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Voices of Polonia
BY TED RAJCHEL Utica Phoenix LT. COL. MATT LOUIS URBAN Lt. Col. Matt Louis Urban Lieutenant Colonel Matt Louis Urban (August 25, 1919-March 4, 1995) was a United States Army Infantry officer who served...
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Voices of Polonia: "Ralph Modjeski"
BY TED RAJCHEL Utica Phoenix During his lifetime, Ralph Modjeski was considered the world’s leading bridge engineer for his contributions to transportation, bridge design, and construction. He designed...
View ArticleVoices of Polonia: Jefferson & Kosciuszko
By Ted Rajchel Before Americans claimed equal rights, they were subject to British control of their everyday life. What brought about these changes? The Declaration of Independence of 1776 brought...
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Voices of Polonia: Frederick Chopin
By Ted Rajchel Frederic Chopin was a musical genius. He showed great admiration for the piano at a very young age. He composed two polonaises (Polish dances) at the age of seven years. Frederic was a...
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Voices of Polonia: Admiral Hyman Rickover
by Ted Rajchel Editor’s Note: Ted and Joan Rajchel return with their column after a long hiatus. Welcome back Ted & Joan! Also, the below article is the full article written for the Phoenix. The...
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Voices of Polonia: Joseph Tykociner
By Ted Rajchel Background Tykociner was born in Wtoclawek, Poland on October 5, 1877 and died in Urbana, Illinois on June 11, 1969. He was a professor of electrical engineering at the University of...
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Stanislaw Ulam-Player of a Key Role in the Development of the Atomic and...
by Ted Rajchel Stanislaw Ulam (1904-1984) was born in Lwow, Poland, where he received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1933 at the Lwow Polytechnic Institute. Born into a wealthy Polish Jewish family, Ulam...
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Voices of Polonia: June 2014
By Ted Rajchel Dr. Scott E. Parazynski, M.D NASA Astronaut Background Scott Edward Parazynski, born July 28, 1961 in Little Rock, Arkansas to a Polish-American family, is an American physician, a...
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Gene Krupa An American Jazz and Big band Drummer
Background Gene Krupa was an American jazz and BigBand drummer with star power. Rising to fame with the Benny Goodman Band, Gene was the first superstar drummer. He was known for his highly energetic...
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The Capture of Santa Anna in the Mexican War for Texas Independence
Earlier Arrivals A few Poles arrived in Texas as early as 1818. These were members of the French group that sought refuge near present-day Liberty in Texas. General Charles l.allernand, a close advisor...
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Sir Casimer Stanislaus Gzowski, Pioneer of the Canadian Railroad System and...
By Ted Rajchel Background Casimer Stanislaus Gzowski (1813-1898)was a civil engineer, lawyer and an insurgent in the Polish-Revolt. of 1830. In 1834 he emigrated to the United States and to Canada in...
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Voices of Polonia – Ignacy Jan Paderewski Concert Pianist and Prime Minister...
by Ted Rajchel Background Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a virtuoso pianist, composer, politician, the first prime minister of independent Poland, as well as the minister of foreign affairs and Poland’s...
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An Interview with Ted and Joan Rajchel
By Mallory Moyer Ted became a writer for the Utica Phoenix when a group of The Polish Community Club members got together with Princess Diana, back in 2010, at her house on Genesee Street. Attendees...
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Voices of Polonia – Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One”
Background DATE TAKEN: 5/21/93—LA Kings Wayne Gretzky tands on the ice, 5/21/93, in a game against Toronto. ORG XMIT: UT3537 Wayne Gretzky has been called ”the greatest hockey player ever” by the...
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Voices of Polonia-Sept 2015- William Shatner
CC BY-NC by Thomas Hawk Background William Shatner is a Canadian actor, singer, author, producer, director, spokesman, and comedian. He gained worldwide fame and became a world icon for his portrayal...
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Paul Newman—A Great American Humanitarian
Background Paul Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, professional racing driver, and team owner. He was also an environmentalist, liberal social activist, and philanthropist....
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Voices of Polonia-Peter Falk: Lt. Columbo in the Television Series Columbo
Background Peter Falk was an American actor best known for his role as Lt. Columbo in the television series Columbo. He also appeared in many films such as The Great Race, A Woman under the Influence,...
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Ted Knight: Actor, Comedian, Ventriloquist, Ghost: By Ted Rajchel
Background Knight studied acting in Hartford, Connecticut. He became proficient with puppets and ventriloquism, which led to steady work as a TV kiddie-show host. Knight spent most of the 1950s and...
View ArticleVoices of Polonia – Poland – Europe’s Most Dynamic Economy
By Ted Rajchel Background Poland blazed the trail for the fall of communism. Much of the world now associates the end of communism in Europe with the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The dismantling of the...
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Gene Wilder Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
By: Voices of Polonia; Ted Rajchel Gene Wilder was an American comic actor in film, theater, as well as a screen writer, film director, and author. Gene Wilder, the comic actor was at his best in...
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