Happy New Year 2011!

After a lovely, warm and welcoming Christmas Party at the Wilks in Anaheim Hills, singing Polish Christmas Carols with wonderful musicians, Karolina Naziemiec (viola and voice), accompanied by Arek Niezgoda (guitar) and Irina Chirkova (cello), we said our farewells to the Old Year and welcomed the New Year during an elegant New Year's Eve Ball at the private Long Beach Petroleum Club.
Our Ball had the theme of "Winter Wonderland." Board member and artist Krystyna Okuniewska designed the decorations in whites, silvers and blues. She transformed the hall into a magical space of sparkling crystals and ice. Dance music was by DJ Richard Mojica, who presented an assortment of favorite dance music, from golden oldies, ballroom, through rock, salsa, tango, waltz. The eclectic evening had something for everyone and featured Polish dance music and a Polonaise selected by club member Wojciech Szeremeta. Andrzej Maleski entertained the guests with a concert of Polish oldies dedicated to various attendees. Historical dance choreographer Irene Ujda led the Polonaise to officially start the ball. A report with photographs of the event will be available on the new website. For now, the invitation contains the basic information about it: Invitation Flyer PDF We are slowly adding material to the website. Recently, a report from the Kabaret Starszych Panow Program (November 21, 2010), was added to the Polish part of the new site, with content by Jolanta Siemieniewski, Witold Fraczek and Witold Czajkowski: Kabaret Report in Polish, PDF. These texts will also be translated and added to the English website.

  CALENDAR OF EVENTS PLANNED FOR THE SPRING OF 2011:

• January 22, 2011, 6:30 p.m. - Travel to Tibet with Edward and Maria Pilatowicz, screening of film and conversations with long-time club members and past-presidents at an art-filled home of Monique and David Lehman, Pasadena.
• February 19, 2011, 6:30 p.m. - Mickiewicz Today, conversation with Prof. Roman Koropeckyj, UCLA, Mickiewicz Scholar and Prof. Leonard Kress, Owens College, poet and translator of Pan Tadeusz into English. Illustrated with fragments of Andrzej Wajda's "Pan Tadeusz" in Polish. Conversation in English. The Ruskin Art Club, Los Angeles.
• March 26, 2011, 6:30 p.m. - What's New in Space? Andrew Z. Dowen presents updates from NASA. Joint meeting with Polacy in Inland Empire Club. JPL Lecture Hall.
• April 16, 2011, 6:30 p.m. - Milosz in My Life, conversation with poets John Guzlowski and Cecilia Woloch, about Czeslaw Milosz, Nobel-Prize winning poet, whose year is celebrated in 2011. The Ruskin Art Club, Los Angeles.