California Courier Online, September 21, 2006

1 – Commentary
After Hold on Hoagland, State Dept.
Should Take Armenians More Seriously

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

2 – . Violinist Armen Anassian Will Perform
Vivaldi with Glendale Symphony, Oct. 7
3 – Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy From Armenia
To Perform in Los Angeles and Orange County

4 – Abkarian Appointed
To California State
Board by Governor
5- Oct. 12 NAASR Lecture to Examine
‘The Armenian Lobby: Then and Now’
6 – UN, NASA, European Space Agency Endorse
Cosmic Ray Division’s SEVAN Network
7 – Amb. Evans’s Wife Responds to Recall
8 – – Westside Guild of Ararat Home
Will Hear TV Actress at Oct. 4 Meeting
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1 – Commentary

After Hold on Hoagland, State Dept.
Should Take Armenians More Seriously
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The Turks were a little premature two weeks ago when they were
boasting that the Armenian lobby failed to stop the nomination of
Richard Hoagland, the Ambassador Designate to Armenia, after the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed him on Sept. 7.
Last week, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) proved the Turks wrong when he
placed a hold on Hoagland’s confirmation last week, thus blocking the
full Senate from approving his nomination.
"I believe that the United States, Armenia, and all who are committed
to human rights should support an ambassador to Armenia who
recognizes the genocide that took place there more than 90 years
ago," Sen.Menendez (D-NJ) said. "If the Bush Administration continues
to refuse to acknowledge the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide,
then there is certainly cause for great alarm, which is why I am
placing a hold on this nominee…. I have great concerns that Mr.
Hoagland’s confirmation would be a step backward. Considering Mr.
Hoagland’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide as anything
more than horrifying events, I do not feel that his nomination is in
the best interest of Armenia and her Diaspora."
On the eve of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s vote, and
after Amb. John Evans was ordered to leave Armenia, Jeffrey Bergner,
the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, in a 3-page
letter to Sen. Biden, offered several inducements and tricky
arguments desperately trying to secure his as well as the other
Senators’ vote for Hoagland.
Bergner falsely claimed that the American grant of $235 million to
Armenia to reduce poverty could be jeopardized if the U.S. did not
have "an ambassador in Yerevan." Several Senators parroted this false
argument in voting for Hoagland. Bergner also stated that the
Armenian Government had not expressed any reservations concerning
Hoagland when accepting his nomination last March. He hid from the
Senators the fact that the Armenian authorities had delayed giving
their agreement for a couple of months, as a sign of protest against
the dismissal of Amb. Evans over his use of the term "Armenian
Genocide."
In a further effort to appease Sen. Biden, who was instrumental in
delaying an earlier Committee vote on Hoagland, Bergner wrote, "the
President’s annual statement on Armenian Remembrance Day makes clear
our recognition of those horrible events of that period, and firmly
sets the United States apart from those who would deny or minimize
these atrocities."
Bergner then made the incredible claim that "the President’s
approach appears to be yielding a new readiness in Turkey to
reexamine this horrible chapter of Turkey’s past with greater moral
clarity, building on previous efforts, such as the Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission."
Bergner further suggested that if confirmed, Hoagland and Ross
Wilson, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, would "work closely together
on this issue [genocide recognition]." He wrote that the two envoys
"would envision, among other efforts, joint visits to Yerevan and
Ankara to bring greater focus on reconciliation, which could lead to
a re-opening of the border and enhanced regional integration.
Ambassador Wilson and Ambassador-designate Hoagland, if confirmed,
will be available to brief Congress on U.S. efforts. We also welcome
your suggestion that the State Department and Senate Foreign
Relations Committee maintain a dialogue on helping to forge a common
Turkish-Armenian understanding of this period."
Bergner also promised that Amb. Hoagland plans to meet with several
Armenian American groups prior to his departure to Yerevan and would
"travel back to the United States to meet with the larger community
shortly after presenting his credentials in Yerevan, if confirmed."
After falsely insisting for several months that Turkish officials
had no contacts whatsoever with the State Department to protest Amb.
Evans’ acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, Bergner finally
admitted that indeed The Livingston Group, a high-powered lobbying
firm hired by the Government of Turkey, had contacted three State
Department officials within days of Amb. Evans’ statement.
Finally, Bergner sent on Sept. 5 to Sen. Biden "revised versions" of
Ambassador-designate Hoagland’s June 28 responses to Senators John
Kerry, Barbara Boxer and Paul Sarbanes. Needless to say, Amb.
Hoagland was submitting these more accommodating letters that were
more in line with what the Senators wanted to hear.
For example, in his June 28 response to Senators Boxer and Sarbanes,
Hoagland had specifically mentioned the requirement of "intent" to
qualify a mass killing as genocide, implying that such an element was
absent in the Armenian case. In the Sept. 5 version of his reply to
the same question, he deleted that sentence, thus removing any doubt
on whether there was the intent to destroy the Armenians in 1915.
