January
•Armenia’s foreign minister, Eduard Nalbandian, expressed his frustration with Azerbaijan’s military build-up continuing, despite imposed limitations by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty limits the number of tanks and armored vehicles a country can acquire, but Azerbaijan is going over the limit, with impunity, Nalbandian complained.
•Amnesty International released a report on domestic violence around the world. According to the report, one in four women in Armenia is a victim of domestic violence. The Gumri-based organization, Ajakits, helps to end the condition, though under difficult conditions. Ajakits was founded by Gayane Seppelin, with her mother, Heghine Mkrtchyan in 1997 after Seppelin’s sister came to her mother seeking refuge from an abusive partner.
•The members of UTN1 (Unknown to No One), an Iraqi boy band, performed in Geneva, Switzerland to the delight of many young girls. Of the group’s five members, two are Armenian. The two founded the group in 1999 and they hope to export their voice outside their native land.
•President Abdullah Gul of Turkey spoke out against an apology campaign for the Armenian Genocide by Turkish intellectuals. The Internet campaign, which was launched by a group of 200 intellectuals in December 2008, received about 30,000 signatures.
•Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian dumped his Ford stocks after initially pledging to support the beleaguered automaker. Kerkorian, whose stock-holding group is Tracinda Corp., sold 7.3 million common stock in October, before selling off the remaining 133.5 million stocks in January.
•A new, 128-page limited-edition photo album titled “Saroyan: His Heart in the HIghlands,” was published by the Fresno-based Armenian Technology Group, Inc. as a tribute to William Saroyan’s centennial celebration.
•Charles Aznavour became a citizen of Armenia by a decree from President Serge Sargisian. The honor was given as a token of thanks for his service to help Armenia.
•A new book on the survivors of the Armenian Genocide was published, titled New Britain’s Armenian Community. The book, by Farmington, Conn.-based author Jennie Garabedian, included more than 200 photos of Armenians of New Britain. The story includes her parents’ past, beginning with her father’s departure before the outbreak of the Genocide in 1915.
•The delivery of Russian natural gas to Armenia, which had been halted three days before because of hostilities between Russia and Georgia, resumed on January 12. Georgia had suspended the transit of Russian gas through its territory, citing emergency repairs on a section of a pipeline leading to Armenia.
•Hayastan All Armenian Fund completed the renovation of two major projects in the Hadrut region in Armenia, the renovation of the regional hospital and the construction of the Togh-Hadrut gas pipeline. Built in 1982, the Hadrut hospital was crumbling and did not meet the requirements of modern healthcare industry.
•A Turkish prosecutor launched an investigation into an Internet petition that apologizes to Armenians or the Armenian Genocide, Anatolia news agency reported. The probe was launched after several Ankara residents filed a complaint asking for the organizers and signatories to be punished for “openly denigrating the Turkish nation.”
•Dozens of people were arrested in Turkey and charged with ties to an alleged secularist plot to bring down the Islamic-rooted government. At the heart of the trial is a clash between the growing clout of Turkey’s Islamic class and its traditional and secular military elite. An indictment says the suspects were involved in a series of high-profiled attacks and planned to kill Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
•Outgoing President George Bush thanked Armenia for its participation in the US-led occupational forces in Iraq. “The willingness of the Armenian people to support the establishment and strengthening of a democratic government in Iraq, despite great hardships, testifies to their strong spirit. Armenians can be proud of their participation in the successful operation to help Iraq secure its freedom,” Bush said in a letter to his Armenian counterpart, Serge Sargisian.
•Armenian Christmas services were held at St. Vartan Cathedral on January 6.
•The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launched a project to find the thousands of missing people as the aftermath of the war in Nagorno Karabagh. According to the ICRC data, the total number of people missing in the zone of the Karabagh conflict, both Azeri and Armenian, is between 4,000 and 5,000.
•Dr. Carolann Najarian, a local community activist, and her husband, George, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House of Representatives on January 6.
•The exodus of all Christians, especially Armenians, from Bethlehem continued unabated. According to Victor Batarseh, the Christian mayor of Bethlehem, the proportion of Christians in the city slumped from 92 percent in 1948 to 40 at the present. He blamed both the appropriation of some lands by Palestinians as well as the economic hardship as a result of Israel’s barrier, which has created hardships for both Christians and Muslims.
