ISOLATION HOSPITAL WAS REPAIRED
A1+
[02:39 pm] 19 September, 2006
About fifty-year-old isolation hospital of Nork-Marash was fully
repaired this year with the financial assistance of the Armenian
community representatives of San Paulo, Brazil, and “Armenia” fund.
Over 54 million AMD was spent on the repairs of intestine infection
and reanimation departments of the hospital.
Naira Melqoumyan, head of the fund, says that they offered the Armenian
community of Brazil to support the construction work of the first
floor but they expressed their readiness to repair the whole building.
Ashot Eghazaryan, RA envoy to San Paulo, Oshin Mostichyan, head of
the local body of “Armenia” fund, and a number of sponsors were among
the 20-member delegation of the Brazilian Armenians. One of them said
that they wanted the name of the Armenian community of Brazil to be
mentioned on the memorial plaque on purpose. “We took into account
the fact that Brazil is a large country and there are Armenians in
all cities. But their number is comparatively larger in San Paulo
and the residents of this city are willing to help Armenia,” stated
the speaker.
Archbishop Tatev Gharibyan, head of the Armenian church in Brazil,
blessed the opening ceremony. “Let all children come and be cured in
this hospital,” ended Tatev Gharibyan her speech.
Ara Asoyan, head of the hospital, added that the hospital is financed
by the state budget and they could hardly carry out the repairing
without their assistance.

RA PUPILS CAN STUDY IN THE USA
A1+
[03:17 pm] 19 September, 2006
The Government of the United States of America is pleased to announce
the open competition for the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX)
for high school aged students for the 2007-2008 academic year.
The FLEX Program is managed and funded by the United States Department
of State and administered by the American Councils for International
Education.
FLEX scholarship winners will be selected on the basis of merit
to live in the United States with an American host family from
August 2007 until May 2008, to attend high school and to experience
community life, as well as share their culture with Americans. All
students enrolled in the eight and ninth forms are eligible to
apply. Applicants must have a good command of English language,
have a good academic record, and must possess the personal skills,
qualities, attitude and motivation that will enable them to succeed as
exchange students. Students with disabilities enrolled in the eight,
ninth and tenth forms are encouraged to apply.
American Councils for International Education is responsible for
testing, screening and interviewing applicants in Armenia. American
Councils will establish several regional testing centers in which they
will register applicants and administer a qualifying exam. Candidates
who are successful in passing this exam will advance to the second
stage, in which they will sit for a more extensive English exam and
prepare a written essay. Adapted materials and special accommodations
are offered to students with disabilities. American Councils will
grade the exams at a central location. The essays will be graded by
bi-national teams.
Students who are successful at the second stage will be interviewed
by an American Councils member and will be asked to prepare a detailed
written application.
The written application, test results, and notes made by the
interviewer will be collected and sent to Washington, D.C., where
they will be reviewed by volunteer selection committees consisting
of educators and international exchange specialists. All selection
decisions are made in the United States. Finalists and Alternates
(reserved candidates) selected in this process will be notified after
March 31, 2007.

STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AT FORUM
Author: R.Agayev
Trend
Today 19.09.2006
“Armenia-Diaspora” is intended for Armenian Public and Diaspora –
Russian Politician
The recent statement made by the Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
at the Forum “Armenia-diaspora” has been intended primarily for the
Armenian people and the Armenian diaspora, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief
of Russian “Kommersant” Newspaper, Politician Azer Mursaliyev
exclusively told Trend.
“Simply he regards himself as a patriot, a man who always protects
national interests. It is clear that at present Armenia is deeply
involved politically. It is unclear that Kocharyan will hold the power.
Meanwhile a fight for power has begun, and I think that these
statements have been implied firstly for the internal auditorium,
especially at the meeting with diasporas,” Mursaliyev said, adding that
“to gain the sympathy of diasporas, with such statements, Kocharyan
demonstrates that only he is capable of protecting national interests”.
Answering the question regarding the results of the referendum in
Pridnestrov, Mursaliyev stressed that the voting demonstrated a small
solidarity of population for unrecognized education. “On the other
hand, the referendum is a tool for pressure on the other side of the
conflict. Initially all international organizations announced the
referendum as illegal. For instance, the same referendums are held
in South Osetia through the same scheme and results,” he emphasized.