Hoagland significantly added to his revised answer to Sen. Boxer that
the "historical assessment" of what took place in 1915 should be
"consistent with our values and historic truth."
After the hold was placed by Sen. Menendez, State Dept. spokesman
Sean McCormack, reflecting the Bush administration’s frustration and
inability to secure Hoagland’s confirmation, claimed that if given a
chance in the Senate, the Ambassador-designate would get "the 51
votes required for confirmation." McCormack is not being fair when he
selectively asks for a vote on this nominee, while the administration
has been blocking for months Armenian Genocide resolutions both in
the House and the Senate from coming to a floor vote, knowing full
well that they would pass by an overwhelming majority. Sen. Menendez
may consider removing his hold on Hoagland, in return for the
administration allowing a vote on the two genocide resolutions!
There are several scenarios as to where Hoagland’s nomination may end
up in the coming weeks. After months and months of waiting for his
confirmation, Hoagland may end up withdrawing his name and ask the
State Dept. to nominate him to another country. A second possibility
is that President Bush may make a recess appointment, naming him
ambassador to Armenia, while the Senate is not in session. A third
option would be for the State Dept. to come back to the Senate and
pressure Sen. Menendez to remove his hold.
The best option for the State Department, Ambassador Hoagland, Sen.
Menendez, and the Armenian American community would be to get
together and see if there are certain inducements that the State
Department would offer on one or more Armenian issues which might
convince Sen. Menendez to remove his hold.
The Armenian American community should call Sen. Menendez
(202-224-4744) and thank him for placing a hold on Hoagland’s
nomination.
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2 – . Violinist Armen Anassian Will Perform
Vivaldi with Glendale Symphony, Oct. 7
GLENDALE, Calif. The Glendale Symphony Orchestra will open its 83rd
season with an evening of music – "Tango Through the Four Seasons" –
on Saturday, October 7, at 8 p.m. at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.
Twenty string players from the orchestra will gather on stage, under
the baton of recently appointed Music Director Olivia Tsui, to
present an evening of music that includes two tributes to the four
seasons as well as two tributes to heavily ‘seasoned’ dance forms.
On the program for Opening Night are: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Spanish
Dance K.570, written originally for the Soviet film, Gadfly; the Four
Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, which has provided the soundtrack for
numerous Hollywood films, including the 1981 movie of the same name;
Cuatro Estaciones en Buenos Aires by 20th century Tango composer
Astor Piazzola; and Three Tangos for Flute and String Orchestra by
film composer and former GSO Music Director, Lalo Schifrin.
Inarguably, the work with which most music lovers are most familiar
is Vivaldi’s popular set of four violin concertos, the Four Seasons.
Violinist Armen Anassian – who has served as a conductor, soloist and
concertmaster for ensembles ranging from the Heidelberg and Freiburg
Chamber Orchestras in Europe to the Pacific Symphony in Southern
California – will appear as featured soloist.
"We’re delighted to welcome Armen because he is an exceptionally
talented musician who never fails to exhilarate and awe those who
hear him," says Tsui. "We’re also thrilled that P.J. Ochlan, host of
K-Mozart’s ‘The Arts Report,’ will narrate the sonnet Vivaldi himself
wrote to accompany the Four Seasons. This will be a truly
groundbreaking performance of the Four Seasons. Those who hear it
will remember it for years to come."
Beginning and concluding the Opening Night concert are works inspired
not so much by the seasons of the year as by heavily ‘seasoned’
dances. Shostakovich’s Spanish Dance, a work that perfectly
complements and foreshadows the Tango-esque flavor of much of the
evening, will open the program while Schifrin’s Three Tangos for
Flute and String Orchestra, with help from GSO principal flautist
Sheridon Stokes, will provide a show-stopping finale.
However, Tsui – who is keenly aware that today’s orchestras face
tough competition from movies, television, video games and a myriad
of other entertainment options – has arranged for two additional
guest artists to join Armen Anassian and Sheridon Stokes on stage,
Tango dancers Elizabeth Rocella and Claudio Otero.
"We’ll engage the audience on every level," says Tsui. "They’ll be
captivated by what they hear – a great performance of great music,
live in a historic venue like the Alex – and, at the same time,
they’ll be entranced by what they see, two gifted dancers bringing
the music to life in a new, uniquely visual way."
tickets for Tango Through the Four Seasons – which begin at just $20
– are available by calling the Alex Theatre box office at
818.243.2539 or online, by visiting the theatre’s website,
The box office is open from noon until 6 p.m.
daily. The Alex Theatre is located at 216 North Brand Blvd. in
Glendale
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3 – Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy From Armenia
To Perform in Los Angeles and Orange County

LOS ANGELES – The Armenian American Theatrical and Musical Society
will once again provide theater-goers in Los Angeles and Orange
County the opportunity to be entertained by the theatrical "elite" of
Armenia.
