Author: Andres-Papazian

BURBANK RESIDENTS UPSET OVER PROPOSED ARMENIAN CHARTER SCHOOL

NBC Southern California
June 20 2014

Residents argue the school would also clog streets with traffic and
parked cars, since the 30-car parking lot would have to suffice for
a staff that handles an expected 120 students

By John Cadiz Klemack

Neighbors are lashing out against a proposed charter school in Burbank
that would cater to Armenian students because they feel they weren’t
given proper notice about the plan.

The Burbank Unified School Board on June 5 conditionally approved
Giligia Charter Academy to fill a vacant property in the 3900 block
of Burbank Boulevard near Hollywood Way by September.

“This is the most robust public hearing that I’ve ever experienced
on this board,” Burbank Unified Superintendent Jan Britz said. “So
this is kind of fun.”

But some neighbors of the property had a different view of the
proposed school.

“I was very angry, very upset,” resident Gina Walker said. “No one
knew about it. That’s the whole thing. No one knew what was going on
… No one told us that this was even an idea in the making and now
it’s going through a phase of an approval?”

Residents argue the school would also clog streets with traffic and
parked cars, since the 30-car parking lot would have to suffice for
a staff that handles an expected 120 students.

“This is going to impact the neighborhood, it is,” neighbor Gene
Kendrick said. “You’re gonna see a lot more people parking around
here.”

The school would house K-12 students and would be just feet from
homes. The only entrance and exit to the small parking lot is from
an alleyway.

But supporters feel the school is a necessity.

“Because of the new immigrants that keep coming in, there’s such a
lack of…such a big cultural difference between where they’re coming
from and where they’re at now,” said Julia Yeranossian-Aghishian,
a petitioner for the Giligia Charter Academy.

The idea of making a public school exclusive to Armenians also has
some crying foul considering the district could lose more than $800,000
in revenue.

“Everybody should be welcomed to go,” Walker said.

The June 5 school board meeting was reportedly packed with supporters
but opponents said that was only because they didn’t know about it.

Residents hope their voices are heard before the district makes a
final decision on July 17.

From: A. Papazian

HOCKEY’S MONIKER GETS NOD FROM CANADIAN PM

Mosman Daily
June 19, 2014 Thursday

TREASURER Joe Hockey got a special mention from the Canadian Prime
Minister at a press conference and it wasn’t just for his economic
policies.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was in Ottawa recently for talks with his
counterpart Stephen Harper on his international tour. And the Canadian
leader took the opportunity to point out Hockey’s “great name”.

“Are you sure he isn’t Canadian with a name like that?,” he asked Mr
Abbott. The North Sydney MP hit Twitter to set the record straight.

“Given my heritage I couldn’t get away with claiming to be from
Canada!,” he wrote.

Mr Hockey’s father Richard migrated to Australia from Bethlehem in
1948 and anglicised the Armenian family name Hokeidonian. His Armenian
grandfather Joseph was sent by the Catholic Church in Jerusalem to be
a spy in -Palestine.Mr Hockey’s mother Beverley was born in Chatswood
and was working as a model when she met her husband.

From: A. Papazian

PRESS RELEASE
Glendale Public Library
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale CA 91205
Tel: 818-548-2030
Web:

FB:

You & Your Family are invited to join us in a captivating Power Point
presentation on the Armenian communities of Kesaria/Kayseri and
Cappadocia by Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian on Wednesday June 25, at
7pm. Don’ Miss It! Looking forward to see all!

GLENDALE, CA On Wednesday, June 25, 2014, at 7 pm, Prof. Richard
G. Hovannisian will discuss and make a PowerPoint presentation on the
Armenian communities of Kesaria/Kayseri and Cappadocia at the Glendale
Central Library Auditorium, 222 East Harvard Street in Glendale. The
presentation is in English, with a summary in Armenian. It will also
include brief sound video segments prepared by Ani Hovannisian
Kevorkian on the last Armenians of Dikranagerd/Diarbekir and on the
Armenian-speaking Hamshen people on the Black Sea.

Admission is free. Library visitors receive 3 hours FREE parking
across the street at The Market Place parking structure with
validation at the Loan Desk.

Armenian Kesaria/Kayseri and Cappadocia focuses on the history of the
Armenians in the city of Kesaria (Gesaria) and its many outlying
villages, including Talas, Everek, Fenesse, Tomarza, Chomakhlu,
Injesu, Efkere, and Germir. During the centuries of Ottoman rule, the
Armenians of Kesaria were noted as goldsmiths and skilled
craftsmen. Professionals and producers of carpets, linens, textiles,
leather goods, pottery, and cured beef. For centuries the Armenians of
the Kesaria region managed to preserve their distinct identity with
their tightly-knit communities, strong religious faith, schools and
churches, like almost all other areas of Armenian existence in the
Ottoman Empire. However, in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide they
were uprooted and deported toward the Syrian deserts, with very few of
the survivors ever returning.

The program is sponsored by Nor Serount Cultural Association, Tekeyan
Cultural Association, and Hamazkayin Regional Executive Committee of
the Western United States.

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN DISMISSES RUSSIAN REPORTS OF ARMENIAN PRISONER’S RELEASE

Friday, June 20th, 2014

Hrachya Harutiunian at a moscow court

YEREVAN–The Armenian Human Rights Ombudsman’s office dismissed on
Friday Russian media reports that the Moscow city government has
released Hrachya Harutiunian, the Armenian immigrant who has been
serving a prison sentence since causing the death of 18 people in a
trucking accident last year.

