Let Not The Light Of Freedom Be Extinguished! American Home over 100 years of serving American- Slovenians USPS 024100 Amer ■ Amer ...E OMOVINA1 SLOVENIAN MORNING NEWSPAPER Vol. 104, No. 36 ISSN Number 0164-68X Phone:(216)431-0628 AMERIŠKA DOMOVINA, SEPTEMBER 5, 2002 ah@buckeyeweb.com 70c Interview with Astronaut Jerry Linenger Titanic on Their Turf Msgr. Franci Petrie editor of Družina Catholic magazine in Slovenia, interviewed Dr. Linenger in June as part of the 50tn anniversary of Družina, at Sveta Gora at Gorica. By the courtesy of Dr. Edi Gobec, it was translated into Slovenian and was published. Here is the English translation as sent by Msgr. Petrie:________ Q. - Dr. Linenger, as we Slovenians with whom you share your roots contemplate your unique accomplishments in space, Yuri Gagarin’s anecdote inevitably comes to mind. When asked about his experience in space, he responded that God was nowhere to be seen. What were your own feelings up there? A. - When looking down at earth from the heavens -there was no doubt, absolutely none, that it was the work of our Creator. God is everywhere. I might add that my Russian crewmates had some religious icons with them, and I feel they felt the same way that I did. Q. - Your book, Off the Planet, is full of suspense, as you vividly describe adventures that very few, if any, persons have been experienced. Why did you decide to write this book? A. - Mainly, so that 1 could leave something behind for my children; so that they know what their dad stood for, what I sacrificed, and what I believe in. I keep a chest for each of my four children. In each one is a copy of the book inscribed with a very personal note to them. It is my way of being able to leave something behind for them... Q. - Among the questions I should ask is also the classical one, Why did you become an astronaut and how is it possible to become an astronaut? What would be your advice to the youngsters who look at the astronauts with such great admiration? A. - Basically, I always banted to be an astronaut -starting when I was a child °f 14 and watching human heings up on the moon. I said, Wow! I want to do that someday. To any youngster: just study hard, give it your best " and somehow things fall into place. If you are serious about going to space - I would recommend taking plenty of math and science courses in school. Q. - It is well known that we newsmen are usually very curious people. Does it seem to you that curiosity is also one of the essential traits which a person must have in order to be enticed into space adventures such as yours? What else is needed? A. - Curiosity is a great motivator - and is probably the characteristic that dominates my personality. Go out there and explore. Try new things. Other good traits to have are self discipline, the ability to finish what you start, and of course, good health and eyesight. When things get rough, as they did throughout my mission on Mir, faith in your own abilities and faith in God help you get through the days. Q. - Knowledge which you so ardently accumulated by studying medicine and so many other fields, was probably very helpful to you. You yourself also discuss in your book the psychic and physical condition which is indispensable for an astronaut. Was religion, too, helpful in the preparation and execution of such an exceptional feat as your space flight? A. - My faith was very important to me. Also knowing that people back on earth were praying for me, pulling for me, keeping me in their thoughts. I actually had a tape of a Mass that was offered up for me in Florida just before my launch. I was able to play the tape every Sunday morning and in a sense “go to church.” What better place? Up in the heavens, close to God, and celebrating Mass. I am a very fortunate person... Q. - In the years when you were getting ready for your calling as an astronaut, you were also establishing your family. Your writing reflects a very great love for your wife and children. Whence this exemplary dedication? What does the family and parenting mean to you? Your book also contains letters which you wrote from space to your son John. What did you wish to particularly impress by such communication? A. - You know, even after all of my great adventures off the planet - I realize more than ever that the most important thing in life is family. You do not need to blast off in a rocket in order to participate in the greatest thrill in life: watching your own children progress. As far as the letters to my son: to be honest, there were times that I was not sure that I would be making it back home (during the onboard fire for example). I wanted my boy to know what I thought of him, that I love (Continued on page 6) hen your “office” consists of airports and cell phones, it’s nice to have