Author: Jilavian Emma

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. Announces 62% Increase in the Dollar Value of Net
Contracts for the Quarter Ended April 30, 2004 and 58% Increase for the Month
of April 2004

RED BANK, N.J., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Hovnanian Enterprises,
Inc. (NYSE:HOV), a leading national homebuilder, announced today
preliminary net contracts and sales backlog for the second quarter and
month ended April 30, 2004. For the month of April 2004, the dollar
value of net contracts increased 58% and the number of net contracts
increased 39%, to 1,520 homes, when compared with April 2003. For the
quarter, the dollar value of net contracts increased 62% and the
number of net contracts increased 45%, to 4,911 homes, when compared
with the second quarter of fiscal 2003. The sales value of contract
backlog at April 30, 2004 grew 69% over April 30, 2003, to $2.4
billion, and the number of homes in contract backlog increased 52%, to
8,092 homes, when compared to 5,318 homes at April 30, 2003. The
Company delivered 3,373 homes during the second quarter, including 19
in unconsolidated joint ventures, an increase of 35% over the 2,507
homes delivered during the same period in 2003, which included 11 home
deliveries in unconsolidated joint ventures. The number of active
selling communities company-wide on April 30, 2004 increased to 291
communities from 244 communities at the end of April 2003.

Net Contracts

Three Months Ended Contract Backlog

April 30th April 30th

————————- ————————–

2004 2003 % Change 2004 2003 % Change

————————- ————————–

Northeast(1)

Homes 919 639 43.8% 2,440 2,024 20.6%

Dollars 307,127 204,944 49.9% 733,520 538,741 36.2%

Avg.

Price 334,197 320,726 4.2% 300,623 266,176 12.9%

Southeast(1)

Homes 1,276 949 34.5% 2,591 1,531 69.2%

Dollars 351,922 248,323 41.7% 750,533 423,615 77.2%

Avg.

Price 275,801 261,668 5.4% 289,669 276,692 4.7%

Southwest(1)

Homes 1,150 732 57.1% 1,254 645 94.4%

Dollars 202,748 143,978 40.8% 204,621 128,786 58.9%

Avg.

Price 176,303 196,691 (10.4%) 163,174 199,668 (18.3%)

West

Homes 1,428 1,069 33.6% 1,570 1,100 42.7%

Dollars 533,685 312,470 70.8% 587,174 336,741 74.4%

Avg.

Price 3 73,729 292,301 27.9% 373,996 306,128 22.2%

Consolidated

Total

Homes 4,773 3,389 40.8% 7,855 5,300 48.2%

Dollars 1,395,482 909,715 53.4% 2,275,848 1,427,883 59.4%

Avg.

Price 292,370 268,432 8.9% 289,732 269,412 7.5%

Unconsolidated Joint

Ventures

Homes 138 9 N/A 237 18 N/A

Dollars 84,795 1,759 N/A 140,352 3,715 N/A

Avg.

Price 614,454 195,450 N/A 592,204 206,381 N/A

Total

Homes 4,911 3,398 44.5% 8,092 5,318 52.2%

Dollars 1,480,277 911,474 62.4% 2,416,201 1,431,598 68.8%

Avg.

Price 301,421 268,238 12.4% 298,591 269,199 10.9%

———————————————————————-

April % Change April % Change

2004 From 2004 From

Net April Net April

Contracts 2003 Contracts 2003

($ in millions)

Northeast(1) 346 39.5% $98.3 37.6%

(NJ, NY, PA, OH)

Southeast(1) 331 20.4% 95.7 32.2%

(FL, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)

Southwest(1) 345 52.7% 61.4 39.6%

(AZ, TX)

West 460 32.2% 181.1 72.9%

(CA)

Consolidated Total: 1,482 35.1% $436.5 49.2%

Unconsolidated Joint

Ventures 38 NM 26.7 NM

———————————————-

Total: 1,520 38.6% $463.2 58.2%

———————————————-

(1) The number of net contracts and backlog in the Northeast for the second
quarter and month ended April 30, 2004 includes the effect of the Summit Homes
acquisition, which closed in April 2003. The number of net contracts and
backlog in the Southwest for the second quarter and month ended April 30, 2004
includes the effect of the Great Western Homes acquisition, which closed in
August 2003. The number of net contracts in the Southeast for the second quarter
and month ended April 30, 2004 includes the effect of the Windward Homes
acquisition, which closed in November 2003.

