Category: News

Newsday (New York)
May 30, 2004 Sunday
CITY EDITION
QUEENS DIARY;
His is really a pressing business;
LIC’s Madame Paulette turns dry-cleaning into a celebrity-attracting
art form
BY MERLE ENGLISH. STAFF WRITER
Marcie Goodman Gottlieb lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side but
doesn’t mind traveling to the East Side just to drop off her dry
cleaning. She’s been doing so for more than 10 years.
Her mother, who lives in Baltimore, uses the same dry cleaner,
sending in special items or bringing them with her on visits to New
York.
“They are the best at what they do,” Gottlieb said. “Their customer
service is incredible. They are so accommodating with everything you
take in. If you need it back immediately, they’ll get it back
immediately, and they’ll always get your stains out.”
The reason for the extra effort is Madame Paulette, a one-of-a-kind
dry cleaning business in Long Island City.
Basic black
The building out of which the business operates would be nondescript
except for its all-black exterior.
Classic black, a color often associated with haute couture, is a
signature for Madame Paulette’s president, John Mahdessian, 38.
Fresh out of Villanova University in 1987, Mahdessian took over from
his father what is now a 50-year-old family-owned business with a
reputation – Mahdessian states unequivocally – as “simply the finest
custom couture cleaner in the world.”
In keeping with that characterization, the building’s black exterior,
the company’s promotional materials and several products reflect the
image of the business as a service catering mostly to the world’s
high-end fashion houses and bridal salons.
A press kit is in velvety black stock, embossed with the name “Madame
Paulette” in golden script. A stain removal kit for upscale travelers
is encased in shiny black packaging.
Black is also the color of a custom-designed garment bag, a solid oak
hanger and a VIP gift box. And all carry Madame Paulette’s gold and
black logo showing a stylishly dressed woman and the company’s
initials.
But the elegant apparel that comes into Madame Paulette’s Long Island
City plant and headquarters from bridal salons at Barneys, Bergdorf
Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and such couture houses as Christian Dior,
Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Hermès, Prada, Versace and Yves St. Laurent,
is of all colors, textures and intricacies of design.
Mahdessian said his staff of artisans, tailors and craftspeople,
recruited from around the globe, are entrusted with “the finest
garments in the world.” Many are worn by runway models and
celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, David Letterman, Madonna, Janet
Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Sting and Barbara Walters, whom he lists
among his clientele.
A visitor on a recent tour of the plant at 42-20 12th St. found the
place a beehive of activity as employees meticulously inspected,
dry-cleaned and hand-pressed clothing.
Already cleaned on hangers around them were Chanel suits, shirts,
dresses and gowns swathed in white garment bags with such labels as
Vera Wang and Angel Sanchez.
A pink, strapless seersucker gown belonging to Christie Brinkley was
ready for delivery to her home in the Hamptons. It was on one of the
paper mannequins Mahdessian uses to keep cleaned clothing
wrinkle-free. Also ready to go was Vogue fashion editor Andre Leon
Talley’s blue and yellow robe.
Madame Paulette developed techniques to keep fine clothes – many
adorned with appliques, embroidery, sequins, feathers and other
handwork – in their original splendor. Perspiration, blood and other
stains are removed according to the type of stain, its color and
chemistry.
“Even if you spill a whole bottle of red wine, it’s no problem,” said
Mahdessian, who refers to himself as “Johnny on the spot.”
Faded fabric colors are restored, and even vintage items considered
damaged beyond repair are salvaged, he said.
Madame’s touch
Unusual combinations of materials in garments are taken apart for the
special cleaning each material requires and are put back together by
couture tailors.
“The steps we take are painstaking and unconventional,” the company
states on its Website.
“We are pioneers in what we do,” Mahdessian said. “Fifty percent of
what we do here is by hand. We even use Q-tips because of the
intricacy of the work.”
Hand-finishing by Jahfrey Juvon, 22, of Maspeth, hired two months ago
in quality control, left an inexpensive woolen vest looking like
cashmere.
“Every single person that touches the garment is a quality-control
expert,” Mahdessian said. “Even business and casual attire deserve
the same expert attention to detail. Improper maintenance of the
garment wears the garment out. We can increase the garment’s life
expectancy and preserve its value.”
Treasured bridal gowns are cleaned and stored in museum-quality,
acid-free archival chamber boxes. Such attention costs more than
regular cleaning – $18 for a shirt or pair of pants, for example.
