Author: Tambiyan Samvel

Q&A: LEONOR GAVINA-VALLS
By Zain Shauk

Burbank Leader
January 26, 2010 8:40 PM PST

Leonor Gavina-Valls has brewed her family’s coffee blends for decades,
but in recent years she has grown accustomed to buying them at area
stores and restaurants.

The Glendale resident is co-owner of Gavina & Sons, which produces
popular retail brand Don Francisco’s Gourmet Coffee, as well as
private-label coffees sold at stores like McDonald’s, 7-Eleven,
Costco and Porto’s Bakery.

The company, which traces its roots to Cuba, has rapidly expanded in
recent years, upgrading its production space from 80,000 square feet
to 240,000 square feet in 2002.

Its new plant in Vernon handles about 40 million pounds of imported
coffee beans a year, funneling them through a complex system of
roasters and packing machines that show a dramatic evolution from
the original 2,000-square-foot Gavina operation of 1967.

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Although the recession has slowed down business — the company’s
revenues still grew by more than 5% in 2009 — Gavina-Valls discussed
the popularity of coffee as a part of Americans’ daily routines,
which is something the company doesn’t anticipate will change because
of spending habits.

ZAIN SHAUK: How has the business changed since your family began in
the United States 43 years ago?

LEONOR GAVIn’A-VALLS: We started back in 1967, my dad, my mom,
my brothers. I was still in high school, and our coffee was only
espresso. When we started saying "espresso," or saying "latte" or
a "cappuccino," nobody knew what it was. So we had to educate the
people. Coffee was coffee. Coffee was a commodity in a can, and that
was it. So little by little people became more sophisticated in how
they drank coffee. And we came out with a brand called Don Francisco.

Francisco was my father, and Don was a title of respect, so Don
Francisco was the title we came out with in retail to honor our dad.

Q: How has the growth in popularity of coffee shops changed your
business and what you provide?

A: Well, we are providers to some of those coffeehouses, so for us
it’s been awesome. On the other side, our Don Francisco brand, it’s a
premium-brand coffee. So people want better things for themselves. It
changed what people expect from coffee. Now people expect more.

Q: Do you ever find yourself out at other coffee shops, tasting and
comparing brands?

A: Of course. And we do it here as well. We bring in a competitor,
and we taste it against our own.

Q: Have you ever been out with somebody and had to buy your own coffee?

A: I have, and I have run out of coffee at home and I have gone to
the store and bought some of my own coffee.

Q: Are there places near your home that serve your coffee?

A: Yes, Porto’s Bakery and Coffee Express on Glendale Avenue.

Q: Do you ever buy your coffee from them?

A: Yes, I do.

Q: Some of your coffee blends target specific ethnic groups, like
Latinos and Italians. Has living among the Armenian community in
Glendale influenced any of your blends?

A: We are immigrants ourselves. We are originally from Cuba. So when
we came here my dad wanted to get back into the coffee business. And
our first product here was an espresso product because that’s what we
drank. And then he started selling to restaurants and eventually to
other ethnic groups. We sell to the Middle Eastern community. We went
in and we kind of asked them how it was they drank their coffee, and
we came up with blends for them. Armenians, Ethiopians and Vietnamese
the same way.

Q: How different are coffee blends targeted to different ethnic groups?

A: The roast is different, the beans are different. For example, for
Middle Eastern there are like three different roasts. It’s a light,
which is like regular coffee, medium, which is like an espresso,
and a dark, that would be the French.

Q: Isn’t freshly ground, brewed coffee somewhat of a luxury for most
people during the recession?

A: Drinking it at home is not expensive at all.

Q: Have you changed your strategy to target people drinking coffee
at home?

A: That’s always been our strategy.

Q: Why?

A: When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing that you
do? Or maybe the third thing that you do. You go to the kitchen, you
open your pantry you get your coffee out, or you open your freezer and
you get your coffee out and you brew yourself a cup of coffee. Before
you get ready or you turn on the TV, etc. And then you enjoy that
cup of coffee. That’s what we want to have. That first cup of coffee.

Q: Has the recession affected the coffee business in general?