a chance to work from home for a change. Cleveland brothers Tom and Paul Zaller, who respectively manage and stage the worldwide production of Titanic: The Exhibition, had that opportunity this year, but they didn’t have much time to kick back and relax. Titanic: The Exhibition ends its six-month run at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on September 15. More than 300,000 visitors had toured the 14,000-square foot presentation of the doomed ship’s artifacts and memorabilia. Tom Zaller, vice president of production for Clear Channel Exhibitions, which mounts the traveling exhibit in conjunction with RMS Titanic Inc., the U.S. firm that salvages and displays artifacts from the Titanic, says preparing a site for several thousand people to walk in the door “totally consumes our lives. I once put in a 40-hour-nonstop shift.” “It’s not a business for lazy people. You have to love it,” adds Paul of Hughie’s Audio Visual. The company, with locations in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, handles the lighting, rigging and staging for the Titanic exhibit as well as other large productions, including The Magic of David Copperfield. Two of a family of six children raised in University Heights, the men cut their production teeth as boys hanging around their father’s workplaces. Leonard Zaller, who died of colon cancer in 1990 at 61, was a pioneer in video production. His company, Midwest Teleproductions, created the first on-site big-screen TV images inside the Richfield Coliseum (which was razed in 1999), as well as all the on-screen character generation for Indians games inside the old Municipal Stadium. “Len’s kids” were allowed on the scene, “mainly tripping over chords and breaking things,” notes Paul with a chuckle. Their enthusiasm for the production world never waned. “Looking back, that really did help shape our futures,” Tom recalls. Although their work takes them around the world, the brothers remain fans of their hometown turf. Paul lives in Bainbridge Township and Tom makes his home in Chagrin Falls; both are raising young families. Their mother, Anne Marie, and most of the immediate family also live in Northeast Ohio. Paul most appreciates Cleveland’s diversity, and Tom concurs, adding a ski-buffs qualifier: “If Cleveland had mountains, it’d be perfect.” —Marsha McGregor Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine Tom and Paul’s grandparents were well known owners of Collinwood Baking Co. on Waterloo Rd., and members of St. Mary parish. Paul (left) and Tom Zaller pose with Titanic poster AMERIŠKA DOMOVINA, SEPTEMBER 5, 2002 Embroidering at Julie and Kristen’s birthday party on August 31 at Flis’ back yard, are, left to right, Rachael, Katie, and Jenny; bottom row: Julie, Kristen, Sarah, and Ashley. Secret Garden of Embroidery by RUDY FLIS "T" "W" ave you ever seen the movie “Back to r~"l the Secret Garden?” I have. It was just -1- Athis past Friday night. It is a “For kids movie.” I don’t think my mental powers are overpowering, or I could not have sat through such a movie as I did Friday night - and I did enjoy watching the movie. It was nice and easy, a happy movie with an ending for a kid. Now understand, I didn’t go out and rent this movie. It was more or less forced on me. Here is how it happened. My two granddaughters, Katie, age eight, and Ashley, who is six-years-old, were our wards for a Friday evening. They know some evenings Grandma and Grandpa are like in slow- motion - not an interesting speed for youngsters, so they bring their own entertainment, like a movie we can all watch or sleep through. When they arrived Friday night they went into our living room to say hello to their Grandma who was embroidering, something they had not seen before. They stayed by their Grandma, captivated with her embroidery. “Would you like to try embroidering?” she asked. Their answer was a strong nod. In slow motion Grandma got out of her chair and came back with two wooden hoops, cloth with pattern and thread and needles, still in slow motion. The girls listened to their Grandma’s instructions and they proceeded for the rest of the evening. I could not stand all the noise caused by embroidering, so I put in the movie “Back to the Secret Garden” into the tape player attached to the TV. Thus began my exciting Friday evening. Our granddaughters came over the next night for a birthday party and brought along their embroidery. The other granddaughters showed the same interest and had a little social in our back yard - embroidering. My wife, Therese, says, “The mental hoops she used when very young were much better than the wooden hoops used today.” It doesn’t seem to bother the granddaughters nor does the fact that when Grandma taught them, she was in slow motion. Mlakar Takes Train Down