Author: Kanayan Tamar

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Coordinator
5245 N. Backer Ave. PB4
Fresno CA 93740-8001

ASP Office: 559-278-2669
Office: 559-278-2669
FAX: 559-278-2129
Visit the ASP Website:

Photo caption: Armenian Summer Study Group students at Khor Virap
Monastery. Mt. A rarat in the background.

`Armenia Today: Summer Study Trip 2014′
by Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian

Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program
at Fresno State will give an illustrated presentation on `Armenia
Today: Summer Study Trip 2014′ at 7:30PM on Tuesday, November 18, in
the University Business Center, Alice Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on
the Fresno State campus.

The lecture is part of the Fall Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies
Program, supported by the Leon S. Peters Foundation.

Prof. Der Mugrdechian has led six student groups to Armenia over the
past 25 years. In the summer of 2014, together with Prof. Sergio La
Porta of the Armenian Studies Program, he led a group of nine students
on the Summer Study Trip, from May 26-June 11. The presentation will
discuss some of the major experiences that the group had, including
visits with Yerevan State University college students and visits to
the Mer Hooys-Our Hope home in Yerevan.

Some of the students who participated in the Summer Study Trip will
also recount their experiences, giving a different perspective to the
presentation.

Barlow Der Mugrdechian is Director of the Armenian Studies Program and
the Center for Armenian Studies at Fresno State and has been teaching
Armenian language, art, history, and culture courses for thirty years.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available,
with a parking code 273501, after 7:00PM at Fresno State Lots P5 and
P6, near the University Business Center.

For more information about the lecture please contact the Armenian
Studies Program at 278-2669, or visit our website at

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research (NAASR)
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]

NAASR CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE TO FEATURE ILLUSTRATED PRESENTATION BY RUTH THOMASIAN

Ruth Thomasian, the Founder and Executive Director of Project SAVE
Armenian Photograph Archives, will be the featured speaker at the 2014
NAASR Christmas Open House on Thursday, December 4, 2014. The Open
House will begin at 6:00 p.m. with Thomasian’s talk set for 7:30 p.m.
The evening’s events will take place at the NAASR Center, 395 Concord
Ave., Belmont, MA.

Thomasian’s presentation will highlight photographs from Project
SAVE’s 2015 calendar entitled “Armenians Remember Those Who Came
Before,” as well as other related images from the archive’s vast
holdings.

“Armenians Remember Those Who Came Before” honors those who lived in
Ottoman Armenian communities before 1915: Yozgat, Tokat, Aintab,
Dikranagerd, Amasia, Svegin, Kharpert, Ordu, Choroum, Agn, Van,
Sepastia, Chemeshgazek, Talas, and Brusa. Photos and captions capture
the spirit and details of Armenian life.

Both before and after the lecture, NAASR’s bookstore will be open and
feature a one night only 20%-off sale. Numerous recently published
titles will be available. Refreshments will be served. The 2015
Project SAVE calendar will be available the night of the open house.

to saving the photographic heritage of the Armenian community as
Founder and Executive Director of Project SAVE Armenian Photograph
Archives, Inc. During the 1970s, while pursuing a career in New York
City as a theatrical costume designer, she became aware of the extreme
scarcity of visual material needed to research costumes for Armenian
plays set in the historic homeland.

Out of this practical need for visuals, Ruth soon discovered that
photographs and their stories are a valuable source of cultural
heritage and social history. Now located in Watertown, Massachusetts,
Project SAVE Archives has 50,000+ well-documented images collected
mainly by visiting with people and talking with them about their
photographs. A wide range of topics address life in the Ottoman,
Persian, and Russian empires, as well as the United States and
elsewhere in Diaspora, from 1860 to the present 21st century.

Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Center is located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the
U.S. Post Office. Ample parking is available around the building and
in adjacent areas. More information about the open house and program
is available by calling 617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing
[email protected], or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA
02478.

