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TOP STORIES
04/06/2005
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1) Glendale Elections Come to Climactic End
2) School Board President Krikorian Secures Sweeping Victory
3) Clerk Candidate ‘Ardy’ Kassakhian Triumphs in Historic Election
4) MKR Recognition is Armenia’s Number One Foreign Policy Priority
5) Kidnapped Romanian Journalists Freed
6) Marchers Complete More Than a Quarter of the 215 Mile March For Humanity
7) Head of Passports and Visas Pushes Dual Citizenship
8) Armenian Ambassador to US Meets with Condoleezza Rice
1) Glendale Elections Come to Climactic End
GLENDALE–Of the nineteen candidates vying for open seats on the Glendale City
Council, only four went home victorious as the final numbers were released six
hours after the polls closed. With 8,362 votes (10.4%), Attorney Ara Najarian
will join incumbent council members Bob Yousefian (7230 votes–9%), Frank
Quintero (7119 votes–8.8%), and Dave Weaver (6574–8.2%) on the city’s new
council as it convenes later on this month.
“This was one of the toughest campaigns I’ve ever been in, worked on or even
seen,” Yousefian told the Glendale News Press. “It was very costly and very
divisive. I’m hoping that starting tomorrow, things will calm down and go back
to normal. I’m hoping that things will become more civil.”
Despite the loss, Anahid Oshagan was touched by the sincere support she
received from wide-range of people. “I deeply appreciate the outpouring of
support during this campaign; I was overwhelmed by the energy and
dedication of
not only those close to me, but also people from all walks of life who put
their life on hold to join me to try to make Glendale a better place to live.”
Voters demonstrated their confidence in current Glendale School Board
President Greg Krikorian by reelecting him by a sizable margin with 11649
votes. His nearest competitor, incumbent school board member Chakib “Chuck”
Sambar, who was also reelected to the board, trailed Krikorian by over 3000
votes. Coming close to claim the third open seat on the Board, College
Professor Nayiri Nahabedian trailed Joylene K. Wagner by over one thousand
votes.
In the treasurer’s race, incumbent Ronald T. Borucki defeated his only
opponent, former Glendale Community College Board of Trustees Phillip
Kazanjian, with 64% of the vote. A banker of 34 years, Borucki had received
the
support of numerous community groups including the Glendale Chapter of the
Armenian National Committee.
All three of the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees
incumbents–Armine G. Hacopian, Victor King, and Anita Quinonez
Gabrielian–were reelected by comfortable margins, with King leading the pack
with 14,070 votes (30.2%). Hacopian came in second with 13,203 votes (28.3%).
2) School Board President Krikorian Secures Sweeping Victory
Nearly one out of every two Glendale voters cast their ballot on Tuesday for
Krikorian Marketing group founder and co-owner of Business Life and Senior
Living magazines, Greg Krikorian. Krikorian, who currently serves as the
Glendale School Board’s president, is already mapping out his second term’s
agenda for the city’s schools. “I’m truly honored to represent our communities
and all the children of the Glendale Unified School District,” Krikorian told
Asbarez. “I’m extremely proud of not only myself but also the Armenian
community. It gives me great pride to continue to serve our cause. But, we
still have a long road ahead of us. Far too many times, we, as Armenian
Americans, get elected to office, but forget who put us there. I’m a man of my
word, and I fulfilled one of my responsibilities to our youth by honoring
Armenian Christmas as a day off for our children and staff.”
With the results of more than one thousand provisional ballots still
unannounced, Krikorian expects to receive as many as four-hundred additional
votes. “Having such an overwhelming response with over 12,000 votes, with such
a large field of candidates is truly an honor. The victory was the result of
our grassroots campaign. We worked with the entire community to serve all
aspects of Glendale and La Crescenta. During the next four years, I’d like to
continue strengthening our schools while addressing the budget crisis, and
further assisting the Armenian community by strengthening lines of
communication between parents and the Board, and creating elective Armenian
language courses at Crescenta Valley High, and Clark Magnet schools.
Ultimately, my reward is educating our Armenian youth and giving them a sense
of responsibly to never forget their responsibility of carrying the torch for
Hai Tad,” Krikorian said.
3) Clerk Candidate ‘Ardy’ Kassakhian Triumphs in Historic Election
GLENDALE–Not one to accept a political hand-me-down position, Ardashes “Ardy”
Kassakhian became the first clerk since 1929, to reach the office by election,
on Tuesday, not appointment.
Combining his passion for public service and enthusiasm for the political
process, he ran a successful campaign, winning the position by a landslide.
The charismatic, yet humbled Kassakhian delivered his victory speech at the
Rusty Pelican.
“We ran on three campaign issues–accessibility, outreach and education,
and new technology,” Kassakhian said. “These are not going to be overnight
changes. We will have to work with other city departments and people who have
been in office many years. I will serve as long as it takes to get the job
done.”
Still reeling from his decisive victory from the day before, Kassakhian
pointed to all the volunteers and supporters who helped make his win all the
more heartwarming.
“The outpouring of support from a wide cross section of our community is
encouraging, and the hardwork of getting elected is done. The even more
important job of serving all of the people of Glendale, with the excellence
they expect and deserve, must now began.”
Kassakhian received 27.3% of the vote, beating out Paulette Mardikian, who
had 13.7% of the votes, and George McCullough, who received 16.6%.