The business operates 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies, such
as a gown that is stained or stepped on during a wedding or similar
damage done to a vintage piece a celebrity is wearing at the Oscars.
Tailors, spotters and pressers are on hand “for any needs that come
up,” Mahdessian said. “We save the day all the time.”
Madame Paulette was founded by an uncle of Mahdessian’s father,
Noubar. The uncle, whose name Mahdessian couldn’t recall, was an
Armenian who came to the United States in 1957. The company was named
for the uncle’s wife.
All in the family
Noubar Mahdessian and his wife, Ann, a teacher and interior
decorator, ran the business until they retired and turned it over to
their son.
John Mahdessian, who grew up in Little Neck, lives in Long Island
City. Being a businessman wasn’t his first career choice. He had
graduated with a degree in marketing and planned to go into
investment banking.
He soon realized, however, that he loved the business. He expanded
the staff from 10 to 75 at the Long Island City headquarters and his
flagship 1255 Second Ave. site in Manhattan.
He was committed, he said, to making the business “the finest, most
advanced, state-of-the-art dry cleaning establishment in New York,
the U.S., and the world.”
Now the woman behind the name “is my mom,” Mahdessian said. “We
consider her Madame Paulette,” until he marries, he said.
Custom couture cleaning is only one reason that Gottlieb is willing
to travel across town.
“They’re friendly and smiley, and they’re all happy,” Gottlieb said.
“People say they’re expensive, but if they are, they’re worthy every
penny.”
GRAPHIC: Photo by Daniel Avila – John Mahdessian, president of Madame
Paulette, poses inside a robe owned by Vogue fashion editor Andre
Leon Talley in the cleaner’s headquarters in Long Island City.

Aeroflot Wants to Buy Georgian Flag Carrier
By Lyuba Pronina, Staff Writer
Moscow Times
Monday, May 31, 2004. Page 5.
Flagship carrier Aeroflot is in talks to buy Georgia’s national
carrier, Air Zena, in an effort to expand into the CIS market,
a company official said Sunday.
“We confirm that we are in talks, but this is a very preliminary
stage and it is too early to talk about results,” Lev Koshlyakov,
deputy general director of Aeroflot, said by telephone Sunday.
“We have an interest in the CIS market and we are building up contacts
and relations as this could be our trump card in the SkyTeam alliance,”
Koshlyakov said.
Aeroflot last week signed a preliminary agreement to join the Air
France-led SkyTeam airline alliance, a deal that could take a year to
be finalized. Koshlyakov added that there have been no negotiations
with other CIS airlines on possible purchases.
Air Zena was not available for comment over the weekend, but company
spokesman Tea Kakabadze confirmed to RIA Novosti that talks with
Aeroflot were under way.
Air Zena became Georgia’s national carrier after gobbling up bankrupt
Georgian Airlines in 1999.
The company itself started off in 1994 as a charter carrier and is
completely private. It operates three Boeing 737-500 and two Antonov
2 aircraft on routes connecting Tbilisi with Moscow, Prague, Paris,
Athens, Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vienna and Kiev.
Details of the airline’s financial situation were not immediately
available, and it was not clear how much Aeroflot was prepared to pay
for the airline. A source in Aeroflot said Sunday that “the market
volume of the company is not very big. From the point of view of
consolidation, Air Zena is not the most interesting asset, but at
the same time not the most harmful.”
If Aeroflot buys up Air Zena, it will follow in the footsteps of
No. 2 carrier Sibir, which in 2002 acquired Armenia’s Armavia airline.
Sibir has used Armavia not only to expand its network, but also to
import Airbus 320 planes duty-free and to gain experience operating
them on the CIS market.
Sibir has already imported four such craft and is only required to
pay a small registration fee in Armenia. However, the aircraft cannot
be used on the routes of Sibir proper.
“Sibir’s experience with importing jets through Armavia could be
interesting to Aeroflot,” the source said.
He lamented government restrictions on using imported craft —
Aeroflot is allowed to operate only 27 foreign jets in its fleet
of 78 — but added that flying planes under another flag “is still
better than nothing.”
News of the talks broke Friday during a visit to Tbilisi by Economic
Development and Trade Minister German Gref.