# # # # #
Belmont, MA
November 7, 2014

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 9 2014

Interior Ministry profiled police officer candidates, their families

November 09, 2014, Sunday/ 18:40:08/ SELMA TATLI/ BAYRAM KAYA/ / ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Interior Ministry profiled not just police officer
candidates, but also their family members, according to their
ideological, social and religious affiliations, according to documents
obtained by Today’s Zaman.

The Security General Directorate’s (EGM) intelligence department
apparently profiled thousands of university graduates who aspired to
become police officers, leading to the unjust elimination of some of
the candidates.

The documents also show that most of the newly-recruited police
officers were employed thanks to references from Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) deputies or bureaucrats at the Interior
Ministry.

The documents show that the profiling conducted by the ministry
extended beyond police officer candidates to members of their
families, in a move that clearly violates their right to privacy.

For instance, about police officer candidate S.Y., it is said in the
document: `[His/her] grandfather faced legal action for aiding and
abetting the PKK [the Kurdistan Workers’ Party] in 1998. [His/her]
aunt’s husband also faced legal action over charges of involvement in
PKK activities. [His/her] aunt joined the celebrations marking the
birthday of the PKK leader in 2011.’

For candidate F.O., the document says: `There is information that
[his/her] uncle was an executive board member of the Battalgazi
Education and Culture Foundation in 1999, affiliated with [Islamic
scholar] Fethullah Gülen.’

About police officer candidate D.D., the document says that there are
four hotel registrations showing that she stayed with two different
men between the years of 2013 and 2014, adding that both D.D. and the
men she stayed with were unmarried. It also says in the document that
D.D.’s uncles have connections to the Nur religious community and the
Med-Zehra religious community.

Regarding candidate Y.Y., the document says that he is affiliated with
the Ã`lkücü (Idealist) group and that there are hotel registrations
showing that he stayed with a woman two times at a hotel in 2014 and
that both of them are single.

For another candidate, M.M, it notes that his/her brother went to the
private Rahime Batu High School and for Ä°.H., it says that his/her
uncle faced legal action in 2000 over charges of being a member of a
terrorist organization.

Profiling became a constitutional crime with the Sept. 12, 2010
referendum and the documents indicate that the Interior Ministry
violated the Constitution with these illegal practices.

In September it was also revealed in documents acquired by Today’s
Zaman that the Ministry of Family and Social Policy also apparently
added another level to the illegal profiling practices of the Turkish
state by giving people within the ministry a special code designation
in their records if they were thought to be affiliated with the
faith-based Hizmet movement.

Reminiscent of the single-party era, when non-Muslim citizens of
Turkey were classified with the codes 1, 2 and 3 for being Greek,
Armenian or Jewish, respectively, the AK Party designated the use of
“111” to classify people who are allegedly close to the Hizmet
movement, which is inspired by the teachings of the Islamic scholar
Gülen.

A team within the Ministry of Family and Social Policy led by the
undersecretary has reportedly profiled all personnel within the
ministry and created documents detailing their political, social and
religious affiliations.

During the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup, a body established by the
military, the West Study Group (BÇG) also carried out illegal
activities that included profiling.

6,725 trees planted in Tsitsernakaberd park

15:19 08/11/2014 >> SOCIETY

6,725 trees were planted in a 10-hectare area in the park of
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex on Saturday.

Armenian Minister of Nature Protection Aramais Grigoryan participated
in the event, the press service of the Ministry of Nature Protection
said.

“Today we are doing an important work,” said the Minister.

“I hope that with proper care, there will be green areas here on April
24,” he added.

Source: Panorama.am

Best must be appointed to government posts – Harutyun Mesrobyan

14:02 * 09.11.14

In an interview with Tert.am, management expert Harutyun Mesrobyan
expressed the confidence that the cabinet reshuffle will not produce
any results because the gravest problems remain unsolved.

The higher is the post the lower is the probability of a worthy
candidate being appointed, Mr Mesrobyan says.