Touching on Nagorno-Karabakh, the politician spelled out that various
types of referendums have already been held there. “From juridical
standpoint, all of them are simply insignificant. Each referendum
is considered illegal. And the visit of several foreigners may not
demonstrate the seriousness of the legal results of the referendum,”
Mursaliyev concluded.

ARMENIANS CONSIDER AZERBAIJAN, TURKEY AND GEORGIA ENEMY, OPINION POLL SAYS
Azeri Press Agency
19 Sen. 2006 13:56
Opinion poll was conducted among 2,000 respondents in Armenia by the
order of a US state body, APA reports.
According to the poll, 14.9 percent of correspondents rely on Artashes
Gegamyan among politicians. He is followed by Gagik Charukyan (13.5%),
Robert Khocharian (12.3%), Arthur Bagdasaryan (8.9%), Raffi Ovanesyan
(6.7%), Tigran Karapetyan (5.6%), Stepan Damirchiyan (4.1%), Serj
Sarkisyan (2.5%), Vazgen Manukyan (2.1%) and Aram Karapetyan (0.8%).
79.6 percent of Armenians are in positive opinion on Russia and 49
percent on the United States. The matter is Armenians are in negative
opinion on neighboring countries. The respondents consider Turkey
(80.1 percent), Azerbaijan (86.5 percent) and Georgia (54.7 percent)
enemy countries.
The poll also clarified the question on which subject can have a
positive impact on the resolution of the Nagorno Garabagh conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The respondents mentioned Russia
(43.8%), U.S (33.3%), UN (20.7%) and France (17.9%) among positive
subjects.
41.6 percent believe the Garabagh conflict can be solved through
international mediators, 40.7 percent through making trade-offs,
11.5 percent through force.
Armenians do not have unambiguous approach to the solution of the
conflict. One in two Armenians want Nagorno Garabagh to be unified
with Armenia and the other wants it to be independent. 55.2 percent
advocated holding a referendum on the status of Nagorno Garabagh and
21.6 percent stood against this.
Armenians’ opinions clash in terms of the issue who must participate
in the referendum. 56.7 percent think the voters should be the
current population of Nagorno Garabagh, 15.6 percent think anyone,
15.3 percent only refugees from Nagorno Garabagh, 5.6 percent think
those lived in the region till 1991 and 5.3 percent thinks Armenian
and Azerbaijani citizens should participate in the referendum.
57.7 percent of respondents advocated opening of Armenia-Turkey
borders and one in three Armenians is against this.

CILICIA VESSEL EXHIBITED IN YEREVAN CENTER
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.09.2006 15:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Cilicia Armenian vessel – a copy of a trade ship
of 13th century – is exhibited in the Shahumyan Square in Yerevan. As
captain of the ship Karen Balayan told journalists, the vessel arrived
in Yerevan not on September 17, as planned, but a day later. In his
words, difficulties with delivery of the ship to Yerevan by land
caused the delay. The captain noted that the ship will be taken to
the Lake Sevan and turned into a museum later.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR NEW YORK
Azeri Press Agency
19 Sen. 2006 13:07
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will leave for New York
on September 23 to attend the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.
The Ministry spokesman Tahir Tagizadeh told the APA.
The agenda of the 61st session also covers the issue “GUAM frozen
conflicts, their impact on international arena, security and
development”, which was included at the initiative of the GUAM
(Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova). GUAM Foreign Ministers
will meet during the session. The organization’s secretary general
is expected to be elected.
During Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers’ talks with the co-chairs of OSCE
Minsk Group in London on 12 September, it was agreed to arrange the
meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers in the frames
of the Prague process in New York on September 25 or 26 this year.
Mr.Tagizadeh said the Ministry has not been informed about any changes
to the agreement on the Ministers’ meeting.
Armenian Minister Oskanian declared his refusal of the meeting in
protest against the inclusion of “frozen conflicts” into the agenda
of the UN General Assembly’s session.

IN 2006 THE COST OF SCHOOL BOOKS INCREASES CONSIDERABLY
Mari Kinsturashvili 2006.09.19 15:30
Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
September 19.09.2006
The 2006-2007 school year starts on Monday, September 18, and while
some parents are busy running from one shop to another or to different
book fairs, others are still hesitating over which school to take
their cherished offspring. And although public school buildings have
been extensively repaired, most of them still are still being rebuilt,
even though the quality of education hasn’t gotten much better.
