Community The Armenian - Armenian Reporter

community
Southern California
This Armenian Life:
Arman the Beekeeper
Story on page B2 m
Crime Beat: Accused
health care fraudster
nabbed
Story on page B5 m
Melekian is interim
Pasadena manager
Story on page B5 m
Profile: Watchmaker
Garo Anserlian
Story on page B6 m
Restaurants: Que Rico
Taqueria
Story on page B7 m
Central California
Fresno fundraiser to
help send students to
the homeland
Story on page B3 m
Eastern U.S.
Boston-area Armenians
and Jews share stories
Story on page B8 m
Connecticut parish
observes St. Nersess Day
Story on page B9 m
At Lincoln Center, a
restored Spartacus
AGBU campus near
crime scene closed
for the day
Continued on page B3 m
the armenian
reporter
Western U.S. Edition
Number 25
February 16, 2008
Armenian doctor saves officer after
shooting that leaves five dead
at around 1 A.M., while Veenstra
was in critical condition.
“[Veenstra] was sitting awake and
alert, in a decent amount of pain,”
Dr. Aslanian said. “He had already
undergone a CAT scan. The entire
Security measures to
be bolstered
left side of his jaw was shattered by
the bullet. The bullet also caused a
lot of injury to all the soft tissues:
the tongue, lip, cheek, and gums.
by Alene Tchekmedyian
Because it was an open wound,
there was a good chance bacteria
would seep into it, so I made the
decision to take him to the operat-
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.7 – It was ing room immediately.”
about 1:30 A.M. on February 8 when Dr. Aslanian conducted a de-
Dr. Gabriel Aslanian received an bridement procedure – removing
urgent call from the Emergency from the wound loose fragments
Room at Northridge Hospital Med- such as bone, bullet, tongue, and
ical Center. He was asked to come tissue – to minimize the officer’s
in to evaluate a police officer who chances of developing an infec-
had just been shot in the face. tion.
Los Angeles Police Department Next Dr. Aslanian performed in-
(LAPD) Special Weapons and Tactics termaxillary fixation on Veenstra
Dr. Gabriel
(SWAT) officer James Veenstra to reconstruct fractured bones so
Aslanian during a
was shot during a nearly 11-hour they could grow back in the cor-
press conference
standoff at a West Valley house on rect position. “I did my best to put
with Southern
the 19000 block of Welby Way, in all remaining pieces back together
California media
which gunman Edwin Rivera, 20, again,” the doctor said. “His jaw
outlets.
killed three of his family members. was shattered… It was like putting
After Rivera refused orders by lo- broken arm into cast.”
have been able to fight off infection, University of Stoneybrook, New
cal police officers to leave the house, Later Veenstra underwent a tra- which is our greatest concern.” York. He received dental and sur-
the LAPD SWAT team arrived on the cheotomy, a process of making an Born in Ethiopia, Dr. Aslanian gery training at Long Island Jewish
scene and an exchange of fire en- incision in the windpipe to allow moved to the United States in 1974. Medical Center.
sued. Two SWAT officers, Randal the patient to breathe out of the After graduating from the AGBU Dr. Aslanian’s alma mater, the
Simmons and Veenstra, were shot. hole rather than the nose or mouth. Manoogian-Demirdjian School, he AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
Rivera himself was eventually shot The whole operation lasted approx- attended California State Univer- School, which he serves as a trustee
and killed. As the injured officers imately three hours.
sity, Northridge. He studied den- and chair of the Alumni Associawere
hurried to Northridge Hospi- “Since then he has been doing tistry at the University of Southern
Story on page B9 m tal Medical Center, Simmons died, very well,” Dr. Aslanian said. “We California and medicine at State
Continued on page B3 m
Sergei Paradjanov’s work to be
shown at LACMA in late February
by Brandon Lowrey
LOS ANGELES7 – Six films by
acclaimed Soviet-Armenian filmmaker
Sergei Paradjanov will be
shown at the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art this month, nearly
18 years after his death.
The films will begin Feb. 22 and run
through Feb. 29, showcasing Paradjanov’s
four best-known works will be
shown, along with two earlier pieces.
The films are noted for being lavishly
detailed, rich in story, character and
beautifully shot.
“He worked in this sort of extravagance.
You say, ‘Jesus, how did he
do this?’” said Professor Dickran
Kouymijian, director of the Armenian
Studies program at California
State University, Fresno. “The
things he could do on the set were
unbelievable.”
Kouymijian personally knew Paradjanov,
who died in 1990; he eventually
wrote Paradjanov’s obituary
for a French publication. The professor
described Paradjanov as an
aesthetic-minded man who had a
natural knack for creating beauty.
“He was a creator. An instantaneous
creator,” said Kouymijian.
“He could turn nothing into something,
whether it was on film or
in a collage or in the decoration of
a room or a table, or even in the
dressing of a woman.
“He loved beauty. He was involved
as a child, as a teenager ... in all the
arts – he did ballet, he did piano,
theatre.”
Sergei Paradjanov (left) and Dr. Dickran Kouymjian at Paradjanov's home in
Tbilisi, May 24, 1987. Photo: Hye Sharzhoom.
Paradjanov’s poetic style with
film was a stark departure from
socialist realism – the only artistic
style accepted in the Soviet
Union. And like many artists under
Communist rule, he was censored,
blacklisted and spent several years
in Soviet prisons.
From 1965 to 1973, Paradjanov
was banned from making movies.
In 1973, he was arrested and imprisoned
on trumped up charges of
homosexuality, dealing in foreign
currency, anti-state behavior and
other crimes, Kouymijian said. Paradjanov
was jailed until 1977.
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
(1964) is about star-crossed lovers
in the Ukraine – a man falls in love
with the daughter of his father’s
murderer. When she dies in a tragic
accident, he tries to move on. But
her memory haunts him, even as
he remarries in this tale of sorrow,
humiliation and sorcery.
“There is no modernization of
any sort, no vehicles,” Kouymijian
said. Instead, Paradjanov presents
his audience a “heavily overloaded,
absolutely gorgeous (depiction of)
traditional life” in the Carpathians.
“It’s absolutely extraordinary. The
camera work is incredible. The film
was not like any other Soviet film.
It was immediately remarked upon
and was a very popular cult film.”
This film was the first of Paradjanov’s
to flagrantly buck the So-
Candidate Speier recalls
surviving Jonestown
by Tania Ketenjian
Jackie Speier is expected to be
elected in a special election this spring
to complete the term of Rep. Tom
Lantos, who died on February 11.
Mr. Lantos had announced in early
January that he would not be seeking
reelection, and Ms. Speier had
already been campaigning to succeed
him. What follows is the second in a
four-part series about the American-
Armenian candidate.
SAN FRANCISCO7 – Former
State Senator Jackie Speier is running
for Congress. But this is hardly
a daunting challenge for a woman
who has been in politics for most
of her life, even through the most
difficult of times.
Ms. Speier was in high school
at the time of her first foray into
politics, when she went to work for
Rep. Leo Ryan. Throughout college
and law school, she kept her
connection to Mr. Ryan, her mentor,
ultimately becoming his legal
counsel when she was a young lawyer.
Her association with Mr. Ryan
led to their fact-finding mission to
Guyana in 1978, a trip that would
change her life forever.
In the 1970s, Jim Jones, an ordained
minister, had drawn a considerable
congregation to his church,
the People’s Temple, in California,
promising racial equality and social
justice. Mr. Jones envisioned himself
as a healer and savior. After an
investigation into Mr. Jones’ church
Jackie Speier.
for tax evasion had begun in 1977,
he and most of the 900 members of
the People’s Temple moved to the
small, Central American country of
Guyana, where he promised to build
a utopian community. But congregation
members who had left the
People’s Temple prior to its move
to Guyana told the authorities of
brutal beatings and murders. There
were also rumors of a mass suicide
plan. On November 18, 1978, these
rumors proved to be true as 913 inhabitants
of Jonestown, including
276 children, died in a mass suicide
at the People’s Temple settlement.
While most of Mr. Jones’ followers
committed suicide by drinking a
cocktail of Flavor Aid, cyanide, and a
sedative, many were killed by forced
cyanide injection or shooting.
Continued on page B4 m

B2
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The
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Armenian
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Reporter | February 16, 2008
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this armenian life Arman the Beekeeper forced out of business
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“We had 2,800 colonies of bees at his arms in the air, trying to mimic unless provoked, and multiply 1.800.ACS.2345
by only one targeted by Bob the Dam
by Tamar Kevonian
one point,” Arman explains. “But I
got squeezed out,” he says, hinting
at sinister conspiracies. His story
their senseless terror. Arman soon
understood that their complaints
were not about the bees themselves
the thousands every www.cancer.org/daffodils
year when Keeper’s incessant campaign to
they split the existing colony and have them removed. He called the
swarm to form a new one with the city council, the fire department,
LOS ANGELES7 – Arman the
includes the usual challenges faced
by a business owner, along with
politics, violence, racism, land de-
but the waste generated by them.
“The poop is like a very small dot
that turns into powder,” he says,
queen bee.
Shrewd farmers and an
and every other official he could
find. The timing of his harassment
coincided with the fires in
Beekeeper is a gregarious, full-bodied
32-year-old man with an infecvelopment,
and old Armenian men.
“I would place my swarms all
rubbing his forefingers together to
indicate their intangibility.
old nemesis
the Azusa Canyon that year. “The
public works department called
tious sense of humor and impish over the foothills, up Angeles Crest, The homeowners started call- As Arman’s colony grew, he began and then the fire marshal,” Arman
twinkle in his eye that seems to say, from Los Angeles County up to San ing town meetings and filing com- to rent them out to farmers in Fres- says. “Apparently my bees were
“Life is a joke and I know the punch Bernardino County: Arcadia, Mont-
line.” He has been on a journey of clair, Altadena, Pomona,” Arman
self-discovery and settled into the explains. “Then they started buildplaints
with their city council memno. “Once I knocked on the door
bers. “I started getting calls from of this farm and this old man an-
[Mike] Antonovich’s office apoloThis
space swered,” contributed he recalls. as a public “‘Why service. do I need
swarming around the heliport and
the helicopter pilots were getting
scared,” he adds incredulously. “I
world of pest extermination for the ing houses up there and I started
last year. It is the latest in a string getting complaints.” City officials
of half a dozen career paths he has from Los Angeles County Public
explored in the past three years. His Works Department would call him
gizing but still asking me to remove
the bees,” he shrugs. Eventually the
city offered him a location deep in
Azusa Canyon, past the San Gabriel
your bees?’ he said. ‘All the farms
around are paying for them so I
get to use them for free.’ He knew
his stuff and he was Armenian. I
asked them. ‘How can this tiny,
one-ounce animal fight against
the wind generated by the blades?’
but it didn’t matter.”
stints have included running a lim- to relay homeowner grievances and Dam. It was a difficult location to couldn’t argue with him,” Arman That incident, and almost drivousine
service, towing, auto trans- ask him to speak to them.
access, requiring advance notice says with a chuckle.
ing off the side of the cliff on the
portation, retail sales in the ladies’ He would knock on the door of to the dam keeper before every During one such trip, as he was way back from the mountains on a
shoe industry, and mortgage brokering,
but pest control seems like a
these large, newly built homes and
announce with a smile, “Hi I’m the
visit. Bob the Dam Keeper did not
appreciate being inconvenienced
returning from Fresno, he decided
to stop in the mountains to drop off
dark night, finally persuaded him
to get out of honey producing. He
natural evolution from his original beekeeper,” and would be met with and constantly complained to his some of his bees. He called ahead sold his business and went on a
occupation of beekeeper and honey panic and demands for the imme- superiors, even though there were to inform Bob the Dam Keeper of search for a different calling, even-
producer. It is an odd occupation diate removal of his bee colonies.
for someone who abhors sweets. Arman rolls his eyes at this point,
other beekeepers with locations
in those mountains. “Apparently I
his plans and the time of his arrival.
“I was there loading my truck and I
tually settling on pest control. “I
used to always get calls from peo-
From the outset, Arman was showing his amazement at the was disturbing his peace,” Arman see these headlights coming down ple who had bees colonized in the
involved in the family honey busi- oblivious nature of the residents says with sarcasm.
the mountain,” he says. “Next thing walls of their house and I would
ness, which was started by his fa- of those million-dollar homes with The honeybee is a necessity not you know, it’s Bob the Dam Keeper go get them out,” Arman says, dether
in 1984 after emigrating here
from Armenia four years prior to
that. It was an usual occupation
but one they were very good at.
Although there were other similar
enterprises at the time, theirs was
their elaborate landscaping. He says
he tried to explain the impossibility
of the task, the bees’ harmlessness,
their necessity for the existence of
fruits, vegetables, and the flowers
in their yard, but to no avail.
just in the pollination of flowers with his gun drawn, so I pulled out scribing the foundation for his cur-
in our gardens, but also of fruits my gun.” After significant yelling rent business idea. “After a while I
in the orchards and vegetables and arguing, both men went their realized I could make a living from
in the fields. One-third of all the own way but the saga was just be- this. Now I don’t have to rip the
food we consume is a result of the ginning.
walls out to get them out alive; I
work done by this tiny pollinator. Although Arman’s hives were just . spray.” And so a new career
the only one to be owned by an Ar- “Get them out!” the homeowners Honeybees require a mere five not the only ones in the moun- was launched for the former beemenian.
would scream at him, as he waves miles to gather pollen, never sting tains, he seems to have been the keeper. f
You can fight back against cancer by supporting the American
Cancer Society Daffodil Days. Visit www.cancer.org/daffodils to
purchase Daffodil Days products, brighten a patient’s day by
making a Gift of Hope donation, send an E-card or become a
Daffodil Days volunteer.
4-1/4” x 5-1/4”
1.800.ACS.2345
www.cancer.org/daffodils
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The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008 B3
Community
Fresno fundraiser to help send students to the homeland
by Nyrie Karkazian
FRESNO, Calif.7 – The newly
named Charlie Keyan Armenian
Community School of Fresno celebrated
their fifth annual Crab
Feed fundraiser on Saturday, Feb.
9th with raffles, auctions, food and
music for everyone to boogie back
to the 70s.
The 1970s-themed fundraiser
was held at Holy Trinity Armenian
Church and was hosted by Kopi
Sotiropulos “Great Day” co-anchor
for KMPH Fox 26.
The night was filled with disco
balls and live disco music performed
by Papa Bear and Company
along with an all you can eat
crab dinner. Students and Parents
served guests family style along
with special guest servers Jerry
Tarkanian former Fresno State
basketball coach, Tom Boyajian
Fresno Mayoral candidate and
Alexan Balekian KSEE 24 sportscaster.
“People were dancing, eating,
bidding on silent auction…we had
so much fun there were so many
people trying to outbid each other
during the live auction, it was
great,” said Lena Karkazian member
of the Crab Feed Committee
along with Dzovig Kutumian,
Melissa Pilavian, Paula Sapatjian,
Mary Krikorian and Hasmik Nishanian.
Along with the live auction
people spent the night bidding on
items from the silent auction as
well as on mystery boxes which
contained gift certificates from
$25 to $100 and basketballs signed
by Tarkanian. A 50/50 cash raffle
was also held where the amount
of money the winner spent on the
raffle was split evenly between the
winner and the school.
m Story starts on page B1
tion, was shut down on February
8 because of its proximity to the
scene of the crime.
“The roads to the school were
blocked by police activity and,
more importantly, at the time that
the parents and students would
arrive, there was a lot of tear gas
in the air and the action had not
yet come to an end,” said Levon
Keshishian, Director of Business
Operations at AGBU, who arrived
on the scene at 6 AM that day. “We
provided the [school’s] auditorium
as a counseling center so that the
city and county crisis counselors
and police can meet. We also provided
two classrooms for the LAPD
to do investigations and interviews,
and the parking lot was provided
for access parking.”
Dr. Aslanian was thankful for
the measures the school took to
protect the students, including his
own children. “The school not only
shut down for the day, but school
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“It was great,” Christina Karakashian,
Armenian School Alumnus,
said. “It was really cute to see
the students serving because we
were once students at the Arme-
Armenian doctor saves officer after
shooting that leaves five dead
facilities were made available to local
authorities,” he said.
Word of the crime traveled quickly;
before school was supposed to
be in session, all 950 students and
100 faculty members were aware of
the situation. “We posted it on our
website immediately,” Keshishian
said. “I went on live TV announcing
that the school is closed. We
have an emergency hotline where
we posted a notice as well. We sent
581 e-mails to parents who have
provided their e-mail addresses.
Everyone heard because they text
and call each other.”
The tragedy has prompted AGBU
officials to reevaluate the school’s
security measures. The Safety and
Security Committee plans to employ
new techniques to ensure the
safety of students. “The main thing
that we are going to look into is a
text messaging system [for instantly
notifying parents of an emergency],
which would entail updating
our records of parents’ numbers,”
Keshishian said. f
Correction
In the January 26, 2008, issue
of the Armenian Reporter, in
Karine Chakarian’s “Evolving
art of tying the knot’ article,
the surname of newlyweds
Tanya and Hratch should have
been Jaghasbanian instead of
Gregorian. We apologize for
the error.
nian school also and it’s great to
see all the benefits go toward the
school.”
Approximately 450 people attended
the Crab Feed which is the big-
Parajanov Festival starts February 22
m Story starts on page B1
viet realist style, playing with color
to express moods.
“That film was a revolution,”
Kouymijian said.
The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
tells the tale of 17th-century Armenian
poet-priest Sayat Nova in
an unconventional style – as the
famous poet’s life story is related
through his poetry, the camera
rarely moves and the dialogue is
extremely limited.
“That film is something that really
was unique in Armenian film
history,” Kouymijian said. “No film
before or after has so well depicted
the traditional life of Armenians,
especially in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Here again, as with Shadows,
Paradjanov went heavy into
customs, traditions, church.... but
he also uses just absolutely tons of
medieval manuscripts.
“What happened in (Pomegranates)
is that Paradjanov takes his
camera and fixes it,” the professor
said. “You almost think that you’re
The Armenian Reporter reaches some 75,000 Armenian-
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Upper left:
Dzovig Kutumian,
Alina Kutumian,
Varouj Keshishian,
Melissa Pilavian,
Diane Messerlian,
Lisa Bardizbanian,
Hasmig
Nishanian. Upper
right: Ariana
Garabedian,
Amanda Garabedian,
Olivia Garabedian,
Deana
Garabedian, Jane
Gamoian, Barbara
Moosakhanian,
Nadia Garabedian,
Ashot Moosakhanian.
Lower: Harout
Bardizbanian,
Alexan Balekian,
Ara Karkazian,
Vahe Nishanian.
gest fundraiser event of the year for
the school and all the money raised
will go toward school necessities.
The school has been working on
moving into its new location on
looking at a slide show. He does
everything to arrange an aesthetically
mind-boggling scene, shoots
it, and goes on to another one.
“The cameraman in Soviet film
making is extremely important,”
Kouymijian said. “I’ll give you a dollar
if you can name the cameraman
in any American film. You can’t.”
Paradjanov’s best-known films
also include Ashik Kerib (1988) and
Legend of Suram Fortress (1984).
Paradjanov succumbed to cancer in
1990. It was only a few years before
his death that he was able to show
his films at international festivals.
But his distinct touch wasn’t limited
to the medium of film – many
of his collages, some of which he
constructed in prison, are on display
internationally. And many of
his personal belongings and pieces
of art can be found at the Paradjanov
Museum in Yerevan.
The Los Angeles County Museum of
Art is located in downtown Los Angeles,
5905 Wilshire Boulevard. f
For more information, go to www.lacma.
org.
Herndon and Villa and is planning on
being moved in completely by March
1st. There are about 95 students attending
the school this year from
nursery school to the 6th grade.
“The children are getting a valuable
education in both Armenian
and English,” Karkazian said.
Among these valuable learning
experiences the students are receiving
are the trips they take every
year either to Washington or Armenia.
This year the fifth and sixth
grade classes are taking a trip to Armenia
March 7th to the 20th along
with their families. They will be
spending Palm Sunday in Armenia
at Holy Etchmiadzin and will also
be visiting different places such as
the Madenataran, Garni, Geghart
and the Museum of Children’s Creative
Art.
“As a parent I am so excited to
be able to go with my son who is a
sixth grader to see our homeland
and to be able to experience Armenia
as a family,” Karkazian said. f
connect:
info@acsof.org
(559) 233-1800
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
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Andriesh (1954)
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Ashik Kerib (1988)
Saturday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.
(74 minutes)
The First Lad (1958)
Saturday, Feb. 23, 9 p.m.
(86 minutes)
The Color of Pomegranates
(1969)
Friday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.
(73 minutes)
The Legend of Suram Fortress
(1984)
Friday, Feb. 29, 9:20 p.m.
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B4 The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008
Community
Armenian Allied Arts Association to hold competition
by Lory Tatoulian
LOS ANGELES7 – The Armenian
Allied Arts Association is
gearing up for its 68th annual
arts competition, set for the
spring of 2008. Since 1940, the
organization has awarded more
than $250,000 in cash prizes.
The competition is intended to
spotlight and foster the talents
of artists who live in the Armenian
community. The yearly
event recognizes artists in a series
of genres including fine art,
literature, dance, music, voice,
drama, and film. Competition
winners are awarded cash prizes,
certificates, and trophies.
Armenian Allied Arts Association
President Maurice Yotnegparian,
who has worked with the
association for more than 20 years,
says that this is the only Armenian
organization he is involved with
because he is a big advocate of the
arts. “Our competition gives many
artists their first opportunity to
expose their talents,” Yotnegparian
says. “I think it is important to
give young Armenian artists the
chance to get up on the stage and
perform.”
The competition culminates in
an award ceremony when artists
are provided the chance to showcase
their talents. At the Artists’
Banquet, over $10,000 is given out
to various artists.
Since its inception, the competition
has functioned as a catalyst
for some of the most accomplished
contemporary Armenian artists.
Conductor George Pehlivanian and
opera star Isabel Bayrakdarian began
their careers as winners of the
annual competition. Pianist, composer,
and educator Vatche Mankerian,
who also serves as Program
Manager of the USC Institute of
Armenian Studies, is an alumnus
of the event. The association also
organizes concerts and art exhibitions
throughout the year.
The Armenian Allied Arts Association
was launched in 1934 by a
small group of distinguished Armenian-American
artists. They sought
to start a cultural club so that they
could stay connected with each
other and share their interest in
the art scene of Los Angeles. The
founding members included Marshall
Chashoudian, Greta M.
Chashoudian, Zaruhi Elmassian,
Hovsep Ignatius, Siroon Mangurian,
and Dr. Aram Tolegian.
Candidate Speier recalls surviving Jonestown
m Story starts on page B1
Three days before the tragedy, Mr.
Ryan led a fact-finding mission to
the Jonestown settlement to investigate
allegations of human rights
abuses. The delegation included
reporters from Time magazine and
NBC as well as Ms. Speier, who was
28 years old at the time. She wrote a
will before her departure to Guyana,
thinking that there was a chance
she might not come back alive.
“The weekend before we left, I
was listening to interviews of [People’s
Temple] defectors and none
of it added up,” Ms. Speier recalls.
“There were many unanswered
questions. I was literally in the process
of buying my first piece of real
estate at the time, a condominium,
and I had signed all the papers. But
I made [the purchase] contingent
on my trip to Guyana, knowing full
well that there was something very
risky about this trip and, should
I die, I didn’t want my parents to
be saddled with a piece of property
they had no need for.”
Ms. Speier’s precautions were
well-founded. As Mr. Ryan and his
delegation, along with 15 People’s
Temple defectors, were getting
ready to board a plane to leave Jonestown,
a group of Mr. Jones’ followers
opened fire, killing Mr. Ryan
Former California governor Gray Davis after passage of then-State Senator
Jackie Speier’s the landmark consumer protection bill. Ms. Speier proposed the
legislation that ensures Californians the strongest financial privacy protections
in the nation.
and five others. Ms. Speier was shot
five times and left for dead on the
tarmac.
The gift of a second
chance
“I was lying on this airstrip with bullet
holes throughout my body and
bones sticking out,” Ms. Speier recalls.
“It was a horrific moment. I
thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s over.’ So
when people ask, ‘How did you live
through that?’ I say it was a gift; I
survived when I shouldn’t have.”
Ms. Speier was hospitalized for
two months.
“I had lots of time to think,” she
says. “I had to learn how to walk
again because the first time I got
up to walk, I fainted. I had broken
so many bones in my arm and the
doctors were trying to get me to
flip a small Styrofoam pellet across
the room. I couldn’t do it. . . . So I
reassessed what was important to
me. When I came home that first
weekend, I realized I wasn’t in pain.
I mean, I was, but I discovered that
because I was directed in other ways,
I didn’t feel the pain as much. It
was like this light bulb that went
off in my head: ‘Here’s my chance,’
I thought. ‘Do I want to be a victim,
do I want to go through my life being
the Guyana victim, or do I want
to move on?’ Not just survive but
thrive. So three days after arriving
home, I ran for [Mr. Ryan’s] congressional
seat. It was the very last day I
could have done it. I chuckle about it
now but I do believe there is a plan.
Why did I get released from the hospital
when I got released and come
home and make that decision?”
Ms. Speier lost the election for
that seat – the very one she is now
running for. However, in 1980, as
she struggled to recover from her
injuries and tried to deal with the
loss of Mr. Ryan, as well as her
failed bid for the House of Representatives,
Ms. Speier ran for San
Mateo County Supervisor. She won,
beating a 20-year incumbent. “Had
I not run for Congress and lost, I
wouldn’t have been ready to run
for the Board of Supervisors,” she
says. Time and time again, it seems
like Ms. Speier sees the silver lining
through all her challenges. “You
have to be open to the path in your
life, watch it unfold and embrace it
when it does,” she stresses.
On February 11, 2008, Rep. Tom
Lantos died at the age of 80. Af-
The group later renamed itself the
Armenian Allied Arts Association,
a nonprofit organization dedicated
to encouraging and supporting
artistically talented individuals of
Armenian descent.