•Early this year saw the intensifying dispute between the Armenian and Georgian churches over the status of the Armenian Church in Georgia. At the heart of the conflict was Norashen Church, which has been locked for seven decades. Local Armenians complain about the seizure of Armenian churches by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Armenian expert say the Norashen Church was built in the 15th century by the local Armenian community and continued to operate until it was shut down during the Soviet anti-religion drive in the 1930s. The Georgian Church now denies that Norashen was ever Armenian and instead argues that its origins are open to debate. Now, local Armenians say that the Georgian authorities are removing Armenian tombstones from its graveyard.
•What may be the oldest brain ever discovered was found in a cave overlooking southeastern Armenia’s Arpa River, just across the border from Iran. The cave also offered surprising new insights into the origins of modern civilizations, including winemaking and pottery.
•The nation, including Armenian-Americans celebrated the swearing in of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. The day of the inauguration, Washington was so choked with about 2 million supporters that movement was practically impossible. Among the performers in the celebrations of inauguration week were the Arax Dance Ensemble.
•Marc Mamigonian was named the director of academic affairs for the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), based in Massachusetts. Mamigonian has been at NAASR for 10 years, where he was initially hired as an assistant to then Board Chairman Manoog S. Young. Subsequently he was named director of publications and then director of programs and publications.
•On January 9, the Ararat Center in Greenville, NY, the Diocese-owned facility, burned its mortgage. On that day, the Board of Directors presented their final payment to Len and Jyl DeGiovine.
•Raffi Yessayan, a former Suffolk County assistant district attorney turned defense lawyer, had his first novel, called Eight in a Box, published by Ballantine. Set in Boston, the book is about a serial killer and the team of detectives and lawyers on his trail.
•The second anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink was marked on January 19. A series of ceremonies were held across Turkey to mark the sad anniversary. A total of 20 suspects were arrested in the case.
•President Serge Sargisian pardoned nine individuals arrested and sentenced to up to four years’ imprisonment in connection with the 2008 post-election strife in Yerevan in January. He had pardoned three in December.
•Archbishop Nourhan Manougian was named patriarchal vicar of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
•Cracks began to appear in relations between Turkey and Israel as a result of the latter’s bombardment of Gaza. Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the actions “savagery” and “a crime against humanity.”
•Carl Bazarian was one of the lucky passengers on US Airways Flight 1549 on its way from New York to Charlotte, NC, which suffered total engine failure yet was landed as gently as a glider by its pilot, Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III on the Hudson River. The engines stopped working after a flock of geese had flown into them, causing them to burst into flames. Bazarian, a member of the board of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America’s Fund for Armenian Relief, said, “A near-tragic occurrence turned into a very positive humanitarian experience.”
•On January 12, an auction of Armenian coins was held at Stack’s Rare Coins Moneta Imperi Romani Byzantini portion of the Golden Horn Collection in New York. The Armenian coins fetched record prices, including $8,000 for a silver dram of Gosdantin I of Cilician Armenian
•An exhibit dedicated to legendary photographer Yousuf Karsh opened at the Art Institute of Chicago on January 22. The exhibit, titled “Yousuf Karsh: Regarding Heroes,” ended on April 26.
•A story with heart was that of Emily Van Noy, 7, who received a heart transplant on Monday, January 19. Performing the operation in Dallas was Dr. Kristine Guleserian. The young girl suffered from restrictive cardiomyopathy, a rare and often fatal condition. The young patient recovered very well.
•Two Armenian community leaders were arrested in Javakhk and charged with involvement in organizing “armed groups” and spying. Grigor Minasyan and Sergei Hagopjanyan were arrested when Georgian Special Interior Ministry forces, backed by Tbilisi police, ambushed the two.
•On January 6, Mayor Scott Avedisian was sworn in for his sixth term as the mayor of Warwick, RI.
