HETQ’S NEW BLOG FOCUSING ON REGIONAL ISSUES –
2010/02/26 | 15:12
Society Media
"Hetq" is proud to announce a new addition to its online edition –
Banali (Key).
It’s a new blog featuring the writings of young reporters from
Armenia’s various regions on the issue of human rights and civic
democracy. In today’s issue, you can read about issues facing residents
in Kapan, the regional capital of Syunik
FIVE BEAUTIFUL DUCKLINGS
By Frank Nahigian
Asbarez
Feb 26th, 2010
ucklings/
When you and I were growing up we were always pleased and proud to see,
hear or read about an Armenian’s public achievement, so when the 1951
Stanford football team with five Armenians playing key roles won the
right to represent the Pacific Coast Conference in the Rose Bowl game
the following New Year’s Day, I paid close attention. I was mildly
disappointed they lost to Illinois by a lopsided score and felt badly
for the boys but didn’t care otherwise. Hugasian had scored Stanford’s
only touchdown and Kerkorian kicked the extra point. The glass was 80%
full. I’ve always wondered about who and what the five were and how
they spent the rest of their lives. So I decided to find out.
My first call was to Norm Manoogian, captain of the team his senior
year and a member of the Stanford University Hall of Fame. Norm was
raised only by his mother because his father died in an accident when
Norm was 18 months old, his mother’s entire family was killed during
the massacres, and his father’s brother met a similar fate. Norm’s
four year old mom survived only through the kindness of a Turkish
military officer who saved her by secretly absorbing her into his own
family. Norm became a teacher and educator his entire professional
life. I asked him what was the most important wisdom he could pass on
to his children. He said, "Thinking. Thinking through every problem
before you make a decision, and to believe in yourself". Now in his
retirement, Norm and his wife Jone remain active by supporting and
engaging in programs implemented to improve the community environment.
He said that the strongest message he got from his mom was the value
of unconditional love and of being responsible for our actions. He
recalled the closeness and warmth of the community when he was in
college, a time when an unspoken honor system existed. Shopkeepers
extended credit for purchases by students if they didn’t have enough
cash in their pockets to pay for goods they needed, and compared it
to the change he saw when he returned to the same community after
returning from military service, when the same shopkeepers required
payment at the time of purchase. He decried the breakdown in the
fundamental standard and the honor system. When we spoke about the
broken economy the country faces today, I asked him what he thought
brought us to the present condition: "Greed", which he blamed on
the mindset of Washington politicians as well as the attitude in
Big Business. On the other hand and closer to their hearts, Norm and
Jone are gratified and proud of the fact that their two children are
healthy and independent in every way.
Next I spoke to Len Kaprielian, a classmate of Norm’s and a defensive
tackle. At 250 pounds (his teammates nicknamed him "Two And A Half"),
he was the biggest player on the team. After working for Firestone
Tire and Rubber Co. for a number of years, Len achieved a lifelong
dream by buying and operating a bar and grill in San Francisco, the
Jolly Friar English Pub, for twenty years, retired, and applied the
teamwork skills he learned on the football field and honed during his
business career, to community service. In 1991 he began volunteering
for the Sausolito Arts Festival, the foremost outdoor fine arts
festival in the country, and now runs part of the operation and serves
on the Board of Directors. In recognition of his many contributions
to the community, annual grants awarded to local non-profits by the
Festival have been named the Leonard Kaprielian Grants. This project
has become almost the joy of his life, an eternal second to his wife,
Agnes. He’s twice been named Volunteer of the Year for the city of
Sausalito, has received the Spirit of Marin award, and he and Agnes
have been honored by being named grand marshals of Sausalito’s 4th
of July parade. Len attributes his successes to teamwork.
More recently, Len has been confined to bed as a result of an
accident while visiting a long time Armenian friend in Fresno who
was producing a custom car show. He’s progressed to the point where
he can eat regular food, starting with madzun so Agnes (Dervishian,
Philadelphia) has made half a gallon of madzun which unquestionably
will have him back on his feet in no time because….(you’re no going
to believe this)…..Agnes has been making madzun regularly for 32
years, continuing the same culture she got from the last batch her
mother made before she died. (Was I right? Is that a record or what?)
