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GM’S POLETOWN PLANT – CONTROVERSY POLISHFROM AMERICAN START TO JOURNAL FINISH • JANUARY 2019 www.polamjournal.com 1 PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT BOSTON, NEW YORK NEW BOSTON, AT PAID POSTAGE PERIODICAL POLISH AMERICAN OFFICES ENTRY ADDITIONAL AND JOURNALDEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION AND CONTINUANCE OF POLISH AMERICAN CULTURE RADWANSKA WAVES GOODBYE ESTABLISHED 1911 JANUARY 2019 • VOL. 108, NO. 1 • $2.25 www.polamjournal.com PAGE 11 POLAND, AGAIN, AT AN IDEOLOGICAL INTERSECTION • UN CLIMATE CONFERENCE ADOPTS “KATOWICE RULEBOOK” KF ACCEPTING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS • MARTIN LUTHER RECONSIDERED • THE TREATS OF POLISH KARNAWAŁ START YOUR FAMILY HISTORY JOURNEY • POLONIA PLACES: ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL, ATHOL SPRINGS, N.Y. Newsmark Ambassador’s Plaint Tones Letter Stirs Pot PHOTO: DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN DUDA PRAISES LATE PRESIDENT. Late President WARSAW — The U.S. George W. Bush was a “statesman, World War II veter- ambassador to Poland trig- an, Cold War warrior, and honorary citizen of my native gered anger in Poland with Kraków,” wrote Polish President Andrzej Duda in condo- a letter to the prime minis- lences forwarded to U.S. President Donald Trump. “He ter that took his government was always a great friend of Poland and Poles.” to task over its treatment of Duda recalled the words spoken by President Bush a U.S.-owned independent at the Gdańsk shipyard workers monument in 1989: “To television station. those who think that hopes can be forever suppressed, I The November 19, 2018 say: Let them look at Poland! To those who think that free- letter from Ambassador dom can be forever denied, I say: Let them look at Po- Georgette Mosbacher cir- land! And to those who think that dreams can be forever culated in Polish media. It repressed, I say: Look at Poland! For here in Poland, the misspells the last name of dream is alive.” Prime Minister Mateusz “Those words remain for us a great source of inspira- Morawiecki and addresses tion,” said Duda. him with the wrong title, as Duda, along with former Polish President Lech Walesa, well as misspelling the name flew to Washington together to attend President Bush’s fu- of the interior minister. It was neral. not clear who leaked the let- ter, and government officials STATE DECORATIONS FOR U.S. CITIZENS. Pol- seemed eager to play it down. ish President Duda presented a state decoration to a U.S. Overall, ties between the diplomat and former head of United Nations peacekeep- United States and Poland are IGNACY GAYDAMOVICH plays his cello as the Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke, Massa- ing missions. Duda handed out the honor in Washington, good and Poland is lobbying chusetts is demolished behind him. Demolition of the 117-year-old church, closed since 2011 where he attended a memorial service for President Bush. for a permanent U.S. military despite the ardent protestations its parishioners — many of whom occupied the church for a Jacques Paul Klein, who served as head of three United base that it has promised to year — began last month. Nations peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia, name “Fort Trump.” Poland’s The Polish-born Gaydamovich, while not a parishioner, closely followed the effort to save was awarded The Grand Cross of Order of Merit of the Re- conservative, nationalist gov- the church. public of Poland for overseeing UN joint operations with ernment also has a lot of ideo- “I came here to mourn this beautiful building that used to be such an important Polish Poland’s GROM special forces unit. logical similarities with U.S. heritage site,” Gaydamovich said. “And — thanks to I think greed — it is being demolished.” Duda also handed the honor to Mark Sutton, CEO of the President Donald Trump. Gaydamovich braved the biting cold to play Bach’s Sarabande Suite No. 1. The piece, he International Paper Company, for strengthening business Mosbacher, a Trump ap- said, is known for its somber tones and is “usually played in situations of a loss.” relations between the two countries and for the company’s pointee, said she wrote to “As a Polish immigrant, I really felt the pain of destroying it,” he said. investment in Poland. express “deep concern” over Afterwards, Gaydamovich was clearly moved by the moment. government treatment of “I am a little bit emotional,” he said. “I kind of feel music has a little more to offer than just MAMMOTH BONES FOUND IN WARSAW. The bones art. It has a real human significance.” of a prehistoric mammal were found during construction See “Letter,” page 4 Story on back cover of Płock station on an extension to the Warsaw metro. Pre- liminary information indicates that the bones may belong Piast Institute to a mammoth or prehistoric forest elephant. Both species ACPC Sponsors $5,000 Journalism Scholarship Selects New CEO lived in Poland during the Pleistocene period (often called WASHINGTON, D.C. — American community in mul- American Polonia, a detailed the Ice Age). The animals measured up to 15 feet in height