•On Monday January 26, the annual Vahan Tekeyan Annual Award presentation was held at the Tekeyan Center in Armenia, under the auspices of Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian. Attending the award ceremony were Sargisian, Minister of Culture Hasmik Pogossian, Deputy Minister David Mouradian, US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch and the Lebanese ambassador to Armenia. In addition, Prime Minister Sargisian held talks with the TCA delegation, which included Edmond Azadian, vice president of the TCA Central Board of US and Canada; Papken Megerian, board member; Vartan Ouzounian, president of Tekeyan Trust, London, and Taline Avakian, president of the TCA Haigashen Ouzounian Literary Award Committee, based in Geneva.
•Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Serge Sargisian held their first bilateral talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in late January. Sargisian called his talks with Erdogan “very useful.” He said, “I’ve seen a willingness of the prime minister to solve our issues. I think this is a positive signal.”
• Also participating in the Inauguration ceremonies were Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, and Assembly Board Member Annie Totah, with the new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
•AGBU Sydney celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Saturday School on January 28.

FEBRUARY
•Rakel Dink was one of the panelists at a program held at MIT, which reflected on Hrant Dink’s legacy. Also participating in the program were Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian, Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, Andrew Tarsy of Facing History and Ourselves and Oktay Ozel, a visiting scholar at Harvard.
•The rift between Israel and Turkey grew as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Erdogan said the Israeli attack on Gaza had killed innocent children and was unwarranted. The US Embassy in Istanbul called the incident “unfortunate.”
•Archbishop Khajag Barsamian participated in a meeting in Rome, Italy, of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and Oriental Orthodox churches. Pictured is Barsamian, left, with Pope Benedict XVI.
•Armenia and Turkey continued working on establishing diplomatic ties. The two nations’ foreign ministers, Eduard Nalbandian and Ali Babaçan met in Munich on the sidelines of an international security conference for the second time in just over a week.
•Russia approved a $500 million loan to Armenia to help it cope with the effects of the global economic crisis.
•The AGBU Grung Choir of Montevideo, Uruguay celebrated its 15th anniversary.
•The Mirak Family Foundation pledged a gift of $200,000 to St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School in Watertown, Mass. Julia Mirak Kew and her father, Robert Mirak, are familiar with the school, as Christina Kew, their daughter and granddaughter, respectively, attends the school.
•Archbishop Vicken Aykazian visited the Boston area for a series of meetings within the Armenian community and the greater community. Aykazian, president of the National Council of Churches, met with Harvard faculty, along with James Kalustian and spoke to the faculty about the Armenian Genocide and other issues of interest to the community. He also presided over a children’s’ communion service and breakfast at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston and met with the members of the Massachusetts Council of Churches’ Board of Directors.
•The Lincy Foundation donated $250,000 to the Armenian American Cultural Association to be used toward the completion of the renovation, expansion and seismic reinforcement of its project in Armenia, the Armenian American Wellness Center.
•For the ninth consecutive year, the chairperson of the TCA Board of Administrators Maro Bedrosian led the project of distributing funds to the teachers of the five schools the TCA supports in Armenia. “We started this program because of our belief that teachers prepare tomorrow’s leaders,” said Bedrosian. Others who have distributed funds there included Taline Ouzounian Avakian, member of the Tekeyan Trust of London, Edmond Azadian and Papken Megerian of the TCA Board of Directors, as well as Barkev Nazaretian, a member of the TCA Board of Administrators.
•The Iranian-Armenian poet Armand, one of the last representatives of the 20th-century, diasporan-Armenian literary figures, died on January 28. Armand, ne Aram Andonian, was born in Tehran, Iran, on August 15, 1922.
•The legendary singer Charles Aznavour was named Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland. Aznavour, 84, was granted Armenian citizenship in December 2008.
•Photographer Scout Tufankjian is the only photographer to have followed Barack Obama throughout the two years of his election campaign. She published a book early in 2009, titled Yes, We Can.
•Co-Chair of the ADL Eastern District Committee of US and Canada Edmond Azadian met with Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.
•Armenian and other rights group protested the Turkish school screenings of a documentary called “Blonde Bride: The True Face of the Armenian Question.” The Education Ministry had asked schools to show the film, which suggested that Armenians were not the victims of genocide, but instead, the Armenians attacked Turks. The film was produced by the General Staff of the Turkish Army.
