William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2012-08-01 / 8. szám

There is a csárdás ház (dance house), a Sörház (beer house) and a "jail" that was made especially for the Szüreti Mulatság festivities. A special tribute has been rendered to the legendary Buckeye Road section of Cleveland, Ohio. On several buildings, members have strategically mounted duplicate road signs that are made to look like the markers that were seen on every corner of the old neighborhood.

A brief saunter away from the picnic grove leads the hiker to a pristine section of the Cuyahoga River. 1 myself have fished and swam in this unmolested area. At this spot, 1 can hear the music of Harmonia, but still listen to the babbling sounds of the stream as the water gently ambles its way down in a southerly direction.

For all good Hungarians, food is the centerpiece of

celebration. The cuisine at the Cultural Center is extensive and, most importantly, delicious. A visitor can see lángos being made hot and fresh. There is lad, pecsenye, kolbász, rétes, fánk, szalonna sütés, gulyás, töltött káposzta, pogácsa, palacsinta and kremes slices. Except for a few pastries, everything is made on the premises. If you would like to see the kürtőskalács being made, the famed Transylvania Bakery of Cleveland makes hundreds of them at each and every picnic.

The Cultural Center was started by popular Hungarian radio personality Ann Poto McBride in 1975. The club was originally named The Geauga Magyar Cultural Society because most of the members were one-time Buckeye Road residents that moved out to Geauga County. In 1984, the club wanted a permanent home for their picnics, meetings and other affairs. The club purchased a beautiful campground site in northwestern Portage County.

The club continued to grow with the addition of several new buildings and improvements. In 2001, The Geauga Magyar Cultural Society merged with the St. Stephen's Club of Cleveland (established in 1904) to become The Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio.

The club has approximately 500 members. Membership is open to all and is only $35 for a family and $20 for a single person per year. The club has several functions each year including four summer picnics, a Christmas party, a pig roast, stuffed cabbage fundraisers, plus bus tours and other sponsorships. The grounds are within close proximity of Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

There are many plans for the club in the near future.

One endeavor is to build several small buildings around the facility to make the area look like an old Magyar village. Plans call for the construction of a pékség (bakery) and other similar structures that would be utilized as boutiques and other types of Magyar-themed shops.

Besides the great food, music and fellowship, Hungarian Style, everyone one there is happy and happy to see you. I grew up out here; it is my like my second home.

The swingset and playground leave me with nothing but happy memories.

The person with the biggest smile, is Mary Jane Molnár, president of the club. She personally greets everyone that attends the picnics. If you have any questions, call her at 440-352-9504. You can also visit the club on the Internet at www.hungarianclub.org. There, you can see hundreds of photos of past events and fun.

If you go to the Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio once, I know you will return again and again. □

William Penn Life 0 August 2012 0 13