Ukrainian-American teen turns in $10,000 he found at store

From Tacoma News Tribune:

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — A 17-year-old grocery bagger was ready to wash his hands in the bathroom at the Federal Way supermarket where he works when he saw a brown canvas money bag on the floor. Moisei Baraniuc was curious. He opened it and saw envelopes filled with money – “a pretty thick stack.”

“The first thing that went through my mind was keeping it,” he said.

And then the Ukrainian immigrant remembered what his father, Vitalie Baraniuc, always says at dinner at the family’s home in Pacific.

“My dad is always telling us in this life you’ve got to work for yourself,” said Baraniuc, who goes by the nickname Moses. “If you take what doesn’t belong to you, it will catch up to you.”

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ROM’s Mysteries of Ancient Ukraine can thank recent events for long-lost history

From the National Post:

Had the Orange Revolution never happened, Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko could never have designated the chair of the Royal Ontario Museum’s board of governors for a special mission.

The request: that Temerty and the ROM staff assemble, with the assistance of Ukrainian cultural institutions, an exhibition about the Trypilians, a people who lived in that part of the world thousands of years ago. Now, thanks to the Ukraine’s recent Orange Revolution, the museum has created the first major showcase on this continent of the little-known society that lived during the Neolithic revolution. Mysteries of Ancient Ukraine: the Remarkable Trypilian Culture (5400 – 2700 B.C.) opens tomorrow, filling a large part of the third floor of the Toronto museum with a collection largely consisting of earthenware containers and trinkets.

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Mysteries of Ancient Ukraine runs until March 22, 2009. A special Ukrainian Day takes place Sunday, find out how to visit for free!

Celebrate Ukrainian Heritage Day at the ROM this Sunday for free!

Sunday is Ukrainian Heritage Day at the Royal Ontario Musem featuring the opening of ‘Ancient Ukraine: Trypilian Culture’, an exhibit of rare Ukrainian archaeology from 5000 BC.  The ROM is giving you free admission if you sign up for the also free bi-weekly alert service:

Gotta Go AGO – By opting into this FREE * bi-weekly service, you’ll receive information alerts, contests, coupons and other special offers. Plus, you’ll be the first to know about upcoming exhibitions and special events. For a limited time when you subscribe to this service, you’ll receive a complimentary admission ticket to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

To subscribe, text WHOA to AGOAGO (246246).
* Standard carrier charges apply. Tickets are limited, subject to availability and valid until January 18, 2009. Must be redeemed by showing your special mobile code at the AGO box office. Non transferable. One Free admission per person per mobile. Ontario residents only.
You can opt-out of the service afterwards and is a great deal saving you $18.
Here is a quick itinerary of the event:
Trypilian Culture/ Ukrainian Family Activity Zone- Create replicas of Trypilian artifacts with quick drying clay or plasticine to take home
11:00 am – 4:00 pm, Rotunda, Level 1
Ukrainian Performances
2:00 pm, Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, Level 1

Featuring live music and dance performances by:
Canadian Bandurist Capella – male chorus with the unique orchestral accompaniment of the multi-stringed Ukrainian bandura.

Stefura Dancers – by the Arkan Dance Company and The Ukrainian Academy of Dance.
Barvinok Dancers – Volyn, Buko, Lemko and Hopak performances
Curator Lecture Р3:30 pm, Signy and Cl̩oph̩e Eaton Theatre, Level B1

Kurelek painting exceeds estimate

From the Toronto Star:

Paintings by William Kurelek and Tom Thomson exceeded expectations at Joyner Waddington’s fall auction of important Canadian art. A large 1972 work by Kurelek, titled Balsam Avenue After Heavy Snowfall, showing the Toronto street where the Ukrainian-Canadian artist once lived, went for $241,400 – above the pre-sale estimate of $175,000 to $200,000. The auction continues today.

From his Wikipedia biography:

He was born near Whitford, Alberta in 1927, the oldest of seven children in an Ukrainian immigrant family: Will, John, Winn, Nancy, Sandy, Paul, Iris. His family lost the farm during the Great Depression and moved to Stonewall, Manitoba. He developed an early interest in art which was not encouraged by his hard-working parents. He later studied at the Ontario College of Art and at the Instituto Allende in Mexico.

Lee Stempniak now a Toronto Maple Leaf

From the Toronto Star:

The Maple Leafs made a three-player trade on Monday, with the team acquiring St. Louis Blues forward Lee Stempniak for defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo and forward Alex Steen.

The 25-year-old Stempniak has three goals and 10 assists in 14 games with St. Louis, averaging 19:28 of ice time.

The native of Buffalo was originally St. Louis’ 7th choice, 148th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He had his best year in 2006-07 when he scored 27 goals and 25 assists in 82 games.

Will he debut tonight?

As for Stempniak, he cleared his physical with Toronto’s doctors but the Leafs couldn’t yet be certain that he’d be able to suit up tonight. They have to wait for word that Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo, the two players Toronto sent to St. Louis in exchange for the winger, have passed their physicals with the Blues.