Author: Emil Lazarian

PUTIN TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT YEAR
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
20 Aug 04
Sochi, 20 August: Russian President Vladimir Putin is to visit Armenia
next year. “(President) Robert Kocharyan has invited me to Armenia at
the start of next year,” Putin told a joint news conference. “It will
be my pleasure,” he added.
The Russian president said the date of the visit would be coordinated
through Foreign Ministry channels at a later date.

ArmenPress
Aug 18 2004
HAIK STUDENT CROSSROAD HOSTS 200 ARMENIAN YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS: Student council of Yerevan
Architectural Institute (YAI) holds Haik Student Crossroad, a big
event in Sevan, Hankavan and Meghrazor on August 19-28 with the
participation of more than 200 young Armenians from Armenia and
Diaspora as well as Youth Movement of Armenian Apostolic Church. Some
two dozens of teams will be named after different historic regions of
Armenia.
YAI student council Hayk Akarmazian said that this a
de-politicized action. During the event, discussions will be held on
statehood, religion, student self-government bodies. Pro-government,
opposition and spiritual actors will visit the students. Also sports
and intellectual competitions will be held.
The budget of the project totals 4 mln 600,000 dram, 2 mln 400,000
of which is provided by All Armenain Youth Fund and the rest by YAI
and Arartian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church.

UEFA.com
Aug 18 2004
Stojkov shoots down Armenia
F.Y.R. Macedonia’s bid for a place in the 2006 UEFA European Under-21
Championship finals got off to a good start with a comfortable 4-0
victory against Armenia.

F.Y.R. Macedonia have made a winning start in Group 1

Took control
The home side had not won a competitive U21 match since June 2001,
but they took control in the early stages of the Group 1 tie and
never looked back after Aco Stojkov had opened the scoring on 27
minutes.
Hat-trick complete
On the half-hour Darko Tasevski set up Stojkov to double the lead and
after Goran Todorcev had struck the third from outside the area on 48
minutes, Stojkov completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot with
three minutes remaining. The Macedonians now hold the early lead in a
group where Romania, their next opponents on 3 September, beat
Finland 1-0 yesterday.
Next fixture
Armenia will hope to revive their bid for one of the two play-off
places on offer when they welcome Finland on 8 September, by which
time the Czech Republic and the Netherlands will also have begun
their campaigns in the six-team group.

Baku Today
Aug 17 2004
South Korean Ambassador To Azerbaijan Completes Mission
On Monday, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received Kim Song Kwan,
the South Korean Ambassador to Azerbaijan, on the completion of his
diplomatic mission.
Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan attached particular importance to
the development of multi-faceted cooperation with South Korea.
Underlining the necessity of developing bilateral economic relations,
Mammadyarov stressed that it was necessary to take the territorial
integrity, sovereignty of state and inviolability of borders as a
priority during the discussions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Upper Garabagh held within the framework of international
organizations.
The South Korean ambassador, in turn, expressed his gratitude to
Azerbaijan for supporting his country within international
organizations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Télégramme
16 août 2004
Les costumes folkloriques, qu’ils soient bretons, biélorusses,
argentins ou arméniens, ne craignent pas les pluies
d’applaudissements. Ce serait plutôt le contraire.
Mais les trombes d’eau venues du ciel, alors là, c’est la cata…
Pourtant hier, le ciel n’est pas tombé sur la tête du défilé des
Nations, l’un des temps forts du festival, qui chaque année, fait de
Plozévet le carrefour mondial des cultures. Rues noires de monde,
pour un spectacle de danses slaves, sud-américaines ou bretonnes, à
même le macadam. A 14 h, le défilé s’est mis en marche sous un ciel
de traîne, un vrai temps de festival, disait le public. Il a pris son
temps pour descendre la grand’rue, amorcer le virage de l’église,
avant les premières gouttes annonciatrices. Les parapluies se sont
ouverts. Et soudain, la pluie, qui ne s’est plus arrêtée. Le défilé a
sauvé les meubles, le public s’est sauvé. Tant pis pour le deuxième
passage qui est tombé à l’eau…
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

United States Department of Defense
Aug 13 2004
News Transcript
On the web:
l
Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131
Public contact: or +1 (703)
428-0711
Secretary Rumsfeld Press Conference in Baku
SEC. RUMSFELD: Good morning. In my meetings with the
president and the minister of defense, I expressed the gratitude of
the American people, to the people of Azerbaijan for their important
support in the global war on terror. After the attacks on the United
States on September 11, 2001, Azerbaijan was one of the first
countries to offer support, providing valuable access and overflight
rights for coalition aircraft, sending peacekeepers to Afghanistan in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
And today Azeri troops are deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq and
working closely with coalition forces there. In addition, we’re
working very closely together in connection with the NATO Partnership
for Peace effort, which, of course, is a benefit to all 26 NATO
nations, as well as the partners.