•Lebanese State Minister Jean Ogasapian visited the TCA Arshag Dickranian School during his time in Los Angeles, on February 24. Ogasapian and his entourage were greeted by Board Chairman George K. Mandossian, Principal Vartkes Kourouyan, ADL Western District Committee Chair Hagop Nazarian and members of the faculty and student council.
•According to a report issued by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are 15 endangered languages in Turkey and that country is doing nothing to turn the tide. Among those languages categorized as definitely endangered are Western Armenian, Homshetssma, Las and Pontus Greek. Among those critically endangered are Hertevin and those severely endangered include Gagavuz,, Assyrian and Ladino.
•Armen Haghnazarian, an Iranian-Armenian who had been a longtime resident of Germany, and had raised the alarm for years over the state of ancient Armenian sites in modern-day Turkey, died at age 67, in his hometown of Aachen, Germany. He and his wife, both architects, also worked on the renovation and reconstruction of many churches in Armenia and Karabagh.
Committee members and carnival participants at the Tekeyan ADL of Great Detroit Masquerade Ball, to coincide with the Armenian feast of Barekentan.

MARCH
•Protests were held in Armenia to mark the first anniversary of its worst political violence since independence. The protesters demanded early elections and the release of “political prisoners.”
•Dr. Arshavir Gundjian was feted at the AGBU Alex Manoogian Centre in Montreal on March 14. The program, jointly sponsored by the Armen-Quebec AGBU Alex Manoogian School of Montreal, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada, St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Montreal, the AGBU Montreal Chapter, the ADL Party Montreal Chapter and the TCA Montreal Chapter, as well as the Congress of Canadian Armenians.
•The Armenian Assembly of America held its 2009 National Advocacy Conference in Washington. A series of panel discussions were held, on topics ranging from the Armenian Genocide to modern lobbying, as well as a gala reception at the site of the future Armenian Genocide Museum of America, featuring Armenia’s Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan.
•Former Speaker of the House in Massachusetts George Keverian died on March 6 at his home in Everett. He was 77. A Democrat who was elected alderman in that city at age 21, he was a state representative for many years before becoming speaker of the house. He was praised by current and former state officials, as well as ordinary Armenians who praised his humility and work ethic. Keverian was responsible for organizing the first observance of the Armenian Genocide at Beacon Hill in 1986 along with Kitty Dukakis, then-Gov. Dukakis’ wife. He was remembered at a special ceremony at the State House, where he lay in state as throngs of mourners paid their last respects.
•Pianist Tanya Gabrielian, the winner of the 2008 Pro Musicis International Award gave her debut performances in Boston and New York this month. She performed at the Weill Recital Hall in New York and the Longy School of Music in Cambridge Mass.
•On March 28, the Knights of Vartan held their 2009 Annual Awards dinner. Among those honored were activist David Boyajian, Prof. Vartan Abdo, director of the Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey and Hratch Kaprielian, a veteran activist and benefactor.
•Armenia’s Foreign Minister arrived in Paris on March 12 to help unveil, along with singer Charles Aznvour and Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, the site of the Jardin d’Erevan (Garden of Yerevan), behind the memorial to the Armenian Genocide, in that city.
•The Massachusetts State House displayed “iwitness,” a photography exhibit of portraits of Armenian Genocide survivors with their oral history. The exhibit was hosted by state Rep. Jonathan Hecht, and sponsored by the Armenian Library and Museum of America and the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts, and was the work of LA-based photographers Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian.
•A resolution to recognize the mass killings of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a Genocide was introduced in Congress on March 17 by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
•AGBU New England District hosted a Valentine’s Dinner at the AGBU Center in Watertown and honored Michael Gulbankian for his many years of service.
Michael Gulbankian, left, receives the plaque from AGBU treasurer Alex Kalaydjian and Chairman Souren Maserejian.)
•Rev. Vartan Kassabian, 51, pastor of St. Gregory’s Armenian Church in North Andover, Mass., died of a heart attack.
•The Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYOA) held its 10th annual leadership conference in Stony Point, NY. Themed “From Fellowship to Discipleship,” the weekend featured a range of speakers, including Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.
