Steven E.

Tuesday, August 03, 1999

Steven E. and Margaret Machacek are hosting a visitor for the first time.

Steven and Signe Rizzi are hosting the same visitor for the third summer.

Both visitors are from Ireland and enjoying the peace and quiet of southeastern Minnesota.

The Children’s Program of Northern Ireland brought 132 children to Minnesota for a five-week visit in late-June.

Girls outnumber boys and 100 of the 132 youths are making their first visit to America. Ten adult chaperones are staying in the homes of current and past board members and friends of CPNI.

The program is the subject of a book by Fred Nairn entitled "The Sky is Higher" (Guildhall Press of Dondonderry, $12).

"I wanted both to celebrate and evaluate the program in the sense of ascertaining how effective it has been," Nairn said.

"All of the people I spoke to – children, their families and members of their host families – felt the program in some way changed their lives," Nairn said. "To that degree, you could say the program has been successful – that it had a real impact."

The book’s title comes from a Belfast area child’s description of America.

The premise of the program is simple: to give children a respite from the Troubles that have plagued Northern Ireland for centuries. Nothing less and nothing more.

Christopher Donighy

The 13-year-old son of Martina and Jim Donighy has one sister, Emma, 8, and lives with his family at Dungannon, a city with a population of near 10,000.

It is located in the center of Northern Ireland. His father is a bricklayer and his mother works as a cook in a school.

Donighy visited the Rizzi family in 1996 and 1997 and returned this summer.

"We’ve kept in touch in between visits," Signe Rizzi said. "We usually telephone each other once a month and exchange gifts. We developed a friendship between the families."

Donighy joined the Rizzi family on a visit to Florida, where they toured Disney World and Epcot Center, the Magic Kingdom, MGM Grand new amusement park and other sights.

The youth came away with his most vivid memory being the "Tower of Terror," a 13-story drop simulated by the special effects wizards at MGM Grand’s amusement park.

He joins Kyle Rizzi, 15 and a member of the Austin Veterans of Foreign Wars baseball team, at practices and games.

He also interacts with Katelyn Rizzi, 11 and a sixth grader, and her brother, Steven, 8 and a third grader.

"Everything is just brilliant," he said of his third visit. "I’ve made new friends from the All-Stars baseball team that Kyle played on last year and we’re going on a fishing trip up north. It’s been a great visit again."

There are still small cultural differences such as the Rizzi family’s penchant for ordering "fries with a pop" and Donighy’s "chips and a pop."

Donighy enjoys the James Bond series of movies with Pierce Brosnan, who is Irish, so on rainy days, the Rizzi family rents videos to satisfy their guest’s wish.

At this point in his life, Donighy wants to become a disc jockey after finishing his education. He has an uncle who is one of the most popular DJs in all of Northern Ireland.

Steven Rizzi is an Austin attorney, who is the southeast district representative for CPNI in Minnesota. He interviews host families, who participate in the program.

This summer, two Irish children are visiting homes in Ellendale and another at the Machaceks’ home near Dexter, where Rizzi did the screening for CPNI’s visitor.

Aidan McMahon

Dungannon, Ireland has also produced a summertime house guest of Steven E. and Margaret Machacek .

And, he is a friend of Christopher Donighy. In fact, the boys; mothers are the best of friends.

Steven E. Machacek, a native of Austin, is an electronics technician at IBM in Rochester, where he has worked for over 20 years.

Margaret, also a native of Austin, is a paraprofessional for Austin Public Schools. She has also worked for the Hayfield Independent School District.

They have one son, Matthew, 12 and a 7th grader at Hayfield Public Schools.

The Machacek family lives northwest of Dexter on a farmstead nestled in a grove of tall pine trees.

"I read a short article about the Children’s Program in our church bulletin at St. Augustine Catholic Church and we became interested and though it would be a good idea to host a child," Steven said.

They were screened and accepted for the program and matched with McMahon. To help make a smooth adjustment for both the host family and their guest, soon afterwards they began a series of telephone calls to get acquainted.

One June 30, McMahon, 11 and a sixth grader in Ireland, arrived.

His mother, Noreen, works for a food service in their hometown. His father, James, is a welder for Hyster, the world’s largest manufacturer of forklifts. He has a brother, Nathan, 9 years old.

To prepare for his visit, McMahon read books about America and expected to see Indians (Native-Americans) and a lot of lakes.

The Machaceks have taken him on a whirl-wind tour of Minnesota; particularly the northern region. He has gone fishing and caught his first Northern Pike, skimmed across lake waters on a jet ski, ridden bicycle on the Root River Trail, enjoyed every thrill ride at Valley Fair amusement park and enjoyed time at the Machaceks’ rural Dexter home.

A horseback ride through the countryside on a neighbor’s draft horses left him wanting to be a cowboy.

"It’s quite a change from what I’m used to," he said.

"It’s a challenge and it’s fun," said Matt of his temporary roommate. The boys have gotten along famously, riding bicycle down country roads, playing football and soccer, wrestling with the family’s two dogs and playing video games.

McMahon quickly discovered the golden arches of McDonalds Family Restaurants and now craves their grilled plain chicken sandwiches.

The boys marveled at the new Stars Wars movie and chuckled at Robin Williams’ antics in Patch Adams.

The loudest noise he has heard was lightning striking one of the Machacek’s many, many tall pine trees. "I must have jumped six feet when I heard that," the guest admitted.

Otherwise, the summer has been full of peace and tranquility in the quiet countryside of northeastern Mower County.

He has kept in touch with his family back home and suffered only one bout of homesickness.

He brought his hosts a vase from the Tyrone crystal factory in his home town and his taking several souvenirs bought on the Machacek family’s trip to northern Minnesota home to his parents and younger brother.

When he grows up, McMahon wants to be a policeman in New York, N.Y.

"I like the country. I get to see more wildlife here than I do back home," he said. "Margaret is a good cook, but Steve is even better. I like their pancakes and syrup best of all."

"This may be the best summer of my life and I’d like to come back real soon," he said.

Both host parents said they have enjoyed their house guest, who leaves this week for the return trip to Ireland. "We’ve been so busy doing things, that I’ve really enjoyed the experience, too," said Steven. "It’s been fun. He’s a good boy and it was a pleasure having him stay with us," said Margaret.

Two children exchange a summer in a land making headlines for a summer where, maybe, the sky really is higher.

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For more information about participating next summer in the Children’s Program of Northern Ireland call 651-405-1108.