Jackie Speier is on the road to Capitol Hill - Armenian Reporter

communitythe armenianreporterWestern U.S. EditionNumber 25February 9, 2008NationalOn the 11th ArmenianHeritage Cru<strong>is</strong>eStory on page B4 mSouthern CaliforniaAtanian alumni preparefor “New V<strong>is</strong>ion” showStory on page B7 mYou Did What? The “o”wordStory on page B2 mRoad Less Traveled:Healing Pasadena, oneArmenian at a timeStory on page B2 mArmenian weddings:Let them eat cakeStory on page B5 mRestaurants: ScarletTea RoomStory on page B6 mCentral CaliforniaFresno church marks107th anniversaryStory on page B8 mDebbie Poochigianspeaks on VartanantzStory on page B9 mWestArizona Armeniansbuild a churchStory on page B9 m<strong>Speier</strong> <strong>is</strong> on the road to Capitol Hill<strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong>: anextraordinary lifeby Tania KetenjianSAN FRANCISCO7 – When formerCalifornia State Senator <strong>Jackie</strong><strong>Speier</strong> was a young girl, she wantedto take ballet lessons. But herfather ins<strong>is</strong>ted she take judo, andshe did. Judo strengthens you notonly physically but spiritually aswell, and perhaps her father had asense that <strong>Jackie</strong> would need thatstrength because her life was surelygoing to present her with great adversity.As she attests, “You mayhave a plan, but it doesn’t alwayswork out as you think.”<strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong> <strong>is</strong> Armenian on herFresno-born mother’s side. Manymembers of the family were killedduring the Armenian Genocide in1915.She grew up in the Bay Area inthe 60s and 70s, when the governmentand the people’s role in policymakingseemed to be evolving at anaccelerated rate. She wasn’t thinkingabout politics really, not untilshe was in high school. She did,however, adopt a new name duringher confirmation, “Jacqueline,” thename of the nation’s first lady.“I was 10, 11 12, 13 years of agewhen JFK became the president ofthe U.S., when Camelot was ablaze,and I was like so many other Americans,just charmed and mesmerized,and felt a sense of freshnessWestern Prelacy holds open houseSeveral dignitariesattend the outreacheventby Lory TatoulianIn a photo from Aug. 14, 2003, then-State Senator <strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong> d<strong>is</strong>cusses herfinancial privacy Bill SB1 in a news conference. AP Photo: Steve Yeater.and hope,” Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> recalled. “Ihated my first name,” she laughed,“and I was having my confirmation,and you had to pick a name, so Ipicked Jacqueline. It became mynickname in high school and overtime became my middle name. Theeerie part of it all <strong>is</strong> the parallelsin our lives subsequently. I mean,there’s a picture at my husband’sfuneral of me with my five-and-ahalf-year-oldson holding a flower,and it was like little John John.That part <strong>is</strong> uncanny.”In high school, something seeminglyinnocuous happened thatwould change the course of Ms.<strong>Speier</strong>’s life. She was living in Burlingame,going to a high schoolnamed Mercy, and her parents receivedsomething in the mail thatattracted her: a campaign piecefrom Rep. Leo Ryan, for whomMs. <strong>Speier</strong> would go on to work inher 20s. For some reason, the highschool girl took the chance of fillingout the campaign-support formand said she would like to volunteerfor Mr. Ryan’s run.“I can remember it like it was yesterday,”Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> says. “It was aSaturday morning. My chores werealways to vacuum on Saturdays, sothe vacuum <strong>is</strong> going, the phonerings, I answer the phone. I couldn’thear the voice very clearly but theyhad obviously gotten the card andthey wanted to interview me to bea ‘Ryan girl.’ I take down the addressand later go to what turns outto be Congressman Ryan’s home.The campaign manager <strong>is</strong> thereinterviewing girls to be ‘Ryan girls’and they wanted to check me outto see if I met the standards,” shesaid, laughing.“That’s when I got the bug,” shecontinued, excited. “We went toshopping centers and d<strong>is</strong>tributedliterature and we went to all theevents and then I asked for a letterof recommendation for college.I saw Congressman Ryanagain and, you know, there was aplan, I believe there <strong>is</strong> a plan inlife. That recommendation helpedme apply to two universities, UCDav<strong>is</strong> and Stanford. I was the firstperson in my family to go to college.I got rejected from Stanfordand accepted at UC Dav<strong>is</strong>. Had Inot gone to Dav<strong>is</strong>, I wouldn’t havebeen 20 minutes from the stateContinued on page B3 mGlendale City Mayor Ara Najarian and Archb<strong>is</strong>hop Moushegh Mardirossian.TUJUNGA, Calif. 7 – On February2, the Western Prelacy of theArmenian Apostolic Church ofAmerica held an open house at itsheadquarters in Tujunga. The outreachevent aimed to foster dialogueand help build bridges between theArmenian Church and the greaterLos Angeles community.The open house, co-organizedwith the Armenian National Committee,was attended by a plethoraof state and city officials includingRep. Adam Schiff, CaliforniaAssembly members Mike Feuer,Anthony Portantino, and PaulKrekorian, Los Angeles CityCouncil President Eric Garcetti,Los Angeles City Council memberDenn<strong>is</strong> Zane, former CaliforniaState Assembly member Carol Liu,Glendale City Mayor Ara Najarian,Glendale Unified School D<strong>is</strong>trictBoard Member Nayiri Nahabedian,Glendale City College professorDr. Vahe Peroomian, and Dr.Armine Hacopian, a member ofthe Glendale Community CollegeD<strong>is</strong>trict Board of Trustees.After welcoming the some 150guests, M<strong>is</strong>tress of CeremoniesPattyl Aposhian-Kasparianspoke about the evolving communityrole of the Prelacy. “By witnessingthe need for special programsfor the youth, the churchhas responded to the needs of theArmenian community by settingyouth groups and youth services,”she said. “Th<strong>is</strong> building representsmore than brick and concrete. It’sabout transformation, it’s aboutrelating to the future generations.”During the ceremony, giftswere exchanged between clergyand political leaders. Archb<strong>is</strong>hopMoushegh Mardirossian, Prelateof the Western Prelacy, presentedcrystal plaques with an engravedimage of the Prelacy chapel to allthe dignitaries. In return, the Prelacywas bestowed with city, county,and state resolutions recognizingits accompl<strong>is</strong>hments in the Armeniancommunity.“It <strong>is</strong> a great honor to have amongus today our elected officials, whoserve our community and particularlyour flock,” Abp. Mardirossiansaid as he acknowledged the dignitariesin attendance. “I thank youfor being here today to becomemore familiarized with the activitiesthat are carried out at ourheadquarters.”Rep. Schiff, who has championedArmenian <strong>is</strong>sues, addressedthe audience and commended theArmenian Church for having “tremendous”impact on the life ofthe Armenian community. “I haveContinued on page B3 mJust a few of the smaller handmade tapestries available for the silent auction.Photo: Alexandra Bezdikian..Art Gala benefits schoolbuildings in ArmeniaThe Knights andDaughters of Vartanevent draws widesupportby Alexandra BezdikianSAN FRANCISCO 7- It was a blacktie and ball gown event: an exqu<strong>is</strong>itenight of glitz, glamour, dinner,and dancing that brought togetherold friends, family, and colleagues.Armenians from across the BayArea converged on the Westin SanFranc<strong>is</strong>co Hotel on February 2 forthe 9 to 1 Art Gala. The event washeld to celebrate and support theaccompl<strong>is</strong>hments of the Knightsand Daughters of Vartan, an organizationthat for decades hasprovided young Armenians withhopeful prospects of education andmeaningful social progress.Since the inception of the ArmenianSchools Support Project in1993, the Knights and Daughtersof Vartan has worked diligentlyContinued on page B8 m

B2 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008Communityyou did what?by Tamar KevonianMany years ago my husband, whowas an odar, gladly embraced myculture. We were married in anArmenian church and followed allthe dictated traditions, customs,and holidays. Within the first yearof the marriage, while attendingan event with my family, we cameacross an old and respected familyfriend who had not attended thewedding and was meeting my husbandfor the first time.Solicitous introductions weremade.“We m<strong>is</strong>sed you at the wedding,”I said.“I couldn’t come because it wasan odar wedding” he said politely.Looking directly at my husband, hecontinued, “I’m sure you’re a verynice person but I don’t like you becauseyou’re an odar.”“He’s an honorary Armenian,” Isaid, trying to turn the consternationof those present into a joke.I didn’t blame my husband for beingoffended and unwilling to attendany future Armenian events. EventuallyI stopped attending them too,thus pulling away from the communityin which I had spent all mylife. The casual comment made bythe friend insulted not just my husbandbut also me and my family, byimplying that somehow we were notgood enough Armenians to haveroad less traveledby Mariette TachdjianThe “o” wordmanaged a marriage with anotherperson from our own culture.The word odar <strong>is</strong> brand<strong>is</strong>hedabout quite liberally. At a recentdinner party, where there were anumber of non-Armenians, one ofthem finally asked what the wordmeant. “A foreigner,” one guest explained.Suddenly I was remindedof another conversation manymonths ago, when a fellow Armenianexpressed h<strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tress at theconstant use of the word and itsrac<strong>is</strong>t and xenophobic implications.“It’s a perfectly legitimate word,”I argued.“But look at what it means,” hereplied.“It means foreigner,” I responded.“Exactly. It implies a d<strong>is</strong>tinction.”I couldn’t argue with him. I rememberedmy own experiencemany years ago and how it hadmade me feel at the time. AlthoughI had relegated that image to the farrecesses of my memory, the shockand pain I had felt for my husband,myself, and, subsequently, my family,were still fresh.Odar <strong>is</strong> used quite often by Armeniansto describe someone notof our tightly knit ethnic group.We don’t think twice about usingthe word to label a person. But myfriend’s concerns echoed throughmy mind during th<strong>is</strong> dinner partyand I began to understand h<strong>is</strong>point. After all, how were we reallyusing it and in what context? “HeTamar Kevonian.(or she) <strong>is</strong> dating (or married to) anodar,” we hear said with d<strong>is</strong>approval.“Oh, they don’t understand, they’reodars,” <strong>is</strong> often expressed to explainthe people in our communities whowe think don’t believe in our values.Although it <strong>is</strong> a legitimate adjectiveand noun meaning “foreign/er,” it<strong>is</strong> also used with a slight twinge ofd<strong>is</strong>dain, and th<strong>is</strong> makes it inherentlyrac<strong>is</strong>t and xenophobic.There <strong>is</strong> a difference between thetwo latter words. Xenophobia <strong>is</strong> thefear or contempt of that which <strong>is</strong>foreign or unknown, while rac<strong>is</strong>m<strong>is</strong> the belief that members of someraces are superior or inferior tomembers of other races. An exampleof xenophobia <strong>is</strong> when an Armenian<strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>liked because he <strong>is</strong> froma Middle Eastern country, whilebeing d<strong>is</strong>liked for being Armenianconstitutes rac<strong>is</strong>m. Our use of odarfalls in both of these categories.Throughout h<strong>is</strong>tory, cultureshave had a need to create words todescribe people not of themselves,usually motivated by fear or ignorance.In the United States, Armenianswere confused for Persiansduring the Iran hostage cr<strong>is</strong><strong>is</strong> from1979 to the early 1980s, and Iranianswere lumped together with Arabsfollowing the harrowing days of9/11. Ethnic minorities living in thelarger culture of their host countrieseither use labels or have themused in reference to themselvesto create a d<strong>is</strong>tinction betweenvarious groups: an “us versus them”mentality. Such labels become thebas<strong>is</strong> for a larger form of separationbecause they reinforce the perceptionof the “other” as less thanequal and therefore not worthy ofthe same consideration.We are surrounded by wordswhich reduce an entire race of peopleto a single derogatory expression.Our ancestors were called gavur(infidel) by the Turks, and weliberally brand<strong>is</strong>h the word mtveli todescribe Shiite Arabs or lobbie to describethose from Mexico and otherLatin countries further south.Rac<strong>is</strong>m <strong>is</strong> widely condemnedthroughout the world. It <strong>is</strong> of suchconcern that the United Nationsadopted a convention in 1965 tocombat the phenomenon. It <strong>is</strong>Healing Pasadena, one Armenian at a timecalled the International Conventionon the Elimination of all Formsof Racial D<strong>is</strong>crimination, which 173nation have signed as of November2006. Unfortunately it <strong>is</strong> difficult toweed out rac<strong>is</strong>m through compactsor leg<strong>is</strong>lation, especially when perfectlylegitimate words like odar areused in a negative manner.I can’t point specifically to theincident with our family friend asthe event that led to the dem<strong>is</strong>e ofmy marriage. Perhaps if my formerhusband had been more acceptedand engaged by the Armenians hemet, instead of being alienated bythem, our ties to the communitywould have been strengthened andour marriage salvaged.It’s time to closely examine ourworldview and the subtle ways inwhich we d<strong>is</strong>criminate against others.It <strong>is</strong> hypocritical to demandrespect, equality, and recognitionwhen we cannot extend the samecourtesy to other races. The realityof the far-flung Armenian diaspora<strong>is</strong> that we live in culturesdifferent than ours and often ourfriends, neighbors, coworkers, andspouses are from the culture of ourhost countries. When we say odarin a derogatory way, we insult andalienate not just those closest to usbut also ourselves.