JUNE 2017

VOL. 13 ISSUE V
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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 3

4 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

CONTENTS JUNE 2017
THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 13 ISSUE V
departments
6 FROM THE EDITOR
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
Time to Improve
24
8 IN MY VIEW
BY MICHAEL SARAFA
America First Agenda Lagging
9 WHERE DO YOU STAND
BY MICHAEL SARAFA
Minimalism Defined
on the cover
24 TIME TO REMODEL
BY LISA CIPRIANO
Putting your heart back into your home
features
26 LUXURY LIVING
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Outdoor living spaces turn landscape
design inside out
28 PERFECTLY PAINTED
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
Choosing the right color for your home
30 TAKING ACTION
BY WEAM NAMOU
Iraq’s Ambassador to US meets with
community members
32 SUMMER STRATEGY
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
Keeping your kids entertained and
educated while off from school
10 GUEST COLUMNS
BY GRACE DEROCHA
The Mediterranean Diet: Tips and Tricks
for Summer Success
BY JOANNE YONO SHANGO
Caution Ahead: Could School Vouchers
Solve Issues in Education
BY IKLAS BASHI
Car Wash for the Soul
14 NOTEWORTHY
16 IRAQ TODAY
BY ASIA NEWS
Christian refugees from Nineveh
caught between waiting to return
and call for a papal visit
18 CHAI TIME
20 RELIGION
21 OBITUARIES
29 CHALDEANS ON THE STREET
BY HALIM SHEENA
If you could change one thing about
your house, what would it be?
34 ONE ON ONE
With Senator Gary Peters
36 CLASSIFIED LISTINGS
38 EVENTS
42 KIDS CORNER
How to Start a Lemonade Stand
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 5

from the EDITOR
PUBLISHED BY
The Chaldean News, LLC
Time to Improve
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Vanessa Denha Garmo
MANAGING EDITORS
Denha Media Group Writers
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Grace Derocha
Joanne Yono Shango
Iklas Bashi
Halim Sheena
Lisa Cipriano
Paul Natinsky
Weam Namou
ART & PRODUCTION
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Halim Sheena
OPERATIONS
Interlink Media
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
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CLASSIFIEDS
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MANAGERS
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Landscaping by Outdoor Accents, Inc.
After you lived in a home for a while,
you really get an idea what you like and
what you don’t. Halim Sheena posed a
question for our Chaldean On the Street piece
that asked if you could change one thing in your
house what would it be and why?
My answer to that is my kitchen. I realized
long ago that I prefer a more modern design that
includes a big kitchen leading into a large living
space that is perfect for entertaining - having
family over. Design experts talk about that in
the piece written by Lisa Cipriano this month on
remodeling.
Although I like the paint colors in my house,
I got some great ideas from the article I wrote on painting
your house. Painting and home design professionals provided
some sound advice and captured some of the work
on photo and shared the images with us.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this issue heavily focuses
on home improvement. We actually could have
dedicated much more to the topic but the features we
share this month offer some great insight into both the
inside and outside of your home.
As important as location is to real estate, curb appeal
is key to selling the home or just enjoying your own home.
VANESSA
DENHA GARMO
EDITOR IN CHIEF
CO-PUBLISHER
Paul Natinsky took on the topic of outdoor landscaping
and shares some tips from experts and
fabulous photos as well.
When it comes to maintaining a house, you
really have to work on it all year long. We seem
to have some projects going on every year. That
is true for life.
There are times in life that we just need to
improve areas of our home, business, and our personal
life.
It’s imperative to re-evaluate what we are doing
and the status of each aspect of our life.
We may be focusing on home improvement
this issue but in the future, we may delve into our
professional lives and relationships.
You realize you need to make a change. In this issue, we
changed the lineup of the churches on the religion page
per the request of the Diocese. It is no longer in alphabetical
order. It is listed in order of the church’s inception.
We are improving our pages whenever possible.
Sometimes you need to figure out new things to do in
the summer. I also penned an article about strategizing
your summer. How to keep your kids entertained and educated
in the summer. Our Kids Corner offers some tips on
creating a Lemonade Stand.
We want families to improve their time off from school
and the time they spend with each other.
Local experts in the fields of social work and education,
share some valuable ideas.
There are always opportunities to improve. We just
have to take the time out to evaluate and make the
changes.
Alaha Imid Koullen
(God Be With Us All)
Vanessa Denha Garmo
vanessa@denhamedia.com
Follow her on Twitter @vanessadenha
Follow Chaldean News on Twitter @chaldeannews
WE’RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
MEET US THERE!
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6 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 7

in my VIEW
America First Agenda Lagging
The biggest casualty
of Donald Trump’s
many missteps will
not be Donald Trump.
As the national media
hyperventilates about impeachment,
obstruction of
justice and an otherwise
bungling White House,
nothing stands to lose
more than the chance for
progress.
I believe it is unlikely
that Trump or his colleagues will
ultimately be found guilty of collusion
with the Russians to affect the
outcome of the presidential election.
If that does happen, it will likely
not touch the president. Yes, there
is a lot of circumstantial evidence
regarding his attempts to influence
Comey regarding the investigation
of Russia. But, again, obstruction of
justice requires intent and that will
be difficult to prove. It is odd, that
MICHAEL G.
SARAFA
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
President Trump seems so
aggravated about the investigation
on one hand,
while constantly professing
complete innocence,
on the other. He is a man
that does not take well to
the scrutiny of Americanstyle
free press.
The bigger problem is
that the more these issues
stay front and center, the
less Trump and the Republican
Congress will be able to accomplish.
Other than the appointment
of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme
Court, Trump does not have much
to show for his fledgling presidency
other than constant pandemonium.
His immigration policy, whatever
your viewpoint, has essentially been
sidelined by the courts.
While the Republican led House
finally forced through ‘repeal and
replace’ legislation, it is in a form
that is not passable in the U.S. Senate
where the attempt to overhaul
Obamacare will be even more complicated.
Major announcements on
infrastructure and tax reform have
run into the un-neat legislative process
and will slog along if they move
through the process at all.
As of this writing, Trump is on
the first leg of his first foreign trip to
Saudi Arabia and Israel. His trip to
Israel included a stop at the Western
Wall where he left a note—the first
ever such visit by a sitting U.S. President.
The visit to Saudi Arabia seemed
mostly about pageantry and conjured a
difficult set of images for small “l” liberal
Americans who still don’t much
care for the country that produced the
vast majority of the 9-11 attackers.
In addition, the Saudi’s record
on human rights, women rights and
religious freedom are obnoxious and
backwards. Progress in Saudi Arabia
has only to do with money, not much
with people. Thus, one of the highlights
of the Saudi stop was the fact
that Melania Trump did not disembark
Air Force One in a head scarf.
Ironically, in Israel, where the opposite
is true in terms of liberal values
and human rights, the First Lady was
relegated to the side of the Western
Wall like all women who are not allowed
to pray in the main center of
this historic symbol.
Both stops, seemed to me, all
about stagecraft and pageantry. It felt
like a whole lot of groveling and very
little substance. Trump did make a
speech in Saudi Arabia that amounted
to a complete reversal of his campaign
rhetoric on Muslims and the
Muslim world.
What does all this amount to? A
lot of noise that makes for interesting
news cycles but not much else. It
seems we have a rudderless adminis-
IN MY VIEW continued on page 17
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8 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

where do you STAND?
Minimalism Defined
BY MICHAEL G. SARAFA
The Trump era has ushered in
an age of embellishment, bigness
and largesse. If it hasn’t
ushered it in, it at least exemplifies
it. This has gotten me thinking
about the concept of minimalism,
which has many different meanings,
depending on the context. In art and
music, it mostly conjures ideas of
being stripped to its basic elements.
In my version, I’ve always thought
about it in terms of less clutter, less
stuff.
In economic terms, it means doing
with less, essentially an anti-consumerism
thesis of quality over quantity.
A July 2016 New York Times
article by Kyle Chayka starts this
way: “It has become an ostentatious
ritual of consumerist’s self-sacrifice;
people who have it all now seem to
have nothing at all.” But this is a
perverted image of minimalism, only
made possible in the first place by
not needing anything because you’ve
already made it. In the extreme, this
manifests itself in the rich guy turned
wandering hermit with a back pack
(and a large bank account).
In more genuine ways, we are seeing
the rise of tiny homes ranging
from 400 to 1200 square feet. The
idea of hoarding goes by the wayside
and living with bare essentials makes
possible the practicality of small
spaces. We are seeing more and
more young people, mostly in urban
areas, going without cars and without
driver’s licenses. In new home, office
and even auto design, we are seeing
more clean lines, neutral colors and
modernist tones.
Minimalism gurus Joshua Fields
Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus define
it as such: “Minimalism is a tool
that can assist you in finding freedom.
Freedom from fear. Freedom
from worry. Freedom from being
overwhelmed. Freedom from guilt.
Freedom from depression and freedom
from the trappings of the consumer
culture we’ve built our lives
around.” In reading their blogs and
writings, there is a practical way to
turn this philosophy into a “tool,” – a
tool that forms a factor in the conscience
decisions we make every day
about careers, family and stuff. Or,
in the words of Millburn and Nicodemus,
“a tool to rid yourself of life’s
excess in favor of focusing on what’s
important—so you can find happiness,
fulfillment and freedom.”
To apply this to our modern, realtime
lives, it requires a sincere exercise
in relative prioritization. What
are the most important things to us
in qualitative rather than quantitative
terms? What is the allocation
of time and intensity that we spend
in pursuit of each? And what is the
measure of our success in terms of
these pursuits? Is it the collection of
things or the level of content and fulfillment?
We know from our faith and from
the history that the collection of
things and the feeling of happiness
do not necessarily have a positive
correlation. On the contrary, there
is some evidence of an inverse correlation.
Could it really be, then, that
less is more? Less clutter, less stuff,
less desire means more satisfaction?
Cardinal Robert Sarah of Africa
has written a book called “The Power
of Silence Against the Dictatorship
of Noise.” I haven’t read it but
it seems like a cool title. It recalls the
Letter to Ephesians that reminds us
that “It is better to keep silent and
be a Christian than to talk and not
to be.” Thus even in words, there is a
place for minimalism.
Less talk, more introspection; less
noise, more calm. Less gossip, more
peace. Less mental clutter, more
clairvoyance; no to excess, yes to
proportion.
Minimalism. Check it out.
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 9