In our meetings today with the president and the minister, we
discussed our bilateral defense cooperation. This includes
cooperation with Azerbaijan to help guard against transnational
threats in the Caspian Sea, such as narcotics trafficking, terrorist
transit and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The
American people greatly appreciate the steadfast support of
Azerbaijan in the global war on terror, and we look forward to
continuing to strengthen our military cooperation in the period
ahead.
QUESTION [Via Translator]: Two questions. First of all, Mr.
Secretary of Defense, did you discuss the issue of expansion of Azeri
peacekeepers in Iraq and Afghanistan with President Ilham Aliyev?
And secondly, whether you have been asked for any assistance or
support in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict solution as the only Muslim
country Azerbaijan has its troops on the ground in both Iraq and
Afghanistan?
SEC. RUMSFELD: We did not discuss the possibility of expansion of
Azeri troops in Afghanistan or Iraq. We did discuss the fact that
the United Nations is currently undertaking a responsibility under a
U.N. resolution to assist with Iraqi — the upcoming elections and
that the United Nations is soliciting assistance from countries
around the world to provide security forces to assist the United
Nations with respect to the forthcoming Iraqi elections. With
respect to Nagorno-Karabakh, as you know, the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Minsk Group, is the lead
organization for facilitating negotiations for a peaceful settlement
of that set of issues.
SEC. RUMSFELD: And we did discuss the fact that the United States,
which is involved in that process, along with three or four other
countries, has recently appointed a new ambassador, Mr. Mann, to
assist. And as you know, the United States supports the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.
Q: Good morning, Mr. Minister, my name is Tom Squitieri, I’m with
USA Today. You heard Secretary Rumsfeld say he looks forward to
further military cooperation between United States and Azerbaijan.
I’m wondering what specific things you would like to see the United
States and NATO provide to your nation’s military to transform it
into a force you think is necessary for your country, and also, have
you considered the secretary’s request about supplying forces to
protect during the Iraqi elections? Thank you.
DEF. MINISTER ABIYEV [Via translator]: As you know, since Azerbaijan
gained independence in 1991, the country has faced lots of threats
and 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territories are still under Armenian
occupation. And what we want from the U.S. as our ally and partner
is the U.S. to support Azerbaijan in this conflict and demand that
Armenia immediately withdraws its occupational forces from the
territories of Azerbaijan.
Yes, indeed, there’s military cooperation, security cooperation
between our country is going from year to year, and we highly value
this cooperation, and we’re also cooperating with the United States
in the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. And today we’ll also
discussed the issue of security in the Caspian — also another
important issue for Azerbaijan, another unresolved and important
problem for Azerbaijan, but having said that, it’s a political issue
and only when the political solution is found to this issue then the
military will speak.
Q: [Inaudible]
TRANSLATOR: Say what again?
Q: [Inaudible] response to the secretary regarding the security
[Inaudible]?
DEF. MINISTER ABIYEV [Via Translator]: Azerbaijani peacekeepers are
already in Iraq and they have their mandate to fulfill and they will
continue to carry out their tasks.
QUESTION [Via Translator]: Two questions. First, would like you to
– Mr. Secretary of Defense — to evaluate the threats you think posed
to Azerbaijan by Iran’s possibility to develop nuclear weapons and to
whether you anticipate any measure, or perhaps joined together with
Azerbaijan measures, to prevent this threat? And second question is
the Tehran Times newspaper that was reported recently that Azeri
forces under American trainers — American military instructors —
will be deployed on the border between Azerbaijan and Iran. Would
like your comments on this.