4) MKR Recognition is Armenia’s Number One Foreign Policy Priority
STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)–Speaking in the capital of Mountainous Karabagh
Republic (MKR), the Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly’s Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations, said that the number one priority of Armenia’s
Foreign policy is for MKR to gain international recognition [as a sovereign
nation].
“That process must never be viewed as something other than the advancement of
democratic principles among the public, specifically because the starting
point
in gaining international recognition is democracy,” said Armen Rustamian
during
a meeting with ARF youth organizations and journalists.
He stressed that will of the people–both in fostering democracy and
safeguarding the principals of self-determination–must be conveyed in
accordance with international standards.
“At the end of the day, the catalyst for both is the public’s determination;
both are so intertwined that to attempt to realize one without the other is
not
only unrealistic, but also impossible. To put it another way, the world will
not recognize any republic–no matter how ‘guaranteed’ its right to
self-determination is,” noted Rustamian.
5) Kidnapped Romanian Journalists Freed
BUCHAREST (Armenpress)–Three Romanian journalists, among them one ethnic
Armenian, held hostage in Iraq since last week have been freed, Rompress news
agency reported.
Journalist Marie-Jeanne Ion and her cameraman Eduard Ohanesian, from Prima TV
and Sorin Miscoci of the Romanian newspaper Libera, were taken hostage
March 28
along with their guide, Iraqi-American Mohamed Munaf, on the outskirts of
Baghdad.
A video of the visibly frightened hostages was broadcast March 30 by the Arab
satellite channel Al-Jazeera.
The reports of their release came as the arrest was announced of a
Syrian-Romanian businessman who said he had been in contact with the
kidnappers.
“A Syrian-Romanian, Omar Hayssam, was arrested yesterday on the request of
prosecutors,” said a spokesman for the Romanian president’s office, Adriana
Saftoiu.
On March 29, Hayssam had told Romanian television stations that he had been
“contacted by the kidnappers,” who had demanded an undisclosed ransom,
which he
had refused.
Hayssam is close to an Iraqi-American businessman, Mohamed Munaf, who was
kidnapped at the same time as the three Romanians. Munaf had funded the
trip to
Iraq by the three journalists and served as their guide in Baghdad. But
Romanian media had later questioned Hayssam’s credibility.
6) Marchers Complete More Than a Quarter of the 215 Mile March For Humanity
CHOWCHILLA–California marchers, walking in solidarity with the 1.5 million
victims of the Armenian genocide on its 90th anniversary, passed the 65 mile
point and arrived in Chowchilla Tuesday.
The determined group of 14 Armenian youth from Pasadena, Walnut, San Fernando
Valley, and Fresno sleep in church halls and eat from a lunch truck
accompanying them on their 19 day trek. As a way to focus on why they are
marching, every morning a marcher tells the story of a family member who
survived the Genocide.
The selfless youth plan on walking to Sacramento, where they will join a
large
rally at the Capitol Building, organized to thank the California state
legislature and those of 35 other states for officially recognizing the
Armenian genocide.
An interesting addition to the group of marchers, ranging in age from 18 to
27, is the participation of Sanan Shirinian and Zabel Ekemekjian.
Shirinian is a 16 year old junior at a private Armenian high school in Los
Angeles. She worked tirelessly to take 20 days off school not so she can
take a
vacation, but to do her part for her cause.
“My great grandparents were survivors of an attempt to kill all Armenians,”
said Shirinian. “I decided to walk so I can let the world know about the
wrongs
the Turks did against my ancestors and to bring justice to an unpunished
crime.”
Ekmekjian, whose father survived the Genocide, is a 63-year-old grandmother
from Moraga, Calif. who felt that she must use her own body to raise awareness
about the crimes committed against her father and his family.
“Our family was split apart because of the Genocide,” said Ekmekjian. “I have
never met my aunts and my cousins, I know they exist and that they live in
Iraq, but I don’t know who they are because they lost contact with my father
after escaping the massacres.”
Defying sore muscles, blistered feet, and aching legs, the marchers will
continue to walk an additional 150 miles, rain or shine, until they arrive at
their destination on April 21.
The Genocide began in 1915 and lasted for more than six years, claiming the
lives of more than 1.5 million men, women and children. While many nations
recognize and condemn the crime committed against the Armenian people, the
Turkish government has denied it for the past 90 years.
For more information about the March For Humanity, the marchers, their
shelter, and pictures, please visit
7) Head of Passports and Visas Pushes Dual Citizenship
YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The head of Armenia’s visa and passport department
Alvina
Zakarian, argued in favor of granting dual citizenship to Armenians from
diaspora, saying many diaspora Armenians seek Armenian citizenship, while
maintaining their original citizenship.
“While dual citizenship admittadly has both positive and negative effects,
the
positive will outweigh the negative consequences,” she stressed.
She also revealed that there has been a change in the law to grant
issuance of
passports to one-day old infants, in order to accomodate international travel
with children. Under the old law, only citizens who reached the age of 16 were
eligible to receive passports.
8) Armenian Ambassador to US Meets with Condoleezza Rice
WASHINGTON (Armenpress)–Armenia’s newly-appointed Ambassador to the United
States Tatul Margarian met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on
April 5,
to present a copy of his credentials accrediting him as Armenia’s
Ambassador to
the US.
During his meeting with Rice, US-Armenia bilateral relations and regional
developments and challenges were discussed. Margarian voiced his readiness to
put forth every effort to enhance partnership between the US and Armenia.
Ambassador Margarian expressed gratitude for the US Government’s continuous
support of Armenia since independence and for its constructive involvement in
the settlement of regional problems.
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