GUEST column
The Mediterranean Diet:
Tips and Tricks for Summer Success
About the
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet
incorporates characteristics
traditional to the
cooking style and flavorings
of countries bordering
the Mediterranean Sea. It
is abundant in fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, legumes
and olives, and features
fish, poultry and olive
oil over red meat, butter
and saturated fats. Many of the staple
ingredients found in Mediterranean
dishes are seasonal to the warmer
months, which makes it a perfect,
healthy diet plan for the summer. In
addition to its many benefits, a Mediterranean
diet also provides a variety
of recipe options to keep meals fresh
and delicious.
Benefits of the Mediterranean
Diet
Fights heart disease — Research has
shown that a traditional Mediterranean
diet reduces the risk of heart
disease. The diet has also been associated
with a lower level of low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the
“bad” cholesterol that’s more likely to
build up in arteries – and a reduced
risk of cardiovascular complications.
Fights cancer - The Mediterranean
diet is filled with fruits and
vegetables, which offer vitamins,
minerals, fiber, antioxidants and
phytochemicals to fight free radicals
(which cause cancer and aging)
in the body. Research shows that
GRACE DEROCHA
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
women who eat a Mediterranean
diet supplemented
with extra-virgin olive oil
and mixed nuts may have
a reduced risk of breast
cancer.
More health benefits
– Following a Mediterranean-style
eating pattern
can support weight loss
goals, help better control
blood sugars and lessen the
risk of depression. It also
helps reduce inflammation, which is
a risk factor in heart attack, stroke,
dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and
Parkinson’s disease.
Strategies for Success
Boost fruits and veggies. Include
them at every meal and snack. Take
a family favorite and add more produce
to it, whether it is adding fruit
to oatmeal or cereal, or more veggies
in soups, sauces and casseroles. For
June, think watermelon, nectarines,
zucchini and eggplant.
Switch to olive oil and other
heart healthy oils. Use canola oil for
cooking and extra-virgin olive oil
for salad dressings as an alternative
for butter. The smoke point for olive
oil is lower, so foods may burn easily
when cooking or baking with olive
oil. Oils are high in fat. Olive oil has
about 124 calories in a tablespoon, so
be conscience of portion size.
Include more seafood and less
meat. The Mediterranean countries
are all bordered by water, which is
why seafood is a significant part of
the area’s traditional diet. At home,
choose fish and seafood that is available
and in-season. The goal is to
include fish and seafood at least 2-3
times per week. Salmon, mackerel,
halibut and sardines are all lean,
heart healthy options.
Leave room for legumes, nuts and
seeds every day. Another great way
to get protein is through plant-based
proteins like legumes and beans. Try
some Mediterranean favorites such
as chickpeas, cannelloni beans, lentils
and fava beans. Just a handful of
nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts,
pistachios, pumpkin seeds and
sesame seeds, can add flavor, a satisfying
crunch, and wholesome fats to
any diet.
Turn to whole grains. Feature
healthful, whole grains in everyday
meals such as brown rice, wheat berries,
farro or quinoa. These grains
can offer fiber and probiotics for a
healthy gastrointestinal tract.
Spice it up! Use fresh or dried
spices and herbs instead of salt to
add pizzazz to food. Also, try seasoning
food with citrus juice or zest to
develop great layers of flavor. Other
Mediterranean spices include fennel
seeds, herbes de Provence (a French
seasoning blend that includes marjoram,
thyme, rosemary, and fennel),
oregano and nutmeg.
Grace Derocha is a registered dietitian,
certified diabetes educator and certified
health coach at Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Michigan. For more health tips, visit
AHealthierMichigan.org.
Recipe - Greek Grilled
Shrimp Rice Salad
Ingredients:
Grilled Shrimp
2 lbs. cleaned, deveined and
peeled shrimp – raw
¼ tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 tbsp. oregano
1 clove of garlic, minced
Dressing
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp oregano
Salad
2 Zucchinis
Red or yellow bell pepper (2
total)
1 Red onion
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Instructions:
Put shrimp and marinade in
large bowl to marinate for at
least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
While the shrimp marinates,
cook wild rice pilaf and set aside.
Also, chop salad vegetables
into 1-inch pieces. Grill or pan
grill using olive oil. Set aside.
Once shrimp has marinated,
grill shrimp. If using a grill,
thread shrimp on metal skewers
or well-soaked bamboo skewers
and grill for 5-6 minutes, turning
often until shrimp turns
pink and opaque. If cooking via
grill pan, you do not have to use
skewers. Cook in pan for about
6 minutes, again until pink and
opaque.
Serve shrimp and vegetables
on top of wild rice pilaf. Lightly
drizzle dressing on top and optional
to serve with a side of
tzatziki or hummus. Enjoy!
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10 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

GUEST column
Caution Ahead: Could School Vouchers
Solve Issues In Education?
Most Americans
would agree
that all children
should have access to a
quality education: to foster
critical thinking, logic
and reasoning skills while
concurrently developing
healthy study habits; to
prepare students for their
adult lives in a greater society;
for the sheer joy of
learning.
Then, things get complicated.
What are the roles and responsibilities
of teachers, administrators
and parents? Does more funding
equate to a better education, and
how do we determine what is “better”?
As many critics proclaim, have
our systems of public education really
failed our children?
The election of Donald Trump
as President and appointment and
confirmation of Michigan’s own
Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of
Education have renewed calls for a
voucher system to assist parents in
having their child attend a school
of choice. A school of choice
would generally imply a private
school, including religious sponsored
ones. Existing charter schools are a
hybrid school form: they must comply
with public education principals
and educational standards but are
operated by entities outside the public
school system.
The administration has proposed
allocating as much as $20 billion,
yes, that’s BILLION, for this
program. It is postulated by critics
that some of this funding would be
drawn from existing Title 1 funds
(Elementary and Secondary Education
Act). These funds now go to
schools with high percentages of
children from low-income families,
the intent being to raise academic
standards within impacted schools.
Three key issues. Without
getting into a political debate or impugning
the motives or character of
any parties to this issue, I would like
to briefly address three areas that we
should consider before “jumping into
vouchers.”
The idea of school vouchers is
both familiar and foreign to many
Americans. The premise is both
JOANNE YONO
SHANGO
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
simple and complex. As
the owner of a private
Montessori school, The
Montessori School Rochester,
vouchers fill me with
reserved excitement and
dread in equal parts. In an
ideal world, the vouchers
will provide much needed
financial support for students
failing in traditional
public schools. As a community
we need to look at
how vouchers can improve all education
standards whether they are public,
charter or private.
The ideal scenario would look
like this: Some of the questions
raised are:
How do schools become registered
in the program? Are there
standards that all schools, public
and private, must meet? How will
the standards differentiate between
schools operating under different
educational methods? Will testing
and the subsequent results be mandated
to receive and renew awarded
vouchers?
For my school to willingly participate
in the proposed voucher
program, the standards for inclusion
and renewal would have to be
high. Public and private schools
would both have to perform at the
highest of standards to receive the
voucher. This process would force
all schools to continually provide the
excellence in education that schools
already profess to do. I believe it
would provide the final impetus for
educational reform rather than educational
restructuring, which has
been the current M.O for the past 25
years. The current, slowly adapting
model, is antiquated and the voucher
systems might finally instigate the
need for real change by the passionate
educators in public schools today.
As an alternative education
school, the association with the
vouchers would have to protect our
right to continually operate as an
Authentic Montessori School, without
compromise. To compromise
approach in order to meet standards
dictated by the state would defeat
the success of the Montessori Method
in its pure form. A diminished
or modified method of alternative
school models would be a disservice
to students who fail or are unable to
soar in traditional education. Alternative
education schools would have
to collaborate with the Department
of Education to ensure the preservation
of Alternative Models.
Standardized testing of the students
would have to be choice driven
in implementation. Currently, our
private Montessori administers are
testing to the same standards as the
public programs, although it is done
in a non-competitive, peace driven
environment, which allows for much
higher accuracy in testing results.
Compromising on implementation
of testing, would needlessly compromise
on representation of an alternative
to standardized testing currently
occurring in public schools. Not only
would this preserve accurate results,
it would serve as a model for a muchneeded
revolution in the implementation
of standardized testing in public
and private traditional schools.
As a private school, the standards
of the distribution of vouchers must
be high. A corrupt distribution program
would taint high caliber private
schools and cause damage to
the reputation of alternative education
models, therefore weakening
an already weakened educational
system. With high standards in distribution
will come healthy competition,
even amid public schools
within districts and nationwide. Ideally,
to ensure receipt of the muchneeded
funding, even public schools
will constantly be seeking to provide
the highest in educational standards.
Therefore all schools will begin operating
at an optimum. This ideal and
the promotion of change, could forever
positively impact education for
children.
Vouchers at their worst? They
corrupt public education, they corrupt
charter education and they
alienate alternative approaches to
education. Only an unsupervised and
imbalanced voucher system could do
this. As a community, we need to
stop fighting against what appears
to be inevitable and work together
to demand that the system be implemented
to the highest standards for
all schools involved.
Rather than vouchers taking
away much-needed funds from Public
School Education, they may force
a dramatic change in what education
in the future looks like. A new and
updated educational system is something
educators would welcome.
Joanne Yono Shango is founder and
director of The Montessori School in
Rochester, MI.
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 11

GUEST column
Car Wash for the Soul
Matthew 16:19 “...Whatever
you bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.”
It’s been such a long
winter in Michigan. So
today when the high
was 68 degrees and the sun
finally came out to say hello,
I went to the car wash. I
was going to a Communal
Penance Service at our parish and I
had plenty of time ahead of me.
As I drove into the car wash and
the attendant guided me through
the tracks, my mind went back to 16
years ago. I remembered the first car
wash with our son, when he was only
2-years-old.
He got so scared. He would put his
hands over his eyes the entire time. It
was all too terrifying to look at.
I entered the car wash.
As the guys sprayed the water
on my car with their long hoses and
broomed away at the side doors, I
couldn’t help but think of confession.
This is just like confession, I
thought, because Jesus washes away
the dirt of our sins jut like this car
wash is washing away at the dirt on
my car.
The decision to go to confession
can be terrifying too.
Yes, I will write about this, I
thought. I must share my thoughts.
Proceeding farther down the
tracks, the long blue soapy strips of
cloth started to paddle over my front
window. Even as an adult, these strips
still scare me. “What if one of them
IKLAS J. BASHI
SPECIAL TO THE
CHALDEAN NEWS
breaks my windshield?
What if my rear view mirrors
crack?”
Confession is still
sometimes scary too. Going
back to the same priest
and confessing the same
sin over and over again.
Then came the huge,
blue brushes on each side
of the car, washing away
the dirt, bird droppings and
mud making room to expose
the car’s true color. Jesus shows
us the way to find our true colors too.
My favorite part of the car wash
comes at the end, when the wind
sucks up each drop of water getting
ready for the final cloth dry.
Jesus’ mercy is like that wind,
sucking up the remnants of our guilt,
shame and unworthiness.
The tower of different colored
lights-yellow, orange, green, blue...at
the end with a sign and a smiley face
reads “have a nice day.”
Upon seeing this, I remembered
how Jesus longs for us to come to
him to wipe us clean. To create in us
a new mind and a new heart and a
new vision. That would surely make
for a nice day.
I approached the guy who’s going
to cloth dry my car. His smile was
brilliant. I smiled back and gave him
a tip. I immediately noticed he was
wearing a miraculous medal of the
Blessed Virgin Mary around his neck.
She is the Mother of Mercy itself, I
thought.
I left the car wash after another
huge smile from the young man.
Driving to Church, I felt relieved
and fresh being able to see much better
through my windshield.
Then I thought, my car will not
stay clean for long. Just like me and
my sins, I will need to come here
again to go through the wash. I will
always be in need of returning again
and again to confession to be wiped
clean.
The beauty of mercy is that is unfathomable
and unending.
At the Communal Penance Service,
the priest talked about humility.
I loved his message so much that
I took notes.
This is the same priest who I went
to for confession about a month ago.
I must choose a different priest this
time, I thought. Because I failed at
overcoming a vice we discussed last
month and I will be so reluctant and
ashamed to admit this to him.
I waited in line for over half an
hour for a different priest. The rosary
I prayed while I waited brought me
much peace. In the meantime, someone
mentioned there is only one person
left in the line I was avoiding. I
still had 5 people ahead of me.
I immediately got a nudge in
my soul. Like a gentle push. Like a
whisper in my ear. “Go, go there. It’s
ok. This was My plan all along.” I
found myself smiling from ear to ear
as I walked over to that same priest,
trusting Jesus leading me.
It turned out to be incredible!
We laughed....a lot. I told him how
much I loved his talk about humility.
After confessing the hardest sin,
the old vice I couldn’t overcome, he
reminded me that part of humility is
being able to laugh at ourselves.
I drove home feeling relieved,
grateful, happy, lighter, and cleaner.
When I arrived home, our teenage
daughter shared a Snapchat she
got from her aunt. Our daughter had
no idea what happened to me earlier
that day in the car wash.
As she grabbed her phone to
show me the video, she says, “You’ve
got to see this mom. It’s from Traci.
It’s Manny going through the car
wash for the first time.”
The video shows a frightened
Manny, who is now 2 years old, with
his hands tightly over his eyes. His
mom is encouraging him to open his
eyes but he refuses because he is so
terrified.
I got chills up and down my spine
having received a signal grace from the
Holy Spirit. I had gone through the car
wash at 6:42pm that day and Traci went
through it with her son at 6:18pm.
I shared my car wash experience
with our daughter, to which she responded,
“Wow, God is so good!”
About the author
Iklas is a Licensed Professional Counselor
(LPC) and a Life Breakthrough
Coach. Since 2003, she has worked
with individuals, couples, parents,
teens, families, and groups, journeying
with them to work through the
obstacles that stand in the way of
discovering their God given identity
and purpose in life. Her greatest
passion is watching others unfold
as they become who they are called
to be, create more balance in their
lives, improve relationships, and
reach their goals.
Iklas is also a writer, speaker, and
Co-host of Invitation to Sisterhood
aired on Catholic television.
Contact her at gloriousunfoldingllc@
gmail.com to share your thoughts or
schedule an appointment.
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12 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 13

