THE NEWS FROM HERE (07/06/03)

THE NEWS FROM HERE

EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers of The Ukrainian Weekly might recall an editorial headlined "The news from here" that appeared in our March 9 issue. The reference was to a reader who called to complain that our newspaper did not carry any "news from here," but declined to say just exactly where "here" was. Her point was well-taken, however. It is clear to us that one of the things we lack is news from our local communities. We explained in that editorial how we, a staff of 2.5, do not have our own reporters all over North America, and that we rely to a great extent on local activists to share the news from their communities.

Two weeks later we printed a letter from a reader titled "The Weekly needs 'news from here.' " The letter writer suggested that we establish a special section for such news and that we encourage readers to send in information to a coordinator on our staff who would then be responsible for compiling it into something a la "Newsbriefs."

And thus, with thanks to our readers - and in anticipation of our readers' continued input to this column - we publish our first issue of "The News from Here," as compiled by Roxolana Woloszyn, a summer intern on our editorial staff.

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It warms the heart to read about people who perform good deeds. Those with a sense of duty inspire people to donate their time and effort to a cause they deem important. These citizens have contributed to causes not with themselves in mind, but strictly to help others in need. The initiative that those like Paul Logan Safchuck, Vera Petrusha and Orest Fedash take, inspires us all to do a little extra, to accomplish more in our lives.

BALTIMORE: Pioneer in White Lung efforts

Paul Logan Safchuck, who dedicated his life to White Lung health and safety, died in May of complications from asbestosis. According to an obituary written by Jacques Kelly of The Baltimore Sun (headline: "Paul Logan Safchuck, 90, advocate for worker safety, Beth Steel riveter"), Mr. Safchuck was a steel riveter and shipfitter in Bethlehem, Pa., from 1935 until his retirement in 1975. In this type of work, Mr. Safchuck was exposed to asbestos and was diagnosed with asbestosis more than 20 years ago.

His contraction of asbestosis prompted Mr. Safchuck to join the Dundalk, Pa., chapter of the White Lung Association in 1982. That same year he became the chapter's president, and then the national treasurer in 1983. Mr. Safchuck went on to become the national president in 1984 and remained in that position until his death. Upon becoming a member of the White Lung Association, Mr. Safchuck appealed to the state and federal governments for asbestos control and elimination legislation.

A part of this crusade required Mr. Safchuck to testify before the House and Senate committees in Washington. He also rallied to remove asbestos from educational institutions by supporting the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act.

Mr. Safchuck's work concerning asbestos did not go unnoticed, beginning in 1969 when he received the governor's citation for his work with sick children. In the 1980s he won the Governor's Annual Volunteer Service Award for victims of asbestos-related diseases. Then in 1986 Mr. Safchuck was given the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste certificate for his work to close the Norris Landfill in Baltimore County.

At the age of 90, Paul Logan Safchuck died at Franklin Square Hospital Center. However, his dedication to the White Lung Association will be remembered for years to come.

TROY, MICH.: Advocate for Ukrainian orphans

In Troy, Mich., Vera Petrusha also works for a cause in which she has wholeheartedly involved herself. Ms. Petrusha's parents were born in Ukraine, and in 1996, Ms. Petrusha visited her parents' birthplace. What she saw there shocked her: overcrowded and dilapidated orphanages lacking necessities.

These images altered Ms. Petrusha's life, so she decided to help alleviate the situation by founding the Ukrainian Children's Aid and Relief Effort (UCARE), as reported late last year by Kurt Kuban of the Troy Eccentric. She and other parishioners from the church to which she belongs, St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Southfield, Mich., help raise money, and collect clothing and toiletries. Annually, Ms. Petrusha takes these supplies to Ukraine and distributes them among the most needy orphanages. UCARE also pays for medical procedures and provides college scholarships for the orphans.

Approximately 100,000 children live in orphanages in Ukraine. Various factors contribute to this high number of orphans in the country, one of them being the premature death of parents in a country where health is not well maintained. In addition, rough economic times and substance abuse lead to child abandonment. Lastly, many children occupying the orphanages suffer from birth defects due to the Chornobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.

EAST HANOVER, N.J.: Supporter of veterans

Like Mr. Safchuck's and Ms. Petrusha's stories of an individual making a difference in many people's lives, this is a story of individual goodwill in this competitive corporate world. When Costco, Home Depot and Target stores in northern New Jersey would not allow veterans to distribute poppies for donations during their traditional Memorial Day drive, Orest Fedash did.

Mr. Fedash is the executive general manager of the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in East Hanover, N.J., where he gave veterans permission to set up fund-raising tables. The veterans positioned themselves in the hotel lobby where many people pass during busy nights. His support of the veterans drew the attention of The New York Times and an article spotlighting his assistance appeared in the New Jersey section of the newspaper's Sunday, May 25, issue.

Under the heading of "Communities," The Times ran a story by George James headlined "Patriotism, Shopping and Poppies; Veterans' Memorial Day Drive is Barred at Big Chain Stores." The article was accompanied by a photo of a commander of a local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars pinning a poppy on a Ramada guest.

Mr. Fedash said he knows the importance of soldiers as a result of living under the Communist regime. A Ukrainian who fled Communist-dominated Poland and came to the United States in 1972, Mr. Fedash said he believes that during World War II men like these helped preserve the freedom that we have today. "Without them," he said, "We'd have no freedom."

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