SEC. RUMSFELD: I think the – well, the first thing I would say is
that the world is properly concerned about the Iranian nuclear
development activities. The international atomic energy commission
[sic] representing the world community has been active in inspecting
what’s taking place there and has repeatedly expressed concern. The
Iranians have almost consistently responded to the IAEA in an
unsatisfactory way. That presents a problem for the world.
It’s a problem that is really twofold. One is the potential for a
nuclear capability in that country and the implications for
neighboring nations, as you suggested. The second problem it poses is
one of proliferation. As you know, Iran has been on the terrorist
list for many years. And one of the gravest concerns that the world
faces is the nexus between a terrorist state that has weapons of mass
destruction and terrorist networks. So it’s understandable that the
nations, and not just in this region, but throughout the world, are
deeply concerned about what’s taking place in Iran.
QUESTION [Via translator]: Second part of the question, the Tehran
Times and American military instructors on the border Azerbaijan,
Iran?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Not to my knowledge.
UNKNOWN: We’ll take two more questions.
Q: Toby Zakaria with Reuters. Secretary Rumsfeld, also on Iran, did
you discuss with the president and the minister of defense Iranian
President Khatami’s recent visit here? And did you express any
concerns at all about what appears – some might say what appear to be
growing ties between Azerbaijan and Iran?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Yes and no. We did discuss the subject with the
president of the visit of the president of Iran to Azerbaijan. And
no, we did not discuss various things mentioned in your second
question.
QUESTION (Via translator): ATV Channel. Mr. Secretary, you said
that the United States supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
In this case, how would you explain the fact that the United States
Congress allocates $5 million per year to the secretary’s regime in
Nagorno-Karabakh, and second question is that Saddam Hussein, who did
not fulfill United Nation’s resolutions, was punished. Do you
anticipate anything against Armenia that…
SEC. RUMSFELD: I’m sorry. I was listening here, instead of to you.
Go ahead.
Q: Yeah. And the second question is Saddam Hussein, who did not
fulfill U.N. resolutions was punished. Do you anticipate taking any
measures against Armenia that refuses to fulfill United Nations for
resolutions in Nagorno-Karabakh?
SEC. RUMSFELD: First, I’m advised that the first question involved
simply some humanitarian assistance and I think it’s important to
look at the totality of all of the various types of cooperative
arrangements we have with Azerbaijan and the total number in terms of
dollars comes to a substantially higher number.
As I mentioned earlier with respect to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Minsk
Group and the negotiating process that’s in place and supported by
the international community is under way and we are hopeful that
there can be a peaceful resolution of that set of issues that will be
respectful of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Thank you very much.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI MINISTER TO DISCUSS RUSSIA’S KARABAKH EFFORTS IN MOSCOW
Zerkalo, Baku
14 Aug 04
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will pay an official
visit to Moscow on 17 August at the invitation of his Russian
counterpart. It is noteworthy that Mammadyarov will go to Moscow
immediately after visits to Azerbaijan by Iranian President Mohammad
Khatami and US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld. That is why one
can be 100-per-cent sure that the Russian capital is looking forward
to Mammadyarov’s visit because the Kremlin is hardly indifferent to
the results of these visits to Azerbaijan, especially their
confidential aspects. For example, in Baku Rumsfeld did not hide that
he had an interest in the talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Khatami.
In an interview with our Zerkalo correspondent, Mammadyarov said that
this is his first official visit to Moscow after his appointment to
the post (of foreign minister). “I was appointed foreign minister on 2
April this year. But Mr (Russian Foreign Minister Sergey) Lavrov was
appointed several months after that.
“The main issue that will be raised by the Azerbaijani side during
this visit is Russia’s role as a mediator and co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group in settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. This is a fundamental issue for us. That is why there is no
doubt that we will hold detailed discussions of this issue. The second
package of issues which will definitely be discussed during the visit
are related to economic relations between the two countries.”
(Passage omitted: The intergovernment commission is working actively;
ties between the two ministries and international issues will be
discussed as well)
Although the current world is different from the world of the early
1990s, Mammadyarov believes that “along with the other co-chairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia is playing a major and even a key role in
settling the conflict”. He said Azerbaijan’s position was that it
would be impossible to achieve stability in the region without
resolving this conflict: “That is why we believe that a politically
stable and economically strong Caucasus is of benefit to all the
countries that have their interests in our region.”