“Any competent merger is a good idea. However, when the entire
government system misarranged no reforms can produce any results. We
have a high number of ministries and their personnel, and
deteriorating management in Armenia. Since 1991, negative selection
has marked our state government system (that is, not the best
candidates have been appointed to government posts Рed.). ̫he higher
is the post the lower is the probability of a worthy candidate being
appointed.

“Merging the Ministry of Emergency Situations with the Ministry of
Territorial Administration is wrong. The former deals with emergency
situations and its structures are organized following entirely
different principles than other ministries’ structures. The two
ministries’ are different in terms of their style of work and essence.
It [the Ministry of Emergency Situations] is more like a paramilitary
structure.

“By way of illustration, our government system is like an overturned
car. Even if they remove one of the wheels and add one more engine to
it, it is not going to move. If we cannot select the best candidates
for government posts, the rest has no sense. Lee Kuan Yew, godfather
of the Singapore miracle, visited Russia in 2007. Different people
were introduced to him as ‘one of the best financiers in Russia.’ When
he inquired about their employment, they said they worked for
different companies. And Mr Lee Kuan Yew asked ‘why is this one
working for a private company, but not for the government if he is one
of the best?’

“Positive selection has to do with standards and the set of values a
person has to meet to be appointed to a government post. The best must
be appointed and corrupt ones must be convicted. The entire government
system must be reformed.

“One more problem is lacking demand in Armenia. If we do not demand,
patriots and highly qualified professionals will not be appointed.
Yes, we have professionals, but they have never been sought after. An
oligarchic government system has always been the most uncompetitive
throughout the world, and the situation will not improve if this
problem remains unresolved. The oligarchic government system
disregards professionals and creates monopolies, choosing the easiest
way. What is the reason for imports exceeding exports in Armenia? It
is because it is much easier to import and sell at a high price than
to produce. What production can be in question if an oligarch can
import and earn much money? Why run the risk of investing in
production?

“So as long as the aforementioned major problems remain unresolved, no
good intensions will produce any results.”

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIE
L’Arménie a besoin de changements structurels dans la perspective de
l’entrée dans l’UEE selon le FM

La faible croissance de l’économie arménienne et le niveau de
l’inflation plus faible que prévu sont conditionnés par la politique
monétaire et budgétaire nationale, le fonctionnement du gouvernement
et ainsi que par la diminution de l’activité économique dans les
principaux pays partenaires a déclaré Teresa Daban Sanchez la
représentante du Fonds monétaire international (FMI ) aux
journalistes.

Selon la représentante du FMI, les responsables arméniens ne mettent
pas les moyens budgétaires qui sont nécessaires pour rendre l’économie
du pays plus active, dans le même temps, les résidents doivent
dépenser beaucoup d’argent, parce que leurs moyens monétaires se sont
réduits – en raison de moins de transferts d’argent en Arménie et que
tout ce qu’ils ont est conservée dans l’attente d’un avenir indéfini.

RECEPTION FOR ‘THE HAIRENIKS’ CAPTURES THE SPIRIT

By Tom Vartabedian on November 7, 2014

In an era where electronics are threatening printed media, the
Haireniks appear to be weathering the changing times.

Had you attended the reception on Oct. 26, you would have received a
vote of confidence in the two publications at 80 Bigelow in Watertown.

The Armenian Weekly–formerly Hairenik Weekly–hit the octogenarian
mark, while its sister publication Hairenik Weekly is celebrating
115 years of resiliency.

Richard Hovannisian applauds ‘the Haireniks’ during an anniversary
reception Oct. 26 hosted by Avo and Carmen Barmakian of Waltham,
attended by some 180 guests. (Tom Vartabedian photo)

Both have been friendly companions in our midst for nearly two
centuries combined and deserve their rightful place in Armenian
journalism.

Some 180 guests showed up to offer their congratulations and support
in what was an embraceable evening marked by nostalgia and fundraising.

The celebration was hosted by Avo and Carmen Barmakian, who left no
stone unturned in this extravaganza. One look at the food selection
and hospitality was enough to set the standard for a committee of 15
chaired by Angele Manoogian.