Memory Lane by RAY MLAKAR * I | t irst, my joke for the IH week. A woman died A and went to heaven. St. Peter said to her, “Hold on, before you enter the Kingdom of Heaven, can you tell me God’s first name.” She thought about it for a moment and then said, “Andy.” St. Peter was astonished and asked, “How did you come up with a name like Andy?” “Well, the woman replied, “We sing it in church all the time. Andy walks with me, Andy he talks with me, Andy tells me I am his own.” Well, happy to say we packed up from Grafenwohr and convoyed back to Karlsruhe. Yep, home at last for only after having been back in the Kaseme, did we realize the true comforts of home. Yep, hot water when you turned the faucet on and no more immersion heaters shoved into a 32 gallon garbage can to heat the water. Guess we never realize what we have until we have to do without. All the soldiers gladly slipped back into the same routine. I was happy because I felt that even though the Battalion would be going back to Grafenwohr again next year, I was going to miss it for I would be ready to go back stateside for discharge. Well, soon it would be 1950 and thought it best that I take another leave for God only knows that I deserved it after living in Tent City in Grafenwohr and decided to go to Switzerland for they had a special seven day tour through the USO that was quite reasonable, but then any tour given to the soldiers through the USO was always at rock bottom prices. I went by train all the way and that in itself was a treat for this was no cattle car. All coaches had individual compartments where up to four people could be seated. The USO gave us a tour guide showing days and times that we had to be at certain train stations for the next ride to a new village-town in Switzerland. It goes without saying that truly this was the land of milk and honey. Looking through my Army Album and the photos, I had a copy of the travel agenda. On April 8,1950, the first day, I was in Basle, Switzerland, and on 9 and 10 April moved on to Beme and Lucerne, then on to Lugano and Zurich and then and then to Basle for the train ride back to Army camp at Karlsruhe. Going from one location to another meant a new hotel each night. Ray was living high on the hog. While there, I bought quite a few souvenirs, namely, lace for my sister’s up-coming wedding. Regardless if we were soldiers, we all had to go through customs and pay a tariff on the things we bought, but in the long run, it was not that much tariff. While on the train there was a young 2nd Lt. Army Officer riding in the same 100 WORDS MORE OR LESS by JOHN MERCINA 9/11/01 The tragedy surrounding above date will forever be remembered in the history of our country. Chances are that every one of us remembers exactly what we were doing at the moment we heard about the attack on our homeland. Depending on our age, above date was added to the remembrance of the date of Pearl Harbor and the killing of JFK. We paused and cried and took a deep breath. As sad as above day was, it was also a day of heroes - the heroism of firemen and policemen, iron workers and ordinary citizens in the wreckage at Ground Zero; the countless stories of human kindness and caring at the site of the Pentagon attack; the heroes on United Flight 93 and their struggle that will possibly never be fully known. It was America’s saddest and yet finest hour. It was a new beginning for all of us living, with God’s name on the lips, on signs and in our hearts more during the last year than in our entire life prior to above date. In the year that followed, the America that we love, the freedoms and rights that we took for granted, took on an extra meaning. It has not been “business as usual.” The tragedy has changed us. The flag, the prayer, the small acts of charity take on a new meaning for us. For a brief moment, we may have gotten closer with our families and we are more caring and neighborly. On September 11, let us stop for a brief moment and reflect on the fact that WE ARE AMERICANS AND PROUD OF IT and we will defend our God-given rights and with God’s help we will triumph over evil. compartment and he was telling me that he made the trip to Zurich primarily for business. I said what kind of business. At that point he said he goes there for Swiss watches. He was one smart cookie for he got through customs without declaring them. He raised his trousers up near his knees and there he had fastened with rubber bands loads of Swiss watches I said how come no leather watch band on the watches. He said he got them right from the factory and ordered them without leather or metal bands since they would not be able to go around his leg. But with rubber bands which he attached, he could slip loads of the watches on his leg. When he walked, you could be rest assured