“I think art is just as important as
politics and religion,” Yotnegparian
says. “Sometimes it’s hard to find
people to be a patron of the arts
– they think art is just a pastime or
a hobby – but the Allied Arts Association
really likes to help artists
achieve their full potential.” f
connect:
www.armenianalliedarts.org
ter being diagnosed with cancer in
January, Mr. Lantos, chair of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
announced that he would not
seek reelection at the end of his
term next year. Ms. Speier is running
for his seat.
Like Ms. Speier, Mr. Lantos was
a fighter. He was the only Holocaust
survivor to serve in Congress.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commented,
“Tom Lantos devoted his
life to shining a bright light on dark
corners of oppression.” In a press
release posted on her website, Ms.
Speier stated: “Congressman Lantos’
tireless and passionate work for human
rights around the globe is legendary.
No one was more articulate,
persuasive, or tenacious in fighting
for all people, and no adversary was
too large for Tom. I have many fond
personal memories of Congressman
Lantos, as does anyone who was
privileged to have known him. Of
the many things we can learn from
him, perhaps the most important
is: Never give up. Fight for what
is worth fighting for, because you
don’t know what life has planned
for you.” f
connect: www.jackieforcongress.com.
Next week: a look at Speier’s service on
the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
and the challenges she faced.
UCLA’s 17th “Historic Armenian Cities” conference will focus attention
on Musa Dagh, Kessab, and Dort-Yol
LOS ANGELES7 – An international
conference on the Armenian
communities of the northeastern
Mediterranean will take place on
the weekend of February 29 to
March 1. The two-day gathering on
“Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces”
-- the 17th conference in a series
organized by the UCLA Armenian
Educational Foundation Chair
-- will focus on the region extending
from Dort-Yol (Chork-Marzban) to
Musa Dagh and Kessab.
Scholars from Armenia, France,
Great Britain, Netherlands, Syria,
and several institutions in the
United States are scheduled to take
part in the conference.
Serving as co-sponsors for the
event are the Mousa Ler Association
of California and the Kessab
Educational Association of Los Angeles,
along with the UCLA Centers
for Near Eastern Studies and European-Eurasian
Studies, the International
Institute, and the Department
of History.
The opening session (in Armenian)
will be on Friday evening,
February 29, from 7:30 to 9:30
p.m. in the Kalaydjian Hall of the
Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church (3325 North Glenoaks Boulevard,
in Burbank).
Following an introduction by
Prof. Richard Hovannisian, the
AEF Chair at UCLA, Dr. Hagop
Tcholakian of Aleppo, author of a
three-volume history of Kessab, will
give an overview of the Armenian
communities from Beylan to Antioch
and Latakia. He will be joined
by Dr. Verjine Svazlian of the Armenian
Institute of Archeology and
Ethnography, who will discuss the
oral tradition of Musa Dagh, and by
Isabel Mavian of Paris and Yerevan,
who will examine how the people of
Kessab responded to calamitous situations
between 1909 and 1947.
Saturday sessions
The day-long sessions on the UCLA
campus on Saturday, March 1, from
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., will be in
English and take place in the refurbished
Broad (formerly Dickson)
Auditorium. The morning program
will include an illustrated presentation
by Ruth Thomasian of the
Project SAVE photographic archive
in Watertown, Mass. Dr. Minas
Kojoyan of the AGBU High School
in Canoga Park will examine the repeated
self-defense of Chork-Marzban
(Dort-Yol) from 1896 to 1921,
with Aram Arkun of New York
City offering additional comments
in a written paper. Dr. Vahram
Shemmassian of CSU Northridge
will offer an overview of the history
of Musa Dagh in the 19th and 20th
centuries.
The second morning session will
feature Dr. Susan Pattie of University
College, London, whose presentation
is titled, “Even Paradise
Isn’t Perfect: Memories of Kessab.”
Seda Altug, a Ph.D. candidate at
Utrecht University in the Netherlands,
will compare the making of
community identities in the Jazira
and Kessab areas of Syria, while
Hagop Tcholakian will speak on
Kessab after becoming a diasporan
community.
During the lunchtime intermission
on March 1, brief readings and
explanations of the Musa Dagh
and Kessab Armenian dialects will
be given by Dr. Hagop Panossian
of the Mousa Ler Association, and
Dr. Hrair Atikian of the Kessab
Educational Association.
In the afternoon sessions, Sona
Zeitlian will present the findings
of her study on the oral traditions
of Musa Dagh. Ara Soghomonian,
a Ph.D. student at UCLA who has
investigated the primary source
materials for a projected film project
on The Forty Days of Musa Dagh
will reveal little-known aspects of
this case of Hollywood censorship.
Dr. Keith Watenpaugh of UC Da-
Armenians of Musa Dagh, having disembarked at Port Said following their rescue
in 1915. The story of Musa Dagh will figure in a conference on “Historic Armenian
Cities and Provinces” at UCLA, Feb. 29-Mar. 1.
vis will focus on the Armenian and
Alwaite responses to the Alexandretta
crisis in the 1930s.
During the final afternoon session,
Dr. Herant Katchadourian
of Stanford University will speak
on culture and personality, based
on his field research in Anjar after
the relocation there of most of the
natives of Musa Dagh.
Dr. Shemmassian will conclude
the program with a sketch of Vakef
or Samandagh, the only remaining
Armenian village in all of Turkey.
As in most of the previous conferences
in this series, Richard
and Anne Elizabeth Elbrecht of
Davis, Calif., will mount a related
photographic exhibit.
The conference is open to the
public without charge. Parking on
the UCLA campus will be in Structure
3, entrance from Hilgard
Avenue near Sunset Boulevard;
the daily parking fee is $8.00. For
further information, e-mail Mr.
Hovannisian at hovannis@history.
UCLA.edu. f

The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008 B5
Community
Crime Beat
by Jason Kandel
GLENDALE7 – Sarkis “Sako”
Militonyan was on his way to a
soccer game the morning of Jan. 27
when Glendale police pulled him
over after noticing his white Chevrolet
Tahoe straddling two lanes
near Glenoaks Boulevard and Sonora
Avenue.
He wouldn’t make the game.
The 43-year-old man was on probation
for a 2005 attempted extortion
conviction and was wanted by
the federal government in a $5 million
health care fraud case, police
said.
The former car wash owner was
booked into the Los Angeles County
Jail, turned over to the FBI and
awaits an arraignment hearing
Tuesday to answer to health care
fraud charges, officials said.
Mr. Militonyan’s arrest shed
light on the man’s murky ties to the
underground economy in Glendale
and his current case put a spotlight
on the nagging problem of health
care fraud in Southern California.
“Health care fraud is a massive
problem across the United States,”
said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman
for the United States Attorney’s
Office in Los Angeles. “It seems to
be a particularly bad problem in the
Los Angeles metropolitan area. It’s
a huge amount of money.”
Mr. Militonyan’s attorney, Garo
Ghazarian, said his client was
made aware of the pending health
care fraud case against him when
Former chief of police Bernard Melekian serves as interim City
Manager in Pasadena
by Lory Tatoulian
PASADENA, Calif. 7- The Pasadena
City Council appointed Chief
of Police Bernard Melekian to
serve as interim City Manager. Melekian,
who accepted the position,
has served as the city’s Chief of Police
since 1996 and briefly served as
acting Fire Chief in 1998.
The Pasadena City Council appointed
Melekian when former
City Manager Cynthia J. Kurtz
announced that she was leaving her
position for a post at a Pasadenabased
consulting firm. That’s when
Accused health care fraudster nabbed after traffic stop
Sarkis “Sako” Militonyan.
an FBI agent interviewed him about
it in October.
“Had my client been made aware
that there was a warrant for his
arrest, he would have self surrendered,”
said Mr. Ghazarian, who
would not authorize an interview
with his client due to the ongoing
case. “In knowing that, he did not
flee.”
Mr. Ghazarian said he could not
comment on the merits of the government’s
case because he has not
seen the investigative reports. He
is in the process of raising $225,000
in property to secure his client’s release
from custody.
The government’s case is laid
out in a six-page federal grand
jury indictment. It alleges that between
July 2001 and March 2003,
the scam netted Mr. Militonyan
and his alleged accomplice, Dr.
Melekian was asked to replace her.
Meanwhile Christopher O. Vicino,
a 23-year law-enforcement
veteran, is serving as Pasadena’s
acting Chief of Police.
“This job is much broader in scope
than my previous work as Chief
of Police,” Melekian says. “As City
Manager, I have to deal with the
day to day activities of the entire
city, such as creating more parks
and open space in the community
and working closely with the Pasadena
Unified School District.”
Melekian plans on serving on
this position for about six more
months, until the Pasadena City
Michael Streams, some $1.5 million
for medical tests and services
that were not necessary or were
not provided.
Using Mr. Streams’ legitimate
Medicare identity number that authorized
him to bill the federal government
for health care reimbursements,
the men allegedly cheated
the government out of $5 million
by indicating on paper they had
performed the tests.
Dr. Streams’ attorney did not return
a call seeking comment.
The case is one of several local
health care fraud cases in the news
recently in the L.A. area.
Last year, five people, including
a husband and wife from Altadena,
were convicted in what authorities
said was a Russian-Armenian organized
crime ring that took $20 million
from Medicare through phony
clinics and labs in L.A., Glendale,
Van Nuys, and Pasadena.
Last summer, a Glendale husband
and wife and two accomplices
were charged in a state Medi-Cal
fraud case. In that case, the defendants
are accused of operating an
adult day health care center out of
a church community room and filing
false claims to the government
for services performed on a day
prosecutors allege the clinic was
closed.
Although there is no apparent tie
with the current health care fraud
charges he faces, Mr. Militonyan is
no stranger to law enforcement.
Los Angeles County Superior
Court records show that he was
Council appoints a new city manager.
He is slated to resume his duties
as police chief once the vacant
City Council seats are filled.
A native of Pasadena, Melekian
is a descendent of Genocide survivors.
He spent his formative years
in Oklahoma, where his father
was a member of the National Association
for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP). Through
his father’s involvement with the
progressive NAACP, Melekian
gained valuable insight into the
racial divisions and injustices that
afflict America’s cities. Years later,
as the Chief of Police of Pasadena,
convicted of property theft in 1998.
In 2005, he was one of two defendants
convicted in a murky extortion
try.
The case came about in 2002 after
an Armenian businessperson
claimed he had borrowed money
from an accused loan shark identified
in court documents as Grigor
Tifekchian, then 70. The victim
apparently could not afford to
pay back the money he owed and
eventually Mr. Tifekchian and Mr.
Militonyan came calling.
The victim, who himself had a
prior arrest for credit card fraud
– charges that were later dropped
– said in court testimony that Mr.
Tifekchian threatened to kill him if
he didn’t pay the $3,500 he said the
victim owed on a $7,500 loan, court
papers say.
Eventually the victim became so
afraid of the men that he reported
them to police, agreed to wear a
wire and record conversations that
would eventually lead to the convictions
of Mr. Tifekchian and Mr.
Militonyan.
When the victim said he could
only pay $1,000, Mr. Tifekchian
said, “If you don’t pay, this guy
(Militonyan) knows where to find
you,” according court records. “He’ll
cut your balls. He is going to [expletive]
you in front of your wife.”
The victim testified that at one
point, Mr. Militonyan claimed that
the money the victim owed to Mr.
Tifekchian was actually his money.
The victim testified in front of a
Los Angeles County grand jury that
he made history by being the first
police chief to publicly apologize to
the African-American community
for law enforcement’s pattern of
abuse and racism.
“Melekian hold no prejudices and
he really worked towards bringing
equality among all the ethnic groups
that live in Pasadena,” says Setrak
Kopoushian, Vice-Chairman of
the Pasadena Armenian Police Advisory
Committee. “Throughout
his career, he has humbly worked
to make Pasadena one of the safest
and cleanest cities in California,
and he does this because he loves
this city.” f
he became so afraid of the men that
he took his children out of school
and even traveled to Palm Springs
to hide out for a few days, court
records show.
He also testified that during the
case, “Sako,” through an intermediary,
tried to get him to drop the
charges.
He also said that the stress from
testifying prompted him to break
out with some type of rash all
over his body. It was so bad that
he checked himself into a hospital
where he was prescribed allergy
medication and steroids, he said,
according to the 2005 grand jury
transcripts.
Mr. Militonyan pleaded guilty to
one count of attempted extortion
and was sentenced to 34 days in jail
and three years probation. As part
of the plea agreement, prosecutors
dropped the threat charges.
Daniel Behesnilian, the attorney
who represented Mr.
Militonyan in the attempted extortion
case, said that Mr. Militonyan’s
role in the case was minor.
“He was sucked into it,” Mr. Behesnilian
said. “He didn’t repudiate
what the old man was saying,
but he never used threatening language.”
Mr. Tifekchian was sentenced to
two years in state prison.
Mr. Tifekchian’s attorney, Fred
Minassian, said his client has
served his time has not ties to
Mr. Militonyan nor his current
case and is leading a law-abiding
life. f
Roger Kupelian’s Vartanantz epic inches closer to realization
Who you are is
worth fighting for
by Tamar Kevonian
LOS ANGELES7 – The Hamazkayin
Heritage Committee will
host a fundraising event on February
24 for filmmaker Roger
Kupelian’s East of Byzantium: Fugitives
and Warriors, a docudrama
and feature-film project about the
historic Vartanantz battle, fought
by the Armenians against the Persians
in 451.
