LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (07/08/01)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Soyuzivka beckons summer vacationers

Dear Editor:

Well, it's that time of year again: time to head out for summer vacation. Where we live, our choices are: 1. the Lake Erie shore with its quiet beaches; 2. the Jersey Shore with its wild boardwalk and beaches; 3. Disney World (yeah, sure, as if I'd bust the bank to spend time in essentially a crazy house); or 4. Soyuzivka in the Catskill Mountains.

With three kids, you'd probably guess that of the three real choices at least the kids would chose No. 2, the Jersey shore.

But you're wrong. The unanimous choice for the past 10 years plus, has been as the kids call it, Suzy-Q. Keep in mind that our kids are as all-American as our neighbors, the Smiths. They are so all-American they even hate going to Saturday morning Ridna Shkola and Monday night Ukrainian dance classes (well, except our daughter, Eryna).

But, when it comes to summer vacation, Soyuzivka wins unanimously, 5-0 - even with my non-Ukrainian wife.

Our three kids (14, 11 and 11) "live" in the Olympic-sized swimming pool, both day and night. I've actually seen their diving and swimming abilities improve a year in just one week at Suzy-Q. And then we play tennis, hike around (the falls are a favorite destination), bike to our hearts' content and more. The resort is so safe and has so many trails, the kids can just take off biking and hiking on their own.

And eat ... oh, do we eat! The kids spend 11 months of the year comparing my grilling skills to Suzy-Q's Monday night "Get Acquainted (Steak) Night." According to them no restaurant in Pittsburgh comes close to "Hutsul Night's" prime rib and entertainment. And any time we eat at a Chinese seafood buffet, it is almost always compared to Chef Snake's "Odesa Night" seafood feast every Friday night. (He's got a strange nickname, but a talent for food). About the only food we don't get at Soyuzivka is Chinese, but that's only because the chef hasn't yet found Ukrainian names for Chinese food.

As for my wife and me, it's the entertainment and just the relaxed nature of the resort that makes our vacation.

How many times have you returned to work after vacation more tired than when you left? Then that vacation was not spent at Soyuzivka. The resort has so much to do, yet is so peaceful. If peace and quiet is all you want, once you arrive you never have to get back into your car until you pack to return home.

So if you parents want to return to work after a vacation truly relaxed, Soyuzivka is the place to go. But beware: after one week it will be the kids who will make your plans for Suzy-Q the following summer.

George "Yurko" Honchar
Carnegie, Pa.

Student volunteer needed for project

Dear Editor:

From a recent issue of The Weekly, I learned of the 135 students who were given scholarships from the Ukrainian National Association. I'd like to express my kudos to them.

At the same time, I would like to know if any of these students would like to be of service? A few years ago, I completed an alphabetical index for the journal Forum, and from the hundred issues, I prepared over 3,500 entries so that presently I have something similar to an encyclopedia.

Now, I have all the issues of The Ukrainian Quarterly and I believe that such an index would be handy since the Quarterly's present index is by article title and article contributor. It is very difficult to find anything, especially if one is looking for a particular subject.

For example, The Ukrainian Quarterly covered the subject of Rus' and Russia in many issues, but these articles cannot be found, unless one looks through every fourth issue's published index. If a student offered to index issues, according to the many suggested topics, The Ukrainian Quarterly would have a tremendous alphabetical index listing the article's title, its contributor, obituaries, book reviews, etc.

If some ambitious student wants to offer his service, he or she can contact me at 235 Bellevue Road, New Haven, CT 06511-1615.

Wasyll Gina
New Haven, Conn.

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