he had a 21 jewel movement. He smiled and said leather watch straps as well as metal expanding bands can be obtained through the PX (Post Exchange) for almost nothing. At that time when going through customs, they did not frisk you down like they do today and so he was able to bring the watches back, duty free. I guess as an officer he had his own way of getting things done, one way or another. Well, on April 15, 1950,1 was back in Karlsruhe well rested up. The guys were glad to see me back for they said they could not get their laundry out of Supply, only on certain hours for Sfc. Vincent and the Supply Ser- geant would not just go down and let someone in the supply room to pick up their laundry at all hours of the day and night like Ray did. Sgt. Frank Sarratore, the happy Italian, was glad I was back and said he was planning a final leave for us before we would be heading home. He knew one of the Senior NCO’s who had a converted jeep as his private auto and the sergeant would loan it to Frank for the trip for a few bucks. I myself saw the jeep from time to time on post and it was really an odd looking home-made jeep because it looked like no two pieces of plywood matched. It had wooden sides so it would be enclosed during the cold winter. I told Frank that I had my doubts for if it ran like it looked, we would be lucky to get it outside the front gates. Frank says don’t worry Ray if it breaks down I know a little bit about fixing cars. I said Frank, if you know as much about fixing cars like you knew how to order spaghetti in France, we are in for some bad times. “Have faith Ray”, he says. “In the meantime try to get as many German marks and American dollars as possible.” Well, I am coming to the end of this week’s column so will say good night for now. May the Good Lord bless and watch over all of you. In the meantime God will you put some additional scotch tape on that jeep. Life in the Refugee Camps ask the travel expert by ANTON ŽAKELJ translated and edited by JOHN ŽAKELJ (Continued) Tuesday, Jan. 1,1946 (in the Liechtenstein camp near Judenburg, Austria) I awoke at 4 a.m., but didn’t get out of bed until 6:30. At 7 I went to Mass. Bishop Rozman is predicting that we will all return home to Slovenia this year. Maybe. But I doubt it. Cilka’s brother-in-law Mire returned from Feld-kirchen and Spittal with 10 shirts which he had obtained through bartering, and a sweater which he got for me for 70 shillings. Clothes are still in very short supply, and many of us have only what we carried with us when we left Slovenia. Mire says he heard that my youngest brother Janko returned home safely from Russia. Three years ago, while we were under German occupation, Janko was forced to join the German army and was sent with them to Russia. We were worried he might never return. Wednesday, Jan. 2,1946 The local newspaper reports that there are 60,000 -70,000 Chemiks in Serbia who are preparing for a spring revolution against the communists. We don’t know whether such reports are really true. If we have to stay in the refugee camp for another six months, and if I can get a job, I will marry Cilka. She has become very impatient because I continue to delay our wedding plans. She is beginning to wonder if I really want to get married. But I tell her that it makes no sense to start a family when we have nothing. Thursday, Jan. 3,1946 Our refugee camps are run by UNRRA, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. Today, UNRRA handed out new and used clothing, all American. Four of the men in our group go out into the Woods to cut firewood. They 'vere especially in need of some new clothing, and they each received a coat, over-alls, a shirt and gloves. Saturday, Jan.5,1946 This morning it was 5°F. I cut firewood for the kitchen all morning. Tomorrow is the holy day of the Three Kings, also called the Epiphany. This evening, as we usually did back home on the evening of this holy day, we formed a procession around our barracks, sprinkled holy water and prayed all three decades of the rosary. (In Slovenia, we repeated this three times each year - on Christmas eve, New Year’s eve, and on the eve of the Epiphany). Sunday, Jan. 6,1946 At 11 a.m., we went to a solemn high Mass in Judenburg. This afternoon, we watched people ice skating on the frozen Mura River. Monday, Jan. 7,1946 I cut firewood for the kitchen all day. In the afternoon, UNRRA gave me a new green overcoat and a pair of overalls. The overalls are so large they look like a clown costume. My sister Mici got a blue coat that is too small for her. Mici got overalls, but Cilka didn’t get anything. Tuesday, Jan. 8,1946 Cilka wrote her first letter home since we left Slovenia. Mail service is finally becoming available again. I helped my sister Mici exchange her coat for a larger one. We hear that Chetniks murdered the mayor of our home town of Ziri. (This report turned out to be false.) Wednesday, Jan. 9,1946 I helped another member of our group with a clothing exchange. Now almost all of us in our barracks are wearing the same green overcoats with huge collars and yellow trim on the left sleeve. 