Author: Takmazian

COUNCIL STARTS RESHUFFLING ITS PICKS
By Melanie Hicken

Glendale News Press
Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:33 PM PDT

Reappointments to city commissions begin, similar to Design Review
changes last year.

CITY HALL — With the application period for city commissioners now
passed, the City Council on Tuesday began the process of reappointing
their picks to a plethora of open seats.

On Tuesday, Councilmen Dave Weaver and John Drayman each reappointed
six commissioners to their posts.

The rest of the appointments are expected in the coming weeks.

"I’m hoping to do it fairly quickly," said Councilwoman Laura Friedman.

The City Council last month put nearly all city commissioners up
for revotes as a part of a new ordinance changing the terms of city
boards and commissions to run concurrently with the four-year term
of the nominating council member.

The move was made to increase the accountability of commissioners
by tying their performances more closely to the council members who
appoint them.

The new system mirrors what was done last year for the city’s two
Design Review boards.

The Civil Service Commission, which is governed by the city Charter,
the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California representative are not a part
of the process.

Each council member will make one appointment per board or
commission. As a part of the streamlining, the City Council also
voted to downsize the Arts & Culture Commission and the Commission
on the Status of Women from seven members to five.

The vast majority of current commissioners indicated they would like
to retain their positions, while almost 40 other applications were
submitted, according to the city clerk’s office. The city’s Building
& Fire Board of Appeals was the only commission not to receive new
applications.

Newcomers vying for a spot include Zanku Armenian, a board member for
the Armenian National Committee’s western region, for the Glendale
Water & Power Commis r Fuad, president of the Northwest Glendale
Homeowner’s Assn., and former City Council candidate Edward Lafian.

Former Glendale Community College Board of Trustees candidate Christine
Rodriguez joined Lafian in applying for the Community Development
Block Grant Advisory Committee.

City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian said the application turnout was about
average except for the Arts & Culture Commission, which saw 17
applicants, including its seven current commissioners.

"That is probably the most we’ve had for that," Kassakhian said.

Arts commission Chairman Arman Keyvanian said he was thrilled to hear
about the popularity of his commission, which could soon be disbanded
under a council plan to explore setting up a nonprofit-based group
to take over its duties. That plan is still being studied and explored.

"I think this is proof enough that the community still needs the Arts &
Culture Commission," he said.

Zareh Amirian — a member and former chairman of the Community
Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, one of the city’s more
contentious commissions — said syncing terms with the City Council
was a positive move.

"I think it’s the proper way to do it because it establishes
accountability for both the commissioners that are being appointed
and the council members who appoint them," he said.

And if the new process results in commissioners aligning their views
closer to the council member who appointed them, that’s not necessarily
a bad thing, he said.

"I weigh not just the information that is provided for me, but also
the opinion of the council member because in the end they have a
broader view of what the city’s needs are," he said.

Under the new process, Friedman, who took office in April, will
make her first appointments to several of the city’s boards, having
previously made only one appointment out of the 10 boards up for
reappointment.

She said she planned to give fair consideration to both current
commissioners and new applicants.

"Even if people are doing a good e it up a little and give someone
else a chance," she said.

Friedman, who earlier this year spoke at a luncheon encouraging women
to enter city politics, said she had encouraged several women to apply.

"I think it would be a great thing to have," she said. "Diversity is
always good, whether it is gender or ethnicity, to bring different
perspectives. But I certainly wouldn’t appoint someone just because
of one of those things. They have to be qualified."

LUFTHANSA WINTER FLIGHTS TO 191 DESTINATIONS IN 78 COUNTRIES

Breaking Travel News
9 Oct 2009 at 10:53 AM

In view of weaker demand in the coming winter flight schedules,
Lufthansa is reducing the number of its weekly flights, especially
on German and European routes. All in all, a total of 12,406 weekly
flights will be laid on the new winter timetable (previous year:
13,402), a decrease of 7.4 per cent. Through gradual withdrawal
of smaller regional aircraft and the deployment of larger types,
the available seat capacity will remain stable in a year-on-year
comparison. Overall, through fleet re-dimensioning, the capacity –
measured in available seat kilometres – will increase marginally
by 1.1 per cent, principally through the use of new aircraft in
inter-continental traffic. The winter timetable 2009/2010 is valid
for the period commencing Sunday, 25 October 2009 through to Saturday,
27 March 2010.

In the new winter flight schedules, Lufthansa is offering connections
to 191 destinations in 78 countries (compared with 194 destinations
in 79 countries in winter 2008/09). With 11,282 German domestic
and European flights weekly (previous year: 12,278 flights), the
downsizing is mainly in the continental route network. Long-haul
services in contrast with a weekly 1,146 intercontinental flights
(previous year: 1,124 flights) will increase marginally.