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1959 by Kevork S. Hovnanian,
Chairman, is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Company is one of the
nation’s largest homebuilders with operations in Arizona, California, Florida,
Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The Company’s homes
are marketed and sold under the trade names K. Hovnanian, Washington Homes,
Goodman Homes, Matzel & Mumford, Diamond Homes, Westminster Homes, Fortis Homes,
Forecast Homes, Parkside Homes, Brighton Homes, Parkwood Builders, Summit
Homes, Great Western Homes and Windward Homes. As the

developer of K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons communities, the Company is also one
of the nation’s largest builders of active adult homes.

Additional information on Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., including a summary
investment profile and the Company’s 2003 annual report, can be accessed through
the investor relations page of the Hovnanian Web site at
To be added to Hovnanian’s investor e-mail or fax lists, please send an
e-mail to [email protected] or sign up at

SOURCE Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
CO: Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.
ST: New Jersey
SU: CON SLS
Web site:

05/05/2004 05:00 EDT

DetNews.com, MI
April 28 2004

Oakland People in the News

Farmington Hills: Wayne State University senior Charles Stamboulian
of Farmington Hills is one of two graduating students who will
receive the Howard A. Donnelly Award during the university’s spring
commencement ceremonies May 6 at Cobo Center. The award is given each
year to an accomplished male and female student. They should have a
good academic record and have contributed to the university by
participating in student activities and, leadership and service
groups. Stamboulian, a graduate of North Farmington High School, will
receive a Bachelor of Science in education, magna cum laude.
Stamboulian also served as president of the Society of Armenian
Students at Wayne State.

[parts omitted]

COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

______

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

of new york

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the representative of a large and
vibrant community of Armenian Americans, I rise today to join my
colleagues in the sad commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Today,
we continue the crusade to ensure that this tragedy is never
forgotten. This 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is an
emotional time. The loss of life experienced by so many families is
devastating. But, in the face of the systematic slaughter of 1.5
million people, the Armenian community has persevered with a vision of
life and freedom. Armenian Americans are representative of the
resolve, bravery, and strength of spirit that is so characteristic of
Armenians around the world. That strength carried them through
humanity’s worst: Upheaval from a homeland of 3,000 years, massacre of
kin, and deportation to foreign lands. That same strength gathers
Armenians around the world to make certain that this tragedy is never
forgotten. Without recognition and remembrance, this atrocity remains
a threat to nations around the world. I’ve often quoted philosopher
George Santayana who said: “Those who do not remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.” And to remember, we must first acknowledge
what it is– Genocide. Tragically, more than 1.5 million Armenians
were systematically murdered at the hands of the Young Turks. More
than 500,000 were deported. It was brutal. It was deliberate. It was
an organized campaign and it lasted more than 8 years. We must make
certain that we remember. Now, we must ensure that the world
recognizes that Armenian people have remembered, and they have
survived and thrived. Out of the crumbling Soviet Union, the Republic
of Armenia was born, and independence was gained. But, independence
has not ended the struggle. To this day, the Turkish government
denies that genocide of the Armenian people occurred and denies its
own responsibility for the deaths of 1.5 million people. In response
to this revisionist history, the Republic of France passed legislation
that set the moral standard for the international community. The
French National Assembly unanimously passed a bill that officially
recognizes the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey during and
after WWI as genocide. Several nations have since joined in the
belief that history should beset straight. Canada, Argentina, Belgium,
Lebanon, The Vatican, Uruguay, the European parliament, Russia,
Greece, Sweden and France, have authored declarations or decisions
confirming that the genocide occurred. As a country, we must join
these nations in recognition of this atrocity.

[[Page E668]]

I am proud to join more than 100 of my colleagues in cosponsoring H.
Res. 193, which emphasizes the importance of remembering and learning
from past crimes against humanity. We must demand that the United
States officially acknowledge the forced exile and annihilation of 1.5
million people as genocide. Denying the horrors of those years merely
condones the behavior in other places as was evidenced in Rwanda,
Indonesia, Burundi, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and
Iraq. Silence may have been the signal to perpetrators of these
atrocities that they could commit genocide, deny it, and get away with
it. As Americans, the reminder of targeted violence and mass
slaughter is still raw. We lost nearly 3,000 people on September 11. I
cannot imagine the world trying to say that this did not occur. The
loss of 1.5 million people is a global tragedy. A peaceful and stable
South Caucasus region is clearly in the U.S. national
interest. Recognizing the genocide must be a strategy for this goal in
an increasingly uncertain region. One of the most important ways in
which we an honor the memory of the Armenian victims of the past is to
help modern Armenia build a secure and prosperous future. The United
States has a unique history of aid to Armenia, being among the first
to recognize that need, and the first to help. I am pleased with the
U.S. involvement in the emphasis of private sector development,
regionally focused programs, people-to-people linkages and the
development of a civil society. I recently joined many of my
colleagues in requesting funding for Armenia including for Foreign
Military Financing, for Economic Support Funds, and for assistance to
Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has made impressive progress in rebuilding
a society and a nation in the face of dramatic obstacles. I will
continue to take a strong stand in support of Armenia’s commitment to
democracy, the rule of law, and a market economy–I am proud to stand
with Armenia in doing so. But there is more to be done. Conflict
persists in the Nagorno- Karabakh region. Congress has provided
funding for confidence building in that region, and I will continue my
support of that funding and the move toward a brighter future for
Armenia. But in building our future, we must not forget our past. That
is why I strongly support the efforts of the Armenian community in the
construction of the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum. Because so
many Armenians have spoken of the destruction, they have made certain
that we remember. Nothing we can do or say will bring those who
perished back to life, but we can imbue their memories with
everlasting meaning by teaching the lessons of the Armenian genocide
to the next generation and help Armenia build its future.