•Nancy Mehagian released her memoir, Siren’s Feast, a combination cookbook and reminiscing about the heady days of the late 1960s. The daughter of Armenian parents, she embarked upon a personal journey of international travel in 1968 that took her as far as Morocco, Ibizia, Spain, India and England.
•Filmmaker Dr. J. Michael Hagopian premiered his most recent documentary on the Armenian Genocide, “The River Ran Red,” in Watertown’s Arsenal Center for the Arts, at a program sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). A panel discussion featuring Professors Bedross Der Matossian of MIT and Taner Akçam of Clark University, as well as Hagopian, followed the film.
The PTO of the TCA Arshag Dickranian School in Los Angeles held a dance, which raised $30,000 for the school.

APRIL
•President Obama visited Turkey, where during a press conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, he suggested that his views on Armenian history had not changed, though he refrained from using the word “genocide.” When addressing the Turkish Parliament, Obama said, “I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915. And while there has been a good deal of commentary on my views, it’s really about how the Turkish and Armenian people deal with the past.” Armenians were divided about what the comments signified, with some suggesting that Obama had missed the chance to talk about the Genocide in Turkey, while others said that it was too soon to tell.
•Author, poet and professor, Peter Balakian, released his latest book, Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide, by Grigoris Balakian. The elder Balakian, who had been a priest, was among those arrested on April 24, 1915. Through a series of fortuitous occurrences and his own ingenuity, he managed to escape to Germany and there write his eyewitness account in Armenian. This new book, co-translated by Balakian and Aris Sevag, was the first time his shattering expriences were available to English-Language readers.
•The University of Utah established a new program titled “The Origins of Modern Ethnic Cleansing,” funded by the Turkish Coalition of America. Hakan Yavuz, who heads the Middle East Center within the university’s Political Science Department, served as its director. In an interview he did not use the term “Armenian Genocide” and said that the course will not address the issue.
•Dennis Hastert, the former Speaker of the House, joined a team of lobbyists working for the Turkish government. Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, was working for a $35,000-a-month contract for the Turkish government.
•Armenians around the world marked the Armenian Genocide of 1915. In New York, tens of thousands gathered in Times Square. In Boston, Armenian-Americans gathered on April 17 in the State House, in a program which paid tribute to the late George Keverian, who had started the annual Genocide Day program. Participating in this year’s commemoration was former governor, Michael Dukakis, Gov. Deval Patrick, state Representatives Peter Koutoujian and Jonathan Hecht, state Sen. Steven Tolman. Many became bitterly disappointed when President Barack Obama refrained from using the word “genocide” on the traditional presidential statement on April 24, and instead used the phrase “medz yeghern,” which means the great calamity.
•Several arrests were made in Turkey as part of a long-running inquiry into the activities of the Ergonkon, an ultra-nationalist shadowy organization, also known as “Deep State,” said to wield tremendous power.
•The Watertown, Mass. Town Council, led by member Marilyn Devaney, submitted a proclamation asking President Obama to use the term “genocide.”
•The governments of Armenia and Turkey announced that the two sides have agreed on a “roadmap” to establish relations. On April 22, the two governments, under the auspices of the Swiss governments said that they have “worked intensively with a view of normalizing the bilateral relations and developing those in the spirit of good-neighborliness and mutual respect.”
•The Armenian faithful gathered to mark Easter Sunday.
•AGBU Board Member Yervant Zorian was elected a foreign member of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences in Yerevan.
•On April 21 at a reception in St. John’s Church in Southfield, Mich., the Daughters of Vartan Grand Council honored Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the British House of Lords, who has been a steadfast defender of Armenians in Nagorno Karabagh.

MAY
•The second annual Armenian Film Festival was held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, presented by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance. Among the films being shown were “The Blue Hour” and “Dinner Time,” the winner of a UNICEF prize. The writer and director of “The Blue Hour,” Eric Nazarian, attended the screening of the film and answered questions about the film.
•Armenian activists joined fellow concerned citizens from throughout New England to discuss ways to help keep pressure on the world to take action against the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. A conference at the Andover Newton Theological School-Hebrew College, was attended by activists from more than a dozen organizations.
