Category: News

Glendale News Press
26 Feb 2005
Judge rejects lawsuit
Ruling clears way for project, but city officials expect General Growth to
appeal. Judge also lifts injunctions.
By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader
Superior Court Judge Robert O’Brien rejected a lawsuit filed by Glendale
Galleria owner General Growth Properties for the second time in five weeks,
making way for a controversial outdoor shopping center in downtown Glendale.
O’Brien’s final ruling rejected General Growth’s lawsuit, which challenged
city approvals for the Americana at Brand, a proposed retail and residential
complex. The decision mimics a tentative ruling O’Brien issued in January.
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The judge also ordered an injunction preventing the city from demolishing
two buildings on the site to be lifted on March 10. In the next two weeks,
General Growth can ask an appellate court to extend the injunction pending a
possible appeal.
“The staff, the city and the [Redevelopment] Agency have been criticized for
not doing the right thing, not doing it properly, not with full disclosure,”
said Philip Lanzafame, interim director of development services. “What this
ruling means to me, it says that we’re validated in what we’re trying to
accomplish.”
General Growth spokesman Arthur Sohikian did not return messages seeking
comment, but city officials expect General Growth to appeal O’Brien’s
decision.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and money defending what we did as right, and the
court agrees that it is correct,” Assistant City Atty. Gillian Van Muyden
said. “If they decide to take us to appellate court, we’ll continue to wage
our battle that what we did was legal and correct.”
Critics of the Americana said that O’Brien’s decision does not affirm that
the Americana is a good project, only that the judge does not have
jurisdiction to revert it.
“I figured that was going to happen,” said Albert Hofmann, a vocal Americana
critic. “He can’t bail out the City Council because [the council] screwed
up.”
The city is in the process of clearing the 15.5-acre project site now, and
developer Rick Caruso said he expects a groundbreaking sometime in March.
Caruso hopes the Americana will open in late 2006 or early 2007.
The Americana will include 475,000 square feet of retail space, 338
residential units, a 1.85-acre park and an 18-screen movie theater. The
city’s Redevelopment Agency approved the project’s final design Tuesday.
In the ruling, O’Brien also ordered General Growth to reimburse the city and
Caruso for court costs associated with the case, but not attorney fees. The
city spent $1.2 million defending the case, but officials expect the court
costs to cover only a small fraction of that.
“I don’t want their money,” Caruso said. “I just want them out of my life
and out of my hair, and to have them go back to their miserable little mall
and do what they do.”
* JOSH KLEINBAUM covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by
e-mail at [email protected].

First oil to reach Ceyhan terminal October 1
AZERNEWS
24/02/2005 12:48
The first Baku oil will reach the Ceyhan terminal of Turkey on October
1. The construction and installation operations on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
(BTC) main export oil pipeline are over 95% complete in Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey, says a source from BTC Co., which is building the
pipeline.
The annual transportation capacity of the BTC pipe will exceed 50
million tons of oil.

KARABAKH DOES NOT VIOLATE THE GENEVE CONVENTION
A1+
25-02-2005
Masis Mayilyan, the Nagorno Karabakh deputy Minister of Foreign
affairs, has received Mrs. Isabelle Barras, head of the Red Cross
International Committee Easter Europe Activities.
It was in 1993 that Nagorno Karabakh unilaterally jointed the Geneva
convention and according to Mayilyan is carrying out his
responsibilities. Isabelle Barras was glad to hear that saying that it
will be ground to continue the cooperation in the humanitarian field.
During the meeting the RCIC memorandum about the people missing in the
Karabakh war presented to both parties has been discussed. Mrs. Barras
has mentioned that the solution of the problem of missing people is
delayed due to the fact that the conflict has not been settled. She
underlined that the agreement of the parties to the main point of the
memorandum will make it possible to achieve positive results.
Isabelle Barras has also met Seyran Ohanyan, NK Minister of Defense,
and Victor Kocharyan, head of the NK State Committee of prisoners of
war and people missing in action.

Toronto Star,Canada
Feb 9, 2005
Egoyan struggles to make Cannes deadline
Atom Egoyan is running out of time to participate at this year’s
Cannes Film Festival, and it’s all because he can’t stop the music.
The Toronto filmmaker is in post-production for his new movie Where
the Truth Lies, a murder whodunit starring Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth
and Alison Lohman. The film was expected to be a leading contender
for Canada’s chief flag bearer at the annual Cannes fest in May.
“I’m not so sure we’re going to be ready for Cannes,” he said in an
interview yesterday. “Because there’s a lot of music involved.
There’s a ton of stuff that has to be settled in terms of
post-production. It’s tricky. It’s a much trickier post than the
other films.”
The entry deadline “is coming right up,” Egoyan said, he didn’t
specify the date, “so we have to make a decision soon.”
But even if Egoyan misses the deadline, he might still be accepted as
a late entry, which is not unknown at Cannes.
He is popular with Cannes festival selectors, who have often chosen
his films for the main competition or sidebar programs. In 1997,
Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter won the second-prize Grand Prix at
Cannes.
– Peter Howell