noteworthy
Time to Celebrate
Walk for Israel celebrated Israel on Sunday May,
7th at the Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield.
The event featured both a walk and a 5k family
fun run, and helped raise awareness of the modern
Jewish State of Israel . The event has grown each
year in size and prominence and works to unite the
metro Detroit community to celebrate Israel.
An Award
The Eric Hoffer Award
Grand Prize just announced
Weam Namou’s
book The Great
American Family on
its Short List. Grand
Prize is still to be determined.
Weam Namou
is an Iraqi American
author, journalist, filmmaker,
and a writer for
the Chaldean News.
She is the award-winning
author of eight books and the co-founder and
president of IAA (Iraqi Artists Association). Her
writings have appeared in national and international
journals and she has given lectures, workshops
and poetry readings at numerous cultural and
educational institutions.
People In The News
Re/Max Classic’s Brian Yaldoo
was Hour Detroit Magazine’s 2016
Real Estate All Star and ranked in
the top 1% of realtors in Oakland
County in 2016. Brian is also a
member of the Re/Max Platinum
Club and the Re/Max Hall of Fame.
He is a Children’s Miracle Network Lifetime Member,
a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist,
and an Accredited Buyer Representative.
A Homeland Visit
Shamasha Sadik Barno recently visited his hometown
of Alquosh Iraq. He is believed to have been
born somewhere between 1917 and 1919. Documents
were not typically filed so many Chaldeans
don’t have their birth certificates and may not
know exactly the year they were born. The Barno
family recently celebrated his 100th Birthday in
San Diego California.
Raising Funds
CASA-U of M raised more than $6,000 at a charity
event entitled “Live from Babylon” on March 10. Britany
Kashat & Morgan Ammori chaired the event,
along with other board members. Proceeds will benefit
various educational programs for TEACH!
14 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 15

IRAQ today
Christian Refugees from Nineveh caught between
waiting to return and call for a papal visit
In Karamlesh, as in other
towns in the Nineveh Plain,
reconstruction work has
begun, but return is still
far away, which feeds the
desire to go back.
Erbil
Our identity belongs to “our
land” and only when “we’re
back in our homes can we
say that we’re happy again and at
peace.” Meanwhile, “our children
take part in camp activities”, which
keeps alive the desire to return to
Karamlesh, said Naseem Kuder Sulaiman,
a 47-year-old engineer who
spoke to AsiaNews.
His village in the Nineveh Plain
was seized by the Islamic State group
in the summer of 2014. As he waits
for work to be completed allowing
him to return to “my home and my
land”, he urges Pope Francis to “visit
Iraq” because it “would strengthen
the local Church and make us not
feel forgotten.”
Naseem is married to 42-year-old
Wafaa Quruaqos Toma, a housewife.
The couple have four children: Sulaiman,
a 15-year-old middle-school
student; San, 12, also in middle
school; Sizan, 7, attending elementary
school, and three-year-old Rahaf,
who goes to kindergarten. They fled
their home and property on the night
of 6 August 2014, as Islamic State
(IS) militias moved into the Nineveh
Plain after taking over Mosul in June.
After that, they lived for a long
time in a structure rented by the Iraqi
Church in Erbil and have been able
to overcome difficulties and limitations
thanks to the work of Fr Paul
Thabit Mekko, a 41-year-old Chaldean
priest from Mosul, who runs the
Eyes of Erbil refugee camp in Iraqi
Kurdistan, where hundreds of thousands
of Christians, Muslims and Yazidis
found refuge after the rise of the
Islamic State group.
The facility hosts 140 families,
about 700 people in all, divided in
46 mini-apartments, plus a hall for
holding and handing out aid, a kindergarten,
as well as elementary and
a secondary school.
After the Iraqi army, backed by
Kurdish militias, launched an offensive
against the IS, scores of villages
in the Nineveh Plain were freed.
Now fighting is centred on the western
sector of Mosul, where IS forces
continue to resist.
In contrast, Karamlesh and many
other towns and villages in the
Nineveh Plain have started the slow
and arduous work of reconstruction,
as witnessed by the Palm Sunday Mass
in a church devastated by IS militias.
Over the past few weeks, the
Chaldean Church has catalogued
the damages caused by the Sunni
extremist group: 241 homes torched,
95 homes destroyed, and 431 homes
looted. After the inventory was finished,
Christian leaders began reconstruction,
starting with the houses
that had suffered the least damage.
However, resources are limited,
funds are lacking and material is
scarce. That is why no one has been
able to return to Karamlesh on a permanent
basis, though there is hope
that they will do so soon.
“It is hard to wait,” Naseem said.
“It is tiring and unnerving. Fleeing
was hard and waiting does not help.
We all live in one room in a flat we
share with another family. As you
can imagine, there are pressures on
us, big and small.”
Getting back your identity goes
through “returning to our homes,”
he explained. Afterwards, the issue
of coexistence with Muslims will
be addressed, although Islamic radicalism
has “changed a lot of things
and mistrust towards Muslims has
increased. Yet, we hope to find good
will on their part, a real desire to
live without discrimination, without
[the] aggressive attitudes” of the past.
For the future, refugees just want
to go home, have peace and rebuild
infrastructures and services. Today,
people live and survive through the
help of the Church “without which
we would never have done it. The
Church has done a great deal at this
time,” Naseem said.
For him, “Despite the suffering, or
rather because of what we suffered, our
faith has become stronger and stronger.
That’s what matters to us.” Christians
in the West and the world should “act,
as in the past, to contribute to this new
phase of reconstruction, so that Christians
can continue to stay in Iraq.”
What he does wish for is for Pope
Francis to visit these lands marred by
terrorism and violence. “We Eastern
Christians have great esteem for religious
leaders. We appeal to the Holy
Father: Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord, for his presence
here would have positive effects.
We are waiting for you because
we are brothers. We shall continue to
stay here if you stand with us.”
– Courtesy of Asia News
16 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

HALHOLE!
Vincent Patrick Habib
Big sister Lucielia Habib would like
to introduce her baby brother Vincent
Patrick Habib to the world.
Born September 3rd 2016 at 1:13
pm. Weighing 6lbs 5oz and stretching
19.5 inches long. Proud parents
Venecia and Patrick Habib. Vincent
is the 5th grandchild to Sabiha and
Walid Habib and 7th grandchild to
Elham and Jack Kalla. May god bless
him always!
IN MY VIEW continued from page 8
tration that is literally flying by the
seat of its pants on a daily basis. Unless
there is a major reversal of tone,
strategy, messaging and progress, it is
hard to see how this story doesn’t end
with the loss of the Republican majority
in Congress. In turn, that will
end any meaningful chances for tax,
regulatory, infrastructure and healthcare
reform. On foreign policy, the
words are not matching the actions.
In less than a year, midterm elections
will be in full swing. If some
things don’t get done in the interim,
they likely won’t get done at all.
Then what? The guy who was elected
to make America first again will
be presiding over more stalemate,
more inaction and more government
gridlock.
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 17

CHAI time
CHALDEANS CONNECTING
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT JUNE 2017
Friday June 2
Museum: Cranbrook Institute of Science
offers free admission on the first Friday of
every month courtesy of MASCO.
Saturday June 3
Fair: United Community Family Services
hosts its first annual community
resource fair and family fun day. The
FREE event takes place from 11:00
am to 4:00 pm at St. Joseph Chaldean
Catholic Church Hall located at 2442
E. Big Beaver Rd. Troy MI. More than
500 community residents are expected
to attend. Resource vendors welcome,
including education, summer programs,
wellness, health, employers, human resource
agencies, individual services,
faith based services, community services,
city/county/state representatives.
The fair includes, summer activity resources,
arts and crafts, bouncers, face
painting, prizes and refreshments.
Thursday June 8 – Sunday June 11
Show: Detroit Skating Club presents
Skating in Color. It is their annual ice
show open to the public. Thursday 7
p.m., Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 7 p.m.,
and Sunday 2 p.m. Go to www.dscclub.com
to buy tickets.
Saturday June 10
Event: Please join us for the Believe
in Our Build Celebration @ The Lingenfelter
Collection to help support
GiGi’s Playhouse. The event is from
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at 7819 Lochlin
Drive, in Brighton. Ken Lingenfelter
has graciously offered up his slice of
automotive heaven in support of Gi-
Gi’s Playhouse “Believe in Our Build”
event. On display for all to see will be
over $50 million of exquisite automobiles.
Do not miss your opportunity to
see one of the true treasures of the
automotive world in support of GiGi’s
Playhouse. Tickets are $150 and
space is limited, so get your tickets
today at https://www.facebook.com/
events/1861586644103317??ti=ia
Tuesday June 13
Tour: Detroit Yacht Club Foundation is
offering a public tour at 6:15 p.m.
Friday June 16
Festival: Strawberry Festival at the
Trinity Episcopal Church in Belleville at
4 p.m.
Saturday June 17
Walk: Purple Strides Detroit is a walk
for pancreatic cancer being held at
Hart Plaza at 8 a.m.
Thursday June 22
Golf: Chaldean Chamber of Commerce
is hosting its 14th annual Golf Outing at
Shenandoah Country Club. To register
go to www.chaldeanchamber.com
Saturday June 24
Faith: Solanus Casey Center Nourishing
the Soul Pasta at 4 p.m. Starting
with a Mass at the St. Bonaventure
Monastery Chapel, the Solanus Casey
Center, 1780 Mt. Elliott St., Detroit,
will host a pasta fellowship dinner catered
by Capuchin Soup Kitchen Catering.
The evening will also include a
‘fishbowl’ auction and a raffle. Raffle
tickets are $10 each. You do not need
to be present to win. Event tickets are
$40 per person and are available online
www.SolanusCenter.org or by calling
the Capuchin Events Department
at 313.579.2100, Ext. 153. Proceeds
benefit the Center and it’s our only
2017 fundraiser.
Friday June 30
Concert: Ye-haw! It’s the 35th annual
99.5 WYCD Hoedown in partnership
with LiveNation and Palace Entertainment.
It is taking place at DTE Energy
Music Theatre on Friday, June 30, the
99.5 WYCD Hoedown 2017 will feature
performances by Lady Antebellum,
Kelsea Ballerini and seven other bands
across three stages.
Tuesday July 11
Networking: The Chaldean Chamber
of Commerce is hosting young professionals
networking event from 6 to 8
p.m. at Calexico 1040 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit.
Wednesday July 19
Golf: The AFPD is hosting its 41st
Golf Outing at Fox Hills Golf and
Banquet Center. To register go to
www.afpdonline.org
18 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 19