A: It has. In some areas of our business it has. Especially in
restaurants and even in some of the coffeehouses. I think it’s like 85%
of all coffee is drank before 11 o’clock in the morning. So breakfast
is a huge, huge area for your restaurants and coffeehouses.

If a person doesn’t have to go out to work because they don’t have
a job, they won’t go out to get a cup of coffee. They’ll stay home
and brew a cup of coffee.

Q: Do you think coffee shop culture is a fad that will die out?

A: I don’t think it’s a fad. If it was a fad it wouldn’t have stayed
with us for so long. It’s a way of people going out and being in
a community.

Q: How are American tastes now different from Cuban tastes? Would
Gavina coffee from the United States sell in Cuba also?

A: It would, if Cuba was free. But Cuban-style coffee would be espresso
with a lot of sugar.

Q: Would that be popular in the United States also?

A: It is. Our Cafe La Llave espresso is one of the No. 1 brands in
South Florida for the Cuban community.

Q: What happened to the company in Cuba?

A: Oh, Castro took it over. It’s gone.

Q: How do you feel about the Castro regime?

A: I’m not political.

Q: Have you ever tried one of your blends that you thought was just
plain bad?

A: There are some flavors that I don’t like. And that I learned a long
time ago that you have to give the customer what the customer wants.

You cannot force a client to drink what you like. It’s what they like.

Q: Have you ever had too much coffee?

A: Never.

Q: How many times a day do you have coffee?

A: Probably seven cups, eight cups.

Q: Do you have the same kinds of coffee the whole day?

A: I change. My first thing is always the same. I make myself an
espresso with milk.

Q: Do some of your relatives not like coffee?

A: Not that I know of.

HEAD OF CPA MONITORING MISSION APPLIES TO PACE DEPUTIES

Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Taking into consideration the
discussion of the report under the title Respect for Media Freedom to
be held in PACE in the future, Anahit Sargsian, the Head of the Center
for Parliamentarianism of Armenia monitoring mission, on January 25,
conveyed to PACE deputies information that all Armenian TV channels
grossly violating the demands of the RA Electoral Code did not take
part and in essence, boycotted the NA deputy by-elections at Yerevan
electoral district N 10, for which the opposition figure being under
arrest ran.

It was mentioned that the TV channels not only provided no information
to society about the process of elections but even refused to broadcast
the agitation materials presented by the opposition candidate. They did
not take part, either, in the press conferences of the only long-term
monitoring mission in the election campaign and did not broadcast
anything about it. As a result, the pevailing part of voters was not
aware of either the process of elections or the candidates.

As a motivation of such information, the January 15 decision of the
National Committee of Television and Radio was presented to PACE
deputies, according to which, the assertion on non-fulfillment of the
requirement of part 4, Article 20 of RA Electoral Code is ungrounded
as the TV channel cannot declare the price for each minute of paid air
in case it has not intended to provide paid air time for broadcasts
on election campaign."

Armenian-Turkish Process Can Fail: Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister

Tert.am
15:59 – 22.01.10

Asked by journalists today whether the process of normalizing
Armenia-Turkish relations might fail, Armenian foreign minister Edward
Nalbandian said:

`Of course, it’s possible, if the Turkish side is not – and won’t be –
prepared to ratify the Protocols; if it continues, as it does until
today, speaking in terms of preconditions, finding connections, [and]
hindering progress in this process.’

SPECULATION ENDS ON VAN’S HOLY CROSS CHURCH

Hurriyet
n.php?n=speculations-on-holy-cross-church-of-van-h as-ended-2010-01-22
Jan 22 2010
Turkey

The Culture and Tourism Ministry ends speculation about the historical
Surp Hac (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar Island in Van. Officials from
the ministry say the church will be opened for prayer and a cross
will be placed on the roof by September 2010

Renovation of the historical Surp Hac (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar
Island in the eastern district of Van helped begin the normalization
process between Turkey and Armenia, but the church remains a topic
of considerable debate.

The Armenian church was renovated and opened as a museum in 2007 by
former Culture Minister Atilla Koc; since then, debate has centered on
whether a cross would be placed atop the building’s dome and whether
the church would once again be opened for prayer.