Chuck Essegian says of Len, "He’s the kindest-hearted, sweetest man
I ever met".
Chuck Essegian, another of their classmates, another Stanford Hall
of Famer. Chuck was a linebacker on that team. When Chuck graduated,
he had the option of trying to play professional football or baseball
and decided on the latter because for one, it paid better, and for
another, the likelihood of injury was less in baseball so, if he
failed at that game, he could still attempt football, but if he got
hurt playing football, it would also prevent a baseball career. But
he didn’t fail. His four seasons in the minor leagues and six in the
majors included hitting two pinch hit home runs to help the L.A.
Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series. After
his baseball career ended, Chuck went to law school and practiced
for 30 years till he retired to Canyon Country, California.
His father was a mailman; his mom was orphaned at eight and came to
this country at sixteen years. What he was taught by his parents was
to respect and love his family, and the value of Perseverance. He
learned at home as well as through sports competition that you’re
going to lose from time to time, everyone does, but the winners are
those who persevere, who get back up after they’ve been knocked down.
We’re accustomed to hearing people rave about their grandchildren,
how remarkably good looking and intelligent they are, and we tolerate
it because we understand it, right? Chuck surprised me; he said his
mom is the greatest person he ever knew in his life, and I believe him
because of one of several stories he told me. In his words: "She just
was so full of wisdom for someone who didn’t have a formal education,
never got beyond sixth grade. I’ll tell you a funny story that I laugh
at to this day. I came hope one day after my fourth or fifth season in
the big leagues, and had been in a World Series and had hit some home
runs so I thought I knew a little bit about hitting. She only saw me
play in one football game and in maybe two baseball games, during the
World Series. When I came home after maybe my fifth season in the big
leagues she came to me one day and said would you get a bat and come
outside, I want to show you something? I said "What do you want to
show me, Mom?" She said, "I just want to talk to you about something.
You know sometimes you walk up to the plate like the pitcher’s already
going to get you out before you even get there. You drag the bat behind
you, and I want to show you how I want you to walk up to that plate
and take your stance and swing the bat." "I thought, God bless you,
Mom, you never give up. I never forgot that. Even when I was fifty,
she was giving me advice all the time but I never forgot that.
"She thought that your mind and your attitude could govern what your
body did. She absolutely had that understanding." (I say, that poor,
uneducated woman may have known more about the power of positive
thinking than Dale Carnegie did.)
Two of the most prominent players on that team were Gary Kerkorian,
the quarterback, and Harry Hugasian, the feature running back, who
were Stanford 1952, one year in college ahead of the other three.
Local sportswriters labeled them "The Shish Kebab Twins" and they’re
still referred to as such to this day. Ironically, in the mid-forties
Harry’s parents moved his family from Wisconsin to Pasadena to start
a new life. They opened an eatery, "The House of Shish Kebab" and as
Harry tells it, "In 1947 Los Angeles, nobody ate shish kebab, so we
went broke". A local friend, Sam Salesian, a Stanford alum, found jobs
for Harry’s parents and helped Harry get a football scholarship to
attend his alma mater. Harry went into the Air Force after graduation
and, when he returned from the service, played professional football
for two of the most storied coaches in NFL history, the Baltimore
Colts coached by Weeb Ewbank and the Chicago Bears coached by George
Halas. Kerkorian was a quarterback on the Colts at that time and of
course he favored Harry whenever he had the opportunity to do so. For
those of you who are interested, the two highest paid players at that
time were Frankie Albert and Otto Graham who were making $25,000 per
year. Harry was getting $6000. After football, Harry went into the
bowling alley business, one in Long Beach and one in L.A. Eventually
he sold the alleys and went into the corrugated box business and paper
pad manufacturing business for six or seven years until he retired.
Harry resides in a retirement home in Arcadia owned by Armenians
where he’s very pleased with the lifestyle.