He was attending a two-day bilateral business forum accompanied by
some 100 Russian businessmen, including executives like Aeroflot’s
Valery Okulov, Access Industries-Renova’s Viktor Vekselberg, AFK
Sistema’s Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Itera’s Valery Otchertsov and United
Heavy Machinery’s Kakha Bendukidze. Gref told the gathering, which
was also attended by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, that
“Russia considers Georgia a close political partner and a priority
country for developing cooperation.”

Paper: Impossible for Armenia to demand lands, indemnity from Turkey
Cumhuriyet, Istanbul
30 May 04
Text of unattributed report, “Relations with Yerevan have been
suspended”, published by Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet (Ankara edition)
on 30 May
Ankara: The expected “process of normalization” in the Ankara-Yerevan
relations cannot be started due to the fact that Armenia has not taken
positive steps in the Nagorno Karabakh problem and its relations with
Turkey. Ankara states that in the present conditions, establishing
diplomatic relations and opening the border gate would not come onto
the agenda.
Due to the fact that there has not been progress made in the relations,
the Armenian President Robert Kocharian will not come to Istanbul
to attend the NATO summit and the statements of the Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Magarian related to the land indemnities they demand,
are not considered to be “friendly” in Ankara.
The fact that Yerevan has not responded positively to the proposals
made for the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, which is the
greatest obstacle preventing stability, and that it has not withdrawn
from the lands it occupied, are some of the elements of concern in
Ankara. The fact that Armenia’s approach has not changed, indicates
that normalization in the relations will not be experienced in the
short-term.
President Kocharian is not included in the Ternary talks
Two important developments were experienced in this process. The
first is the fact that President Kocharian will not attend the NATO
summit on 28-29 June. Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan were planning
to get together during or prior to the NATO summit and to discuss the
Nagorno Karabakh problem and the “proposal for withdrawal in stages”
brought onto the agenda by the Baku administration. Thus, President
Kocharian showed that he would not discuss this subject.
The second development was the statement made last week by Prime
Minister Magarian. Prime Minister Magarian spoke in the following
manner: “Problems, such as the Nagorno Karabakh problem, recognition
of genocide and demanding land indemnity from Ankara can be solved
with the formation of a powerful Armenian state. If we want to receive
land indemnity from Ankara, then we should not talk about it loudly
everywhere.”
Taking back some of the provinces in Turkey’s Eastern Anatolia
region is in the Armenian constitution and Agri Mountain is used as
a symbol. Although Turkey recognized Armenia, it does not establish
diplomatic relations with Yerevan, which does not change its demands
and policy, and Turkey does not open its borders. The Turkish and
Armenian foreign ministers spoke at international meetings last year,
but could not make any progress.
“The demand is impossible”
The ASAM [Eurasian Strategic Research Centre] Chairman Gunduz Aktan
said that it is impossible for the Armenians to demand lands or
indemnities from Turkey in accordance with the Lausanne Treaty. Mr
Aktan, who spoke at the Second Armenian Studies International Congress
organized jointly by the ATO [Ankara Chamber of Commerce], the ASAM
and the Armenian Studies Institute, stated that the Lausanne Treaty
eliminated the land problem and said: “It is legally impossible for
them to claim either land or indemnity for land.”

Armenian opposition set to continue protests, leader says
A1+ web site
30 May 04
An interview with the head of the Justice bloc, MP Stepan Demirchyan.
[Correspondent] Do you intend to continue your protest?
[Demirchyan] Our position and principles are well known and we will
be consistent. Peaceful demonstrations are an integral part of the
opposition’s activities. At the same time, we will not confine our
actions to rallies alone. Our actions will be diverse.
[Correspondent] [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan said that it is
impossible to seize power through rallies, given that there is a
proper power.
[Demirchyan] It is the people who should provide power. There is
no need to seize it as the current leadership did. But no-one can
maintain power through violence and illegality.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
[Correspondent] Do you think that our society will be able to protect
their rights and to achieve legal power?
[Demirchyan] Yes, our country will see positive changes.
[Correspondent] The authorities do not rush to meet PACE’s
[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] requirements. If
there are no positive changes before the autumn session, would the
opposition take more “dirt” to the session from home?
[Demirchyan] You should not forget that representatives of the
Council of Europe and other international bodies are following the
situation in the country and are well-informed about it. Moreover,
the authorities should draw conclusions from the PACE resolution but
not blame the opposition.
[Correspondent] Do you think that dialogue could be held with the
authorities?
