Current Events

An Act of Kindness

Recently, in the March 1999 issue of BRIDGES, the story of three U.S. Army sergeants who risked their lives to retrieve the body of a fallen Lithuanian platoon commander, Lt. Normundas Valteris, in Bosnia was included.

In addition to medals received from the United States, the Philadelphia Chapter of the Lithuanian-American Community honored Staff Sgt. Charles Crego, Sgt. Robert Bastian, and Sgt. Horace Johnson during their Lithuanian Independence Day celebration on Feb. 21st. Yet, the story doesn’t end here.

Sgt. Robert Bastian, in a generous act of kindness and compassion, asked that the medal for bravery he had received from the U.S. Army be given to Lt. Valteris' family. He received a very touching thank you letter from the Lieutenant’s mother. Rimas Gedeika, a Philadelphia Chapter Lithuanian-American Community member, received a copy and, with the U.S. Army’s permission, it is printed at right.

Guinness Adds Adamkus to its Lists

Under the column titled "The president having the shortest record of residence in a home country," Lithuania’s President Valdas Adamkus became an official subject for the Guinness Book of World Records, according to the Chicago-based Draugas (The Friend), a Lithuanian-language daily.

The column says that Valdas Adamkus was born in Lithuania but lived in the U.S. for 50 years and held the post of director for the Midwest region of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It also states that Adamkus was elected to the presidential office in 1998.

Ooops!

Last month’s, June 1999, Trivia Quiz answer on page 25 was missing its last line.

The sentence should read: "If you are lucky to be blessed with a noble Roman nose, or you have a hidden desire to wear a toga and a ruta (rue) wreath on your head, you too may be his descendant or at least a descendant of an Ancient Roman."

We apologize for this omission to Mr. Edward Shakalis, author of the Trivia quiz.

Census Taking in Lithuania

According to historians, the first attempt to register the inhabitants of Lithuania took place in the 13th century, a time of continual warfare, to record the number of men able to bear arms. Farms were counted by the number of smoking chimneys. A census was taken in 1897 while Lithuania was under Russian rule. In 1923 the population of independent Lithuania was counted. During the Soviet era four head counts were taken: in 1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989.

Preparation for a new census is now under way and will begin on December 2, 1999. This will be the first census since Lithuania regained independence in 1991.

The present census-taking project will be carried out under the auspices of the Department of Statistics, the census division headed by Dalia Ambrozaitis. She is hopeful that all will go well,

"We will inform people ahead of time and hope not to get on their nerves too much."

The country has been divided into 12,000 districts with coordinating committees organized by March 1st, 1999. Fifteen thousand census workers will be needed. One census-taker will be responsible for 250 people in rural areas, and 350 in towns and cities. They will complete their task in ten days and be paid the salary of a government employee. Volunteers are encouraged to help students, teachers, and senior citizens. Each census-taker must take an oath to keep acquired information confidential.

Absolutely everyone is to be counted regardless of age or nationality: soldiers, prisoners, and nursing home residents included. Relatives will be asked to give information about persons overseas.

A preliminary survey made in December of 1998 showed up some of the problems involved in some of the larger cities -- not all houses and apartments are properly numbered. Postal workers mark their territory with chalk, while ambulances cannot find some addresses.

The specially devised questionnaire consists of 23 items. Information will be requested concerning each person’s education, profession, languages spoken, and also religious affiliation, marital status, and physical handicaps.

Women will be asked at what age they had their first child and how many children they now have. People will also be asked about their living conditions: how many rooms they occupy and use of bathroom facilities, elevators, etc.

The social and demographic information thus received should be very helpful in preparing and coordinating social programs as the new millennium begins.u

Farmers Protest Agriculture Policies

Lithuanian farmers staged a mass protest on July 13th spanning twenty areas by blocking the roads and accusing the government of insufficient support to agriculture, according to Lithuania’s daily newspapers.

The Farmers Party coordinated the protest, which united farmers from 18 districts. The party leader, MP Ramunas Karbauskis, insisted that the protest was only a warning and lasted only one day. When asked if the state would be able to find the additional money for agriculture, Karbauskis said that it was possible; since. the Lithuanian government had found funds to send its soldiers to Bosnia.

The Lietuvos Rytas, a Lithuanian daily, added that the Agriculture House, the Farmers Union and the Agriculture Companies Association distanced themselves from the protest. The leader of the Agriculture Companies Association, Jeronimas Kraujelis, wondered why an MP would lead farmers to the streets instead of trying to solve the problems in the parliament, his own work place.

Karbauskis admitted to the Lietuvos Aidas, a Lithuanian daily, that the protest was not the best way to place demands, but all previous attempts to negotiate with authorities had failed.u

The Endowment Fund Grows Thanks To You

The Lithuanian-American Community (LAC) Endowment Fund was created at the October 1998 LAC Board of Directors annual meeting to provide better programs and services. From the time its creation was first announced to the present, generous donations have poured forth.

The LAC’s cultural, educational, human services, economics, and public affairs councils work hard to help sponsor events and concerts, publish books and magazines, promote Lithuanian awareness in the United States, and provide services for young and old. As a non-profit community-based organization, all of this work is accomplished by committed volunteers.

There are five levels of donation:

$5,000 and over — The Lithuanian Flag: our country’s honor.

$1,000 to $4,999 — Amber: our country’s gold.

$500 to $999 — Oak: our country’s strength.

$100 to 499 — Ruta: our country’s flower.

$1 to 99 — Sash: our country’s unity.

As of July 14th, the following generous contributors have helped make the Endowment Fund part of all Lithuanian-Americans’ future.

A sincere thank you to all these donors — nuoširdžiai dekojame už dosnuma.

Lithuanian Army’s Progress Praised

The Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.S. armed forces in Europe, Admiral Charles Abbot, told reporters he was impressed by the army development programs undertaken in Lithuania. He stated this after meeting with President Valdas Adamkus in Vilnius on July 14th.

The Admiral also stated that both countries could count on years of cooperation in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and other projects which would make way for Lithuania’s timely entrance into NATO.

Abbot is supervising various programs, among them the U.S. military assistance program -- Military to Military. He reports to NATO’s Supreme Commander Wesley Clark who is expected to come to Lithuania later this month. Abbot had a series of interviews with the Minister for Defense Ceslovas Stankevicius and Commander-In-Chief Brigadier General Jonas Kronkaitis.

Stankevicius stated that the commanders of American military forces in Europe and Lithuania had co-operated for years and that contacts with the U.S. military were of great benefit for Lithuanian servicemen. The minister pointed out the increasing financial support provided by the United States to Lithuania's armed forces. The U.S. assistance for 1999 is estimated at around $5 million; with the 2000 amount, if approved by the U.S. Senate, to jump up to $8 million.

Admiral Abbot had the opportunity to tour the Rukla training regiment. Before departing for the site, the officer said that Rukla and similar projects were the tools for achievement of common goals -- peace and stability in Europe. His visit to Lithuania ended on July 15th.