ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Penn-Ohio Polka Pal of the Year Tony Petkovsek Celebrates 50 Years on Radio Federation of Slovenian Ho
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ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Penn-Ohio Polka 7:00 p.m • Thursday, March 31, 2011 Euclid City Hall, Council Chamber Pal of the Year 585 East 222nd Street, Euclid, Ohio Cecilia Dolgan has been chosen the 2011 Penn-Ohio Polka Pal of the Year. MEETING through March 31, 2014 . If you are She will be honored at a banquet, Two times a year the membership of interested in running for election as a Sunday, April 10, 2011, at DiVieste the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall trustee, please send in a brief biography, Party Center, Warren, Ohio. of Fame meet to discuss the organization by no later than January 31, 2011 to Cecilia is currently the president of the and future plans. Members are invited The Polka Hall of Fame, 605 East 222nd National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of to attend the 2011 Annual Meeting, Street, Euclid, Ohio 44123. Fame and has been the operating officer 7 p.m., Thursday, March 31, 2011 , at Trustees work on multiple tasks of the Polka Hall of Fame, Museum, and Euclid City Hall. and committees, such as Nominations, Gift Shop, for eleven years. She has The spring meeting introduces the Awards Show, Fund-Raising and contributed much to Slovenian music in new Trustees, who will serve for the next Archives. The PHOF is a not-for- America, and has recorded ten albums. three years, as well as the other board profit organization and depends on Cecilia is a Lifetime Achievement members who are presently on the its dedicated volunteers and Trustees honoree in the Polka Hall of Fame, Board. The meeting is an opportunity to keep functioning. inducted in 1990. She was the music for members to get an update on events, The trustees whose terms will expire director of the Slovenian Junior Chorus, finances, committee reports, as well as and who are seeking re-election are: SNPJ Circle 2 in Euclid, Ohio from 1965 express their opinions and give input Denny Bucar (At Large), Linda to 2007 to continue a successful organization. Hochevar (At Large), Wayne Tomsic The Penn-Ohio Polka Pals is an There is a social with refreshments (At Large), Joe Valencic (Slovenian organization of musicians from that follows the meeting, and members Institutions) and there is an open Northeastern Ohio and Western gather with friends, musicians, and position or Trustee in the Musician Pennsylvania, founded in 1976. Cecilia honorees. category. is the first woman to receive this award. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES Ballots for the election of Trustees For more details contact Rex Taneri, The Polka Hall of Fame is accepting will be mailed to members in February [email protected] the names of candidates for the three and the results will be announced at the year term of Trustee, from April 1, 2011 March 24th meeting. Tony Petkovsek Celebrates 50 Federation of Slovenian Homes in Years on Radio Cleveland Observes 50 Years Polka disc jockey Tony Petkovsek For 50 years, the Federation of Barberton, Ohio, 1:00 p.m., dinner will be celebrating 50 years of daily Slovenian Homes in Cleveland has been followed by dance with Frank Spetich, broadcasting in 2011. A banquet to nurturing the eight Slovenian homes Jr. band, till 5:30 p.m.; Jul 16 – Fairport honor Tony’s fifty years of service to that are located in Northeast Ohio. Slovenian American Club, 617-1/2 Third the Greater Cleveland community via The Federation will celebrate the 50th St. Fairport Harbor, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. his six-day a week radio show will anniversary with a series of ten events, dinner, 7:30 p.m. dance with Ray Polantz take place on Saturday, August 20, including one per month at the different orchestra; Sept. 18 – Slovenian Society 2011, at the Slovenian National Home, Slovenian homes. Home, 20713 Recher Ave., Euclid, 7:00 Cleveland, Ohio. The Slovenian homes are where polka to 11:00 p.m., dance, Fred Ziwich & the Tony has been honored with many dances have been going on for decades, International Sound Machine; Oct. 16 awards throughout his broadcasting career. He was inducted into the Polka and each will host dances this year. – Collinwood Slovenian Home, 15810 Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement The schedule is as follows: Jan. 30 – Holmes Avenue, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., Joey in 1992. He is known as Cleveland’s Slovenian National Home, 6417 St. Clair Tomsick orchestra. Polka Ambassador. He and his radio Ave., 1 p.m. Polka Mass, 3:00 to 7:00 The 50th Anniversary Awards club are sponsors of the popular p.m., Jeff Pecon Orchestra with guest Banquet will be held Saturday, March 19, Thanksgiving Weekend Polka Festival Joey Miskulin; Feb. 13 – Slovenian 2011, at the Slovenian National Home, in downtown Cleveland. National Home 2, 3563 East 80th Street, Cleveland, Ohio. The 2011 