The middle of the 5th century
was a pivotal time for Armenia,
located at the junction where the
East met the West, when the weakened
kingdom was ruled by the
Persian Empire. In their attempt
to dilute the Armenian spirit, the
Persians invited Armenian noblemen
and military leaders to Ctesiphon,
the Persian capital, to leave
the Armenian people leaderless,
thus making it easier for them to
force Christian Armenia to convert
to Zoroastrianism. Vartanantz is
the celebration of the epic battle
fought and lost by the Armenians
under the leadership of General
Vartan Mamigonian, but which
solidified Armenia’s adherence to
Christianity. The tag line of Kupelian’s
film, “Who you are is worth
fighting for,” is an apt description
of the sentiment which fueled the
long-ago event.
The popularity of recent films
such as 300, Gladiator, King Arthur,
and The Passion of the Christ
have made this the perfect time
for a film of this scope and a
hero of Mamigonian’s stature,
considered by many to be the
Armenian Braveheart. The producers
believe that high-quality
films such as East of Byzantium
go a long way towards generating
greater interest in Armenian
culture and history in countries
throughout the Diaspora, helping
bring Armenian culture into
the mainstream.
East of Byzantium is the first
solid step towards a fully realized
epic retelling of Vartan and his war
against the mighty Persian Empire.
The film consists of two parts, each
running two hours. The first will
be a docudrama telling the story
of the Christianization of Armenia
while the second will be an epic feature
showcasing the story of Vartan
Mamigonian and the battle at
Avarayr. Both installments were
written by Roger Kupelian, one of
the lead artists on the special-effects
team of the Lord of the Rings
trilogy. Already he has recruited
Serj Tankian, former lead singer of
System of a Down, to write the musical
score, and is in talks with the
Australian filmmaker Paul Currie
for the director’s chair.
Kupelian conceptualized the
East of Byzantium project in 2002
while on location in New Zealand,
where he shot sample footage during
a rainy weekend with an army
of extras clad in period costumes.
“It’s the first time the Vartan story
is on film,” says the enthusiastic
filmmaker. Using the latest camera
technology still rarely used in
Hollywood, he believes “This is going
to shake everything.” After five
years of laying the groundwork, he
describes the start of shooting the
first trailer as “getting the first
down,” a football reference to signify
his sense of achievement so
far.
Financing will be key
The Hamazkayin Heritage Committee,
which holds an annual
event dedicated to various aspects
of Armenian culture, decided to
showcase Kupelian’s film project
for 2008. “We expect 300 people to
attend,” says Rita Demirjian, an executive
member of the committee.
“It’s the first historical, non-Genocide-related,
film about our identity,”
she adds, further explaining
that East of Byzantium is important
because “it tells the story that solidified
our identity as a Christian
people.” The fundraiser seeks to
raise $100,000 to pay for the film’s
teaser and two trailers, which are
necessary for subsequently helping
raise the $1 million needed for
the docudrama. This, in turn, will
generate interest in funding the
second part of the project, a $75million
feature film.
The attendees of the February
24 fundraiser will be able to meet
some of the film’s stars and view
the unveiling of footage about the
historic battle of Avarayr, followed
by a Q&A session with the creative
minds behind the upcoming docudrama.
Donors are encouraged to
send a tax-deductible contribution
in advance to receive a special gift
as well as be credited in a designated
section in an art booklet, available
only at the fundraiser, which
will include more information on
the project and new artwork of the
film.
The event will take place at 3229
Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles, California,
90039, at 6 PM. Tickets
are $50 per person and can be purchased
by contacting Rita Demirjian
at (818) 445-6556 or Shoushig
Arslanian at (714) 403-0875. f
Bernard Melekian.

B6 The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008
Community
Laughter for a great cause
by Karine Chakarian
GLENDALE, Calif.7 – On February
6, Phoenicia Restaurant in
Glendale was abuzz with activity,
with staff running around in fervent
preparation. As 8 P.M. neared,
tablecloths were draped over tables
and chairs were brought in from the
patio to accommodate the over 200
guests that were about to arrive.
The occasion was the Children’s
Music Fund’s first annual Comedy
Night Fundraiser, an evening devoted
to raising money for a noble
cause.
Standing room only
The enthusiasm surrounding the
event was fueled by the mission
of the Children’s Music Fund. The
nonprofit organization, founded
by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, a pediatric
pain specialist at Mattel Children’s
hospital at UCLA, donates musical
instruments and provides music
therapy to chronically ill children.
Tickets sold out within weeks of
the event’s announcement and far
surpassed the organizer’s expectations.
“The restaurant overflowed
with so much energy, there was
barely any standing room left,” said
Mariette Tachdjian, RN, one of the
organizers of the event and a Children’s
Music Fund board member.
“And to think we are passing on that
positive energy in the form of music
and laughter,” Tachdjian continued.
“There is no better therapy...
whether you are ill or healthy.”
As word of mouth and enthusiasm
for the event spread across the
Armenian community, waiting lists
were formed and organizers were
contacted by enthusiastic supporters
who had hopes of attending the
event.
Ara Kalfayan, owner of Phoenicia
Restaurant, allowed the organization
to use his Mediterranean eatery
to host the event. A small stage
was set up towards the back of the
restaurant where, throughout the
evening, an impressive lineup of
comedians entertained the guests.
Serenading cows and
“Dirty Dandigins”
The program began with a skit involving
a Midwest farmer called
Vrad Khentamian, played by Raffi
Rupchian, receiving the Long Lost
Armenian Award. In an interview
with a reporter, played by Mariette
Master watchmaker Garo Anserlian knows how
Garo Anserlian
at work. Photos:
Ara Madzounian.
Above: The Armenian Reporter’s own Lory Tatoulian starring as the Statue of Liberty, who complains of being tired and wanting to return to her home in France. Right
top: Lory as Dandeegeen, bringing her street-wise life lessons to an audience that roared with laughter throughout the show. Above right: Lory as Kim Kardashian; if
only Kim had something to say or Lory had Kim’s reality show, then the world would be a better place. Photos: Daniel Varoujean Kevorkian.
Right: Lory with
Dr. Tachdjian.
Far right: From
left, Sevan
Karagoz, Dr.
Tachdjian, Shant
Karlubian, and
Raffi Rupchian.
Tachdjian, Vrad discusses growing
up in Missouri, where exposure to
his ethnicity consisted of listening
to his father serenade cows in Armenian.
We learn that Vrad moonlights
as a bailiff. As he reminisces, he is
joined on stage by Raffi Tachdjian,
Shant Karlubian, and Sevan Karagoz,
in a reenactment of a trial in
a Missouri state courthouse where
Sahag Mardik Aravodian, an immigrant
from Kesab, played by Karagoz,
stands trial for accidentally
shooting a bald eagle while hunting
for turkeys. As the trial progresses,
so does the confusion, as the translations
of the court-appointed interpreter
(Tachdjian), whose grasp
of the Armenian language is lim-
ited to television and audiotapes,
lead to the hilarious climax of the
judge’s (Karlubian) ruling.
The skit was followed with a performance
by stand-up comic Jason
James, who will be featured on next
season’s Last Comic Standing.
The highlight of the evening was
Lory Tatoulian. Dressed head to
toe in gold lame and wearing large,
round, red-framed glasses, she made
her first appearance as the “Dirty
Dandigin,” an overweight, gossiploving,
coffee cup-reading Armenian
woman who flirted shamelessly
with audience members.
Throughout the evening, Lory
transformed herself into a multitude
of characters – from a Russian
man carrying a bottle of vodka and
by Lory Tatoulian
LOS ANGELES7 – When NASA
and JPL launched the rovers Spirit
and Opportunity in the summer
of 2003 to explore the topography
of Mars, the engineers working on
the mission needed special wristwatches
to keep track of their space
vehicles. Because they lived on
earth and their project took place
on the red planet, they needed a
watch that would allow them to
synchronize their work schedules
with Martian time.
On Mars, one solar day is 39 minutes
and 25 seconds longer than
our 24-hour day. This means that
a watch that runs on Mars time
needs to run approximately 39
minutes slower than the 24 hours
it takes for earth to revolve around
its axis.
The Mars mission’s engineers
and scientists have managed to
send two rovers 48,940,000 miles
into space and have them land on
speaking in numb monotone about
“existential” life in post-Soviet Russia
to the statue of liberty lighting
a cigarette off her torch and lamenting
about returning to France.
Lory’s performance was wonderfully
complemented with live musical
accompaniment by composer and
multi-instrumentalist Ara Dabandjian.
While the majority of the attendees
and performers were Armenian,
the cause transcended all ethnicities.
“The show was great,” said Sovann
Somreth. “I laughed my head off
even though a quarter of it was
in Armenian. There is such a great
sense of community in Glendale.”
In fact, several organizations
were represented in the audience
the Red Planet, but they had yet
to find a watchmaker in Los Angeles
who could construct a watch
that functioned on Mars time
– until, that is, they came to Garo
Anserlian.
The middle-aged watchmaker
is owner of Executive Jewelers, a
modest watch and jewelry store located
on a provincial-looking street
in Montrose, California. After operating
his store for more than 20
years, Anserlian enjoys a solid reputation
for his mechanical prowess
and has built up an impressive clientele,
including a large number of
engineers and scientists who work
at the NASA/JPL lab in neighboring
La Canada.
A watch for the Red
Planet
Anserlian has always satisfied his
clients with his ingenuity and topnotch
workmanship. But when
two engineers approached him
in early 2004 to request that he
including the UCLA Pediatric Pain
Program, Armenian American
Medical Society of California, and
Arpa Foundation for Film, Music
and Art.
With the community’s generous
involvement, the Children’s Music
Fund’s first annual fundraiser was
a resounding success. And while
the fundraiser may have been the
first of the year for the fund, the organizers
assured the audience that
plans are underway for a succession
of similar evenings devoted to raising
money, in the hopes of bringing
a smile to the faces of chronically ill
children. f
connect:
childrensmusicfund.org
manufacture a watch that ran on
Mars time, he was bewildered. “I
thought they were joking,” he recalls.
“They had always appreciated
me being precise with getting
the exact 24 hours correct on their
watches, and now they were asking
for watches that ran 39 minutes
slower.”
But when the engineers explained
to Anserlian that they
needed watches to keep track of
sunrise and sundown on the Red
Planet, he immediately got to work.
He had a product ready for them
within three months.
“They had gone to many other
jewelers, but the other jewelers said
it couldn’t be done,” Anserlian says.
“I gave the engineers hope that it
could be done.”
When Anserlian embarked on
his time-altering journey, he had
to overcome many obstacles. He
consulted with colleagues, who
told him he was “wasting his time”
trying to accomplish such an impossible
feat. But Anserlian was

The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008 B7
Restaurants
Que Rico Taqueria
by Lucie Davidian
VAN NUYS, Calif.7 - Juan Mendez
was a wonderful man. He was
a resourceful man who revolutionized
Mexican cuisine by introducing
one of the greatest creations of
all time - the Burrito. It sounds a
bit crazy; but then again, throughout
the years I have developed a
serious Burrito habit. I eat one at
least once a week. There are weeks
that can go by when I try my best
to fight the cravings. Sometimes it
works; but for the most part, I end
up giving in. My friends tease me
about it often, but I can’t help it.
Every time I bite into a carne asada
burrito, I get a huge smile on my
face. So you can imagine how excited
I was when I found out about
a Taqueria owned by Armenians in
Van Nuys.
Burritos have a long history.
“Burrito like” foods were eaten by
the Aztecs, who used to wrap their
food with tortillas. This is according
to accounts by Spanish missionaries.
Burrito in Spanish translates to
“Little Donkey,” and according to
Wikipedia the name comes from
the shape that the burrito takes
which resembles the ear of a donkey.
The first burrito originated
from the city of Cuidad Juárez in
the state of Chihuahua, where during
the Mexican Revolution (1910-
1921), a taco salesmen named Juan
Mendez, in an attempt to keep
his tacos warm wrapped them in
a larger tortilla, hence creating
the burrito. The name developed
because Juan used his donkey the
same way taco vendors in Los Angeles
use taco trucks to bring food
to the people.
There are several different kinds
of burritos, there is the Mexican
burrito which varies from state to
state, in Yucatan for example they
only use meat and beans, whereas
in Oaxaca they use Mole sauce to
give it a distinct taste; however the
common ingredients are refried
beans, Spanish rice and meat consisting
mainly of beef (carne) or
pork (carnitas). In the U.S. burritos
have taken on a life of their own,
here they incorporate a lot more
ingredients such as vegetables,
cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour
cream.
The San Francisco Burrito is most
famous due to its culinary and cultural
attributes, it is distinguished
defiant. After manipulating the
oscillating hands on the dial, he
produced the first watch that was
able to tell the time on the fourth
planet from the sun.
Anserlian went on to make 100
time pieces for the NASA engineers.
But when word got out to the
public, science buffs, watch connoisseurs,
and collectors wanted
to own one of his custom-made
watches.
“I received e-mails and phone calls
from all over the world,” Anserlian
says with pride. The master craftsman
decided to limit the number of
his Mars watches to 1,000 – a fact
that instantly turned them into
collector’s items.
In keeping with his newfound
fame, Anserlian has expanded his
exclusive watch line to 20 models,
including a ladies’ watch. His time
pieces are modified versions of
models by Citizen, Seiko, and Orient,
and feature his “Mars Local
Solar Time” logo. Prices range from
$200 to $500.
for its larger size due to the amount
of rice used and the abundance of
side dishes. It also has a history
that goes back to the Central Valley
farm workers and to the city’s Mission
district, where in the Seventies,
it became an important part
of the Chicano movement. Who
would have thought that a wrapped
up tortilla filled with meat and rice
would be something of cultural
pride, but it was and still is, just
like the Armenian inspired Lavash
Wraps that have become popular in
the recent years, so popular in fact
that McDonalds in Eastern Europe
has created the McLavash.
The meshing of cultures through
food is a part of our everyday lives,
living in L.A. it is impossible to
avoid the influence of Latin food,
especially Mexican. It is for this
reason that Danny Kovarkizi, an
Armenian-Assyrian who moved
to the U.S. from Iran, almost six
years ago, decided to open a Mexican
restaurant named Que Rico in
Van Nuys. When I asked him why
he chose Mexican food his answer
was “because its low cost, the ingredients
are simple but most importantly
everyone eats it, I have
Armenian and Latin customers
coming in and out of the restaurant
all day.”
Que Rico’s location on Sherman
Way is in a commercial and residential
area, the restaurant is open six
days a week and has a menu that
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The whole operation is run by Danny
and his chef who helped him
create the menu. Born in Orumieh,
Iran, Danny a tall, energetic 27 year
old told me that he really had no
idea what he was getting himself
into when he decided to get into
the restaurant business. After moving
to the U.S., he worked several
jobs before realizing that he would
prefer to have his own business
rather than work for someone else.
Growing up in Post Revolutionary
Iran, Danny explains that his drive
towards self sufficiency stems from
the work ethic his father instilled
in him, as well as the difficult life
they lead back home.
Iran became an unpleasant place
to live after the fall of the Shah, the
religious fundamentalism had its
negative effects on the Armenian
community there. He explained
that those like me, who left the
country right after the Revolution
have been lucky in that we have
had it a lot easier than those like
to manipulate time
Apart from his Mars line, Anserlian
has been busy creating watches
with unusual functions. The inventor
just completed manufacturing
dual-time watches for scientists
working on a NASA project in the
North Pole. Other Anserlian models
offer dual and triple time-zone
functionality for a variety of projects,
be they based on earth or another
planet.
Anserlian’s passion for watchmaking
was ignited at a young
age, in his native Lebanon. When
he was 12 years old, he took his
parents’ advice to work at a watch
store during his summer break.
“My parents didn’t want me just
sitting around the house all summer
doing nothing; they wanted
me to make myself useful during
vacation,” Anserlian says. “They
thought, since I love to work with
my hands, why not have me go
learn about watches.”
Throughout his teens, Anserlian
worked at different watch stores
on weekends and holidays. As the
him who stayed behind. However
that experience helped shape him
into the driven, hard working individual
that he is; he speaks several
languages fluently including Spanish
which he insists makes a huge
difference in his daily interaction
with his Latin patrons.
After realizing that he wanted to
focus on Mexican food, he went to
several local Mexican restaurants
and collected their menus to fully
understand what Mexican food really
is. After hiring his chef Juan
Molina, they created a menu which
has everything from Taco’s, Quesadillas,
Nacho’s, Torta’s, (Mexican
sandwich) and of course burritos.
The menu also has nicely constructed
seafood dishes consisting mainly
Tilapia and Camarones (shrimp)
as well as breakfast items such as
Breakfast Burritos and Huevos
Rancheros, eggs served with corn
tortillas, Ranchera sauce, rice and
beans. The menu is simple, all the
salsas and other sauces are made
in house by Juan and Danny. They
have the usual Mexican Agua’s Fresca’s
( Fresh Cold Waters) which
are a combination of fruits, seeds
and water and come in three distinct
flavors, Horchata (rice and
cinnamon), Tamarindo ( Tamarind)
and Jamaica ( Hibiscus).
On my visit that day naturally I
chose to get the Carne Asada burrito,
but this one was a bit different
than what I’m used to because it
was served with a delicious, bright
red Enchilada sauce made of Chile
Arbol. This is another version of
the burrito, referred to as the “Wet
Burrito,” where typically it’s topped
with an enchilada sauce and is eaten
with a knife and fork. The burrito
didn’t disappoint, it was stuffed
with carne asada, rice, beans, Pico
de Gallo (tomatoes, onions and cilantro)
and Monterey Jack cheese.
It was one of the few times in my
long history of burrito consumption
that I couldn’t finish the whole
thing, I took the rest home and enjoyed
it that evening.
Que Rico opened a year ago and
for Danny it has been a challenging
and insightful experience, he’s
learned the importance of keeping
your ingredients fresh by selecting
the right purveyors and understanding
how your customers’
taste buds work. Given his Latino
and Armenian clientele, he’s also
learned what a difference the addition
of beer and wine makes to
your menu. Most importantly he’s
Lebanese civil war raged in the
1970s, he moved to Washington
in 1979 and eventually settled in
Los Angeles, where the weather
reminded him of Beirut, his birthplace.
While working at a jewelry store
in Burbank, Anserlian was shot
three times during a robbery. Soon
he quit his job and went to work
for Montrose Jewelers, where he
met his wife, Maral. After they
were married, Anserlian opened
his own jewelry store, in 1984,
on the same street as Montrose
Jewelers. Offering the full complement
of retail and watch-repair
services, coupled with Anserlian’s
uncompromising dedication to
quality control, the business has
grown exponentially. Anserlian
has three sons: Raffi, Armen, and
David. The youngest, David, now
18, is following in the footsteps of
his father.
Garo Anserlian continues to explore
the terra incognita of nextgeneration
watchmaking, as ever
Crunchy Tacos with Rice and Beans.
learned to cook good Mexican food,
because when Juan goes home,
Danny is the one who jumps into
the kitchen and makes those delicious
burritos. His business is picking
up and in the future he hopes
to expand and possibly develop a
chain of Mexican restaurants.
The optimist in me still believes
that food is the key to uniting people
especially here in the U.S. the
“melting pot” of the world, and particularly
in cities like Los Angeles
where ethnic tension is abundant.
Watching Danny cook the Carne
Asada and hearing him talk about
how he makes the Enchilada sauce
is the reason I was excited when
I first heard about this place. He’s
comfortable with it because as he
says, since his move to L.A., he
has spent as much time “hanging
out” with Latinos as he has with
Armenians, so opening a Mexican
restaurant was not as far fetched as
I initially assumed.
It hinders our growth as people
and as a community when we don’t
learn to open up and tolerate others
around us, even though some
of it can be attributed to our parent’s
generation’s fear of assimilation,
there are ways to assimilate
without loosing your identity. How
many times have we heard our parents
say they won’t accept us marrying
an “odar?”
When I was younger I used to always
tell my mom that I was either
going to end up marrying an Indian
or a Mexican because I loved their
cuisine so much, it would be cool to
have a mother-in-law who would
pass those recipes down to me. My
mother, of course would laugh it off,
but a part of me was serious because
there’s such an amazing bonding experience
that happens in the kitchen,
it doesn’t matter what culture
you’re from. It wasn’t the chef’s in
my culinary school who taught me
how to really cook, it was the Mexican’s
and El Salvadoran’s standing
next to me everyday in the kitchen.
A timepiece for the Red Planet.
intent to go where no other watchmaker
has gone before.
“As an Armenian, I felt proud; we
accomplished something impor-
Carne Asada Burrito with Enchilada
Sauce.
Danny Kovarkizi owner of Que Rico
and his chef Juan Molina.
Every time I read an article in
the paper of Armenian and Mexican
kids fighting and at times killing
each other in high schools, it
saddens me that they’re so focused
on their differences rather than appreciating
their similarities. Maybe
these kids should get together and
share burritos and kebab sandwiches
because in reality there really
isn’t much of a difference between
the two, and maybe in some
strange way it will help them understand
each other better. f
Location
13611 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA. 91405
Contact
(818) 785-1002
Hours
Monday – Saturday
10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Average Price
$1.99 – $11.99
tant,” he says, referring to his work
for the NASA scientists. “We did
something good for this country
we live in.” f

B8 The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008
Community
Boston-area Armenians and Jews share stories of pain and survival
during a joint Holocaust-Armenian Genocide event at ALMA
by Ara Nazarian
WATERTOWN, Mass.7 – The
Armenian and Jewish communities
of the Greater Boston area
came together on January 20 to
honor two of their own, and to
share the common bond between
two peoples. The event, called the
“Joint Holocaust-Armenian Genocide
Exhibit,” brought together
two genocide survivors -- one of
the Holocaust and one of the Armenian
Genocide -- in the context
of a joint exhibition at Watertown’s
Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA).
Artifacts that once belonged to
Holocaust victims in Auschwitz --
preserved by Mr. Meyer Hack, himself
a survivor of that conflagration
who worked in the laundry at Auschwitz
-- were displayed alongside
the permanent Armenian Genocide
exhibit at ALMA titled “In Memoriam.”
Additional photos from Project
SAVE, the valuable Armenian
photographic archive, juxtaposed
two powerful statements from the
recent pasts of the long-lived Armenian
and Jewish communities.
As stated by the organizers, the
aim of the exhibit was to further
enhance the bond between two
peoples who have each suffered
horrific crimes against humanity,
as they continue to recognize common
ground and share a hope for a
better future.
The event was hosted by Jordan
Rich, a radio talk-show host at station
WBZ, and began with welcoming
remarks from ALMA trustee
Scott Offen. Mr. Offen spoke about
recent events, referring especially
to the summer’s controversy involving
the national leadership of
the Anti-Defamation League, which
threatened to divide the two communities.
However, he emphasized
that the two communities cannot
be divided, as they share experiences
dating back thousands of years.
Both nations, he said, have had
their ancient homelands overrun;
both have lived in diaspora; both
have inherited unique religions;
both have been characterized by a
love for letters; and both have suffered
genocide.
Opening invocations were delivered
by Rev. Gregory Haroutunian
of the First Armenian Church
of Belmont, and by Rabbi Moshe
Waldoks from Brookline’s Temple
Beth Zion.
Following the invocations,
Shoshana Trump recited a poem
titled “Six Million Souls” by Susie
Davidson, and introduced Armenian
Genocide survivor Mr. Kevork
Norian as the first speaker.
“Friends, let’s yell
together”
Kevork Norian gave a childhood
reminiscence going back to the early
years of the 20th century -- when
a sense of impending chaos and fear
gripped the lives of the Armenians
in their ancestral homeland. Born
into a world filled with uncertainty,
Norian had little prospect to celebrate
his first birthday. But his life,
along with those of his immediate
family, was initially spared due to
the usefulness of his father to the
Florida fashion show
will benefit Armenian
Assembly programs
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.7 –
The Armenian Assembly’s Southeast
Regional Council is pleased
to announce that its “Runway
2008 Fashion Show” presentation
will take place held on Saturday,
February 23, at the Quail
Ridge Country Club in Boynton
Beach.
The presentation, chaired by
longtime Assembly supporter
Mary Atamian, will feature the latest
in men’s and women’s fashions
from the Pro Shop of the Quail
Ridge Country Club. Former fashion
and photography model Rose
Meyerowich will serve once again
as the fashion coordinator and
commentator.
Proceeds from the annual event
will benefit the Assembly’s advocacy
efforts through its offices in
Washington, Pasadena, and Yerevan.
“It has been an honor to once
again be a part of this exciting event
benefiting the Armenian Assembly,”
Genocide-survivor Kevork Norian, with ALMA director
Mariam Stepanyan. Photo: Susan Lind-Sinanian.
said Ms. Atamian. “We encourage
everyone to come and enjoy an afternoon
of fashion, fun, and mingling
with new and old friends, all
while helping to promote issues of
concern to the Armenian-American
community.”
The event planning committee
also includes Kay Arakelian, Rose
Asserian, Seta Baldalian, Ida Boodakian,
Mary Der Vartanian, June
Hatfield, Shirley Kezirian, Melanie
Krikorian, Lucille Manuelian,
Carol Norigian, Lucy Shooshanian,
Deanna Stepanian, Diane Tashjian,
Nathalie Yaghoobian, and Berjouhi
Zakarian.
“We thank the planning committee
for organizing this event and
for its steadfast efforts in support
of the Armenian cause,” said Assembly
executive director Bryan
Ardouny.
To RSVP, or for information, contact
Carol Norigian by telephone
at (561) 734-0133, or via e-mail at
cnorigian@aol.com. f
Turkish war and genocide machine.
The members of his extended family
were not so fortunate, succumbing
to brutal maltreatment and
disease.
Mr. Norian’s life’s journey began
in Aintab, and continued on
to Syria (where he eventually met
his wife), and finally to America,
which he now calls home. He spoke
of his family’s experiences during
the Genocide, and described the
brutalities suffered by their fellow
Armenians.
Most importantly, he touched
on the need for the Armenian
and Jewish communities to work
together. Addressing the Jewish
guests, he said: “Friends, we know
how much you have suffered, we
know the pain of hatred and suffering.
We share your pain…. Friends,
let’s talk…. Friends, let’s yell together.”
At the conclusion of Mr. Norian’s
remarks, Sossie Beojekian recited
a poem by Barouyr Sevag titled
“Ghoghanj Yeghernayin.”
Honored guests at the joint Holocaust-Genocide exhibit at ALMA. Pictured: (l-r) Holocaust survivor
Meyer Hack and his wife Sylvia, alongside Helen and Kevork Norian, a survivor of the Armenian
Genocide. Photo: Susan Lind-Sinanian.
Dr. Dean Solomon, a co-congregant
of Mr. Hack’s and one of the
organizers of the joint event, introduced
Mr. Meyer Hack. The 92year-old
Mr. Hack lost his beloved
family during World War II, but
not his will to live. By exercising
extreme ingenuity, he survived
the horrors of the Auschwitz,
Birkenau, and Dachau concentration
camps. As a laundry worker,
Mr. Hack retrieved the pieces of
his collection of artifacts from the
removed clothing of incoming,
doomed inmates. He miraculously
hid them from the Nazis throughout
his years in the camps, and
during a 1945 “death march” to
the Dachau concentration camp.
The collection is scheduled to be
installed at the Yad Vashem Holocaust
Museum in Jerusalem in a
special ceremony.
The January 20 event at ALMA
was attended by a number of
elected public figures in the
Greater Boston area, including
State Senators Gallouccio, Tol-
man, Walsh, and Fargo, State
Representatives Koutoujian,
Balser, Brownsberger, Forry,
Murphy, Smizik, Toomey Jr., and
Wolf, along with Mr. Cranston
Rogers, a U.S. Army platoon sergeant
and liberator of the Dachau
concentration camp.
This event provided and opportunity
for members of the Jewish
community to get a closer look at
Armenian history and culture, as
presented by ALMA’s exhibits. It
was also an important opportunity
to exchange stories with Armenian
friends and neighbors.
The exhibit was co-sponsored
by the Armenian Library and Museum
of America, the Armenian
Assembly of America, the Armenian
National Committee, Project
SAVE Armenian Photograph
Archives, the Holocaust Center
-- Boston North, the Strassler
Family Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies at Clark University,
and Facing History and Ourselves.
f
Sample a day at the Hovnanian
School during its Open House
NEW MILFORD, N.J.7 – Try
walking through the Hovnanian
School classroom by classroom,
peering into classes from the Early
Learning Center to the 8th grade,
and one will see children engaged
in a multiplicity of learning activities:
from English to Art, from Science
to Armenian.
The public will have an opportunity
to actually take part in such
a tour, on Thursday, February 28,
when the Hovnanian School holds
its “Open House.”
From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
on that day, those interested in
the Hovnanian School experience
for their own children can see the
school in full operation. Prospective
students are also welcome
to come to interact with their
peers and have the experience of
a day at the school. Parents will
have answers to all their questions
-- and will have the chance
to personally see why the Middle
States Association of Colleges
and Schools has labeled the Hovnanian
School as “the best kept
secret in New Jersey.”
The Hovnanian School’s Early Learning Center students, engaged in a colorful
activity.
The school is located at 817 River
Road, in New Milford. For reservations
and directions, contact the
school office by phone at (201) 967-
5940, or via e-mail at mailbox@hovnanianschool.org.
f

The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008 B9
Community
Connecticut parish observes “St. Nersess Day”
NEW BRITAIN, Conn.7 – On
Sunday, January 13, the ACYOA
Juniors of Holy Resurrection Armenian
Church in New Britain
played host to staffers of St. Nersess
Seminary, as well as to youth
from the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob
Armenian Church in Providence,
R.I.
Holy Resurrection pastor Fr.
Kapriel Mooradjian (himself a St.
Nersess alumnus) celebrated the
liturgy. Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian,
the seminary’s director of
Youth and Vocations, delivered
a homily on the importance of
faith in the lives of three biblical
youths: Setrak, Misak, and Abednago,
who passed unharmed
through a fiery furnace during
the Babylonian captivity of the
Israelites. The story has been a
favorite of subject of Armenian
manuscript artists through the
centuries.
Fr. Doudoukjian connected this
story to today’s youth in the Armenian
Church: “Our Armenian
youth have faith as well, and it is
our responsibility as a church -- as
parish councils, choirs, women’s
guilds, deacons, Sunday and Armenian
schools -- to strengthen
and nurture faith as we direct our
young people in the right direction.”
Following the weekly fellowship
hour, young adults gathered to discuss
the “Top 10 Reasons to Continue
Celebrating Christmas.” The
same theme had been presented
during an overnight retreat held
at St. Nersess for the graduating
Sunday School class from the Holy
Martyrs Church of Bayside, N.Y. (A
Youth from R.I.’s Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church joined teens from the Holy Resurrection
Church in New Britain, Conn., for a Sunday afternoon program sponsored by St. Nersess Seminary.
story appeared in the Feb. 9 Reporter.)
The topics discussed by the young
ACYOA members included the
birth of Christ, the home-blessing
service, viewing Christmas as an
eight-day feast, the giving of nonmaterial
gifts throughout the year,
and the idea of “re-birth” through
baptism.
On the latter topic, Steve Megrdichian,
the youth director of
the visiting Providence parish
and an alumnus of the St. Nersess
summer conferences, observed:
“Through our baptism, we’re given
the ammunition to fight the battles
of evil each day in our lives.
It’s very important to revisit our
baptism and the meaning behind
it.”
Summarizing the event Fr. Mooradjian
said: “Our kids had an
opportunity to strengthen their
ACYOA members from the Providence and New Britain
parishes at a recent “St. Nersess Day.” Similar outings are
being planned for parishes around the Eastern Diocese.
ACYOA member Gevork Vartanian (left) and Providence
youth director Steve Megrdichian focus attention on a
presentation during the St. Nersess-sponsored youth
program
friendships from summer conferences
and Camp Vartan, and spent
the better part of a day with the
clergy, who wanted to create new
bonds among our youth and who
care for their future as young adults
within the fabric of the Armenian
Church.” f
At Lincoln Center, a restored cinematic Spartacus re-embodies
Aram Khachaturian’s famous music
by Florence Avakian
NEW YORK7 – The story of the
legendary gladiator-slave-folk hero
Spartacus has been embraced by
people throughout history, and
remains apropos today. It dramatically
recounts the struggle of an oppressed
people fighting for justice
and freedom against the brutality
of the state.
Roman historians date the hero,
whom ancient sources agree was a
native of Thrace, to anywhere from
120 to 70 B.C. During this time,
Spartacus, who had served in the
Roman army, then was enslaved
for desertion, led an unsuccessful
slave uprising against the Roman
republic.
A newly restored version of the
Soviet-era ballet film Spartacus was
brought to life recently at Lincoln
Center’s Walter Reade Theatre in
New York City, as part of its “Dance
on Camera” festival. The glorious
spectacle, originally filmed in 1975,
was restored to wide-screen splendor
in 2007.
It stars some of the Bolshoi Ballet’s
greatest dancers of that era,
including Vladimir Vasiliev, Maris
Liepa, Natalya Besmertnova, and
Nina Timofeeva. The bold, difficult,
and high-energy choreography is
by the acclaimed Yuri Grigorovich,
who emphasizes the power of
the epic adventure, rather than its
subtleties.
The composer of the music, the
acclaimed Soviet-era Armenian
composer Aram Khachaturian, also
does not dwell on subtlety, except
in the excruciatingly beautiful love
theme repeated throughout -- and
frequently played in isolation in
countless dance recitals and concerts.
Much of the score matches the
virility, strength, dynamism, and
flawless technique of the spectacu-
lar male dancers who dominate the
story, and are nothing less than
awesome. But at times, the music
can be brassy and bombastic.
Risk to life and limb
It is astounding to think that the
story’s overriding theme of oppression
was even permissible during
the period of the Soviet dictatorship,
and it is not too much to assert
that Khachaturian was taking
an enormous risk to life and limb
in pursuing this theme.
In the film, Vladimir Vasiliev as
the freedom-fighting Spartacus
-- who eventually loses his struggle
-- radiates enormous power.
His soaring leaps through the air,
sometimes appearing suspended,
are heart-stopping and don’t seem
humanly possible.
Maris Liepa, as a villainous Roman,
is equally unforgettable, not
only for his fierce body language,
but also for his crazed eyes reflect-
ing unrelenting ruthlessness. He is
truly a man possessed. The noiseless
landings by both male dancers,
and their stunning one-handed
lifts, were truly impressive.
The role of Phrygia, the lover
of Spartacus, danced by the lithe
and elegant Natalia Bessmertnova,
is frail, tender and compassionate,
and expresses the soul-searing
beauty of Khachaturian’s love
theme. Her final grief scene on
the death of Spartacus is intensely
moving.
Nina Timofeyeva’s Aegina, the
cold, calculating and deceptive
concubine of Crassus, is sinuously
lustful during the seduction scenes.
After seducing the slave army with
wine and prostitutes, she does a
graphic pole dance, the perfect
physical expression of Khachaturian’s
bump-and-grind accompaniment.
Spartacus is memorable for the
dedication and virtuosity of the
dancers, for impetuously and majestically
sweeping the viewers
along, and for its tragic but inspirational
climax, where the human
spirit proves victorious over injustice
and tyranny. Its 30-year-old
ballet performances stay with the
viewer long after the spectacle has
ended; and in this restored film version,
one of the high-water marks
of the Russian dance tradition will
be around to thrill further generations.
Khachaturian’s score for Spartacus
is, of course, as close to immortal
as anything he composed. But
it’s especially pleasing to see that
music -- so often (literally) disembodied
in purely instrumental arrangements
-- brought to life in the
context for which it was originally
conceived.
Note: A version of the Yuri Grigorovich/Vladimir
Vasiliev filmed
version of Spartacus has been released
on DVD. f
New York community is gearing up for the 2008 Armenian Genocide
commemoration in Times Square
NEW YORK7 -- This year’s Armenian
Genocide Commemoration
in Times Square will take
place on Sunday, April 27, beginning
at 2:00 p.m., between 43rd
and 44th streets on 7th Avenue,
in New York City. The year 2008
marks the 93rd anniversary of the
attempted genocide of the Armenians
by the Turkish Ottoman
Empire.
The event is being sponsored
and organized by the Mid-Atlantic
chapters of the Knights and
Daughters of Vartan, and cosponsored
by the Armenian General
Benevolent Union, the Armenian
Assembly of America, the
Armenian National Committee
of America, the Armenian Democratic
Liberal Party, the Armenian
Political Action Committee, and
the Social Democratic Hunchagian
Party.
Also participating are the
Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America, the
Prelacy of the Armenian Apos-
tolic Church of America, the Armenian
Missionary Association
of America, the Armenian Presbyterian
Church, the Armenian
Evangelical Church, the Armenian
Catholic Eparchy for the
U.S. and Canada.
A special effort is being made
this year to attract a large number
of young people to the event. Participating
Armenian youth organizations
in the commemoration
include the Armenian Church
Youth Organization of America,
Armenian Youth Federation, Armenian
Students Association,
and the Armenian Network of
America.
A spokesman for the organizing
committee said that no speakers
or dignitaries could be confirmed
at this time, but added that the
committee was reaching out to
major figures in the political, media,
and academic arenas. Details
and developments on this front
will be forthcoming in the Reporter.
The organizers will be arranging
free bus transportation to and from
Times Square, and from all Armenian
churches from New York and
New Jersey, as well as from the Hovnanian
School (New Milford, N.J.),
and Baruyr’s at 40th Street and
Queens Boulevard. Information on
bus transportation, and general information
on the April 27 gathering,
can be obtained by calling Sam Melkonian
at (516) 352-2587, Leo Manuelian
at (201) 746-0409, or Ara Akian
at (973) 759-7518. f

B10 The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008
Community
Leading charity evaluator gives the Fund for Armenian Relief
its highest rating, for the second straight year
NEW YORK7 – The Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR) has announced
that it has received its
second four-star rating from
Charity Navigator, the country’s
leading evaluator of charities and
non-profits. FAR received official
notification that it had achieved
the four-star rating -- Charity
Navigator’s highest rating for
sound fiscal management -- on
February 4.
According to the evaluators, the
four-star designation rates a charity
as “exceptional” and indicates
that said charity “exceeds industry
standards and outperforms most
charities in its cause.” To determine
the ratings, Charity Naviga-
Calendar of Events
Arizona
MARCH 8 - HAMAZKAYIN ANI
DANCE COMPANY. Location:
North Canyon High School, 1700
E Union Hills Dr, Phoenix, AZ.
7:00 PM Admission: $30 & $10
under 12. For more information
contact Armenian Relief Society
Ararat Chapter, 818-613-5358;
anidanceco@yahoo.com.
Central California
FEBRUARY 26 - SHOGHAKEN.
Location: CSU Fresno SSU, 5241
N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA. 7:00
PM Admission: Call. For more
information contact Barlow Der
Murgrdechian, 559-278- 4930.
MARCH 30 - 2008 MAN OF
THE YEAR BANQUET HONOR-
ING MAYOR ALAN AUTRY. Location:
Armenian Community
Center, 2348 Ventural St, Fresno,
CA. 1:00 PM Admission: $35.
For more information contact
Armenian National Committee
of Central California, (559) 233-
2315; aliknh@yahoo.com.
Northern California
FEBRUARY 15– 17 – EXPE-
RIENCE SAN FRANCISCO
W/AGBU YOUNG PROFES-
tor employs the most recent financial
information available from
an institution, analyzing it from
the perspective of “organizational
efficiency” (an assessment of its
program, administrative, and
fundraising expenses) and its “organizational
capacity” (assessing
growth in revenue and program
expenditure).
FAR earned its second consecutive
overall four-star rating for its
ability to efficiently manage and
grow its finances. Only 15 percent
of the charities rated by Charity
Navigator have received two or
more consecutive four-star evaluations,
indicating that FAR outperforms
most charities in America in
SIONALS of NO. CA. – Friday
- Club Night @ ELEMENT. 10pm
– 2am. $25 advance/$30 at door.
Saturday – Winter Gala Dinner
& Dance @ Merchant’s Exchange
Ballroom. 6:30-7:30pm
Cocktails. 7:30pm – 1am – Dinner
and Dancing.$130 advance
only. Sunday – Farewell Brunch
@ Anzu in Hotel Nikko. 11am
– 2pm. $45. Discounted package
available for only $190. Weekend
proceeds to support AGBU
Hye Geen Pregnant Women’s
Centers in Vanadzor and Gyumri.
More tix & schedule info.
at www.agbusfgala.org or email
agbusfgala@yahoo.com.
FEBRUARY 19 - 25TH ANNU-
AL SSU HOLOCAUST & GENO-
CIDE LECTURES - JAN 29 - MAY
20. Location: SSU, 1801 E Cotati
Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA. Various
Admission: NA. For more
information contact SSU, (707)
664-4296; centerh@sonoma.edu.
FEBRUARY 23 - “HAYGAGAN
KISHER” DJ NIGHT. Location:
Los Altos Community Center,
Los Altos, CA. 7:30 PM Admission:
TBD. For more information
contact HMEM Ani Chapter,
(408) 406-5522; veram@netapp.com.
FEBRUARY 24 - SAXOPHONE
CONCERT. Location: St John
Armenian Church Paul Family
Fellowship Hall, 275 Olympia
terms of fiscally responsible operation.
The organization grew out of
the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church’s early humanitarian
and relief work in Armenia in the
immediate aftermath of the 1988
earthquake. Since 1993, FAR has
been an independent 501(c)(3)
non-profit -- and has become one
of the leading development organizations
in the Republic of Armenia.
“This news is very rewarding: a
reflection on FAR’s good works,
as well as on the importance it
places on transparency, reliability,
and efficiency,” Edina Bobelian,
FAR’s director of development
Way, San Francisco, CA. 1:00 PM
Admission: $20.adults, $10 stud.
For more information contact St.
John Sayat Nova Cultural Committee,
415-661-1142; nsarkiss@
sbcglobal.net.
FEBRUARY 28 - WILLIAM SA-
ROYAN: HIS LIFE AND WORKS.
Location: Stanford University
Academic Quadrangle classroom,
University Building 370
Room 370, Stanford, CA. 7:00
- 8:30 PM Admission: free. For
more information contact Stanford
Armenian Students’ Association,
4158465916; raffimar@
stanford.edu.
MARCH 2 - SHOGHKEN AR-
MENIAN FOLK ENSEMBLE.
Location: Khachatourian community
Center, 825 Brotherhood
Way, San Francisco, CA. 4:00
PM Admission: $35, $15 (7-15).
For more information contact
Hamazkayin Nigol Aghbalian
Chapter, 650-969-8777; hamazkayin@gmail.com.
MARCH 8 - HAI TAD EVENING
| SAVE THE DATE. Location:
Armenian Community Center,
825 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco,
CA. 6:00 PM Admission:
$100 $40 Stud.. For more information
contact Bay Area ANC,
(415) 387-3433; mail@ancsf.org.
MARCH 13 – 18 - ISABEL
BAYRAKDARIAN AS CLEOPA-
TRA. Location: Various loca-
and communications, told the
Reporter.
“It’s important, too, for our donors,”
she added, “who want to be
confident about finding a partner
for their charitable concerns in Armenia.”
Indeed, the very existence of
evaluators like Charity Navigator
testifies that there is a competitive
marketplace of philanthropies
seeking support for all
manner of causes. Charity Navigator
has rated in excess of 5,000
charities -- 10 times more than its
nearest competitor, according to
the organization’s press materials.
Its has been profiled by the
New York Times, National Public
Fair Lawn church’s expansion may be completed by the summer
FAIR LAWN, N.J.7 – Motorists
traveling along Saddle River Road
in Fair Lawn have recently been
witnessing the large-scale expansion
of the familiar St. Leon Armenian
Church. Construction on
a multi-purpose education and recreation
facility adjacent to the current
church complex has been going
on since the autumn. The new
building will house classrooms and
a gymnasium -- replete with locker
rooms -- a large meeting space, and
a music room.
In the first stage of construction,
completed in September, an
extensive drainage system was installed
and the first layer of macadam
was applied to a new parking
lot -- which now has spaces for
100 vehicles, doubling the previous
parking space and doing away
with the need to cross the busy
road in front of the church to get
to worship and other events at the
church. Once all the construction
is completed, the entire parking lot
will be paved with a finishing coat.
New lighting is being installed in
all parking areas, making getting
back to one’s car in the evening
much safer.
With parish council approval of
the winning construction bid by
contractors Infante Associates on
October 3, 2007, excavation began
on October 5 for the 45-by-90foot
lower level of the classroom
building. Thanks to the mild
winter weather, the foundation
has now been completed, and a
structural steel “skeleton” is being
erected.
According to the parish, if the
weather continues to cooperate the
project could be completed by the
summer.
As of January 17, through the
generosity of St. Leon parishioners
and friends, over $4 million
in pledges had been raised for the
project. The pledges have been fulfilled
in an amount over $3 million,
leaving a balance of over $1 million.
The building committee and parish
council hope to collect at least half
of the outstanding pledges, so that
there will be no need for any interim
mortgage financing once the
building is erected.
The committee and parish
council also plan to fund an endowment
to defray a portion of
the incremental maintenance
costs which are anticipated each
year once the facility is fully operational.
To raise the remaining funds,
the parish has kicked off a campaign
titled “Pave the Way – Brick
by Brick,” whereby, at the cost of
$100 for a small brick or $250 for a
large brick, individuals can have a
brick in the walkway to the front
of the new building engraved with
a loved one’s name, birthday, or
other noteworthy event. The
building committee is encouraging
the purchase of multiple bricks
by families or individuals as a gift
that will last in perpetuity as a visible
reminder of the willingness of
tions, Palo Alto, CA. 8:00 PM
Admission: $30 to $72. For more
information contact Philharmonia
Baroque Orchestra, (415) 392-
4400; info@philharmonia.org.
MARCH 14 - KELML YALCHIN
BOOK TOUR. Location: St.
Vartan Church, 650 Spruce St.,
Oakland, CA. 7:00 PM Admission:
Free. For more information
contact Tekeyan Cultural
Association, (510) 965-8051;
kanneianz@sbcglobal.net.
MARCH 29 - UC BERKELEY AR-
MENIAN STUDIES PROGRAM
BENEFIT GALA. Location:
Olympic Club, 599 Skyline Blvd,
Daly City, CA. Admission: $175.
For more information contact
UC Berkeley Armenian Alumni,
; ucbaa.contact@gmail.com.
APRIL 5 - FLUTE AND HARP
CONCERT. Location: St John
Armenian Church, 275 Olympia
Way, San Francisco, CA. Admission:
TBD. For more information
contact St. John Sayat Nova Cultural
Committee, 415-661-1142;
nsarkiss@sbcglobal.net.
APRIL 12 - BAFA 15TH ANNI-
VERSARY BANQUET. Location:
St.. John’s Armenian Church
Hall, 275 Olympia Way, San
Francisco, CA. 7:00 PM Admission:
TBD. For more information
contact Bay Area Friends of
Armenia (BAFA), 510-985-0188;
armenruth@comcast.net.
Radio, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy,
and was listed as one of
Time magazine’s “50 Coolest Websites”
in 2006.
“This recognition by Charity Navigator
helps raise FAR’s profile in
the community,” Ms. Bobelian said.
“It shows that we’re not only doing
good work in Armenia, but that we
are fiscally responsible -- a trustworthy
organization for people’s
donations.”
To view FAR’s ratings in detail,
log onto www.charitynavigator.
org, and type “Fund for Armenian
Relief” in the search field. To find
out more about FAR’s projects, log
onto its own website, www.farusa.
org. f
The ambitious
new education
and recreation
facility
currently under
construction
at the St. Leon
Church of Fair
Lawn, N.J.
parishioners to participate in this
ambitious undertaking for the St.
Leon Church.
Bricks can be engraved in English
or in Armenian. To request a
brick purchase form, or to learn
more about the building project,
contact the church office at (201)
791-2862. f
APRIL 19 - CAAONC 2008
BANQUET FOR THE MT. DA-
VIDSON CROSS COMMIT-
TEE. Location: Grand Hyatt San
Francisco, 345 Stockton Street,
San Francisco, CA. 7 pm Admission:
tba. For more information
contact CAAONC, 415-123-1234;
AKantarci@ssd.com.
MAY 3 - COSMIC RAY DIVI-
SION BENEFIT CONCERT. Location:
California Palace of the
Legion of Honor, 100 34-th Ave,
San Francisco, CA. 2:00 PM Admission:
$50. For more information
contact Anahid Yeremian,
(650) 926-4444; anahid@slac.
stanford.edu.
MAY 4 - ARS SAN FRANCISCO
GARIN CHAPTER 75TH ANNI-
VERSARY CELEBRATION. Location:
TBD, , San Francisco, CA.
TBD Admission: TBD. For more
information contact ARS SF Garin
Chapter, 650-207-3521; judy@
jingirian.com.
MAY 10 - 2ND ANNUAL WALK-
ATHON FOR ARMENIA’S
SCHOOLS. Location: Golden
Gate Park, Polo Field, San Francisco,
CA. 11 am - 5 pm Admission:
TBD. For more information
contact Knights and Daughters
of Vartan, 510-547-5399; masis@
california.com.
MAY 10 - CALVARY ARME-
NIAN CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH ANNUAL BANQUET.

The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008 B11
Community
Calendar of Events
Location: Calvary Armenian
Congregational Church Annual
Banquet, 725 Brotherhood Way,
San Francisco, CA. 7:00 PM Admission:
$75. For more information
contact Calvary Armenian
Congregational Church, (415)
586 - 2000; cacc@cacc-sf.org.
OCTOBER 14 - ARMENIAN
VOICES- HOVER CHAMBER
CHOIR OF ARMENIA. Location:
TBD, San Francisco, CA. 7:30
PM Admission: TBD. For more
information contact World Music
Management, 617-686-6556;
info@worldmusicmanagement.
com.
Southern California
JANUARY 17- MARCH 16
- VAHE BERBERIAN - BARON
GARBIS! Location: WHITEFIRE
THEATER, 13500 Ventura Blvd,
Sherman Oaks, CA. 8 PM / 3 PM
Admission: $30. For more information
contact Baron Garbis,
818-397-7392; barongarbis@
gmail.com. Tickets on www.itsmyseat.com.
FEBRUARY 16 - ARS 2008
FASHION SHOW. Location:
Glendale Hilton Hotel, 100 W
Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA.
11:00 AM Admission: $60. For
more information contact ARS
“ SEPAN” Chapter, 818-425-6464;
cbedros@aol.com. Tickets on
www.itsmyseat.com.
FEBRUARY 16 - VISA AT KNIT-
TING FACTORY! Location: Knitting
Factory, 7021 Hollywood
Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 11:00 PM
Admission: $15. For more information
contact Visa; visamusic@
yahoo.com.
FEBRUARY 16 - DINNER
CRUISE. Location: Doc 52, 13509
Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey, CA.
7:00 PM Admission: $75.00 Donation.
For more information
contact Mekhitarist Armenian
Fathers School, (818) 353-3003;
mekhitarist@yahoo.com.
FEBRUARY 16 - FEBRUARY
REVOLT CELEBRATION WITH
KARNIG SARKISSIAN. Location:
Armenian Center, 5305 W
McFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA.
8:00 PM Admission: $35. For
more information contact ARF
Armen Karo social committee,
714 401-8341; giro@socal.rr.com.
FEBRUARY 17 - HAMAZKA-
YIN NIARI ANNUAL DANCE
RECITAL. Location: ALex Theatre,
216 N Brand Blvd, Glendale,
CA. 5:00 p.m. Admission:
$15,20 & 25. For more information
contact Hamazkayin Niari,
818.908.0870; CLibazi@aol.com.
FEBRUARY 17 - MARTIK &
HELEN LIVE!. Location: Gibson
Amphitheater, 100 Universal
City Plaza, Universal City, CA.
