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TATRA AREA RESEARCH GROUP
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© TARG All rights reserved.
Newsletter for December 2003
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Special Holiday Greetings to all of our TARG members! Thank you so much
for all of the beautiful cards and e-mail greetings you have sent to my
family and I! You are so very kind! My hope is that you and your extended
family enjoy a safe and wonderful time together this season, too!
We will have much more TARG news to discuss in our New Year's issue of
this e-newsletter, but I must get to your many letters. Let me also remind
you that though we have sold out of a few items, we still have a large
selection of books, atlases, calendars, etc. perfect for Holiday giving!
Please visit this TARG website link for the latest:
http://www.mytarg.net/Resources/Books/Main%20Books%20%26%20Maps.html.
P.S. -- We can likely get your items sent to you in time for Christmas if
you order now!! And if you order $35 or more worth of merchandise between
now and January 1st, I'll cover the Priority shipping costs for free!
-- Paul K. Bingham
TARG Founder

WEBSITES TO VISIT_________
1. New books, maps, calendars, etc. for TARG members at:
http://mytarg.net/Resources/Books/Main%20Books%20&%20Maps.html.
* Remember -- your purchases help fund TARG research! Thanks!
2. Travel writer and TARG member Scott Rains sends us this site for a new
tri-lingual travel resource that is actively working to assess, catalog, and
advocate for disabled access in the Slovak tourist industry. See them at:
http://www.enjoyslovakia.com/index.cfm?Module=Static&page=w&s=Travelagentsinfo.