eligion
PLACES OF PRAYER
CHALDEAN CHURCHES IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT
THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE IN THE UNITED STATES
St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese
25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033; (248) 351-0440
Bishop Francis Kalabat
Retired Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim
MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; (248) 356-0565
Administrator: Fr. Pierre Konja
Retired Priest: Fr. Emanuel Rayes
Bible Study: Mondays, 7-9 p.m. in English; Wednesdays, 7 p.m. for college
students in English
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m.; Tuesdays, 8:45 p.m. in English; Saturdays,
4 p.m. in English; Sundays: 8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in English, noon
in Chaldean, 7 p.m. in English
SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
30590 Dequindre Road, Warren, MI 48092; (586) 393-5809
Pastor: Fr. Sameem Belius
Mass Schedule: Sundays, 10 a.m. in Arabic, 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean
MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
24010 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park, MI 48237; (248) 547-4648
Pastor: Fr. Stephen Kallabat
Retired Priest: Fr. Suleiman Denha
Adoration: Last Friday of the month, 4 p.m. Adoration; 5 p.m. Stations of the
Cross; 6 p.m. Mass; Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Bible Study: Fridays, 8-10 p.m. in Arabic and Chaldean
Youth Groups: Thursdays, 7:30-9 p.m. Jesus Christ University High School
and College Mass Schedule: Weekdays, noon; Sundays: 10 a.m. in Chaldean
and Arabic, 12:30 p.m. High Mass in Chaldean
ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
2442 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083; (248) 528-3676
Pastor: Fr. Rudy Zoma
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Bryan Kassa
Bible Study: Mondays, 7 p.m. in Arabic; Tuesdays, 7 p.m. in English; Thursdays,
7 p.m. Chaldeans Loving Christ Youth Group for High Schoolers
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean except Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
in Arabic
Saturdays, 6 p.m. in English and Chaldean; Sundays: 9 a.m. in Arabic, 10:30
a.m. in English, noon in Chaldean, 2 p.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 7 p.m. in
Chaldean
Baptisms: 3 p.m. on Sundays.
ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; (248) 788-2460
Administrator: Fr. Bashar Sitto
Parochial Vicars: Fr. Jirgus Abrahim, Fr. Anthony Kathawa
Retired Priest: Fr. Emanuel Rayes
Bible Study: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. in Arabic
Youth Groups: Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Girls Challenge Club for Middle Schoolers;
Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Chaldeans Loving Christ for High Schoolers; Thursdays,
6:30 p.m. Boys Conquest Club for Middle Schoolers.
Other: First Thursday and Friday of each month, 10 a.m. Holy Hour; 11 a.m.
Mass in Chaldean; Wednesdays from midnight to Thursdays midnight, adoration
in the Baptismal Room; Saturdays 3 p.m. Night Vespers (Ramsha) in
Chaldean.
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturdays, 5 p.m. in English;
Sundays: 9 a.m. in English, 10:30 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean, 2
p.m. in Arabic; 6 p.m., Grotto is open for Adoration 24/7 for prayer and reflection.
ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI 48317; (586) 254-7221
Pastor: Fr. Wisam Matti
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Matthew Zetouna
Youth Groups: Disciples for Christ for teen boys, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.; Circle of
Friends for teen girls; Thursdays, 6 p.m.; Bible Study for college students,
Wednesdays 8 p.m.
Bible Study: Wednesdays, 8 p.m. in English; Fridays, 8 p.m. in Arabic Mass
Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean, 7 p.m. in English; Wednesdays, 7
p.m. Adoration; 8-10 p.m. Confession; Saturdays, 4 p.m. in English (Chaldean
when no catechism or summer camp); Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Chaldean, 10
a.m. in Arabic, 11:30 a.m. in English, 1 p.m. in Chaldean; 7:30 p.m. in English
Submission Guidelines The Chaldean News welcomes
submissions of obituaries. They should include the deceased’s
name, date of birth and death, and names of immediate survivors.
Please also include some details about the person’s life including
career and hobbies. Due to space constraints, obituaries can
not exceed 300 words. We reserve the right to edit those that
are longer. Send pictures as a high-resolution jpeg attachment.
E-mail obits to info@chaldeannews.com, or through the mail at
30095 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
HOLY MARTYRS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
43700 Merrill, Sterling Heights, MI 48312; (586) 803-3114
Rector: Fr. Manuel Boji
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Andrew Seba
Bible Study: Mondays, 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Thursdays, 8 p.m. Seed of Faith
in English;
Saturdays, 7 p.m. Witness to Faith in Arabic
Youth Groups: Wednesdays, 7 p.m. for High Schoolers
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 9 a.m. in Chaldean; Thursdays, 7 p.m. in English;
Saturdays, 5 p.m. in English; Sundays: 9 a.m. in Arabic, 10:30 a.m. in English,
Morning Prayer at noon, High Mass at 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean; 8 p.m. in English.
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
11200 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093; (586) 804-2114
Pastor: Fr. Fadi Philip
Parochial Vicar: Fr. Hermiz Haddad
Bible Study: Thursday, 8 p.m. for ages 18-45; Friday, 8 p.m. in Arabic.
Teens 4 Mary Youth Group: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Confession: 1 hour before mass or by appointment.
Adoration: Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Chapel open 24/7 for adoration.
Mass Schedule: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Thursday, 1 p.m.
in English and 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Friday 7 p.m. in Chaldean; Sunday: 10 a.m.
in Arabic and 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean.
HOLY CROSS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
32500 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; (248) 626-5055
Rector: Msgr. Zouhair Toma Kejbou
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, noon in Chaldean; Saturdays, 4:30 p.m. in English;
Sundays: 10 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, noon in English, 6 p.m., in Arabic.
ST. PAUL CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
5150 E. Maple Avenue, Grand Blanc, MI 48439; (810) 820-8439
Pastor: Fr. Ayad Hanna
Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 6 p.m.; Sundays, 12:30 p.m.
ST. EPHREM CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
2537 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL 60659; (773) 754-7202, (773) 754-
8935
Pastor: Rev. Sanharib Youkhanna
Retired: Rev. Zia Marano
MART MARIAM CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, IL 60062; (630) 847-0149, (847) 897-4808
Pastor: Rev. Fawaz Elia Kako
EASTERN CATHOLIC RE-EVANGELIZATION CENTER (ECRC)
4875 Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, MI 48301; (248) 538-9903
Director: Patrice Abona
Daily Mass: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.
Thursdays: 5:30 Adoration and 6:30 Mass
Bible Study in Arabic: Wednesdays 7 p.m.
Bible Study in English: Tuesdays 7 p.m.
ST. GEORGE SHRINE AT CAMP CHALDEAN
1391 Kellogg Road, Brighton, MI 48114; (888) 822-2267
___________________________________________________________________________________
CHALDEAN SISTERS/DAUGHTERS OF MARY OUR LADY OF THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ORDER
Superior: Benynia Shikwana
5159 Corners Drive
West Bloomfield, MI 48322; (248) 615-2951
CHALDEAN SISTERS/DAUGHTERS OF MARY HOUSE OF FORMATION
24900 Middlebelt Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48336; (248) 987-6731
ST. GEORGE CONVENT
Superior: Mubaraka Garmo
43261 Chardennay
Sterling Heights, MI 48314; (586) 203-8846
___________________________________________________________________________________
ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST
4320 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092; (586) 825-0290
Rector: Fr. Ameer Brikha
Mass Schedule: Sundays, 9 a.m. in Assyrian; noon in Assyrian and English
ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH
25600 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335; (248) 478-0835
Pastor: Fr. Toma Behnama
Fr. Safaa Habash
Mass Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. All in
Syriac, Arabic and English
CHRIST THE KING SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH
2300 John R, Troy, MI 48083; (248) 818-2886
The Sacred Heart
of Jesus Month
The month of June is dedicated
to The Sacred Heart
of Jesus. This month falls within
the liturgical season of Ordinary
Time, which is represented by
the liturgical color green. This
symbol of hope is the color of
the sprouting seed and arouses in
the faithful the hope of reaping
the eternal harvest of heaven,
especially the hope of a glorious
resurrection. It is used in the
offices and Masses of Ordinary
Time. The last portion of the liturgical
year represents the time
of our pilgrimage to heaven during
which we hope for reward.
As we begin to feel the
warmth of summer, we can reflect
that we celebrate the feasts
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on
June 3rd and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary on June 4th. God
is Love and the Sacred Heart of
Jesus — present on earth in the
Blessed Sacrament — is the human
manifestation of God’s Love
for men. Appropriately June is
considered the month for weddings
where human hearts join
and cooperate with the Creator
in bringing forth new life. The
family they create is a human reflection
of the Blessed Trinity.
Following Pentecost, the
Church begins her slow descent
from the great peaks of the Easter
Season to the verdant pastures
of Ordinary Time, the longest of
the liturgical seasons. Ordinary
Time is the hour to “go out to all
the world and tell the good news.”
The feasts of June highlight this
expansion of the Church.
“I promise you in the excessive
mercy of my Heart that my
all-powerful love will grant to all
those who receive Holy Communion
on the First Fridays in nine
consecutive months the grace of
final perseverance; they shall not
die in my disgrace, nor without
receiving their sacraments. My
divine Heart shall be their safe
refuge in this last moment” (Jesus
to St. Margaret Mary).
Prayer
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who glory in the Heart
of your beloved Son and recall the
wonders of his love for us, may be
made worthy to receive an overflowing
measure of grace from that
fount of heavenly gifts. Through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever.
20 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