Yeranuhi Tumaniants, head of the Torture Prevention Department of the
Armenian Ombudsman’s office, told Panorama.net that she has confirmed
no such decision from Russian authorities.

“Together with Hrachya Harutiunian’s lawyer Ruben Margarian, we are
trying to clarify why the Russian media has disseminated this piece
of misinformation,” she said.

The popular Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported earlier on Friday
that the authorities of the Moscow City Court declined to extend
Harutiunian’s prison term. Harutiunian’s prison term has been extended
several times since his arrest in 2013.

Harutiunian’s arrest caused controversy when he was made to appear
in court wearing a women’s gown hours after his accident and arrest.

Russian news anchors chided and sneered at the man, who was shown
on TV crying in court. The Armenian media condemned the display as
a deliberate affront to personal dignity and a display of Russian
xenophobia and racism.

From: A. Papazian

GOLDEN APRICOT FILM FESTIVAL TO SCREEN WINNERS OF PRESTIGIOUS FESTIVALS

YEREVAN, June 20. / ARKA /. The XIth Golden Apricot film festival
that will run in Yerevan from July 13 to 20 will premiere a number of
foreign films, winners of prestigious international awards, Tatevik
Manukyan, head of the event’s international relations unit, said today.

She said one of the films is ‘Winter’s Sleep’ by Turkish director Nuri
Bilge Ceylan that won the “Palme d’Or” of the Cannes Film Festival.

The list includes also “Two Days, One Night” (Belgium, France, Italy)
by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne and Diao Yinan’s thriller”
Black Coal, Thin Ice”, the winner of the Berlin Film Festival.

Manukyan said that the festival will feature also two documentaries –
one is called ‘Barbarous Country” made by French Armenian director
Yervand Janikian and Angela Ricci Lucca and the second is “The
Book” made by Vitali Manski. It is about medieval Armenian poet and
theologian Gregory of Narek.

“We also plan to screen the ‘Constant Factor” by Krzysztof Zanussi
(1980), which also became the winner of the Cannes Film Festival. In
connection with his 75th birth anniversary the director will be
awarded the prize of the Catholicos of the Armenian Church called
“Let there be light,” she said.

The XI Festival “Golden Apricot” will be dedicated to Sergei Parajanov,
who would turn this year 90. The official opening ceremony will be held
on July 13 at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet. -0-

– See more at:

From: A. Papazian

PRIME MINISTER PROMISES SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC PRODUCERS

YEREVAN, June 20. / ARKA /. Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan
reiterated today that his government would promote domestic producers,
and strictly punish companies for shadow activities.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Digitec 2014 IT forum in
Yerevan he pledged continued support for information technology sector
because ‘this segment has a great future.’

“The IT sector is very important for the economy. It is our crude oil,
gas and sea,” he said.

The prime minister said the government has initiated legislative
changes designed to provide various privileges to small and
medium-sized businesses. He argued that this approach would help
minimize the shadow turnover in large companies.

“We do not look at SMEs as taxpayers – our aim is to ensure level
playing field for all,” said Abrahamyan.

During a meeting with the country’s 100 wealthiest business people last
month Abrahamyan’s cabinet set July1 as a deadline for large companies
to stop evading taxes and abusing their market positions warning that
otherwise they would face a tougher crackdown by tax authorities.

“We agreed that everyone must operate on an equal footing and do
everything to come out of the shadow,” Abrahamyan was quoted as saying
by the government. -0-

– See more at:

From: A. Papazian

Vardan Oskanyan: “I feel humiliated” (video)

12:15 | June 21,2014 | Politics

“We shouldn’t behave like this,”- announced BHK member Vardan Oskanyan
at the NA. He feels humiliated how the majority passes important laws
at the parliament.

The session is not calm even now. When Artsvik Minasyan was doing his
observation, Galust Sahakyan demanded to turn off the microphone.”

From: A. Papazian

Armenian parliament MPs try to escape from activists

June 21, 2014 | 18:31

YEREVAN. – Armenian parliament deputies were welcomed by whistles and
“Shame” chants as they left the parliament building after voting on
controversial pension law.

Activists of “I am against” initiative gathered neat the exit and
chanted “Shame” as the deputies are leaving the building. Some of them
decided “to escape” and are leaving the parliament by cars, three or
four MPs in one car.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia nearly alone passed amendments
to the Law on Funded Pensions. The ruling party MPs participated in
the vote, while the rest factions – Prosperous Armenia, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, Heritage, ANC and Orinats Yerkir – left the parliament
several hours ago after lawmakers passed the bill in the first
reading.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: A. Papazian

Holy Etchmiadzin hosts Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

June 21, 2014 | 14:04

Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, who is the Patriarch of Jerusalem of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, on Saturday arrived in the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin.

On the same day, Archbishop Manougian was received by Catholicos of
All Armenians Karekin II.

The interlocutors discussed the activities of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the lives of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Brotherhood, and the spiritual process of the Armenian nation.

In the coming days, the Catholicos of All Armenians and the Armenian
Patriarch of Jerusalem will reflect on the challenges facing the
Armenian Church, and the national and church life.

From: A. Papazian

Protesters in front of Armenia’s Parliament throw coins at ministers

14:54 * 21.06.14

Members of the movement against funded pensions and a group of
teachers, who gathered in front of Armenia’s Parliament, threw coins
at Armenia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan and
Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan.

The teachers are indignant at the fact that they cannot benefit from
the expected rise in salaries.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian