ArmenPress
July 20 2004
KOCHARIAN RECEIVES OUTGOING FINNISH AMBASSADOR
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
received today Finland’s ambassador to Armenia, Timo Lahelma, who is
ending his diplomatic tenure in Armenia. Kocharian’s press office
said possibilities for boosting bilateral ties were discussed during
the meeting. Kocharian was said to underscore the necessity of
developing the appropriate legislation for stepping up business and
trade contacts.
Thanking for the assistance he received during his tenure, Timo
Lahelma pointed out that he is leaving Armenia with rich impressions
and good memories. Kocharian wished the diplomat success in future
activity.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES OUTGOING GERMAN AMBASSADOR
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian commended today the outgoing German ambassador Hans Wulf
Bartels for his heavy contributions to further development of
bilateral political and economic relations and underscored closer
ties with one of the most influential member of the European Union.
Margarian also noted that despite the evident progress, the available
potential is not used at full extent, particulalry, in trade,
establishment of joint ventures and other areas.
Ambassador Bartels expressed hope that the prime minister’s recent
visit to Germany for participating in a German-Armenian business
conference would serve as an additional impetus to deepening ties.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
GEORGIAN FM TO VISIT ARMENIA ON JULY 21
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: Georgian foreign minister Ms. Salome
Zurabishvili will pay her first official visit to Armenia on July
21-22. According to Armenian foreign ministry, she will have meetings
with president Robert Kocharian, National Assembly speaker Arthur
Baghdasarian, prime minister Andranik Margarian and foreign minister
Vartan Oskanian. During the visit she will also put a wreath at the
monument to Armenian Genocide, and will visit Etchmiadzin and Sergey
Parajanov’s museum.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/20/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. Turkish EU Entry Poses Nagging Problem for Chirac 2. State Department Says Schiff Amendment Should Not Become Law 3. NATO Exercises in Baltic Sates    4. Georgia Threatens to Drop South Ossetia Peace Deal 5. NEWS BRIEFS 1. Turkish EU Entry Poses Nagging Problem for Chirac PARIS (FT/Reuters)--The three-day visit of Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Paris has drawn attention to an unusual alignment of the planets in the French political environment. Jacques Chirac, the French president and an outspoken advocate of Turkish membership of the EU, is out of sync not just with a majority of voters, but with much of the country's political establishment, including his own center-right UMP party. After a working lunch on Tuesday with Erdogan, the Elysée said Chirac had reiterated his position that Turkish entry into the EU was "desirable." The president has warned that the road to membership may be 10-15 years long, but has made little attempt to mask what he declares to be his "conviction about Turkey's European vocation" in domestic self-interest. "It is an extremely unusual position for President Chirac to find himself in and is seriously explosive," said Eddy Fougier, a research fellow at the French Institute for International Relations. "The last few elections have shown that French voters are already angry that their concerns are not being taken into account. If the government presses ahead with Turkish membership, it could be very problematic." The only parties offering qualified support to Turkey are the Socialists and the Greens. The opposition Socialists support Turkish membership in principle, but party chief François Hollande has linked the start of entry talks to Ankara's recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians by Ottoman forces. France is home to a significant Armenian population. Pro-Armenian groups were to demonstrate in Paris later on Tuesday against Erdogan's three-day visit. It is on the right of the spectrum that Turkish membership poses the greatest concern. The UMP governing majority in April came out categorically against starting negotiations, with Alain Juppé, Chirac's closest ally and outgoing chairman, warning that Turkish membership would "fundamentally change the nature of the EU." For the moment the differences between the president and his party are being brushed aside, with Juppé simply saying: "Lui, c'est lui. Moi, c'est moi," (He has his opinions, I have mine), but that defense may be hard to sustain. The real test of Chirac's convictions, however, will come in December when EU leaders decide whether to open membership talks with Ankara, a candidate since 1999. The timing could not be more awkward for the French government. Turkey is likely to loom large over the newly pledged referendum on the European constitution, slated to be held late next