[Demirchyan] Dialogue is possible if the authorities act within the
law. The constitution’s and PACE’s demands must not be disputed but
immediately met. Dialogue is possible if we see practical steps
in this direction. However, the authorities are continuing to take
illegal steps.

Wordsmiths rage aginst censorship
By Jane Ganahl
San Francisco Chronicle
May 29 2004
Writers sure have gotten uppity lately. Whatever happened to the
stereotype of the agoraphobic attic-dweller who only emerges to check
the mailbox for rejection letters or residuals?
These days, you’re more likely to see them on stage for a cause
that has nothing to do with their own fame. Earlier this month, it
was City Lights’ “Manifesto,” with 30 authors shouting three-minute
diatribes against complacency. Just last week, writers organized
by socio-political bulldog scribe Stephen Elliott did a benefit for
the liberal group MoveOn.org at the Makeout Room. The readings will
continue monthly until the election.
On this midweek night, it’s another chance for wordsmiths to rage
against the machine. It is hot and uncomfortable, standing-room only,
in the tiny stage area of Bruno’s. But it feels appropriate somehow,
because the subject matter of the evening is torrid and difficult:
violence, albeit literarily- depicted violence, in writings chosen
by 14 authors.
It’s not a randomly chosen subject. Passages from “Macbeth” to
“The Odyssey” to “Charlotte’s Web” are on tap, to both entertain and
solicit audience reflection on the issue of violence in writing. And
our First Amendment right to both read and write it, and feel inspired
or repelled.
“Fighting Words,” sponsored by the First Amendment Project, has
billed itself as “a protest against youth censorship that celebrates
the vital role violence has played in our literary heritage.” But
there is precious little rhetoric tonight; the written words —
some thousands of years old — speak for themselves.
“Frankly, this is not pacifist lit,” says Tamim Ansary, Afghani
writer of adult and children’s books, before he dips into a section of
“The Odyssey” devoted to Odysseus returning home to find his friends
have taken over his house. Chaos and violence ensue — poetically,
of course.
Ansary has done enough in one lifetime to forestall violence that he
need not ever apologize for exalting it. As the writer of the famed
e-mail defending his homeland that circulated after Sept. 11 —
sent to 20 friends and quickly circulated to millions — Ansary’s
plea for peace granted him international notoriety.
Swedish-born poet Agneta Falk has chosen a soliloquy by Lady Macbeth
about swords, although in the dimly lit room she has trouble following
the words on the page.
Tony Swofford, author of “Jarhead,” reads a harrowing passage from
Mario Vargas Llosa’s “The Feast of the Goat,” which involves electric
chairs and testicles. After his reading, an elderly woman in the
audience has had enough, and quietly makes her way to the exit.
Michael Chabon, dark hair dangling to his goateed chin, plays door
monitor, standing alone by the swinging glass door that separates
Bruno’s dining room from its entertainment venue. When the door
opens, exposing the room to outside noise, he quietly closes it
again. Brilliant words require silence.
Novelist/lawyer Ayelet Waldman peels off her fashionable long plaid
coat in the heat, and gives Chabon, her husband, a furtive kiss in the
dark. Daniel Handler, best known to the world as young adult fiction
writer Lemony Snicket, stands back by the bar with literary “it” boy,
Andrew Sean Greer, and fidgets when writers read past their suggested
eight-minute time frame, which is often.
Asked what he plans to read, the willowy-tall Greer whispers,
“something short!” In fact, Greer reads a selection from a metaphysical
mystery by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “Chronicle of a Death Foretold.” And
he does keep it short, leaving the audience thirsting for more of
the beautiful words.
Standing up for First Amendment rights is tough duty in a hot,
packed bar, but all 14 writers volunteered to do so. Some have even
put themselves physically on the line for the cause, joining in
protests of student expulsions at the Academy of Art College and
writing letters denouncing what they see as censorship.
And sometimes, as in the case of Micheline Aharonian Marcom, East
Bay author of the recently released “The Daydreaming Boy,” testifying
in court.
“A student included a violent dream sequence in a story,” she whispers
in the back of the room. “But because he used a classmate’s name,
that was it. He was expelled.”
She reads a heartbreaking passage from her own book, a flashback
sequence about the rape of an Armenian woman that is both horrifying
and hypnotic.
Later, she admits that it’s not easy to read such things aloud,
but adds, “I feel strongly that these stories be told.”
