Armenia trying to hamper talks by mass truce violations – Azeri spokesman

Ayna, Baku
10 Mar 05

Excerpt from report by C. Sumarinli in Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on
10 March headlined “A military solution to the Karabakh conflict is
becoming a reality” and subheaded “The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry
warns: ‘If the Armenians continue this tension, we will liberate our
lands in a military way'”

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry explains the latest tense situation on
the front line by three reasons. In an interview with Ayna, the head of
the ministry’s press service, Col Ramiz Malikov, said that it is first
of all connected with the resolution adopted at the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], which describes Armenia
as an aggressor and the Karabakh forces as separatist ones. Second,
the planned settlement of Armenians in Nagornyy Karabakh and other
occupied districts at the state level was exposed by the OSCE
fact-finding mission, which gave an impetus to the activity of the
Armenian separatists. Third, one of the main reasons for the increasing
tension on the front line is the violation of single command principles
in the Armenian army. One can feel a lack of discipline, arbitrariness
and the violation of principles of subordination among the Armenian
servicemen in the occupied territories. The latest developments show
that anyone who gets hold of weapons on the Armenian side tries to
open fire at Azerbaijani servicemen.

To recap, the Armenians have been regularly firing on the positions
of the Azerbaijani armed forces since last week. Four Azerbaijani
servicemen were seriously wounded as a result.

[Passage omitted: details of the truce violation]

The Defence Ministry official described as nonsense the reports of
the Armenian newspaper Azg that five districts around Karabakh will
be handed over to Azerbaijan and Karabakh will be temporarily placed
under Armenian administration.

“We demand that they vacate our occupied territories. The will of
our president and people demands this. Nagornyy Karabakh should be
only under Azerbaijani administration. This is the opinion of the
international public as well, because there is no room for separatism
in the 21st century,” Malikov said.

He did not forget to warn the Armenians.

“We want to liberate our lands peacefully and call on the Armenians
to vacate our lands. If the Armenians put armed pressure on us,
they will get the answer they deserve and we will liberate our lands.”

[Passage omitted: minor details]

The increasing tension on the front line can be explained by the
Armenian side’s intention to prevent the negotiations, a source at
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Ayna. The source said that
at present, the Armenians are trying to learn public opinion about
preparations for war in Armenia and Azerbaijan by exerting armed
pressure.

“Mass truce violations usually occur twice a year. This happens in
March-April or September-October. The Yerevan government is defining
the future outlines of the negotiations by this ‘cease-fire’,” the
source said.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

CIS military exercises in Tajikistan to involve 3,000 soldiers

Asia-Plus news agency
10 Mar 05

Dushanbe, 10 March: Five-day command and staff exercises of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) armed forces
code-named Rubezh-2005 will start in Tajikistan in early April.
Practical preparations for the exercises are currently under way
in the subunits of all the four CSTO Central Asian member states –
Tajikistan, which will be represented by servicemen of the Tajik
Defence Ministry; Kyrgyzstan; Kazakhstan; and Russia [as given;
Russia is not part of Central Asia].

Tajik Defence Minister Sherali Khayrulloyev will command the exercises,
Defence Ministry spokesman Zarobiddin Sirojov has told Avesta. He
said that the final goal of the military exercises is to develop
the coordination of actions of the command staff of the Collective
Rapid Deployment Forces (CRDF) deployed in the Central Asia region
and other headquarters of the CSTO member states’ armed forces to
prepare and hold joint military operations for protecting Tajikistan
from an attack of international gangsters.

The total number of servicemen to be involved in the exercises will
exceed 3,000. A firing exercise is to be held in the final phase of
the exercises, involving subunits from the CRDF, including aircraft
support from the Russian air base at Kant (Kyrgyzstan).

Armenia and Belarus will take part in the military exercises as
observers.

Turkish, Georgian foreign ministers discuss regional economic, political issues

Anatolia news agency
10 Mar 05

Ankara, 10 March: “Turkey attaches importance to solution of problems
like Abkhazia and South Ossetia within the political and territorial
integrity of Georgia through peaceful ways,” said Turkish Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul on Thursday [10 March]. Gul met his Georgian
counterpart Salome Zourabichvili in Ankara.