obituaries
Rosemary Ann
Hakim
Rosemary Ann Hakim, born
in 1937 to Shaw and Mary
Hakim, took her final breath
at home in Sonoma, California,
on May 1, 2017.
Rosemary is survived by her
children: Lynn Abaté-Johnson
(Corey), Angela Aymin
(John), Julia Abaté, Anthony
Abaté, Nicole Abaté Ducarroz
(Jean-François), her grandchildren:
Jonathan Aymin
(Julianna), Elizabeth Aymin
Marquez (Joe), Sarah Aymin,
Kate Aymin, Nikita, Jonas and
Julien Ducarroz, Mickey & Val
Abaté, Rafe Abaté and great
grandsons Vinny and Victor
Aymin, and by her siblings:
Joseph Hakim, David Hakim,
Paul Hakim (Pam), Amelia
Hakim, Theresa Fiedler
(Douglas), Barbara Ladendorf
(John), and their children.
She is sorely missed, and, ever
present in our lives.
Rosemary is preceded in death by
her parents, Mary & Shaw Hakim
and her brother, Edward Hakim.
Rosemary was diagnosed with
stage IIIC ovarian cancer in February,
2011. During the six years between
reoccurrences, Rosemary enjoyed
retirement.
Known for her kind and generous,
nurturing heart, Rosemary was
also passionate about education. Memorial
donations to Sonoma Valley
Education Foundation are welcome.
Visit: svgreatschools.org/donate. In
the section for “Additional Comments”,
please designate your gift “In
Memory of Rosemary A. Hakim”.
Celebrations of Rosemary’s life
are planned for Sonoma Valley and
Michigan this summer.
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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 21

obituaries
Rochester Hills
Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Jamilia Murad
Karcho Shina
July 1, 1933 -
May 18, 2017
Najiba Koza Garmo
Nov. 2, 1929 -
May 10, 2017
Asswan
Ghanem Mimo
June 18, 1967 -
May 17, 2017
Ajay Dutt
Aug. 11, 1962 -
May 9, 2017
MIKE AKRAWI
GUS ABDAL
Taking Care of You
is What We Do…
We Are THAT DEALER.
www.thatdealer.com
Habib Yousif Pattah
July 1, 1934 - May
8, 2017
Wafa Manni
March 17, 1953 -
May 8, 2017
Mariam Nissan
Katou
July 1, 1935 -
May 6, 2017
Jason Joseph
Kouza
Sept. 29, 1978 -
May 6, 2017
Rochester Chrysler Jeep Dodge
1301 S. Rochester Road • Rochester Hills 48307
rochesterhillschryslerjeep.net
888-435-3039
Mon-Thurs:8:30 – 9
Tues, Wed, Fri 8:30 – 6
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Visit chaldeannews.com
Gurgia Sharak
Samona
July 1, 1932 -
May 5, 2017
Jamila Jajo Orow
Oct. 25, 1929 -
May 4, 2017
Matthew Marroki
Dec. 11, 1999 -
Apr. 28, 2017
Mario Fernandis
Asmar
Apr. 29, 1978 -
Apr. 27, 2017
Shirleen Kashat
Aug. 10th, 1928 -
May 5th, 2017
Gourgia
Bashi Matti
Aug. 18th, 1930 -
Apr. 21st, 2017
Alice Bachuwa
Aug. 23rd, 1929 -
May 11th, 2017
22 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

White Chapel’s Celebration of Life Center Welcome Week
A Beautiful Place to Reflect, Honor and Celebrate Life
June 5-9: Visit the Celebration of Life Center all
week, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., to preview
our newly built reception facilities, extensive
selection of memorialization choices and our
flower shop.
If you are looking for something less formal or
traditional, come and learn about how our trained and
certified Celebrants can help you lead and plan a more
meaningful and personalized Celebration of Life
ceremony that reflects your loved one's beliefs that
shares the beautiful story of your loved one's unique life.
White Chapel has convenient multiple reception and
celebration rooms on-site for families and friends to
share food, stories, laughter and some tears together
that pays loving tribute to their loved one. Our
Celebration rooms and contracted catering and
hospitality services can accomodate groups of 10
to 180 in a relaxed and comfortable setting that's
hard to find at a restaurant or any other place.
RECEPTION FACILITY
EXTENSIVE
MEMORIALIZATION
SELECTION
White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery • 621 W. Long Lake Rd. Troy, MI 48098 • (248) 362-7670
Please feel free to contact one of our pre-planning specialists regarding ways to preserve your family legacy.
Meet Christen Jamoua.
Christen is our newest Account Executive
at the Chaldean News. A graduate from
the University of Michigan, Christen
is an expert communicator and eager
to assist you with your advertising
needs. Call her at 248-851-8600 or
email christen@chaldeannews.com
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 23

Kitchen by Allen Bodiya
Time to Remodel
Putting your heart back into your home
BY LISA CIPRIANO
Home is supposed to be where the heart resides.
But, what if your heart just isn’t in
your home? You may want to consider a
home addition or remodeling a room or two! The
investment not only will make life more convenient
and your surroundings more beautiful, but it
will boost your homes resale value as well. According
to the design experts, kitchens and bathrooms
are the rooms that are most in need of updating in
older homes.
That’s because lifestyles have changed dramatically
over the decades. Most of us live much more
casually and fast-paced. More homeowners are
looking for open, airy floor plans with less walls,
beams and barriers that separate the family as busy
lives decrease precious family time. “Most of my
clients are looking for a comfortable, relaxed and
casual environment; a place they can gather with
their family and friends that’s easy to care for but
looks polished,” said Sharon Kory, owner of Sharon
Kory Interiors in Birmingham.
The open air approach isn’t being used for just
family rooms and living rooms, but for all areas of
the house including kitchens. “Kitchens are no
longer a traditional closed off space. That’s where
people congregate,” explained Allen Bodiya, coowner
of Ferndale-based Kitchen Concepts, Inc.
“They want the kitchen open to the living room
and dining room. They want it completely open to
the house.”
So, that means some of the walls and interior
doors of a lot of older homes are coming down!
”The older homes had more formal, closed off dining
rooms. We live more casually now. So, people
are tearing down the walls and soffits and opening
it all up. They want to interact and see what their
children are doing in the other room while preparing
meals,” added Bodiya.
Victor Saroki, president of Birmingham-based
Saroki Architecture, agrees. His clients also are
looking for that open, airy casual feel to their room
remodels and additions. “Lifestyles have gone from
one where everybody sat all at once at the dining
room table to eating at their kitchen islands and
not everyone eating at the same time,” Saroki explained.
The formal family dining room or front room
for entertaining are also things of the past. “Now,
when people entertain, they are entertaining right
in the kitchen. People are gathered all around
where the food is being prepared and are all part
of the event.”
Homeowners are also removing eaves, soffits
and raising cabinets up to the ceilings to get more
space and achieve that more casual, light and airy
feel. “People are going for more of a transitional
look instead of traditional. The look has more
clean lines. Whites and greys are really popular
right now,” Bodiya said.
Formica and Corian countertops are being replaced
with granite, quartz or a manmade, durable
and maintenance free stone product like quartzite.
Hot modernized kitchen trends also include under
the cabinet lighting for convenience and ambiance,
porcelain tile that mimics the look of natural
stone or wood and counter depth refrigerators and
large commercial six-burner ranges.
Bathrooms are the other room in older homes
most in need of changing with the times to accommodate
busy lifestyles. “People want dual
sinks in a master bathroom. They want more
large showers instead of bathtubs. The standard
built into the wall tubs are hardly ever used,” explained
Bodiya.
But, the concept of the home bathtub isn’t
dead yet. In fact, they have gone back in time a
bit. “Customers are gravitating toward freestanding
bathtubs with feet, which are sometimes used a focal
point of a master bath,” Bodiya added.
Not only have our lifestyles changed, but so
has the process of designing and visualizing a room
remodel or addition. No longer are homeowners
bringing in pictures from magazines. They are
armed with a world of pictures, ideas and information
from the internet on their smartphones. “I ask
my clients to provide me with their inspiration
photos or ‘lookbooks’ of spaces they’re attracted to,
either from Houzz or Pinterest,” said Kory. “This
gives me a starting point for their design aesthetic.”
And, of course, homeowners are expecting a
certain level of technology when it comes to designing
and visualizing their home remodeling and
room addition dreams. “We do a complete 3D,
color rendering of their project. And from there,
we can play around with the design with different
styles, products and colors,” said Bodiya.
It’s very important to hire a room remodeling
and home addition company that works closely
with homeowners to give them exactly what they
want, need and dreamed. These experts meet with
their customers regularly during the process to extensively
discuss the design and construction process.
“Being at the high-end of the industry, we
are very specific. We can spend as long as three to
six months in the designing phase while meeting
many times with the customer. Then, sometimes it
can take as long a year for construction. It varies by
the client and the project,” Saroki explained.
The cost of a room remodeling or home addition,
of course, varies according to the size and
scope of the project. “Project costs can range anywhere
from $5000 to more than $100,000 depending
on the client’s needs and budget,” said Kory. ​
Regardless of how much you spend, room remodeling
and home additions pay off in more ways
than one. Aside from your home being more comfortable,
family friendly and convenient, its resale
value is guaranteed to increase. But, the biggest
benefit is putting the heart back in your home.
And, that’s priceless.
24 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 25