You may have read about Ungerouhi Angele and that medal she received
by the Republic of Artskah a month ago. Here she was, back in the flow,
organizing this event without the least bit of fanfare.

Guests arrived from all avenues of the community, near and far, like
some reunion for the ages with the Haireniks in their heart. Editors.

Correspondents. Long-time subscribers. Benefactors, certainly. A
support system that could have been instrumental in keeping the
Titanic afloat.

For openers, Professor Richard Hovannisian, an icon in himself,
reflected on his moments with the two organs, including those halcyon
years at 212 Stuart Street in Boston. Had William Saroyan been in
the crowd, no doubt they would have locked in embrace.

Both papers were given citations from the office of Middlesex County
Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

Nice to see two veteran writers recognized. Dr. Michael Mensoian and
Dr. Henry Astarjian were both applauded for their years of loyalty to
the publications, sometimes controversial in nature but nonetheless
relevant in their messages.

Seldom do you find in any newspaper such a proofreader par excellence
than Garbis Zerdelian, who could spot a typo inside a haystack.

Hairenik Weekly Editor Zaven Torigian expressed his gratitude for
that man who’s volunteered his time and his eyes to make the products
clean and acceptable.

One has to only look at the lineage of editors here to see the loyalty
and devotion that has manifested itself over the years, right to the
present time with Nanore Barsoumian (AW) and Zaven Torigian (HW),
ready to establish a new legacy of continuity.

Talk to any committee member and the comments flow with exuberance.

“The number of attendees was a testament to the diligence and devotion
of the committee,” they say.

The Hairenik publications have informed, inspired, motivated, and
educated five generations of Armenians, not only here in the United
States but all over the world.

>From the struggles to the fedayees in the yergir to the war in Syria
today, the Haireniks have chronicled our contemporary history.

They have found room for prose and poetry from Siamanto to Saroyan
to the AYF Juniors, while its books and periodicals have given us
masterpieces in Armenian literature and thoughtful analyses.

An evening such as this restores our integrity in the two mediums. It
tells us that people still care about the printed products and are
willing to lend their support. It tells us that despite a Sunday
night, tight schedules, financial burdens, and sometimes nonchalance
and apathy in our midst, people are still willing to patronize our
papers and give them added sustenance.

Among those who have been impacted by the Armenian Weekly is community
activist Heather (Apigian) Krafian, whose relationship goes back to
childhood days. Back then she was reporting on chapter news, which
ultimately led to more intensified roles as an Armenian American.

Several times she was asked to write a story or two for the Olympics
issue.

“I remember how badly I wanted my article to appear on the Junior AYF
Page and followed stories written by my friends from other chapters,”
she recalls. “This ambition led to my interest in starting an AYF
Junior newspaper in Detroit for our own members. The Armenian Weekly
facilitated this small journalistic hobby I had acquired.”

Today, that relationship with the Armenian Weekly remains just as
tight with four daughters in tow and a husband (Ara) who has kept
his spirit intact, particularly on the AYF Olympics end both as an
athlete and Governing Body member.

“My strong connection with the Armenian Weekly has grown along with
my family,” she says. “It has remained a staple of my life.”

If you wish to contribute, and haven’t had an opportunity, kindly make
a check payable to the ACAA and mail it off to Hairenik Publications,
80 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA 02472.

And you, too, will be part of this venerable history.

REJECT ANY SUPPORT FOR MINING IN AMOULSAR

Nov 7, 2014

Operation of Amoulsar Gold Mine is Yet Another Disaster to Armenia

Call Upon All Armenians To Reject Any Support For Mining in Amoulsar
(Jermuk)

Yerevan,

October 6, 2014

Amoulsar is one of the peaks of the Armenian highlands, a mountain
3000m above the sea level, located between Vayots Dzor and Syunik
regions of Armenia and only 10 km away from one of the gems of Armenia,
hydrological wonder Jermuk.

