The Am-Pol Eagle

By Amber Healy The intricate art of Polish paper cutting will be on full display at the Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival July 24-26 at Cheektowaga Town Park. Traveling up from Louisiana will be Sam Wrobel, a multi-disciplinary artist who specializes in the delicate folk art, turning pieces of brightly colored paper into multi-layered wonders. “He’s a master of the art,” says Jim Lawicki, president of the Polish American Congress, WNY Division, and a lead organizer of the event.

By Amber Healy There was plenty of activity high above Amherst Street last week as a crew began making repairs on one of the steeple towers at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood.

The popular Polish Hussar re-enactors will be at the festival. File photo by Steve Dlugosz The sights, sounds, flavors and traditions of Poland will once again fill Cheektowaga Town Park as the 46th Annual Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival returns Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26, 2026.

By Amelia Wroblewski Among Poland’s better-known cities such as Kraków, Warsaw, and Gdańsk, Wrocław has quietly emerged as a compelling travel destination. According to Wrocław’s official city website, more than seven million tourists visited the city in 2025. A three-hour drive northwest from Kraków, Wrocław offers many distinct attractions: a boldly colored market square, many “beach bars” along the Oder River, and a lamplighter who lights old-style lamps by hand every night.

Wendy Wasner of Buffalo has several books self-published on Amazon over the past three years, but she is excited about her newest book for children, “My Little Pierogi.” The short story of Stella and My Little Pierogi teaches a lesson that it’s what’s inside that matters most. The author has always loved farmer cheese pierogi since she was a little girl many years ago.

Mark Niewiemski began his involvement with the Chopin Singing Society at the Cheektowaga Polish Arts Festival in July of 2024 as an accompanist, but various other musical commitments precluded his regular involvement with the choir. However, in the fall of 2025, Mark made the plunge into full membership with the singing group as a tenor. Those other musical commitments are multi-faceted.

The Polish Arts Club of Buffalo submitted an application for the 2026 Impact Fund Planning Grants, offered through Impact HQ/the Nonprofit Support Group. Noah Gooding, director of programs, sent an email on July 10, 2026 saying “I’m pleased to report that your application through the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo has been selected by our committee for an award through this process, receiving the full $5,000. Congrats!” This grant was made possible through the excellent work of Dr. Andrea Nero.

Are you interested in Polish folk art? Have you wanted to learn more Polish history? Or more about Polish music or what is going on nationally with Polish art and culture? If you are but not sure how to start or how to get involved, be sure to stop by the table of the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo at the upcoming 46th annual Cheektowaga Polish American Arts Festival that runs July 24, 25 and 26, 2026, at Cheektowaga Town Park.

Host Andy Gołębiowski The Polish American Radio Program this week is celebrating 6 years of broadcasting Polish history, culture, and music from Poland. Program host, Andy Gołębiowski first started the show in July of 2020, when he was invited by owner of WEBR Radio to provide Polish programming on the new station. Gołębiowski took the opportunity to provide a unique program that presented music from Poland, while sharing information about Polish culture and history in English.

Caffeine may shorten sleep or make it harder to fall asleep, but even when people appear to get enough sleep it can reduce the brain's deep restorative activity, according to researchers at the Medical University of Wrocław. Scientists studying caffeine's effects on sleep are increasingly using electroencephalography (EEG), which records the brain's electrical activity and can detect changes in sleep quality that are not visible through conventional sleep measurements.