President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20500

 

July 25, 2014

Dear Mr. President

The Polish American Congress and its representatives throughout the country are disturbed and most concerned about the atrocities that have been occurring in Ukraine over the last several months and most recently, the tragedy concerning the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH 17 over eastern Ukraine that killed all of its 298 innocent people.

This last incident by pro-Russian separatists supported nu the Kremlin has also ignited many in the Polish American community to connect it with the airplane crash in Smolensk killing President Kaczynski of Poland and all his Polish government fellow passengers on board the tragic flight in April 2010.

As a Polish American Community, we firmly support imposing consequential sanctions on Russia and other actions should they become necessary.  The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is without a doubt Europe’s most important security challenge since the Cold War and will remain so until it is resolved.

Mr. President, the Polish American Congress urges and supports you in speaking and convincing other world leaders on the dangers that the Russian government has precipitated in Ukraine.  Mr. Putin, as President of the Russian Federation, should be reminded of his responsibility to use his influence and power to curb the unrest and fighting in his part of the world rather than provoking it.

We ask you to use lead the way by trying to influence and promote support of other European countries to act in unison with the United States and to speak with one voice, otherwise we and the rest of the world as well, will never be safe. It’s unfortunate that European countries such as France, England, Italy and Germany fail to recognize the danger in security terms rather than in economic terms principally.  We need to provide support for the new Ukrainian government to maintain its national security and desire to live in peace.

As the Polish American Congress, our concerns are for the safety and well-being of the citizens of Poland based on the fact of its bordering Ukraine and proximity to Russia.

We need to reinforce diplomacy by having conflicted countries respect international laws and rights of neighboring nations which is the basis of security in a civilized world.

The Polish American community looks to your leadership.

Respectfully,

Frank J. Spula

President

Polish American Congress

 

 

Dearborn Heights Mayor Daniel Paletko was on the receiving end of witticism and barbs at the 15th Annual Polish Day Parade Roast on Thursday, June 12, at the American Legion Carl E. Stitt Post 232 banquet hall in Dearborn Heights.
Daniel Paletko has been a Mayor of the city of Dearborn Heights since 2004.  He was born in 1950 in Detroit, but was raised in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights with his siblings, Claudia and Gerard.  He was educated at St. Stephens, Divine Child then St. Linus Catholic School and graduated from Crestwood High School in 1969.  He received an Associate’s Degree from Henry Ford Community College, a BBA from University of Michigan – Dearborn and a Masters of Business from University of Detroit before working as CPA at Ernst & Ernst.  He then worked as a manager at Ford Motor Company and obtained a Masters of Tax from Wayne State University during his tenure.  In 2003, Dan retired from Ford Motor Company.
At the age of 21, he was elected onto the Dearborn Heights City Council and served until he was elected State Representative of the 17th District in 2003.  In late December 2004, he was asked by City Council to return to Dearborn Heights as the Mayor where he continues to this day.
While working full-time, continuing his education and serving the public, Mayor Paletko always found time for his two daughters, Marie and Ann, and cannot be more proud of them. He has instilled good values in them, stressing the importance of faith, heritage, schooling and serving the community.
Mayor Paletko is “Proud to be Polish” and never misses an opportunity to enrich his culture and celebrate his heritage.  He knows Hamtramck very well and remembers how, as a child and adolescent, he worked alongside his father who owned the Tondryk’s Home Appliance on Joseph Campau.  
Mayor Paletko has always been a huge UofM fan and never misses a home game with his daughter Ann during the football season.  Paletko also loves racing and has been an MI5 season ticket holder since 1974.
The Polish Day Parade Committee chose Mayor Daniel Paletko as their 2014 Polish Day Parade Grand Marshal.  Since 1999, a “Roast” is being held ahead of the parade, during which the Grand Marshal has to withstand sometimes a bit naughty (but healthy and entertaining) jokes and humorous tells about the “guest of honor”.
This year, Mayor Paletko’s scheduled line-up of roasters included Ron Amen (Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Dearborn Heights), Hon. Judge Mark Plawecki (Dearborn Heights 20th District Court), Hon. Judge Greg Bill (Wayne County Circuit Court) and Retired Judge Tony Guerriero (former Allen Park District Court).
The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Gary Miotke, Dearborn Heighs City attorney.
The event was attended by Mayor Paletko’s friends, colleagues, family members, as well as members of the Polish Day Parade committee.
Proceeds from the roast will benefit the annual Polish Day Parade held on Labor Day in Hamtramck.  The parade is sponsored by the Polish American Congress Michigan Division. 
In a special address published in the occasional program book for “The Roast”, the Chairman of the Polish Day Parade Committee, Hon. Judge John Chmura writes: “The Polish Day Parade, with dancers wearing brightly colored costumes, polka bands, singers, and veterans groups, brings back all those wonderful Hamtramck memories.  The Polish Day Parade is Hamtramck”.
The Polish Day Parade Committee includes: Henry Anonick, Wally Banka, Bob Bielenda, Terry A. Bogusz, John M. Chmura, Ann Felczak, Victor Jiompkowski, Mike Kiefer, Kathy Kristy, Barbara Lemecha, Hank Luks, Karen Majewski, Brian Malski, Edward Mandell, Jerrold Marsh, Rafał Nowakowski, Michelle Odrobina, Dennis Orlowski, Christopher Ozog, Keith Sadowski, Thomas Schemanski, Mariusz Szajnert, Sebastian Szczepański, Stella Szczęsny, Barbara Toboy, Mary Ellen Tyszka and Cheryl Zipay.

(Story courtesy of “Polish Times”)

GO TO GALLERY TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

The Polish American Congress Michigan Division Scholarship Committee, after evaluating all the scholarship applications, is happy to announce the 2014 Scholarship Recipients.  They are:

– Ewa Bieciuk (Wayne State University – Early Childhood Education)

– Filip Buniewicz (University of Michigan – Civil Engineering)

– Michael Chrusciel (Wayne State University – Master of Library and Information Science)

– Matthew Piecyk (Macomb Community College – Psychology)

– Beata Sas (Wayne State University – Psychology)

– Evelina Kutyma (Central Michigan University – Neuroscience)

CONGRATULATIONS!

The scholarships will be presented on August 6 at Krakus Restaurant in Hamtramck, MI.  More details to come!

HAMTRAMCK, MI – Michigański Wydział Kongresu Polonii Amerykańskiej (KPA) informuje, iż w soboty w siedzibie KPA w Hamtramck organizowane są DYŻURY PRAWNICZE, w trakcie których współpracujący z KPA prawnicy oferują darmowe konsultacje.

W miesiącu maju dyżurować będą:
Sobota, 10 maja (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) – Melanie Goldberg;
Sobota, 17 maja (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) – Jakub Szlaga.

Aby umówić się na spotkanie z prawnikiem należy wcześniej zarejestrować się dzwoniąc do biura KPA na numer telefonu 313-365-9400. Siedziba KPA mieści się przy 11333 Joseph Campau w Hamtramck, MI. Biuro otwarte jest w środy i piątki w godzinach 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm oraz w soboty w godzinach 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.