1997: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
The noteworthy: people in the news
Our list of noteworthy people in 1997 is replete with Ukrainians who
were honored for their professional and civic contributions to Canada and
the United States.
- Walter Chyzowych, the former soccer coach, was inducted posthumously
into the Hall of Fame of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
at a NSCAA Convention held in Nashville, Tenn., on January 17. He was honored
as "a pioneer for American collegiate coaches" and for his role
in founding, organizing and promoting the first nationwide soccer coaching
education program. Mr. Chyzowych, who coached the World Cup, Olympic, Pan
American and National Youth soccer teams, died in 1994 at the age of 57.
His award was accepted by his brothers, Ihor and Eugene, and nephew, Ihor
Jr.
- Nestor Burtnyk, a retired scientist from Canada's National Research
Council, received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in Beverly
Hills, Calif., on March 1. Mr. Burtnyk, of Kanata, Ontario, and his former
colleague, Dr. Marceli Wein of Kingston, Ontario, were honored for their
early work in computer animation. The pair developed key-frame animation
in the late 1960s-early 1970s, a technique that imitates conventional celanimation
on the computer.
- Victor Malarek, co-host of CBC-TV's "The Fifth Estate" weekly
investigative news program, won the Gordon Sinclair Award for best overall
broadcast journalist on March 1. The award was presented by the Academy
of Canadian Cinema and Television during its 11th annual Gemini Awards.
A former reporter with Canada's national daily newspaper, The Globe and
Mail, Mr. Malarek is currently in his seventh season at "The Fifth
Estate."
- Osyp Zinkewych, founder of the Smoloskyp publishing house and human
rights organization, was presented Ukraine's Presidential Award by Foreign
Affairs Minister Hennadii Udovenko on March 7 at a ceremony held at the
residence of Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Yuri Shcherbak. Mr.
Zinkewych was honored for his educational and charitable activities spanning
more than 30 years. Founded in Baltimore in 1967, Smoloskyp was a leading
publisher of works by persecuted and imprisoned writers in Ukraine. Today
the publishing house is located in Kyiv, where it continues to publish
the works of young writers and activists.
- The Svoboda Ukrainian-language daily newspaper was presented an award
for contributing to American life by the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural
Center in Philadelphia during the center's anniversary banquet on April
5. Zenon Snylyk, who has served as Svoboda's editor-in-chief for 17 years,
accepted the award on behalf of the Ukrainian daily, which has been published
by the Ukrainian National Association, now based in Parsippany, N.J., for
104 years.
- Olha Kuzmowycz, a longtime editor and reporter with the Svoboda Ukrainian-language
daily newspaper, was feted for writing her 1,000th article at an evening
of tribute held in her honor at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural
Center in Philadelphia on April 12. Mrs. Kuzmowycz, of Babylon, N.Y., began
her career at Svoboda at the age of 65 and has penned articles, interviews
and the "Pro Tse i Te" (About This and That) column under the
pen name "O-KA" for the past 15 years.
- Dr. Olexander and Yaroslava Gudziak of Syracuse, N.Y., endowed a new
professorship in theology at the Lviv Theological Academy through a gift
of $250,000 announced on April 7. Bishop Lubomyr Husar of the Ukrainian
Greek-Catholic Church presented the Gudziaks with a scroll of gratitude
from Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky and the Rev. Michael Dymyd, rector
of the Lviv Theological Academy, during a "sviachene" (Easter
dinner) in Detroit.
- Several community institutions joined forces to honor a community activist
for his lifelong contributions to various Ukrainian causes. Joseph Lesawyer
was the guest of honor at the June 8 testimonial banquet held at the Sheraton
New York Hotel under the sponsorship of the Ukrainian Institute of America,
the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National
Association. For over three-quarters of a century, Mr. Lesawyer held positions
as an executive in the Ukrainian Youth League of North America, executive
vice-president of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, president of the
Ukrainian National Association for 17 years, executive director of the
Shevchenko Memorial Committee and national chairman of Ukrainian American
Democrats. He was actively involved in many other community organizations
as well.
- Danylo Shumuk, the longest serving Soviet political prisoner, was honored
by the Toronto Branch of Amnesty International and numerous Ukrainian Canadian
watchdog groups at a tribute marking the 10th anniversary of his release
held in Toronto on September 28. The 82-year-old Mr. Shumuk served 42 years
in Soviet jails, prison camps and in exile, and arrived in Canada in May
1987.
- The Washington Group's "Friend of Ukraine" award was presented
during the annual Leadership Conference [see "Ukrainians in the U.S.:
looking to the future"] held in Washington on October 10-12 to two
prominent New York cultural figures: Lidia Krushelnytsky, director of the
Ukrainian Stage Ensemble, and Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky, choreographer/artistic
director of the Syzokryli dance ensemble. The two women were cited for
"their outstanding contribution to the cause of Ukraine and the Ukrainian
American community" in a ceremony that took place during TWG's annual
awards banquet.
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, December
28, 1997, No. 52, Vol. LXV
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