Mammadyarov said that Russia has “deeper relations with Armenia” and
strong interests in Azerbaijan, at least from an economical
viewpoint. “As for Russia’s position on this issue, growing numbers of
people believe that if Russia is interested in settling the conflict,
peace will be established in our region very quickly,” Mammadyarov
said.
Generally speaking, there is a strange situation in the talks
process. The declared positions of the sides, at least their official
positions, are absolutely different. In these conditions, frequent
statements are made in society, especially among the military, that
the continuation of the talks has no prospects and it is necessary to
liberate the occupied territories by force. Commenting on the
aforesaid situation, Mammadyarov said: “You and I are talking at the
Foreign Ministry, not at the Defence Ministry. As the foreign
minister, I will back the peaceful option for settling the conflict to
the bitter end. Although, if you are aware of the Foreign Ministry’s
latest statement, you know that Azerbaijan is more and more
disappointed in the destructive position of the Armenian side.
“Armenia’s actions run counter to the purposes and spirit of the talks
held with the OSCE Minsk Group’s mediation. Some staff exercises and
illegal local government elections have been held on the occupied
territories. In addition, resettlement is under way on the occupied
territories. Such actions can hardly have a positive impact on the
talks, during which, as the sides maintain, they are reportedly trying
to achieve peace. It is difficult to hold peace talks in these
conditions.”
But Mammadyarov added that the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, at
least the USA, have already reacted to the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry’s statement. “The USA has already voiced its position on
both the military exercises and illegal elections. It said that the
USA recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. The OSCE
chairman-in-office issued a similar statement. The Council of Europe
secretary-general expressed his negative attitude to the events that
have occurred in recent weeks. We, however, believe that if our
attitude to the peace talks is serious and Azerbaijan actually wants
to achieve a breakthrough during the talks, we expect the same
attitude from the opposite side as well,” he said.

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Aug 12 2004
Plenty of fight
Young Glendale boxer a surprise Olympian
By Paul Oberjuerge , Staff Writer
ATHENS, Greece — Vanes Martirosyan’s enthusiasm is endearing. And
sometimes endangering.
The 18-year-old welterweight from Glendale revels in the chance to
box for his adopted country in the Athens Olympics.
“It’s so exciting,” he said Tuesday, a heavyweight smile erupting on
his boyish face. “When I sit and think about it, sometimes I get
tears in my eyes. Like, where am I? Is this really true? It’s like a
big dream. Then you wake up, and the coaches are there saying, ‘Let’s
go run,’ then you go, ‘Yeah, this is true. I am here.’ ”
“Here” is the Summer Olympics, the apex of the amateur boxing world.
No wonder Martirosyan is fired up.
But that youthful exuberance can be a detriment in the ring.
Martirosyan is most effective, U.S. assistant coach Joe Zanders said,
when he sticks with the technical, “Russian style” long-distance
boxing he learned from his father and personal coach, Norik, who
moved his family to Glendale from Armenia in 1990.
“What we want him to do is box,” Zanders said of the 152-pounder. “We
don’t want him to get into a fight. He gets excited, and he will
fight; he’s got that kind of heart.
“We have to keep him doing the things he’s done so far to get himself
here.”
That Martirosyan is here at all, preparing to walk in Opening
Ceremonies on Friday, is a significant upset. He wasn’t one of the
country’s well-regarded welterweights when the selection process
began this year, and his progress through the U.S. Trials surprised
even him. If not his father or his uncle, Serge, who repeatedly told
him, “You’re the best. You don’t know how good you are.”
He began to think maybe his father and uncle were right after he
defeated fifth-ranked Timothy Bradley in the Western Trials. Then he
clinched a berth in the Athens Games by defeating second-ranked Andre
Berto of Haiti in the continental qualifier in Tijuana, Mexico.
“My confidence kept going up and up,” he said. “I was getting better
and better.”
Martirosyan believes he is “a puzzle” to opponents because he can
change styles at the drop of a glove.
He grew up with the Russian style his father learned while boxing in
the former Soviet Union. “But I can fight American style, and I had a
Mexican coach (Joe Lopez), so I can fight Mexican style, too,” he
said. “Guys don’t know what they’re going to get from me.”
