MARCH 2008

NOTEworthy
PHOTO BY DAVID REED
Left: Fred Delly
passes the hammer
of AFPD chairmanship
to Chris Zebari
at the association’s
annual dinner in
January.
NANA says
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MICK
Hanna Named to
Women’s Board
Zebari new
AFPD Chair
Chris Zebari has been elected the new
chairman of the Associated Food and
Petroleum Dealers.
Zebari, 46, is currently employed at
Lipari Foods in Warren. He has
worked in family-owned stores since
he was a child and was previously the
first Chaldean in a management role at
the Pepsi Bottling Group. He has been
involved with the AFPD since 1988
and has served as membership director,
board member, secretary, treasurer
and vice chairman.
“Being chairman is all about the
membership of this great organization,”
Zebari said. “It is about being heard.”
New Scholarship
Honors Bernadette
Sarafa
The North Farmington/West Bloomfield
(NFWB) Baseball/Softball League
for Youth has launched the NFWB/
Bernadette Sarafa Memorial Scholarship.
Sarafa was tragically killed in an
accident in June 2006
when a car hit her
while she was picking
grape leaves on the
side of the road. The
mother of five children
and 13 grandchildren,
she was married
for nearly 50 years
to Karim Sarafa. She
was involved in various
Bernadette
Sarafa
charity work and was well known for
her Middle Eastern cooking skills.
“The scholarship is named for her
because of the volunteer work that her
son, Haithem K. Sarafa, has contributed
to NFWB Baseball/Softball
over the past 10 years,” said Bernie
Rubenstein, NFWB president.
NFWB is contributing $1,000 per
year for the scholarships and the
Sarafa family is matching every year’s
contribution. Funds will be used to
award scholarships of no less than
$500 to eligible high school seniors
entering a four-year college or vocational
school and who have participated
in the NFWB Baseball/Softball
League for a minimum of four years.
High School seniors can go to
http://www.nfwb.com for eligibility and
application requirements, or call
League Secretary/Administrator Janet
Warsh at (248) 865-6392 for more
information on the scholarship.
Completed applications must be postmarked
by May 15, 2008.
Yatooma
Making News in
Kilpatrick Saga
Birmingham attorney Norman Yatooma
is making news these days in relation to
the text messaging scandal plaguing
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Yatooma represents Jonathan
Bond, the teenage son of exotic
dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene,
who was shot to death in April 2003.
Greene is said to have performed at a
long-rumored, but never proven wild
party at the mayor’s Manoogian
Mansion in 2002.
The lawsuit alleges that the police
investigation into the homicide was
derailed for political purposes and that
Bond was denied his constitutional
right to access the courts.
Yatooma has subpoenaed a variety
of documents, including satellite positioning
records from SkyTel, Detroit’s
pager company, that show where city
employees were at the time of
Greene’s death. She was shot with a
.40-caliber Glock, the handgun used
by Detroit police officers.
Yatooma’s lawsuit, first filed in
2005, gained little attention until the
recent text scandal that showed that
Kilpatrick and his chief of staff,
Christine Beatty, had a long-denied
romantic affair.
The controversy has raised concerns
about how long text messages –
a favorite form of communication in the
Chaldean community – last. In general,
text messages are not stored, though
experts advise to never text or e-mail
something you wouldn’t want to see
made public. In the mayor’s case, the
SkyTel messages were stored
because they were issued on cityowned
devices.
Sandra Hanna has been appointed to
the new Women’s Commission of
Oakland County. She represents
District 17, which consists of Beverly
Hills, Franklin, Bingham Farms, sections
of West
Bloomfield, Bloomfield
and Southfield.
The Oakland County
Board of Commissioners
created the Women’s
Commission, which
met for the first time on
January 30. Its purpose
is to survey the
status of women in
Sandra Hanna
Oakland County, assess their special
needs and suggest ways and methods
to meet those needs.
Hanna, a chemist with NSF
International, serves as secretary on
the board of directors of the Chaldean
American Chamber of Commerce.
Second Helpings
for Popular
Cookbook
Samira Yako Cholagh’s popular cookbook,
“Treasured Middle Eastern
Cookbook” is back by popular
demand. The book sold out after 3,000
copies were bought, but a reprint has
just been completed.
Cholagh is also at work on a third
book, which should be complete in a year.
The Treasured Middle Eastern
Cookbook, first released 10 years ago,
has some 400 recipes. The new edition
includes minor revisions and
touchups. It is available for $29.95 via
www.treasuredmiddleeasterncookbook.com.
Iraqi Translators
‘Betrayed’
“Betrayed,” a play by George Packer
about Iraqi interpreters who risked
their lives to help the U.S. military, is
playing in New York City through
March 16.
The play is based on Packer’s interviews
in Baghdad with interpreters
who feel abandoned by the U.S. after
risking their lives as translators. It tells
the story of three young Iraqis who
interpret for the U.S. government but
receive little protection in return. The
New York Times give the play a favorable
review, lauding its “sharp dramatic
impact and a plain-spoken beauty.”
“Betrayed” is playing at the Culture
Project in SoHo. Call (212) 925-1900
for tickets and information.
Never wear a ring on your
ring finger if you’re not married
— you can jinx it and have an
awful marriage (or none at all).
Do the sign of the cross
when you hear an ambulance
or pass a church or cemetery.
It’s good luck when a bird
poops on your car.
Thanks to all who shared their
Nana-isms. Keep them coming to
info@chaldeannews.com, or write
to The Chaldean News, 30095
Northwestern Highway, Suite 102,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
Walking for
Breast Cancer
Samantha Garmo of Waterford is putting
together a team called “Chaldeans
for a Cure” for a breast cancer walk in
September.
The Susan G. Komen For the Cure
three-day walk takes place September
26-28 and encompasses a 60-mile
walk in Southeast Michigan. Each
walker must be at least 16 years old
and have medical insurance. Walkers
less than 18 must be accompanied by
a parent or legal guardian. Each walker
must raise a minimum of $2,200.
“I have high hopes for this and
anticipate raising money above and
beyond the minimum amounts,” said
Garmo. “With such a supportive and
close-knit community, I truly believe
our possibilities are endless.”
Learn more by calling Garmo at
(248) 755-0247 or writing samanthagarmo@aol.com.
Brochure Helps
with Tax Prep
A new brochure, “Top 10 Questions to
Ask a Tax Preparer,” is available from
the Michigan Association of Certified
Public Accountants (MACPA), along
with the Accounting Aid Society
(AAS), Association of Latino
Professionals in Finance and
Accounting and State Representative
Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit).
The brochure is designed as a
guide to assist taxpayers in finding the
NOTEWORTHY
Continued on page 16
MARCH 2008 CHALDEAN NEWS 15