weekly rehearsal of two major youth organizations (Naujoji Intriga and Svyturys) was not the best idea, especially if you want to lower the average age of the audience. But lots of adults stayed away, too. And I don't understand why.


So here's my takeaway: Cleveland Lithuanians need to decide whether they value their community or not. If they do, then they need to support with their attendance, the parish, the Klubas, and events presented by various organizations. If you have constructive criticism to offer, speak up! Better yet, get involved and 'be the change you wish to see' in the community. Or simply sit at home and complain privately to your friends, and watch as the community dies of apathy.


Every week, Tevynes Garsai and this blog bring you up to date on opportunities to come together and celebrate Lithuanian heritage. I challenge you to seize these opportunities before it's too late, and I welcome your comments and input below.

February 21, 2010

You are invited to attend the Cleveland celebration of Lithuania's Independence which continues this morning with with flag raising at 9:45 am at the Freedom monument on the grounds of St. Casimir Parish. 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Casimir will feature special music by Exultate, and Lithuanian-American organizations are invited to attend with their flags.

Following mass at 11:00 a.m. in the lower hall at St. Casimir, you're invited to stay for lunch, and then head upstairs at 1:00 pm for the main event, with keynote speaker Vytas Maaciunas, president of the Lithuanian-American Community-USA, and dancing by the Suktinis Lithuanian folk dancers from Chicago, poetry by Ona Zalensas and musical entertainment by Eugenijus Dicevicius.


Don't forget that today the Neff Road parking lot at St. Casimir will be closed after 8:00 mass, and reopen after 10:00 mass. The parking lot will be reserved during this time for those participating in the Independence Day flag-raising ceremony.


The 2nd annual North Collinwood Taste the Neighborhood Award Dinner is this Tuesday, February 23. The dinner will be hosted by Lithuanian Village, and Lithuanian Club president Ruta Degutis will be honored as one of the "regular folks who go the extra mile."


Next weekend, St. Casimir parish will hold an early spring cleaning party for all organizations that use the St. Casimir facilities. The idea is to get rid of items that are no longer needed from the school building and gymnasium. The party starts at 9:00 am next Saturday, and 1:00 pm next Sunday. All organizations that use parish facilities are asked to participate, and students looking for service opportunities are also encouraged to participate. Please call the rectory this week to let them know which day you'll be able to help.


Thursday, March 4th is the feast of St. Casimir, and you're invited to a special feast day liturgy and Eucharistic Devotion beginning at 7:00 pm. The mass will be celebrated in both Lithuanian and English, and will feature special music presented by Exultate under the direction of Rita Kliorys.


Speaking of Exultate, you're invited to a CD release party for their most recent recording, entitled Life - A Sacred Song. The event will take place on Friday, March 12th at 7:00 pm in the lower hall at St. Casimir. There will be refreshments, and you'll have a chance to hear excerpts from the new CD, and purchase a copy at a special discounted price.


Zaibas will hold its annual Hall of Fame induction and Night at the Races event on Saturday, March 6th at Recher Slovenian Hall. For more information please contact Vidas Tataruas by email at tatarunas@att.net.

Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid will ask for your support on the weekend of March 13th and 14th at St. Casimir. For more information please contact chairperson Zenonas Obelenis.

The Cleveland Lithuanian Academic Scouts Filisterai are pleased to announce that they will sponsor a concert by soprano Virginija Bruozyte Muliolis on Saturday, April 10th in the upper hall at St. Casimir.


During Lent, St. Casimir will join with St. Jerome's, Holy Redeemer and St. Mary's for a special Lenten spiritual series each Monday evening during Lent. On February 22nd, the mass and social will be at St. Jerome, followed on March 1st at Holy Redeemer, March 8th at St. Mary, and March 15th at St. Casimir. On March 22nd there will be a penance service at Holy Redeemer.


There are a number of social media sites popping to help Cleveland Lithuanians stay connected to each other and to the community. The Lithuanian Klubas has a Facebook page, and now Paul Ruksenas and Taupa have joined forces to launch LTNews.net .

If you're on Facebook, check out the group Keep Big Z in Cleveland, dedicated to letting Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the Cavaliers know that Clevelanders want to see the big man from Kaunas back in the Wine and Gold wearing number 11 as soon as possible.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Radiothon!

Today is WJCU's annual Radiothon. The response by Lithuanian Voice listeners was outstanding once again this year, and appears to be even better than in recent years. I don't have any dollar figures yet, but it looks like we had a higher number of listeners pledging, and perhaps a larger amount of money raised.

Your support at Radiothon time not only helps WJCU maintain and expand its facilities and equipment, but it's a way of showing that Tevynes Garsai is important to you personally. Community-oriented, listener-supported radio is one of the things that makes Cleveland a great place to live.

If you've already given, thank you! If you didn't yet make a pledge, there is still time to send your check to: Tevynes Garsai, 4249 Lambert Road, South Euclid, OH 44121. Please make checks payable to WJCU. Labai Aciu!

February 14, 2010

We send our deepest condolences to the family of Rita Dautas Ciofani-Kercher, who was the victim of a tragic incident at her workplace this week. Rita leaves behind her mother, Jadvyga Dautas husband Ron Kercher, along with many children, step-children and grandchildren. Complete obituary details and Rita's online guest book are available at cleveland.com.