Gul told reporters after the meeting: “We attribute importance to
economic development of Caucasia region. We have many joint projects
with Georgia. We are planning to open Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
this year.”

“We also believe that Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Shah Sea natural gas project
will be completed successfully. All these show that not only political
but also economic cooperation have been developed,” he added.

“Investments of Turkish businessmen in Georgia increased. We encourage
Georgian businessmen to invest in Turkey as well. Trade volume between
Turkey and Georgia is also increasing,” said Gul.

Meanwhile, Zourabichvili said: “Turkey supports Georgia in every
area. We think Turkey’s EU membership is necessary for the region.”
“We have discussed the problems of Black Sea region during the
meeting. Recent developments in Ukraine make Black Sea more important,”
said Zourabichvili.

“Another connection between Turkey and Georgia is investments.
Political support which Turkey gave to Tbilisi in Georgia-Russia
dialogue is very important for us,” added Zourabichvili. He noted,
“Turkey supported us regarding the withdrawal of Russia from military
bases in Georgia.” When asked what the conveniences which Georgian
government provides for investments of Turkish businessmen in Georgia
are, Zourabichvili said: “We applied several reforms not only for
Turkish but also for all businessmen. Some laws are changed, and visa
regime facilities are on the agenda.” Zourabichvili added: “Intense
efforts for flights between Turkey and Batumi have been continuing.”
Upon a question, Zourabichvili said: “There is no demand of help
regarding problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Turkey and
Armenia. However, we have good relations with these countries. If
there is such a demand, we may act as a mediator.”

On the other hand, prior to the news conference, Gul and Zourabichvili
signed a protocol on the agreement for fight against terrorism and
organized crimes among Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The protocol
targets closer cooperation of mechanisms of parties especially
against human smuggling as well as increase in the cooperation among
non-governmental organizations, security organizations, academicians,
institutions and peoples.

South Korea goes large on Fringe

The Scotsman – United Kingdom;
Mar 10, 2005

Tim Cornwell Arts Correspondent

SOUTH Korea has formed an unlikely bond with the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe that will see four shows make the long journey from Asia this
year – including a Korean version of Shakespeare, The Scotsman can
reveal.

Audiences at the festival will this year have the choice of a show
that mixes Korean martial arts and comic mayhem – entitled Jump – as
well as an alternative version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The new connection with South Korea goes well beyond just another
chapter in the Fringe’s far-flung line-up, however.

Paul Gudgin, the Fringe director, travelled to Seoul in December at
the invitation of the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation. The trip
saw nearly 200 performers turn up to hear him speak and put him on
the front pages of the national press. The Fringe is now planning a
live video conference for Korean acts hoping to get to Edinburgh,
while the Seoul foundation has helped out by translating the Fringe’s
guide in full for performers.

“There are no direct flights. I don’t believe South Korea has any
embassy in Edinburgh. But this extraordinary connection has grown and
will continue to grow,” Mr Gudgin said.

“Loads of people running Korean cultural institutions have been
coming to study us. Their two main television stations come to the
Fringe.”

South Korea’s interest in the Fringe grew out of a single show,
Cooking, which came to Edinburgh in 1999.

The show, set in a kitchen, was an energetic mix of rhythm and comedy
using cooking tools, and proved such a hit with audiences that it is
currently showing on Broadway.

“We think the success of that performance is a great model for us.
Many presenters in Korea realise that we need to build up a market in
Europe,” said Hyuncha Kim, the foundation’s deputy manager for
international exchange.

“If we can join with the festival in Edinburgh, it could be a great
chance to show our talent in the world market. We believe the
Edinburgh festival is an essential pass to go to the rest of the
world,” said Ms Kim.

The Koreans now hope to emulate Cooking’s success this year with
Jump. The show, with about ten performers, mixes traditional Korean
martial arts and comedy in a story centred on a single family.

“It is one family of strange characters,” said Ms Kim. “They fight
each other but later they find their real enemy and are unified.”