Ergo, the point of the evening.
Chabon reads Chapter 66 of “Moby Dick,” his youthful voice evoking
strong visual images of fish carcasses, sharks and the terrors of
the sea. Waldman soon follows with a peppery reading of the gorgeous
prose of Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” considered a landmark
of violence in fiction.
But Handler, ever the comedian wrestling with alter-ego Snicket,
gets the most applause for his reading of the first chapter of the
children’s classic, “Charlotte’s Web.”
“It certainly has the threat of violence,” he says, suggesting that
perhaps it might get author E.B. White in trouble today. “I think
I’d be speaking to the choir if I expressed my outrage over all this.”
So instead, he leads off with “the greatest opening line of all time:
‘Where’s Papa going with that ax?’ ”
The audience roars with relieved laughter, happy for a relative breath
of fresh air.
E-mail Jane Ganahl at [email protected]

Islam, Christianity Have Common View on Martyrdom: Archbishop
Mehr News Agency, Iran
May 29 2004
TEHRAN, May 29 (MNA) — Sebu Sarkissian, Armenian prelacy archbishop
in Tehran said on Friday that according to Christianity, martyrs and
martyrdom are to be defined based on the Bible; they are here to be
witnesses for God.
Speaking at the first commemorative ceremony of Armenian ground forces
martyrs, Sebu Sarkissian stated that the martyr is also a witness for
his country and is devoted for the sake of it, adding such a person
will reach eternity.
The archbishop offered as evidence the Apostles and the Fathers of
churches who preached their faith.
Islam and Christianity have the same view on martyrdom, believing
faith and homeland are the most sacred objects, Sarkissian told the
Mehr News Agency, stressing that martyrdom is working and dedicating
oneself to these high objectives.
He went on to say that in Iran, religious minorities are free to
observe their religious ceremonies and live without any conflict with
Iranian clerics, adding this is always the first question asked by
foreign reporters who come to Iran.
“Iranians and Armenians live together, having the same objectives
and problems. We try hard to solve the problems of the country”,
Sarkissian said in conclusion.
FK/IS

“Ecclesiastical Clothes and Objects” Exhibition Opens in Isfahan
Mehr News Agency, Iran
May 29 2004
TEHRAN May 29 (MNA) — An exhibition of “Ecclesiastical Clothes
and Objects” opened at Vank Church, Isfahan, concurrent with the
quarter centenary of Armenian settlement in the region of Jolfa,
Isfahan Province.
Over one hundred pieces of ecclesiastical clothes and objects will
be on display during the ten-day exhibition.
A reliquary of sacred oil, capes, belts, embroidered and inlaid
clothes, old coverings, a folio of the Holy Bible, and special silver
pots are among the exhibits.
Sponsored by Vartan Davudian, the exhibition intends to introduce
the precious works of Armenians to visitors.

Back in Business: State Gallery opens following renovation
By Gayane Abrahamyan, ArmeniaNow arts reporter
ArmeniaNow
28 May 2004
After a three-year recess for repairs, the State Gallery of Armenia
has reopened, renewed by some $450,000 makeover sponsored by the
Lincy Foundation.
The State Gallery is open again after three years..
Government officials and art and culture personalities greeted the
refurbished gallery in opening ceremonies on May 18.
Gallery director Paravon Mirzoyan said the 83-year old gallery follows only
Moscow and St. Petersburg in terms of value among galleries of the former
Soviet Union.
“The Gallery is a road for showing and demonstrating our uniqueness and
originality to the world,” said Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
The gallery had never been refurbished since it opened in 1921 and art
lovers were concerned, not just for the condition of the building (which
anchors Republic Square), but for the artifacts it holds.
Now, from basement to roof, repairs have been made. Some windows were
removed and covered over, increasing display space, but also protecting
paintings from harsh sunlight. Additions to the gallery include a gift shop
on the second floor, and a café on the ninth.
The National Gallery, founded on the efforts of Ruben Drambyan and Martiros
Saryan, is home to more than 25,000 works.
The Armenian section of the gallery includes sixth and seventh century
murals, sculptures and religious icons as well as works of 19 th- and 20
th-century artists. Foreign sections include painting by Chagal, Rembrandt,
Van Gogh and others.
While construction workers were busy making repairs, National Gallery
scientific and research staff were also busy, publishing 12 albums and
calendars of collections found in the gallery.