“Good news, honey,” announcedthe family friend to h<strong>is</strong> wife sittingin a café when he heard of my divorce,“she left the odar.” fPASADENA, Calif7. – You wouldnever know it traveling downWashington Boulevard, in theheart of Pasadena, as you pass theArmenian bakeries and retail shops.But in an ind<strong>is</strong>tinct location, justbehind a small real estate office,a pair of healing hands has beentreating the ailing bodies of Armeniansyoung and old, for the pastfew years. Here, amidst the scentof boreks and lahmajun waftingoff the alleys, Shahe Jierian <strong>is</strong> busyworking on healing everythingfrom migraine headaches to lowerback pain - all by using only naturalmethods.At first glance, Jierian, an alternativedoctor with a Ph.D. in hol<strong>is</strong>tichealth, appears like the averageArmenian from Beirut. H<strong>is</strong> slightlyrough-around-the-edges demeanor,raspy voice, and humor may defythe stereotypical image of a spiritualhealer or medicine man. Butwhat you will find surpr<strong>is</strong>ing <strong>is</strong> thatbehind the Bourj Hammoud-moldedpersonality resides a practitionerknown to the local Armenians forh<strong>is</strong> intuitive method of healing. H<strong>is</strong>repertoire includes acupuncture,Oriental medicine, energy work,and a whole lot of education andcounseling based on Buddh<strong>is</strong>t andother Eastern philosophies, whichspeak to the mind, body, and spirit.He works out of a space compr<strong>is</strong>edof a small office with two treatmentrooms splashed with soothingblues and greens, and inundated bypositive energy and imagery.When most businesses begin towind down at the usual 5 o’clockhour, Shahe receives clients back toback, well past 6. On th<strong>is</strong> particularevening, an Armenian married couplein their mid-40s (who w<strong>is</strong>hed toremain anonymous) sat together inone of the treatment rooms whileShahe prepared acupuncture needlesand therapeutic oil. He appliedacupuncture on the gentleman forh<strong>is</strong> chronic shoulder pain, and assessedthe wife’s pain and range ofmotion – she <strong>is</strong> recovering from anRight: Dr.Shahe Jieriandemonstratingthe acupuncturepoints in thebody. Far right:The 7 chakrapoints (or energycenters) in thebody. Photos:MarietteTachdjian.upper arm fracture after a traumaticfall. As the couplereceived their treatment, a calmand peaceful energy was felt withinthe room, even while dialogue continuedbetween the three. Not onlydid the couple benefit from a symbioticrelationship with the healer,but reported feeling closer to eachother through the pain experience.“When I receive the treatments,there <strong>is</strong> a spiritual connection,” explainsthe husband. “I just feel somuch better afterwards.” At theend of the session, the wife also reportedless pain and demonstrateda v<strong>is</strong>ible increase of mobility in herarm. Outside, in the waiting room,a younger female client said thatshe had been a migraine suffererfor years. After getting a series oftreatments at th<strong>is</strong> clinic, she hadsuccessfully come off medicationand was virtually migraine-free.“He <strong>is</strong> our angel,” she says of Shahe.Treating the wholepersonIf you have read th<strong>is</strong> far, you may beone of the more open-minded peopleout there. The average Armenian,Shahe says, can be quite skeptical atfirst. “They say, ‘What <strong>is</strong> it you do?Is th<strong>is</strong> just massage?’ Then they seeand experience first-hand that it <strong>is</strong>so much more.” Rather than attemptto sell the treatment to the client,he allows them to experience the intangibleenergy that <strong>is</strong> used throughthe laying on of hands. Some call itchi energy, while others may referto it as life force energy. However it<strong>is</strong> described, Shahe channels it withan intention to treat the whole person,not just the symptoms. “There<strong>is</strong> a lot of spiritual connection thatcomes into play,” he explains. “There<strong>is</strong> a lot of energy in the room, always.”Clients receive a combinationof treatments that are individuallytailored to their condition, and mayalso incorporate nutritional guidanceand dietary changes needed torestore wellness. Aside from deliveringphysical treatments, Shahe usesh<strong>is</strong> extensive knowledge of hol<strong>is</strong>ticmedicine to help create a shift in theway people think about pain and illness.The patients, on average, completefive sessions before gainingsat<strong>is</strong>factory improvement in theircondition. And while the focus <strong>is</strong>usually on the physical problems,these are often embedded withemotional <strong>is</strong>sues. At times, “whileworking on certain points on thebody (especially during acupuncture)that deal with anger and grief,emotional <strong>is</strong>sues come up,” Shahesays. An example <strong>is</strong> shoulder pain,a problem commonly reportedamong h<strong>is</strong> all-Armenian clientele.In Eastern medicine, shoulder pain<strong>is</strong> thought to be directly connectedto anger, and by understandinghow to release pain in that area,one also begins to understand themind-body connection.Before h<strong>is</strong> own journey into alternativemedicine began, Shahebooked clients onto other kindsof journeys. He managed LevonTravel for 13 years. And althoughth<strong>is</strong> was steady work for him, heheeded an inner calling to embarkon a path less traveled. “Peoplethought that I have good hands,and I had been helping people withtheir stress and muscles,” he recalls.So in 1994 he took h<strong>is</strong> first step andenrolled in massage school. But heknew he didn’t want to stop there.Being guided toward the rightschools and d<strong>is</strong>ciplines, he wenton to study Oriental medicine, andeventually pursued h<strong>is</strong> doctorate atthe American Institute of Hol<strong>is</strong>ticTheology.While he feels great sat<strong>is</strong>factionin helping people heal their pain,Shahe humbly admits that not everythingcan be successfully treated.H<strong>is</strong> biggest frustration <strong>is</strong> “toknow the cause and not be able toheal, because you can’t be a superman.There <strong>is</strong> a lot of stuff that happensin our world that <strong>is</strong> created byhigher authorities, that there <strong>is</strong> notmuch you can do about,” he says.Shahe had to deal with a goodamount of grief in h<strong>is</strong> own life. Helost h<strong>is</strong> parents at a very young ageand was ra<strong>is</strong>ed by h<strong>is</strong> grandmother(a Genocide survivor) and h<strong>is</strong> aunts,whom he credits for their undyinglove and devotion. He says that allthe nurturing he has received hasculminated in h<strong>is</strong> hol<strong>is</strong>tic-healingwork. It <strong>is</strong> h<strong>is</strong> way of giving back tothe Armenian community. And it <strong>is</strong>quite apparent that the communityappreciates it.fconnect:healngtoch@aol.com

The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008B3Community<strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong> <strong>is</strong> on the road to Capitol HillADVERTISER: PLEASE PLACE BETWEEN JANUARY 3 - MARCH 9, 2008 Contact: Jennm Story starts on page B1capital, I wouldn’t have becomean intern, I wouldn’t have becomea staff member, I probably wouldhave pursued a completely differentcareer.”Th<strong>is</strong> belief in life’s plan has carriedMs. <strong>Speier</strong> through someharrowing experiences. As onejournal<strong>is</strong>t once noted, had her lifebeen a work of fiction, the authormight be accused of “strainingcredulity.” When speaking withher, there <strong>is</strong> no denying her appreciationfor life. “We are here andthen we’re gone and you’re notnecessarily remembered. So whatyou do with your life has to bemeaningful in the moment,” Ms.<strong>Speier</strong> said. Her early dec<strong>is</strong>ionsm Story starts on page B1seen how intricately the Churchhas been in everyday family eventsand I have seen the role the Prelacyhas had in the education of theArmenian people – keeping thepeople gainfully employed and occupiedafter school,” he said. “Th<strong>is</strong><strong>is</strong> a beautiful structure and it <strong>is</strong> afitting symbol of the work that <strong>is</strong>done by the Prelacy.”Mr. Krekorian also spoke at theopen house. “We can be d<strong>is</strong>sipatedthroughout the world, we can betormented with challenges that noother nation could be expected towithstand, but ultimately throughfaith, through hope, through acommitment to the future of ournation, we are brought back togetheronce again in th<strong>is</strong> chapel,”he remarked. “The true bricks andmortar of our church <strong>is</strong> faith andour true commitment to our nation.”Mr. Krekorian thanked Abp.Mardirossian and presented himwith a colorful calligraphed resolutionon behalf of the CaliforniaState Assembly.Mr. Garcetti presented Abp.Mardirossian with a congratulatoryresolution from the Los AnglesCity Council. “Th<strong>is</strong> building givesme the same monumental feelingI had when I went to Armeniaand walked through the h<strong>is</strong>toricalchurches,” Mr. Garcetti said. “Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>a new piece of h<strong>is</strong>tory and you [theArmenian Church] have networkedyourself in a way that truly embodieswhat a community should be.”The Western Prelacy, whose newheadquarters opened in TujungaOMNILEVERwere just the thing that offeredmeaning to her life.“It <strong>is</strong> such a gift to be able to useyour persuasion, your researchabilities to develop leg<strong>is</strong>lation thatimpacts people in such an intimatefashion,” Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> explained.“For me, to have people stop meon the street and say, ‘Because ofyour leg<strong>is</strong>lation, I am getting childsupport payments I wasn’t gettingbefore,’ or doctors stop me saying,‘Because of getting laws passed onoff-label drugs, young kids are survivingwith cancer.’ It’s the mostincredible high.” And also, shemight have added, the true manifestationof v<strong>is</strong>ion translated intoaction.“I never lose the sense of whatmakes people happy, angry, mad,OUTSOURCING TO ARMENIA* IT, Business Process, Day-to-Day Management* Database and Web Programming* Medical, Clinical Data Management* Financial, Legal Document Processing* Customer Contact, Data CenterContacts: (201) 654-4267, info@omnilever.comEstabl<strong>is</strong>hed US ClienteleISO 9001:2000 – QUALITY STANDARDlast May, admin<strong>is</strong>ters 12 Armenianchurches, three high schools, andsix elementary schools throughoutthe Western United States. Accordingto Ms. Aposhian-Kasparian,the Prelacy <strong>is</strong> po<strong>is</strong>ed to expand anumber of educational and culturalactivities while bolstering ex<strong>is</strong>tingsad,” Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> continued. “I callit ‘the outrage meter.’ I read somethingand think th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> wrong. Well,OK, change it.”Ms. <strong>Speier</strong>’s mother once told herthat she was very sensitive to otherpeople as a young girl. She has alwaysbeen close to her parents andthey were always supportive. Herfather gave her the impression thatshe could accompl<strong>is</strong>h anything.“When you read books on womenwho achieve great things in politics,typically they are women who wentto girls’ schools and they had verystrong, supportive fathers. I hadboth.”Throughout her years at UC Dav<strong>is</strong>,Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> continued working withWestern Prelacy holds open houseAnthonyPortantino.PaulKrekorian.©2008, American Cancer Society, Inc.©2008, American Cancer Society, Inc.Send hopeby the bunchduringDaffodil Days ® .Th<strong>is</strong> space contributed as a public service.Send hope by the bunchduring Daffodil Days ® .Eric Garcetti.1.800.ACS.2345www.cancer.org2-1/16” x 5-1/4”Mr. Ryan. He became her mentor, ten funding for a master-teacherand since he was a You teacher can fight by pro-back against program and appointed <strong>Jackie</strong> ascancer by supporting theAmerican Cancer SocietyDaffodil Days. V<strong>is</strong>itwww.cancer.org/daffodilsto purchase Daffodil Daysproducts, make a Gift ofHope donation or become aDaffodil Days volunteer.fession, she could intern in h<strong>is</strong> officeand get credit. Knowing thatcritic<strong>is</strong>m implies a sense of reason,awareness, and intelligence (andpossibly a good grade), Ms. <strong>Speier</strong>decided to write a very critical paperof the way in which Mr. Ryan’soffice operated, never thinking thathe would want to read the paper.“Well, he did want to read it andwhen he did, he just ripped it toshreds,” <strong>Speier</strong> says. “I had gottenTh<strong>is</strong> space contributed as a public service.Send hope by the bunch during Daffodil Days ® .Adam Schiff.4-1/4” x 3-1/2”©2008, American Cancer Society, Inc.Th<strong>is</strong> space contributed as a public service.an A- on it. He crossed it out andgave me a C- and said I didn’t knowhow to write and he was going toteach me.”Th<strong>is</strong> was just the first of manyopportunities that Mr. Ryan presentedto <strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong>. He had got-Pattyl Kasparian.programs. For instance, Glendale’s underway to build a chapel at theChamlian You canArmenian fight backSchool against <strong>is</strong> cancer planningSociety to open Daffodil an additional Days. V<strong>is</strong>it campus www.cancer.org/daffodils National Forest to near purchase the City ofby AYF supporting Camp, located the American in the Cancer Angelesfor Daffodil students Days living products, in the brighten La Canadaa patient’s Wrightwood. day by making a Gift ofHope and Pasadena donation, areas; send an the E-card Holy or become “We will a Daffodil continue Days our volunteer. m<strong>is</strong>sion ofCross Armenian Apostolic Church bringing Chr<strong>is</strong>tian education toin Montebello will continue to our youth,” Aposhian-Kasparianhost youth camps; and plans are said.f1.800.ACS.2345www.cancer.org/daffodilsYou can fight back against cancer bysupporting the American Cancer SocietyDaffodil Days. For more information,v<strong>is</strong>it www.cancer.org/daffodils or call1.800.ACS.2345.1.800.ACS.2345www.cancer.org/daffodilsits head. “At the age of 20, workingon these projects, I got the chanceto cut my teeth in politics, thanks Th<strong>is</strong> space contrito a mentor who really gave me opportunities.”But she lost her mentoron a trip to Guyana, which sheand Mr. Ryan took together to helpthe people at Jonestown be freeof Jim Jones. She was 28 years oldthen and it was that trip that wouldforever change her life. fconnect:jackieforcongress.comTh<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> the first in a four-part series onthe life of <strong>Jackie</strong> <strong>Speier</strong>. Next week:the story of what actually happenedat Guyana and how that experienceinspired Ms. <strong>Speier</strong> to continue pursuingpublic service.A note from theEditorSend hopeduring DaYou can fight back againstA front-page story American by Atina Cancer Hartunianin Section B of the Janu-Society Dary 12 edition,$25,“TheourMelikianvolunteers will defamily helps to cut preserve daffodils and to someone spshow Armenian special manuscripts,” bear created by Boyincluded a number for the of serious American Cancer Soerrors.1. The article erroneouslyclaims that Armenian For eachcultureBear and A Bunchhas not been a central for alltheme people in facing cancerAlex Manoogian’sCancerart collection.Society’s lifesaving mThe intended reference was toAlex Manoogian’s Hopeson for aRich-ard, who <strong>is</strong> one of the world’sworld free of cagreatest collectors of Americanpaintings. Alex Manoogian, achampion of Armenian culture,sought out Armenian antiquesall h<strong>is</strong> life; the Manoogian Museumin Detroit includes valuablemanuscripts, carpets, silverartifacts, and more.2. The article erroneouslyclaims that James Melikian recentlypurchased a pair of church4-1cymbals dating back to 1635from the art dealer Sam Fogg.Mr. Melikian in fact purchasedthe items from Krikor Markarianof New York. Mr. Markarianhas been collecting Armenianmanuscripts and silver church Th<strong>is</strong> space contribrelics for some 35 years. Mr. Melikiancredits him with beinggenerous with h<strong>is</strong> time and expert<strong>is</strong>e,helping new collectorslike Mr. Melikian continue thetradition of great Armenian collectorsof the past. He has alsodonated many Armenian relicsto Armenian churches and communitiesover the years.3. The article quotes Mr. Melikianas saying that the “oldestchalice the church has <strong>is</strong> fromthe 1930s.” It fails to specifythat Mr. Melikian was referringto the Armenian Church in California.4. The name of a village andthe pottery made Send in it <strong>is</strong> m<strong>is</strong>-hopspelledin the article. The correctspelling <strong>is</strong> Kutahya not “Gataya.”5. The Armenian during term yergatakir<strong>is</strong> best translated “ironDascript,” not “iron cast writing.”It <strong>is</strong> the name givenYou canto thefightfirstback against caversion of the Armenian alphabet,invented inCancerthe earlySociety5thDaffodil Dayscentury, and to purchase the typeface Daffodil Days prodbased on it. making a Gift of Hope dona6. The Armenian Daffodil manuscripts Days volunteer.at the exhibit with paintingsof the life of Chr<strong>is</strong>t should becalled manuscripts of the FourGospels rather than full Bibles.Nearly all Armenian manuscriptswith paintings are of theFour Gospels.We regret the errors.—Editor 4-1/4”4-1/4” x 2”

B4 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunitySeven days on the 11th Armenian Heritage Cru<strong>is</strong>eby Boghos KupelianWhy does the Armenian HeritageCru<strong>is</strong>e continue to attract thousandsof Armenians from aroundthe world? As I was delighted toconfirm once again during the latestvoyage in January, its resoundingsuccess has to do with muchmore than the splendid ships, theArmenian tricolor fluttering fromthe mast, or the fact that it <strong>is</strong>organized by the Armenian CulturalAssociation of America. Ultimately,the secret to the longevityof the Armenian Heritage Cru<strong>is</strong>e<strong>is</strong> its quintessentially Armenianatmosphere. Try live Armenianmusic and dance, comedy, films,a mobile bookstore, Armeniandance and language classes, anArmenian Festival Day, and educationalbriefings on Armenianpolitical activ<strong>is</strong>m, in addition tothe requ<strong>is</strong>ite tavlu and belote tournaments.The 11th Armenian HeritageCru<strong>is</strong>e kicked off on January 13,setting sail from Fort Lauderdaleaboard the beautiful Italian shipCosta Fortuna. The seven-day tripwould take us to San Juan, SaintThomas, Catalina Island, Casa deCampo, and Nassau. The passengersincluded more than 1,700 Armeniansfrom across the UnitedStates, Europe, the Middle East,and Armenia.The Evans factorUndoubtedly, the stars of th<strong>is</strong> year’sArmenian Heritage Cru<strong>is</strong>e were itsspecial guests: John Marshall Evans,former US Ambassador to theRepublic of Armenia, and h<strong>is</strong> lovelywife, Donna.During one of our dinners aboardthe Costa Fortuna, the ambassadorpositively dazzled everyone withh<strong>is</strong> warmth, graceful demeanor,and aston<strong>is</strong>hing erudition. Th<strong>is</strong>humble man was the very samestatesman who in the recent paststood up for the moral imperativeof recognizing the Armenian Genocide,and as a result saw an illustriousdiplomatic career cut short byWashington’s powers that be. Thewonderful guests at our dinnertable that night included BedrosBandazian, chairperson of the ArmenianHeritage Cru<strong>is</strong>e Committee,and Ivan Ardhaldjian of theHairenik Association in Watertown,Massachusetts.On the morning of January15, Ambassador Evans spoke atan event organized in h<strong>is</strong> honor.“When I was called to serve in Armenia,I knew little about the Armenians,”he said. “But later I readA group of young cru<strong>is</strong>ers at the beach.Volleyball game on the <strong>is</strong>land.the h<strong>is</strong>tory of the Ottoman Empireand learned of the Armenian Genocide– a subject that’s still a taboowithin State Department circles. Iwas in agony about th<strong>is</strong> question.”“I found myself facing an ethicaldilemma, as my employer was indenial concerning th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>sue,” Evanscontinued. “Reagan used theword ‘genocide’ [to refer to the ArmenianGenocide]. But since theClinton admin<strong>is</strong>tration, the term‘mass deportation’ <strong>is</strong> used. I cameto the conclusion that I have tobreak the taboo. I didn’t wait tillthe end of my term; I did it withinsix months.”Evans also referred to h<strong>is</strong> forthcomingbook, which chronicles h<strong>is</strong>odyssey as U.S. ambassador to Armeniaand the fiasco following h<strong>is</strong>During Armenian festival day on board, a tricolor outfit contest was held. They’re all winners!Genocide-recognition comments,as well as a broad range of <strong>is</strong>suespertaining to superpower and regionalpolitics. “H<strong>is</strong>tory was m<strong>is</strong>interpreted,”he said. “The truthshould be said. My book <strong>is</strong> meantto reach those Americans who unfortunatelyare ignorant about theGenocide.”Culture in the open seaThe Armenian Heritage Cru<strong>is</strong>eoffered a wealth of cultural andsocial activities for all ages. Theevents included a book-signingparty featuring Margaret Ajemian,author of The Knock at the Door.Appo Jabarian, editor of ArmenianLife Weekly, delivered a lecture onArmenian communities in Turkeythat have been forced to convertto Islam.Another memorable event wasthe performance of the HamazkayinAni Dance Company. Theensemble provided hours of pureenchantment, bringing tears ofAHC Banner.Fun in the sand.pride and joy to the spectators.Such emotions were also verymuch at work during a spiritedconcert by young Hagop Porposian,a nonpareil interpreter ofpatriotic songs.A singles champagne mixer and atalent show were among the socialactivities. While Khoren Muradianand h<strong>is</strong> band entertained revelersuntil the wee hours, the All StarTraditional Band did the same inanother hall. Then there was laughter– lots and lots of it – complimentsof a wickedly hilarious showby stand-up comedian Kev Orkian.The funnyman had no qualmsabout enforcing h<strong>is</strong> brand of audienceparticipation, and many wereh<strong>is</strong> glad “victims.”Throughout the cru<strong>is</strong>e, the activitiesschedule was teeming withdaily Armenian dance and languageclasses. Also featured wereeducational briefings by AntranigKzirian, Karine Birazian, and RaffiKarakashian of the Armenian NationalCommittee of America, amobile bookstore sponsored by theHairenik Bookstore and directedby Ivan Ardhaldjian, and, of course,those riotous tavlu and belote tournaments.Armenian Flag on The ship.The words of a fellow passenger,Nvart Majarian of California, encapsulatesthe Armenian HeritageCru<strong>is</strong>e experience: “I had readsome interesting press storiesabout the cru<strong>is</strong>e, but the reality <strong>is</strong>incomparably richer,” she told me.“The things that have touched methe most are the huge presenceof Armenian youths, the spirit ofcommunity togetherness, and theseamless organization of the programs.”At one point during our voyage,while I was having an interviewwith Ambassador Evans, I not onlyrel<strong>is</strong>hed h<strong>is</strong> words, but derivedprofound pleasure from the knowledgethat Armenian culture couldbe so vibrant, so generous and farreaching,as amply demonstratedthroughout our cru<strong>is</strong>e. My sentimentsat that moment were nodoubt a reflection of yet anotherwondrous image: in a hall next towhere the ambassador and I weresitting, more than 40 alumni of theMelkonian school of Cyprus, youngand old, were holding their annualmeeting.fTranslated from the Armenian by IshkhanJinbashian