Also on the slate is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The
Koreans have already showcased the work in festivals in Armenia and
Cairo. It is in Korean but relies heavily on gesture, mime and
costumes.
From: Baghdasarian

RESIDENTS OF NORTH AVENUE DO NOT WANT TO REMAIN HOMELESS

A1 Plus | 17:50:17 | 10-03-2005 | Social |

“Officials are deaf to all our calls,” the residents of the North
Avenue, who gathered today in front of the government building, say.

They organized a rally again. Their demand remained the same — the
indemnification for damaged flats. Children, old men and women are
driven out of their homes», the demonstrators complained.

None of the government members received the protesters. In the
street however they spoke to deputy Mayor Kamo Areyan, who promised
to arrange a meeting with the head of the department engaged in the
program implementation.

The residents of the North Avenue said that if their problem is
not solved in Armenia they will appeal for help to the Embassies of
foreign states.

–Boundary_(ID_fXmPZTqJb5YI5HVJb/i3OQ)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Leader Calls for Study of Genocide Debate

Erdogan seeks review of archives amid challenges to the nation’s
official denial of blame in the deaths of Armenians during and after WWI

THE WORLD

Los Angeles Times
March 9, 2005

By Amberin Zaman, Special to The Times

ANKARA, Turkey ~W Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called
for an impartial study by historians of claims that more than a million
Armenians were slaughtered by Turkish troops in a genocide during and
after World War I.

The statement was widely seen here as a symbolic if small step by Turkey
to address the issue after decades of denial.

“We have opened our official archives to those people who claim there
was genocide,” the Turkish leader said at a news conference here. “If
they are sincere, they too should open their archives.”

Erdogan was referring to archives in Germany, Turkey’s wartime ally, and
in Britain and France, whose forces occupied parts of Turkey after the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the war. Troops from all
three nations could have witnessed what happened between the Turks and
the Armenians.

“Teams of historians from both sides should conduct studies in these
archives,” Erdogan said of the Turks and Armenians. “We do not want
future generations to live under the shadow of continued hatred and
resentment.”

Armenians say 1.5 million of their people perished between 1915 and 1923
in a genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turks. Millions of Armenians
worldwide are set to mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the
violence on April 24.

Turkey has countered that several hundred thousand Armenians died of
starvation and exposure during forced deportations after they
collaborated with invading Russian forces in eastern Turkey.

But a small, vocal group of Turkish intellectuals has begun to challenge
the official version of events, saying genocide did take place under the
orders of ultranationalist military officers who led the country at the
time. That view has touched off heated debate throughout Turkey.

Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, whose recent novel, “Snow,” has made
bestseller lists in the United States, was labeled a traitor here and
faced death threats after telling a German newspaper last month that “a
million Armenians were killed in Turkey.”

Erdogan’s appeal for an unbiased investigation was issued jointly with
Deniz Baykal, the leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party,
and it reflects growing concern about the issue after calls came from
within the European Union for Turkey to acknowledge that genocide
occurred. Some EU members have gone so far as to suggest that such
recognition should be a condition for Turkey’s entry into the European
alliance.

The parliaments of Canada, France and Switzerland have approved
resolutions stating the Armenians were victims of genocide. Similar
measures proposed by members of the U.S. Congress have been quashed by
successive Republican and Democratic administrations wary of alienating
Turkey, an important North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally.

“It is encouraging that the government is finally willing to talk about
the Armenian issue,” said Hrant Dink, publisher of the Armenian-language
newspaper Agos.

“And if they are truly sincere, they must bear the consequences of what
historians uncover ~W face up to the horrors of the past.”

,1,5991797.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 10, 2005

ARMENIA’S PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE THE FOCUS OF SUCCESSFUL AGBU YPGNY SERIES

New York, NY – On Thursday, March 3rd, 2005, AGBU YPGNY wrapped up its
highly successful “Armenia Past, Present, Future” series of events that
began on February 17th. A trilogy devoted to informing and stimulating
interest in the Republic of Armenia, the Thursday night events were
attended by a variety of Armenians in the greater New York area.