Buildings designated as museums are not allowed to host religious
services under Turkish law.

Current Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay has told the Hurriyet Daily
News & Economic Review that the ministry is making the final legal
arrangements to allow the church to open for prayer once a year.

Last week, however, daily Milliyet and other Turkish newspapers
announced that the ministry was no longer considering opening Surp
Hac for prayer. The announcement naturally attracted the interest of
Armenian media and the Armenian diaspora as well.

‘The information is old; preparations are at the final level’

The Daily News spoke to ministry officials to get the latest
developments about the historical church. Denying last week’s news
story, the officials said the church would be opened for prayer in
September 2010 with a cross on the building’s roof. According to
the ministry sources, Milliyet’s story was based on old information;
in fact, they said, the legal preparations for opening the church to
prayer are continuing rapidly.

Disappointment caused by museum status

Gunay said there are obstacles to churches in addition to Surp Hac
being opened for prayer, adding that the ministry is handling the
legal arrangements very carefully to prevent similar difficulties in
the future.

The church has symbolic importance in the normalization process
between Turkey and Armenia. Although it is commonly believed that
Armenian-Turkish dialogue began with the World Cup Qualifier between
the two countries’ national teams in 2008, the actual process began
with the initial renovation of Surp Hac.

Former minister Koc contacted Gagik Gurciyan, the deputy culture
minister of Armenia at that time, to provide experts from Armenia
to come to Turkey to inspect the church. Despite the closed borders
between the two countries, Turkish and Armenian experts have engaged
in a coordinated effort aimed at restoring Surp Hac.

Leaving the church without a cross and opening it as a museum,
however, disappointed the Armenian world. During the restoration,
a replica of the original cross was prepared by experts according
to the traditions of the Apostolic Church. That cross was brought to
Istanbul and delivered to Mesrop II, patriarch of Turkish Armenians.

The cross is still at the Istanbul patriarchate, waiting to be placed
atop Surp Hac.

ARTHUR MALOYAN CAN RETURN TO "SPARTAK" IN SUMMER

Aysor
Jan 21 2010
Armenia

We have told to our readers before that Arthur Maloyan the forward
player of "Spartak" team left "Anzhi" of Makhachkala and now is on
probation period in "Salute – Energia". The official site of the club
informs that the trainers of the team have many expectations with
the 20 year old Armenian football player and they have suggested
him to play in "Salute – Energia" team, though the agreement does
not guarantee that the player will stay in that club for more than
one year. One of the points of the agreement allows the player to
return to "Spartak" team in the upcoming summer if it is necessary.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

January 21, 2010
Contact: Lerna Kayserian Shirinian
Email: <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]

ANC- WR WELCOMES FIRST ARMENIAN AMERICAN
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBER PAUL KREKORIAN

VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA – Friends, activists and leaders of the
Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR) were pleased
to welcome newly-elected Councilmember Paul Krekorian to the Los
Angeles City Council during a ceremonial Swearing-in Ceremony and
Inaugural Celebration on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at Van Nuys City
Hall.

The ANC-WR joined hundreds of supporters for Councilmember
Krekorian, celebrating the historic election of the first Armenian
American to the Los Angeles City Council. The oath of office was
administered by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. Among the
supporters who spoke during the ceremony were Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, LA City Council
President Eric Garcetti, State Assemblymember Mike Feuer and former
Controller Laura Chick.

"We would like to offer our congratulations to Councilmember
Krekorian on his newly elected position in the Los Angeles City
Council," stated ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna
Shirinian. "Councilmember Krekorian has been a strong advocate and
voice for the Armenian American community within the State Assembly
and we look forward to working with him as he leads Council
District 2 in the City of Los Angeles," he added.

During his tenure as State Assemblymember, Krekorian introduced AJR
15, which designated April 24, 2007 as California Day of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 through 1923.
Krekorian’s AJR 15 urged Congress and the President of the United
States "to formally recognize and reaffirm the historical truth
that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people
constituted genocide," and called upon the Republic of Turkey to
"acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward
a just resolution." In 2008, Krekorian was the co-author of SJR 24,
a similar resolution, which noted that "by consistently remembering
and openly condemning the atrocities committed against the
Armenians, California residents demonstrate their sensitivity to a
need for constant vigilance to prevent similar atrocities in the
future."