The high quality of education is one of the reasons why parents decide
to send their children to private schools. There are many private
schools in Tbilisi, which started appearing in the mid 90’s. They have
always had more comfortable conditions compared to public schools,
where pupils and teachers had to choose between freezing to death, or
dealing with the soot, the noxious smell and the smoke of an oil-stove.
Private schools often offered after-school groups, a widely varied
menu and pleasantly comfortable study conditions.
Generally almost all of the Georgian public and private schools cover
grades 1-11. Currently the final year of secondary school is grade
11. However in 2007, in order to become more closely alined with the
Western system, a mandatory grade 12 will be added. In addition to
the majority of Georgian (language) public schools, there are also a
number of public schools available to students where the language of
instruction is other than Georgian, e.g. Russian, Armenian, Turkish,
Ukrainian, Lithuanian, French, German, and Azeri. These schools are
located in the cities and regions, generally where their respective
ethnic groups reside.
There are a limited number of private Georgian schools. Among them
there are: Akhali Skola (“New School”), Atinati, the Educational
Complex – Georgian School, Jejili National School, Mermisi – a Tbilisi
Primary School, and Nakaduli the “School of Tomorrow”.
The most well-known private school in Tbilisi is St. George. It is
partly a boarding school and aims at “bringing up intellectual,
morally good and physically strong generations on the basis of
Georgian national traditions, spiritual values and recent pedagogical
experience. Modern methods of teaching and recent technology enable
professional teachers to instill students with the abilities of
self-realization and the desire to protect social interests.”
At most private schools, teachers compete heavily for
appointments. Advantage is given to teachers with the highest
corresponding education and professional qualifications. Teachers are
also expected to take students to Sunday mass once a week, as well as
to attend cultural arrangements and exhibitions, arrange excursions,
trips and sports competitions.
Many private schools focus attention on students’ work outside
class. Some offer a camp period, which gives students time to adopt
independent skills, and to get closer and acquainted with each other
and with teachers. This may be important for parents who are still
trying to find that perfect school.
At most private schools, in accord with the current educational
system reform in Georgia, the curriculum may be increased to
twelve years. Unlike public schools, every private school starts
their educational year on a different fixed date, which varies from
September first to October first.
But studying in the private schools is rather expensive. And very
often, as time passes, parents can hardly even afford to prepare for
the school year.
In 2006 the cost of school books and other supplies increased
considerably. Parents sometimes avoid buying books and supplies because
they do not know which classes their child will be in, even the week
before school starts.
In connection with the increasing cost of text books, Iza
Gogichaishvili, sales manager of Aisi, an educational publishing
house told the GT:
“We carefully watch the process, which starts after books are put
up for sale. After the book is put on the market, their price is of
no interest to us. In comparison with the last year, prices for new
text books even for those which have not changed, have considerably
increased.”
Tamriko Nachkebia, manager of the Matsne publishing house said:
“In 2006 we received many more orders for new school books than the
previous year. Some prices have increased because printing material
and paper have become more expensive.”
Nino, mother of three children told the GT, that she hasn’t started
buying school books yet, as she doesn’t really know what classes
her children will be taking, and is trying to avoid some useless
expenses. “We need no less than 100 GEL, just for the tenth grade text
books. And to prepare her three children for school it would take about
700 GEL, that is practically unaffordable, considering our salaries.”
On September 18, when the 2006 school year finally starts, there
will be many happy faces entering school, including the surprised
and frightened eyes of more than a few first-graders. But the smiles
on these faces were achieved by the sleepless nights and hard work
of their parents, who will finally feel a little calm after all the
stress of preparation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

QUESTIONS ARE OFTEN ASKED ABOUT SS DIRECT DEPOSIT
Anthony Renzoni
Connecticut Post, CT
Article created: 09/18/2006 08:37:35 AM EDT
Our office receives many inquiries about various Social Security
concerns. Following are examples of questions we are asked on a
regular basis.