Glendale News Press
Published February 26, 2005
Candidates race for the green now in full swing
Council candidates raised $280,000, spent $140,000 since Jan. 1. Ara
Najarian and Vrej Agajanian collect more than $50,000 each.
By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader
GLENDALE CITY HALL — Between television commercials and speech coaches,
campaigns for City Council, city clerk and city treasurer are beginning to
get expensive.
Candidates for City Council have raised more than $280,000 and spent more
than $140,000 since Jan. 1, kicking off the race for four available seats in
the April 5 municipal election.
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Candidates for the three city offices submitted campaign finance reports to
the city this week. All reports had to be postmarked by Thursday.
Two challengers, Ara Najarian and Vrej Agajanian, lead the City Council
money race, each collecting more than $50,000 since January, according to
campaign finance statements. Mayor Bob Yousefian raised only $6,343 since
January, but collected more than $95,000 in 2004. He leads the spending
spree, having paid out $29,641 since January.
In the City Clerk race, Paulette Mardikian raised $15,489 in January, on top
of a $50,000 loan her husband gave her in January. Ardashes Kassakhian has
raised the most since January with $40,606.
“You obviously need money to get your message out, especially with a field
of 19 [candidates],” Councilman Frank Quintero said. “[The big figures]
means that there are some people that have substantial backing and are
serious candidates. But there have been lots of candidates with money that
haven’t done well. It takes more than money.”
A look at the statements shows how to run local campaigns. A major expense
is sending information to voters, which explains Yousefian’s spending spree.
He already mailed a brochure to voters, which accounted for much of his
expenses.
Candidates spent thousands of dollars on lawn signs and campaign literature.
Quintero said he ordered twice as many lawn signs as he felt he needed
because of theft.
And candidates are increasingly turning to television. Three of the nine
candidates for city clerk have already spent thousands to create
commercials.
“You have so many candidates running, and you really have to differentiate
yourself, and television is a good way to do that,” said Garrett Biggs, a
campaign consultant working for City Clerk candidate Kathryn Van Houten.
Van Houten’s campaign debuted its first television spot Friday evening.
Some candidates put their own money into their campaigns. Glynda Gomez, wife
of former Councilman Gus Gomez, loaned herself $26,500, more than 85% of her
total contributions. Garry Sinanian kicked $15,000 into his campaign, and
Shirley Griffin contributed $3,443 to herself.
Pauline Field raised $2,412, mostly in small donations, but still found room
to pay $1,000 to her campaign manager and business partner, Barry Allen.
Agajanian collected the most large donations, accepting 16 donations of
$1,000 or more, including four $5,000 donations.
Council candidate Steve Hedrick believes that large donations can buy
influence, so he is not accepting any donations larger than $500.
“It’s my firm belief that normal people can’t sit down and write a $5,000
check, and they should have just as much access as the people who can write
those large checks,” Hedrick said.
Quintero hasn’t raised any money since January, relying on the $43,333 he
collected in 2004. But he’s planning a March 10 fundraiser to restock his
war chest. He did contribute $100 to the campaigns of Najarian and city
clerk candidates Mardikian and Lorna Vartanian.
Mardikian found an interesting way to spend that money. She paid $100 for a
speech coach. Three City Council candidates, Joe Mandoky, Chahe Keuroghelian
and John Stevenson, and one city treasurer candidate, Phillip Kazanjian, did
not submit finance reports, City Clerk Doris Twedt said. Candidates are not
required to file reports if they have not raised money.

`THE BLOOD-THIRSTY NATURE OF THE AZERBAIJANIS HAS NOT CHANGED’
A1+
25-02-2005
A number of Armenian youth-student organizations have today called the
world society with a letter to give a proper evaluation to the
Sumgayit genocide, massacre acts against Armenians in other
territories of Azerbaijan and to respect the right of sovereignty of
the Artsakh people.
`The first expression of the hateful character of the Azerbaijanis was
the genocide in the city of Sumgayit, which caused tens of victim,
while thousands became invalid or refugee. The only guilt of the
victims was that they were Armenians.
Supported by the inactivity of the Soviet totalitarian regime and the
atmosphere of unpanishability, the Azerbaijanis continued their
massacre-organization actions in Baku and Gandzak, unleashing a real
war against the Arstakh people. Unable to suppress the combat for
independence of the Artsakh people, today the criminal tries to wear
the mask of a victim, violating the historic facts, and speaking about
anti-Azerbaijani violations which have never taken place.
in 2004 in Budapest the Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov killed the
Armenian officer Gourgen Margaryan, which testifies to the fact that
the blood-thirsty nature of the Azerbaijanis has not changed’.
This document has been adopted in the round table and exhibition of
photos organized in connection with the anniversary of the 1988
Sumgayit massacres. It was organized by the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation `Nikol Ahgbalyan’ student union, Analytic center `Sense’
and the Nork House of Armenians

