Slovakian mayor connects valley residents to roots in tiny village

By Kristen Garrett
Herald Staff Writer

The mayor from the small village of Tichy Potok, Slovakia, visited Sharon Saturday and tried to reconnect local people with family in a far-off land.

Lubica Dzuganova, 33, is not only the youngest mayor in Slovakia but one of its few female leaders. On a six month visit to the U.S., she came to St. John’s Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church on Cedar Avenue for a special reception.

It was special because Ms. Dzuganova presides over a village that many Shenango Valley families can trace their roots to. Some were born there and others are descended from residents.

Ms. Dzuganova said the 100 people who came to the reception to meet her were more than the population of her entire village. She said she has been the mayor for five years but the emotion she was feeling Saturday was the best she’s had in that time.

Ms. Dzuganova thanked everyone for coming and then went around to individual tables to talk to the families. A translator helped her communicate with the families.

Steve and Betty Shemancik, Sharon, were hoping to locate long-lost relatives with Ms. Dzuganova’s help. Shemancik said his parents came from Tichy Potok, a name that means “quiet stream,” and he’s been trying to get in touch with his relatives for years without success.

“I’ve had this in the back of my mind for years, and finally doors are opening,” Shemancik said, adding that he would also like to know about life in the village in general.

The Blasko brothers and sisters, from Sharon and Hermitage — Mary, Anna, Helen and Joe — were born in Tichy Potok. Mary Blasko said they still have aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews in the village. She said her sister, Helen, and her two daughters visited the village in 1996. She said they wanted to talk to the mayor to hear news about their family.

Cyndy Saluga, Hermitage, said she was hoping Ms. Dzuganova would tell her about family she may still have in Tichy Potok.

She said she can remember her mother, whose family name was Hromjak, sending packages of food and clothing back to the village for Christmas. She said she has lost touch with her family in Slovakia over the years.

Michael Ristvey, Hermitage, organized the reception for Ms. Dzuganova. He said when he first began organizing the event he knew of about 12 families in the area with roots in Tichy Potok, but the number grew to around 20 as the days went on.

“This is the finest thing,” he said of her visit to Sharon. Ms. Dzuganova brought with her current pictures of the village so people can see how it’s changed over the years. She also brought literature about the country and other pieces of memorabilia. She has been staying with the Biros family of Charleston, W.Va. John Biros said the mayor has been running her town via e-mail since she arrived in the United States in September.

He said she will return to her village in March. Biros said his family is considering sending one of their grandchildren to live with Ms. Dzuganova for a few months.

Sharon Mayor Robert T. Price presented Ms. Dzuganova with a plaque naming Feb. 26 Lubica Dzuganova Day in Sharon. Ms. Dzuganova said she hopes someday Price will come to her village and she can give him a similar honor.

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