POLISH PRIDE

By Linda Linonis

Organization revives a tradition in Valley

YOUNGSTOWN — Polish-Youngstown, an umbrella organization “created to inspire and educate area residents in all things Polish,” shows that the heart of the heritage rests in each person of Polish descent.

“It seems when Krakusy Hall [on South Avenue] closed, the Polish people lost their home and kind of lost their heart,” said Aundr a Cika Heschmeyer of Liberty, director of Polish-Youngstown. “But the Polish heart exists ... without a place.”

Heschmeyer, who lived out of town with her family, returned to be with her mother, Dolores Cika, who recently died. But she found it disconcerting there was no longer a Polish gathering place. “I talked to people of like minds,” Heschmeyer said. “Some people had children who had never eaten a pirogi.”

But it was more than that, Heschmeyer said. “It was important not to lose Polish traditions and heritage. Our goal was to educate our children about Polish culture.”

PolishYoungstown brings together related organizations, which lend support to one another. Organizations are Krakowiaki Polish Folk Circle, Polish Arts Club of Youngstown, Polish Happy Hour of Youngstown and two ethnic churches, St. Stanislas Kostka Church, 430 Williamson Ave., and St. Casimir Church, 145 Jefferson St.

Officers of PolishYoungstown are Heschmeyer, Ted Szmaj, Angela Messenger, Darek Chomcyzk and Mary Anne Mlynarski.

Heschmeyer said the groups sponsored a Polish Day in September 2008 at Woodworth Park. “We expected about a 100 people and 350 showed up,” she said.

Ostatki, a Polish carnival that featured vodka tasting and Polish beers and foods, occurred in February. Proceeds will benefit a Polish festival this summer.

The continued response to Polish Happy Hour, for example, shows that people of Polish heritage are interested in supporting such events. The goal of activity, founded in Washington, D.C., is to bring together those who hold an interest in Poland or speaking Polish. Events are held in major city such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and now Youngstown. Check out www.polishhappyhour.com.

The next Polish Happy Hour will be from 5:30 to 9 p.m. April 2 at Barley’s on Federal Street. The gatherings feature Polish beer and vodka, ethnic foods and music.

“This all validated that I’m not alone in my interest,” Heschmeyer said. “There’s a hunger for this.”

Tom and Georgia Kusiowski of Salem Township can attest to that. He’s of Polish descent and she, English and German. “It’s an identification factor being part of a culture that is not mainstream,” Tom Kusiowski said. “I’m genetically tied to this.”

Kusiowski said he speaks Polish fluently. “I never lost it,” he said, noting that he spoke Polish to his mother, who used that language, and his father spoke Polish and English.

The Kusiowskis and their children participate in the Polish Happy Hours. Georgia Kusiowski said they saw information on the event and decided to attend. “It’s been something we can share with our children ... and they come even if we can’t,” she said.

Though of another heritage, Georgia Kusiowski said, “The Polish have grown on me. They’re such a warm people and interesting to be around ... the way they think, eat, socialize.”

Kusiowski said being involved helped bolster retention of Polish customs. “At Christmas and Easter, we always have a toast for the deceased to remember their spirits,” he said. There’s a tradition to pour the spirit a glass of vodka, put it on a mantel or shelf and let it evaporate. Many families set a place at the table that will be empty, also recalling a deceased member. “This is a heritage I want to pass on to my children,” he said.

The couple noted that they use a “Polish style of cooking” ... sauces, mushrooms, sour soups and borscht, noodles and cabbage and stuffed cabbage. At Polish Happy Hour, recipes may be shared.

Ted Szmaj of Youngstown was happy to get involved in Polish-Youngstown. “My parents were involved in the Polish community and things fell apart,” he said. “Now we have organizations to keep going what our parents started.”

Szmaj admitted that “as you get older, you start to appreciate your heritage more ... and it’s important to keep the Polish community alive.”

Polish Happy Hour, he noted, is a way to “see old faces” and “reconnect with our heritage.”

XFor information on PolishYoungstown, call Heschmeyer at (330) 646-4082.