JUNE 17, 2017 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXVII, NO. 48, Issue 4492 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF US House Annual Mirror- Spectator Vacation Unanimously WATERTOWN — The Armenian Mirror-Spectator will be closed for two weeks for its annual summer Condemns vacation. The issue of July 1 is going to be the last issue Turkish Violence before the vacation. The first issue back will be that Against Protestors of July 22. World’s Longest Zip Calls on Perpetrators to be Line to Be in Armenia Brought to Justice YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The world’s longest WASHINGTON — On June 6, the US zip line will be opened in Yell Extreme Park in House of Representatives unanimously Yenokavan, this summer, Tigran Chibukhchyan, adopted House Resolution 354 with a vote cofounder of the park told reporters. of 397-0, which condemns the violence “The architectural section of the zip line is against peaceful protesters outside the almost completed and only a few issues remain to First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan at the My Way center with students and staff Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May be solved. Construction will begin from June 20. 16, 2017, and calls for measures to be We have planned to finish it by August,” taken to prevent similar incidents in the Chibukhchyan said. ‘My Way’ Is Helping Children future. H.Res. 354 was spearheaded by A crowd funding was held May 4 to June 2 on House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce Indiegogo for building the world’s longest zipline in With Autism in Armenia (R-CA), Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D- Armenia, raising $22,165. Yell Extreme Park offers NY), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R- also paragliding, paintball, horse riding, off-road dri- YEREVAN — It was not the atmosphere we expected to find in a center for CA), and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D- ving tours and other active leisure services. youngsters with autism: laughter rang out of one room where children were MD), and calls for “the perpetrators to be The zip line will be 2,680 meters long. busily painting, while piano brought to justice.” music sounded in another “House Resolution 354 puts Congress By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach room, where two young lads firmly on record in clear, unmistakable Cargo with Armenian Special to the Mirror-Spectator were performing a duet. terms condemning the actions of the Support Reaches Syria Playing from memory without Turkish security guards last month. The scores, they were fully concen- resolution also demands that Turkey imme- DAMASCUS (Prensa Latina) — The Armenian trated, absorbed in producing the strong rhythms. When one of the lads played diately lift diplomatic immunity for all Diocese of Damascus this week received 40 tons of a solo piece, his companion grabbed the hands of a woman (who turned out to those who assaulted US citizens and law food supplied by the people and government of be his mother) and swept her up enforcement officers. This resolution also Armenia sent by the Armenian Church of Armenia,. in dancing across the floor. In calls for the US State Department and the Armenia’s Ambassador to Syria Arshak Poladian another room, a child hovered US Secret Service to review their security highlighted that the cargo was sent by order of over his notebook, carefully writ- procedures and for them to convey to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan himself. ing out exercise sentences in Turkish officials in clear terms the expec- This contribution — the third this year — is part Armenian under the watchful eyes tations for the behavior of their security of a consistent delivery of humanitarian support to of his teacher. In other small teams when they are operating in the US,” Syria since 2012, responding to the Syrian solidar- rooms, the same one-on-one com- Chairman Royce said on the House floor. ity with Armenia for more than 100 years. bination of specialist and student “Passage of this resolution is an appropri- A week ago, another delivery had reached the air- was to be seen: whether in speech ate, strong response by this House to these port of Damascus with 18 tons of humanitarian therapy or physical therapy. The First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan with brutal actions by Turkish forces.” support and other first necessity items. scenes depicted youngsters con- AGBU President Berj Setrakian see VIOLENCE, page 16 centrated on tasks that they were carrying out in their own fashion, Valencia Recognizes with serenity, or delight or outright joy. The meaning of the center’s slogan — Armenian Genocide “I am different, I am one of you” — was immediately apparent. Heritage Park see AUTISM, page 3 VALENCIA, Spain — On June 9, the Valencia City Fundraiser Brings Council adopted a motion on the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, reports the Armenian Embassy in