Gary Kerkorian was a three year starter, was named first team
All-American by United Press Intl., and a Stanford Hall of Fame
inductee. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1952
draft and played for them for one season before signing on with
the Baltimore Colts where he was their starting quarterback for the
1954 season. He played for two more years and then left to get a law
degree at Georgetown, but rejoined the Colts as a backup quarterback
for their last two regular season games and the 1958 NFL Championship
game won by the Colts over the New York Giants in "the greatest game
ever played". Gary practiced law until he became a superior court
judge in Fresno in 1990 and retired in January 2000. Gary and Harry
remained such close friends after college that Harry was the best man
at his wedding and godfather to four of Gary’s six children. Harry
said when they played together for the Colts, Gary mentored him. When
Gary became a judge in the Fresno federal court, Harry called Gary to
congratulate him and asked him, tongue in cheek, whether if he got a
parking ticket, Gary could fix it for him. Gary’s response was, "No,
that’s minor league stuff, but if you murder someone or rob a bank,
now I can help you" J.
As outstanding an athlete as Gary was, his track record indicates
he was an even more meritorious human being. When I asked Joyce,
his widow, about his Armenian background, she said he was very proud
of his ethnicity and culture. When I asked her what Gary felt was
his most outstanding life achievement, Joyce repeated a story told
by another judge who had attended a law symposium with Gary where,
in response to a question asking what he considered his greatest
accomplishment in life, Gary answered, "My six children". She said
some constant, consistent messages he repeated to his kids over the
years were, "Study hard, get good grades, don’t outsmart yourself by
overanalyzing problems and most important of all, do what your heart
tells you to do". All his life, the main principle by which he lived
was to be fair and honest in every situation. Gary died of lung cancer
on May 22, 2000. I wish I could have spoken with him.
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS OF ARMENIA ARE TELLING THE WORLD THE TRUTH ABOUT THE EVENTS IN KHOJALU
ArmInfo
2010-02-26 09:57:00
Diplomatic representations of Armenia are telling the world the truth
about the events in Khojalu so as to dispel one more Azeri myth, says
the secretary of the parliamentary group of the Republican Party of
Armenia Edward Sharmazanov.
The documentary "proofs" of the so-called Khojalu (Xocali) tragedy are
just a fake. "I am glad to know that Feb 24 a group of Armenian youths
launched a web-site disproving all of their lies," says Sharmazanov.
Armenia is taking specific steps towards this end, particularly,
distributing materials and videos about the events in Khojalu, Baku
and Sumqayit. Ambassador of Armenia to UN has sent a letter of the
UN Secretary General, which has been disseminated among all member
delegations.
To note, the Azeri propaganda machine is actively using faked materials
on the Agdam events, which claimed the lives of the residents of
the village of Khojalu (Xocali) Feb 26 1992. The key objective of
this campaign is to shift the responsibility for these deaths onto
Armenia. A new project Xocali.net was presented in Yerevan Feb 24. This
web-site tells the truth about the Khojalu events.
NATURAL GAS PRICE FOR ARMENIA’S CONSUMERS TO BE RAISED 37.5% ON APRIL 1
ARKA
Feb 26, 2010
YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. Natural gas price for Armenia’s consumers
will be raised 37.5% to AMD 132 on April 1, 2010, from present AMD
96 per one cubic meter.
ArmRosgasprom proposes to raise price for gas consumers who use 10,000
cubic meters a month from AMD 96,000 per every 1,000 cubic meters to
AMD 136,000 (VAT included).
Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission has considered this
proposal, but set gas price at AMD 132,000 instead of the AMD 136,000
proposed by Armgasprom.
Those consumers using more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas monthly
will pay $243.13 per each 1,000 cubic meters instead of $215 presently.
ArmRosgazprom pointed out 17% increase of wholesale price for gas as
key argument for raising retail gas prices.
The company also indicates 27-percent devaluation of Armenian national
currency, investments in the network development and 20% decline in
gas consumption as grounds for raising gas price.
Remarkable is that nobody can say for sure how much gas consumption
fell, since there is absolutely no information about the matter.
In April 1, Russia will raise its export price for Armenia from present
$154 per 1,000 cubic meters to $180 (VAT included), in accordance
with agreements.
ArmRosgasprom CJSC enjoys the sole right for importing and distributing
Russia gas in Armenia.
Russian Gasprom holds 80% of the company’s shares, and the remaining
20% belong to Armenian government. ($1 = AMD 384.37).
THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO RUSSIAN GAS IN TERMS OF PROFITABILITY, DIRECTOR OF NORAVANK FOUNDATION SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Feb 25, 2010
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Iran-Armenia oil pipeline
construction program is important, but there is no concreteness yet
concerning its implementation. Director of Noravank Foundation, lawyer
Sevak Sarukhanian expressed this opinion during the February 25 press
conference. According to him, it is still unclear who will finance
the indicated program and what oil products will be transported by
the pipeline. S. Sarukhanian underlined that today Iran itself needs
refined oil products. As for the issue of receiving gas from Iran,
according to him, in case of establishing normal cooperation with
Turkey, Armenia will become involved in the project of gas export
from Iran to Turkey: the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline will be continued
as far as Erzrum.
Speaking about the rise in the gas price, S. Sarukhanian declared
that for Armenia, there is no alternative to Russian gas in terms of
profitability because it is subsidized and its tariff grows gradually.
He underlined that the gas price has sharply risen in other countries:
for example, Turkey now purchases gas for 230 dollars and the price
will grow by the end of 2010.
S. Sarukhanian said that in case of the Armenian-Turkish border’s
opening, a great inflow of Turkish capital should not be expected
because the main infrastructure enterprises of Armenia are already
owned by foreign organizations. He forecast that there might be some
inflow of Turkish capital into the trade sector.
HUNGARY CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SETTELEMENT OF ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT
news.az
Feb 25 2010
Azerbaijan
We also fully endorse regular meetings of Azerbaijani and Armenian
Presidents under the aegis of OSCE Minsk Group.
Well-known Hungarian economist Zholt Shomloi praised the Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev’s political efforts towards the modernization
and integration of the country into the world economic system.
In the interview he also said: "Political security and energy
protection are inseparable. This is why Hungary, both on the
governmental and non-governmental levels, calls for the settlement
of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict on the basis of international law.
As a member of the European Union, Hungary follows the all-European
norms. These norms imply observance of territorial integrity, human
rights, rights of minorities and democratic elections. We also fully
endorse regular meetings of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents under
the aegis of OSCE Minsk Group".
AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, February 25, 2010
AGBU Canadian Schools Hold Successful Walkathons
Last fall, AGBU schools in Toronto and Montreal organized successful
walkathons, which combined raised $17,500 with close to 200
participants.
On September 26, 2009, the AGBU Alex Manoogian School of Montreal held
its second annual walkathon. The event was co-sponsored by the Tekeyan
Cultural Association, the Society of Armenians from Istanbul, and the
Holy Cross and St. Gregory the Illuminator churches. Some 150
participants (walkers and donors), including local Armenian clergy, AGBU
leaders, the school’s principal, teachers, alumni, students and board of
trustees members, as well as representatives of the aforementioned
sponsoring organizations, took part in the six-kilometer circuit through
the streets of Ville Saint-Laurent, led by the AGBU Scouts’ drum corps.
On returning to the AGBU Center, the participants were treated to
refreshments. The event was a success, raising $13,000.
On September 27, 2009, the AGBU Zaroukian School, an elementary day
school with 100 pupils, held its first annual walkathon. Some 40
friends, family members, faculty and students of all ages made the 2.5
kilometer walk (1.55 miles) from the school to the Scarborough Civic
Centre and back. The energetic bunch had fun, while making a valuable
contribution to the school. Principal Lucy Hopyan greeted the
participants at the finish line with snacks and refreshments. Overall it
was a very successful event, raising $4,500.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit
ARMENIA NOT AT RISK IN PAYING BACK PUBLIC DEBT: FINANCE MINISTER
news.am
Feb 24 2010
Armenia
Armenia’s public debt of 38% will reach 45% of GDP till this year
end, but according to international standards it’s not that high,
as the peril point in international practice is over 60%, said RA
Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan during the question-answer in the
Parliament today.
Thereafter, he explained the MPs that public debt comprises of
foreign, internal and CBA’s debt. "The highest rate of current 38%
falls to foreign debt — 28% of GDP. However under the international
standards this is not a high percentage either, having the foreign
debt upper ceiling at 50% and more.
In addition, Davtyan informed that RA Government drafted relevant
arrangements in case the public debt exceeds 50% limit.