AGBU YPGNY Vice Chair and Series Coordinator, Ani Manoukian, was
impressed by the strong community support for the series. “In planning
this series, our primary goal was to bring young professionals
closer to the actualities of life in Armenia. We had anticipated
some interest by our peers but to see that people left each event
feeling more connected to Armenia than before was inspirational,”
she said. Manoukian added that the kick-off “Armenia Past” event, a
screening of Armenian Canadian documentary, “My Son Shall Be Armenian,”
was particularly emotional for many in the audience that had not yet
visited Armenia.

The “Armenia Present” panel discussion that touched on a variety of
political, economic and social perspectives on the current realities
in Armenia included Aaron Sherinian of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia,
Konstantin Atanesyan of the World Bank, former Fulbright Scholar
Nicole Vartanian, entrepreneur James Tufenkian, and financial
consultant Greg D. Krikorian. Presentations focused on both data
and real-world experiences. In addition to statistics presented by
Atanesyan on the country’s economic achievement, Tufenkian outlined
his success in establishing a chain of luxury hotels throughout
the country. Vartanian, the moderator for the evening, discussed
the efforts underway to build a civil society of strong national
institutions.

The final event tackled the question of “Armenia Future,” and
was presented by Dr. Noubar Afeyan, “Armenia 2020” Executive Board
Member. Established in 2002, “Armenia 2020” is an organized network of
individuals working to build a shared vision and prosperous future for
Armenia. “Armenia 2020” advocates interviewed over 1,500 Armenians
from Armenia and elsewhere to develop possible future economic,
social, and demographic scenarios for Armenia.

“We are obsessed with our past and I, particularly for the younger
generation, would love to talk about our future, and to have the
language to talk about our future. And the language of the future is
not necessarily dominated by all the things that happened to us in
the past,” Afeyan said during the introduction to his presentation.

Proceeds from YPGNY’s Armenia series will benefit the American
University of Armenia (AUA) Digital Library, one of YPGNY’s many
fundraising initiatives. AUA is an indispensable resource for the
institution’s students, providing them with access to hundreds of
publications. AGBU YPGNY will also be holding a March 11th mixer to
benefit AUA’s Digital Library.

AGBU YPGNY is part of a global AGBU YP network which seeks to provide a
forum for young professionally-aged Armenians to undertake educational,
cultural, social and humanitarian activities under the umbrella of
AGBU. For more information on AGBU YPs, please visit:

RFE/RL Analysis: Georgia Parliament Ups Ante On Russian Bases
Thursday, 10 March 2005

By Liz Fuller

Deputies in Georgia’s parilament voted unanimously on 10 March to call
on the government to effectively blockade the bases if the two countries
do not agree on their removal by mid-May.

Under an agreement signed at the OSCE Istanbul Summit in November 1999,
Russia undertook to close by 1 July 2000 its military bases in Vaziani,
near Tbilisi, and Gudauta, Abkhazia, and to begin talks with the
Georgian leadership in 2000 on the timeframe for closing its two
remaining bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki. Russia complied with first of
those commitments, and embarked as required on talks on shutting down
the latter two bases.

But in the course of those talks, Russian officials have consistently
argued that a lengthy time period is required to build housing in Russia
for the troops to be withdrawn from Georgia. (That argument is specious
insofar as many of the personnel at the base in Akhalkalaki are in fact
ethnic Armenians who are citizens of Georgia.) Initially, Russian
officials said they needed 15 years to close the bases, then 14; that
figure was revised downward to 11, and then eight years, according to
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli on 9 March.

After the Georgian and Russian sides failed during Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Tbilisi last month to make any
progress toward solving either the deadlock over the bases or any of the
problems bedeviling bilateral relations, it was agreed to establish
working groups to seek to narrow the disagreements and report on 1 May
to the countries’ two presidents. Those working groups will focus on six
issues, including the proposed framework treaty on friendship and
cooperation and the timeframe for the closure of the two bases.

“If Russia rejects or refuses to met that deadline, the Georgian
parliament would declare the bases illegal and measures would be taken
to prevent them from functioning: Georgia would, for example, decline to
issue visas to Russian military personnel.”