The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityB5The Armenian wedding seriesLet them eat cakeWhat’s a weddingwithout one?by Karine ChakarianIf planning a wedding can be asparamount as the production of aBroadway musical, then choosingthe cake <strong>is</strong> like designing the costumes.Every detail, from taste toart<strong>is</strong>try to cost, <strong>is</strong> taken into consideration.First there <strong>is</strong> the flavor. It couldbe something as classic and simpleas pure chocolate. Or somethingmore extravagant, perhaps vanillalayered with butter cream frostingand infused with Grand Marnier.Then there’s presentation. Dec<strong>is</strong>ionsrange from garn<strong>is</strong>hing withfresh flowers to ornaments representingthe bride and groom.Finally, there <strong>is</strong> the exhibition ofcutting and serving the cake duringthe wedding reception.The tradition of the wedding cakestarted during the Roman Empireand back then it was a very differentproduction. Over the years it hasevolved into the carefully thoughtout, finely detailed flour and icingextravaganza we have today.The birth of a weddingcakeIn Roman times, tradition had itthat the groom would break part ofa loaf of barley bread baked for thenuptials, and then break the restover h<strong>is</strong> bride’s head.The breaking of the bread symbolizedthe breaking of the bride’svirginal status. The crumbs thatfell would be collected by guests,the notion being that eating thecrumbs brought good luck and fertility.During the middle ages, the traditionof baking loaves of breadfor a couple’s nuptials gave way tosweet buns. The buns were stackedin a pile, and if the couple was ableto k<strong>is</strong>s over the pile, their life togetherwould be successful.The once-simple dessert hasevolved into a multi-tiered weddingcake, which was once reservedfor Engl<strong>is</strong>h royalty. The assumptionbehind baking a cake with manylevels was that a chr<strong>is</strong>tening wouldsoon follow the wedding. Hence thebottom tier of the cake was for thereception, the middle was to giveaway, and the top was saved for thechr<strong>is</strong>tening.Since times have changed anda chr<strong>is</strong>tening doesn’t necessarilyfollow on the heels of a wedding,modern-day tradition dictates forcouples to preserve the top tier intheir freezer, to enjoy on the day oftheir first anniversary.When in Jamaica…The concept of a wedding cake variesfrom country to country. Thefollowing <strong>is</strong> only a small l<strong>is</strong>t of thevariations on the pastry.• American and Engl<strong>is</strong>h traditioncalls for a classic tieredcake.• In Jamaica, a fruit cake <strong>is</strong> liberallylaced with sherry or rum.• In Bermuda, a tiny sapling <strong>is</strong>placed on top of the cake. Afterthe reception, the tree <strong>is</strong> plantedat the couple’s shared hometo symbolize the progressionof their lives together.• In France, a country famousfor its pat<strong>is</strong>series, weddingparties serve a dessert calledcroqueembouche – small,cream-filled pasties are coveredwith caramel and stackedinto a pyramid.• The Japanese use a faux weddingcake, sometimes made ofStyrofoam, but covered in realicing. The bride and groom gothrough the motions of cuttingthe fake cake (in somecases a slit <strong>is</strong> precut into theimitation cake to further ass<strong>is</strong>tthe act).The creative wayThe Japanese may be on to something.A faux cake can actually helpreduce the sometimes already exorbitantcost of a wedding feast.But a cake doesn’t have to costa fortune. In some cases, coupleschoose a small, beautifully decoratedwedding cake that <strong>is</strong> perhapscompr<strong>is</strong>ed of only two tiers. Oncethe ceremony of cutting the cake <strong>is</strong>completed, a sheet cake can then bedivided in the kitchen and servedto guests. While the color themeand flavor of the cake correspondto those of the main cake, the unadornedsheet cake cuts down thecost of additional decorated tiers.Dessert rebelsWhile Engl<strong>is</strong>h and American conventionmay be to serve a weddingcake at the reception, in recentyears couples have been gettingmore creative by choosing to seguefrom the norm. A few examples:• Cupcakes arranged on twotieredplates. The small individualcakes are not only charmingbut allow a clean presentationand are easy to serve.• A chocolate fountain withdipping options such as freshfruit, graham crackers, andmarshmallows.• Dessert trays arranged withan array of different treatsranging from mini éclairs tobaklava.So many choicesWho wouldn’t want to hop frombakery to bakery and taste cake?Most bakeries offer tastings in orderto ass<strong>is</strong>t the bride and groomin making a dec<strong>is</strong>ion. Los Angeles<strong>is</strong> home to some of the most creative,art<strong>is</strong>tic, and tasteful bakeriesspecializing in wedding cakes. Amultitude of options abound in allprice brackets.Prices for cakes begin at a setrate per slice. Intricacy of the decorationsand choice of filling are additional.Designing a cake <strong>is</strong> like creatinga work of art. Hovsep Sarkhoshian,owner of Maral’s Pastryin Van Nuys, says that a cake for250 people can take, once the base<strong>is</strong> completed and depending onthe amount of detail in the decor,about four hours of work per dayfor two days.Sark<strong>is</strong> Kolanjian of Sark<strong>is</strong> Pastry(which has branches in Glendale,Pasadena, and Anaheim) says thatpopular choices in cake filling fluctuatewith changing trends. In thepast couple of years, the heightenedfervor for coffee drinks hasmade mocha a popular choice forwedding cake filling.But other filling choices abound,ranging from custard with roastedhazelnut (to add warmth to a coolwinter wedding) to fresh strawberriesfor summer weddings.The amount of art<strong>is</strong>try incorporatedinto a cake also affects itsprice tag. While toppings like aminiature replica of the bride andgroom has always been a popularchoice, there’s no limit to whatcake art<strong>is</strong>ts can use: everythingfrom fresh orchids to sugared flowersand marzipan creations.CostcoWhy not? The cakes are inexpensiveand serve large crowds. Costcohas made a name for itself basedon quality and quantity. While cakeart<strong>is</strong>try may not be their strength,you can be guaranteed a tasty cakewithout a hefty price tag.Maral’s PastryTh<strong>is</strong> mom and pop bakery locatedin the San Fernando Valley may besmall but offerings are plenty. Pricesbegin at $2 per person. Tastingsare available on request. Requestsmust be made three-four weeks inadvance.17654 Vanowen St.Van Nuys, California 91406(818) 705-8921www.maralspastry.comSark<strong>is</strong> PastryWith three locations in SouthernCalifornia, Sark<strong>is</strong> Pastry will becelebrating its 25th anniversaryth<strong>is</strong> year. Tastings are available onrequest. Prices begin at $1.50 perperson. Requests must be made atleast two weeks in advance.111 S. Glendale Ave.Glendale, California 91205(818) 956-66361776 E. Washington Blvd.Pasadena, California 91104(626) 398-39992424 Ball Rd.Anaheim, California 92804(714) 995-666Shimmeringin pearl dust,sparkling withSwarovskicrystals, andtowering oncustom wroughtiron stands, VeryDifferent Cakesoffer works ofart that havereceived mediaattentionfrom high-endwedding andstyle magazines.Very Different CakesTammy Massman-Johnson’s VeryDifferent Cakes specializes in customcreations that incorporateSwarovski rhinestones. Designs includesparkling monograms, hearts,and flowers. Massman-Johnsonalso collaborates with bakers andevent coordinators in helping customizeexqu<strong>is</strong>ite crystal art<strong>is</strong>try forthe wedding cake. Tastings are offeredon an appointment-only bas<strong>is</strong>.Prices range from $10 to $15 perslice, with a minimum $500 order.Requests must be made at least sixweeks in advance.www.verydifferentcakes.cominfo@verydifferentcakes.comA little more sweetnessSo you’re standing with your newspouse in front of a group of familyand friends who are all eager fordessert. Now what?One of the first acts for a newlymarried couple <strong>is</strong> to cut the caketogether, as a symbol of unity. Thenthe bride and groom feed the firstslice to each other. And in the processif a little – or let’s just say maybea lot – gets smeared on someone’sface, remember the vows youtook. You’re in it together now – forbetter or worse!And finallyWhile the wedding festivities maycome to an end, the memory of theoccasion can be relived with a littlemore sweetness exactly a year later,by freezing the top tier of the cakeuntil the couple’s first wedding anniversary.And while you’re at it, why notmake a mini celebration? Lightsome candles, uncork a bottle ofbubbly, bring out that cake, andlet the taste and scent bring backmemories of that special day! f

B6 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008RestaurantsScarlet Tea Roomby Lucie DavidianMain dining room.Three Tiered Tea Sandwich tray.PASADENA, Calif.7 - The sayinggoes, “If you’re going to do something,do it right.” I couldn’t thinkof a more perfect way to describethe Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena.Where should I begin? The great service,the impressive décor, a greatmenu or with its very cool ownerKaren Mikaelian. I’ll begin withthe décor, the white piano sitting inthe corner of the main dining room<strong>is</strong> something you don’t see everydayin a restaurant, but then againneither <strong>is</strong> the fabulous glass chandelierdesigned by famous glass art<strong>is</strong>tDale Chihuly, h<strong>is</strong> famous pieceFiori di Como covers the ceiling ofthe Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Themany statues of Buddha throughoutthe main and adjoining diningrooms are reflective of the sereneenergy of the place while the beautifultea pots sitting on surroundingshelves remind you that you’rein a tea house.As I walked into the restaurantthat cold Friday afternoon, I waslooking forward to warming myselfup with a hot cup of tea, more so Iwas excited to taste the variety ofdifferent teas. Living in San Franc<strong>is</strong>co,going to Chinatown for teawas as important to me as goingto Napa Valley for wine. Both ared<strong>is</strong>tinct in their flavors and can bepaired perfectly with food. OwnerKaren Mikaelian, understands th<strong>is</strong>,more so her idea of opening ScarletTea Room in 2005 was the ideaof creating a place for women by awoman.Of course, th<strong>is</strong> doesn’t mean thatmen can’t go there and enjoy teaand eat beautifully constructedsandwiches, because there wereplenty of men in that dining roomthat afternoon eating alongside theladies. All it means <strong>is</strong> that Karenwas w<strong>is</strong>e enough to create an incredibleplace, in a great locationthat <strong>is</strong> appealing to women likeme who want a warm, safe place toretreat to once in a while. It’s theideal place to go for Mother’s Dayas well as Valentines Day, I guessyou can say it’s a multi-functioningrestaurant.Karen’s love for food and herknowledge of restaurant and hotelmanagement has helped solidifyher place as a business owner. Shehas the instinct for it, both her parentsactively cooked in the house;being in the jewelry business inPasadena for years enabled her toobserve the different business ofthe city so when the time and locationwas right she opened the tearoom.The menu was created based onKaren’s own culinary preferences,being a foodie, she has a good understandingof flavors and howto make them work, more importantlyshe emphasizes the importanceof using organic ingredients.Executive Chef Jessica Pina hashelped modify the versatile menuthat serves lunch, afternoon teaand dinner on Friday and Saturdaynights which includes live Jazz.Due to the fact that I don’t drinkcoffee I have d<strong>is</strong>covered that there<strong>is</strong> a whole world of teas out there,so naturally I gravitate towardsplaces like the Scarlet Tea Room. Iwas