Luxury Living
Outdoor living spaces turn landscape design inside out
BY PAUL NATINSKY
During the short but sweet
warm season in Michigan,
days and evenings spent
outdoors are like a dream, and local
landscaping companies are working
hard to enhance those fantasies.
“People are trending toward ‘staycations,’
where they stay at home,”
said Mark Garmo of Outdoor Accents,
Inc., in Novi. “People are
spending money on their backyards.
Because the time we do have outside
is so precious, people want a little
piece of paradise in their backyard.”
“What’s getting popular lately is
these outdoor kitchens and the fire
pits and the fireplaces,” said Tony
Konja of Artistic Outdoor Services
in Farmington Hills. “People are trying
to create an outdoor living space
during the few months that we have
in Michigan that it’s really nice and
warm. They want to really bring it outside. So,
we’ve been creating gazebos, outdoor kitchens,
outdoor spaces.” Konja said porcelain tiles, such as
those from Ciot Tile in Troy, are becoming popular
accents in outdoor designs.
Other touches include lighting, which has undergone
a revolution. Smaller, less expensive and
more energy efficient LED lights have replaced the
old hot, expensive and bulky halogen lighting of
yesteryear. Both Konja and Garmo offer landscape
lighting or, as Garmo calls it, “night-scaping.”
“We install a lot of outdoor LED lighting, and
now what is getting really popular is from a remote
control you can change the colors of your LED
lighting. So if you want red and blue for Christmastime,
you can just switch the switch and your
lighting will change colors,” said Konja.
Garmo said some elaborate backyard set-ups
are full outdoor pavilions featuring televisions and
refrigerators, in addition to gazebos, furniture and
barbeques. He said such projects can cost $60,000
to $70,000.
Form And Function
Regardless of the price tag, good landscape design
requires form to follow function. “What do you
want to use your backyard for?” asks Garmo. “Do
you want to look out your window and just see
something pretty? Do you want to go outside and
sit down and hear music and have a fire and smoke
a cigar with a glass of scotch?”
Planning is also key, said Konja. “People really
do need to have a plan in place. Just like when you
build a home, you always have a plan. Don’t just
assume that you can come out and install some
plants here and there. There has to be a plan and
you have to meet with a certified landscape designer.”
He said 3D imaging that’s now available,
affords customers a very clear picture of how their
yard will look at the project’s end. The new process
incorporates images of design elements and plants
into an actual photo of the yard.
The personal nature of landscape design makes
it difficult to determine a set of standard elements
for a good plan. Sometimes the oddity of the job
precludes such generalizations. Garmo and his
team built 10 –foot retaining walls around a house
on a steep hill in Ann Arbor, on Hill Street, as a
matter of fact. The retaining walls were placed at a
distance from the house and the space between the
walls and the house was filled in to create a yard
level with the house, featuring patios and grass.
“We basically built a fortress and filled it in,”
said Garmo.
Allowing for the variances of customer tastes
and unusual geographies, some general elements
apply to all landscape designs.
“Simplicity is really what’s important. Clean
lines, trimmed hedges, defined bed lines; very crisp
and clean design,” said Konja. “When you overplant
or have too many plantings in one area, it
really creates a messy look. It’s going to overgrow
itself.”
“Hardscape is a very important thing and hardscape
is something that needs to come first,” said
Garmo. “Hardscape is retaining walls, brick paving,
balancing your land, things that require large
equipment and large quantities of
materials.”
Great Expectations
Despite all of the planning and marrying
of form to function, customers
sometimes have misconceptions
and unrealistic expectations about
what is possible and about how much
things cost.
“They say, I’d love to have my
landscaping maintenance free,” said
Konja. “That’s like saying I would
like to have my house maintenance
free. Nothing in life is maintenance
free.” So Konja offers a maintenance
program to maintain landscapes for
customers.
“Most of the time it’s plants,” said
Garmo. “People come in and show me
palm trees and these tropical plants
they see on vacation.” He has to tell
them these only grow in Florida, California
and other warm places.
In some cases, customers simply
don’t understand what things cost,
or how much labor is involved. For
example, said Garmo, removing existing
features and bringing in multiple
design elements requires several
shipments by truck in and out,
along with loading and unloading
time. The same is true of various pieces
of equipment. Garmo also employs skilled laborers
who earn more than many customers assume.
“Knock it down, put in some dirt and grass, and
you’re finished. They make it sound like you can do
it in three hours, when it’s like two weeks of work.”
Garmo said landscape designers must be clear
with their customers about cost, but urges customers
to be forthcoming about their budget. He said,
too often customers are cagey about how much
they intend to spend and that makes it difficult for
landscape design companies to help them reach
their goals.
“A lot of consumers feel it’s you against me to
try to get a better price,” said Garmo. “They are
scared to lay their cards on the table and say we
budgeted $50,000 for this, because they think
you’re going to give them two trees and a bush and
charge them $50,000.”
“Customers need to be honest with contractors.
Don’t be afraid to spend a little bit of extra money
for a good plan. A good plan allows you to get the
right price for the right job. Beware of the high cost
of paying too little,” cautioned Garmo.
Garmo said his proposals are very thorough to
ensure customers have an accurate idea of everything
that is involved. Once he establishes a price
for what a customer wants done, he can work with
them on tailoring design elements and materials to
help them meet their budget goals.
“It’s important to hire the right company. Make
sure they are qualified, make sure they are insured
and get references from people from the area,” advised
Konja.
26 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 27

Perfectly Painted
Choosing the right color for your home
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
The style and character of your
home will ultimately determine
the paint colors you
choose. “You can actually pick out
colors by looking at custom pallets for
different kinds of homes,” said Jason
Sokol, operations manager from Sherwin
Williams. “Whether you are trying
to create a beach home, a rustic cabin
field or a cape cod look, you can choose
colors that match those styles.”
Testing out colors prior to choosing
one is highly suggested. “Colors
look different on a wall than in a
can,” said Mark Seman, founder of
Seman’s Services. “You can buy can
sample and paint small areas of a wall
and let it dry for a few days. Look at it
during the day and night. The color
will look differently.”
Choosing a color scheme depends
on the space, patterns, artwork, drapery
and furniture in the home. “Some
people buy a new piece of furniture
or drapery and decide to change the
wall colors to compliment the new
furniture,” said Seman. “Sometimes
people will see a color at friend’s
house or restaurant and love it and
want it in their home.”
Home owners often look for colors
that complement each other.
“They want to mix and match, and
accent a color if they are using beige
or taupe for example,” said Seman.
“Right now, dark grays and dark reds
seem to be the trendy colors today.
People will still want to accent with
other colors. Sometimes one wall in
a room may be the dark red.”
One of the most important factors
when selecting colors would be
lighting. “You have to take into consideration
the windows of the home
and the natural light coming,” said
Sokol. “Also on the inside, you have
considered the actual lights, if they
have fluorescent for example, colors
will look differently.”
Seman often works with interior
designers when painting homes. “We
have to keep in mind that no single
client is alike,” said Michelle Kassab,
Ambiance by Michelle, Inc. “Not
every color works for every person
and the client’s personality becomes
a driving factor in color selection.
Some clients like very bold and
bright colors whereas others prefer
soft and relaxing hues.”
A home represents the homeowner
and the colors play a role in
it. She, too, agrees that light is a
key factor. “Another tip to keep in
mind is the natural light in the area
you are going to paint, said Kassab.
Rooms filled with windows or rooms
without windows can drastically affect
the paint color making it either
a lot brighter or a lot darker than
the paint sample. Also, take your
surrounding area into consideration
when picking a color. The rest of the
house can have a huge impact on
your color choice and picking a color
to compliment the surroundings assures
that your home has a constant
flow.
There are mistakes people should
avoid, including not first painting a
small portion of the wall first before
committing to a color. “Another
mistake that I have seen is not taking
the joining rooms into consideration
as well,” said Kassab. “The color of
the joining rooms affect the flow of
the home and as mentioned, to assure
this flow the color choice should
reflect you and rest of you home as
well by taking the surroundings into
consideration.”
Keeping it simple may be a good
rule to follow as too many colors
could make the house look chaotic.
Blues, grays and soft whites have
been the trends recently. “Your home
should reflect you and your personality,”
said Kasab. “As a designer, I truly
believe your home is put together
for you and is decorated to represent
who you are.”
There are a variety of color palettes
for different house styles. A
paint manufacturer like Sherwin
Williams will suggest pallets for both
the interior and exterior of the home
and the architectural styles. They
also have assistants who will visit a
home and help pick out colors. They
are called ColorSnap In-Home Consultants.
Some expert
suggestions:
Colonial. Gray-blue siding,
white trim, and glossy black
on the shutters and front door
might complement each other.
Contemporary. Consider a
warm gray accent, and a jaunty
orange door.
Craftsman. Muted green for
the siding, cream trim, and
deep green for window trim and
doors.
Farmhouse. Consider barn red
siding, greenish-gray trim, and
an ocher door.
Federal brick. Pick up the color
of the mortar with cream trim,
green shutters, and a darker
green door.
Midcentury Ranch. Emphasize
the modern lines with charcoal
siding, white trim, and a teal
door.
Spanish colonial. Try out warm
tones like tan siding, mossy
green trim, and a russet door.
Tudor revival. Update the look
by painting siding pale gray,
trim dark gray, and the door
blue.
Victorian. Be bold with a trio of
smoky purples and stone.
28 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

chaldean on the STREET
Perfecting the nest
BY HALIM SHEENA
In this issue, we focused on home improvement. We wanted to know what some of our
community members would want to improve in their own homes. So, we posed the question:
If you could change one thing in your house, what would it be?
Merna Sadik, 23, Rochester Hills:
I would love to turn the backyard and the basement
into spaces that are great for hosting and
entertaining our friends and family. Add more
seating, sound systems, lighting, maybe even a
bar. I might even add a doghouse or play area
for my dog.
Myrna Siba, 20, Madison Heights:
If I could change anything about my house it
would be the landscaping. Curb appeal is very
important because it’s a visitor’s first impression.
Right now, ours is not up to par. Especially
because all of my neighbors have pristine yards
because they are old and garden as a hobby.
Vanessa Kenaya, 27, Rochester Hills:
I would most definitely change the counter tops
and cabinets in all our bathrooms. They don’t
even match well together and more of an older
style. Definitely needs to be upgraded. Each
bathroom in our home of a different style, one in
which the old owners in my eyes had no idea in
what to choose so went with anything, but than
again everyone has their own style. Other than
that I love everything about my new home!
Marvin Yaldo, 20, Farmington Hills:
If I were to remodel a room in my house I would
remodel the basement, I would get some new
furniture, add a bar to it, and a mini weight room.
Turn it into a man cave for my brothers and I.
Sarah Yousif, 19, Troy:
If I were able to change anything about my
house, I would want to add a built-in chapel.
I also wouldn’t mind building a nice addition to
the house with an indoor sauna & and indoor
pool. These are things that me and my friends
could enjoy together all year round.
Fady Patrous, 21, Sterling Heights:
If I could change one thing about my house it
would be the amount of Arabian rugs we own.
My house is starting to look like a Middle Eastern
restaurant.
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 29