year. The last 20 polls in France, the EU country most hostile to enlargement, show around 60 per cent consistently opposing Turkish membership. "People are extremely interested in the question and know what they think," Fougier said. "They worry about Islam and fear immigration. They have not warmed to enlargement since May 1 and show every sign of rejecting Turkey too." One senior UK diplomat says he has little doubt that President Chirac will stick to his support for Turkish membership. "France will not block the opening of membership negotiations with Turkey when the council meets in December, but will probably want to delay starting talks until after it has held its referendum on the constitution in the second half of next year," he said. 2. State Department Says Schiff Amendment Should Not Become Law WASHINGTON, DC (Combined Sources)--US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher announced last week that the US Administration "strongly opposes" the Schiff Amendment which passed the House last Thursday, and was added to the fiscal year 2005 foreign aid bill that later passed by a vote of 365 to 41. Rep. Adam Schiff's amendment would deny Turkey the use of US foreign aid money to lobby against the Armenian genocide resolution. "It should not become law," the State Department statement said, describing the amendment as detrimental to "reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia in pursuit of regional peace and economic cooperation," goals it referred to as being pursued by Turkey and Armenia "through direct meetings." "Turkey, our key NATO ally, and Armenia, our close friend, are partners in the Global War on Terror and in advancing democracy, prosperity and stability in the Caucasus. Our goal is to bolster cooperation between these two countries rather than to separate them." The statement welcomed House Leadership's (Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader DeLay and Majority Whip Blunt) strong opposition to the amendment and their commitment to crushing it in conference. "We welcome the Leadership's recognition of the important relationship with our reliable ally and friend Turkey and of the need for continued close economic and security relations between our countries," the statement says in closing. In their statement issued immediately after the passage of the Schiff Amendment, the House Leadership announced they would not schedule the Genocide Resolution (HR 193) during the remainder of this Congress. "Our relationship with Turkey is too important to us to allow it to be in any way damaged by a poorly crafted and ultimately meaningless amendment." The foreign aid bill discuss its version of bill, Senate version compared to House version, In the upcoming weeks the Senate will begin consideration of its version of the 2005 foreign aid bill; following its adoption on the Senate floor, House and Senate appropriators will convene a conference to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. 3. NATO Exercises in Baltic Sates    (Big News Network.com)--NATO has launched massive exercises with former Soviet republics in the Baltic states. The joint international military exercises called Rescuer/Medcuer-2004, have begun in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, under the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. Forces from the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are participating in the exercises, along with troops from the former Soviet satellite nations of Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia and Romania alongside US forces, reported the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service. The servicemen will train on cleaning up the aftermath of natural disasters, and preventing terrorist acts in the Baltic states, according to Interfax. They are also developing cooperation between military and civilian agencies in the prevention of human and natural disasters. The drill script includes providing medical and humanitarian aid to large groups of people, deploying a peacekeeping force, and setting up sea-based and coastal hospitals. Divers will train on exposing terrorist groups and de-mining sea areas and hydro-technical facilities. The exercises will conclude on July 30. 4. Georgia Threatens to Drop South Ossetia Peace Deal TBILISI (Reuters)--Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili threatened on Tuesday to abandon a deal that has kept the peace for a decade in one of two Georgian regions lost to separatists. Leaders in South Ossetia, immediately responded by saying such a move could lead to a new war. Saakashvili questioned a 1992 accord that sent peacekeepers to South Ossetia, where tension has risen between Georgian authorities and separatist leaders who want to join Russia. Georgia and Russia accuse each other of undermining the deal. The president criticized provisions of the agreement, signed by his predecessor Eduard Shevardnadze, banning the Georgian flag from areas patrolled by peacekeepers. "I