To help highlight the enduring legacy of legendary Armenian-
American playwright and author William Saroyan, Assemblymember
Krekorian co-authored SCR 9, which designated the year 2008 as the
William Saroyan Year for enriching the cultural diversity of the
state, and in particular, for celebrating over 100 years of the
cultural contribution of Armenian-Americans to the people of the
state.

"Councilmember Krekorian is a strong voice for our community and a
principled leader," stated ANC-WR Board Member Avo Ovayan. "I am
confident that his creativity, energy and leadership will set the
standard for the Los Angeles City Council," he remarked.

Councilmember Paul Krekorian represents the 2nd Council District of
Los Angeles, which stretches from Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood
Hills to Big Tujunga Road in the Verdugo Hills. It includes the
communities of including the communities of Lake View Terrace, La
Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio
City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and
Van Nuys. Council District 2 is home to — Armenian Americans, the
largest concentration of the community in the City of Los Angeles.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots community
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the
country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues.

###

Photo caption: ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna Kayserian
Shirinian, ANC Burbank Activist Silva Kechichian, ANC Activist
Steve Dadaian, and ANC-WR Board Member Avo Ovayan.

THE EVENTS BEFORE DINK’S MURDER

Hurriyet
Jan 20 2010
Turkey

Numerous theories have been discussed about how power centers
played a role in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink. Whenever this subject is opened to discussion, I prefer to
start with the McDonald’s bombing that took place in the Black Sea
province of Trabzon exactly 25 months before the Dink killing.

In fact, most of the unknowns in the Dink murder case are covered in
this incident. We see that the actors of the bombing were key figures
in Dink’s murder. If the bombing had been investigated thoroughly,
if the trial process hadn’t had peculiarities, Dink could’ve been
alive today.

Why was Tuncel not on trial?

Let’s start from the beginning. The McDonald’s bombing in Trabzon
occurred on Oct. 24, 2004. Dink was killed on Jan. 19, 2007.

Six people were injured in the bombing. Perpetrator Yasin Hayal was
caught. One of the names involved in the incident was Erhan Tuncel,
the "big brother," who stands on trial as an instigator in the Dink
murder case. Despite plenty of evidence, the Trabzon prosecutor,
the Security Directorate and the gendarmerie didn’t touch him.

Hayal, the instigator in the Dink murder case, later said Tuncel
himself made the bomb for the McDonald’s incident. In the report
prepared by the Prime Ministry Investigation Board, it is clearly
stated that Tuncel and Hayal committed the McDonald’s bombing together.

The question that needs to be answered at this point is this: Why
did the Trabzon Prosecutor’s Office, the Security Directorate and
the gendarmerie not start proceedings against Tuncel? Although there
was a decision to take Tuncel forcefully to court for deposition,
it was not done. The gendarmerie couldn’t find Tuncel.

If Hayal had not been released…

Another challenging point is this: then-Trabzon Security Director
Ramazan Akyurek assigned Tuncel as "intelligence aid."

If Tuncel had been turned in rather than being appointed to the
intelligence staff, the course of events most probably would’ve taken a
different turn. In this case, Tuncel would have been prosecuted and put
behind the bars. Perhaps the Dink murder would not have been plotted.

Yet another key point we should dwell upon is this: Though Hayal
committed the bombing, his file was not followed by the prosecutor for
terror crimes but was studied as a plain judicial case file. If the
bombing had been regarded as a terror incident, the penalty for Hayal
could’ve been increased and he wouldn’t have been released. Therefore,
the Dink murder wouldn’t have been committed.

The peculiarities in the Trabzon courthouse are not limited to the
above. As proceedings continued, Hayal was released in September 2005
in the 11th month of his arrest.

The point we must focus on is that Hayal was released by the council
on duty, not the one in charge of the case. The release paper carried
the signatures of the judge of the Commercial Court. Besides, his
release took place while the council officially responsible for the
case was off duty.