Azerbaijan vows to let Armenian military attend NATO exercise

Interfax news agency, Moscow
29 Apr 04

BAKU

Azerbaijan is prepared to let Armenian officials attend the NATO
military exercises in Baku in the fall, Ramiz Malikov, head of the
Azerbaijani Defence Ministry’s press service, told Interfax on
Thursday [29 April].

“NATO is organizing the exercise and we are prepared to see to it that
every invitee, including Armenian Defence Ministry officials, attends
it,” he said.

“As a rule, Armenian officers are unwilling to travel to Baku but try
to claim their absence is the result of Azerbaijan’s obstruction,”
Malikov said.

NATO’s multinational exercise Cooperative Best Effort-2004 will be
held in Baku in September 2004.

A1 Plus | 21:19:41 | 30-04-2004 | Social |

FOR DEFENSE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

A public discussion on pursuits of Opposition members and supporters and
release of political prisoners took place in the Multifunctional Center of
Public Relations in Gyumri. “Asbarez” Club of Gyumri journalists informs
this.

The participants referred to March 28 meeting in Gyumri and the events
following. The arrests, including the one of Colonel Ashot Zaqaryan, Artcakh
War fighter and Chair of “Erkrapah” Volunteer Union of Gyumri were
condemned.

An initiative group of “Gyumri Social Board for Defense of Ashot Zaqaryan
and Political Prisoners” was set up.

“We call upon all the people of wisdom to raise protest and to demand the
Armenian Authorities to stop pursuits and arrests for political
convictions”, the board statement says.

Black Sea Economic Cooperation meeting ends in Azeri capital

ANS TV, Baku
30 Apr 04

[Presenter] The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization has ended in Baku. The
organization’s secretary-general demanded that Armenia explain its
failure to join the meeting.

[Correspondent over video of the meeting] The tenth sitting of the
foreign ministers of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
was interesting for a number of reasons. The Armenian delegation did
not attend the session as was the case with the sitting the
organization held in Baku six months ago.

[Uncaptioned official, speaking to microphone in Russian, with Azeri
voice-over] The organization’s secretariat sent invitations to all its
member countries. The Armenian Foreign Ministry must perhaps explain
why their delegation did not attend the sitting.

[Correspondent] The second interesting point was the fight for the
post of deputy secretary-general of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization, which has been disputed for a year. According to
unofficial reports, Russia wanted to appoint its representative to
that post. However, as a result of voting, Altay Afandiyev, head of
the economic cooperation and development department of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry, was elected deputy secretary-general.
Unfortunately, Mr Afandiyev’s first contact with the media was
unsuccessful. He acted as a real official.

[Video shows Afandiyev avoiding an interview with journalists]

[Correspondent] As far as the sitting itself is concerned, the Baku
sitting summed up Azerbaijan’s yearly chairmanship in the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization. The sitting positively assessed
official Baku’s chairmanship during the year. But it also noted the
importance of institutional reforms inside the organization.

Representatives of influential international financial organizations
promised to help the Black Sea countries with the issues in
question. But they failed to clarify the form of assistance. The
organizers of the sitting did not give the media any additional
information, claiming that the second part of the discussions was
partly confidential as they took place behind closed doors. But we did
not see any closed doors. [Video shows the half open doors of the
meeting room and some people leaving the room]

[Passage omitted: The Baku sitting decided to admit Serbia and
Montenegro to the organization, other reported details]

Zaur Hasanov, Ruslan Mammadov and Ramil Qulammirzayev, ANS.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
May 2, 2004

Six New Priests Ordained in Holy Etchmiadzin

On May 2, Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Mother Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin, with His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, presiding. The celebrant was His Grace Bishop Abraham
Mkrtichian, Primate of the Diocese of Syunik (Armenia). During the
celebration of the Liturgy, six deacons of the Mother See were ordained to
the priesthood.