delightfully surpr<strong>is</strong>ed to findthat not only does it offer greatteas but it’s a classy, cool place togo and enjoy incredible food.The menu offers more than justsalads, appetizers or entrées it offerscheese plates with a variety ofdifferent kinds of cheese; it alsohas a great wine menu with everythingfrom Cabernet’s from California,Merlot’s from Spain, Chile andArgentina as well as the unique AlmondChampagne which I couldn’tres<strong>is</strong>t but try.Since tea <strong>is</strong> the main theme of therestaurant, its menu encompassesa wonderful array of flavored Black,Green, Oolong and Earl Grey teas;the Scarlet Ruby <strong>is</strong> a smooth Pearand Blood orange tea with an incrediblescent, others include thefloral Hib<strong>is</strong>cus and Strawberry,and my favorite the Lavender andChamomile.The lunch menu starts off withdaily soups and appetizers like theTuna Turnover which <strong>is</strong> Albacoretuna in a sake wasabi mayonna<strong>is</strong>etopped with avocado’s and mixedgreens. I tried the delicious ProsciuttoRolls which are sautéed prosciuttorolls stuffed with mozzarellaand drizzled with a pomegranatereduction, it tasted especially goodwhen paired with the Peach BlackTea.The salads can be eaten by themselvesand are a great alternativeif you’re craving a light lunch. TheGrilled Salmon <strong>is</strong> served on spinachwith a cucumber dressing andmarinated cucumbers; somethingI definitely need to try next time<strong>is</strong> the Four Seasons, it’s a grilledchicken breast salad with caramelizedonions, poached pears, gorgonzolacheese and walnuts inraspberry vinaigrette.Their gourmet sandwiches offer avariety of hot and cold sandwichesStrawberry SorbetAssortment of Tea Sandwiches.like Turkey, Ham and Cheese aswell as vegetarian options like theMozzarella and the Olive Tapenade,the tapenade <strong>is</strong> made in house andcomes with roasted red bell pepperswhile the Chicken Pesto, Mushroomand Scarlet club sandwichesare all served warm on a flatbread.As I read through the menu I wasdelighted to see the use of so manydifferent kinds of sauces, spreadsand ingredients that accompaniedthe sandwiches, salads and maincourses. For the dinner menu theappetizers include a Smoked SalmonTartare or a Golden Beet Salad;the main courses are well thoughtout and have diverse flavors andFresh made Scone with Strawberry Preserve and ScarletCream.d<strong>is</strong>hes like the New Zealand LambChops, the Pan Seared Halibut, theMushroom and Cheese ChickenRoulade as well as a Rib Eye Steak.That afternoon for lunch I decidedto try their Five Course prefixthat gives you the option ofchoosing four of their assorted teasandwiches. The first course beganoddly with their Signature StrawberrySorbet, which tasted so freshand sweet. Th<strong>is</strong> was the first time Ihad started my lunch with a sorbet,much less drank tea simultaneouslywith sorbet but it worked. Nextwas the Scone which they bakefresh everyday, it was divine, theoutside was perfectly crunchy whilethe inside was warm and soft, thecinnamon scone was served with afresh strawberry preserve, lemoncurd and the Scaret Cream whichwas like Crème Fraiche but sweeter.The combination of all those flavorsworked out so perfectly, the pungentlemon curd broke the sweetnessof the preserve and after I wasdone with the scone I kept eatingspoonfuls of the crème, it was sogood I couldn’t let it go to waste.The third course was the foursandwiches I had picked fromthe l<strong>is</strong>t, three of the courses wereserved on a beautiful, silver threetiered tray. I began with the Mortadellalace, a thinly sliced piece ofMortadella with a chive spread,it was light, fluffy and delicious.Equally delicious was Green Applewith Cheese, the cheese was a sharp,Greek sheep cheese; normally I shyaway from pungent cheeses likethat but the tartness of the slicedgreen apples gave it a nice flavor.The Salmon with cream cheese wassprinkled with dill and again wasdelicious, light and fluffy while theProsciutto with roasted bell peppershad a nice texture however thebell pepper over powered the tasteof the prosciutto.At the very top of the tray wasthe fourth course, two very tastymini desserts, a Crème Bruleècheesecake and a Marzipan peachflavored cake. The last item of thefive course menu was the insanelydelicious Strawberries Romanoffwhich was slices of sautéed strawberriesserved with their Scarletcream which I once again ate all of.I paired my lunch with the LavenderChamomile tea and enjoyed aglass of the Almond Champagne asI spoke to Karen about her inspirationfor the restaurant and themenu.Born in Yerevan and ra<strong>is</strong>ed inLos Angeles, Karen <strong>is</strong> an attractivewoman who exudes confidence andhas a great personality. We immediatelyclicked and spoke of whyshe wanted to create a place forus ladies to go on a Saturday afternoon,drink some tea, eat min<strong>is</strong>andwiches, indulge in a nice glassof champagne and let go of theweek we’ve had.Her inspiration for the restaurantwas to create a business thatshe really understood, but more soit’s something that she knew wouldflour<strong>is</strong>h and from what I saw thatafternoon, she had definitely accompl<strong>is</strong>hedthat. Nothing fell short,the décor was beautiful, the foodwas excellent, and Karen herselfwas an absolute joy to talk to, youcould tell how much thought anddetail has gone to creating such agreat atmosphere.Whether its Mother’s day, a babyor wedding shower, the Scarlet TeaRoom <strong>is</strong> a fun, elegant and versatileplace to celebrate, to have aquiet lunch or to simply have a nicedinner and l<strong>is</strong>ten to some greatJazz.fContacthttp://www.scarlettearoom.com/(626) 577-0051Address18 W. Green St. Pasadena,CA 91105Lunch & Afternoon TeaTues-Sun 11am-4pmDinnerFri & Sat6pm-10pmSunday’s Available for PrivateParties

The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityB7Six Atanian Art Center alumni prepare for the“New V<strong>is</strong>ion” art exhibitionby Lory TatoulianLOS ANGELES, Calif.7 – Fiveyoung art<strong>is</strong>ts are gathered at theAtanian Art Center in Glendale tospeak about their art<strong>is</strong>try, their passion,and their upcoming exhibitwhich will open on February 15 atthe Western Diocese. The exhibitioncalled New V<strong>is</strong>ion will feature morethan 50 works of art by the youngart<strong>is</strong>ts. The six art<strong>is</strong>ts are all studentsof Vladimir Atanian -- thefamed art<strong>is</strong>t who has made it h<strong>is</strong>personal m<strong>is</strong>sion to foster the creativityof young Armenian art<strong>is</strong>ts.Under the tutelage of Atanian,Armen Tutundzhyan, ArpineAleksanyan, Arpi Bagdasarian,Harout Demirchyan, ArpineShakhbandaryan and PoletZargaryan were able to hone theircraft and explore their art<strong>is</strong>try in anurturing and supportive environment.As true acolytes to the instructionof Atanian, the students regardthe studio as an art<strong>is</strong>tic sanctuary,and they still come back to reconnectwith the place that witnessedthe nascent stages of their craft.Th<strong>is</strong> time the students are notcoming back for a v<strong>is</strong>it; instead, thealumni are teaming up to showcasetheir work. The paintings they puton d<strong>is</strong>play are works of art the studentshave garnered over the pastcouple of years. The extensive exhibitionthey’ve organized at the WesternDiocese reflects a mix of freshstyles, genres, forms, and concepts.Most of the students, who arein their 20s, are now balancing ahyphenated career of art<strong>is</strong>t andcollege student. Arpine Shakhbandaryan,a 26-year-old public healthgraduate student at USC, <strong>is</strong> mostrecognized for painting and replicatingtraditional Armenian illuminatedmanuscripts. Taking inspirationfrom the detailed work Armenianmonks did hundreds of yearsago, Arpine <strong>is</strong> resurrecting onceantiquated practices and bringingthem to life in the modern age.“Th<strong>is</strong> center <strong>is</strong> like having a secondfamily,” Shakhbandaryan saysof the venue that encouraged herto paint the illuminations. “Wehave built a deep relationship withth<strong>is</strong> place, and it has always beena nurturing environment to workand grow in.”Vladimir Atanian makes it apoint to provide a well roundedcurriculum for h<strong>is</strong> students. Henot only wants to teach them theprinciples of painting and drawing,but to expose them to the colorfulworld of art h<strong>is</strong>tory and train themin the craft of exhibiting and sellingpaintings.“We v<strong>is</strong>ited museums in additionto the class sessions,” Arpineh says.“Atanian really tried to get the studentsto appreciate the whole process.Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> not a place for parentsto just drop their kids off as an afterschool program; its much morethan that.”Armen Tutundzhyan began attendingthe center while in the 5thgrade. Now, as a young adult, h<strong>is</strong>paintings, seeped in oil expression,explore universal themes such asglobalization and human relationships.He began to take h<strong>is</strong> art seriouslyafter he learned about theart<strong>is</strong>ts Dali and Magritte; since thatd<strong>is</strong>covery he has wanted to emulatethe art<strong>is</strong>tic lives of the 20th-centuryluminaries. “After studying artand seeing what you can do withit and the power you have of selfexpression,that’s what I wanted todo: I wanted to tell a whole storywithout using words,” he says.Arpi Baghdasarian <strong>is</strong> regarded asthe first professional art<strong>is</strong>t in herfamily. Born in Armenia, she d<strong>is</strong>coveredthat she wanted to be anart<strong>is</strong>t when a cousin gave her a biographicalbook on Dali. She was somoved by the book that she pickedup a pencil and began drawing. Expressingan art<strong>is</strong>t’s demeanor, Arpireaches back into her ancestralroots as a wellspring for her creativity.She acknowledges the Armenianart<strong>is</strong>ts that lived before her, and shehopes to follow in the tradition ofthe venerable figures that precededher. “Art <strong>is</strong> the only way to expressyour inner world,” she says.Polet, who now teaches at the AtanianArt Center, says that when sheLeft: ArpiBagdasaryan.Right: ArpineAleksanyan.Below and farleft: Worksby ArpiBagdasaryan.began taking classes, she was exposedto a diverse curriculum thatprovoked her to explore her art<strong>is</strong>ticbounds. In the two years she spentat the studio, Polet says she learned10 years’ worth of instruction. Shelearned to appreciate the minutiaof life, the nuances in landscapesthat are often ignored because ofthe inundation of media or the fastpace of life. “With art you can capturethe beautiful things in life thatare often not given attention -- likethe blossoming of a rose.”Arpi Aleksanyan likes to followthe credo of the school, which <strong>is</strong> tohave no bounds and truly engagein total freedom of expression. Shefeels that the Atanian Art Centerprovided her with the space sheneeded to be able to come into herown. She was not groomed to followcertain tenets of art; insteadshe was able to allow her intuitionto navigate her paintbrush. “Art <strong>is</strong>something that I just have to do: it<strong>is</strong> an energy that <strong>is</strong> within myself,that has to be released.”The master behind th<strong>is</strong> movement,Vladimir Atanian, art<strong>is</strong>t andteacher, regards h<strong>is</strong> studio and theArpine Aleksanyan, Stuck.Armen Tutundzhyan. Polet, Collage. Polet, Flowers.Armen Tutundzhyan, Folly Ambitions.A. Tutundzhyan, Guardian of Destiny.Polet.students he has taught as h<strong>is</strong> “dynasty.”For the past 30 years, Atanianhas been teaching art studentsin both Armenia and the UnitedStates. At the Yerevan State Universityof Fine Arts, he headed up thedesigners’ department. Atanian hasparticipated in more than 180 exhibitionsin Yerevan, Moscow, France,Italy, Hungary, Poland, Lebanon,Germany, Tun<strong>is</strong>ia, Belgium, andthe U.S. International museumsand that keep and exhibit works byAtanian include the Yerevan Museumof Modern Art, the MoscowMuseum of Fine Arts, “Gallery L” inFrance, the Sokolsky Collection ofArt and Design in New York, andthe LACMA Sale and Rental Gallery.H<strong>is</strong> works are also in more than 200personal collections.“It’s not about just teaching art,but to wholly instill [students] withthe art<strong>is</strong>t’s spirit,” Atanian says. “Iwant to constantly encourage themand help them establ<strong>is</strong>h themselvesin the highest echelons of the artindustry.”fconnect:818-551-0307.