Taking Action
Iraq’s Ambassador to US meets with community members
BY WEAM NAMOU
Iraq’s Ambassador to the United
States, Dr. Fareed Yasseen, visited
the Chaldean Foundation on Saturday,
April 29 for a brief meet-andgreet
with members of the community.
Educated in Iraq, Switzerland, and
the United States, Yasseen served as
the Iraqi Ambassador to France from
May 2010 to when he stepped down
in October 2016, and was awarded the
Republican Medal of Honor by Mr.
Christian Masset, Secretary General of
France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on
behalf of the French Presidency.
Yasseen had a chance to tour the
community in Michigan and, as the
special guest, gave a speech at the
14th Annual Awards Dinner of the
Chaldean American Chamber of
Commerce.
“I was floored by what I saw,” said
Dr. Yasseen. “The ways the people
stand tall and the good they do. It is
because their actions are embedded
by strong values, which we all share,
which go back to Prophet Abraham,
the first political refugee of mankind.”
He reminded people that now,
they can have multiple citizenships,
that of Iraqi and of the U.S., and encouraged
them to utilize that privilege.
Almanhal Al Safi, Iraq’s Consulate
General, also encouraged people
to make their voices heard by getting
more involved in the elections.
“We don’t feel that the Iraqi government
likes our vote,” said Nabil
Iraq’s Ambassador to the United States,
Dr. Fareed Yasseen
Roumayah, President of the Iraqi
Democratic Union of America. “The
government requires two documents
from us when most have only one
document. Last time, thousands of
people were turned away. Some were
even in tears because of it.”
“The community bears a responsibility
to this problem as well,” said Al
Safi. “Since way back, we’ve urged them
to register themselves and their kids.
We offered to teach them how to do it,
but they don’t approach us. There’s no
excuse for not registering by coming to
the consulate. It’s not only the parents’
right. It’s the kids’ right. At some point,
these rights will be valuable.”
Al Safi emphasized that, while
people do have an impact here, it
needs to be heard in Iraq. He advised
community leaders to come up with
one frontier and for them to take the
opportunity to go to Iraq. He feels
that watching television and following
social media is not enough, and
won’t take them far.
“I have to be brutally honest and
express doubt,” said Dhafir (Dave)
Nona, director of development at Triangle
Development. “Are these your
sentiments as good people or do they
represent the politics of the Iraqi government?
We’ve received many politicians
from Iraq – all of them come
and talk the same talk but the reality
is that the minorities in Iraq have been
declining. We really can’t get involved
there nor do we have a role there. A
lot of people have given up on Iraq.”
“Then that would mean ISIS won
and we don’t want them to win,”
said the Ambassador. “ISIS expelled
Christians from Mosul which never
happened before, not even during the
Crusade. It’s never heard of! ISIS is
not the problem. The problem is what
comes after ISIS.”
The ambassador said the best way
to defeat ISIS is for Iraqis overseas to
visit their ancestral villages and rebuild
them. He added, “The bottom
line is we really need you and if you
will build a project there, you will be
very happy.”
“There seems to be disconnect
between the words and the actions of
the government,” said Martin Manna,
president of the Chaldean Community
Foundation. “Words are great
but actions are more important.”
Manna noted the contradictions
and inconsistencies of the Iraqi government
toward minorities: barring
alcohol, the new identification card
where it’s mandatory to state the citizens’
religion, and registering a minor
as Muslim following a conversion of
any of the parents to Islam.
“We want to go to Washington
and talk about economics and rebuilding,”
Manna said. “Imagine having
a force like us working with you?
But first, the Prime Minister should
issue a statement that acknowledges
Christians have equal rights and
those rights are protected in the constitution.
He should also ask Iraq’s
indigenous people to return to their
ancestral homeland, and establish a
fund to aid minorities and internally
displaced people.”
“Iraq needs to get rid of sectarianism
and be a democratic country
so we can work together,” said Roumayah.
“The community is pulling
away slowly.”
The ambassador understood, sympathized
and agreed with the members’
uncertainties, but he said that for now,
there are more pressing and concrete issues.
Iraq is affected by climate change
and this will create a lot of immigrants
as more Iraqis continue to leave the
country. Soon being Iraqi will become
tied to an ancestral land, to a virtual
network. While conflict between Shia
and Sunnis isn’t a problem, the Wahhabization
of Sunnis is. Today’s youth
yearn for good leadership and educational
institutions, the type that were
strongest in Iraq during the early 1950s.
“For now, let’s get rid of ISIS, then
we’ll sit down and talk,” Dr. Yasseen
said. “You’re in a strong position to
establish your rights because you have
a voice that carries in two different
directions – in America and in Iraq.
Amplify it!”
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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 31

Summer Strategy
Keeping your kids entertained and educated while off from school
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
Summertime for many schoolaged
kids means sleeping in,
hanging out and having fun.
Although there is room for some of
that, experts are encouraging parents
to have some structure and a
strategy for the summer.
Summer learning loss is the loss
of academic skills and knowledge
over the course of summer holidays.
With that said, it’s vital for kids to
be educated as well as properly entertained.
“The summer slide is a real
thing,” said Melody Arabo, 3rd
grade teacher in the Walled Lake
School District. “We work so hard
in the 3rd grade on multiplication
facts and reading and then in 4th
grade, we hear from teachers that
students don’t know their facts.
That transition between 3rd and
4th grade is significant.”
Arabo, who was Michigan’s 2015
Teacher of the Year, recommends
making learning in the summer fun.
She practices what she preaches,
too. When she is out walking the
dog with her son Adam for example,
she will throw out letter sounds.
“Making a game out of learning
is something parents can easily do in
a car ride for instance,” said Arabo.
“Throw out multiplication facts, ask
questions about states and state capitals
and make up learning games to
fill in the downtime.”
This year Arabo was selected for
the Teacher Ambassador Fellowship
with the U.S Department of Education.
She is among 10 teachers
across the country selected to serve
as a liaisons between educators and
policymakers.
Arabo uses many opportunities
to teach her own children. “When
Adam makes breakfast with me, we
count how many sausages he will eat
and how many eggs his sister will eat
for example,” she said. “We are reiterating
what kids are learning in
school.”
As important as learning is during
the summer months, Arabo
doesn’t believe a daily structured
study time is necessary. “If you do
those things great, but if you can
find a better way that won’t seem
like work, kids are more apt to get
something out of it.”
However, she does see benefits
to kids being tutored once a week in
the summer. As a teacher, she tutors
students during the break. She also
recommends several educational
websites including IXL for math and
Reading A to Z. “There are thousands
of books on that website you
can actually print out and fold into
a book, if you wanted,” she said
TenMarks is another website,
which is similar to IXL.
“Let the kids have fun” said
Arabo. “We work them hard during
school year. We add activities and
it ends up being a long day. So, let
kids explore. Sometimes when they
go outside and play, they can learn
just as much as they would reading
an A to Z book.”
Just as important as keeping the
mind sharp in the summer, Arabo
recommends managing a child’s social
life. “Keeping them connected
with friends is important,” she said.
“When they go back in the fall, they
don’t have to start all over socially.”
As much as having fun in the summer
is a must, it is also imperative to
have downtime. “Kids are involved
in so many things during the school
year,” said Iklas Bashi, Licensed Professional
Counselor (LPC) and a Life
Breakthrough Coach. “So many kids
are over-committed, so that downtime
is important.”
Depending on the child, downtime
can vary. “You can get them to
choose what that looks like depending
on their age,” said Bashi. “For
elementary school-aged kids, it could
be going to favorite spot in the house
or outside where they can read, do a
puzzle, play a board game or color.”
Since 2003, Bashi has worked
with individuals, couples, parents,
teens, families, and groups, journeying
with them to work through the
obstacles that stand in the way of
discovering their God-given identity
and purpose in life. She strongly
believes that meditation and prayer
can be part of downtime. “Kids need
time when their minds are not stimulated
by the phone, video games, and
social media,” said Bashi, “downtime
where they can play music that is relaxing
and they sit and journal.”
Limiting screen time is important.
“The smart phones have
become a baby sitter,” said Bashi.
“When I am at the mall or in public,
I am seeing phones in toddler hands
like 2 and 3 year olds. That is just
alarming. There are so many things
you can give a toddler to occupy
them. This,” said Bashi picking up
a cell phone, “should not even be a
last resort – not a resort at all.”
Research shows that the earlier
you are exposing children to the
technology, the greater the chance
they have of becoming attached to
it. “Too much screen time is not
good,” said Arabo. “In the summer,
it is easy for kids to get more screen
time than they should. They need
to get outside more. There are so
many learning opportunities just being
outside.”
Bashi highly recommends the
summer bucket list for each child
where they write a list of things they
want to do during the summer other
than just going to the pool. This can
include going downtown, ice skating,
visiting a museum or spending time
with a relative they don’t see often.
“I talked to parents who take
their kids to the pool every day and
32 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

although that can be fun, it also gets
old and many parents talk about
how their kids complain about being
bored,” noted Bashi. “As a parent,
talk to your children about the
options for the summer and start
making a list and scheduling different
things to do.”
Experts warn against giving into
every whim children have and “that
is where boundaries come in,” said
Bashi. “I understand it is summer
but there still has to be boundaries.
It is not going to be detrimental
to any child if they stay home one
or two days a week and have some
downtime.”
Arabo highly recommends educational
camps. There are science,
art, math and even cooking camps.
“Theater camps are great because
they include literature and oral language
skills,” she noted.
For elementary and middle school
children, there are a variety of different
camp options. “Find camps that
get kids out of their comfort zones,”
said Bashi. “You want them explore
new things that they can learn new
things, new skills, or a new sport. Do
something they typically would not
do. That will become fertile soil that
they learn about themselves and perhaps
the child never thought about
or something a parent never thought
about.”
For high school students, Bashi
said that boundaries have to be in
place. They cannot go the pool every
day. “High school kids can volunteer
or get a summer job. They
can apply for a summer internship.
And a lot of places offer scholarships
for summer internships,” noted
Bashi. “Employers and colleges love
to see motivated and interested high
schoolers waiting to learn more.
When they see you want to keep
yourself busy, even as a teenager in
the summer, they would see that the
student would be a great addition to
the university of business.”
High school students have options.
If they love the pool or beach,
they can become lifeguards. Another
option is to take summer classes to
learn something new. High School
students can attend community college
and take a photography class
for example or could volunteer at a
camp as a counselor or in the library.
Kids 12 an older can start businesses
by babysitting or mowing the
lawn. “Parents need to find opportunities
to empower their children
instead of handing everything over
to them,” said Bashi.
In the spirit of faith, Bashi recommends
signing up for a Holy
hour once a week with the family. “I
know everyone’s schedule will conflict
even if it is summer. Maybe two
people can go in the summer,” she
said. “You are actually still making
time for your prayer life. One hour
a week is not going to kill anyone.”
There are dangers of keeping a
child home alone. A child’s brain
is not fully developed. The brain of
an elementary age child is less developed
than a high school student.
“None the less, the brains of these
two examples are still undeveloped
brains,” said Bashi. “This is factual
neuroscience. Because their brains
are not developed and depending
on the age, they don’t have the ability
to guide themselves and to make
good judgment calls.”
A child left home alone, for long
periods of time with access to technology
and the internet could lead to
trouble. With the smart phone back
in her hand Bashi said, “These things
can be a weapon used for good and
bad. Over time, social media continues
to be a major problem.”
Cyberbullying has become a notable
topic in the media among schoolaged
kids. “Parents should consider
having their kids take a hiatus form
the phone and social media for a few
days at a time,” said Bashi. “There
is great danger in having children
spend long hours unsupervised.”
Back to the maturity level and
brain development, Bashi references
continued research done on the
brain. “It shows that an adult brain
is not fully developed until 25-yearsold.
It is not that we don’t trust our
children, but when you take into account
their brain development and
their well-being, they don’t have
the skill set to make the proper decisions,”
said Bashi.
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JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 33