Haglund Murder: Police, embassy not giving up information in killing of US citizen
By Julia Hakobyan and John Hughes, ArmeniaNow reporters
ArmeniaNow
28 May 2004
After a week of investigation, police are not saying if a motive
has been uncovered in the killing of United States citizen Joshua
Haglund. Police are, however, calling the crime “premeditated murder”.
Haglund, 33, was found with stab wounds in the backyard of his
Yerevan apartment in the evening of May 17. He died of the wounds
while awaiting emergency medical aid. He is believed to be the first
American to be murdered in Armenia.
The U.S. Embassy has not released any information about Haglund,
who was in Yerevan to teach at the Brusov Linguistic University as
part of a U.S. State Department language fellow program.
He was a native of Minnesota, and was scheduled to return there
next month.
Police are investigating Haglund’s personal life, but investigators
and the embassy are being tight lipped about the crime. Meanwhile
rumors swirl, including speculation of a “contract killing”, put
out by someone jealous of Haglund’s attention toward a certain
girl. Others speculate that it was a “hate crime”, carried out by
a person or persons who objected to aspects of Haglund’s personal
life. One rumor even has Haglund as a CIA operative and that the
murder took place on the eve of a departure to Iraq.
In any case, ArmeniaNow has learned that the fatal wounds were
consistent with those often inflicted in so-called “crimes of
passion”. Typically, that means that the attack is more brutal,
suggesting that the perpetrator has been enraged by some conflict
between the two parties.
A theory that Haglund knew his attacker(s) is supported by evidence
from his apartment, where police found three glasses and a recently
opened bottle of wine. Blood stains were also found in the apartment,
suggesting that the confrontation either started or was entirely
centered in Haglund’s home.
Marietta Yeranosyan, who lives in front of the apartment Haglund was
renting, says that the day before the murder there was party at his
home. And when she heard the noises on the day of murder she thought
another party was in progress.
Residents of the building also say that Haglund (who was not fluent
in Armenian) socialized mostly with English-speaking acquaintances.
“We heard several men’s loud voices but it was not clear if it was
a quarrel or just talk, as they were speaking English,” Yeranosyan
said. “Then his door opened as if people left.”
Yeranosyan says her husband was coming home around that time and saw
two men quickly running in different directions.
Yeranosyan believes that Haglund might have been pursuing his
attacker(s) when he collapsed in the yard, around 10:30 p.m.
Elmira Harutyunyan, a neighbor, says Haglund was alive when she and
others found him.
“He was trying to say something, but no one understood it, because he
was speaking English. Then it seemed he showed ‘three’ with fingers
and died,” she says.
Though known in the expatriate community, Haglund’s American
acquaintances are not commenting publicly on the murder, saying
that they are under obligation to restrict comments to the police
investigation.
It is believed that in the hours before his murder, Haglund visited
the Wheel Club, a restaurant and bar popular among expats on the
opposite end of the street where Haglund’s apartment was located.
Haglund’s social life in Armenia included association with members of
Armenia’s gay community. One theory being advanced is that he became
a victim of a “hate crime” based on that association.
Last Sunday, about 100 mourners attended a memorial service for
Haglund at the American University of Armenia.
“I was fascinated with his sensibility and sense of humor. We share
everything, good and bad,” said Amelia Weir, a friend who spoke to
the assembly. “Something that struck me – he was fully present in
this life. He wanted us to be dedicated to what we do.”
Haglund had finished the semester’s lectures at Brusov on the morning
of his murder. His students (though reluctant to give their full names)
characterize him as a kind and respected professor.
“We all were shocked when we learned what happened,” says Silva,
a third-year student of the University. “We completed his course
‘Speaking Skills’. We said goodbye to each other and a few days later
learned he was killed.”
“He was a very qualified professor,” says Arevik, another student. “His
lessons were interesting, he was polite with everyone and never
offended any of us.”
His hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune
() reported that Haglund had lived for extended
periods in Japan, India and Puerto Rico.
His mother, Maxine Haglund-Blommer, told the newspaper that her son
had been offered a job in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and that
he would relocate there after visiting Minnesota.
She said Haglund told her he would take the job in UAE, after which
he would move back to the States to live near his family.

