Od Predsednika... 

Spoštovani člani in članice Slovenske pristave

Minilo je že kar nekaj let, ko smo se na sestankih odbora začeli resno pogovarjati o novi dvorani.  Naredili smo anketo - raziskavo, koliko članov je pozitivno odgovorilo za novo gradnjo.  Ugotovili smo, da je dve tretjini vas članov obljubilo pomoč z denarjem in z prostovoljnim delom.  In tako se je tudi zgodilo, dve tretjini članov je gmotno prispevalo.

Ko smo izračunavali stroške gradnje je predračun bil 500.000 dolarjev plus prostovoljno delo.  In spet smo precej točno uganili.  Nabrali smo okrog 550.000 dolarjev in tudi toliko bomo porabili za gradnjo.  Zdaj ne vem a je to le naklučje, ali res vemo kaj delamo.  Bom rekel, da vemo kaj delamo.

Večkrat pride vprašanje nekaterih članov zakaj novo dvorano, saj je stara bila dobra.  Tudi je nekaj vas, ki ste dvomili, da bomo sploh sposobni ispeljati nabiranje sredstev, izbrati pravi načrt in končno zgraditi nekaj takega, da bo vsem vseč.

Kot vidite z združeno močjo vseh članov, ki so s prostovoljnim delom prispevali k projektu, z denarno pomočjo dobrih ljudi se delo bliža koncu.  Ves vložen trud je pokazal uspeh- krasen objekt, ki nam je v ponos in v korist nam in našim bodočim generacijam.

Od sedaj naprej vam dragi člani ne bo treba skrbeti, če bo slabo vreme.  Ob hladnem vremenu bomo sedeli na toplem, poleti če bo deževno in soparno vreme, bomo šli v dvorano in lepo klimatsko ohlajenem prostoru uživali ob glasbi, zaplesali, se poveselili s prijatelji in znanci.

Večkrat Slovensko pristavo obiščejo ugledne osebnosti, bodisi iz Slovenije, tukaj ali drugod in sedaj ne bo problem jih pogostiti, saj imamo na razpolago ne samo novo dvorano, ampak tudi izboljšano kuhinjo.

Mnogo vas sigurno skrbi, kako bomo vzdrževali cel objekt, saj bodo stroški narasli.  Veliko ste do sedaj darovali, veliko vas je pomagalo pri izgradnji, in če bomo v prihodnosti darovali cas pri prireditvah in delu kot dosedaj, potem zagotovo ne bo problem, da bo organizacija še naprej uspevala.

Imamo še nekaj planov v prihodnosti.  Če se bo pokazalo, da bomo uporabljali dvorano tudi spomladi ali jeseni, moramo pomisliti na večji parkirni prostor.  Bazen, ki privablja mladino in otroke je zmeraj bolj potreben obnovitve.  Zamenjati moramo tudi sanitarne naprave, tako, da nam potreb po denarnih sredstvih ne manjka.

Zato tisti člani, ki še niste prispevali za nadaljno gradnjo Pristave, imate še priliko in vas prosimo, da odprete svoja srca in velikodušno to storite, saj bo vse v korist nam in našim bodočim generacijam.  Naj še povem, da bo plaketa z imeni vseh, ki so darovali 1000 ali več dolarjev, dokončana za Labor Day weekend, zato je še čas za prispevke.

Na koncu se zahvaljujem vsem vztrajnim delavcem za neštete ure vloženega dela, vsem ki ste nesebično denarno podprli obnovo Slovenske pristave, in vsem, ki na katerikoli način prispevate k obstoju našega društva.

Milan Ribič, predsednik

From the President...

Dear members of Slovenska Pristava,

We first started seriously discussing construction of a new hall several years ago at our board meetings  We took an informal poll to find out how many members would support a new building.  We found that about two-thirds of the members were prepared to help financially and would volunteer to work.  That’s what actually happened - two-thirds of the membership contributed financially.  Our calculations for the cost of building a new hall was estimated at $550,000 plus volunteer labor.  Again, our estimates were very close.  We raised $550,000 in donations and it appears that that is what we will actually spend on the building.

I don’t know if this is purely coincidence, or is it that we really know what we’re doing.  I believe that we know what we’re doing.  Some members were questioning the need for a new hall because the old hall was still usable.  There were others who doubted that we could gather the necessary funds, choose the right design, and in the end construct a hall that would appeal to everyone.  As you can see, with a united effort by all the members who donated volunteer labor to the project along with the financial assistance of our good people, the work is nearly complete.  All the effort invested has produced success – a gorgeous building that we are proud of and will benefit us and future generations. 

Dear members, from now on it will not be necessary to worry if the weather will be bad.  In cool weather, we will be able to sit in the warm hall.  During periods of rain or humidity in the summer months, we will be able to enjoy music, dancing, and socializing with our friends and acquaintences in an air-conditioned hall.

Slovenska Pristava often receives distinquished guests, either from Slovenia or elsewhere.  We now not only have a new hall at our disposal to entertain them in, but we also have an improved kitchen.

A great deal of you may worry about how we will maintain the whole building including the increased costs associated.  Many of you have donated your time in the past, and many of you have helped during the construction.  If you continue to donate your time as you have in the past, then surely we will not have a problem, and our organization will be able to continue to prosper.

We have some future plans also.  If it becomes apparent to us that the new hall will indeed be used often in the spring or fall, we will need a larger parking area.  The swimming pool, which draws the younger crowd and children to Pristava, needs to be renovated.  A new sanitary system needs to be installed.  As you can see, our need for financial resources is not lacking.

Those of you members who have not yet donated to the continuing construction of Pristava still have a chance.  We ask that you open your hearts and generously give.  It’s all for our benefit and for the benefit of coming generations.  A plaque containing the names of all who donated $1,000 or more will be completed by Labor Day weekend.  Therefore, there is still time to donate.

Finally, I wish to thank all of the enduring workers for the countless hours invested, all who generously supported the renovation of Slovenska Pristava, and all who donated in any way to the subsistence of our club.