Q: My wife and I both receive Social Security benefit payments. Can our
checks be deposited in different banks? A.: Yes. You can use direct
deposit at any federally insured bank, savings and loan institution,
or credit union. Even if your wife is getting spouse benefits on your
record, the two of you may have your checks deposited into separate
accounts at different banks. If you transfer your account to another
bank, call SS toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 and ask to change your
direct deposit information. For an online guide to direct deposit
of your benefits, visit Q.: I am
an American citizen who is ready to retire and I’d like to move to
Ireland to live. Can I get my Social Security check abroad?
A.: Generally speaking, if you are an American citizen, you can receive
your Social Security payments in most countries outside the U.S.,
including Ireland.
Because delivery time varies from country to country, and your check
may not arrive the same day each month, Social Security strongly
encourages everyone to have his/her Social Security payment deposited
directly into a bank account where available. For more information,
as well as to see the limited number of countries where we cannot
send payments, visit or call
Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for
the publication, “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United
States.” Multilanguage services
Social Security recently announced an expansion of
the Multilanguage Gateway on the Internet. Visitors to
will now find an additional 30
Social Security program publications.
These online publications provide detailed and useful information
about Social Security retirement, disability and survivor
benefits, the Supplemental Security Income program and the Social
Security card and number in 15 languages. The languages are:
Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole,
Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and
Vietnamese. The Spanish language page, “Seguro Social en Espanol”
at , is even more extensive, offering
more than 65 publications in Spanish, as well as benefit calculators,
press releases and frequently asked questions. Anthony Renzoni is
district manager of the Bridgeport office of the Social Security
Administration. His column appears every Monday.

ZHELYU ZHELEV: SOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT LINKED WITH EUROINTEGRATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.09.2006 15:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ To solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict accession
to the EU and NATO should be expected for, President of the Balkan
Political Club, former Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev stated. In
his words, when all countries of the South Caucasus become EU and
NATO members, economic development will start and conflicts will
disappear on their own.
“Unexpectedly or incidentally the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be
solved. It should be expected until the parties become EU and NATO
members. And they will face peace without limits both for physical
persons and spiritual values,” he remarked. At that he underscored
that is it not possible to find a rational solution. “I have no doubts
that the solution will be found later. By deep conviction is that
it will be linked with European integration. However, giving exact
forecasts on developments is not necessary,” Zhelev said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California Courier Online, September 21, 2006
1 – Commentary
After Hold on Hoagland, State Dept.
Should Take Armenians More Seriously
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – . Violinist Armen Anassian Will Perform
Vivaldi with Glendale Symphony, Oct. 7
3 – Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy From Armenia
To Perform in Los Angeles and Orange County
4 – Abkarian Appointed
To California State
Board by Governor
5- Oct. 12 NAASR Lecture to Examine
‘The Armenian Lobby: Then and Now’
6 – UN, NASA, European Space Agency Endorse
Cosmic Ray Division’s SEVAN Network
7 – Amb. Evans’s Wife Responds to Recall
8 – – Westside Guild of Ararat Home
Will Hear TV Actress at Oct. 4 Meeting
****************************************** ************************
1 – Commentary
After Hold on Hoagland, State Dept.
Should Take Armenians More Seriously
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The Turks were a little premature two weeks ago when they were
boasting that the Armenian lobby failed to stop the nomination of
Richard Hoagland, the Ambassador Designate to Armenia, after the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed him on Sept. 7.
Last week, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) proved the Turks wrong when he
placed a hold on Hoagland’s confirmation last week, thus blocking the
full Senate from approving his nomination.
“I believe that the United States, Armenia, and all who are committed
to human rights should support an ambassador to Armenia who
recognizes the genocide that took place there more than 90 years
ago,” Sen.Menendez (D-NJ) said. “If the Bush Administration continues
to refuse to acknowledge the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide,
then there is certainly cause for great alarm, which is why I am
placing a hold on this nominee…. I have great concerns that Mr.
Hoagland’s confirmation would be a step backward. Considering Mr.
Hoagland’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide as anything
more than horrifying events, I do not feel that his nomination is in
the best interest of Armenia and her Diaspora.”
On the eve of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s vote, and
after Amb. John Evans was ordered to leave Armenia, Jeffrey Bergner,
the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, in a 3-page
letter to Sen. Biden, offered several inducements and tricky
arguments desperately trying to secure his as well as the other
Senators’ vote for Hoagland.