Through the efforts of Society Chairman Victor Mardirossian, a
touring group of The Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy State Theatre will
perform at the Wilshire EbellTheatre, 4401 West 8th St., L.A. on
Sept. 29 and Oct. 8. It will mark California’s participation in
commemorating the Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy Theatre’s 60th
Anniversary.
The program consists of two individual productions. A comedy, by
playwright Jirayr Ananyan, "Our Landlords," will be presented on
Sept. 29, at 730 p.m. It is directed by Yervand Ghazandjian, whose
career spans 50 years in the theatre. The cast is led by popular
actress, Svetlana Grigoryan, celebrating 55 years on the Armenian
stage
On Oct. 8, at 6 p.m., the audience will enjoy the merriment of a
musical comedy, "Late But Worth the Wait," by musical composer
Ardemi Aivazian and Playwright Garegin Yeretsyan. The musical is
directed by Gayaneh Barseghian. and the cast includes guest artist
Razmik Mansourian .
An additional performance of "Our Landlords" is scheduled for the
convenience of Orange County residents on Oct. 13, 7:30 PM at the
Huntington Beach Playhouse. This will mark the first time a
distinguished theatre company from Armenia will perform in Orange
County. The playhouse occupies a special wing of the Huntington Beach
Library and Cultural Center, 7111 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach.
Seating reservations are moving quickly and to insure attendance for
the Wilshire Ebell dates, call AATMS at (323) 668-0374, (323)
668-1030, or (323) 668-4918.
Free delivery of tickets for Los Angeles performances may be obtained
by calling (818) 265-0506 Reservations and ticket information for
the Huntington Beach performance to be announced at the AATMS office.
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4 – Abkarian Appointed
To California State
Board by Governor
SACRAMENTO – Albert Abkarian, 42, of Glendale, has been appointed to
the Osteopathic
Medical Board, by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He has served as senior partner and associate for the law firm Albert
Abkarian & Associates since 2002, specializing in personal injury and
workers compensation law. Abkarian has also served as owner of
CoasterCD since 2005 and the OMNI Continental Trading Group since
July 2006.
Additionally, he is Glendale Civil Service Commissioner, an advisory
member on the Glendale Educational Foundation and volunteer
arbitrator/mediator for the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior
Courts.
This position does not require Senate confirmation and the
compensation is $100 per diem.
Abkarian is a Republican.
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5 – Oct. 12 NAASR Lecture to Examine
‘The Armenian Lobby: Then and Now’
BELMONT, MA – Gregory Aftandilian, currently a Research Fellow at the
Belfer Center at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, will present a lecture entitled "The Armenian Lobby Then
and Now: The 1918-27 Period and the Present Day," on Oct. 12, at the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center
, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA.
Aftandilian, a member of the NAASR Board of Directors since 2004, has
previously worked at the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and
the U.S. Department of State. A recognized expert on Middle East
affairs, he is the author of two books: Egypt’s Bid for Arab
Leadership: Implications for U.S. Policy and Armenia: Vision of a
Republic: The Independence Lobby in America, 1918-1927. He holds
degrees from Dartmouth College, the
University of Chicago, and the London School of Economics.
this lecture will examine the activities of the American Committee
for the Independence of Armenia in the period of 1918 to 1927 and
compare it to today’s Armenian Lobby in terms of effectiveness,
shortcomings, access to leading policy-makers, and sustainability.
Key issues that will be addressed are the makeup of the lobby
groups, the socio-economic conditions of the Armenian-American
community, the impact of opposing lobbies and countervailing
pressures, the attitudes of Congress and the
White House, and the salience of the "Armenian issue" in the American
political context.
Aftandilian will highlight some important similarities and
differences between the two eras. In both periods, the pro-Armenian
Lobby had the difficult task of supporting a small country that
lacked natural resources. Whereas in the earlier periodthe lobby
relied primarily on American public sympathy as well as important
political figures for support, the current period has witnessed a
reliance on the rising stature of the Armenian-American community and
its increasing involvement in the American political
system. Countervailing pressures in both periods have included the
impact of oil and other economic interests.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated).
More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610.
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6 – UN, NASA, European Space Agency Endorse
Cosmic Ray Division’s SEVAN Network
In November 12005, UN, NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA)
jointly organized a multinational meeting to promote international
cooperation in space research. A particular interest of the
consortium is to study energetic events on the sun and the effects of
these events on the Earth’s environment. Prof. Ashot Chilingarian,
head of the Cosmic Ray Division (CRD) represented Armenia and
proposed a multinational Space Environment Viewing and Analysis
Network (SEVAN). The proposal received very high marks and was one
of the few programs endorsed by the consortium for the International
Heliophysical Year 2007 (IHY-07).