If the appeal hadn’t been delayed

In the end, the Trabzon High Criminal Court sentenced Hayal to
six years and eight months imprisonment on June 14, 2006. After the
reduction of the sentence, Hayal’s penalty was settled at 32 months in
prison. Since the appeal process is pending at the Court of Appeals,
Hayal is not behind bars yet.

Now, let’s look at the peculiarities at the Court of Appeals. The
appeal process was completed on May 2, 2008. According to the ruling,
Hayal was supposed to be sentenced for 21 months in addition to the
11 months that he served. If the decision had been taken in a timely
manner, Hayal could’ve been sent to prison again and the Dink murder
wouldn’t have been plotted.

Regardless of how you put it, if the McDonald’s bombing case had been
conducted properly by both the prosecution and the security forces,
Dink could’ve been with us today.

* Mr. Sedat Ergin is a columnist for the daily Hurriyet in which this
piece appeared Wednesday. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.

ILHAM ALIYEV GIVES INTERVIEW TO EURONEWS

news.az
Jan 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Ilham Aliyev gives interview to Euronews Azerbaijani president gave
an interview to Euronews correspondent Laura Davidescu on 19 January.

The president answered questions about the settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the process and
prospects of negotiations, regional and other issues.

At the end of November Euronews broadcast a one-sided report on the
conflict, Winds of Change in Nagorno-Karabakh, which prompted an
official note of protest from Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

PREPARATIONS FOR TRILATERAL PRESIDENTIAL MEETING UNDER WAY

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

Official Yerevan has confirmed the preparations for an
Armenian-Russian-Azerbaijani presidential meeting, which is to be
held in Sochi, Russia, on January 25.

RA Presidential Spokesman Samvel Farmanyan told NEWS.am that the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs arrived in Yerevan today and held meetings with
RA President Serzh Sargsyan and RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

At present they are in Baku. Their visit to the region has to do
with the trilateral presidential meeting. At their recent meeting in
Moscow, the Armenian and Russian Presidents discussed the possibility
of the meeting.

Two meetings have already been held through Dmitry Medvedev’s
mediation – the Moscow meeting on November 2, 2008, when the Mayendorf
declaration as adopted and the meeting in Chisinau last October.

THOUSANDS IN ISTANBUL MARK ANNIVERSARY OF DINK’S MURDER

Armenian Weekly
January 20, 2010

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)-Thousands gathered Tuesday at the site
in Istanbul where Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered three
years ago.

The crowd, numbering around 2,000 to 3,000 according to police,
braved snowfall to gather outside the offices of the Agos newspaper
where Dink was editor-in-chief, chanting "The murderer state has to
account for this!", "We know the murderers, we want justice!"

"As long as light is not shed on this murder, we will be here, we
will not give up," said one of the many people who addressed the
crowd from the window of the Agos office from which hung a picture
of the slain journalist.

Several people left carnations and candles at the place where then
52-year-old Dink was killed on Jan. 19, 2007.

This year’s slogan during the commemoration was "We know the killer,
we want justice."

"I am eminently enraged," retired teacher Semra Tugcu said as she
stood in the crowd.

She said she was not hopeful about Dink’s murder case. "I am a Turk,
but this does not mean that I am not a minority in this country,"
she said. "I feel like a minority, too."

Hrant Dink’s wife, Rakel Dink, and their son and daughter were also
at the Agos newspaper office.

Arat Dink, Hrant Dink’s son, spoke to the crowd. "Were those kids
[those suspected of murdering Dink] alone while they were making fun
of us in the court? … I do not trust justice in this country. But
being here for the last three years with you makes me hopeful,"
Arat Dink said.

Dink’s speech was frequently cut by slogans from the crowd such as,
"Murderer state will give account," "Despite fascism, you are my
brother Hrant," and "Either all together, or none of us, there is no
salvation alone."

The gunman, an unemployed nationalist who was 17 at the time, was
captured shortly after the killing. He went on trial along with 19
suspected accomplices in 2007. The investigation, however, has yet
to reveal the masterminds behind the killing.