The American Council for tiple ways for more than half history of how Polish Ameri- and weighed up to seven tons. Polish Culture (ACPC) has a century. cans both helped Poland “The remains found were extracted and cleaned by us created a new journalism achieve independence in No- and will be the subject of further research to determine the scholarship program to honor vember 1918, and supported exact species of this animal, its age and the circumstances a longtime Polish commu- Central Europe’s struggle of death,” said Dr. Wojciech Brzeziński, director of the Po- nity leader whose civic work against Nazi fascism and land’s National Museum of Archaeology (PMA) in War- helped thousands of Central communism until freedom saw. European immigrants follow- was again achieved in 1989. During the Pleistocene period, the present day Wola dis- ing World War II. Zachariasiewicz was ac- trict of the Polish capital was a lake. The Eye of the Eagle tively involved in the leader- “It is possible that this mammal entered the frozen lake, Władysław Zachariasie- ship of the American Council and the ice collapsed under its weight, which caused the wicz Memorial Journalism for Polish Culture, the Polish death of the creature,” said Brzeziński. Scholarship aims to award American Congress and the The bones are not the only fascinating items to have $5,000 annually toward col- Pulaski Parade Committee. been found during the construction of the second metro lege or graduate school tu- He served on the Board of Skrzyniarz line. Other finds include items related to the everyday life ition and school-related ex- Directors of Radio Free Eu- of residents of pre-war Warsaw, as well as the remnants penses other than room and Zachariasiewicz. Polish rope and Radio Liberty and HAMTRAMCK, Mich. of the old tram network in the area. Several military items board for students with a Army veteran became leader the John Paul II Foundation. — Virginia Skrzyniarz, CPS, have also been found. clearly demonstrated, defined in American Polonia. Scholarship program rules was approved enthusiasti- interest in a career in enter- call for applicants to be a U.S. cally by the entire board as the chief executive officer of BREXIT-INDUCED EXODUS. Nearly 100,000 Poles have prise journalism in the public “We are very honored to citizen, or currently applying the Piast Institute. Her experi- left Britain since last December 2017. Figures from Brit- interest. create this opportunity as for U.S. citizenship, admitted for at a fully accredited uni- ence and leadership were rec- ain’s Office for National Statistics show that some 985,000 orn in Krakow, Po- Poland’s marks 100 years of versity in the United States or ognized as outstanding. Poles were living in Britain in June 2018, down from 1.02 land, Zachariasiewicz renewed independence. This Poland. Special consideration Skrzyniarz, co-founder of million in December last year, That is the biggest drop served as a lieutenant program is made possible will be given to students of the Institute, has more than since 2004, when the British labor market opened up after Bin the Polish Army at the time with a generous donation Polish American heritage and 35 years’ experience manag- the enlargement of the European Union. Polish Radio cited of the German and Russian from the Zachariasiewicz those of non-Polish heritage ing non-profit organizations. Axel Antoni, a spokesperson for an EU citizens’ group in invasions in September 1939. family,” said Thomas Payne, who have a clear and thor- She has served as an execu- Britain called The 3 Million, as saying that Brexit had cre- He survived imprisonment by ACPC’s president. ough understanding of Polish tive level administrator with ated an atmosphere which made immigrants from Central the Soviets and immigrated Zachariasiewicz, who re- culture and values. duties in personnel, risk man- and Eastern Europe feel unwelcome. The British statistics to the U.S. in 1948 to use the sided in Chevy Chase, Md. at Awards will be based sole- agement, and supervision of office said that the reasons for people leaving the country skills he learned in law school the time of his death, died at ly on professional and aca- employees and facilities. were complex and attributing them to one factor would be at Krakow’s Jagiellonian age 104 in 2016. He authored a simplification. University to assist the Polish The Independence Ethos of see “Scholarship,” page 4 See “Piast,” page 4 2 www.polamjournal.com POLISH AMERICAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 2019 Almanac Viewpoints POLISH Follow us on Facebook, AMERICAN and on the web, too, at: GM’s Poletown Plant – www.polamjournal.com JOURNAL January Q Styczeń Controversy from Start to Finish Dedicated to the Promotion by Robert Strybel shiped at four Roman Catholic par- jumped at the opportunity when and Continuance of 1 NEW YEAR’S DAY ishes and one Polish National Cath- General Motors announced plans Polish American Culture SzczęŚliwego Nowego Roku! This reporter has received a olic Church and bade its loved ones to build a $500 million industrial ESTABLISHED 1911 Happy New Year! farewell through the Skupny Krot complex on the city’s east side.