Bergner falsely claimed that the American grant of $235 million to
Armenia to reduce poverty could be jeopardized if the U.S. did not
have “an ambassador in Yerevan.” Several Senators parroted this false
argument in voting for Hoagland. Bergner also stated that the
Armenian Government had not expressed any reservations concerning
Hoagland when accepting his nomination last March. He hid from the
Senators the fact that the Armenian authorities had delayed giving
their agreement for a couple of months, as a sign of protest against
the dismissal of Amb. Evans over his use of the term “Armenian
Genocide.”
In a further effort to appease Sen. Biden, who was instrumental in
delaying an earlier Committee vote on Hoagland, Bergner wrote, “the
President’s annual statement on Armenian Remembrance Day makes clear
our recognition of those horrible events of that period, and firmly
sets the United States apart from those who would deny or minimize
these atrocities.”
Bergner then made the incredible claim that “the President’s
approach appears to be yielding a new readiness in Turkey to
reexamine this horrible chapter of Turkey’s past with greater moral
clarity, building on previous efforts, such as the Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission.”
Bergner further suggested that if confirmed, Hoagland and Ross
Wilson, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, would “work closely together
on this issue [genocide recognition].” He wrote that the two envoys
“would envision, among other efforts, joint visits to Yerevan and
Ankara to bring greater focus on reconciliation, which could lead to
a re-opening of the border and enhanced regional integration.
Ambassador Wilson and Ambassador-designate Hoagland, if confirmed,
will be available to brief Congress on U.S. efforts. We also welcome
your suggestion that the State Department and Senate Foreign
Relations Committee maintain a dialogue on helping to forge a common
Turkish-Armenian understanding of this period.”
Bergner also promised that Amb. Hoagland plans to meet with several
Armenian American groups prior to his departure to Yerevan and would
“travel back to the United States to meet with the larger community
shortly after presenting his credentials in Yerevan, if confirmed.”
After falsely insisting for several months that Turkish officials
had no contacts whatsoever with the State Department to protest Amb.
Evans’ acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, Bergner finally
admitted that indeed The Livingston Group, a high-powered lobbying
firm hired by the Government of Turkey, had contacted three State
Department officials within days of Amb. Evans’ statement.
Finally, Bergner sent on Sept. 5 to Sen. Biden “revised versions” of
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s June 28 responses to Senators John
Kerry, Barbara Boxer and Paul Sarbanes. Needless to say, Amb.
Hoagland was submitting these more accommodating letters that were
more in line with what the Senators wanted to hear.
For example, in his June 28 response to Senators Boxer and Sarbanes,
Hoagland had specifically mentioned the requirement of “intent” to
qualify a mass killing as genocide, implying that such an element was
absent in the Armenian case. In the Sept. 5 version of his reply to
the same question, he deleted that sentence, thus removing any doubt
on whether there was the intent to destroy the Armenians in 1915.
Hoagland significantly added to his revised answer to Sen. Boxer that
the “historical assessment” of what took place in 1915 should be
“consistent with our values and historic truth.”
After the hold was placed by Sen. Menendez, State Dept. spokesman
Sean McCormack, reflecting the Bush administration’s frustration and
inability to secure Hoagland’s confirmation, claimed that if given a
chance in the Senate, the Ambassador-designate would get “the 51
votes required for confirmation.” McCormack is not being fair when he
selectively asks for a vote on this nominee, while the administration
has been blocking for months Armenian Genocide resolutions both in
the House and the Senate from coming to a floor vote, knowing full
well that they would pass by an overwhelming majority. Sen. Menendez
may consider removing his hold on Hoagland, in return for the
administration allowing a vote on the two genocide resolutions!
There are several scenarios as to where Hoagland’s nomination may end
up in the coming weeks. After months and months of waiting for his
confirmation, Hoagland may end up withdrawing his name and ask the
State Dept. to nominate him to another country. A second possibility
is that President Bush may make a recess appointment, naming him
ambassador to Armenia, while the Senate is not in session. A third
option would be for the State Dept. to come back to the Senate and
pressure Sen. Menendez to remove his hold.
The best option for the State Department, Ambassador Hoagland, Sen.
Menendez, and the Armenian American community would be to get
together and see if there are certain inducements that the State
Department would offer on one or more Armenian issues which might
convince Sen. Menendez to remove his hold.
