Well, it's an end of an era. After 122 years the Czech language newspaper has printed it's final issue. Sad news.
The newspaper was written entirely in Czech and for 122 years it has given the news in Czech to a lot of people.
Jan Vaculik had published the monthly paper from his West home while the printing was done at the Cechoslovak Publishing Company in West, the parent company of the West News.
Mr. Vaculik had owned the paper since May of 1989. He purchased it from the Cechoslovak Publishing Company from Linn and Sue Pescaia. Prior to that , Vaculik had worked at Cechoslovak Publishing Company with Jerome Kopecky, Hospodar editor, on the newspaper since February 1974 when he came to work at the publishing company in West.
Vaculik said the paper had declining readership over the years due to less people being able to read the Czech language. The paper was founded by Jan Rosicky in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska. The papers name means "Farm Manager" in Czech and true to it's name was created to aid newly-arriving Czech people from Europe who intended to farm in the United States during those years.
"Conditions are different in every state in comparison with conditions in the old country, therefore new immigrants had to get acquainted in the new environment, soil, climate, work ethics, framing and the way to do things in this new country," Vaculik explained.
The paper served as a type of farming guide for the Czechs coming into the United States. "Hospodar recommended proven seeds and working methods for individual regions of America, informed about dealers selling farming machinery, on ranchers raising cattle and dealers selling fertilizes."
Hospodar was purchased by Cechoslovak Publishing Company in 1961 from Automatic Printing Company in Omaha, which was owned by the Piskac family.
The paper was merged with Cechoslovak, another Czech-language publication. At that time, Jerome Kopecky became the papers editor. Linn and Sue Pescaia purchased it in 1974.
Hospodar was one of the very few publications allowed into Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia.
Through the years, Vaculik said the content of the Hospodar changed. He said the new readers were concerned with learning the new culture in the United States along with new-founded freedoms in clubs and organizations.
"They were also interested in keeping in touch with their relatives in the old country and to provide moral and financial support during World War II. New generations were educated in the American way and they became concerned with different things."
"Hospodar gradually changed its content from completely agricultural to a variety of articles for different age groups. Subjects ranged from past and present history of our nation and world to recollections from the various contributors youth in both the old and new country, descriptions of experiences from life, religion and philosophical articles, along with news from various U.S. festivals"
During the Cold War periods of the 1960s and 1970s, the Hospodar was sometimes refused entry by the Communist-run Czech government.
Censors read each issue and relished the opportunity to block its entry into Czechoslovakia for articles they considered objectionable to the Communist government. The censors refused to give a reason for the Cechoslovak Publishing Company for stopping the publications.
One example which was later discovered to be objectionable was a story about the "Glomar Explorer," which was a secret program by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to raise a Soviet nuclear submarine which sunk in April 1968. It was revealed later that the U.S. recovered a part of this submarine using Howard Hughes deep-sea drilling platform, called the Glomar Explorer.
(I want you to know that I did not write any part of this article it was taken almost verbatim from the West newspaper. I think Linn wrote it. But I thought you would find it very interesting, as I did.
The benefit for Mary Meyer is tomorrow..I have baked 4 small loaves of french bread and 4 pecan pies. It is going to be held at the West KC Hall. Mary's brother Dennis Kolar is preparing the barbecue brisket and sausage. His BBQ cooking team's name is The Stone Cold Cooking Team. They have a ton of awards, trophy's, etc. Cooking starts at 10a.m. An auction will be going on and Kaddatz Auctioneering will be running that show. Mary was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx which required her to have a laryngectomy. She will also require radiation and therapy. So the more money we raise the less she will have to worry about. I'll take every thing up there at 8a.m. and that is when the workers will be starting so I'll stay for that too. The bbq plates will have bbq brisket, sausage, bread, pickles, onions, veggie and a dessert.
I think they are going to auction off my pies and maybe the bread too. It's $10 a plate.
All I know is right now my ass is a dragging.
They are also holding a benefit for Johnny Chudej for funeral expenses. Will be held at the Ross Store and will be having BBQ plates too. Along with a raffle and a auction. I love West..we do take care of our own.
There are actually a lot more news but I'm just going to mention that The Trojans and Lady Trojans were named to All District 8-AAA teams. West junior Nicole H. was chosen the district's Co-Most Valuable Player along with Kennedale's senior Amber S.
Lady Trojan sophomore Ashton C was selected the district's Offensive Player of the year with senior Jordan H. named Defensive Player of the Year.
West sophomore Jennifer P. was chosen the district's Outstanding Sophomore and junior Erin K. was the District 8-AAA Pitcher of the Year. Our West coach was named Softball Coach of the year.
We had 3 girls on the first team district and 3 named to second team.
Trojan senior and Oklahoma signee Kolbey C. was chosen District's Most Valuable Player. Four players were named to the first team. And 5 named to the second team. The boys got a ton of awards...but I'm so tired and back is killing me so I'm not going to name them.
Sweet Pat who used to live here and was married to a Czech many years ago, sent me a 1937 West Telephone Directory..So cool. I'm going to show it to some of the residents and then give it to the West Museum. The numbers are like 33...129..2...ha..pretty funny.
We have some new listings and one is a 4BD/2.5 bath, formal dining room on 1.96 of an acre for $125,000.
2 BD/1 bath house in West, updated and very nice. Appliances included and under market value at $80,000.
They threw a 25th Anniversary party for Father Ed and a good time was had by all. Jeannette K. said he danced every polka. Nothing like hearing good things about a Catholic Priest ...Father Ed, Father Anthony and Father Boniface are great men and great priests.
Ok....that's all for now..I'm pooped..Still have one more pie to bake for Babs, but it will have to be baked tomorrow..I ran out of nuts...no comments..
The newspaper was written entirely in Czech and for 122 years it has given the news in Czech to a lot of people.
Jan Vaculik had published the monthly paper from his West home while the printing was done at the Cechoslovak Publishing Company in West, the parent company of the West News.
Mr. Vaculik had owned the paper since May of 1989. He purchased it from the Cechoslovak Publishing Company from Linn and Sue Pescaia. Prior to that , Vaculik had worked at Cechoslovak Publishing Company with Jerome Kopecky, Hospodar editor, on the newspaper since February 1974 when he came to work at the publishing company in West.
Vaculik said the paper had declining readership over the years due to less people being able to read the Czech language. The paper was founded by Jan Rosicky in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska. The papers name means "Farm Manager" in Czech and true to it's name was created to aid newly-arriving Czech people from Europe who intended to farm in the United States during those years.
"Conditions are different in every state in comparison with conditions in the old country, therefore new immigrants had to get acquainted in the new environment, soil, climate, work ethics, framing and the way to do things in this new country," Vaculik explained.
The paper served as a type of farming guide for the Czechs coming into the United States. "Hospodar recommended proven seeds and working methods for individual regions of America, informed about dealers selling farming machinery, on ranchers raising cattle and dealers selling fertilizes."
Hospodar was purchased by Cechoslovak Publishing Company in 1961 from Automatic Printing Company in Omaha, which was owned by the Piskac family.
The paper was merged with Cechoslovak, another Czech-language publication. At that time, Jerome Kopecky became the papers editor. Linn and Sue Pescaia purchased it in 1974.
Hospodar was one of the very few publications allowed into Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia.
Through the years, Vaculik said the content of the Hospodar changed. He said the new readers were concerned with learning the new culture in the United States along with new-founded freedoms in clubs and organizations.
"They were also interested in keeping in touch with their relatives in the old country and to provide moral and financial support during World War II. New generations were educated in the American way and they became concerned with different things."
"Hospodar gradually changed its content from completely agricultural to a variety of articles for different age groups. Subjects ranged from past and present history of our nation and world to recollections from the various contributors youth in both the old and new country, descriptions of experiences from life, religion and philosophical articles, along with news from various U.S. festivals"
During the Cold War periods of the 1960s and 1970s, the Hospodar was sometimes refused entry by the Communist-run Czech government.
Censors read each issue and relished the opportunity to block its entry into Czechoslovakia for articles they considered objectionable to the Communist government. The censors refused to give a reason for the Cechoslovak Publishing Company for stopping the publications.