B8 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityArt Gala benefits school buildings in Armeniam Story starts on page B1to secure the educational needs ofschoolchildren throughout Armenia,thereby helping secure a betterfuture for generations to come.“The politicians in Armenia todayare not the future of Armenia,” saidBob Der Matoian, the Knights’Grand Commander. Claiming in asweeping generalization that “theyare the old Soviet mentality,” headded, “The children in the schoolsare the real Armenia.”Showcasing the works of art<strong>is</strong>tssuch as Norma Yaglijian and ZarmineAghazarian, as well as studentsthroughout the Bay Area andArmenia, the 9 to 1 Art Gala ra<strong>is</strong>edfunds for the construction of twomore Armenian schools, which willcost roughly $320,000 each.A solid partnershipToday, aligned with the WorldBank and the Armenian Social InvestmentFund, the Knights andDaughters of Vartan has developeda system which, accordingto the organization’s credo, servesthe “religious, cultural, educational,and charitable needs of the Armenianpeople.” It’s called the 9 to1 project, a partnership where theWorld Bank guarantees to grant$9 for every $1 donated by Armeniancommunities in the UnitedStates and Canada. To date, theKnights and Daughters of Vartanhas implemented the constructionand renovation of 165 schoolsin Armenia. It has ra<strong>is</strong>ed over $1.5million through events such asthe Art Gala. With funds matchedby the World Bank, a total of$15,000,000 has been transferredto the Armenian Social InvestmentFund. The members of thegroup proudly say that 100 percentof the funds goes directly tothe people of Armenia.Vicky Palengian, a Daughterof Vartan and gala attendee, said,“Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> my organization. I believein it. Helping the children … ra<strong>is</strong>ingmoney for the education of ouryoung people that will be the futureof Armenia … that <strong>is</strong> great, andthat <strong>is</strong> where our help <strong>is</strong> needed,and that <strong>is</strong> why it’s important tome.” Her enthusiasm <strong>is</strong> shared bythousands of advocates of the organization’ssocial and educationalprojects. “It doesn’t matter whereyou’re from or what type of Armenianyou are,” Mr. Der Matoiansaid. “The Knights and Daughtersof Vartan <strong>is</strong> the magart [curd] inthe yogurt. We bring all Armenianstogether. It doesn’t matter whatyour political beliefs are; th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>n’tabout politics, th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> about education.”The Knights and Daughtersof Vartan was establ<strong>is</strong>hed in theyears following the ArmenianGenocide to support the recoveryand growth of Armenian culture,religion, and education. The organizationprides itself on beingnonsectarian, nondenominational,and nonpolitical.As one of the featured art<strong>is</strong>tsat the Art Gala and a supporterof the organization, ZarmineAghazarian believes that buildingand strengthening educationalinstitutions <strong>is</strong> crucial for ensuringthe success of future generationsof young Armenians. “I’m hereto promote, and make money forArmenia,” she said. “I’m from Armeniamyself… so th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> a goodcause.”Another of the Art Gala’s featuredart<strong>is</strong>ts, Norma Yaglijian, wasresponsible for setting up an art<strong>is</strong>texchange project in Armenia. “TheKnights of Vartan asked me to beon the committee to help with theart projects they proposed to theschools of Armenia,” she explained.A supporter of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan making a bid toward an artpiece from a child in Armenia. Photo: Alexandra Bezdikian.“The organization gave us moneyto purchase art materials such aspaint, pencils, and brushes, andsend them to five different schoolsin Armenia.”The unforgettable Art Gala concludedwith good old-fashionedArmenian song and dance. Inaddition to the many wonderfulpieces of art and tapestry thatFresno’s Holy Trinity Church marks 107th anniversarywere sold during the event, bothAghazarian and Yaglijian weresuccessful in helping ra<strong>is</strong>e hundredsof dollars by auctioning offtheir work.Once again, with the gift of educationprovided by the Knights andDaughters of Vartan, the childrenof Armenia will have much to celebrate.fPrelate celebratesdivine liturgy andordains acolytesFRESNO, Calif.7 – On January27, the Holy Trinity Armenian ApostolicChurch in Fresno celebratedits 107th anniversary with DivineLiturgy and a banquet held underthe auspices of H<strong>is</strong> Eminence Archb<strong>is</strong>hopMoushegh Mardirossian,Prelate of the Western Diocese ofthe Armenian Apostolic Church ofAmerica, and hosted by the par<strong>is</strong>hBoard of Trustees.In the morning the Prelate celebratedDivine Liturgy, duringwhich he ordained six acolytes– Menas Ar<strong>is</strong>ian, Nshan Bagdasarian,Brent Hamparzoomian,Brandon Hamparzoomian, TylerShegerian, and Garen Zanontian– and one stole bearer, ArmenBedrosian.The Prelate began h<strong>is</strong> sermon bycongratulating the par<strong>is</strong>h on its107th anniversary. He then congratulatedRev. Fr. Vahan Gosdanianon h<strong>is</strong> 10th anniversary offaithful service to the Holy TrinityChurch and 15th anniversaryof priesthood. During the sermon,the Prelate acknowledged the SundaySchool students, who were inattendance not only to witnessthe ordination of their peers, butto hear the message specifically directedto them. The Prelate offeredwords of encouragement and commendationto the Sunday Schoolstudents and teachers alike fortheir commitment to the advancementof the church.H<strong>is</strong> Eminence then providedan articulate explanation of theupcoming commemoration of St.Vartan and continued h<strong>is</strong> messageby presenting the Gospel. He concludedh<strong>is</strong> message by commemoratingthe William Saroyan centennialwith a tribute to composer,conductor, and music instructorKrikor Prof-Kalfayan on h<strong>is</strong> 135thbirthday.In honor of the memory of Prof-Kalfayan, the choir sang a numberof hymns arranged by the musician.Hasmig Aaronian, a former studentof Prof-Kalfayan, performed herteacher’s arrangement of Der Voghormya.Award-winning sopranoAnahid Nercessyan also sang duringthe church service. In addition,junior members of the church choirwere featured during the Liturgy.Community banquetFollowing church services, the107th annual banquet took placein the church hall. Over 400 gueststook part in the festivities. Jeff Tanielian,chair of the Board of Trusteesand the event’s msster of ceremonies,invited Rev. Fr. Gosdanianto offer the invocation, after whichLeft: Abp.MousheghMardirossianordains acolytesas Fr. VahanGosdanian andDn. Mark Shirinass<strong>is</strong>t. Below left:Rev. Fr. VahanGosdanian withthe Prelate.Below right: ThePrelate honoringJack Gahvejian.Lauren Sarabian sang a beautifulrendition of The Star-Spangled Bannerand Angele Ohannessian gavean exqu<strong>is</strong>ite vocal performance ofArmenia’s national anthem.After lunch, which was preparedby the par<strong>is</strong>h Men’s Society, ExecutiveCouncilmember VaroujanDer Simonian paid tribute to Saroyanand Prof-Kalfayan on theirrespective anniversaries and readfrom Saroyan’s book Don’t Go, ButIf You Must, Say Hello to Everybody.The reading highlighted Saroyan’swords about Prof-Kalfayan and incorporated<strong>is</strong>sues that directly affectedthe Armenian community atthe time as well as Saroyan’s interactionwith Kalfayan.Der Simonian then invited sopranoAnahid Nercessyan and accompl<strong>is</strong>hedorgan<strong>is</strong>t Naira Shahsouvarianto perform a musicaltribute to Prof-Kalfayan, which incorporatedfive selections arrangedby the musician.Following these performances,Mary Alice Kaloostian presentedRev. Fr. Gosdanian with a myriadof letters of recognition by governmentofficials, including GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger, proclaimingh<strong>is</strong> 10 years of devotedservice to the Holy Trinity Churchand 15 years of priesthood. Kaloostianalso presented a framed Resolution<strong>is</strong>sued by the California Leg<strong>is</strong>latureand signed by Senator DaveCogdill. Next to be invited to thepodium was Church Admin<strong>is</strong>tratorNazik Ar<strong>is</strong>ian, who presented adetailed biography of Rev. Fr. Gosdanian.Afterwards Ar<strong>is</strong>ian and Tanielianpresented the Reverend withan engraved clock on behalf of theChurch as a token of appreciation.Following the presentation ofawards, three par<strong>is</strong>hioners, GladysJamgotchian, Mary Hokokian,and Haig Barret Arakelian, weregiven the Annual Service Award fortheir dedication and vast contributionsto the par<strong>is</strong>h.The program continued withLadies’ Auxiliary member JaneGamoian, Trinity Guild memberAlma Margosian, and vice chairof the Board of Trustees LevonBaladjanian offering their congratulatoryremarks to Rev. Fr.Gosdanian, and on behalf of theirrespective organizations presentedthe proceeds of their extensivefundra<strong>is</strong>ing projects during thepast year to the church.The next item on the banquetagenda was the Super Drawing,which was a new fundra<strong>is</strong>ing venue.Closing remarks were deliveredby the Prelate, who again congratulatedthe par<strong>is</strong>h and Rev. Fr. Gosdanian,presenting him with a pectoralcross. The Prelate also congratulatedthe par<strong>is</strong>h for celebrating theachievements of Saroyan and Prof-Kalfayan as well as acknowledgedthe six acolytes on their ordinationand Armen Bedrosian for beingelevated to stole bearer. Armen’smother, Rosie Bedrosian, donateda beautiful hand-crafted cross tothe church on th<strong>is</strong> happy occasion.The Prelate also honored JackGahvejian for h<strong>is</strong> nearly 70 yearsof service to the church and h<strong>is</strong> diligentand devoted commitment tochurch activities in h<strong>is</strong> capacity asa representative to the ExecutiveCouncil.The banquet concluded with thePrelate’s benediction and the collectivesinging of Giligia. f

The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityBuilt on the rock of faithArizona’s Armeniancommunity willsoon have its ownchurchB9by Fr. Zacharia Saribekyanand Suzie GrigoriansSCOTTSDALE, Ariz.7 – On January27, the Armenian communityof Arizona celebrated the 50th anniversaryof its formation with a luncheonfollowing the Divine Liturgy.The event was held under the auspicesof H<strong>is</strong> Eminence Archb<strong>is</strong>hopHovnan Derderian, Primate ofthe Western Diocese of the ArmenianApostolic Church of NorthAmerica, with the blessing of Rev.Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan, Priestof the Armenian Apostolic Churchof Arizona. The luncheon was organizedby the Par<strong>is</strong>h Council andvariious Church organizations.Over 300 par<strong>is</strong>hioners were inattendance. They included theguests of honor, s<strong>is</strong>ters MargaretHosepian, Atlanta Hosepian,and Jane Hosepian Carriell, whohave donated land valued at over $3million for the ex<strong>is</strong>ting hall and futurechurch. During the luncheon,approximately $250,000 was ra<strong>is</strong>edfor the Building Fund. Constructionon the church will begin in thenext few months.Although local newspapers havereported that Armenians have residedin the Valley of the Sun sincethe late 1800s, it was in 1957 thatthey held their first official gathering,marking the beginning of aflour<strong>is</strong>hing community.Some of the first families whosettled here were the Mehagians,Chakmakians, Injasoulians, Morr<strong>is</strong>ons,Hosepians, and Shirinians.The first clergyman to v<strong>is</strong>itth<strong>is</strong> community was Archb<strong>is</strong>hopTorkom Manoogian, currentlyserving as Patriarch of Jerusalem,who celebrated the first HolyMass at the Hosepians’ residencein 1963. During the Divine Liturgy,a symbolic fundra<strong>is</strong>ing took placein the form of par<strong>is</strong>hioners’ pocketchange being collected as seeds forfuture endeavors.Over 300 par<strong>is</strong>hioners participated in the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Armenian community of Arizona.Photos: Carl Kuehn.Volunteers waiting for the par<strong>is</strong>hioners.On October 16, 1963, the Stateof Arizona acknowledged the ex<strong>is</strong>tenceof the Armenian ApostolicChurch of Arizona. A few years later,during the v<strong>is</strong>it of Archb<strong>is</strong>hopVatche Hovsepian, the Hosepianfamily was in search of a land tobuild the Armenian church on.After considering many locations,they came across a vacant propertyon Cholla Street in Scottsdale.While the Hosepians and theArchb<strong>is</strong>hop were contemplatingthe possibility of the site, an eagleflew over the land. It was, literally,a sign from above. Archb<strong>is</strong>hopHovsepian sighed and said, “Th<strong>is</strong>vacant lot will be where we willbuild the first Armenian Church inArizona.” Subsequently the Hosepianfamily graciously donated theblessed lot to the Armenian community.In the following years, the Par<strong>is</strong>hCouncil and church organizations,with support from severalbenefactors, diligently plannedMarge Injasoulian, founding memberof the community 50 years agoAbp. Hovnan Derderian, flanked by Margaret Hosepian (2nd from r.), Jane Hosepian Carriell (c.), Atlanta Hosepian (3rdfrom l.) and members of the Hosepian family, cutting the 50th anniversary cake.and built the presence complex ofcommunity structures. The ArmenianChurch Cultural Center, whichhouses the Melikian Hall, was builtin 1992. Alongside the hall, the Alexand Marie Manoogian classroomswere establ<strong>is</strong>hed. Later on, the Nikitand Eleanora Ordjanian library wascompleted.fVartanantz commemoration in Fresno features Debbie Poochigianby Nyrie KarkazianFRESNO, Calif.7 – On January31, one of the most epic battles ofArmenian h<strong>is</strong>tory was celebrated inFresno, at St. Gregory the IlluminatorArmenian Church of Fowler.The Vartanantz commemoration,held by the Knights of Vartan YepradTahlij (Lodge), included theholy liturgy followed by a receptionin the church hall with featuredspeaker Debbie Poochigian.“Vasen Kr<strong>is</strong>tosi yev hayreniats [forthe sake of Chr<strong>is</strong>t and our nation],”proclaimed Poochigian in her speech.She spoke of Vartan and what shecalled “the most gruesome and hardfoughtbattle of early times to keepthe Armenian faith.”Poochigian, who <strong>is</strong> running forsuperv<strong>is</strong>or of Fresno’s Fifth D<strong>is</strong>trict,described the night before thebattle of Avarayr and how it wasrecorded that a holy badarak (Mass)service was held. The service wassaid to have been followed by communionand the rest of the nightwas spent in prayer.“I fight and die with honor andto remain faithful to Chr<strong>is</strong>t regardlessof our plight,” said Poochigian,quoting the great Vartan Mamikonian.Commander of the Armenianforces, Mamikonian led the res<strong>is</strong>tanceagainst the Persians, whodemanded that Armenia convertto Zoroastrian<strong>is</strong>m. The officialArmenian response was: “Fromth<strong>is</strong> faith [Chr<strong>is</strong>tianity] no onecan shake us, neither angels normen; neither sword, nor fire, norwater, nor any, nor all horrid tortures…”Armenia’s resolve led to thebattle of Avarayr on May 26, 451,with the 66,000-strong ArmeniaCandidate DebbiePoochigianspeaking atthe Vartanantzcommemoration.army facing a Persian force thatoutnumbered it four to one. It<strong>is</strong> said that Avarayr was the firsteverbattle waged for religiousfreedom.The Armenians fought fiercely,and although they lost 1,036 men,including the heroic Vartan, thatday, Persia ultimately failed toforce Armenia to convert to Zoroastrian<strong>is</strong>m.By 484, after yearsof guerrilla warfare led by VahanMamikonian, Vartan’s nephew, thePersians finally relinqu<strong>is</strong>hed andacknowledged Armenia’s right toreligious freedom.Poochigian said that the Armenianpeople did not say that theywere fighting for their land andnation, but rather for Chr<strong>is</strong>t andthe nation. To illustrate her point,she referred to a scene in themovie The Princess Bride, where a“mostly dead” man <strong>is</strong> taken to ahealer. As efforts are made to revivehim and there <strong>is</strong> amazementas to what it <strong>is</strong> that keeps himhanging on to h<strong>is</strong> last strand oflife, he says, with h<strong>is</strong> last breath,“True love.”The true love that the man heldon to so dearly was the sameforce which Vartan and h<strong>is</strong> soldiersgrasped with all their might,Poochigian explained. They foughtand died for their true love ofChr<strong>is</strong>t.“Debbie did an excellent jobspeaking about Vartan,” saidCharlie Basmajian, a member ofthe Knights of Vartan VartanantzCommittee.The holy badarak service was performedby a succession of pastorsfrom all the Armenian churchesin the area including Rev. Fr. VartanKasparian, Rev. Mgrdich Melkonian,Rev. Ara Guekezian, Rev.Vahan Gostanian, Rev. Fr. ArshenAivazian, Rev. Fr. Kevork Arakelian,and Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian fromHoly Echmiadzin in Armenia.Poochigian’s speech was followedby a program of piano performancesby Ovanes Arakelyan and GianehArakelyan.“Th<strong>is</strong> was a very successful Vartanantzcelebration,” said MichaelDevejian, chairman of the Knightsof Vartan Vartanantz Committee.“Over 300 people attended. We areproud of the Knights and Daughtersof Vartan and we are gratefulto our forefathers Vartan Mamikonianand h<strong>is</strong> men, who sacrificedtheir lives for us to keep our Chr<strong>is</strong>tianfaith.”fHOUSE FOR SALEGLENDALE (91206 area)Charming house for sale by owner.Near Chevy Chase and Glenoaks.It has 1431 sq. ft.,with 2 bedrooms/2 baths largeliving room w/gas fireplace;formal dining room w/frenchdoors leading to outsidepatio and large backyard.2 car garage; hardwood flrs.$639,000. Carolyn.323 665-7002.No agents pls.