"Our passengers are staying loyal to us because we are maintaining
existing connections and not radically revising our route network. We
are optimising the network so as to retain connection quality, wherever
possible, for our customers," explained Karl Ulrich Garnadt, Member
of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board. "We are keeping a presence
in all traffic regions and cancelling flight connections only when
alternatives are available to our passengers. This adaptation is
a measure resulting from the CLIMB 2011 cost-cutting programme,
with which the Lufthansa passenger business is aiming to improve its
results on a sustained basis by a billion euros . At the same time,
we are opening up new markets in West Africa, for example, so as to
harness new grow opportunities."

Renewed adjustment to the timetable in line with declining demand
will be effected largely by scrapping individual flight frequencies,
amalgamating specific routes and the assumption of selected connections
by airlines in the Lufthansa Group. In the winter schedules, for
example, the flights operated to Brussels by Lufthansa and Brussels
Airlines in cross-border traffic between Germany and Belgium will be
rearranged and harmonised. Lufthansa will take over the connections
to the Belgian capital from its Frankfurt and Munich hubs, Brussels
Airlines will in return connect Brussels with Hamburg and Berlin.

Despite the necessary cuts, Lufthansa is continuing to develop new,
strategically important growth markets. Among its principal targets
are West and Central Africa. Lufthansa is further increasing its
services in that region and will be flying daily to the Nigerian
capital Abuja when the new timetable starts. Those flights will
continue thrice-weekly to Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and four times
weekly to Nigeria’s Port Harcourt, which is thus featuring anew in
the timetable. In July, the biggest German airline is commencing
a new connection to Libreville in Gabon. In this region, rich in
raw materials, Lufthansa is also flying to Luanda (Angola) and Lagos
(Nigeria). In comparison with the previous year, Lufthansa is doubling
its services to the oil-producing countries in West and Central Africa
from 11 to 21 flights weekly.

Since 1 October, Lufthansa customers have been able to book new
code-share connections with cooperation partner JetBlue. The US
carrier is operating flights also under Lufthansa flight numbers
from 11 November 2009 with seamless flight connections ex New York
or Boston to twelve US destinations and Puerto Rico. Additionally,
seasonal services Hamburg-Innsbruck (Austria), Frankfurt-Cape Town
(South Africa) and Dusseldorf-Miami (USA) will be resumed.

In the past months, Lufthansa has for economic discontinued flights to
Erivan (Armenia), Bristol (UK), Ufa (Russia) and Portland/Oregon (USA).

The airlines in the Lufthansa Group – Austrian Airlines, bmi, Brussels
Airlines and SWISS – are also commencing their winter flight schedules
on 25 October. In harness with Lufthansa, all five airlines are
together serving 254 destinations in 101 countries on four continents
via their hubs at Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow,
Munich, Vienna and Zurich. They are also each augmenting their own
services with an array of code-share fights with partner airlines.

"PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE AND ESTHETIC SURGERY INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS" KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
OCt 8, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS: "Plastic reconstructive and esthetic
surgery international congress" kicked off today in Yerevan State
Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi.

In the opening speech the RA Deputy Health Minister Alexander Ghukasian
noted that the events are focused towards the consolidation of the
traditional ties established between the specialists of different
states of the region as well as establishment of new cooperation ways.

According to A. Ghukasian today’s developments of the plastic medicine,
besides establishment of a general teaching-methodical and research
field also foster global cooperation, conferences, conduction of
summits as well as exchange of new technologies and leading experience.

The Armenian Association for Plastic Surgery" which is a full member
of the European suchlike institution for the first time conducts the
mentioned conference with the support of the suchlike associations
of Russia and Georgia as well as the Yerevan state medical university.

The Deputy Minister expressed hope that besides providing a
continuous education and exchange of experience the conference
will also assist the increase of the professional qualification of
the participants. Representatives of USA, France, Austria, Germany,
Egypt, Turkey and other 60 states as well as the traditional partners
of Armenian doctors from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Latvia and Middle
Asia take part in the congress.

During the conference works world famous plastic surgeons Julia
Terzis(USA), Wolfgang Gubisch(Germany), Ruben Oddenino(Italy), Alexey
Borovikov(Russia), Kurt Vinsez(Austria), Husein Abulhasan(Egypt)
will deliver lectures.

Within the frameworks of the conference discussions will be held
round the issues of inputting of new technologies and methods of
reconstructive, esthetic surgery and facial cosmetology.

The conference is being held within the frameworks of events dedicated
to the 90th annive versity which will be finished in October.

MIATSUM HELD ANOTHER PROTEST RALLY AGAINST RA-TURKISH PROTOCOLS CONCLUSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 12:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 8, Miatsum national initiative held a
protest rally against RA-Turkish Protocols’ and Madrid Principles’
conclusion.

Among rally participants were Armenian film director Tigran Kzmalyan,
Heritage Parliamentary Faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan and Karabakh
liberation struggle participant Alek Yenikomshian.