heard recently, and one of the Russian peacekeepers confirmed this, that in the center of Kartli (in South Ossetia) raising the Georgian flag is considered illegal," Saakashvili said. "If the previous Georgian authorities, representatives of Shevardnadze's regime, signed such agreements then we intend to withdraw from them and denounce these documents." Since leading a bloodless revolution to oust Shevardnadze and winning election in January, Saakashvili has made restoring central authority over all Georgian territory a policy priority. The president was speaking on Tuesday to the newly elected local assembly in Ajaria, a Georgian region on the Black Sea where he forced local leader Abashidze from office in May. Saakashvili hopes to capitalize on that to bring mountainous South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another Black Sea region, back under central control. But that is proving more difficult as, unlike Ajaria, both areas have formally declared independence and are populated mostly by non-Georgians. Eduard Kokoity, the leader of unrecognized South Ossetia, said Saakashvili's comments "could lead to a new war. "It is thanks to this very agreement that conflict was halted in 1992," he told Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. Russia counseled caution. "All these years, the agreements reached around the Georgian-Ossetian conflict have upheld stability," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in Moscow. "There are no other mechanisms. Clearly, it would be improper to abandon them." The 1992 agreement set up a peacekeeping force with troops from Russia, Georgia and South Ossetia itself. But the accord has looked shaky in recent weeks, as Georgia has accused Russian peacekeepers of siding with separatists and trying to arm them, while Moscow has accused Georgia of trying to trigger a military confrontation in South Ossetia. Representatives of the three sides met in Moscow last week for talks, which ended with little progress. This week, Saakashvili briefly visited by night, a region adjoining South Ossetia-- a move criticized by Russia as unhelpful in trying to firm up peace. Earlier this month, he told military graduates that Georgia wanted peace, but in the event of outside aggression, "we will meet it with aggression. Great battles await Georgia." 5. NEWS BRIEFS Putin Calls on Security Council to Save CIS From Collapse MOSCOW (RFE-RL)During a July 19 Security Council session devoted to Russia's policy on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russian president Vladimir Putin stated, "we are faced with an alternative: either we achieve a qualitative strengthening of the CISor this structure will be washed away from the geopolitical space," ITAR-TASS reported. "We should not let that happen, and Russia's role in boosting the influence and the authority of the CIS is very great," Putin said. He added that Russia faces the challenge posed by increasing "political and economic competition within the CIS space." Putin described the work of the Russian diplomatic corps and economic missions working in the CIS as inefficient and inadequate. He called for Russia to develop a coordinated and consistent policy on the CIS, adding that the Foreign Ministry should actively work to protect the rights of ethnic Russians living in the CIS. Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov announced after the meeting that the council decided at the session to set up a special committee to boost cooperation among the CIS states. The council also directed the Foreign Ministry to set up Russian information and cultural centers in CIS states. Karabagh Hands Over Azeri Prisoner STEPANAKERT (ARMENPRESS)Authorities of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic said Monday that they have handed over an Azeri soldier that had been detained when he crossed a cease-fire line last month. The hand-over of the 19-year-old serviceman, detained on June 30, took place after consultations with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Yerevan Mayor Favor Appointment of Future Mayors YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Current Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharian stated that he is in favor of converting the mayoral post from an elected position to an appointed post. He believes that such a move would be appropriate, because one third of the country's population lives within the city. Zakharian noted that one of the disadvantages of having an elected mayor is the disagreements that may rise between state authorities and the city head. Georgian Foreign Minister to Visit Armenia YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili will pay an official visit to Armenia for the first time on July 21-22. According to Foreign Ministry Press Services, she will have meetings with president Kocharian, National Assembly speaker Arthur Baghdasarian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. During her trip, the foreign minister will visit the Armenian