B10 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityPoet Gregory Djanikian will be featured at Glendale Public LibraryGregoryDjanikian willread from h<strong>is</strong>latest book ofpoems on Mar. 10at the GlendalePublic Library.Glendale, Calif.7 – The awardwinningpoet Gregory Djanikianwill read from h<strong>is</strong> latest book ofpoetry, So I Will Till the Ground, ina special program at the GlendalePublic Library auditorium. Thereading and book signing will takeplace on Monday, March 10, beginningat 7:00 p.m.Gregory Djanikian directs thecreative writing department atthe University of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia. H<strong>is</strong> poetry has appearedin leading American publicationsincluding The AmericanPoetry Review, The American Scholar,The Georgia Review, The IowaReview, Poetry, the PhiladelphiaInquirer and Washington Post, aswell as in textbooks and anthologies.Last July 4, Djanikian was thefeatured poet on PBS’s NewsHourwith Jim Lehrer, during which heread from h<strong>is</strong> fine collection of Armenian-themedpoems.H<strong>is</strong> fifth publ<strong>is</strong>hed collection,So I Will Till the Ground, publ<strong>is</strong>hedby Carnegie Mellon Press,deals with aspects of Armenianh<strong>is</strong>tory and family life: the Genocide,the ensuing diaspora, andthe emigration of the authorand h<strong>is</strong> family from Egypt to theUnited States.Fellow poet Peter Balakian hassaid that Djanikian’s poems “charta poetic topography that takes us …from the elegiac to the philosophicaland to the heartfelt comedy ofhuman love.”The March 10 reading and booksigning, sponsored by the Friendsof the Glendale Public Library, <strong>is</strong>free and open to the public. The library<strong>is</strong> located at 222 East HarvardStreet, in Glendale; for informationcall (818) 548-2042.fCalendar of EventsArizonaMARCH 8 - HAMAZKAYIN ANIDANCE COMPANY. Location:North Canyon High School, 1700E Union Hills Dr, Phoenix, AZ.7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $30 & $10under 12. For more informationcontact Armenian Relief SocietyArarat Chapter, 818-613-5358;anidanceco@yahoo.com.Central CaliforniaFEBRUARY 9 - 5TH ANNUALCRAB FEED. Location: HolyTrinity Armenian Church, 2226Ventura St, Fresno, CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$45.00 ADL; $15.00 - KIDS.For more information contactCHARLIE KEYAN ARMENIANCOMMUNITY SCHOOL, 559-233-1800; SWAIRDIAN@YA-HOO.COM.FEBRUARY 26 - SHOGHAKEN.Location: CSU Fresno SSU, 5241N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA. 7:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: Call. For moreinformation contact Barlow DerMurgrdechian, 559-278-4930.Northern CaliforniaFebruary 15– 17 – EXPE-RIENCE SAN FRANCISCOW/AGBU YOUNG PROFES-SIONALS of NO. CA. – Friday- Club Night @ ELEMENT. 10pm– 2am. $25 advance/$30 at door.Saturday – Winter Gala Dinner& Dance @ Merchant’s ExchangeBallroom. 6:30-7:30pmCocktails. 7:30pm – 1am – Dinnerand Dancing.$130 advanceonly. Sunday – Farewell Brunch@ Anzu in Hotel Nikko. 11am– 2pm. $45. D<strong>is</strong>counted packageavailable for only $190. Weekendproceeds to support AGBUHye Geen Pregnant Women’sCenters in Vanadzor and Gyumri.More tix & schedule info.at www.agbusfgala.org or emailagbusfgala@yahoo.com.FEBRUARY 23 - “HAYGAGANKISHER” DJ NIGHT. Location:Los Altos Community Center,Los Altos, CA. 7:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:TBD. For more informationcontact HMEM Ani Chapter,(408) 406-5522; veram@netapp.com.FEBRUARY 24 - SAXOPHONECONCERT. Location: St JohnArmenian Church Paul FamilyFellowship Hall, 275 OlympiaWay, San Franc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 1:00 PMAdm<strong>is</strong>sion: $20.adults, $10 stud.For more information contact St.John Sayat Nova Cultural Committee,415-661-1142; nsark<strong>is</strong>s@sbcglobal.net.FEBRUARY 28 - WILLIAM SA-ROYAN: HIS LIFE AND WORKS.Location: Stanford UniversityAcademic Quadrangle classroom,University Building 370Room 370, Stanford, CA. 7:00- 8:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: free. Formore information contact StanfordArmenian Students’ Association,4158465916; raffimar@stanford.edu.MARCH 2 - SHOGHKEN AR-MENIAN FOLK ENSEMBLE.Location: Khachatourian communityCenter, 825 BrotherhoodWay, San Franc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 4:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $35, $15 (7-15).For more information contactHamazkayin Nigol AghbalianChapter, 650-969-8777; hamazkayin@gmail.com.MARCH 8 - HAI TAD EVENING| SAVE THE DATE. Location: ArmenianCommunity Center, 825Brotherhood Way, San Franc<strong>is</strong>co,CA. 6:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $100$40 Stud.. For more informationcontact Bay Area ANC, (415) 387-3433; mail@ancsf.org.MARCH 13 – 18 - ISABELBAYRAKDARIAN AS CLEOPA-TRA. Location: Various locations,Palo Alto, CA. 8:00 PMAdm<strong>is</strong>sion: $30 to $72. For moreinformation contact PhilharmoniaBaroque Orchestra, (415)392-4400; info@philharmonia.org.MARCH 14 - KELML YAL-CHIN BOOK TOUR. Location:St. Vartan Church, 650 SpruceSt., Oakland, CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:Free. For more informationcontact Tekeyan CulturalAssociation, (510) 965-8051;kanneianz@sbcglobal.net.MARCH 29 - UC BERKELEYARMENIAN STUDIES PRO-GRAM BENEFIT GALA. Location:Olympic Club, 599 SkylineBlvd, Daly City, CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$175. For more informationcontact UC Berkeley ArmenianAlumni, ; ucbaa.contact@gmail.com.