On the previous evening, prior to Evening Services, a public examination of
the orthodox faith of the six candidates was conducted. The two sponsoring
priests bore witness to the worthiness and spiritual preparedness of the
potential priests. The candidates unanimously rejected, renounced and
anathematized the heretics and schismatics, and stated their oath to remain
faithful to Jesus Christ, and the faith of the Holy Apostles, blessed
patriarchs and doctors of the Church. As a visible sign of their orthodoxy,
they recited the Creed formulated by Saint Gregory of Datev.

On Sunday, during the Divine Liturgy, the six deacons, ascended to the Main
Altar of the Mother Cathedral on bended knees as the sponsoring priests
recited psalms. Turning to face westward, the candidates raised their hands
with their palms open as a sign of their renunciation of the secular life.
Under the singing of hymns, the Holy Chrism was brought to the Holy Altar,
and the ordaining bishop individually consecrated each new priest’s
forehead, as well as the palms of their right and left hands, and called
them by their new priestly names.

Deacon Haroutiun Derderian became Father Tadeos; Deacon Vardan Isakhanian
was renamed Father Andreas; Deacon Sargis Kirakosian became Father Datev;
Deacon Arman Hakobian was renamed Father Zaven; Deacon Edgar Hakobian became
Father Makar; and Deacon Mushegh Sargisian was renamed Father Shnork.
Afterwards, Bishop Abraham handed each of them the communion chalice,
transferring to them the authority and right to celebrate the Divine
Liturgy, and distribute the Holy Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, to the faithful.

Following the conclusion of the ordination service, His Holiness Karekin II,
the bishops, members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, and all married
priests in attendance ascended the bema and congratulated the six newly
ordained priests by kissing their anointed foreheads and hands.

During Evening Services later in the day, three of the priests (Father
Zaven, Father Makar and Father Shnork) received their cowls and took their
oath of celibacy, promising to always remain loyal servants of the Armenian
Apostolic Holy Church, the Catholicosate of All Armenians and the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The six new priests of the Armenian Church have entered their forty days of
seclusion as they prepare to celebrate their first Divine Liturgy through
prayer, fasting and meditation.

##

ArmenPress
May 4 2004

SEVEN NEW CASES OF HIV CONFIRMED

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: Seven new HIV cases were reported over
the last month in Armenia, according to the health ministry, bringing
the total number of officially registered people with confirmed
AIDS/HIV to 269. The majority-255 people-are Armenian citizens. Six
of the new cases were confirmed with Armenian citizens, and the one
with a foreigner who came to be examined and receive treatment by
Armenicum, a medicine developed by Armenian scientists, which they
say, improves drastically the condition of AIDS-infected people.
According to health ministry officials, the majority of cases
reported in last years contracted it through narcotics injections.
More than 80 percent are between 20-39 and AIDS was confirmed with
half of all infected people.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved
last year a five year grant for the Republic of Armenia that will
support the National Program on HIV/AIDS and can have a significant
impact on the prevention of HIV/AIDS in Armenia and on the quality of
life of those infected, or affected by the virus.
Although Armenia is a low prevalence country, the extremely high
growth rate of HIV infection makes the HIV/AIDS epidemic a real
danger for the country with a population of 3.2 million. A number of
factors such as the economic crisis, increased poverty, unemployment
and massive increase in individual high-risk behaviors have
contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The Charlotte Observer
April 27, 2004, Tuesday

Turkey hosts layers of history _ and Chevy Chase commercials

By John Bordsen

What’s it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a
vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who
lives in a spot you may want to visit.

Robert Stewart, 39, works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at
Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. He describes himself as an “Army brat”
born in Baltimore; Stewart has been in Turkey for two years.

Q. What do you see when you look out your window?

A. Where I work, there are palm trees going out to a miniature golf
course and swimming pool. If I turn right I can see the Taurus
Mountains across the flight line.

Incirlik is outside of Adana, not far from that little dogleg of
Turkey that turns south toward Syria. It’s a kind of a delta area,
very flat and with lots of farming. Then all of a sudden mountains
rise up that ring the area. If you drive about 45 minutes south, you
get to the Mediterranean Sea.

Q. That’s quite an historic area, isn’t it?

A. Not far from here is a little outdoor museum where they found a
Hittite summer palace, with tablets that had cuneiform writing. There
were some statues, too. The Armenians were once in this area _ it was
called Lesser Armenia _ and there are castles all over from that time
and when the area was controlled by the Byzantine Empire.