•Jamanak newspaper, the oldest daily in Istanbul and the brainchild of three generations of an Armenian family, celebrated its centennial this year. To honor this milestone, the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, organized a two-day celebration in New York.
•The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America held its annual assembly in Philadelphia. Those gathered paid tribute to Sen. Robert Menendez (D,NJ), who has been courageous and dedicated in his fight to have the Armenian Genocide properly commemorated.
•Five Armenians received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 9 from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations for being outstanding citizens who live a life dedicated to serving the community, promoting their ethnic values while building bridges between ethnic communities within the US and abroad. They were: Tavit O. Najarian; Archbishop Vicken Aykazian; James Kalustian, Oscar Tatosian and George Pagoumian.
•Fr. Papken Maksoudian celebrated his centennial at a program at St. James Armenian Church in Watertown. His family, friends and members of the clergy were present to pay tribute to him.
•The Montreal Chapter of the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) marked the closing of the celebrations of its 60th anniversary with a gala honoring 10 renowned Armenian-Canadians. Among those honored were Atom Egoyan, Raffi Armenian and Aline Kutan.
•For the first time in Turkey, the names of Armenian intellectuals rounded up and murdered on April 24, 1915 was published. The list appeared in Agos, the Turkish-Armenian weekly, the editor of which, Hrant Dink, had been assassinated in 2007.
•On Monday, May 18, Charles Aznavour received the TCA’s “Diamond Ararat” award in Yerevan for his extraordinary services to Armenia and Armenians around the world.
•President Serge Sargisian’s Republican Party of Armenia swept elections that were denounced as fraudulent by the country’s two main opposition groups. The opposition boycotted the parliament after opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian called the elections “The ugliest election in Armenia’s history.“
•St. Vartan Cathedral in New York celebrated the consecration of its new bronze entry doors, with many dignitaries present, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
•Funeral services were held in Chicago for Kevork Ashikian, 84, a longtime member of the ADL and a former member of the Eastern District Committee of the US and Canada.
•Composer Alan Hovhaness’ centennial was marked by a series of programs in his hometown of Arlington, Mass. A bust in his honor was unveiled in the town’s Whittemore Park.

JUNE
•Nedim Sener, a reporter for the daily Milliyet newspaper in Turkey, who published a book about journalist Hrant Dink’s assassination, faces up to 28 years in jail after police filed a complaint against him. His book, titled The Dink Murder and Intelligence Lies, deals with the police and national intelligence officers who have been accused of negligence in his murder.
•US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, met in Washington for a comprehensive discussion that included the proposed “roadmap” for establishing ties between the two countries. She praised Turkey’s approach to peace and stability in the region and said much progress had been achieved in a short period of time.
•The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in St. Petersburg, Russia. President Serge Sargisian and Ilham Aliyev spoke one-on-one for about two hours before being joined by their foreign ministers and the US, Russian and French mediators co-chairing the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
•Federal Judge Mark Wolf ruled on June 10 that a lawsuit over how the Armenian Genocide is taught in schools in Massachusetts could not go forward. The suit, filed in October 2005 by the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations, alongside two high school teachers and a student against the state’s Department of Education, alleged that a curriculum guide distributed by the department limited free speech by not including resources that presented “contra-genocide” viewpoints.
•The US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) announced that it was reducing by one third its Armenian aid program, as a result of the May elections, which it deemed corrupt. US Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch toured the US shortly after the decision. She toured Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. At a meeting with the press in Boston, she said the purpose of her trip was to talk about the US-Armenia relations, as well as what was going on in Armenia. She said she supported the opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey.
•The Armenagan ADL Party held its founding assembly on June 19 in Yerevan. The reconstituted party becomes the focal point to attract worldwide chapters, under a new constitution embodying its traditional political credo of democracy and liberalism.
•Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan visited the Boston-Armenian community. She expressed enthusiasm for her new position and said that she wanted to be the voice of the diaspora in the government and encourage closer ties between the diaspora and Armenia.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Armenian Council of America Political Action Committee (ACA-PAC) officially endorsed businessman Danny Tarkanian in the Republican Party primary for the US Senate that is slated to be held on Tuesday, June 8. The announcement was made during a meeting between ACA-PAC Nevada representatives and Tarkanian on February 24, at the candidate’s campaign headquarters here.
“As a long-time Armenian American resident in Nevada, I feel very fortunate and proud to have the opportunity to not only vote for Danny Tarkanian but to also bestow ACA-PAC’s official endorsement on to him,” said Jirair Guederian, chairman of ACA-PAC Nevada. “It’s February, less than 4 months until the Republican primary in the Silver State, Danny is the front runner not only in the primary but also in the general elections, and the Armenian-American community must utilize all opportunities to help ensure his victory,” added Guederian.
“This is historical election for our community and Danny will be monumental in truly representing the voice and concerns of all Armenian Americans. I am assured he will carry out the duties of his office with diligence and a great ability preserving the pride of the community,” said ACA-PAC Nevada representative and the campaign’s Armenian American coordinator Arsen Ter-Petrosyan.
“It is a privilege to have the ACA-PAC’s official endorsement,” said Tarkanian. “Members of ACA-PAC have been a driving force within my campaign from the beginning and very influential in garnering support, not only from Nevada’s Armenian-American community but from the general constituency as well. I look forward to working with them on areas of critical importance to Armenian Americans including passage of an Armenian Genocide Resolution, increasing aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, and ensuring US development of programs promoting sustainable economic growth and good governance in Armenia.”
Tarkanian, a native of Nevada, has strong roots in the community stemming back from his days as a University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) star athlete and later community advocate and successful business owner. He is the son of legendary UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian.
After graduating from the University of San Diego and earning a law degree, Tarkanian established himself as a successful businessman in Nevada and became active in his community establishing The Tarkanian Basketball Academy in Clark County, which serves over 350 children in the area. Tarkanian is a father of four and lives with his wife, Amy, in Las Vegas.

GLENDALE, Calif. — Representatives of the Armenian Council of America-Glendale Chapter recently met with the newly-appointed Glendale Police Chief Ronald DePompa to discuss various issues concerning the Armenian- American community and residents of Glendale in general. The items of discussion included the goals and objectives of the Department in relation to its interaction and community outreach with the community, the need for a more diverse workforce, better recruitment/testing methods and the Ovasapian vs. City of Glendale case.
DePompa acquainted ACA members with new strategies that are being developed in order to lower crime rates through advanced informational technology systems designed to promote time efficiency and effectiveness.
“We had the opportunity to talk to the chief and express our concerns as well as receive insight as to what steps are being taken to address the issues of the community, and hope this meeting is the beginning of many edifying engagements the Police Department will have with the Armenian-American community of Glendale,” said Peter Darakjian, ACA board member.
“As a Glendale resident, the meeting was very informative and productive and I’m assured that under the new leadership of Chief DePompa, many improvements in the city will be made including cultural sensitivity training for non-Armenian police offers who interact heavily with the Armenian American community in Glendale on a daily basis,” added Vartan Kojababian of the ACA.
DePompa was joined by public information officer, Sergeant Tom Lorenz, Captain Kirk Palmer, Captain Michael Rock and Captain Lief Nicollaisen, representing ACA were Executive Board Members Peter Darakjian, Sahag Ketifian, and ACA Glendale Branch members Vartan Kojababian and Nareg Gharibian.
The Armenian Council of America is a grassroots organization dedicated to working with all political leaders, offering Armenian related news, analysis and resources for policymakers, media, students and activists, advocating issues important to Armenian Americans. The Armenian Council of America aims to strengthen US-Armenia and US-Nagorno Karabagh ties, the development of programs promoting sustainable economic growth and good governance in Armenia, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship.

NEW YORK — The Mid-Atlantic Knights and Daughters of Vartan will hold their Third Annual Awards Dinner on Saturday, March 27, under the auspices of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) at Kavookjian Hall here, with Prof. Dennis Papzian, PhD, serving as the master of ceremonies and the Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble providing the evening’s cultural segment.