Slovenian Tony is a founder and chairman of the Noon, Polka Mass, 1 p.m., dinner, 2:30 Man of the Year is Joey Miskulin, board of the American Slovenian Polka to 5:30 p.m., Wayne Tomsic band; Apr. acclaimed musician and Polka Hall of Foundation. For more information call 9 – Slovenian Workmen’s Home, 15335 Famer, and the Slovenian Woman of the 216-952-8669. Waterloo Road, 4:30 p.m., cocktails and Year is Agnes Turk, tireless volunteer in dinner, 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., Don Wojtila the Slovenian community for more than Ticket Tumbler For Sale orchestra; May 13 – Slovenian Home- 50 years. A large ticket tumbler is available for $20. West Park, 4583 W. 130th St., 7:15 to For additional information call 216- Call the Polka Hall of Fame at 11 p.m. – Ed Klimczak band; Jun. 361-5115. 216-261-3263. Pick-up at PHOF only. 26 – Slovenian Independent Society, Two Polka Hall of Famers Pass Away We are sad to report that Norm Kobal and Jake Zagger, both Polka Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievers, passed away in November 2010. Both men were popular, talented musicians. by Fred Ziwich Jake Zagger saxophone, and flute made him a 1938 - 2010 popular sideman in swing bands and During the highest peak of Cleveland- polka groups. Norm’s talent brought Style Polka Music in the 1950’s, several him high recognition in 1996, when Jake Zagger brought a lot of of the main bands who recorded many he was inducted into the Polka Hall enjoyment by playing the accordion of the standard songs that are still played of Fame for Lifetime Achievement. reaching audiences along the polka Norm also wrote the words and today, recorded mostly instrumentals, belt from Cleveland to Youngstown to music to Emily’s Waltz, which was with not many vocals. As an example, Pittsburgh. A native of Sharon, PA, named “Greatest All-Time Hit Song of the 48 sides that Kenny Bass and Jake began playing the piano in 1998, by members of the Polka the Polka Poppers recorded for Coral accordion as a youngster, and later Hall of Fame. Norm dedicated the Records, only seven had vocals. The taught himself to play the button song to his granddaughter Emily. two cuts that the guys in the band sang accordion. He often entertained at He is not the only member of his were included in the first Kenny Bass LP, his family’s “Golden Bear Tavern” in family honored by the Polka Hall “Polka Lovers Time.” The other songs Sharon. of Fame, his father, Stan, a trumpet were sung by either the Kendall Sisters, His unassuming personality and and chromatic accordion player, a or Kenny Bass’ sisters. devotion to Slovenian polka music pioneer in polka music in the Girard, Those two cuts on the album have earned him the Polka Hall of Fame’s Ohio, area with the Airliners band, Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. one thing in common. Both were not a was placed on the Trustees Honor His first band was with his cousin Tony polka originally. “Blue Eyes Crying in Roll in 1998. Trontel, the Trontel-Zagger band that the Rain” was a country song, and “Hot He played flute with the performed from 1963 to 1972. Next, Diggity” a popular song sung my Perry Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Jake teamed up with Al Markic forming Como. The melody of “Hot Diggity” is for seven years, he directed and the Markic-Zagger band in 1973. Jake’s actually taken from “Espania Waltz” by played jazz concerts and was a guest talent was showcased on the button Emile Waldteufel, the same person who performer with the W.D Packard accordion and piano accordion at wrote what we call the “Skater’s Waltz.” Concert Band. He backed many picnics, dances, fests, and night spots in “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” had a few nationally known performers such the Penn-Ohio area, and on television different periods of popularity within the as Robert Goulet, Wayne Newton, in Cleveland, on Polka Varieties. world of polka music. Popular Croatian and Sergio Franchi at the Stambaugh He was named Penn-Ohio Polka Pal Auditorium and the Symphony singer Ivica Serfezi (1935-2004) biggest of the year 2000. Center. hits were American songs, translated into Jake recorded an album with Tony Norm was named the Penn-Ohio Croatian. The song Blue Eyes Crying in Trontel, three albums with Markic- Polka Pal of the year 1992. the Rain became “Suze Liju Plave Oci” Zagger, Walter Ostanek, Johnny Norm taught music at public with words by Nikica Kalogjera, who Krizancic, Bob Kravos, and Hank schools in Girard, Ohio, for 33 wrote many hit songs in Croatia. Haller. years. All the while, he played in Frankie Yankovic realized the potential Jake’s album “Melodies from Back many different bands, including Del of having the song sung in the Croatian Home In Pennsylvania” was the Sinchak, Trontel-Zagger, Markic- language and recorded it on the Columbia Recording of the Year, in 2002, the Zagger, Don Slogar, Joe Luzar, Ray LP “Beers ‘n Cheers” with vocalist Rudy same year Jake was voted Best Button Polantz, Dave Wretschko, Tony Vincent (Ujcich).