When gold exploration started in Amoulsar in 2006, the Armenian public
could not imagine what kind of risks the mining project could possibly
pose to the regions of Vayots Dzor, Syunik, and Gegharkunik, as well
as Armenia on the whole. These risks have already been identified
and have been continuously voiced by the civil society and local
communities for over 3 years. Since 2011, 3 scientific conferences,
5 official public hearings, as well as many press conferences have
been organized on mining of Amoulsar during which many geologists,
hydrologists, economics, botanists, zoologists, doctors and other
specialists expressed their disapproval and fear of uncontrollable
risks. Many articles and publications were written, despite the narrow
space in the Armenian media given to this issue. While media coverage
of these events was limited, the PR strategies of Lydian International
and its subsidiary in Armenia, Geoteam CSJC succeeded in silencing
criticism of the mining project in the mainstream media in Armenia.

Despite the claims of Lydian’s executives that they are going to
engage in “responsible mining”, their statements cannot be grounded by
any fact of past performance as this is a new company with no track
record of mining operation. “Responsible mining” is also incongruent
with this particular project, as open-pit mining with such high risks
for the environment, economy and livelihood of local communities can
in no way be considered “responsible.”

We are aware that the company is conducting intensive PR in the
Armenian Diaspora convincing Armenians around the world to buy shares
of their company and finance this disastrous mining project.

Armenians all around the world can only serve their homeland by calling
for a moratorium of any new mining project in Armenia, including the
ones in Amulsar, Teghut, Meghri, Hrazdan and other areas, and adoption
of strict environmental and taxation regulations to contain the harm
threatening our homeland and future generations.

Armenians all around the world should exert efforts in pushing for
Amoulsar be included in Jermuk National Park, a protected area that
will be created soon, but overpasses the mountain for obvious reasons.

While the international quest for the natural resources of Armenia
continues and is tilted towards Russia, we in Armenia need support to
withstand all sorts of international pressure and extractive slavery.

Two large international financial institutions, the International
Financial Corporation of the WB Group and the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development are discussing financing this project
alongside holding some of the shares of Lydian International. These
institutions have already received 2 complaints from Armenia, one from
9 organizations and another one from 200 members of Gndevaz community
with a request to revoke financial support for this project, as it does
not meet international standards promulgated by their own institutions.

For all those who will have to hear the nicely-packaged PR of Lydian
International, here are some guidelines to the risks of gold mining
in Amoulsar.

Amoulsar mountain and its surrounding area are of strategic
hydrological importance for Armenia and are included in the water
basin of Lake Sevan. Arpa and Vorotan rivers originate from this
mountain and strip mining will not only disrupt formation of streams
falling into these rivers, but will inevitably result in pollution
of these streams and subsequently of these river basins with heavy
metals already on surface (more than 1000 ha of land will change their
landscape) . The fact that strip mining of Amoulsar is a threat to
Lake Sevan was recognized by the Special Governmental Committee on
Lake Sevan in 2012. Any activity with a possible negative impact on
the ecosystem of Lake Sevan is prohibited by the Law on Lake Sevan.

The open pit mining will also affect Darb river, which waters many
vineyards and agricultural lands and feeds fish-farms down the stream.

Please be aware that this is not yet processing of ore and the cyanide
leach-pad which is yet another risk to the environment.

No assessment is made on how the intensive explosions will affect
the rock formations of Jermuk and its underground water resources
(hot springs), located from 2km to 10 km away from the mine. It is
also not assessed how the explosions will affect the highly vulnerable
Vorotan-Arpa tunnel built specifically to save Lake Sevan. Jermuk hot
springs have made Jermuk an international hot spring resort and not
only will its reputation as a clean environment conducive to health
recovery be at stake, but also the entire industries of agriculture,
fish-farming, mineral water bottling and tourism.