Armenian National Committee
Pasadena Chapter
1445 Sierra Madre Villa Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91107
PRESS RELEASE
February 26, 2005
Contact: Hovig Dimejian
Tel: (626) 523-3454
PASADENA ANC HONORS CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMEMBER CAROL LIU FOR
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EDUCATION EFFORTS
Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Chapter of the Armenian National
Committee presented Assemblymember Carol Liu (D-44) with its
Community Leadership Award at their annual awards event held on
February 20, 2005. The State Legislator has been at the forefront
of efforts to include instruction on the Armenian Genocide in the
Pasadena Unified School District and throughout the State of
California.
At a well attended awards dinner held at the Pasadena Community
Center, Assemblymember Liu was praised by a number of speakers.
Master of Ceremonies Raffi Hamparian welcomed friends of the
Assemblymember who came to the podium to praise Liu for her
outstanding dedication to her Armenian American constituents. The
Chairman of the ANCA-WR Steve Dadaian and Pasadena ANC Chairman
Hovig Dimejian delivered speeches regarding the work of the ANC and
how the organization’s goals are shared by Assemblymember Lui.
Among the many distinguished guests on hand for the event were
Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, City Councilmember Victor Gordo,
Pasadena Unified School District Board Members Mike Babcock and
Stephan Lazardo, Haig Kartounian from the Office of Congressman
Adam Schiff, Vahik Gourjian from the Office of California State
Senator Jack Scott, Burbank Unified School District Board Member
Paul Krekorian, Glendale Community College Board Member Armine
Hacobian and Rev. Babouchian, Pastor of Pasadena’s Saint Sarkis
Armenian Apostolic Church.
“Carol Liu, more than anyone else, deserved the Pasadena ANC’s
Community Leadership Award which we presented to her this evening,”
commented Pasadena ANC Chairman Hovig Dimejian. “Carol has been
there for our community in Sacramento and here at home. Her
leadership on education issues and particularly her steadfast
commitment to teaching all Americans about the Armenian Genocide
has been outstanding,’ the Chairman added.
Assemblymember Liu has been an active supporter of the Bay Area
ANC’s new educational website, TeachGenocide.org and its lesson
plans “Human Rights and Genocide: A Case Study of the First
Genocide of the 20th Century.” In March of 2004 the Assemblymember
co-hosted, along with the Pasadena ANC, a workshop for Pasadena
schoolteachers interested in teaching about the Armenian Genocide.
Assemblymember Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) represents the
44th Assembly District, which includes the cities of La Canada
Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Temple City, and Duarte;
parts of the cities of Arcadia and Monrovia; and the communities of
Glassell Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, and Altadena.
A fifth generation Californian and the child of an immigrant, Liu
was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland. She was first elected
to public office in 1992 as a member of the La Cañada Flintridge
City Council on which she served for eight years, including two
terms as Mayor. She is currently in her third term as a member of
the California State Assembly.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA WELCOMES KATE NAHAPETIAN TO WASHINGTON, DC STAFF
— Former U.S. Department of Justice Policy Analyst to Lead
Government Relations Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC – Accomplished lawyer and human rights activist Kate
Nahapetian joined the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Washington, DC staff this week as Government Affairs Director of
the grassroots advocacy organization’s national headquarters.
“Kate is a powerful addition to the ANCA professional staff. We
are tremendously pleased that she will be bringing her considerable
legal skills, boundless energy, determination and creativity to the
vital work of advancing the Armenian American community’s
government affairs priorities,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
“Along with our board, chapters, activists and supporters across
the United States, I want to warmly welcome Kate to the ANCA’s
Washington, DC team, and to say how much all of us look forward to
working with her in the months and years to come.”
Kate Nahapetian graduated magna cum laude with a degree in
International Studies from American University and received a J.D.
with a focus on international and human rights law from the
University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
She has worked on asylum and migration issues at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace and the German Council on Foreign
Policy in Berlin. She was also a legislative correspondent for
Senator Joseph Biden and received a Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Fellowship to pursue graduate studies in Germany. At Mental
Disability Rights International, she was instrumental in starting a
project in Armenia to help develop community-based care for people
with mental disabilities. In addition, Kate documented cases of
torture in Chile for the prosecution against General Augusto
Pinochet and has published two articles on international law. Upon
graduating from law school, Kate litigated complex class actions at
Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes and Lerach before working as a Policy
Analyst with the Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department
of Justice, which mediates ethnic and racial conflicts in the
United States.
An active participant and leader in Armenian American community
life, growing up, Kate spent summers at AYF Camp Haiastan. During
her undergraduate years, she was a member of the Armenian Youth
Federation Washington Ani Chapter and participated in the Armenian
Relief Society’s Summer Studies program. In 1991, she helped
develop the ANCA Congressional election strategy as part of the
ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship program. She continued her activism
with the ANC, through participation in the San Francisco, San Diego
and Washington, DC chapters.
“I am very excited about coming on board and becoming part of our
efforts to represent the Armenian American voice in the nation’s
capital,” stated Kate Nahapetian. “There are great challenges ahead
and I look forward to working with our grassroots network of
dedicated activists to continue moving our shared priorities
forward.”