Tigran Khzmalyan noted that similar rallies are planned in all RA
regions. "Our protest rallies are aimed to heighten Armenian nation’s
vigilance and urge people to oppose current RA-Turkish rapprochement
process."

SIX ARMENIAN COMPANIES TO BE PRIVATIZED THROUGH NASDAQ OMX

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 14:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Six Armenian companies will be privatized through
NASDAQ OMX.

"In compliance with the government’s decision, 5 state-owned companies
will be assessed and go private," NASDAQ OMX CEO Armen Melikyan told
reporters on Tuesday.

"The companies will be transformed into public corporations," he
said. "There are some 500 state-owned enterprises in Armenia. 80
of them are next in turn. The six companies to be privatized first
were selected by profitability principle. Net profit of one of them
totaled AMD 16 million."

PRESIDENT SAID WE BELIEVED AND WE GOT SUCCESS

Panorama.am
14:08 05/10/2009

President Serzh Sargsyan’s pan-Armenian tour to the Armenian
Communities of Diaspora is under way. The mission of President’s tour
is to discuss the ongoing processes of normalizing Armenian-Turkish
ties and the pre-signed protocols.

On his October 3 meeting with Armenians of USA Eastern shore and Canada
President said that institutions have been established to calculate
all the negative and positive elements of opening the border with
Turkey, he said that those activities are still being held and that
correspondent recommendations are made.

President noted that practically it’s impossible to calculate all the
rewards and risks, but stressed that Armenians of Artsakh, Diaspora
and Republic of Armenia have had such concerns when quite different
events were developing.

President reminded the events of fighting for Armenia’s independence,
the war for Artsakh liberation. He said that no calculation was made
those days, and that not all the risks were taken into account.

Concluding his New York meeting, President said: "The most important
is the ability to understand each other during this important period
of making decisions. I believe in good future of Armenia. I believe,
as I see the right way."

PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVE FOUNDS NEW INSTITUTE

Panorama.am
14:14 05/10/2009

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s pan-Armenian tour before making
pan-national decisions create new institute of taking Diaspora’s
approached into account, representatives of Armenian Diaspora said
when meeting with Serzh Sargsyan on 3 October in New York, President’s
Cabinet reports.

According to the source, the participants of the meeting hailed
the President’s initiative to visit Armenian communities. Though
Armenia-Diaspora communication has the deepest roots, President’s
initiative to meet with the representatives of Armenian communities,
to discuss with them questions having pan-national significance found
quite a new institute.

It’s worth reminding that President Serzh Sargsyan strated his
pan-Armenian tour aimed at discussing the processes of normalizing
Armenian-Turkish ties and the pre-signed protocols.

PARIS RALLY PARTICIPANTS NUMBER EXAGGERATED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
05.10.2009 12:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 4, Nouvelle d’Armenie French edition
reporter Jean Eckian refuted the information on participants’ number
in a rally organized in connection with RA President’s visit to Paris.

The reporter brought his apologies, citing event -caused rush as a
reason for misunderstanding.

According to official Paris Police-provided data, 300 people
participated in the rally, Jean Eckian stated.

Earlier, on October 1, Jean Eckian reported Paris rally participants
number to reach 1000.

ArmenTel sponsors opening of first distant learning class in Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The first distant learning class
opened at Yerevan school No 55 on October 2. The project was sponsored
by ArmenTel CJSC.

The distant learning system was introduced at the school by ArmenTel in
cooperation with Alfa company. According to Commercial Director of Alfa
Arthur Gharibian, the system is based on Polycom QDX6000 video
conferencing solution with the respective software package. It was
installed in 16 classrooms of the school, enabling the users to connect
with each other, as well as any distant user.

"It is a school of the 21st century, a school of the future. An
interactive class is a bold solution, and ArmenTel is proud to sponsor
innovations at Armenian schools," Director General I. Klimenko stated
at the official opening of the distant learning class. In his words,
the distant learning class was established as part of ArmenTel’s
strategy aimed at assisting education, children and youth and
developing the high-tech sector.

Baltic Armenians optimistically approach to Armenia-Turkey dialogue
03.10.2009 17:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is time for Armenians around the world to have
right attitude and continue the Armenia-Turkey dialogue, Araik Tunyan
, chairman of the Armenian Assembly of the Baltic states said after
Paris meeting of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan with
representatives of the Armenian communities in Europe.
"We believe that this responsibility must be bore not only by the
Armenia’s president, but also ourselves,’ chairman of the Armenian
Assembly of the Baltic states said.

Araik Tunyan characterized the all-Armenian tour of Serzh Sargsyan as
very good step. "We are familiar with the protocols. Of course, we
cannot say for sure that everything will be as it is stated in the
protocols, but we hope and follow the process with optimism. We
believe diplomatic dialogue with Turkey should be continued, "
Mr. Tunyan stressed.