The Armenian American community should call Sen. Menendez
(202-224-4744) and thank him for placing a hold on Hoagland’s
nomination.
*************************** ***********************************************
2 – . Violinist Armen Anassian Will Perform
Vivaldi with Glendale Symphony, Oct. 7
GLENDALE, Calif. The Glendale Symphony Orchestra will open its 83rd
season with an evening of music – “Tango Through the Four Seasons” –
on Saturday, October 7, at 8 p.m. at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.
Twenty string players from the orchestra will gather on stage, under
the baton of recently appointed Music Director Olivia Tsui, to
present an evening of music that includes two tributes to the four
seasons as well as two tributes to heavily ‘seasoned’ dance forms.
On the program for Opening Night are: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Spanish
Dance K.570, written originally for the Soviet film, Gadfly; the Four
Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, which has provided the soundtrack for
numerous Hollywood films, including the 1981 movie of the same name;
Cuatro Estaciones en Buenos Aires by 20th century Tango composer
Astor Piazzola; and Three Tangos for Flute and String Orchestra by
film composer and former GSO Music Director, Lalo Schifrin.
Inarguably, the work with which most music lovers are most familiar
is Vivaldi’s popular set of four violin concertos, the Four Seasons.
Violinist Armen Anassian – who has served as a conductor, soloist and
concertmaster for ensembles ranging from the Heidelberg and Freiburg
Chamber Orchestras in Europe to the Pacific Symphony in Southern
California – will appear as featured soloist.
“We’re delighted to welcome Armen because he is an exceptionally
talented musician who never fails to exhilarate and awe those who
hear him,” says Tsui. “We’re also thrilled that P.J. Ochlan, host of
K-Mozart’s ‘The Arts Report,’ will narrate the sonnet Vivaldi himself
wrote to accompany the Four Seasons. This will be a truly
groundbreaking performance of the Four Seasons. Those who hear it
will remember it for years to come.”
Beginning and concluding the Opening Night concert are works inspired
not so much by the seasons of the year as by heavily ‘seasoned’
dances. Shostakovich’s Spanish Dance, a work that perfectly
complements and foreshadows the Tango-esque flavor of much of the
evening, will open the program while Schifrin’s Three Tangos for
Flute and String Orchestra, with help from GSO principal flautist
Sheridon Stokes, will provide a show-stopping finale.
However, Tsui – who is keenly aware that today’s orchestras face
tough competition from movies, television, video games and a myriad
of other entertainment options – has arranged for two additional
guest artists to join Armen Anassian and Sheridon Stokes on stage,
Tango dancers Elizabeth Rocella and Claudio Otero.
“We’ll engage the audience on every level,” says Tsui. “They’ll be
captivated by what they hear – a great performance of great music,
live in a historic venue like the Alex – and, at the same time,
they’ll be entranced by what they see, two gifted dancers bringing
the music to life in a new, uniquely visual way.”
tickets for Tango Through the Four Seasons – which begin at just $20
– are available by calling the Alex Theatre box office at
818.243.2539 or online, by visiting the theatre’s website,
The box office is open from noon until 6 p.m.
daily. The Alex Theatre is located at 216 North Brand Blvd. in
Glendale
************************************** ***********************************
3 – Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy From Armenia
To Perform in Los Angeles and Orange County
LOS ANGELES – The Armenian American Theatrical and Musical Society
will once again provide theater-goers in Los Angeles and Orange
County the opportunity to be entertained by the theatrical “elite” of
Armenia.
Through the efforts of Society Chairman Victor Mardirossian, a
touring group of The Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy State Theatre will
perform at the Wilshire EbellTheatre, 4401 West 8th St., L.A. on
Sept. 29 and Oct. 8. It will mark California’s participation in
commemorating the Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy Theatre’s 60th
Anniversary.
The program consists of two individual productions. A comedy, by
playwright Jirayr Ananyan, “Our Landlords,” will be presented on
Sept. 29, at 730 p.m. It is directed by Yervand Ghazandjian, whose
career spans 50 years in the theatre. The cast is led by popular
actress, Svetlana Grigoryan, celebrating 55 years on the Armenian
stage
On Oct. 8, at 6 p.m., the audience will enjoy the merriment of a
musical comedy, “Late But Worth the Wait,” by musical composer
Ardemi Aivazian and Playwright Garegin Yeretsyan. The musical is
directed by Gayaneh Barseghian. and the cast includes guest artist
Razmik Mansourian .