YOUR LETTERS_________
---Dear Paul, I have checked out the map page (of items for purchase on the
TARG website). I would like to be sure I get the right map for my towns. In
Poland: Niedzica & the Castle area (Niedzicy Zamok) and in Slovakia: Spisska
Stara Ves & Matiasovce. Can you recommended which maps would have the best
detail for those towns and regions? You know the area. In the list of books
is the Spis Guidebook worth getting for me? Any other books for my three
towns? (I already have the out-of-print Niedzica Castle book you were
offering. - Thanks again, Mike Churilla
***Hi Mike, The Tatry & Podhale folding map is the most detailed at 1:75,000
scale, but unfortunately for you it stops at Niedzica and cuts off Spisska
Stara Ves and Matiasovce. The Slovak Podrobny Atlas or Slovnaft atlas
(similar) is really the best thing going. They even cover the Polish side
better than most Polish maps! And if you don't have it: "The Slovak & Polish
Tatras" guidebook is a must have for TARG members, too. - Paul
***Hello Paul, Just a short note of THANK YOU. The Polish phonebook I got
from you has helped me find family (STRAMA) in Maruszyna, Poland. During a
friends recent trip to visit family in Zakopane, she was able to call direct
to make contact. Unfortunately during 2 meetings, Stanislav STRAMA was a bit
hestitant with not providing much information so I will have a long road
ahead of me to 'break the ice' to learn more, but it is still exciting to
know family is there. Again, much thanks, and happy holidays!- Janet Ballek
---Hi Janet, Glad to help. You have one of the old 1998 paper copies, too. I
now have the new one on CD. - Paul
***Hello Paul, I found your address on a Polish Genealogical Society page.
Perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for information on Honorata Soltys from
Poland. She died in childbirth April 9, 1877, in Januszkorice, Brzostek
province. Her husband Wojciech and son Stanislaus emigrated to Massachusetts
sometime before 1897. I know this is a long shot, but if you know anything
about Honorata, I'd be very grateful for your help. Thanks, and Merry
Christmas! - Katharine Garstka
---Hi Katharine, Unfortunately SOLTYS and the Slovak form SOLTIS is fairly
common in both countries. This is because the name in both languages was the
word for "village major" having the same roots as the German word "to care
for" which is where SCHULTZ (also very common) came from. Since you know
exactly where your ancestor came from in Poland, that will be very helpful
indeed. Armed with the name and the village you should be able to track down
specific family information. Since Januszkorice is not in our TARG sphere,
I'm affraid I can't offer much else specifically. You should contact one of
the many Polish Genealogy Societies and perhaps do Google searches for
Januszkorice and Brzostek province, too. Good luck! - Paul
***Hi Paul, Thanks for both Frydman manor photos. If I'm not mistaken, these
were the views that were also in a book that Mike Churilla once sent me.
What is the name of the book/author if you know? I just got my Christmas
packages off to Europe. Of course they'll get there by Easter! Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year. - Karen M.
---Hi Karen, The book Mike has was "Zamek w Niedzicy", just one of the
one-of-a-kind books I had an extra copy of from my last trip. But
unfortunately it has already been snapped up! As for the packages, I know
what you mean. I waited for all of the books to arrive for nearly a month
via the much more expensive German mail. I hear Slovak and Polish mail is
twice as slow! Merry Christmas to you and your family, too. - Paul
***Hi Paul, I am grateful to you for getting back to me with all of this
wonderful information. I would really appreciate it if you could give me
some information on how I may go about obtaining records of my past family
members to find out what village they derived from...I would love to find
family members that still live in Poland. I know when I was younger, my
grandmother used to send care packages and old clothes to our relatives in
Poland, but never thought at 5 years old to get the address. One thing I do
know is that the last name was not changed when my ancestors came over from
Poland...the name was always GORAL. no SKI, SKY, etc. - Kristin Goral
---Hi Kristin, Wonderful to hear back from you. My grandmother sent packages
back to the old country, too, right after WWII. I found some thank-you
letters that gave me their address in the old country, otherwise I would not
have known, either. Most all of the church records in our TARG region of
Poland are NOT available except through regional archives over there. There
is however one roll microfilmed from Zakopane available to rent through your
local LDS (Mormon) Family History Center. I don't know whether it will cover
the particular church or era you need to look in to find GORAL ancestors who
hailed from Zakopane, but for around $4, it is a very cheap way to try and
find some info. I can also give you the local mailing addresses in Poland
for the three GORAL families that show up in our database. You might want to
write to them and see if they could help. - Paul
***Hi Paul, I enjoy reading your newsletters, thru your resources and some
luck I have located my family roots. My grandfather came to this country in
1910 and never saw his family again. The internet has helped me locate his
family in Klin, Slovakia near Namestovo. I've been corresponding with family
for over a year and hope someday to travel and visit. I have a question
concerning a book I would like to order Villages of Orva Lake. I noticed on
the web site you have one copy left. Is it too late to order? Also looking
to order OSS in Slovakia, and some shirts. Please let me know, I'll send you
a check ASAP. ALL the best to you and your family this Holiday season, - Stephen E. Lasak
---Hi Steve, Thank you for your kind e-mail. I'm so glad you have been able
to discover where your grandfather came from and that you have found
relatives to communicate with. You are very fortunate! And going there
someday will become a highlight of your life and should not be missed. We
actually visited Klin and Bobrov, Slovakia in August. I had been to
Namestovo three times, but had never gone around the back side of the lake
to see them. Wonderful villages, both. It is not too late to order
something. But the book you speak of does not cover Klin, unfortunately, but
rather the five villages lost to flooding when the dam created Orava Lake. I
do have one out-of-print book on Namestovo (all in Slovak) and three Polish
& Slovak Tatra guidebooks (all in English) left. The later guidebook does
have Klin listed, as well as all of the other surrounding villages, and
discussions of each of their histories and culture. If you do not have this
book, it is really a must for TARG members and would serve you much better
than the Orava Lake book. - Paul
*** Paul, I find myself writing almost identical notes to you & Helene
Cincebeaux. Recently I mentioned you to you my editor, Stuart Buchanan
MacWatt, at Suite 101. He has recently been assigned editorship for
Slovakia. Stuart was recently interviewed in Trend on the lack of
accessiblity for tourists in Slovakia. He is also looking for a publisher to
put out an English version of a Slovak travel guide. Perhaps you have some
suggestions along those lines. Incorporation of your research on Gorals in
Slovakia could make for a useful highlight in a book like this if he were interested.
---Hi Scott, Thank you for your letter. I agree with you on the past
availability of good Slovakia travel guides written in English. As you know
I have traveled to Slovakia four times: Summer 1999, Summer 2001, late
Winter 2003 and Fall 2003. Finally just this last trip I did find a new
Slovak travel guide in English. It's published by Dajama, the company who
has produced good regional guides for the last few years. (See this newest
guide at: http://www.mytarg.net/Resources/Books/New%20Books%20Page.html.)
Since Steve Forbe's article that came out in praising Slovakia in August
2003, surely a need for more travel guides in English exists. Slovaks on the
whole adore English-speaking tourists and the country sorely needs more
tourism from the West. Good guides written in English are vital. - Paul
***Hello Paul, I would like to be in touch with Marylee Skwirz. Is it
possible for you to give me her email address? - Merry Christmas, Paul. - Doris Holdorf
---Hi Doris, Thank you for your note and kind wishes. Unfortunately I can't
give out TARG member's e-mail addresses for security reasons. But I will
forward your message to her and let her respond if she wants to! - Paul
***Thanks for that follow up detail, Paul-- at the time I wrote the last
email, I hadn't yet 'discovered' the Orava Castle footage after the footage
of the visit with family ended. But we eventually enjoyed the castle tour as
well. It is obvious that we MUST visit there someday Thanks again for this
wonderful gift to our family, which we will always treasure. By the way, one
of the headstones you photographed was Robert's great, great grandfather, my
great great, great uncle! That is how the 2 of us are related. Now I need to
get to work on some of those other family names! Thanks again so much! -
Robert Otrembiak