Lopez said he was not surprised when Martirosyan qualified for the
Olympics.
“He has been training very hard,” said Lopez, who until three years
ago trained Martirosyan out of Glendale. When Lopez was offered a job
at the Baldwin Park Boxing Club, he accepted, and Martirosyan
followed.
“He worked really hard in the gym and I think it is his
determination,” Lopez said. “No matter how much anybody tries to
discourage him, he believes in himself and he goes for it.”
Louie Escobar is head trainer at the Baldwin Park Boxing Club. He
said that when Martirosyan first set foot in his gym at age 15, he
knew he was something special. And not just as a boxer.
“I could see that he was very, very respectful, a good role model for
the younger kids,” Escobar said. “And I could see that he was very
talented. Raw, but talented.”
Zanders suggest Martirosyan is best served by the heady,
at-a-distance Russian style that can help him rack up jab points in
the electronically-scored Olympic tournament.
“He fights more like a Russian than anybody who’s not a Russian,”
Zanders said. “Guys who move and punch at the same time. He does that
extremely well.”
Zanders said Martirosyan was holding his own with 2003 world champion
Lorenzo Aragon of Cuba after two rounds in a tournament bout here in
May. Then the excitement factor bushwhacked the Glendale Kid,
something even Martirosyan concedes.
“The first two rounds, I was doing good, and the coaches tried to
calm me down because I get so excited, I’m having so much fun,” he
said. “I just started throwing raw punches. In the third round,
(Aragon) was running from me, and I was chasing him, but he was
scoring punches, while he was running.”
Martirosyan lost a decision, but perhaps gained some perspective.
“He didn’t stick with his game,” Zanders said. “If he listens to the
coaches, things will be a lot different. Losing to the Cuban is maybe
his greatest motivator, to this point. Now he has a better idea of
what this is about.”
Martirosyan’s father tried for 10 years to emigrate to the U.S., and
the family is so thankful to have joined relatives in Glendale that
Vanes sees the Olympics as a chance “to thank this country because it
made room for me and my family. Just to wear these (red, white and
blue) colors is a thrill for me.”
Martirosyan has become something of a celebrity in Glendale’s large
Armenian community. “They support me a lot,” he said. “When I walk
out of the house they come up and hug me and kiss me and say, ‘Go do
it.’ They show me a lot of love.”
According to USA Boxing spokeswoman Julie Goldsticker,
Armenian-American grocers sometimes refuse to take Norik
Martirosyan’s money, telling him to “go feed his son.”
Vanes Martirosyan will be joined here this week by his father and
uncle, as well as little brother Vatche and cousin Ilousha. His first
bout is Sunday.
A strong Olympics showing often has been a springboard into a
lucrative professional career. American welterweights who fought in
the Olympics include Sugar Ray Leonard, Donald Curry, Mark Breland,
Pernell Whitaker, Fernando Vargas and Oscar De La Hoya. The Golden
Boy happens to be a favorite of Martirosyan’s.
“The way Oscar won the gold and dedicated it to his mother, that was
great,” Martirosyan said.
The home-schooled boxer said he will not decide about turning pro
until after the Olympics. Hr added that his father and uncle will be
prime movers in that choice.
“I box; they handle everything else,”he said.
Martirosyan is not a medal favorite. The top welterweights figure to
be two-time gold medalist Oleg Saitev of Russia and Cuba’s Aragon.
Then again, Berto was a bronze medalist at the 2003 World
Championships, and Martirosyan defeated him during his breakthrough
year.
Said Zanders: “I think he has a chance to be a real problem for some
of the better boxers. I would not be surprised at any level he
achieves.”
Said Martirosyan: “Every day I sit in my room and dream what it would
be like to win a gold medal,” and another monster smile lights up the
room.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: Morning Edition (11:00 AM AM ET) – NPR
August 10, 2004 Tuesday
Armenian immigrants living in Glendale, California
ANCHORS: RENEE MONTAGNE
REPORTERS: AMY WALTERS
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
This week, MORNING EDITION is visiting immigrant communities here in
Los Angeles, one of the most diverse places in the country.
California is home to the largest population of Armenians outside the
homeland. NPR’s Amy Walters recently visited the Chamlian Armenian
school in Glendale.