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent
, and Ash Wednesday masses at St. Casimir will be at 7:30 am and 7:00 pm on Wednesday.

During Lent, St. Casimir will join with St. Jerome's, Holy Redeemer and St. Mary's for a special Lenten spiritual series each Monday evening during Lent. On February 22nd, the mass and social will be at St. Jerome, followed on March 1st at Holy Redeemer, March 8th at St. Mary, and March 15th at St. Casimir. On March 22nd there will be a penance service at Holy Redeemer.

You are invited to attend the Cleveland celebration of Lithuania's Independence
on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21.


On Saturday, February 20 at 7:30 pm, the celebration kicks off with a dance party at Lithuanian Village with a special DJ from the Chicago dance group Suktinis who will spin your favorite tunes.


And then on Sunday, February 21st, the celebration and commemoration begins at 8:00 am right here on Tevynes Garsai, and continues with flag raising at 9:45 am at the Freedom monument on the grounds of St. Casimir Parish.


10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Casimir Parish will feature special music by Exultate, and Lithuanian-American organizations are invited to attend with their flags.


Following mass at 11:00 a.m. in the lower hall at St. Casimir, you're invited to stay for lunch, and then head upstairs at 1:00 pm for the main event, which will feature Vytas Maaciunas, president of the Lithuanian-American Community-USA.


After the official portion of the program, the Suktinis Lithuanian folk dancers from Chicago will entertain, along with poetry by Ona Zalensas and musical entertainment by Eugenijus Dicevicius.


On Sunday, February 21st. the Neff Road parking lot
at St. Casimir will be closed after 8:00 mass, and reopen after 10:00 mass. The parking lot will be reserved during this time for those participating in the Independence Day flag-raising ceremony on Sunday, February 21st.


Today is Valentine's Day
. Be sure to do something nice for the sweet people in your life.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

February 7, 2010

We send our sincere condolences to the family of Jonas Dunduras, who passed away on Friday at the age of 86, after a battle with cancer. Jonas Dunduras was an intellectual and world traveler, who is survived by his wife Danute and son Andris. He was a close friend of many people, including his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Grazina and Vladas Pleckaitis. The funeral mass for Jonas Dunduras will be next Saturday, February 13th at 11:00 at St. Casimir. Burial will be in the family plot in Florida.

Congratulations to Dr. Linas Vaitkus
who has recently become board certified in the field of Sleep Medicine, which covers insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep disturbances. The board exam is notoriously difficult, with only about 50% of doctors who attempt the test getting a passing score. Dr. Vaitkus distinguished himself by placing in the top 8% of all test takers. He also holds board certifications in pulmonary medicine, internal medicine and critical care medicine.


The dancers, parents and leaders of Svyturys
would like to thank all who turned out last Saturday evening for their Beach Party fundraiser. Svyturys director Ausrine Sirvinskas says the event was a great success thanks to you. The money raised will help defray expenses associated with the upcoming Juventus dance festival which will be held right here in Cleveland on April 24th. Juventus will feature dancers from Cleveland, Chicago and Toronto, performing in the St. Casimir auditorium.


You are invited to attend the Cleveland celebration of Lithuania's Independence
on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21.


On Saturday, February 20 at 7:30 pm, the celebration kicks off with a dance party at Lithuanian Village with a special DJ from the Chicago dance group Suktinis who will spin your favorite tunes.


And then on Sunday, February 21st, the celebration and commemoration begins at 8:00 am right here on Tevynes Garsai, and continues with flag raising at 9:45 am at the Freedom monument on the grounds of St. Casimir Parish.


10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Casimir Parish will feature special music by Exultate, and Lithuanian-American organizations are invited to attend with their flags.


Following mass at 11:00 a.m. in the lower hall at St. Casimir, you're invited to stay for lunch, and then head upstairs at 1:00 pm for the main event, which will feature Vytas Maaciunas, president of the Lithuanian-American Community-USA.


After the official portion of the program, the Suktinis Lithuanian folk dancers from Chicago will entertain, along with poetry by Ona Zalensas and musical entertainment by Eugenijus Dicevicius.


On Sunday, February 21st. the Neff Road parking lot
at St. Casimir will be closed after 8:00 mass, and reopen after 10:00 mass. The parking lot will be reserved during this time for those participating in the Independence Day flag-raising ceremony on Sunday, February 21st.


Next Sunday, WCJU will kick off its 2010 Radiothon
fundraising campaign. We'll be live in the studio with our volunteers, Nijole Palubinskas, Romas Zorska, and Zivile Vaitkus asking for your support for WJCU. The phone number to call next Sunday will be 216-397-4438, or you can donate in person after 10:00 mass at St. Casimir.


We want to thank Father Bacevice for his generosity in allowing us to collect Radiothon contributions at the parish, and for the announcement that appears in this Sunday's bulletin.


Opera fans
will want to tune in to WVIZ PBS Channel 25 at 4:00 pm on Sunday, February 28th, when Violeta Urmana will star in the broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera production of Aida.


Zaibas
will hold its annual Hall of Fame induction and Night at the Races event on Saturday, March 6th at Recher Slovenian Hall in Euclid.