Greece gets second chance at Euro 2004 after strong qualifying run
KYRIACOS CONDOULIS, Canadian Press
Canada.com Sports
May 29 2004
ATHENS (AP) – Greece is playing in a European Championship for the
first time in 24 years with hopes of erasing past embarrassments.
A good performance at Euro 2004 in Portugal would also give the
country a sporting boost ahead of the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.
Greece’s German coach Otto Rehhagel is aiming high. After completing
a lap of honour with his players last year to celebrate qualification
for the June 12-July 4 finals, “King Otto” spelled out his team’s
intentions.
“We want to make an impact in Portugal. We don’t just want to put in
an appearance.”
Greece (6-2-0) topped Group 6, forcing favoured Spain to the playoffs,
in a qualification stunner.
Having lost just one match in 16 encounters, Greece is feeling
optimistic despite a daunting fixture list – host Portugal in the
tournament’s opening match June 12, followed by a revenge-hungry
Spain and unpredictable Russia.
On top of this, Greece’s record at the highest level is dismal. The
country has never won a game in the finals of any major competition.
Humiliation last came in 1994 in the United States, when Greece’s first
World Cup appearance ended in disaster with three heavy defeats. In
their first game against Argentina, Greece conceded a goal just 83
seconds into the match and went on to lose 4-0.
An early exit in Portugal would kill the sense of pride revived since
Rehhagel’s arrival in 2001.
The German triggered a change in the team’s fortunes after another
failed campaign in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers and a walkout by
Demis Nikolaidis and other star players disgusted at the state of
Greek soccer.
Rehhagel set out methodically to reinvent the team, luring back
Nikolaidis to join Angelos Haristeas and Zissis Vryzas in attack and
form a trio that fired Greece through the Euro 2004 qualification
campaign.
Early signs of recovery were evident in the 2-2 draw with England in
a 2002 World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford. Nikolaidis put the Greeks
ahead early in the second half and England only scraped through thanks
to David Beckham’s historic last-minute free kick.
The road to Portugal started badly for the Greeks who suffered 2-0
defeats at home to Spain in September 2002 and away to Ukraine a
month later.
But Rehhagel’s confidence in his men was rewarded and Greece bounced
back four days later to beat Armenia 2-0 at home with Nikolaidis
scoring both goals. Haristeas received the honours in April 2003 when
Greece beat Northern Ireland in Belfast with two goals from the Werder
Bremen striker.
Greece’s finest hour came last June when a stunning 1-0 away victory
against Spain, with the damage dome by Bolton Wanderers midfielder
Stelios Giannakopoulos.
Qualification was suddenly with reach, and victory against Ukraine
four days afterward with a late Haristeas goal put the Greeks squarely
back in contention.
Rehhagel’s men leapfrogged Spain to go top after the favourite was
held by Northern Ireland.
There was no looking back.
Greece travelled to Armenia to secure a 1-0 win, in a match marred
by bribery allegations that were eventually dropped by Armenian
officials. And a final 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland sealed the
winning run.
Key to Greece’s revival was the squad’s newfound unity and attacking
mentality, with German rigour imposed on a traditionally undisciplined
side.
Rehhagel’s innovations including a strong defence line with Nikos
Dabitzas and Traianos Dellas joining Yiannis Goumas or Michalis
Kapsis. The fleet Yiourkas Seitaridis played on the right and Stelios
Venetidis or Panagiotis Fyssas on the left.
The Greeks also got superb goalkeeping from Antonis Nikopolidis,
despite being benched by his own Athens club in a salary dispute.
Angelos Basinas, Vassilis Tsiartas – who scored the winning goal
against Northern Ireland – and captain Theodore Zagorakis are likely
to feature prominently in the Greek midfield. Inter Milan agile
midfielder Giorgos Karagounis adds an extra dose of creativity.
Greece conceded just four goals in eight qualification matches, in
the face of the attacking might of players like Real Madrid’s Raul
Gonzalez and AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko, both firing blanks.
Rehhagel, a former Werder Bremen coach, is not expected to make any
substantial changes to the spine of the team.
A reality check for Greece came April 28 when the unbeaten streak
was finally ended by a 4-0 friendly defeat at the hands of fellow
qualifiers the Netherlands.
It was an uncomfortable reminder of their crushing 5-0 defeat to
England at Wembley prior to the 1994 World Cup. Greece went on to
concede 10 goals – scoring none – in the finals.
Greece didn’t heed the warning then. An entire nation is hoping they
will now.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress