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Number 144February 6, 2010the armenianreporterOn February 2 Rep. Mark Krik securedthe Republican Party’s nominationin elections for U.S. Senateseat from Illinois, while pollsindicate businessperson DannyNationalCongressman: State Department is mainstumbling block for Genocide resolutionIn an “Armenian Reporter” interview,Republican member of CongressScott Garrett discusses theArmenian Genocide resolution andissues faced by his northern NewJersey constituents.NationalArmeniaMr. Garrett believes that independentof political party in powermain stumbling block for the resolutionis the American foreign policyestablishment.See interview on page 3mMark Kirk and Danny Tarkanian aim for theSenateTarkanian was making gains inNevada Senate GOP nominationcontest ahead of June primary.Emil Sanamyan has details.See story on page 2mAvetik Grigorian, 20, and Anahit Kharatian, 22, won the Armenian national chesschampionship. Photo: Photolure.See story on page 16mThe catastrophic earthquake thatstruck Haiti on January 12 leftmillions in need of emergency aid,with rescue and aid groups fromArmenian army celebrated at Tekeyan CulturalAssociation eventOn Friday, January 22 close to 200people celebrated the 18th anniversaryof Armenia’s Armed ForcesDay and honored the recently appointedAmbassador of Armeniato the United Nations. The specialevent, held at The Palisadium inCommunityArmenian groups join appeals for Haiti reliefCommunityArts & CultureNew Jersey, was sponsored andhosted by the New York, New Jerseybranch of the Tekeyan CulturalAssociation (TCA). Florence Avakianreports.LA exhibit highlights poverty in ArmeniaEditorialaround the globe, including severalgroups from the Armenian diasporapitching in.See story on page 19mSee story on page 4mIn the wake of the global recession,poverty has come to afflict muchof Armenia once again. On March26 and 27, How We Live, a specialexhibit by photographer Sara Anjargoliandedicated to the problem,will open in Los Angeles at CasitasStudios..See story on page 11mArmenian Reporter drops print editionsIn a note to readers the ArmenianReporter publisher Gerard L. Cafesjianannounces a decision to dropprint editions, while continuing topublish online. In an op-ed outgoingeditor Vincent Lima discusseshis nearly four years at helm of theflagship Armenian-American publication.See editorials on page 18mWhite House requests$40mln in 2011 Armenia aidArmenian Americanreaction to proposalmixedby Emil SanamyanWashington – The Obama Administrationhas requested $40million in aid to Armenia in 2011,according to figures from a congressionalsource made available toThe Armenian Reporter.The request represents a substantialincrease over the Administration’s2010 proposal and is close tothe amount approved by Congresslast December. It came as part ofthe annual budget proposal sent bythe White House to Congress onFebruary 1.Last year Congress’s Armenianallocation included $41 million ineconomic aid, $8 million to Karabakhand $3 million in militaryaid. Those allocations were madeafter the Obama Administrationrequested just $30 million in economicand $3.5 million in militaryaid and made no specific requestfor Karabakh programs.As in the past this year’s requesthas no specific Karabakh allocation.The 2011 request also includes $3.95million in military aid to Armenia.The Administration also askedfor $22.1 million in economic and$4.4 million in military aid to Azerbaijan,levels unchanged from 2010budget request.Honors one of itsfounders, and raisesclose to $1 millionNew York – Some 450 peoplegathered at Cipriani Wall Street indowntown Manhattan on January15 to mark the 20th anniversary ofthe Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)- an organization that has providedstrength and opportunity to the Armenianpeople - and pay tribute to atrue humanitarian and co-founderof FAR, Dr. Edgar M. Housepian.Many guests traveled hundredsof miles to attend the regal gala,which helped to raise close to $1million to support FAR operations.His Holiness Karekin II, the SupremePatriarch and Catholicos ofAll Armenians, presided over theevent and addressed attendees.Other notable speakers includedTribute Committee Chair Dr. TavitNajarian; Primate of the Diocese ofthe Armenian Church of America(Eastern) and President of FAR ArchbishopKhajag Barsamian; Chair ofFAR’s Board of Directors Mr. RandySapah-Gulian; President Emeritusof Boston University and FAR Boardmember Dr. Aram Chobanian; and Dr.Housepian’s son Dr. David Hovsepian.President Barack Obama sent acongratulatory letter on the occasionof the 20th Anniversary of theFund for Armenian Relief.Community reactionArmenian-Americans and theircongressional friends welcomedthe request with some reservations.“The Obama Administration hascorrected its approach regardingaid to Armenia by proposing anamount close to what Congressmandated last year,” said Ross Vartianof U.S.-Armenia Public AffairsCommittee.“However, the administrationpersists in excluding Karabakh andin proposing asymmetrical militaryassistance in favor of Azerbaijan,”President Obamadelivers his Stateof the Unionaddress on Jan.27. Photo: OfficialWhite House/Pete SouzaMr. Vartian added. “As has beenthe case since Congress first mandatedassistance to Karabakh andmilitary assistance parity betweenArmenia and Azerbaijan, we callupon the community’s friends inCongress to continue aid to Artsakhand military aid parity.”Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.),founding co-chair of the CongressionalArmenian Caucus, also criticizedaspects of the request.“I am disappointed to see that[military] funding proposed byContinued on page mFund for Armenian Relief celebratesits 20th anniversaryDr. Edgar M. Housepian, His Holiness Karekin II and Archbishop KhajagBarsamian. Photo: Julie DermanskyMr. Tatoul Markarian, Armenia’sAmbassador to the U.S., presentedto Dr. Housepian the Mkhitar HeratziMedal, an honor from the Presidentof Armenia Serge Sargsyan,in recognition of Dr. Housepian’swork in improving medical care andbenefiting the Armenian people atlarge. FAR’s Board of Directors bestowedan award in recognition ofDr. Housepian’s outstanding leadershipand extraordinary contributionto the wellbeing of the Armenianpeople. Dr. Housepian alsoreceived the highest honor in theArmenian Church, the St. GregoryThe Illuminator medal and encyclical,presented to him by His HolinessKarekin II.An esteemed neurosurgeon fromColumbia-Presbyterian MedicalCenter, Dr. Edgar Housepian carriedon an amazing career until hisretirement in 1997. When the 1988earthquake in Armenia nearly destroyedthe cities of Gyumri andSpitak, Dr. Housepian mobilized anall-out relief effort. Together withthe late prominent builder and philanthropist,FAR Chairman Emeritus(1923-2009) Kevork Hovnanianand then-Primate ArchbishopTorkom Manoogian, he gatheredemergency supplies and flew to Armeniato witness the impact of thedisaster firsthand.With the desire to do more fortheir homeland, the three helpedto lay the foundation for the Fundfor Armenian Relief, which wasoriginally called the DiocesanFund for Armenian Relief (DFAR).Continued on page m