AMY WALTERS reporting:
Glendale looks a lot like other Los Angeles suburbs. It has several
major shopping malls, strip malls and house after house after house.
Signs advertise familiar businesses like Texaco and 7-Eleven. But
other storefronts display an ancient script that doesn’t mean much to
anyone except the city’s 53,000 Armenians. That’s more than a quarter
of Glendale’s population, and that script represents their future.
Ms. ANI BABARIAN(ph) (Teacher): If you are going to keep one nation
together, it’s the language and the religion. When you take the
language, and if you take the religion, you don’t have a nation
anymore.
WALTERS: That’s Ani Babarian. She’s teaching Armenian to
eighth-graders at the Chamlian Armenian school, where she also
teaches history and religion. Armenia has a unique Christian church
founded in the early fourth century, before the country was conquered
by Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols and Turks, among others. As a
result, Armenians lived in diaspora in the Middle East and Europe for
centuries.
Ms. BABARIAN: These are all student work. This is our alphabet.
WALTERS: Babarian’s classroom displays pictures and posters created
by her students, each one representing Armenia, a homeland most of
these students have never seen.
(Soundbite of bell)
WALTERS: Every morning at Chamlian begins with a bell and the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Group of People: (In unison) I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America.
WALTERS: But here they pledge allegiance twice, first to the American
flag, then the Armenian.
Group of People: (Armenian spoken)
WALTERS: It’s the final year at Chamlian for Babarian’s eighth-grade
class, and she’s filling their heads with as much Armenian as she
can.
Ms. BABARIAN: (Armenian spoken)
Unidentified Boy: (Armenian spoken)
WALTERS: Students learn Armenian two hours a day beginning in first
grade. This first-grade class sings a traditional children’s song
about how much fun it is to be at school.
(Soundbite of children singing in Armenian)
WALTERS: The school opened almost 30 years ago when the Armenian
population of Glendale started to grow. In the late 1970s, war broke
out in Lebanon and Iran, and the Armenians from the Middle East
flooded into Los Angeles. Today’s immigrants come mostly from the
Republic of Armenia. They’re looking for economic opportunities they
can’t find in the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet
occupation. At Chamlian, Armenian communities that were separated for
decades, even centuries, are reunited for the first time. Megan
Megasarian(ph) is part of Chamlian’s eighth-grade class. Her parents
came from Iran. After hearing their story, she says she appreciates
the freedoms of America.
MEGAN MEGASARIAN (Student): My mom came here when she was about 10
with her brother, and they kind of had to raise themselves on their
own. And my dad came here, I think, around when he was 18 or 19 to
escape from the war. And they had to always look out for themselves
because if you don’t look out for yourself, basically, really nobody
will. But when you come to an Armenian school and you’re in an
Armenian community, you feel that you’re protected.
WALTERS: Next year, Megan and her eighth-grade classmates will go to
public school. There’ll be no Armenian classes, songs or pledge of
allegiance. These kids say they don’t share their parents’ fears of
war and political oppression. But Patio Kerkorian(ph), a fellow
classmate, says she has fears of her own.
PATIO KERKORIAN (Student): You know, it’s really scary when you,
like, see–you know, you meet someone, like, you go to a new school
and their last name ends with I-A-N and then you go and you say, ‘Oh,
you’re Armenian,’ and you start talking Armenian, and they’re like,
‘What are you saying?’ And it’s like, ‘Aren’t you Armenian?’ and they
say, ‘Yeah, but we don’t know Armenian.’ It’s like, ‘It’s not
possible. How can you not know Armenian?’ You get scared. You know,
you think, oh God, you know, when I’m gonna go to a public school
after Chamlian, you know, is that gonna be me?
WALTERS: This summer, Patio is preparing for freshman year at
Glendale High. She says she’s nervous but she comforts herself with a
promise she made to one day send her own children to Chamlian. Amy
Walters, NPR News, Los Angeles.
MONTAGNE: It’s 11 minutes before the hour.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

3 killed, 5 injured in crash on Foothill Freeway *
Pasadena Star-News
August 13, 2004
By Marshall Allen**, Gretchen Hoffman and Gene Maddaus*, *Staff Writers* *
Thursday, August 12, 2004 – PASADENA — Three women were killed and a
young boy was thrown onto the Gold Line tracks where his foot was
severed by a train after their SUV crashed on the Foothill (210) Freeway
on Thursday.