The Lifetime Humanitarian Benefactor Award will be presented to Anoush Mathevosian and Harry and Suzanne Toufayan, three deserving figures in the Armenian community who have actively and continuously supported both their homeland and the Armenian Diaspora in countless ways.
Born in Egypt and the son of a baker, Toufayan, immigrated to the US in 1963 with his parents. He continued his family’s baking tradition by opening up his first plant in West New York, New Jersey in 1968. In 1973, Toufayan moved operations from West New York to North Bergen, NJ, where the business flourished over the next three decades. As Toufayan Bakeries continued to expand, Toufayan once again moved his business to its current location in Ridgefield, NJ where his plant now comprises 115,000 square feet and employs 250 people. Toufayan opened two more plants in Orlando, Fla. in 1985 and Plant City, Fla. in 2006, which combined, employ over 500 people.
Toufayan married his wife, Suzanne, a registered nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NY, in 1969 at Holy Martyrs Armenian Church in Bayside, Queens. They have three children, Karen, Kristine and Gregory — who are all involved in the family business — and seven grandchildren.
The Toufayans have been active and long-time supporters of Armenia and Armenian organizations. They funded the Youth Center in Echmiadzin and are the benefactors of St. Haroutun Church in Orlando — named after Harry Toufayan’s father — which will be completed in April 2010. They are also the major benefactors of an upcoming expansion of St. Mary Armenian Church in Livingston, NJ. In addition, the church hall at St. Mary’s is named after Toufayan’s parents. The Toufayans have also been supporters of the Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey program since its inception over 30 years ago.
Mathevosian was born in Iran in 1926, the daughter of a priest, and one of eight children. She immigrated to the US for her college education and received her nursing license in New York. Mathevosian then graduated from Teacher’s College at Columbia University and worked as a nurse for 16 years.
In the 1960s, Mathevosian started a successful real estate business with her sister. Over the years, she has supported Armenia in many ways. In 1997, she funded Camp Siranoush in Yeghegnadzor. The purpose was to have a campsite for children whose parents had died in the Karabagh war. In 2002, she built the Mathevosian School in Vanadzor, Armenia. She also started the Mathevosian Scholarship, in conjunction with the Fund for Armenian Relief, which provides scholarships to students in Armenia who want to pursue a college education.
In addition, Mathevosian has been a supporter of the Armenian-American Cultural Association and its humanitarian project in Armenia, the Armenian American Wellness Center. She has also been a trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America and Board Member of the Armenian National Institute, and a longtime supporter of the Fund for Armenian Relief.
Serving as master of ceremonies for the Awards Dinner will be Papazian, professor emeritus and founding director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He was also the founding director of the Armenian Assembly of America and is an active member of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) where he has served as a member and officer of the Diocese Council.
Entertainment for the evening will be provided by the Akh’tamar Dance Ensemble of St. Thomas Armenian Church in Tenafly, NJ. For tickets and more details, contact the Knights.

GENEVA (PanArmenian.Net) — On the 22nd anniversary of the pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait, the Switzerland-Armenia Association issued a statement reminding the public about the ongoing anti-Armenian policies of Baku and the Azerbaijani government, which resulted in 1988 in the mass murder and deportation of the Armenian population in Azerbaijan.
The association characterized Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh and its destruction on Armenian cultural heritage in the city of Julfa as the propagation of hatred towards Armenia and the Armenian people.
The pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait (a town located a half hour’s drive away from Baku) took place on February 27-29, 1988. A wave of anti-Armenian statements and rallies that swept over Azerbaijan proceeded the massacres’ events. Almost the entire area of the town with a population of 250,000 became a site of unhindered mass pogroms.
Armed with iron rods, stones, axes, knives, bottles and canisters full of petrol, the perpetrators broke in Armenian houses. There were dozens of casualties, mostly burnt alive after assaults and torture. Hundreds of innocent people were wounded and disabled. The story of Sumgait marked the first entry in a long list of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansings that characterized the demise of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century.
The conflict between Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan broke out in 1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing.
The Karabagh War was fought from 1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabagh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (known as the Security Zone) remain under the control of the NKR (Nagorno Karabagh Republic) defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group that are ongoing.