An additional performance of “Our Landlords” is scheduled for the
convenience of Orange County residents on Oct. 13, 7:30 PM at the
Huntington Beach Playhouse. This will mark the first time a
distinguished theatre company from Armenia will perform in Orange
County. The playhouse occupies a special wing of the Huntington Beach
Library and Cultural Center, 7111 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach.
Seating reservations are moving quickly and to insure attendance for
the Wilshire Ebell dates, call AATMS at (323) 668-0374, (323)
668-1030, or (323) 668-4918.
Free delivery of tickets for Los Angeles performances may be obtained
by calling (818) 265-0506 Reservations and ticket information for
the Huntington Beach performance to be announced at the AATMS office.
****************************************** ********************************
4 – Abkarian Appointed
To California State
Board by Governor
SACRAMENTO – Albert Abkarian, 42, of Glendale, has been appointed to
the Osteopathic
Medical Board, by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He has served as senior partner and associate for the law firm Albert
Abkarian & Associates since 2002, specializing in personal injury and
workers compensation law. Abkarian has also served as owner of
CoasterCD since 2005 and the OMNI Continental Trading Group since
July 2006.
Additionally, he is Glendale Civil Service Commissioner, an advisory
member on the Glendale Educational Foundation and volunteer
arbitrator/mediator for the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior
Courts.
This position does not require Senate confirmation and the
compensation is $100 per diem.
Abkarian is a Republican.
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5 – Oct. 12 NAASR Lecture to Examine
‘The Armenian Lobby: Then and Now’
BELMONT, MA – Gregory Aftandilian, currently a Research Fellow at the
Belfer Center at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, will present a lecture entitled “The Armenian Lobby Then
and Now: The 1918-27 Period and the Present Day,” on Oct. 12, at the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center
, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA.
Aftandilian, a member of the NAASR Board of Directors since 2004, has
previously worked at the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and
the U.S. Department of State. A recognized expert on Middle East
affairs, he is the author of two books: Egypt’s Bid for Arab
Leadership: Implications for U.S. Policy and Armenia: Vision of a
Republic: The Independence Lobby in America, 1918-1927. He holds
degrees from Dartmouth College, the
University of Chicago, and the London School of Economics.
this lecture will examine the activities of the American Committee
for the Independence of Armenia in the period of 1918 to 1927 and
compare it to today’s Armenian Lobby in terms of effectiveness,
shortcomings, access to leading policy-makers, and sustainability.
Key issues that will be addressed are the makeup of the lobby
groups, the socio-economic conditions of the Armenian-American
community, the impact of opposing lobbies and countervailing
pressures, the attitudes of Congress and the
White House, and the salience of the “Armenian issue” in the American
political context.
Aftandilian will highlight some important similarities and
differences between the two eras. In both periods, the pro-Armenian
Lobby had the difficult task of supporting a small country that
lacked natural resources. Whereas in the earlier periodthe lobby
relied primarily on American public sympathy as well as important
political figures for support, the current period has witnessed a
reliance on the rising stature of the Armenian-American community and
its increasing involvement in the American political
system. Countervailing pressures in both periods have included the
impact of oil and other economic interests.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated).
More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610.
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6 – UN, NASA, European Space Agency Endorse
Cosmic Ray Division’s SEVAN Network
In November 12005, UN, NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA)
jointly organized a multinational meeting to promote international
cooperation in space research. A particular interest of the
consortium is to study energetic events on the sun and the effects of
these events on the Earth’s environment. Prof. Ashot Chilingarian,
head of the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) represented Armenia and
proposed a multinational Space Environment Viewing and Analysis
Network (SEVAN). The proposal received very high marks and was one
of the few programs endorsed by the consortium for the International
Heliophysical Year 2007 (IHY-07).
The Cosmic Ray Division is among the world’s top 5 research
organizations in cosmic ray physics and space weather research.
SEVAN, a nine-country space weather network of ground based cosmic
ray particle detectors, will be led by the CRD physicists in Armenia
under the leadership of Professor Chilingarian. The network will
utilize advanced concepts, technology, data acquisition methods, and
computer analysis techniques developed at the CRD. SEVAN will open
windows to enhanced understanding of solar phenomena that affect the
earth and will promote international cooperation.