ONE on ONE with...
Senator Gary Peters
Chaldean News publishers
posed questions to the U.S.
Senator on issues related to
Iraq and Christians in the Middle
East.
CN: What is your take on the
Christian Iraqis and others being
deported?
Gary Peters: I have heard firsthand
from community leaders about the
chilling effect of increased deportations
and the devastating effects on
their families. The U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has
a responsibility to be transparent in its
operations and communicate with local
communities and law enforcement
about ICE policies and activities.
CN: Is this truly a target of people
who are illegally here and have
committed federal crimes?
GP: I am committed to securing our
borders against drug trafficking and
human smuggling, but I also believe
the federal government has limited
resources and should focus on
those individuals who pose the most
threat like gang members and violent
criminals. I have concerns with the
Trump Administration’s shift in immigration
policy. While President
Trump has stated they are focused on
deporting those who commit crimes,
there have been a number of reports
of law-abiding community members
facing deportation. That’s why it was
so important that the Secretary of
Homeland Security, John Kelly, visited
Metro Detroit earlier this year -
so that he could hear the concerns of
the community firsthand, and build
on these discussions to make meaningful
progress. I was pleased that the
Chaldean community was represented
in those discussions.
In order to truly address our broken
immigration system, Congress
needs to come together in a bipartisan
way to enact comprehensive
immigration reform that will secure
America’s borders and strengthen
our economy.
CN: How are the Democrats in
D.C. working with the Trump administration
on foreign policy?
GP: Whether it is the fight against
ISIS, the threat posed by North
Korea or America’s commitment to
NATO, the Trump Administration
has yet to present a consistent, coherent
foreign policy. I am additionally
concerned about President Trump’s
proposed budget, which calls for
deep cuts to the State Department -
limiting America’s ability to pursue
diplomatic and political avenues in
an effort to deescalate situations or
resolve conflicts peacefully.
Earlier this year, I traveled to
Germany for the Munich Security
Conference, where I met with foreign
leaders and dignitaries about a
range of security challenges facing
the U.S. and our allies. It was very
clear in my discussions that our allies
are extremely concerned about Russian
aggression in Eastern Europe,
the future strength of NATO and attempts
to influence elections in other
countries. The world still looks to
United States as a global leader, and
we must uphold our commitments to
the NATO alliance, which is critical
to maintaining world stability and
battling groups like ISIS - which has
committed unspeakable acts against
Christians and religious minorities
that amount to crimes against humanity
and genocide and must be
defeated.
CN: Do you think the Affordable
Care Act with ever be rescinded or
amended? If yes, how? If no, Why?
GP: The repeal plan passed by the
House of Representatives is not a responsible
path forward.
I am deeply opposed to the provisions
allowing states to opt out
of critical protections that ensure
affordable coverage to millions of
Americans - including those with
pre-existing conditions - and get rid
of essential health benefit standards
like mental health and substance
abuse care. I’m also opposed to the
plan because it guts standards that
prevent insurance companies from
charging older customers more for
their insurance, and allows insurance
companies to charge women more
than men. Groups like AARP, the
American Medical Association, and
the American Hospital Association
have all come out against dangerous
proposals that are included in this
plan.
Democrats and Republicans need
to work together to find commonsense
solutions that improve the Affordable
Care Act rather than denying
care to those who need it most.
For example, I’ve supported proposals
to reform the Affordable Care
Act’s small business tax credits to
simplify the process and ensure more
businesses are eligible to apply.
CN: What is your assessment on
more Christian Iraqis being allowed
into the United States?
GP: In 2015, I sent a letter to President
Obama urging his administration
to resettle more Syrian refugees
and particularly persecuted religious
Senator Gary Peters
minorities, including Iraqi Christians,
Yezidis, Turkmen and Kurds.
Iraqi Christians have a rich history
and culture, but it may be lost forever
if they do not receive critical protections.
That’s why I deeply opposed
President Trump’s initial travel executive
order that suspended all refugee
admissions from Iraq and Syria,
and I continue to oppose any efforts
to close our doors to those fleeing the
violence and brutality of groups like
ISIS.
CN: As a member of the Armed
Services, what is your perspective
on the future of Mosul, Iraq and the
Nineveh Plains?
GP: In 2015, I had the opportunity
to visit Iraq and meet with Iraqi
Christian leaders, including Auxiliary
Bishop Shlemon Warduni. He
told me that, ultimately, Iraqi Christians
want to return to the Nineveh
Plains, the place they have called
home for centuries. As the Iraqi
Army continues its battle to reclaim
Mosul, it is very important that the
future safety and security religious
minorities are taken into consideration
and that Christians are given
the opportunity to return to their
homes and live safely.
CN: How would you like to see the
United States and other countries
handle the situation in Syria?
GP: I believe our ultimate goals in
the Syrian conflict should be restoring
stability to the region and providing
safety and security for the
Syrian people, who have endured
unspeakable terror at the hands of
their own government. Any government
that uses chemical weapons
to kill innocent men, women, and
children must be condemned and be
warned that such an action will not
be tolerated.
The situation in Syria requires
an international response. The U.S.
should continue working to build a
coalition that includes Arab partners
such as members of the Gulf
Cooperation Council. President
Trump must follow up the recent
air strikes on Syrian military targets
with a clear plan to address the humanitarian
crisis in Syria. I am disappointed
that President Trump has
not yet presented Congress with a
strategy or plan for Syria.
CN: Any other issues you see of
importance or top priority for you?
GP: My top priority in the U.S.
Senate is growing our economy and
creating more good-paying jobs in
Michigan. With small businesses
creating two out of every three new
jobs in our country every year, I
am working to make sure entrepreneurs
have access to capital to start
and grow their businesses. That includes
bolstering the Small Business
Administration’s flagship lending
program, 7(a) loans and increasing
federal outreach to minority-owned
small businesses. We also have to
make sure our kids are receiving a
quality education that will prepare
them for the jobs and businesses of
the future.
34 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 35

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Electrical Contractors
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Installation & Service
Generators for Large Facilities
Tom Tamou
Cell: (810) 560-9665
tamouselectric@sbcglobal.net
Office/Fax (586) 803-9700
“Serving our Community for over 29 yearS”
CHALDEAN
AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Sammi Naoum
Director - Leasing / Sales
sammi.naoum@fredlaverycompany.com
34602 Woodward Avenue
Birmingham, Mi 48009
direct 248-723-7086
mobile 248-219-5525
SELLING AUDI + PORSCHE + LAND ROVER
CHALDEAN
AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
SANA NAVARRETTE
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER
SANA NAVARRETTE
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
CELL (248) 925-7773
TEL (248) 851-1200
FAX (248) 851-1348
snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber
Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber
30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200
BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025
TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773
FAX: (248) 996-8342
snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanchamber.com
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber
Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber

events
Honoring
Community
Members
Westland Mayor William R.
Wild served as the Co-Chair of
the Chaldean American Chamber of
Commerce 14th Annual Awards Dinner
along with Dr. Nahid Elyas from
St. John Providence, Paul Jonna from
The Taubman Company and Mark
Sarafa from Pop Daddy Popcorn.
Chamber President Martin Manna
served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies
where nearly 900 guests attended
from around the region.
Victor Saroki, of Saroki Architecture
was named the 2017 Businessman
of the Year. St. John Providence
was awarded the Humanitarian of
the Year award and there was a special
recognition of Iraqi Counsel
General Almanhal Al Safi.
PHOTOS BY DAVID REED
38 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

Opening the doors to the past
BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO
Last month, more than 100 people
attended the soft opening of the
Chaldean Cultural Center Museum
housed inside Shenandoah Country
Club in West Bloomfield.
The Cultural Center and Museum
is a place people can step into
ancient Babylon and into an early
Christian church. It’s a museum
and Cultural Center where they can
visit an Iraqi Chaldean village, then
journey to America with pioneering
immigrants. They can discover the
diverse, dynamic lives of Chaldeans
today.
Among the guests at the launch
party were three bishops: Bishop
Francis Kalabat, Bishop Ibrahim
Ibrahim, and Bishop Jibrael Kassab.
Fr. Manuel Boji also attended the
event. The clergy led the guests in an
Aramaic prayer while Bishop Francis
blessed the Museum with holy water.
The Chaldean Cultural Center
Museum is the first of its kind in the
world. It’s an educational resource
that has been a decade in the making.
The Chaldean Cultural Center
Museum covers thousands of years of
Chaldean history.
It is now open three days a week:
Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Special arrangements can also be
made for tour groups, school field
trips, or for people who may want a
specific day and time.
The Chaldean Cultural Center
celebrates and explores the extraordinary
history, arts, traditions, and
contributions of the Chaldean people
from ancient times to the present,
serving as a repository of collected
history and stories. By forging
relationships with other educational
and cultural institutions, it not only
nurtures pride within the Chaldean
community, but also promotes greater
understanding between communities
as part of cultural diversity.
The Cultural Center paints a portrait
of a people, exploring the history
that shaped us, the faith that sustains
us and the lives that Chaldeans
lead today. At its heart is an exhibition
that takes visitors from the court
of Nebuchadnezzar to an immigrant
grocery store in Detroit and beyond.
“We received many compliments
as to how professional and beautiful
the Museum is and many want to
come back and take their time going
through the Museum to take it all
in,” said Mary Romaya, executive director.
“We plan to host a gala grand
opening in September for a more formal
opening.”
To find out more, go to:
www.chaldeanculturalcenter.org
PHOTOS BY RAZIK RONAN
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 39

event
The WoW Factor
United Community Family Services Chaldean American
Ladies of Charity (CALC) hosted the Wealth of Wisdom
(WoW) luncheon at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
The panel discussion included investment, business today,
resolving conflict and maintaining health.
40 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION
Help Wanted!
Please consider hiring one of
our many new Americans.
More than 30,000 Chaldean refugees have migrated to Michigan since 2007. Many
possess the skills and determination to work hard for you and your organization.
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) has a bank of resumes
of candidates qualified to do a variety of jobs. To inquire about hiring a
New American, call or email Elias at 586-722-7253 or
elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org.
Chaldean Community Foundation
Sterling Heights Office
3601 15 Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
586-722-7253
www.chaldeanfoundation.org
JUNE 2017 CHALDEAN NEWS 41

KIDS corner
HOW TO
START A
LEMONADE
STAND
CHOOSE THE SPOT: Just like in real
estate, it’s all about Location, Location,
Location. Most kids set up the stand in front of
the house, but only a few neighbors will see it.
Perhaps you can set up near a neighborhood
park or at a corner lot, if a neighbor doesn’t
mind, where there is more traffic.
SET UP THE STAND: Most kids use a
sturdy table with a couple of chairs. Consider
buying a ready-made lemonade stand that is
already marked and decorated.
DECORATE IT: Make colorful signs that
clearly say you are selling lemonade. Make the
letters big enough so people can see from the
roadside.
SPREAD THE WORD: Let neighbors
know you are selling lemonade. Tell your
friends.
PROVIDE GOOD SERVICE: Remember
to smile and be friendly when talking to
customers. Keep your stand clean and nicely
decorated. Make people want to come up to
your stand.
CHARGE IT: Make sure you are charging a
fair rate. Have your parents help you figure out
the price.
CHANGE IT: Keep change on hand for
customers who don’t have the exact amount.
HAVE FUN: The Lemonade stand
experience should be fun. Enjoy it.
Books
Reading
Summer
Break
WORD SEARCH
Pool
Tutoring
Journal
Music
Outside
Explore
Friends
These words were all
used in the article
Summer Strategy!
F N F P N C K S O K R O C O Z L F Z L C
P R I L G L R P E P J U D R S J Z K U L
W N I G V O R G N I R O T U T M P N R L
A L M E S O N I C G Y A J O S V S R O H
T M J C N P S N R J T M A K A E R B X L
M V F X L D G C S N R F N Z A G M I Q S
H O H Z F V S J I Q F L P O U D Q M A W
O Q F L P J M I X S U O B I G P Y Q Q V
F E J X M G M M F Z B Z J N C L T O S S
R T S G T R S F I O Y G C Q J B P J M W
T K G E C V Z L O K E N E X P L O R E J
J B R T W U A K F C M V I I H F D O Y N
R S L L C G S X Z E F V W F F V C B N O
D T A F M I P P D S G D O E O I D E X P
M X N O D O S I X U G N P Y S C J Z Q L
D I R C C N S U M M Q J I G B C W H P Y
H K U H X T L Z M M P Y Q D Z G G D G I
V F O X U W Y A H E L D Z Y A E I L R Y
F J J O J V Y M O R U V S L Q E T O H H
K A V D Y S B S W F E V E L B P R V U O
42 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2017

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