Spain. Together Eating The municipal groups Compromís, València en Congressional Letter Protests Comú and Socialista voted in favor of the motion Well, Doing Good presented by the Armenian Association “Ararat” on Proposed Cuts in Aid to Armenia the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, thus condemning the first genocide of the 20th century WASHINGTON — Since the White House from its responsibilities as the world’s lead- By Alin K. Gregorian and calling on the Valencian Courts, the released its budget recommendations for ing democracy. As the US and Armenia com- Mirror-Spectator Staff Government of Spain and Turkey to follow suit. FY18 on May 23, the Armenian Assembly memorate the 25th anniversary of diplomat- of America (Assembly) joined with ic relations, we urge the committee to reject BOSTON — One hates to stereotype, but Members of Congress to express concern the harmful cuts to US aid to Armenia pro- for many Armenians, food and conversa- about the 67 percent reduction in foreign posed by the President’s FY18 budget,” they tion, especially talking about food, can ele- INSIDE aid to Armenia. Spearheaded by continued. vate any evening. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), 27 Last week, the Assembly submitted testi- On Friday, June 9, the Armenian Members of Congress sent a letter to House mony to the Senate Appropriations Heritage Park brought together many in Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Subcommittee on State, Foreign the community who like good food and Bohjalian Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Operations, and Related Programs for also want to support efforts to maintain Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Fiscal Year 2018 highlighting key priorities. the park, at the Boston Public Market. Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) sharing those The Assembly’s testimony calls for: $40 mil- see CHEFS, page 8 concerns. lion in US economic aid to Armenia; $8 mil- Talk in LA The cuts in aid to Armenia dropped from lion to Artsakh; full enforcement of Section $20.4 million in FY16 to $6.8 million pro- 907 of the Freedom Support Act; $20 mil- Page 11 posed for FY18. lion to implement the Royce-Engel initiative “As Members who care deeply about to advance peace; assistance to protect and strengthening the bilateral relationship safeguard Christian minorities at risk in the between the United States and the Republic Middle East escaping to Armenia, such as INDEX of Armenia, we urge you to reject the harm- inclusion in the Near East Foundation’s Arts and Living . 11 ful cuts to US foreign aid to Armenia includ- programs in the region; $11 million in US Armenia . 2,3 ed in the President’s Fiscal Year 2018 military assistance to Armenia; and assis- Community News. 5 (FY18) budget,” the Representatives stated tance to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Editorial . 14 International . 4 in the letter. “At a time of tremendous glob- Georgia. The Assembly also strongly sup- al uncertainty, the US should continue to ports a second US-Armenia Millennium foster the progress of its allies, not retreat Challenge compact. 2 S ATURDAY, J UNE 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Sixth Armenian Church Representative Assembly was Convened in the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin Drug Traffickers ECHMIADZIN — On June 6, under Church of North America, and Levon was possible to organize the joint the presidency of Karekin II, Supreme Sargsyan (Araratyan Pontifical Diocese), Episcopal Assemblies, as a result of Arrested for Smuggling Patriarch and Catholicos of All were elected as co-chairman of the which we offered the rite of canoniza- Armenians; the 6th Armenian Church Assembly. The positions of co-Vice tion of the victims of the Armenian Meth from US Representative Assembly commenced a Chairman was assumed by Archbishop Genocide. We are delighted that year by YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Amid an ongoing inves- four-day meeting in the Mother See of Abraham Mkrtchyan, Primate of the year the pilgrimages of our faithful sons tigation, Armenian law enforcement agencies uncov- Holy Echmiadzin. The ered a drug trafficking case by an organized criminal meeting is being attend- group. The drugs were smuggled from the United ed by Bishops of the States in large quantities. The investigative commit- Mother See and the tee said the drug traffickers have been identified – Hierarchal Sees; one of them being a resident of the United States, Primates of the Dioceses and the two others of Armenia. According to evi- of Armenia and Diaspora; dence — a US-based ethnic Armenian man conspired Locum Tenens; Pontifical with his childhood friend from Armenia, and the lat- Delegations; members of ter’s acquaintance — on selling large amounts of the Supreme Spiritual drugs. According to their agreement, the man Council; elected clergy acquired a large amount of methamphetamine in the and lay representatives US and sent it to Armenia, hidden in a package.