At a July 2006 meeting of the international Committee on Space
Research (COSPAR) in Beijing, Prof. Chilingarian represented Armenia
and promoted the SEVAN network. His reports were received with great
and tangible enthusiasm. Nat Gopalswamy of NASA and the
international coordinator IHY-07 mentioned SEVAN in his own
presentation as one of the most important projects of IHY-07.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the IHY-07 steering committee, Joseph
Davila stated, “Space Weather issues are becoming more and more
important and the approach advocated by CRD to deploy new type of
particle detectors in near-equator countries is very important”.
At home, CRD continues to attract smart and energetic students from
Yerevan State University. Artur Reimers, a third year PhD student
at the CRD won a $5000 grant from the Graduate Research Support
Program organized by Armenia’s National Foundation for Science and
Advanced Technology (NFSAT) and the Civilian Research Defense Fund
(CRDF) in the US. Tigran Karapetyan and Bagrat Mailyan are the two
new graduate students and Armen Hovhannisyan is a new upper class
undergraduate student from the Yerevan State University. All three
talented students have chosen to focus their studies on cosmic ray
physics at the Cosmic Ray Division. The CRD is grateful to Mary Anna
Brown for supporting them with tuition and books.
Thanks also go to the many Diaspora members for the continued support
of the CRD. Several important organizations also are being thanked
for their continued support in various ways to facilitate/supplement
the Diaspora giving: Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America
national headquarters, Michigan, and Greater Metropolitan DC
chapters; United Armenian Fund; Nor Serount Cultural Organization;
the Armenian Heritage Cruise; and the National Foundation for Science
and Advanced Technology.
For more information visit or write to the
Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division at SCACRD, P.O.
Box 655, Menlo Park, CA 94026.
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7 – Amb. Evans’s Wife Responds to Recall
YEREVAN – Prior to the return of US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans
to the US on Sept. 10, Armenia’s “168 Hours” publication spoke with
the US envoy’s wife Donna Evans in Yerevan.
“Ambassador Evans has on numerous occasions answered questions
regarding his early recall,” “168 Hours” wrote.
“But what is Mrs. Evans opinion about this?” the publication asked.
“I can only speak for myself,” she replied. “That was truly a very
emotional period for us, it was also very difficult for me, since my
husband was being recalled because he spoke the truth about the
events which took place in 1915, and it was painful that he was being
punished for speaking the truth.
“My husband has been working as a diplomat for 35 years, and he is a
very professional diplomat. For him, it is truly a big honor to
represent the United States of America’s foreign service abroad, and
serve the United States,” said Mrs. Evans.
“In any event, I consider that the punishment is too severe for the
words spoken,” She said.
“My husband spoke that truth in the United States of America, to
American citizens, in a university and in an academic setting. Those
were extremely difficult times for me; but when you realize that you
are right, that helps you walk tall with your head held high,” the
ambassador’s wife observed.
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8 – Westside Guild of Ararat Home
Will Hear TV Actress at Oct. 4 Meeting
LOS ANGELES – The Westside Guild of the Ararat Home will meet at the
Bistro Garden in Sherman Oaks on Wednesday Oct. 4 at 11:30 a m to
hear actress-author Marjorie Lord speak about her career path from
acting to charity work. Ms. Lord who has written a book
of her memoirs will relate stories of her fantasy life as the TV wife
of Danny Thomas on “Make Room for Daddy,” her Broadway acting debut
on stage with Dame Judith Anderson, her marriage to banking genius
Harry Volk which put her on the charity circuit and her commitment to
being the mother of Gregg and Anne Archer. A native
Californian, the teenaged Marjorie left her family and moved to
N.Y.C., where she immediately found a job on Broadway . She has been
acting ever since in films, theater and television. At the
conclusion of the presentation, her long time friend Joan Agajanian
Quinn will open the floor to questions. .
Co-Presidents of the Westside Guild Andrea Fehring and
Diana Hekimian will outline future group activities and Barbara
Poladian will report on preparations for the December 9th Christmas
luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. After lunch, Ms.
Lord, who plans to donate a portion of the book sales to the Ararat
Home, will sign copies of her memoir, “A Dance and A Hug.”
Reservations can be made by calling Diana Hekimian at 714-960-2318.
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