4 Listen to THE SLOVENIAN HOUR On 50,000 Watt WCPN Cleveland Public Radio © 90.3 FM Saturdays 9 10 pm ^ Tony Ovsenik m 440-944-2538 I made a list of other clothing needed by each member in our group. Many people are not pleased with what they received in this latest distribution. They think it wasn’t done fairly. But we really needed new clothes. Some members of our group were so desperate, they had gone to Wolfberg, where they got pieces of cloth from burned military uniforms. They sewed clothes for themselves out of those pieces. There are no reports in the newspapers about what happened to Domobranec generals Rupnik, Nedič and Pavelič. We fear that the British have sent them back to be executed in Jugoslavia. (To Be Continued) Blessing of Chapel in St. Vitus Village Sunday, September 8th, which is the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, will be exactly one year from the date of the blessing of St. Vitus Village by Bishop Anthony Pilla. This year we have asked Bishop Edward Pevec to come to St. Vitus on Sunday, September 8th for the blessing of the new chapel in St. Vitus Village. On this date there will be only one morning Mass at 10 a.m. We ask all parishioners to plan to come to the blessing Mass and ceremony of the new chapel. —St. Vitus Church Bulletin Spaghetti Dinner St. Mary’s (Collinwood) Holy Name Society will sponsor a spaghetti dinner on Saturday, Sept. 7th at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Tickets may be purchased in the rectory office, from Holy Name members, and at the school doors the evening of the dinner. Songs ’& Melodies from Beautiful Slovenia Slovenian Radio Family ED MEFAC RDC Program Director WCSB 89.3 FM RADIO HOURS: Sunday 9-10 am Wednesday 6-7 pm 2405 Somrack Drive Willoughby Hills. OH 44094 | 440-953-1709 TEL/FAX WE3: www.wcsfc.org Historic Harvard Village 5enior Apartments (opening late Fall) 6900 Harvard Ave Applications available for , pick up at Harvard Village or for more Information please call: 316-883-0461 •Hewty restored units •Unique fborplans •Elevator Question: Since 9/11 security has increased at the Canadian/U.S. border. What can we do to make this" crossing less stressful? Answer: As you near the border shut off your radio or CD player, remove any headphones and turn off your cell phone. Take off non-prescription sunglasses so the border guards can see your face clearly. Have your proof of citizenship available in case it is needed. Be very polite and answer all questions without asking for explanation. Definitely do not make any jokes about Canada, guns, drugs, French accents, tobacco, or alcohol. Question: How can you determine the denomination of a slot or video poker machine or Black Jack table? Answer: Instead of looking at the front of the machine, you can simply look at the color of the candle (two-colored light) on the top of the machine. The top of the candle is always white and used to call a slot attendant for service. The lower light denotes the denomination: red for 5 cents, yellow for 25 cents, gold for 50 cents, and blue for $ 1. Casinos often color-code the Black Jack table signs to match the denominations of their chips. White chips are $1, red are $5, green are $25, and black are $100. Question: What items do you consider essential for personal protection when traveling? Answer: Dr. Terry Riley, psychologist and travel security authority recommends: “A flashlight to help in an emergency evacuation. A smoke detector to sound in case of a fire. Duct tape to seal a hotel room against smoke intrusion. A portable door stop to jam a hotel door shut. A cellular phone to reach help.” Question: My family is planning a trip to Japan. What travel tips can you give? Answer: You need to be aware that in Japan there are no train porters to carry your luggage, no checked luggage, and little overhead space for carry-on luggage. You will also encounter stairs in most train stations, which means your luggage wheels are no help. With this in mind it is possible to ship your luggage through “takkyu-beno” a baggage forwarding service. If traveling in summer remember to pack an umbrella and breathable clothing, because of the high humidity. Also remember to bring thick socks because you will be expected to take off your shoes when entering temples and the floors are often cold. You can take the guesswork out of travel by consulting the experienced agents at Euclid Travel. 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