Amoulsar is in a high radiation zone, the ore samples show that
concentration of radon exceeds 400 Bq/m3. Geological scientific data
also show that Amoulsar mine is also rich in uranium. The company
has presented no plan of managing this situation. The gold mine is
also located only several km away from a large uranium mine. It is
not assessed how the explosions will affect the highly dangerous
uranium deposits. It is also not assessed at which depth does the
uranium concentration increase. Overall, seismic assessments are not
conducted for this mining project whereas the area is located in a
10-point Richter scale zone.

The impact of dust rich in heavy metals is not assessed at all. The
measurement of wind direction is also falsified and is only measured in
a wind station located in a gorge where there are only 2 directions,
while in Amoulsar there are at least 4 directions for the wind. It is
not assessed what impact the 700 tons of dust rich in heavy metals
and generated on a yearly basis for 10 years will have on people’s
health, pastures, agricultural lands and biodiversity.

Overall, no health impacts are assessed.

Mining in Amoulsar will eventually be illegal as it is banned to mine
in any area where there are Red-listed species of fauna or flora, as
well as cultural and historical assets. It is a proven fact that this
area has rich biodiversity with red-listed species, including 1 plant,
18 species of birds (this is by the way an International Bird Area),
reptiles and butterflies and 4 mammals. These facts have been proven by
WWF Armenia and are confirmed by the environmental impact assessment
of the company itself. The area is also rich with archaeological
assets dating as back as the 3rdmillennium B.C. and they will be
irreparably damaged as a result of explosions. No transfer of such
cultural monuments has ever happened in Armenian mines.

Gold concentration in the ore is officially only 0.8g per 1 ton,
wherein larger amounts of lead, cadmium, arsenic and other toxic metals
are going to be dumped in the air through dust and accumulated in a
tailing dump or so-called “leach-pad”. It is planned that more than
122mln tons of solid waste and more than 342mln tons of liquid waste
rich in cyanide will be deposited in one of the richest agricultural
and touristic areas of Armenia. Their possible negative impact is
not assessed and presented to the public. It is planned that during
the 10 years of mining operation, more than 20,000 tons of highly
toxic cyanide and 10,000 tons of hydrochloride acid is going to be
transported and used for processing ore. And this is all for allegedly
60 tons of gold.

The costs and benefits of mining Amoulsar are not assessed at all,
it is not assessed how much Armenia will lose economically from loss
of agricultural lands, touristic industry and ecosystem services. In
fact, mining is only a “heaven” for companies which pay miserably
low taxes for profit, do not pay anything for the millions of tons of
mining waste, do not pay environmental fees etc. Taxation of mining
in Armenia is one of the lowest in the world, and environmental
regulation and inspection, one of the worst.

The local communities will be under a strong social challenge by
losing their traditional means of livelihood; agriculture, tourism,
fish-breeding, they will engage in mining for only 10 years and
after 10 years they will never be able to return to their previous
livelihood: their lands will have been seized and under mining
infrastructure, their environment will be polluted and no longer good
for agriculture and tourism, the women of the communities will be left
jobless while the men will only work in the mines for 10 years. The
community of Gndevaz is under the threat of resettlement, however
neither the company, nor the government speak of this. This village
will only be less than 2 km away from the gold processing plant and
all heavy trucks will daily transport the rocks through the village,
which inevitably will make the village uninhabitable.

Aside from these facts, all potential investors should bear in mind
that we, as civil society aspiring for democracy, rule of law and
the right of our population to live in a healthy and prosperous
environment, will do our best to deter operation of this and other
mines by removal of potentially corruption-backed systems and regimes.

Therefore, we call upon Armenians and non-Armenians around the world
to use common sense and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility
towards the population living in Armenia and reject supporting mining
operations in Armenia, particularly gold mining of Amoulsar.

Save Teghut Civic Initiative

Inga Zarafyan, President of EcoLur NGO

Vazgen Galstyan, President of “Jermuk Development Center” NGO

Tehmine Yenoqyan, journalist, resident of Gndevaz community

Levon Galstyan, member of Pan-Armenian Environmental Front civic
initiative

Download the letter here.