Genocide monument, Etchmiadzin and Sergey Parajanov museum. Kotayk Head Commends President for Vacationing Habits YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS) Kotayk Provincial Governor, Kovalenko Shahgeldian, told a news conference on Tuesday that he commends president Kocharian for spending both his summer and winter vacations within the province, rather than traveling abroad. The president spends his summer vacations at Lake Sevan and the winter holidays in the resort town of Dzaghgadzor. The governor added that the visits have positive impacts on provincial authorities "as we have to work more accurately, and, in addition, I am given an opportunity to discuss some pressing problems with the president in an unofficial atmosphere." Citing president Kocharian, the governor said that the anticipated funds from the Lincy Foundation will be used to improve the infrastructure of the region and promote cultural activity amongst its residents. Shahgeldian also noted that significant changes will be made to the region's athletic facilities. Kocharian and Ryazanov Discuss Pipeline to Iran YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Armenian President Robert Kocharian and deputy chairman of the board of the Russian company Gazprom, Alexander Ryazanov, discussed the construction of a gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia in Yerevan on July 19. The sides also evaluated the work of ArmRosgazprom. 45 percent of the company is controlled by Gazprom. Shooter Norayr Bakhtamian Set 6 Records in Belarus YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Norayr Bakhtamian was among rifle shooters from 5 countries participating in an open competition in Belarus. He set 2 records in the host country. Garnering 575 points in the 50m competitions, Bakhtamian also surpassed the record of Gyumri's Yuri Sahakian, by three points. Overjoyed with his performance, Bakhtamian's coach said that he is confident that the shooter will make a similar showing during the upcoming Olympics. Thailand Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Armenia YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)A Thailand-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, headed by Senator Sanit Kulcharoen, will pay a visit to Armenia on July 21. According to Parliament Press Services, the delegation will meet Armenian National Assembly chairman Arthur Baghdasarian, Armenia-Thailand parliamentary friendship group members, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen Chshmaritian and Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharian. The trip will end on July 27. Lake Sevan is 1897 Meters above Sea Level GAVAR (ARMENPRESS)According to Sevan Observatory sources, Lake Sevan is currently situated 1897.95 meters above the sea level. Last year, the level was half a meter lower. The observatory also reported that 35 million cubic meters of water from Sevan was used for irrigation purposes between June 24 and July 20. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Ria Novosti, Russia
July 20 2004
GOLOS ROSSII RADIO STATION STARTS BROADCASTING IN GEORGIA, ARMENIA
MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Golos Rossii (Russia’s Voice)
Russian State radio company has started broadcasting in Georgia and
Armenia. Golos Rossii programs are broadcasted in FM format six hours
a day in Yerevan and Tbilisi.
In Yerevan programs of the Sodruzhestvo (Commonwealth) channel are
broadcasted from 8.00 till 10.00, and from 20.00 till 22.00 at 103
FM. From 11.45 till 19.00 Golos Rossii information reviews are
broadcasted in the last 15 minutes of every hour.
Programs of the Russian International Radio and Sodruzhestvo channel
are broadcasted in Tbilisi from 10.00 till 13.00 and from 19.00 till
22.00 at 99.8 FM.
“Now Golos Rossii is considering the possibility of similar
cooperation with Azerbaijan,” the radio company said.
Since April Golos Rossii programs have been broadcasted in Lithuania
and the Crimea.

ArmenPress
July 20 2004
KOTAYK GOVERNOR COMMENDS THE PRESIDENT FOR SPENDING VACATIONS IN
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: The governor of Kotayk province
Kovalenko Shahgeldian told a news conference today that he commends
president Kocharian for choosing the province as the site of his both
summer and winter vacations instead of spending them abroad. The
president spends his summer vacation on lake Sevan and the winter
holidays in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor.
The governor also added that this fact has a positive impact on
the provincial authorities ‘as we have to work more accurately, and
apart from it I am given an opportunity to discuss with the president
some pressing problems in an unofficial atmosphere.”
Citing president Kocharian the governor said the anticipated funds
from Lincy Foundation should be used to improve cultural, athletic
and road facilities of the regions. He said this would bring in
serious investments for upgrading of the province’s athletic
facilities.