The Cosmic Ray Division is among the world’s top 5 research
organizations in cosmic ray physics and space weather research.
SEVAN, a nine-country space weather network of ground based cosmic
ray particle detectors, will be led by the CRD physicists in Armenia
under the leadership of Professor Chilingarian. The network will
utilize advanced concepts, technology, data acquisition methods, and
computer analysis techniques developed at the CRD. SEVAN will open
windows to enhanced understanding of solar phenomena that affect the
earth and will promote international cooperation.
At a July 2006 meeting of the international Committee on Space
Research (COSPAR) in Beijing, Prof. Chilingarian represented Armenia
and promoted the SEVAN network. His reports were received with great
and tangible enthusiasm. Nat Gopalswamy of NASA and the
international coordinator IHY-07 mentioned SEVAN in his own
presentation as one of the most important projects of IHY-07.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the IHY-07 steering committee, Joseph
Davila stated, "Space Weather issues are becoming more and more
important and the approach advocated by CRD to deploy new type of
particle detectors in near-equator countries is very important".
At home, CRD continues to attract smart and energetic students from
Yerevan State University. Artur Reimers, a third year PhD student
at the CRD won a $5000 grant from the Graduate Research Support
Program organized by Armenia’s National Foundation for Science and
Advanced Technology (NFSAT) and the Civilian Research Defense Fund
(CRDF) in the US. Tigran Karapetyan and Bagrat Mailyan are the two
new graduate students and Armen Hovhannisyan is a new upper class
undergraduate student from the Yerevan State University. All three
talented students have chosen to focus their studies on cosmic ray
physics at the Cosmic Ray Division. The CRD is grateful to Mary Anna
Brown for supporting them with tuition and books.
Thanks also go to the many Diaspora members for the continued support
of the CRD. Several important organizations also are being thanked
for their continued support in various ways to facilitate/supplement
the Diaspora giving: Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America
national headquarters, Michigan, and Greater Metropolitan DC
chapters; United Armenian Fund; Nor Serount Cultural Organization;
the Armenian Heritage Cruise; and the National Foundation for Science
and Advanced Technology.
For more information visit or write to the
Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division at SCACRD, P.O.
Box 655, Menlo Park, CA 94026.
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7 – Amb. Evans’s Wife Responds to Recall
YEREVAN – Prior to the return of US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans
to the US on Sept. 10, Armenia’s "168 Hours" publication spoke with
the US envoy’s wife Donna Evans in Yerevan.
"Ambassador Evans has on numerous occasions answered questions
regarding his early recall," "168 Hours" wrote.
"But what is Mrs. Evans opinion about this?" the publication asked.
"I can only speak for myself," she replied. "That was truly a very
emotional period for us, it was also very difficult for me, since my
husband was being recalled because he spoke the truth about the
events which took place in 1915, and it was painful that he was being
punished for speaking the truth.
"My husband has been working as a diplomat for 35 years, and he is a
very professional diplomat. For him, it is truly a big honor to
represent the United States of America’s foreign service abroad, and
serve the United States," said Mrs. Evans.
"In any event, I consider that the punishment is too severe for the
words spoken," She said.
"My husband spoke that truth in the United States of America, to
American citizens, in a university and in an academic setting. Those
were extremely difficult times for me; but when you realize that you
are right, that helps you walk tall with your head held high," the
ambassador’s wife observed.
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8 – Westside Guild of Ararat Home
Will Hear TV Actress at Oct. 4 Meeting
LOS ANGELES – The Westside Guild of the Ararat Home will meet at the
Bistro Garden in Sherman Oaks on Wednesday Oct. 4 at 11:30 a m to
hear actress-author Marjorie Lord speak about her career path from
acting to charity work. Ms. Lord who has written a book
of her memoirs will relate stories of her fantasy life as the TV wife
of Danny Thomas on "Make Room for Daddy," her Broadway acting debut
on stage with Dame Judith Anderson, her marriage to banking genius
Harry Volk which put her on the charity circuit and her commitment to
being the mother of Gregg and Anne Archer. A native
Californian, the teenaged Marjorie left her family and moved to
N.Y.C., where she immediately found a job on Broadway . She has been
acting ever since in films, theater and television. At the
conclusion of the presentation, her long time friend Joan Agajanian
Quinn will open the floor to questions. .
Co-Presidents of the Westside Guild Andrea Fehring and
Diana Hekimian will outline future group activities and Barbara
Poladian will report on preparations for the December 9th Christmas
luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. After lunch, Ms.
Lord, who plans to donate a portion of the book sales to the Ararat
Home, will sign copies of her memoir, "A Dance and A Hug."
Reservations can be made by calling Diana Hekimian at 714-960-2318.
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