The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008CommunityCalendar of EventsAPRIL 5 - FLUTE AND HARPCONCERT. Location: St JohnArmenian Church, 275 OlympiaWay, San Franc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:TBD. For more informationcontact St. John Sayat Nova CulturalCommittee, 415-661-1142;nsark<strong>is</strong>s@sbcglobal.net.APRIL 12 - BAFA 15TH ANNI-VERSARY BANQUET. Location:St.. John’s Armenian ChurchHall, 275 Olympia Way, SanFranc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:TBD. For more informationcontact Bay Area Friends ofArmenia (BAFA), 510-985-0188;armenruth@comcast.net.MAY 3 - COSMIC RAY DIVI-SION BENEFIT CONCERT. Location:California Palace of theLegion of Honor, 100 34-th Ave,San Franc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 2:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$50. For more informationcontact Anahid Yeremian,(650) 926-4444; anahid@slac.stanford.edu.MAY 4 - ARS SAN FRAN-CISCO GARIN CHAPTER 75THANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.Location: TBD, , San Franc<strong>is</strong>co,CA. TBD Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBD. Formore information contact ARSSF Garin Chapter, 650-207-3521;judy@jingirian.com.MAY 10 - 2ND ANNUALWALKATHON FOR ARMENIA’SSCHOOLS. Location: GoldenGate Park, Polo Field, SanFranc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 11 am - 5 pmAdm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBD. For more informationcontact Knights andDaughters of Vartan, 510-547-5399; mas<strong>is</strong>@california.com.OCTOBER 14 - ARMENIANVOICES- HOVER CHAMBERCHOIR OF ARMENIA. Location:TBD, San Franc<strong>is</strong>co, CA. 7:30PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBD. For moreinformation contact World MusicManagement, 617-686-6556;info@worldmusicmanagement.com.Southern CaliforniaJANUARY 17- MARCH 16 -VAHE BERBERIAN - BARONGARBIS! Location: WHITEFIRETHEATER, 13500 Ventura Blvd,Sherman Oaks, CA. 8 PM / 3 PMAdm<strong>is</strong>sion: $30. For more informationcontact Baron Garb<strong>is</strong>,818-397-7392; barongarb<strong>is</strong>@gmail.com. Tickets on www.itsmyseat.com.JANUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 10 -HARVEST GALLERY: SIGNS OFA BENEVOLENT UNIVERSE.Location: Harvest Gallery, 938N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA. 6-9PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: Free. For moreinformation contact HarvestGallery, (818) 546-1000; harvestgallery@sbcglobal.net.FEBRUARY 9 - MESROBIANSCHOOL - AN ELEGANT EVE-NING. Location: Golden NightsRestaurant, 7115 Beach Blvd,Buena Park, CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$100. For more informationcontact Armenian MesrobianSchool, (562) 699-2057;armenianmesrobianschool@yahoo.com.FEBRUARY 9 - FRIENDS OFGHAPAN PRESENTS ELE-MENT BAND. Location: GlendaleCivic Auditorium, 1401 NVerdugo Rd, Glendale, CA. 8:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $15 /$20. Formore information contact GlendaleGhapan S<strong>is</strong>ter City Ass.,AYF Glendale,AEO,ASA,AGSA,818- 618-4764; glendale.element@yahoo.com.Tickets onwww.itsmyseat.com.FEBRUARY 9 - ANAHID FUNDANNUAL DINNER DANCE. Location:Taglyan Cultural Center,1201 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA.8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $75 Donation.For more information contactAnahid Fund, 818409-0655;irinaaleksandr@gmail.com.FEBRUARY 10 - KNIGHTS OFVARTAN 92ND ANNIVERSARYBANQUET. Location: KnightsOf Vartan, 1250 Harvard Rd,Burbank, CA. 6:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$65. For more informationcontact Knights Of Vartan, 818-468-6774; hagopmardirossian@sbcglobal.net.FEBRUARY 10 - GOR: PRE-VALENTINE’S SHOW!. Location:Minx, 300 Harvey Dr, Glendale,CA. 8:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $10. Formore information contact Minx,818-242-9191; info_gormusic@yahoo.com.FEBRUARY 10 - ARMENMOVSISYAN UNPLUGGED.Location: Barnsdall GalleryTheatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd ,Los Angeles, CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$25. For more informationcontact Armenian Arts, 818244 2468; partam@partam.com.Tickets on www.itsmyseat.com.FEBRUARY 14 - SUPERSTARROBERT CHILINGIRIAN/ VAL-ENTINE’S EVE PARTY. Location:The Village, 1525 E HUN-TINGTON DR, Duarte, CA. 8:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $50. For moreinformation contact ROGARIINC, 818 437 4008; GIRIAN1@AOL.COM.FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 30- “MY HEART IS IN THE HIGH-LANDS” BY WILLIAM SAROY-AN. Location: Luna Playhouse,3706 San Fernando Rd, Glendale,CA. 8PM 2PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $25.For more information contactLuna Playhouse, 818.500.7200;info@lunaplayhouse.com.FEBRUARY 16 - ARS 2008FASHION SHOW. Location:Glendale Hilton Hotel, 100 WGlenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA.11:00 AM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $60. Formore information contact ARS“ SEPAN” Chapter, 818-425-6464;cbedros@aol.com. Tickets onwww.itsmyseat.com.FEBRUARY 16 - VISA ATKNITTING FACTORY! Location:Knitting Factory, 7021 HollywoodBlvd, Los Angeles, CA.11:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $15. Formore information contact V<strong>is</strong>a;v<strong>is</strong>amusic@yahoo.com.FEBRUARY 16 - DINNERCRUISE. Location: Doc 52, 13509Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey, CA.7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $75.00 Donation.For more informationcontact Mekhitar<strong>is</strong>t ArmenianFathers School, (818) 353-3003;mekhitar<strong>is</strong>t@yahoo.com.FEBRUARY 16 - FEBRUARYREVOLT CELEBRATION WITHKARNIG SARKISSIAN. Location:Armenian Center, 5305 WMcFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA.8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $35. Formore information contact ARFArmen Karo social committee,714 401-8341; giro@socal.rr.com.FEBRUARY 17 - JAZZ NIGHT.Location: Armenian Society ofLos Angeles, 320 W Wilson Ave107, Glendale, CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$12. For more information contactArmenian Society of LosAngeles, 818-241-1073; Designstudio@pacbell.net.FEBRUARY 21 - LESSONSOF THE ARMENIAN GENO-CIDE. Location: San Diego StateUniversity Hardy Tower 140,5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego,CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: Free.For more information contactHansen/Hostler Lecture Series,818.468.1620; donigian@gmail.com.FEBRUARY 22 - 29 - SIX FILMSBY SERGEI PARADJANOV. Location:Leo S Bing Theater, 5905Wilshire Boulevard, Long Beach,CA. Various Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $10. Formore information contact LosAngeles County Museum of Art.FEBRUARY 22 - ANDY - UCLAASA - HAROUT: ONE STAGE- ONE NIGHT - THREE STARS.Location: Ararat, 3347 N San FernandoRd, Los Angeles, CA. 7:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $75. For moreinformation 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 Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $20, $10.For more information contactARS Arax School, 310 539-4994;houry@bizla.rr.com.FEBRUARY 24 - WHO YOUARE IS WORTH FIGHTINGFOR: FUNDRASING EVENT. Location:Casitas Studios, 3229 CasitasAve, Los Angeles, CA. 5:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $50. For moreinformation contact HamazkayinHeritage Committee and Eastof Byzantium, 818.445.6556; rita.demirjian@hotmail.com.FEBRUARY 27 - DAVID BARS-AMIAN AT THE GLENDALEPUBLIC LIBRARY. Location:Glendale Public Library, 222E Harvard St, Glendale, CA.7:00 PM. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: FREE.For more information contactFriends of the Glendale PublicLibrary, (818) 548-2042; cwike@ci.glendale.ca.us.FEBRUARY 28 - ARMENIANSHOGHAKEN FOLK ENSEM-BLE. Location: Mandeville, 9500Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA. 8:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $32, $36. Formore information contact ArtPwr, 858-534-4090; artpower@ucsd.edu.FEBRUARY 28 - DATECHANGED: FIRST ANNUALPROFESSIONAL NETWORK-ING FORUM. Location: UCLACampus, Kerckhoff Grand Salon,Los Angeles, CA. TBD Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:Free. For more information contactAGSA UCLA, 626.372.4630;agsaucla@ucla.edu.FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH2 - ANC-PN BIG BEAR WIN-TER ADVENTURE. Location:Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Lake,CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBD. For moreinformation contact ANC-PN;info@ancpn.com.FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 1 -FIRST PROGRAM ANNOUNCE-MENT--UCLA CONFERENCESERIES ON HISTORIC ARME-NIAN CITIES AND PROVINC-ES. Location: UCLA, Los Angeles,CA. Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: Free. Formore information contact R.G.Hovann<strong>is</strong>ian; hovann<strong>is</strong>@h<strong>is</strong>tory.ucla.edu.MARCH 2 - TREASURES OFARMENIAN FOLK MUSIC.Location: Alex Theatre, 216 NBrand Blvd, Glendale, CA. TBDAdm<strong>is</strong>sion: $20, $30, $40, & $50.For more information contactAlex Theatre, (818) 434-5367.MARCH 2 - MER DOONGALA CONCERT. Location: StPeter Armenian Church, 17231Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA.4:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $45/$25. Formore information contact MargaretYaldezian, (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 Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$25 | $100. For more informationcontact Alex Theatre.MARCH 9 - JAVAKHK FUNDCOMMITTE GALA DINNER.Location: Chrystal Deck, 3439Via Oporto, Newport Beach, CA.4:00 PM to 9:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$300.00 per couple. For moreinformation contact ARS, (818)500-1343; hkohler@charter.net.MARCH 10 - GREGORYDJANIKIAN AT THE GLEN-DALE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Location:Glendale Public Library,222 E Harvard St, Glendale,CA. 7:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: FREE.For more information contactFriends of the Glendale PublicLibrary, (818) 548-2042; cwike@ci.glendale.ca.us.MARCH 14 - SHUSHI MU-SIC SCHOOL SOCIETY’S 5THANNUAL DINNER BANQUET.Location: Ararat Home of LosAngeles, 15105 M<strong>is</strong>sion Hills Rd,M<strong>is</strong>sion Hills, CA. 8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$50, $35. For more informationcontact Shushi MusicSchool Society, (818)577-8 480;Shush<strong>is</strong>chool@yahoo.com.MARCH 16 - LEXUS RAFFLETICKET - HADJIN UNION. Location:Verdugo Hills CountryClub, 400 W Glenoaks Blvd ,Glendale, CA. 8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$100. For more informationcontact Compatriotic Unionof Hadjin, (818) 243-7029; hadjincompunion@aol.com.Ticketson www.itsmyseat.com.APRIL 6 - ARMENIAN CUL-TURAL FESTIVAL. Location:Woodbury University, 7500 GlenoaksBlvd., Burbank, CA. 11:00AM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: Free. For moreinformation contact All ArmenianStudent Association, (818)624-2427; woodburyuniversity_asa@yahoo.com.APRIL 10 - CONCERT HON-ORING SARKY MOURADIAN.Location: Alex Theatre, 216 NorthBrand Boulevard, Glendale, CA.7:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $25 | $100.For more information contactAlex Theatre, 818-243-2539; kevingeorge16@hotmail.com.APRIL 20 - CONFERENCEREGARDING SEVRES PEACETREATY. Location: GlendaleCentral Library, 222 E HarvardSt, Glendale, CA. 6:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:Free. For more informationcontact Defense Councilof Western Armenia, (818) 427-7872; sevres1920@gmail.com.April 26 - “Children HelpingChildren, with Love” - AMAAOrphan and Child Care Children’sFashion Show, Luncheonand Silent Auction. Saturday,11:00 am. Beverly Hills Hotel.Donation $75. For informationand tickets call Elizabeth Agbabian(310) 476-5306, Gina Felikian(310) 890-3115.APRIL 27 - AN EVENINGWITH HASMIK PAPIAN. Location:Vibiana Cathedral, 210 SMain St, Los Angeles, CA. 7:00PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $50-$150. ForSubscription CouponNAMESTREETB11the armenianreporterannual ratesu.s.a. First Class Mail: $75Canada: $125 (U.S.); Overseas: $250 (U.S.)CITY/STATE/ZIPmore information contact ZoeKevork, (818) 761-4204; info@infiniteechoent.com. Tickets onwww.itsmyseat.com.MAY 2 - DELEYAMAN DEBUT.Location: Herbert Zipper ConcertHall, 200 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles,CA. 8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $40.For more information contactTTO Records, (213) 404- 8880;ttorecords@club-internet.fr. Ticketson www.itsmyseat.com.MAY 17 - RAA ANNUAL GALABANQUET. Location: TBD, LosAngeles, CA. 7:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:TBD. For more information contactRAA / USA, (818) 469-1186;Board@RAA-USA.org.MAY 18 - ANC-BURBANK 3RDANNUAL BANQUET. Location:Arbat Banquet Hall, 711 S. SanFernando Rd, Burbank, CA. 5:30PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBA. For moreinformation contact BurbankANC, (818) 562-1918; info@burbankanc.org.MAY 18 - YACHT DINNERCRUISE IN MARINA DEL REY.Location: Hornblower Cru<strong>is</strong>eDock, F<strong>is</strong>herman’s Village 13755Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey, CA.1:30 PM | 6:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:$75 per person. For more informationcontact, (626) 440-6047.MAY 30 - AN EVENING WITHMICHAEL BROOK & DJIVANGASPARYAN. Location: RoyceHall, 340 Royce Dr, Los Angeles,CA. 8:00 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: $48, 36,24. For more information contactUCLA Live, 310.825.2101;tickets@uclalive.org.MAY 31 - ARMENIA SCHOOLFOUNDATION’S 5TH ANNI-VERSARY GALA BANQUET. Location:Ararat Hall, 3347 N SanFernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA.TBD Adm<strong>is</strong>sion: TBD. For moreinformation contact ASF, (818)957-0768; info@armeniaschoolfoundation.org.MAY 31 - JUNE 1 - ARME-NIAN FOOD FAIR & FEST. Formore information contact Anita,(714) 925-4193; Anita.Altounian@CaliberColl<strong>is</strong>ion.com.OCTOBER 12 - ARMENIANVOICES- HOVER CHAMBERCHOIR OF ARMENIA. Location:TBD, Glendale, CA. 7:30 PM Adm<strong>is</strong>sion:TBD. For more informationcontact World Music Management,617-686-6556; info@worldmusicmanagement.com.For the further details, v<strong>is</strong>itwww.ArmenianCalendar.comCheck Enclosed OR Charge My:Mastercard V<strong>is</strong>a Amex D<strong>is</strong>coverExp.Mail Coupon to: armenian reporterp.o. box 129, paramus, nj 07652orfax coupon to (201) 226-1660(credit card orders only)

B12 The Armenian Reporter | February 9, 2008