A city close to here was a Roman town, then a Byzantine and then an
Armenian town. There are temples and archways that are Roman; up on a
hill is an Armenian fortress. History is physically kind of mixed
together here.

Adana has a famous bridge built by Romans that’s still in use. It’s
just a little two-lane cobblestone bridge crossing the Seyhan River.

Q. Do you get many tourists or archaeologists?

A. I don’t see any. I’ve gone out to some of these sites, and it’s
only locals, who come running out to me with handfuls of copper
coins. It’s probably not legal for them to sell them or for me to buy
them, but I did get a silver coin. It looks like it was manufactured
recently. There’s probably a good business in making and selling
fakes.

Q. Is the local population all Turk, now?

A. It’s predominantly Turkish. We’re in south central Turkey, but
everyone considers anything east of Ankara, the capital, to be
“east.” The population speaks Turkish, and some have Arabic or
Kurdish as a second language.

Q. What’s to do there in your spare time?

A. You can go exploring. You can go up in the Taurus Mountains. There
are summer pasturages called yaylas where farmers take goats and
sheep. It’s a little cooler and drier in the mountains, so on
weekends people go there to escape the lowland heat.

Q. What’s the weather like now?

A. Chilly and rainy. We had a bit of snow recently; it didn’t stick
but was strange to see. During the day now, it can get to 55 or 70,
be sunny or rainy. In summer, temperatures can get to 120, with 90
percent humidity _ or worse.

Q. What’s the best thing to see around there?

A. Cappadocia, which is a couple of hours north of here. It’s a very
dry, desert area. Over the centuries, people have dug into limestone
cliffs and built houses and apartments in them _ there’s actually an
entire underground city. And every time some invader passed through,
the population went to live underground for a bit. It’s pretty
famous.

Antakya _ ancient Antioch _ has St. Peter’s Grotto, one of the oldest
churches in Christianity, it is said. It was discovered by crusaders.
There’s also a great museum with many mosaics.

Q. It’s said that Turkey is a very secular Muslim society. Is that
true?

A. My friends are Turkish through and through, but they drink beer
that’s brewed in Turkey, and a drink called raku, which is like
pernod or ouzo. You mix it with water and it turns white.

Turks are proud and respectful of Islam, but some _ especially in the
cities _ see no harm in bending the rules a bit. They can’t eat
“pig,” but “pork” is OK. Some of the best pork ribs I’ve enjoyed were
barbecued in Istanbul.

Q. What’s the food like?

A. Very Mediterranean. Like Greek food. They’d argue over who
invented which dish, and I wouldn’t want to be there when it happens.
Lamb kabobs and meat with yogurt over it. There’s fish in the coastal
cities. That kind of thing.

Q. How’s the local radio?

A. Turkish pop stars do Turkish songs. You go to a party and realize
everybody knows these songs. When one’s on the radio or a musician
starts playing it, the entire room will start singing along. Must be
old classic made new.

Q. And local TV?

A. There are little night-time soap operas, and American shows with
subtitles. A lot of variety shows with Turkish singers and musicians,
and news shows kind of like “60 Minutes.” Very modern.

I was watching Turkish TV the other day with some folks in Izmir and
we saw this commercial with Chevy Chase! He comes home to this
all-American family, enters the kitchen, and _ in English, with
Turkish subtitles _ asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

“I’m making biber,” his wife says. That’s a Turkish dish with green
peppers, and Chevy looks confused.

Cut to the family at the table and she comes in with this dish and
with Cola Turka _ Turkey’s answer to Coke _ and the family starts
singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in English.

My friends asked, “Do Americans really sing at the table like this?”

Well, the joke is, after a swig of Cola Turka this family starts
singing a Turkish folk song. And at the end, when Grandma and Grandpa
drive away, the wife throws water after them _ an old Turkish custom.
And when Chevy turns to face the camera, he’s sporting a Turkish
moustache and speaking in a Turkish accent. We thought it was great.

Workpermit.com, UK
April 23 2004

UK – Change to nationalities exempt from IED charge

The Home Office has announced that from 1 May 2004, three new
countries will be added to the list of countries whose nationals are
exempt from the charge for Immigration Employment Documents (IED)
(work permit) applications. These countries are:

Albania
Armenia
Croatia

It has been realised that these countries are indeed signatories to
the Council of Europe Charter or the Social Charter when this IED
charge was introduced on 1 April 2003. These countries were never
included on the original list of exemptions, and Armenia should have
been included on this list from 1 March 2004.

Those employers, individuals or representatives who have been charged
incorrectly will be refunded in full by the end of June 2004.