STORY OF THE MAYFAIR PALM BEACH RESORT

Orissa diary.com, India
Nov 7 2014

Friday, November 07, 2014

Bhubaneswar: By the year 1830 ,an Englishman by the name of John Spence
had established the Spence’s hotel in Calcutta, making it perhaps
the oldest western style hotel outside Europe, which tragically has
since been demolished, as the Government had encroached and eventually
brought down most buildings around the official ‘Government House’
including the historic ‘Spence’.

In 1841 David Wilson built the ‘Wilson Hotel’ now known as ‘Great
Eastern Hotel’,also ,in Calcutta, which had started out as a bakery
and then became a chronic non- paying hotel but later turned into
a thriving prosperous one, where the Hoi Polloi’ made it a part of
their everyday life and soon established it as the best of it’s kind,
in this part of the world.

In far away Simla, a place not unknown to many, two intrepid hoteliers
from Italy, Signor Faletti and Signor Pelitti had already established
‘The Cecil’, and ‘The Grand’, which had already set the benchmark
in hotels. At that moment a 20 year old, from New Julfa, Armenia,
was struggling to sell his wares from a wheelbarrow in the streets
of Calcutta. By the year 1911, that Armenian, Stephen Arathoon,
had built the ‘Grand’ now known as the ‘Oberoi Grand ‘Hotel, on the
foundation of the burnt down ‘Theatre Royal’, making sure that it
was better than its two rivals, ‘The Spence’s and Wilson Hotel.

No one had really by then heard of Gopalpur and Gopalpur returned
the compliment. Barely 16 kms from Berhampore, the commercial hub
of Southern Orissa, in the Bay of Bengal, it was extremely uncanny
of a young Italian Signor Maglioni ,to mysteriously find home all
the way from Sicily, and establish the ‘Palm Beach’ in 1914 making
it the oldest hotel of the State and probably the first beach resort
of the country.

‘Gopalpur-on-Sea’, how very British the suffix ‘on- sea’ like
‘Middleton- on- Sea’, ‘rankton-on- Sea’, was a palm fringed beach and
Maglioni’s dream fused with the sepia and romance of the langorous
town ,where the silence was broken only by the breakers and the
occasional coconut thudding on the ground.

Originally a small fishing village on the coast of Odisha when it
was so named, after a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, the ‘Krishna
Gopal’ temple which was built in the 18th Century. Legend has it that
Gopalpur’s sands had witnessed maritime ventures at a much earlier
age when Odisha had flourished as part of the Kalinga Kingdom in the
4th and 5th century B.C. Early colonists to Java, Bali and Sumatra
were supposed to have sailed from here, carrying the seeds of Indian
civilization with them. We, in Odisha, still celebrate this as
‘BALI YATRA’ in November each year, coinciding with the festival of
‘Kartik Purnima’.

Between the two World Wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945) Gopalpur was
overrun by the men in Khakis and became the eastern sectors’ base
for ferrying out troops and supplies to Rangoon. The commercial port
became the living symbol of its grandeur and the pulsating lifestyle
was evident in the packed dance floors of the hotel ‘Blue Haven’. In
1945. the World War II came to an end and India inched towards being
an independent, sovereign republic.By 1947 the British had left the
Indian shores and the commercial activity of Gopalpur had dwindled
to a trickle. The once vibrant, emblazoned ball rooms gaped at
open skies. The noisy wharfs moulted and the warehouses became seedy
gateways for derelicts. Gopalpur’s importance dwindled when trade with
Burma abruptly ceased during the war. When the British left India, even
members of rich Bengali homes preferred to holiday in other places and
Gopalpur began to revert to what it originally was -a fishing village.