Despite that agreement, Givi Targamadze, chairman of the Georgian
parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, announced within days of
Lavrov’s departure that the two remaining Russian bases should close by
1 January 2006 at the latest. On 25 February, parliament speaker Nino
Burdjanadze suggested that the Georgian leadership might declare the
Russian bases illegal if an agreement is not reached soon on a date for
their closure. Then on 7 March, parliament deputy Giga Bokeria unveiled
a draft bill that would require Russia to agree formally by 15 May to
close the two remaining bases by 1 January 2006. If Russia rejects or
refuses to met that deadline, the Georgian parliament would declare the
bases illegal and measures would be taken to prevent them from
functioning: Georgia would, for example, decline to issue visas to
Russian military personnel.

Bokeria’s draft bill appeared to take the Georgian leadership by
surprise. ITAR-TASS on 8 March quoted parliament speaker Burdjanadze as
telling the independent television station Rustavi-2 that parliament
should not adopt such a bill until after the expiry of the two months
agreed by Moscow and Tbilisi to try and reach a compromise. President
Mikheil Saakashvili also implicitly cautioned the parliament against
adopting the bill. He reaffirmed on 8 March Georgia’s “crystal-clear”
position that the bases should be closed, but proposed waiting to see
whether it is possible to reach an agreement with Russia within the two
month period, as did Prime Minister Noghaideli. Parliament was scheduled
to debate the draft bill on 9 March, but postponed the debate until 10
March at Burdjanadze’s request.

On 8 March, a senior Russian military official condemned the planned
debate as an attempt at blackmail, and on 9 March the Russian Foreign
Ministry warned that the debate would make it more difficult for the two
sides to reach the hoped-for compromise agreement. “The Russian side
will shortly submit its proposals aimed at finding solutions to existing
problems,” the Foreign Ministry statement continued.

In what have may have been a deliberate leak intended to defuse mounting
tensions, on 10 March, izvestiya.ru quoted an unnamed Russian Defense
Ministry official as saying that Russia does not want to keep the bases
in Georgia forever, but their personnel will be redeployed to the
Caucasus to serve in a new mountain rifle division which will be formed
only three or four years from now. While that time frame might appeal to
the Georgian leadership — in that the bases would theoretically have
been closed prior to the expiry of Saakashvili’s first presidential term
— it may not be enough to mollify the parliament. And that anonymous
statement represents a clear retreat from earlier Russian arguments in
favor of simply renaming one or both bases an “anti-terrorism center.”

Meanwhile, the Georgian State Employment Agency is already addressing
the problem of providing employment for the Armenians who currently
account for up to one third of the personnel at the Akhalkalaki base,
and who are already expressing unease at the prospects of losing their
livelihood in a region with few employment opportunities. The Georgian
daily “Rezonansi” on 10 March quoted the agency’s chairman, Levan
Peradze, as saying that a job-creation program is in the works, and he
suggested some of the personnel in question may find jobs in private
security services. And Goga Khachidze, who was recently named governor
of the Djavakheti region where the Akhalkalaki base is located, pledged
the same day that the Georgian leadership will do everything possible to
ensure that its closure “is painless” for the local Armenian population.

As the Georgian authorities have failed consistently to deliver on
earlier promises to improve conditions in the remote, mountainous and
impoverished region, the Armenians are understandably skeptical. David
Rstakian, leader of the Virk party that represents the local Armenian
community, was quoted by Caucasus Press on 10 March as saying, “The
Armenians of Javakheti will do all they can to prevent the Russian
troops from leaving Akhalkalaki. If Russia refuses to pull out its
troops, it may need our help.”

That help, he implied, would be willingly offered.

Azertaj
March 10, 2005

COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CONSIDERS REPORT OF
AZERBAIJAN
[March 10, 2005, 11:56:24]

As learnt correspondent AzerTAj from the Foreign Minister~Rs press
service, on March 6-7 the United Nation~Rs Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination has considered the report of Azerbaijan on
its implementation of the provisions of the International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Presenting the report was Khalaf Khalafov, the Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, who said his country had been very
active in improving national legislation and strengthening political
institutions while bearing in mind the principles of universal access
to human rights. The conflict in Nagorny Karabakh between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Mr. Khalafov said, had a negative impact on Azerbaijan’s
efforts to implement the principles of the Convention. Today there were
more than one million refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan and
one-fifth of the country was occupied by Armenian forces. The Deputy
Minister affirmed his country’s belief that Azerbaijan should be a
single home for all its citizens, providing the opportunity for all
to pronounce and preserve their national identity by way of promoting
and protecting their human rights.