Ria Novosti, Russia
July 20 2004
RUSSIA NOT TO TAKE PART IN NATO EXERCISE IN LATVIA
RIGA, July 20. (RIA Novosti) – On July 20th, the Latvian city of
Aluksne will host the opening of the NATO international military
exercise Rescue Medcare.
This will be the year’s largest exercise, reported the Latvian
Defense Ministry’s press service. In April Latvia together with other
six East and Central European nations became a full-fledged member of
the Alliance.
According to the ministry’s spokesman Ivars Grinbergs, the
headquarters of the two-week exercise will be located in Aluksne, not
far from the Russian border.
The exercise itself will take place in the Latvian port of Liepaja,
where a naval base is stationed, the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, in
the Estonian cities of Tallinn and Tapa and in the Bulgarian capital
of Sofia.
It will involve about 2,000 servicemen and civilians from 18
countries – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the USA, Germany,
Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
The exercise aims at “improving cooperation of armed forces with
state and non-state structures in managing critical situations,” the
press service reported.
Among other things, the participants will train methods of
anti-terrorist fight, humanitarian and medical assistance to
eliminate consequences of natural calamities.
The exercise is held as part of the NATO program Partnership for
Peace. It will be coordinated by the command of the US troops in
Europe.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

France hails Turkey reforms,says EU entry years away
By Elizabeth Pineau
PARIS, July 20 (Reuters) – France urged Turkey on Tuesday to push
ahead with economic and political reforms to bolster its bid for entry
to the European Union, but warned Ankara was still a long way from
securing full membership.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan emerged upbeat from a “very
positive” working lunch with French President Jacques Chirac, who
supports Ankara’s EU entry bid despite the opposition of his governing
conservative party.
EU leaders will decide in December whether to open entry talks with
Ankara. Britain, Germany, Italy and Greece have pledged strong
support for Turkey’s EU bid, with France seen as the only large EU
state still expressing reservations.
Turkish financial markets are closely watching the run-up to December,
fearful that a ‘no’ could trigger a fresh economic crisis, unseat the
government and perhaps reverse some reforms.
Chirac’s spokeswoman told reporters the French head of state believed
Turkey’s entry into the 25-nation bloc was “desirable as soon as it
actually becomes possible.”
In June, Chirac said Turkey’s EU drive was “irreversible.”
“Turkey has made considerable progress. It should continue and
intensify the implementation of democratic and economic reforms,”
Chirac’s spokeswoman quoted him as telling Erdogan.
Diplomats expect negotiations to start in 2005 but say full membership
is a decade away. Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told Europe 1 radio
Turkey would not join the EU overnight.
“The road is still long, but it is on this path and has been making
progress for some time,” he said.
GREEN LIGHT FOR TALKS
Erdogan said all Ankara wanted for now was a favourable report from
the European Commission on the start of entry talks.
A green light from EU leaders at their end-of-year summit “will not
constitute a decision on Turkey’s joining the European Union, it will
simply be a decision to start entry negotiations with Turkey,” Erdogan
said after meeting Chirac.
Earlier, he told French business leaders Turkish membership would
benefit the Union. He said he was convinced France “will give us the
greatest support” at the EU’s December summit.
Erdogan is using his three-day visit to France to woo government and
political leaders and brief them on Turkey’s progress in bringing its
laws into line with EU rules.
France’s political class is deeply divided over admitting its NATO
ally to the European Union, critics citing Turkey’s poverty and human
rights record as barriers.
Alain Juppe, a close Chirac ally and former head of the conservative
UMP party, has said the entry of a Muslim nation of 70 million would
distort the 25-nation European Union.
The opposition Socialists support Turkish membership in principle, but
party chief Francois Hollande has linked the start of entry talks to
Ankara’s recognition of the 1915 killing of Armenians as genocide.
France is home to a significant Armenian population. Pro-Armenian
groups were to demonstrate in Paris later on Tuesday against Erdogan’s
three-day visit.
Turkey’s ruling centre-right AKP party, which has its roots in
political Islam, has introduced a flurry of liberal political and
economic reforms ahead of December’s decision.
The Turkish government hopes to pass two major EU-linked laws — a
revised penal code bringing criminal law closer to EU norms and a law
easing limits on freedom of association — at a special session in
September.
07/20/04 12:18 ET

Anadolu Agency
July 20 2004
Erdogan: We Want A Date For Opening Of Accession Talks With E.U.
PARIS – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday,
”Turkey wants a date not for full membership, but for opening of
accession talks with the European Union (EU).”
Prime Minister Erdogan, who is currently paying a state visit to
France, met members of the French Parliamentary Foreign Affairs
Commission.
During the meeting, Erdogan informed members of the commission on
historical development of the bilateral relations between Turkey and
France.
Upon a question about Turkey’s EU membership process, Prime Minister
Erdogan said, ”Turkey wants a date not for full membership, but for
opening of accession talks with the EU.”
Referring to recent developments in Iraq, Prime Minister Erdogan
said, ”Turkey has always advocated that Iraq’s territorial integrity
should be protected, and none of ethnical groups in the country
should be allowed to be dominant over another.”
Upon a question about so-called Armenian genocide, Prime Minister
Erdogan said, ”it is an issue with which historians should deal. As
politicians, we are obliged to build the future instead of discussing
such issues. Armenian diaspora has been trying to keep the so-called
Armenian genocide high on agenda. In fact, it is not beneficial for
Armenia at all. The bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia
cannot be improved as long as such campaigns continue. If they put an
end to their campaign of defamation against Turkey, border gates
between Turkey and Armenia may be opened.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Sierra Sun, CA
July 20 2004
Azad McIver leaves town a lasting legacy
Renée Shadforth
Azad McIver was a small, seemingly shy woman who lived in a tiny
Gateway cottage, but her longtime friends say she had a huge giving
spirit that had a large impact on the Truckee of today.
McIver died July 13 at the age of 95. She and her siblings – Roxie
Archie and Richard Joseph, who preceded her in death – emigrated from
Turkish Armenia in the early 1900s and left a strong legacy in the
Truckee community.
McIver, considered the most soft-spoken and easygoing of her
siblings, was one of the last in a generation that formed Truckee
into what it is today.
“Azad was this remarkable spirit. She always had a giggle or a
laugh,” said Embree “Breeze” Cross, a longtime Truckee resident and
former town council member. “She always found delight in things. She
was the most delightful girl.”
Namesakes of McIver’s generation are splattered all over Truckee.
There are McIver Arena and McIver Hill, named after Azad McIver’s
late husband, Jim. And then there is the Joseph Government Center,
named after the Joseph family.
In 1949, McIver’s brother donated the land for Tahoe Forest Hospital
and the money for many of its facilities. Decades later, after her
siblings died, McIver provided more land for the hospital’s current
expansion project.
“They wanted to build more, I said ‘OK,'” McIver told the Sierra Sun
in March 2003, her words colored with the remnants of her Old Country
accent. “My brother’s wish was to build a hospital. I’d rather take
care of our people here than give it to Uncle [Sam].”
McIver saw most of her friends die in the same hospital. Others moved
from Truckee to more temperate climates.
Azad McIver outlasted most of them.
“I’ve had a lot of good friends,” she told the Sierra Sun. “Most of
them just aren’t around anymore. I come from good stock.”
From Armenia to Truckee
The imprint the Joseph (formerly Hovsepian) family left on Truckee
came after many life struggles and a lot of old-fashioned hard work.
Until her death, McIver was able to tell the stories from her youth
in the Old Country and Truckee in astonishing detail.
McIver was born in Harpoot, in Turkish Armenia, on Oct. 12, 1908 – 18
years after her brother, Dick, and four years after her sister,
Roxie.
At age 6, McIver fled her homeland under her 10-year-old sister’s
wing during the Armenian massacre. They left Turkey on foot, walking
through the Syrian desert to Aleppo, Syria. The girls were placed in
an orphanage staffed by British and French missionaries who kept them
from starving to death.
