FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN -- A Fond du Lac man has been declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be first to "read, understand and accept" all of the terms and conditions associated with an Internet software download.
In a ceremony at his home on East Sheboygan Road, Edgar Polandeski, 37, accepted the certificate from the representative of the Guiness Awards staff. Said Guinness World Records Editor in Chief Craig Glenday, "We have had people apply for this award before but a careful review had always shown them to be deficient. Most of the time they had only 'read, understood and accepted' the first panel of terms and conditions. Until we investigated the claims for Polandeski, no one else had even come close."
Coming on top of winning the Morgan Quitno Award for the "#1 SAFEST Metropolitan Area for 2006" in its population grouping, "this quite a double for Fond du Lac," said Council President Mark Jurgella.
Polandeski himself was quite nonplussed by the hubbub surrounding the award. "I didn't know I really wasn't expected to read it all," said Polandeski, who has an associate's degree in business accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac.
Neighbors said they weren't surprised. Eileen Creech, who lives just across the street from Polandeski, noted that he was "very meticulous." Adding, "like my brother-in-law, he always mows his yard twice, both times on the diagonal."
"Doesn't surprise me at all," said Mariam Zlotby, who attended Sabish Middle School with Polandeski. "He used to be one of those who always was waving his hand to help Mrs. Stepenski with whatever. You know, holding one arm up with the other, waving it so hard you thought it'd fly off. He's the one who'd say, 'Mariam, didn't stay in her desk while you were gone, Mrs. Stepenski.' Classic brown-noser. Glad to see it finally got him something," said said Zlotby.
Although Polandeski accomplished the feat on May 14, 2008, his achievement will not be recognized in print until the 2009 edition of Guinness World Records, which should appear early in January.