In 1938,another enterprising ,courageous Indian Hotelier, Rai bahadur
M.S Oberoi had already taken over a closed down ‘Grand’ hotel from
the Armenian Stephen Arathoon and reinvented it with trademark Oberoi
elan’ as the ‘Oberoi Grand’,to make it the most sought after address
in Calcutta. In 1947, on a chance visit to Maglioni’s ‘Palm Beach’
hotel, his keen eyes did not miss the state of disrepair that the hotel
had fallen to. His instinct smelled a bargain and Maglioni was only
too happy to sell it to the Oberoi’s for a paltry 3.0 lacs rupees.,
thereby enabling the Oberoi legend to root itself as the ‘Oberoi Palm
Beach’. As its doors opened, the who’s who of the country ,from Prime
Ministers,to celebrities and royalty left their impressions behind,
along with their footprints on the sands of time.

History was being created every day, as the hotel played host to the
history makers.

Maglioni’s Mediterranean Architecture had undergone a makeover by
the Oberoi’s ,but the core of the structure was slowly but surely
giving way to the vagaries of nature and the corroding effects of
the saline sea breeze. The erosion had begun and no amount of hasty
repairs could make it anymore safe for its guests. The Oberois closed
gates in 2002 and decided to distance themselves and sell this piece
of Odisha’s history to any worthy taker.

It was at this time, 2011, that ‘Mayfair hotels and resorts’ stepped
in.To protect, renovate and restore the’ Palm beach’, where history
echoed from every cobble stone, lured by the fact that Gopalpur-on-sea
still stood untouched by the concrete commercialism that had destroyed
nearby Puri’s equally pristine beach and also because Gopalpur had
actually wrapped itself in a romantic mysticism that tugged at history
but refused to drown in its excesses.

While the Resort captures the appearance and feeling of old
colonial with a Mediterranean touch, the outcome is far from simple
reconstruction, renovation or reproduction. To preserve the essence
of the past but blend it seamlessly with the demands of contemporary
life required many original designs and creative re-imaginings.

The blue fret work patterns, rafters, white furniture and artifacts
are all of new design but inspired by and in keeping with historical
antecedents. Through these tasteful and practical adaptations we hope
that the “Palm Beach” will serve a valuable role in preserving of
the best of Colonial, Mediterranean Architecture, religious leaning
and cultural heritage for future generation.

Mayfair has now breathed new life to the ‘Oberoi Palm Beach’ in its
all new avatar- ‘THE MAYFAIR PALM BEACH RESORT’. Its the ultimate
tribute to your senses and helps in stealing your time and mind in
order to find your DNA and recreate you for future generations…Where
always, every time, any day, ‘sometimes the sky looks like the sea
and sometimes the sea looks like the sky’.

FIRST STAGE OF “MUTUAL VISITS OF BUSINESSMEN” ARMENIA-TURKEY PROJECT STARTED

YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Public Journalism Club and
Turkey’s Economic and Social Studies Foundation announced the first
stage of their “Mutual Visits of Businessmen” program to be held from
November 6 to November 9.

The European Union is supporting civil and public initiatives aiming
at establishing dialogue and contacts between Armenia and Turkey,
head of EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea said at the starting
ceremony on Thursday.

The new program aims at consolidating businessmen in advanced
technologies, as well as investors and startups, and it is the first
opportunity of inter-branch exchange, Hristea said.

Both the US and the EU consider it very important to see ties being
established between Armenia and Turkey, US ambassador to Armenia John
Heffern said.

Some 50 beginner entrepreneurs, representatives of investment funds,
information and communication technology experts will participate in
the project.

There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey: the
border has been closed since 1993 initiated by official Ankara. The
complications in the countries’ relations are caused particularly
by Ankara’s support to Azerbaijan in Karabakh conflict and its
overreaction to the 1915 genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Empire
being acknowledged across the world.

An Armenia-Turkish reconciliation was initiated by Armenian president
in autumn 2008. On October 10, 2009, the two foreign ministers signed
the protocol about establishing diplomatic relations in Zurich to be
ratified by the countries’ parliaments. On April 22 2010 Armenia’s
president Sargsyan suspended the ratification process saying Turkey
was not ready to continue the process (ratification by Turkey’s
parliament was frozen). -0–