After contacting their Uncle Mgurdich in Andover, Mass., the sisters
purchased third-class boat tickets and came to the United States on
July 4, 1920.
“I cried – what a beautiful place with beautiful people,” Azad
recalled about her experience coming to America. “It was strange. All
I knew before was Turks, and they wanted to kill us.”
At 16, Azad’s sister, Roxie, married and moved to Worchester, Mass.
Soon after, the newlyweds and Azad moved to Chicago.
In 1922, Dick Joseph – who moved to the States in 1906 and to Truckee
in 1917 – advertised for his sisters in an Armenian newspaper
published in Fresno, Calif. Someone in Chicago brought the ad to the
sisters’ attention, and McIver and Archie met their brother in
Truckee later that year.
A legacy of her own
Although McIver always maintained she donated money to fulfill the
wishes of her brother, who passed away in 1986, McIver created quite
a legacy of her own, said Bob Tilton, who started the Tahoe Forest
Hospital Foundation in 1987.
“Dick did a lot for the community, but Azad carried the banner after
his death,” Tilton said. “Every single expansion the hospital has
ever done, Azad either took part in fund-raising or donated money.”
Tilton, 58, grew up in the Truckee-North Tahoe area and knew the
Joseph family well. He went to Azad once a year to seek a donation
for the hospital, even when her older sister was the one handling the
family’s business.
“[McIver] definitely felt compelled to help the hospital. She always
told me the hospital was vital to building a strong community,”
Tilton said.
In addition to what she gave to Tahoe Forest Hospital, McIver became
a founding member of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation in 1999.
The Joseph family also donated to the University of Nevada, Reno
Foundation and Shriners Hospital, among other causes.
Modest living
A photographer and barber by trade, Dick Joseph made his money as a
businessman. He owned Manstyle Barbers, a cigar store and the Pastime
Club in downtown Truckee.
As a young adult, Azad worked at the Pastime, which was a popular
local hangout and speakeasy at the time. Azad met many interesting
people while working at the restaurant, including her late husband,
Jim McIver, a local blacksmith, dairyman and car salesman who
delivered mail to Tahoe City. Azad and Jim McIver were married in
Reno on Aug. 10, 1944.
In 1935, Richard Joseph purchased the land between Gateway and Donner
Lake from the Union Ice Company. The family built the Gateway Motel
in 1939, near the present site of Safeway,
McIver lived modestly in one of the former rental cottages in Gateway
for decades. The walls of her home were plastered with photos
depicting Truckee at a different time.
“They had a lot of money, but you’d never know it,” Tilton said of
the Joseph family. “They traveled a lot, but they didn’t dress fancy.
Dick would be dressed in his old coat. Azad would be dressed in her
old coat.”
Responsibility for community
When Truckee became a town in 1993, Archie and McIver asked
then-Mayor Kathleen Eagan and council member Breeze Cross to come to
their Gateway home. Cross had no idea why at the time.
“They called us over, and they’d heard the town didn’t have any
money, since it was new,” Cross recalls. “They said ‘It’s terrible
that the town doesn’t have any money, so here’s a check for $25,000.’
We were amazed. It was so touching.”
Archie and McIver were known to pop into a public meeting every now
and then when an important decision was going to be made. They wanted
to know about the decisions made in their community, Tilton said.
“That’s the way our community used to be – we helped each other. We
had to,” Tilton said. “Any decision you made affected someone you
know personally.”
In 1997, Archie – McIver’s sister and lifelong companion – passed
away in the Tahoe Forest Hospital long-term care center. Since Archie
handled most of the family’s business, there was some concern about
McIver, the shy sister, carrying the family torch.
But friends say she blossomed and continued to give in the Joseph
family spirit.
“Truckee was their family and they always made us part of their
family,” Tilton said of the Josephs. “The whole family just took it
on as their responsibility, and Azad carried that legacy.”