LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (09/29/02)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Another perspective on Labor Day weekend

Dear Editor:

Our family was surprised to read some of the comments by Andrij Chornodolsky about the Labor Day festivities at Soyuzivka.

Was he at the same Soyuzivka at which we vacationed? Some of his kind words are greatly appreciated, but the reader was left with the false impression that one had to travel beyond the UNA estate to get good food, good drink and something to do.

We do a fair amount of entertaining of our employees and friends at Soyuzivka, as well as many other establishments throughout the New York area. To say the Trembita lounge was lacking for good drink is ludicrous, as it has one of the finest selections in the metropolitan area - including several Ukrainian beers. There must be well over 100 different beers, wines and spirits - including the largest selection of Ukrainian vodkas I have ever seen.

And what exactly was the purpose of claiming that "Thousands of meals were consumed in the vicinity, unfortunately most not at Soyuzivka"? Not only is this not true, it is an insult to the staff and volunteers that did serve the thousands of meals between Odesa Night on the Veselka Patio and the Sunday brunch in the main dining room. In general, the staff gave 200 percent. Where else do the chefs bus tables and the bartenders work 20-hour days? Perhaps many people did get too much of varenyky and ventured out for pizza and Big Macs. But just as with the tremendous bar selection, where can you start out Friday with a lobster feast and the million-dollar view from Veselka, and finish with kyshka, duck and smoked salmon on Monday brunch? The closest I can imagine is a room at the Plaza Hotel on Central Park South with catering by Baczynsky's, Zabar's and Brewsky's!

We could go on and on and, in fact, we will. The comment regarding the absence of the "Save Suzy-Q table" was similarly wrong. Perhaps the 300 people who were making donations of $6 for sandwiches at the pig roaster (that was manned by volunteers) obscured the view. Regular UNA members donated a side of beef, a pig and several turkeys with all the proceeds going to "Save Soyuzivka" (per the signs that three of the youngsters posted throughout the estate).

Speaking of youngsters, why did Mr. Chornodolsky lament an absence of young people at the concert? This concert was jam-packed with young and old. Not only were all the seats taken, but there was little standing room, with most of the young people sneaking up front to sit on the floor in front of a great show.

And while the demographically rich readership of The Ukrainian Weekly eagerly awaits the announcement of the new financial plan for Suzy-Q, Mr. Chornodolsky shares a bizarre notion of how the absence of vendors forebodes doom for the future of our resort. Personally, we were looking forward to a couple of spreadsheets of discounted cashflows over the next seven years with a strategy to increase the bottom line in the three profit centers that are not capital intensive. What do myths about cranes have to do with increasing traffic in the bar, restaurant and gift shop? If anything, we were glad that there were fewer vendors as that means more business for the Soyuvika gift shop (which has great potential to generate low cost margins during the off season). Has anyone ever searched e-Bay to see how many Ukrainian items are sold each day? Incidentally, there were five vendors at Suzy-Q, including two UNA members who set up a beautiful display for heirloom-grade necklaces and "vinky" perfect Christmas gifts at the Suzy-Q gift shop!

Finally, we are surprised that Mr. Chornodolsky did not notice the suggestion box as it has two legs, sets up tables for Odesa night and mops the dance floor at 2 a.m. so the dancers won't get hurt doing the Kolomyika. He responds to the name of John A. Flis and is open to anyone and everyone for suggestions. Mr. Flis is not just a manager but also a saint to handle each and every guest as professionally as he does. In fact, we were amazed at one lady who heaped insult upon insult on the bar staff for taking her drink away. She sneaked her own drink into the bar and one of the skilled staff members noticed that it was a 12-ounce cup and not a 14-ounce cup that is standard. Mr. Flis listened with the patience of the Great Sphinx and, despite a busy weekend, calmly waited for the lady to vent. After 15 dreadful minutes, he expertly turned an angry guest into a laughing patron who bought a round at the bar!

Mr. Chornodolsky, excuse us for sounding angry, but we are. The criticism you offer under the guise of "seeing and overhearing at Soyuzivka" is not only false, but counterproductive. Soyuzivka is at a critical crossroads and the last thing we need is unconstructive criticism, i.e., whining.

The staff at Soyuzivka is providing an incredible value given its limited resources. And the proof is that Suzy-Q is sold out more often than the surrounding hotels, which you admire. After all, if their business is so lucrative, why do they have empty rooms for our people on the biggest weekend of the summer?

You mentioned the myth of the cranes, but can we suggest the movie "Taras Bulba," another marvelous myth? Notice that when the enemy is driven off the cliffs, they scream and cry. But when one Kozak falls, there is not a sound to be heard.

We would like to think that Mr. Bulba might say, "Come to nasha Soyuzivka; eat and drink until the deficit goes to the devil - but no whining."

Yaroslaw and Karen Chelak
Morristown, N.J.

Paskievich's film expresses real life

Dear Editor:

I personally found John Paskievich's film "My Mother's Village to have been interesting and thought-provoking.

The diversity of reaction to that film reflects the diversity of experience of people of Ukrainian descent in the diaspora. Mr. Paskievich has allowed the expression of real life experiences that are not stereotypically presented in the usual North American Ukrainian media. Well done, Mr. Paskievich.

M. Szul
Toronto

The Ukrainian Weekly welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typed (double-spaced) and signed; they must be originals, not photocopies. The daytime phone number and address of the letter-writer must be given for verification purposes.

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