Tuesday, September 22, 2009
STAFF REPORT
The telephone call came as quite a surprise to Linda Kovachik of Boardman.
She was invited to a private event with Serbian President Boris Tadic at the downtown Cleveland Marriott on Sunday. Also on the guest list of about 200 were U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, a Republican from Cleveland, and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland, D-10th.
Kovachik is of Slovak decent, but her late sister, Peggy Bellish, was married to a Serbian, Nicholas Bellish.
“The foods, dances and music captured my interest,” Kovachik said.
Kovachik was invited to the event by Alex Machaskee, an old friend she knows from her involvement in the Serbian community. Machaskee is a media consultant and former president and publisher of The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland.
Kovachik said she had a brief conversation at the event with Tadic and gave him a painting of a horse done by ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., Kovachik’s close friend and former employer.
Tadic said he would give the painting to one of his daughters who likes horses, Kovachik said.
Tadic is to meet with President Barack Obama on Wednesday at a reception in New York City and will address the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. Tadic is visiting the United States to improve relations between the two countries.