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5th Anniversary of the Polish Book Club |
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Hanna Gil |
The Polish Book
Club in Seattle celebrates its 5th anniversary in November 2008. Club meetings
are once a month and discussions about books are in Polish. Hanna Gil founded
the Club in 2003 and has been running it ever since. Congratulations!
More:
Polish Book Club site;
posted Nov 2008
Photo
by
Jagoda Sondej
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Anna Babcock becomes the principal of the Polish School in
Seattle |
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Anna Babcock |
Ms. Anna
Babcock has agreed to become the new principal of the Juliusz Slowacki Polish
School in Seattle; the School is located at the Polish Home. The new
vice-principals are Ms. Beata Brewerska (in charge of the Monday groups) and Mr.
Grzegorz Grabowski (in charge of the Saturday groups). Congratulations and good
luck in this very important work for our community!
Please note
– the school still accepts new students for the 2008 / 2009 school year
More:
Polish School site, contacts to the School:
Ms. Babcock, tel.
206-362- 3077, Ms. Brewerska tel. 425-836-9322, Mr. Grabowski tel. 206-729-8437
posted Sep 2008
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Joined benefits from SSA & ZUS from 2009 |
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In April 2008,
Poland and the United States signed an agreement about joined social security
benefits for Polish and American citizens. Social Security Administration and
ZUS (Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolecznych - the Polish equivalent of SSA) are
working on the details of the agreement and there is a hope that the both
systems would start taking applications sometime in early 2009.
The general idea
is as good as it sounds: the leading principle is that years of work or rather
contributions to the SS & ZUS, would be counted together to calculate joined
benefits. This could be a life saver for people who worked 15 years in one
country and then 20 years in another, for example. In the old system this is not
sufficient to receive any benefits. In the new system, 25 years or more of work
in both countries together would entitle a person to benefits. Each country
would pay for its portion of benefits but the level of the benefits would depend
on the total of the contributions.
More:
Reprint of Nowy Dziennik
articles (in
Polish)
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Cmdr. Jerzy Tumaniszwili honored by the President of Poland |
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Jerzy Tumaniszwili |
Cmdr. Jerzy
Tumaniszwili received a promotion to Rear Admiral from the President of Poland,
Mr. Lech Kaczynski, on August 15, 2008. RADM Tumaniszwili, 92, is a
distinguished WWII veteran of the Polish Navy, decorated with Virtuti Militari
and other orders. He served as artillery officer on the Polish Navy ships (ORP)
Burza, Krakowiak and Piorun, settling in the US after the
war. Mr. Tumaniszwili lives near Portland, OR, and has had many connection to
the Polish community in Seattle over the years. Congratulations!
More:
Tumaniszwili's bio (in
Polish)
posted Aug 2008
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Irena Sendler honored by the US Congress |
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Irena Sendler |
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Polish Home construction starts in July, 2008 |
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The
Polish Home expansion starts for good this summer!
The Polish
Home Board of Trustees decided to start the construction of the building
extension in July, 2008. The current plan is to build the "shell" of the
extension towards 18th Ave with the functioning elevator for about
$350,000-400,000. The Polish Home appeals to all members and friends to support
the project financially! For more details
about current developments
please
see here.
More
about the Polish
Home Expansion Project
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Jan 19:
Polish WWII Deportees and Mr. Kott decorated by the Consul
General |
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This is a follow up to the recent event at the Polish Home
honoring Polish survivors of the Soviet WWII deportations:
Hon. Paulina
Kapuscinska, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los
Angeles decorated the following people on January 19, 2008
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Mr. Ryszard
Kott has been honored with the Cavalier Cross of the Order
of Merit of the Republic of Poland, awarded for promoting
Poland abroad
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The
following people have been honored with the Cross of the
Siberia Deportees awarded to the survivors of WWII Soviet
deportations: Mr. Jerzy Friedrich, Ms. Genowefa Kasprzyk,
Ms. Irena Goleniewska (received by the widower, Mr.
Stanislaw Goleniewski), Ms. Alina Byrska, Ms. Maria Urbaniak, Ms. Anna
Kochel, Ms. Romana Wal, Ms. Joanna Brodniewicz, Ms.