In the course of the discussion, which was held over two meetings,
issues concerning the Office of the Ombudsman and the types of cases
handled by it; the State party’s fight against human trafficking;
Azerbaijan’s rules on citizenship; the rights of national minorities in
general; employment rights and other social matters; and the rights
of refugees, stateless persons and the displaced in Azerbaijan,
in particular those coming out of the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh
between Armenia and Azerbaijan were raised among other subjects.

In preliminary remarks, the country Reporter for the report, Committee
Expert Tang Chengyuan, commended the Government of Azerbaijan for the
positive steps it had undertaken with regard to the Office of the
Ombudsman; its fight against human trafficking; and its assistance
to refugees and displaced persons, in particular refugees from the
conflict in Nagorny Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Among
other things, he noted the Committee’s need to receive additional
information on ethnic groups living in Azerbaijan.

The Committee will present its final conclusions and recommendations
on the third and fourth periodic reports of Azerbaijan, which were
presented in one document, at the end of its session, which concludes
on 11 March.

The delegation of Azerbaijan also included representatives of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry
of Internal Affairs; the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection; the
Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Economic Development; the Office
of the Prosecutor General; the Department for National Policy of the
Office of the President; and the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to
the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Glendale News Press
Published March 10, 2005

City recognizes the best designs

Four buildings are honored with the first Glendale Urban Design Achievement
awards on Monday.

By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader

GLENDALE — Alen Malekian isn’t quite sure what the trophy is supposed
to be. It’s a glass hexagon, about 6 inches tall and 4 inches in
diameter. The GUDA is not quite Oscar, but Malekian’s still proud.

“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” said Malekian, one of three recipients
of the first Glendale Urban Design Achievement awards. “I know in
a couple of days I’m going to realize what I just got, one of the
first awards. It’s an excellent and wonderful achievement for myself
and for my colleagues.” The city introduced the awards to recognize
outstanding achievement in urban design, giving awards Monday for
best residential design, commercial design and institutional design.

“We tried to do everything to show a little creativity, even the
awards themselves,” Planning Director Elaine Wilkerson said. “People
seemed to be quite taken to the fact that [the statues] were creative
in themselves.” Malekian, a designer for Malekian and Associates,
received the award in the commercial category for the Sidewalk Café
and Coldstone Creamery at 901 W. Glenoaks Blvd.

Garo Minassian received the residential award for designing Mirabella,
a residential community at 2753 Piedmont Ave. Alajajian-Marcoosi
Architects received the institutional award for designing St. Gregory
Armenian Church at 1510 E. Mountain St.

F&E Architects and Khan Consulting received honorable mention for
designing Heritage Park, a four-story affordable housing apartment
building for seniors.

“It’s an encouragement to architects and developers, designers also,
that their work is recognized by city staff and the community,” said
Aram Alajajian, president and principal designer for Alajajian-Marcoosi
Architects. “This is very important. It gives us a positive impulse
to look forward to better achievements in the design field.”

The city received 10 nominations from the public, and a four-person
jury including nationally recognized designers chose the winners. To be
eligible, projects had to receive all of their approvals and permits
after 1986, when the city began its design-review process. The jury
evaluated the buildings on their innovative design, the quality and
sustainability of the design and compatibility to the surrounding
neighborhood.

The city plans to hold the awards every other year, Wilkerson said.
“We hope that people will recognize that we’re trying to achieve higher
quality design, and they’ll see examples of what we’re after, and try
to emulate it,” Wilkerson said. “I’m not suggesting that there aren’t
other good projects in the city, but they weren’t nominated. Maybe
next time, when do it in two years, people will see the merit of
being honored by their peers.”

* JOSH KLEINBAUM covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-323.

–Boundary_(ID_VYM3LmsQM4Gp+hOeJUes4Q)–