One example which was later discovered to be objectionable was a story about the "Glomar Explorer," which was a secret program by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to raise a Soviet nuclear submarine which sunk in April 1968. It was revealed later that the U.S. recovered a part of this submarine using Howard Hughes deep-sea drilling platform, called the Glomar Explorer.
(I want you to know that I did not write any part of this article it was taken almost verbatim from the West newspaper. I think Linn wrote it. But I thought you would find it very interesting, as I did.
The benefit for Mary Meyer is tomorrow..I have baked 4 small loaves of french bread and 4 pecan pies. It is going to be held at the West KC Hall. Mary's brother Dennis Kolar is preparing the barbecue brisket and sausage. His BBQ cooking team's name is The Stone Cold Cooking Team. They have a ton of awards, trophy's, etc. Cooking starts at 10a.m. An auction will be going on and Kaddatz Auctioneering will be running that show. Mary was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx which required her to have a laryngectomy. She will also require radiation and therapy. So the more money we raise the less she will have to worry about. I'll take every thing up there at 8a.m. and that is when the workers will be starting so I'll stay for that too. The bbq plates will have bbq brisket, sausage, bread, pickles, onions, veggie and a dessert.
I think they are going to auction off my pies and maybe the bread too. It's $10 a plate.
All I know is right now my ass is a dragging.
They are also holding a benefit for Johnny Chudej for funeral expenses. Will be held at the Ross Store and will be having BBQ plates too. Along with a raffle and a auction. I love West..we do take care of our own.
There are actually a lot more news but I'm just going to mention that The Trojans and Lady Trojans were named to All District 8-AAA teams. West junior Nicole H. was chosen the district's Co-Most Valuable Player along with Kennedale's senior Amber S.
Lady Trojan sophomore Ashton C was selected the district's Offensive Player of the year with senior Jordan H. named Defensive Player of the Year.
West sophomore Jennifer P. was chosen the district's Outstanding Sophomore and junior Erin K. was the District 8-AAA Pitcher of the Year. Our West coach was named Softball Coach of the year.
We had 3 girls on the first team district and 3 named to second team.
Sweet Pat who used to live here and was married to a Czech many years ago, sent me a 1937 West Telephone Directory..So cool. I'm going to show it to some of the residents and then give it to the West Museum. The numbers are like 33...129..2...ha..pretty funny.
We have some new listings and one is a 4BD/2.5 bath, formal dining room on 1.96 of an acre for $125,000.
2 BD/1 bath house in West, updated and very nice. Appliances included and under market value at $80,000.
They threw a 25th Anniversary party for Father Ed and a good time was had by all. Jeannette K. said he danced every polka. Nothing like hearing good things about a Catholic Priest ...Father Ed, Father Anthony and Father Boniface are great men and great priests.
Ok....that's all for now..I'm pooped..Still have one more pie to bake for Babs, but it will have to be baked tomorrow..I ran out of nuts...no comments..
9 comments:
Its always sad when a great old tradition passes... but its fascinating how these things served the community during a time of transition that has - it would appear - now been completed.
Interesting news, if a little sad about the Czech newspaper. I hope a lot of money is raised for Mary. I'm sure your baking will be much sought after!
A fascinating piece of history. I suspect the internet had more to do with the demise of the paper than anything else.
My tongue is hanging out for some BBQ. I shit you not! ;0)
Wishing all who have worked so hard to make things HAPPEN for others in their town, a WONDERFUL DAY and MUCH SUCCESS in their endevors.
Yes....you certainly do care for your own.
(((hugs)))Pat
There's a Czech restaurant in Omaha called Little Bohemia.
It's always sad when an old tradition dies or a newspaper bites the dust although I haven't held an actual newspaper for years.
Off the subject - sort of - the Czech museum in Cedar Rapids will open next month. When they had the terrible flood a couple of years ago, their museum and square was almost washed off the map. So they moved the museum to a hill and added to it. That is what will open next month.
Reading about your fund raiser for people who need surgery and hospital stay or funeral arrangements, I am thinking how we are lucky in Canada where if you are sick it is simply taken care of by the State, no need ot worry.
That's a lot of years of Czech speak! Its kind of amazing to me that actually that it lasted this long.
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