The 8-year-old boy, who also suffered serious head and chest injuries,
was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he underwent
surgery and was in extremely critical condition, authorities said.
Two women were pronounced dead at the scene of “major injuries,’ said
California Highway Patrol spokesman Jon Samson. One woman suffered
cardiac arrest and later died at Huntington Hospital, he said.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office identified the dead as Lena
Khodaverdian, 41, Alice Basmadjian, 82, and Hrepsimi Hadadjian, 77. All
eight occupants in the red 2003 Ford Expedition were from Pasadena.
Only two of them, including the driver, were wearing seat belts. Those
two suffered minor injuries. In all, five people were thrown from the SUV.
A 70-year-old woman suffered major injuries, including a broken leg and
head and chest trauma, and was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital. A
77-year-old woman suffered cuts and scrapes and was taken to County-USC
Medical Center.
Investigators believe the driver drifted to the right and then swerved
to the left to avoid hitting another vehicle. The SUV flipped and
crashed into the center wall just after 10 a.m., near the Madre Street
exit.
The seven women were members of a women’s group at Armenian Brotherhood
Bible Church on Washington Boulevard in Pasadena.
Church secretary Azniv Ailanjian said the phone in the church office
rang all day after the accident. Members of the 400-person congregation
were confused and uncertain as they tried to confirm the names of the
dead and injured.
“We don’t have words,’ Ailanjian said. “We are just praying, for
families, for people involved; nothing more we can do.’
Friends and relatives of the victims gathered at Huntington Hospital
Thursday afternoon, trying on cell phones to track down the passengers
scattered among the two hospitals to find out who had survived and the
extent of the injuries.
Many weren’t sure of the conditions of their loved ones at the time.
“We get our hopes up, and then they go down,’ said Pasadena resident
Lena Garabedian, whose aunt was in the SUV and later confirmed dead. “We
all believe in Jesus, and that’s basically who we’re depending on right
now.’
The church group was traveling to Sante Fe Dam recreation area for a
picnic, family members and friends said.
Luther and Tina Sevajian are the registered owners of the SUV, according
to DMV officials, but it was not clear if they were in the vehicle. CHP
officers did not identify the injured passengers.
The boy named Timothy, according to church members was thrown over a
3-foot cement barrier and onto the Gold Line tracks that divide the
eastbound and westbound freeway lanes.
Trains pass at 12-minute intervals at that time of day, according to
officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MTA officials
said the accident was unlike anything they had seen on any of the
agency’s four light-rail lines since the system began operating in 1990.
It is also the first serious accident in the one-year history of the
Gold Line.
The eastbound train was traveling about 50 mph and carrying 10
passengers as it rounded a curve approaching the accident scene, MTA
spokesman Jose Ubaldo said. The conductor slowed the train when he
spotted “unusual activity’ on the freeway, Ubaldo said.
Debris from the crash rained down on the tracks ahead. The conductor
spotted the child lying on the tracks and immediately slammed on the
emergency brake, Ubaldo said.
The train could not stop in time and came to rest atop the boy’s right
foot.
Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the Pasadena Fire Department, said it
was a terrible scene.
“We have a couple of firefighters who say it is the most horrific
accident they’ve seen in their long careers with the fire department,’
she said.
It appeared no other cars were involved in the crash, Samson said.
The train conductor was interviewed and taken for routine drug and
alcohol testing. Two of the 10 passengers on the train said they had
minor injuries, but did not seek the help of paramedics.
The Gold Line passengers were transferred to another train and taken
away from the scene.
Commuters on the eastern tip of the Gold Line experienced 20- to
30-minute delays. The eastbound segment of track between Allen Avenue
and Sierra Madre Villa remained closed through the afternoon, but all
other sections of the line stayed open.
Traffic was jammed for several miles behind the crash.
Two lanes of the freeway were opened to traffic two hours after the
accident, and it was opened fully about 4:45 p.m., Derderian said.
/
/Marshall Allen can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4461, or by
e-mail at [email protected] .
Gretchen Hoffman can be reached at Ext. 4494, or by e- mail at
[email protected] . Gene
Maddaus can be reached at Ext. 4444, or by e-mail at
[email protected] /.//