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RT09102015

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 • TIMES 23 QUEENS Ridgewood artist’s logo chosen for first Polish Bilingual Day celebration BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @KellyMMancuso Polish-American artist and Ridgewood resident Beata Slazak Zalewski was recently honored when her original design was chosen by the Polish Foreign Ministry as the logo for America’s fi rst Polish Bilingual Day Festival. The festival was created by the New York-based Dobra Polska Szkola Foundation in conjunction with other local Polish schools and organizations to celebrate and preserve Polish language, culture and traditions. Dobra Polska Szkola, which is translated in English as “a good Polish school,” is an online magazine and organization fi rst founded back in 2010 by editorin chief Marta Kustek as a small blog. Over the past four years, Dobra Polska Szkola has evolved into a major source of knowledge and information for Polish- Americans. The group’s main focus is to help foster an appreciation for bilingual education within Polish- American communities through fi lm, literature and history. “We are encouraging them to read Polish, to speak Polish, to be more interested in Polish culture,” Kustek explained. “Because most of them were born here, it’s not so easy for them to do this. Polish culture is very rich and Polish history is very interesting, so we’re encouraging them to remember.” Polish Bilingual Day grew out a project fi rst launched in 2011 by Dobra Polska Szkola called “W Naszym Domu Mowimy Po Polsku,” or “In our home, we speak Polish.” In 2015, Dobra Polska Szkola received funding from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an effort to help launch the fi rst Polish Bilingual Day nationwide. The Polish government will declare the second Saturday of October as Polish Bilingual Day through a special ceremony this Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Polish consulate in Manhattan. Zalewski will also be on hand for the unveiling of her colorful logo. For her design, Zalewski chose to paint a rooster, a prominent symbol of Polish folk art usually portrayed in black and white amid colorful fl owers. Zalewski broke with tradition and took a more modern approach, infusing the rooster with vibrant colors and a dash of whimsy. The rooster’s bright tail feathers contain the Polish words “witaj,” “co” and “czesc,” along with their English counterparts “hello,” “what” and “hi.” Her design will be featured on pins, T-shirts and posters throughout the 2015 festival. The celebration aims to educate young generations of Polish-American children about Poland’s rich history while encouraging them to learn and engage in the language of their ancestors. The festival will highlight the achievements and contributions of Polish- Americans, including Janusz Liberkowski, creator of the safety seat for children, and Maksymilian Faktorowicz, better known to the world as the founder of cosmetics company Max Factor. The holiday will also honor other notable fi gures, such as bulletproof vest inventors Kazinierz Zeglen and Jan Szczepanik, as well as Kazimierz Funk, a Polish biochemist credited with being among the fi rst to formulate the concept of vitamins, which he called “vital amines” or “vitamines,” in 1912. The fi rst annual Polish Bilingual Day will be celebrated nationwide on Saturday, Oct. 10. A local celebration will be held on that day at P.S. 71, located at 62-85 Forest Ave. in Ridgewood, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The festivities will include an art exhibit, educational talks, Polish folk dancing and a celebration of Polish cuisine, from pierogi and paczki to bigos and more. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. For more information, visit www. DobraPolskaSzkola. com. RIDGEWOOD TIMES/Photo by Kelly Marie Mancuso Ridgewood resident and artist Beata Slazak Zalewski holding a poster bearing her winning design for the first annual Polish Bilingual Day celebration Photo courtesy of Dobra Polska Szkola Beata Slazak Zalewski’s logo design based on Polish folk art. Fun days for the whole family scheduled in Glendale and Maspeth this month BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@ridgewoodtimes.com @robbpoz September’s arrival may mean the end of summer vacation for children across Queens, but that doesn’t mean the end of summer fun. Organizations in Glendale and Maspeth are planning to hold two special days of free activities this month for children of all ages in both communities. First, the Kiwanis Club of Glendale will hold its annual Community Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, on the center green of the Shops at Atlas Park, located off the intersection of Cooper Avenue and 80th Street. Games, infl atable rides and live entertainment are planned, and the Kiwanis Club will offer food and beverages to all guests. Additionally, the club will give away 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to local children. Happy faces will also fi ll the parking lot of Maspeth Federal Savings bank’s main branch on Sunday, Sept. 20, as the bank holds its annual “Smile on Maspeth Day” celebration. The festivities will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, off the intersection of 69th Street and Grand Avenue; admission is free. Children will get the chance to enjoy a day of games, arts and crafts, rides, face painting and other activities. They can also get up close with some young farm animals at a free petting zoo. For more information, call Maspeth Federal at 718-335- 1300.


RT09102015
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