LEVON ARONIAN VS. BORIS GELFAND SET ENDED IN DRAW
Panorama.am
12:44 24/02/2010
Sport
In the 9th round of Linares super tournament Armenian Levon Aronian
ended in draw his set with Boris Gelfand. Currently Aronian has 4,5
points in his actives and takes up the 3rd horizontal. In the same
round Vesselin Topalov has been defeated by Alexander Grishchuk;
these chess players scored 5,5 and shared the first horizontal.
Gashimov vs. Vallejo set also ended in draw. Currently 4-5 horizontals
are shared by Gelfand and Gashimov. Vallejo scored 3,5 pints and
occupies the 6th horizontal. Today, in the final round Aronian’s
rival is Gashimov, Topalov vs. Gelfand and Vallejo vs. Grishchuk.
ARMENIAN PROSECUTORS VOW TO MONITOR CONTROVERSIAL PROBE
Tigran Avetisian, Ruzanna Stepanian
/1967375.html
24.02.2010
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian said on Wednesday that he
has instructed his subordinates to oversee controversial criminal
proceedings launched by the Armenian police against a brother of
Khachatur Sukiasian, a prominent opposition businessman.
Hovsepian told journalists that the chief prosecutors of Yerevan and
its southern Erebuni districts have been tasked with ensuring that
the police respect the due process of law in the ongoing investigation
condemned by the Sukiasian family and the Armenian opposition.
He said they will specifically have to make sure that "all the
evidence is collected within the bounds of law." Hovsepian did not
clarify whether that means the prosecutors doubt the legality of the
police actions taken against Saribek Sukiasian until now.
Sukiasian and one of his employees were arrested on February 12 in
a police raid on the head offices of the SIL Concern group belonging
to his extended family. They both were released pending investigation
three days later.
The police said initially that the two men are suspected of threatening
to kill a fellow entrepreneur, Gor Davtian. A police statement issued
on February 12 cited Davtian as alleging that Sukiasian forced him
to sign "some documents" relating to his shares in a mineral water
company called Byuregh.
Police officials said several days later, however, that Davtian did
not hear death threats from Sukiasian and was only forcibly kept in
the SIL headquarters for several hours. Contradicting the initial
police statement, they claimed that the police raid was actually
aimed at rescuing the "imprisoned" businessman.
Accordingly, Sukiasian was charged under an article of the Armenian
Criminal Code that deals with "illegally depriving a person of their
liberty motivated by material gain." The crime is punishable by
between three and five years’ imprisonment.
The conflicting police statements only raised more questions about the
credibility of the case which Sukiasian says is part of a continuing
government vendetta waged against his family. His lawyers said on
Tuesday that it is aimed at preventing the Sukiasians from purchasing
Byuregh, 80 percent of which has until now been owned by Davtian and
another businessman.
The Sukiasians already bought the commanding stake from the two men
in late 2008. An Armenian court controversially annulled the deal
last November.
According to Saribek Sukiasian’s lawyers, the two sides were close
to signing another takeover agreement in the weeks leading up to the
police inquiry. They said Davtian visited the SIL headquarters on
February 12 to ask Sukiasian for protection against Ruben Hayrapetian,
an influential tycoon with close government connections. They said
Hayrapetian used threats to warn Davtian against selling his Byuregh
shares to Sukiasian.
"He was also summoned by security bodies, including the prosecutor’s
office, and told to sell his shares to Ruben Hayrapetian," one of
the lawyers, Lusine Sahakian, told a news conference.
Hayrapetian, who also heads the Armenian Football Federation, already
bought late last year another water plant that was owned by the
Sukiasians until being confiscated by the Armenian government. Tax
officials raided the Bjni company and accused it of large-scale tax
evasion shortly after Khachatur Sukiasian publicly voiced support
for opposition Levon Ter-Petrosian in September 2007.
Saribek’s lawyers again dismissed the charges brought against their
client and alleged numerous due process violations by the police. They
also claimed to have photo and video evidence of Davtian leaving the
SIL offices less than 20 minutes before the police raid.
The businessman’s whereabouts have been unknown since the launch
of the police investigation. A spokesman for the Armenian police,
Sayat Shirinian, on Wednesday denied newspaper reports that Davtian
has fled Armenia.