PROJECTS FOR 2004________
1. Upgrading the TARG website and adding much more content will be done
in the week I'm taking off between Christmas and New Year's in a couple of
weeks. Many of you have sent in village page info and photos I will be
posting. After the new year many more links and interactive pages will be uploaded!
2. Parish Records on CD: With most of the pains-taking clean-up (in
Photoshop) of the hundreds and hundreds of Bialka Tatrzanska parish record
pages nearly completed, I will be trying to get more TARG-area parish
records digitized and put on CD in 2004. I have Dzianisz, Jurgow and Lapsze
Nizne photographed and ready to convert. Perhaps you have other villages you
would like to see me photograph on my next trip, too (in 2004?). Please let
me know if you do.
3. Completion of the TARG Surname List. At about 28,000 surnames now, the
list is nearly complete. At present speed this will likely be finished in
2004. If possible, I would like to make it interactive and accessible
online. But to start with, it will probably be produced in book form (it's
over 400 pages now!) or on CD.

BIALKA TATRZANSKA PARISH RECORDS____________
While in Podhale this last August I was allowed to photograph the parish
records of Bialka Tatrzanska, Poland covering the years 1776 to 1906. This
parish once also included the villages of Brzegi, Bukowina Tatrzanska and
Gron. The pages were photographed in high-resolution digital format (jpeg
files) and are very legible. If you are interested, complete copies on a set
of CDs are available for $30 per set. Please include $6 for postage and shipping.

NOWY SACZ PHONEBOOK_________
The newest Nowy Sacz phonebook was photographed this last trip. It
includes most all of the Polish towns and villages within TARG's sphere and
many outside as well. This was done in the same format as the parish records
above. Copies on CD are available for $19. Please include $4 for shipping.

TARG BOOKS, MAPS, , ETC. NOW AVAILABLE__________
Here is summary list -- or better yet visit this TARG link for more detailed
info: http://mytarg.net/Resources/Books/Main%20Books%20&%20Maps.html.
>>NEW BOOKS: Liptov Guide, Orava guide, Spis Guide, Tatras Guide,
Slovak-Polish Tatras Guide, Slovakia Guidebook (new for 2003), Lexicon of
Slovak Culture (new for 2003), WWII: OSS in Slovakia, Tatry Photos from
1859-1914 (new for 2003), Spis Mini (new for 2003), Textiles of Slovakia,
Slovak Musical Instruments, Villages of Orava Lake/Slanicky Island of Art,
Zakopane in Pictures, Crakow Guide, Orava Architecture, Sromowce Nizne &
Surroundings, Cadca, Slovakia, Cadca Tourist Folder, Slovakia's Kysuce
Region Guide, and Galicia's Ethnic Church Architecture.
>>MAPS & ATLASES: Pocket Podrobny Atlas (new for 2003), Slovnaft Atlas of
Slovakia, Atlas of both Czech & Slovak Republics, Detailed Atlas of Czech
Republic, Greater Tatra & Podhale Folding Map, Tatra/Podhale Folding Map,
Malopolskie Province Map, Falk's Krakow City map, Krakow City map, Czorsztyn
Map, Folding Map of Poland, and Administrative Folding Map of Poland.
>>DICTIONARIES: Slovak-English Pocket Dictionary, Slovak-English Pocket
Phrasebook, Czech-English Pocket Dictionary, Collin's Polish-English
Dictionary, and Delta Polish-English Dictionary.
>>OUT-OF-PRINT: High Tatras Picturebook, Polish Tatras Christmas Music, The
Music of Podhale, Slovak Highland Culture, Dictionarly of Goral Plants &
Herbs, Historic Levoca, Slovakia, Helpa, Slovakia, Gemer Region of Slovakia,
and Xlg Orava Castle Poster.
>>OTHER ITEMS: 2004 Polish Tatras Calendar, 2004 Poster-Sized Tatra's Wall
Calendar, 2004 Polish Tatras Calendar, 2004 Zakopane & Podhale Calendar,
2004 Slovak Tatras Calendar, Tatra Sheepdog Puppy Puzzle, Slovak Goral
Axe-Dance Cotton Tee-Shirt, Orava Castle Cotton Tee-Shirt, 2 styles of
Slovak Heritage Cotton Tee-Shirt, The Music of Spis, Slovakia CD, Oravan
Music CD, Trebunia, Polish Goral Music CD, Fujara Music, various artists CD,
Spoved Fujary (Fujara Music) CD, and Fujara Music Cassette.
NOTE: Please visit this TARG link for photos, product descriptions, prices
and shipping calculation at:
http://mytarg.net/Resources/Books/Main%20Books%20&%20Maps.html. Remember
that your purchases help fund our TARG research efforts! Better hurry --many
items in very limited supply! First come, first served!

CONTACTING TARG_____________________
To contact TARG the e-mail address is: TARG_NET@hotmail.com. Our "snail"
mailing address is still TARG, P.O. Box 3533, Escondido, CA 92033. The
official TARG website is at: www.mytarg.net or also at: http://mytarg.net.
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