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
HOUSE MEMBERS HONOR 17TH ANNIVERSARY OF KARABAGH LIBERATION MOVEMENT
— Special Order Speeches Organized by Congressional Armenian Caucus
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) were joined by
Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and
Michael McNulty (D-NY), last week, in speaking out in honor of the
17th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabagh liberation movement,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.) The
House Members stressed their commitment in ensuring a lasting and
peaceful resolution to the Karabagh conflict.
“We join with the people of Nagorno Karabagh, Armenians around the
world, and throughout the United States in thanking Representatives
Frank Pallone, Joe Knollenberg, Rush Holt, Carolyn Maloney, and
Michael McNulty for helping to mark the 17th anniversary of the
Nagorno Karabagh liberation movement,” said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian. “In 1988, the people of Nagorno Karabagh – at
great sacrifice – were the first to rise up against Soviet misrule,
sparking powerful pro-democracy movements that would bring an end
to the Cold War and ultimately make the United States and the
entire world safer.”
In Special Order speeches organized by the Congressional Armenian
Caucus, the Representatives called attention to Nagorno Karabagh’s
commitment to self-determination and regional peace. In his
remarks, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone
reviewed the history of Karabagh’s efforts to end Soviet-era
oppression of its citizenry. “During the seven decades of Soviet
rule, the Armenians of NK repeatedly stated to each successive
Soviet regime their desire to be joined against with Armenia.
These peaceful and legal maneuvers were met with violent repression
and forced settlement of ethnic Azeris into NK,” explained Rep.
Pallone. He noted that upon the fall of the Soviet Union, the “NK
population overwhelmingly voted to establish an independent Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, currently known as NKR.” Noting his
participation in an election-monitoring group for the Karabagh
presidential elections, he praised the strengthening of democracy
in the state. “This process is astounding considering that NKR is
not recognized internationally; that they still must deal every day
with Azeri aggression, and that their economy is still devastated
from the war,” stated Pallone.
New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney remarked that “The people of
Nagorno Karabakh courageously defended their right to live freely
on their ancestral lands.” She went on to cite the importance of
ongoing U.S. assistance to Nagorno Karabakh, “which has a vital
role in achieving a peaceful and stable South Caucasus region.”
Rep. McNulty noted that “Nagorno Karabakh continues to strengthen
its statehood with a democratically elected government, a capable
armed forces and independent foreign policy. I stand with the
people of Nagorno Karabakh in celebrating their continuing freedom
and democracy.”
Rep. Holt cited the importance of finding a peaceful and lasting
resolution to the Karabagh conflict. “Just as the people of
Nagorno Karabakh saw the necessity of a peaceful secession from
Azerbaijan seventeen years ago, so too must a peaceful resolution
be achieved with this current conflict. . .The United States will
continue to promote the cause of our democratic friends in Nagorno
Karabakh, not yielding until the goals set forth on February 20,
1988, have been fully realized.”
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Joe
Knollenberg sent a congratulatory letter to Karabagh President
Arkady Ghoukasian, commending the Karabagh people on the 17th
anniversary of the liberation movement and pledging support for
continued efforts to find a lasting peace in the region.
The complete texts of the Congressional statements may be found on
the ANCA website at the following link:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AssA-Irada 26/02/2005 12:40
Ceasefire breach reported in Agdam
Armenian military units fired from their positions in the occupied Shikhlar
village of Aghdam District at the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces
located in the Orta Gishlag village of the same district with submachine and
machine guns on Friday afternoon, the ATV reported.
The ceasefire has been breached by Armenia in Aghdam District seven times
this month.
Another local TV channel, Lider, reported that ceasefire was also breached
in the Tovuz District.