8:00 PM Admission: $27 - $115
+ TM FEES. For more information
contact Helen & Martik,
818.908.0808;.
FEBRUARY 17 - JAZZ NIGHT.
Location: Armenian Society of
Los Angeles, 320 W Wilson Ave
107, Glendale, CA. Admission:
$12. For more information contact
Armenian Society of Los
Angeles, 818-241-1073; Designstudio@pacbell.net.
FEBRUARY 21 - LESSONS OF
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.
Location: San Diego State University
Hardy Tower 140, 5500
Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA.
7:00 PM Admission: Free. For
more information contact Hansen/Hostler
Lecture Series,
818.468.1620; donigian@gmail.
com.
FEBRUARY 22 - ARM. EVANG.
CHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL BANQUET. Location:
Phoenicia Restaurant, 343 N.
Central Ave., Glendale, CA. 7:30
pm Admission: Donation $75
/ pers. For more information
contact CHS Alumni Assoc., 818-
609-0833; derkarab@ulv.edu.
FEBRUARY 22 - 29 - SIX FILMS
BY SERGEI PARADJANOV. Location:
Leo S Bing Theater, 5905
Wilshire Boulevard, Long Beach,
CA. Various Admission: $10. For
more information contact Los
Angeles County Museum of Art.
FEBRUARY 22 - ANDY - UCLA
ASA - HAROUT: ONE STAGE
- ONE NIGHT - THREE STARS.
Location: Ararat, 3347 N San Fernando
Rd, Los Angeles, CA. 7:00
PM Admission: $75. For more
information contact UCLA ASA,
818.939.5506; asaucla@ucla.edu.
FEBRUARY 23 - ARS: MICH-
INK. Location: ARS Arax School,
2222 Lomita Blvd, Lomita, CA.
12:00 PM Admission: $20, $10.
For more information contact
ARS Arax School, 310 539-4994;
houry@bizla.rr.com.
FEBRUARY 24 - WHO YOU ARE
IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR:
FUNDRASING EVENT. Location:
Casitas Studios, 3229 Casitas
Ave, Los Angeles, CA. 5:00
PM Admission: $50. For more
information contact Hamazkayin
Heritage Committee and East
of Byzantium, 818.445.6556; rita.
demirjian@hotmail.com.
FEBRUARY 27 - DAVID BARS-
AMIAN AT THE GLENDALE
PUBLIC LIBRARY. Location:
Glendale Public Library, 222
E Harvard St, Glendale, CA.
7:00 PM. Admission: FREE.
For more information contact
Friends of the Glendale Public
Library, (818) 548-2042; cwike@
ci.glendale.ca.us.
FEBRUARY 28 - ARMENIAN
SHOGHAKEN FOLK ENSEM-
BLE. Location: Mandeville, 9500
Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA. 8:00
PM Admission: $32, $36. For
more information contact Art
Pwr, 858-534-4090; artpower@
ucsd.edu.
FEBRUARY 28 - DATE
CHANGED: FIRST ANNUAL
PROFESSIONAL NETWORK-
ING FORUM. Location: UCLA
Campus, Kerckhoff Grand Salon,
Los Angeles, CA. TBD Admission:
Free. For more information contact
AGSA UCLA, 626.372.4630;
agsaucla@ucla.edu.
FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 2
- ANC-PN BIG BEAR WINTER
ADVENTURE. Location: Big
Bear Lake, Big Bear Lake, CA.
Admission: TBD. For more information
contact ANC-PN;
info@ancpn.com.
FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 1 -
FIRST PROGRAM ANNOUNCE-
MENT--UCLA CONFERENCE
SERIES ON HISTORIC ARME-
NIAN CITIES AND PROVINC-
ES. Location: UCLA, Los Angeles,
CA. Admission: Free. For
more information contact R.G.
Hovannisian; hovannis@history.
ucla.edu.
MARCH 2 - TREASURES OF
ARMENIAN FOLK MUSIC.
Location: Alex Theatre, 216 N
Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA. TBD
Admission: $20, $30, $40, & $50.
For more information contact
Alex Theatre, (818) 434-5367.
MARCH 6 - CURE.....GET YOUR
SUGAR HIGH. Location: Sugar
Nightclub, 1716 N Cahuenga
Blvd, Hollywood, CA. 9:00 PM
Admission: 21 and over, $20 adm.
For more information contact
CalPoly Armenian Student Association,
(818) 468-1412; amusaelian@gmail.com.
MARCH 6 - FACING DENIAL,
THE LAST STAGE OF GENO-
CIDE. Location: UCLA Moore
100, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los
Angeles, CA. 6:30pm Admission:
FREE. For more information
contact Shant Student Association;
executive@arfshant.org.
MARCH 2 - MER DOON GALA
CONCERT. Location: St Peter
Armenian Church, 17231 Sherman
Way, Van Nuys, CA. 4:00
PM Admission: $45/$25. For
more information contact Margaret
Yaldezian, (818) 883-8473;
info@mer-doon.org.
MARCH 7 - ARTN INC. PRES-
ENT MISTER X LIVE IN CON-
CERT. Location: Alex Theatre,
216 N Brand Boulevard, Glendale,
CA. 8:00 PM Admission:
$25 | $100. For more information
contact Alex Theatre.
MARCH 8 - AUTHOR SIGNING.
Location: Marie Calender, 707 N
Pacific Ave, Glendale, CA. 09:45
a.m. Admission: price of buffet.
For more information contact
AAUW/Glendale; kay@mouradianbooks.com.
MARCH 9 - IAKOVOS KOLA-
NIAN LIVE!. Location: Barnsdall
Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood
Blvd, Los Angeles, CA.
7:00 PM Admission: $25. For
more information contact Armenian
Arts, (818) 244-2468;
info@armenianarts.com. Tickets
on www.itsmyseat.com.
MARCH 9 - JAVAKHK FUND
COMMITTE GALA DINNER.
Location: Chrystal Deck, 3439
Via Oporto, Newport Beach, CA.
4:00 PM to 9:00 PM Admission:
$300.00 per couple. For more
information contact ARS, (818)
500-1343; hkohler@charter.net.
MARCH 10 - GREGORY
DJANIKIAN AT THE GLEN-
DALE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Location:
Glendale Public Library,
222 E Harvard St, Glendale,
CA. 7:00 PM Admission: FREE.
For more information contact
Friends of the Glendale Public
Library, (818) 548-2042; cwike@
ci.glendale.ca.us.
MARCH 14 - SHUSHI MUSIC
SCHOOL SOCIETY’S 5TH AN-
NUAL DINNER BANQUET.
Location: Ararat Home of Los
Angeles, 15105 Mission Hills Rd,
Mission Hills, CA. 8:00 PM Admission:
$50, $35. For more information
contact Shushi Music
School Society, (818)577-8480;
Shushischool@yahoo.com.
MARCH 14 - SHUSHI MUSIC
SCHOOL SOCIETY’S 5TH AN-
NUAL DINNER BANQUET.
Location: Ararat Home of Los
Angeles, 15105 Mission Hills Rd,
Mission Hills, CA. 8:00 PM Admission:
$50, $35. For more information
contact Shushi Music
School Society, (818)577- 8480;
Shushischool@yahoo.com.
MARCH 16 - LEXUS RAFFLE
TICKET - HADJIN UNION. Location:
Verdugo Hills Country
Club, 400 W Glenoaks Blvd ,
Glendale, CA. 8:00 PM Admission:
$100. For more information
contact Compatriotic Union
of Hadjin, (818) 243-7029; hadjincompunion@aol.com.
Tickets
on www.itsmyseat.com.
APRIL 2 - ARMENIAN FOLK
DANCE WORKSHOP, APRIL
2,9,16 & 23. Location: St. John
Garabed Church Hall, 4473
30th St, San Diego, CA. Call
Admission: $50. For more information
contact AGBU SD
Chapter, Ani Lanuza, 619-889-
1459; anilanuza@sbcglobal.net.
APRIL 5 - ANC_WR FEDERAL
ISSUES SUMMIT. Location:
Universal Sheraton, 333 Universal
Hollywood Dr, Universal
City, CA. 8am to 4 pm
Admission: $25 and $50. For
more information contact
Armenian National Committee-
Western Region, 818-500-
1918; t e r e s a @ a n c a . o r g .
APRIL 6 - ARMENIAN CULTUR-
AL FESTIVAL. Location: Woodbury
University, 7500 Glenoaks
Blvd., Burbank, CA. 11:00 AM
Admission: Free. For more information
contact All Armenian
Student Association, (818) 624-
2427; woodburyuniversity_asa@
yahoo.com.
APRIL 10 - CONCERT HONOR-
ING SARKY MOURADIAN. Location:
Alex Theatre, 216 North
Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA.
7:30 PM Admission: $25 | $100.
For more information contact
Alex Theatre, 818-243-2539; kevingeorge16@hotmail.com.
APRIL 13 - GOR MKHITAR-
IAN WITH BAND. Location:
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800
Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles,
CA. 7:00 PM Admission: $30.
For more information contact
Armenian Arts Fund, (818) 244-
2468; info@armenianarts.com.
Tickets on www.itsmyseat.com.
APRIL 20 - CONFERENCE
REGARDING SEVRES PEACE
TREATY. Location: Glendale
Central Library, 222 E Harvard
St, Glendale, CA. 6:00 PM Admission:
Free. For more information
contact Defense Council
of Western Armenia, (818)
427-7872; sevres1920@gmail.
com.
APRIL 26 - “Children Helping
Children, with Love” - AMAA
Orphan and Child Care Children’s
Fashion Show, Luncheon
and Silent Auction. Saturday,
11:00 am. Beverly Hills Hotel.
Donation $75. For information
and tickets call Elizabeth Agbabian
(310) 476-5306, Gina Felikian
(310) 890-3115.
APRIL 27 - AN EVENING
WITH HASMIK PAPIAN. Location:
Vibiana Cathedral, 210 S
Main St, Los Angeles, CA. 7:00
PM Admission: $50-$150. For
more information contact Zoe
Kevork, (818) 761-4204; info@
infiniteechoent.com. Tickets on
www.itsmyseat.com.
MAY 2 - DELEYAMAN DEBUT.
Location: Herbert Zipper Concert
Hall, 200 S Grand Ave, Los
Angeles, CA. 8:00 PM Admission:
$40. For more information
contact TTO Records, (213) 404-
8880; ttorecords@club-internet.
fr. Tickets on www.itsmyseat.
com.
MAY 17 - RAA ANNUAL GALA
BANQUET. Location: TBD, Los
Angeles, CA. 7:30 PM Admission:
TBD. For more information contact
RAA / USA, (818) 469-1186;
Board@RAA-USA.org.
Subscription Coupon
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annual rates
u.s.a. First Class Mail: $75
Canada: $125 (u.s.); Overseas: $250 (u.s.)
CITY/STATE/ZIP
MAY 18 - ANC-BURBANK 3RD
ANNUAL BANQUET. Location:
Arbat Banquet Hall, 711 S. San
Fernando Rd, Burbank, CA. 5:30
PM Admission: TBA. For more
information contact Burbank
ANC, (818) 562-1918; info@burbankanc.org.
MAY 18 - YACHT DINNER
CRUISE IN MARINA DEL REY.
Location: Hornblower Cruise
Dock, Fisherman’s Village 13755
Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey, CA.
1:30 PM | 6:00 PM Admission:
$75 per person. For more information
contact, (626) 440-6047.
MAY 30 - AN EVENING WITH
MICHAEL BROOK & DJIVAN
GASPARYAN. Location: Royce
Hall, 340 Royce Dr, Los Angeles,
CA. 8:00 PM Admission: $48, 36,
24. For more information contact
UCLA Live, 310.825.2101;
tickets@uclalive.org.
MAY 31 - ARMENIA SCHOOL
FOUNDATION’S 5TH ANNI-
VERSARY GALA BANQUET.
Location: Ararat Hall, 3347 N
San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles,
CA. TBD Admission: TBD. For
more information contact ASF,
(818) 957-0768; info@armeniaschoolfoundation.org.
MAY 31 - JUNE 1 - ARMENIAN
FOOD FAIR & FEST. For more
information contact Anita, (714)
925-4193; Anita.Altounian@CaliberCollision.com.
AUGUST 23 - SAVE THE DATE:
ADAA WEEK - AUGUST 23, 25-
27, 2008. Location: Stars Palace
Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd.,
Glendale, CA. 8:00PM Admission:
$200.00. For more information
contact Armenian Dramatic
Arts Alliance, ; adaa.zk@
gmail.com.
SEPTEMBER 28 - ANCWR AN-
NUAL BANQUET. Location: Not
determined, Not determined,
Los Angeles, CA. 5:30 Admission:
Not set. For more information
contact Armenian National
Committee Western Region,
8185001918; teresa@anca.org.
OCTOBER 12 - ARMENIAN
VOICES- HOVER CHAMBER
CHOIR OF ARMENIA. Location:
TBD, Glendale, CA. 7:30
PM Admission: TBD. For more
information contact World Music
Management, 617-686-6556;
info@worldmusicmanagement.
com.
For the further details, visit
www.ArmenianCalendar.com
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B12 The Armenian Reporter | February 16, 2008