Michalina Wojnarowska, Ms. Bozena Chodakauskas, Ms. Wanda
Skrobecka (absent due to health reasons), Ms. Krystyna Balut,
Ms. Helena Szendzik and Ms. Janina Kolozak. Also honored was
survivor Ms. Genowefa Czyzewski who died in 2007 before the
Cross could be awarded. In addition, Ms. Barbara Strutynski
received her Cross of the Siberia Deportees in July 2007.
Congratulations! |
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Consul
Kapuscinska |
Ryszard
Kott |
Jerzy
Friedrich |
Genowefa
Kasprzyk |
Stanislaw Goleniewski |
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Alina
Byrska |
Maria
Urbaniak |
Anna
Kochel |
Romana
Wal |
Joanna
Brodniewicz |
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Michalina
Wojnarowska |
Bozena
Chodakauskas |
Krystyna
Balut |
Helena
Szendzik |
Janina
Kolozak |
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Dr. Zbigniew Adam Pietrzyk died on December 16, 2007 |
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Prof. Zbigniew Adam Pietrzyk |
Dr. Zbigniew
A.
Pietrzyk, an active member of the Polish community and a
longtime member of the Polish Home Assn. and the Solidarity
Assn.,
died on December 16, 2007, after a long illness; he was 72.
Dr. Pietrzyk
graduated from the Warsaw Technical University and made a career
as a physicist. He was Professor Emeritus of the University of
Washington and also Professor Emeritus of the EPFL in Lausanne,
Switzerland. Dr. Pietrzyk was the main Seattle activist
organizing support for the underground Solidarity movement during the
martial law period in Poland in early 1980s. Among others he was
instrumental to creating Friends of Solidarity TV in Seattle and
served as the Polish Home Assn. vice-President for Solidarity
support. Dr. Pietrzyk
also received the Solidarity Medal awarded for an
exceptional support for the Solidarity movement from beyond
borders of Poland. In recent years
he was active as a volunteer and supporter of Polish Home Foundation
in Seattle.
Dr. Pietrzyk is survived by
his brother Boleslaw with wife Claire and children Diane,
Nicolas and Guillaume of Thoiry, France, by his sister Barbara
Pietrzyk of Szczecin, Poland, and by cousin Zofia Sobol of
Warsaw, Poland.
Memorial Service:
on December 19, at
12:30 pm
at the Hoffner, Fisher & Harvey Funeral Home, 508 N. 36th
St in Seattle. Reception follows at the Polish Home in Seattle.
Interment:
at a private ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, the Family asks for donations to Polish
Home Foundation, 1714 18th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. |
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Ms. Pia Friedrich died on October 1, 2007 |
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Pia
Friedrich |
Ms. Pia
Friedrich, a longtime friend of the Polish Home and a member of
the Ladies Auxiliary active till her health declined, died on
October 1, 2007, at the age of 84. A native of Cremona, Italy,
Ms. Friedrich was a Professor of Italian in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, and then a Professor of Italian at the University of
Washington in Seattle. Upon marrying Jerzy Friedrich, her
husband of 61 years, she developed a keen interest in Polish
culture and became a fluent speaker of the Polish language. Ms.
Friedrich is survived by her husband Jerzy, son Alex with wife
Susie, daughter Vivien Savojni with husband Adriano and by her
four grandchildren.
Interment: Per Ms. Friedrich’s request, the service was
private. In lieu of flowers, people who would like to honor her
memory are asked to make donations to Polish Home Foundation
towards the Polish Home Remodeling Fund.
More:
Pia Friedrich in family photos,
PHF |
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Dr. Maria Pietrzyk died on September 21, 2007 |
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Dr. Maria Pietrzyk |
Dr. Maria
Pietrzyk, an active member of the Polish community, died on
September 21, 2007 after a long illness. Dr. Pietrzyk was very
active supporting the underground Solidarity movement during the
martial law period in Poland in early 1980s and in recent years
as a volunteer and supporter of Polish Home Foundation. She
has also received the Solidarity Medal awarded for an
exceptional support for the Solidarity movement from beyond
borders of Poland. Dr Pietrzyk is survived by her husband Prof.
Zbigniew Adam Pietrzyk.
Memorial Service:
on September 26, at 11 am
at the Hoffner, Fisher & Harvey Funeral Home, 508 N. 36th
St in Seattle.
Interment:
at a private ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, the Family asks for donations to Polish
Home Foundation, 1714 18th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. |
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©
Ryszard Kott, 2007-2008 |
Fot. 'Fountain" - Hanna Gil
Fot. "Seattle" - Ryszard Kwieciński |
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