Committee gathers to celebrate Christmas
Around the corner and down the block from St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church is the “home” for youth and the Armenian National Committee (ANC), Glendale Chapter. There, on Chestnut Street, the seventh consecutive year of the Armenian Christmas Celebration took place on Jan.12 at the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center.
The program opened with a prayer by Father Vasken Atmajian, St. Mary’s pastor. Several moments of silence were offered in recognition of those killed in Tucson, Ariz.
The youth representing spring and summer interns of 2010 were introduced by ANC Executive Director Elen Asatryan. Asatryan also honored the two ANC scholarship winners, Anna Chilingaryan,17, and Hripsime Davtyan, 17. Both attend Glendale High School, and each received $500 scholarships.
“Originally, all Christians celebrated Christmas on Jan. 6,” said Sarkis Ourfalian, ANC co-chairman. The Armenian Church has maintained the Jan. 6 date from very early times of Christianity. Another ANC co-chairman, Leonard Manoukian, was also present to celebrate the date.
Education VIP’s attending included Glendale Community College Superintendent/President Dawn Lindsay, Glendale Community College Foundation President Ellyn Semler, college Board of Trustees President Tony Tartaglia and member Vahe Peroomian. Peroomian is increasingly donating his extra time to digital infrared photography. He calls his works “Infraredscapes” and frequently donates them to Glendale charity auctions.
Glendale Unified District board members on hand included President Mary Boger, Vice President Greg Krikorian, Clerk Nayiri Nahabedian and members Joylene Wagner and Christine Walters.
The event was put on to “thank the community for its support,” said Ourfalian. Accordingly, members of Glendale organizations were invited, including the Police Department, Fire Department, and the above institutions devoted to educating the youth of Glendale.
Admission was two toys, store-packaged but not gift-wrapped.
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Animal shelters are increasingly filling their ranks with pets that run off after New Year’s Eve celebrations. Fireworks, noise and doors left open by careless owners after a night of partying set the stage for cats and dogs to hightail it to safer ground.
In an attempt to remedy the solution, the Pasadena Humane Society presented its Winter Pet Adoption Fair on Saturday. On the Vroman’s Bookstore stage, seven volunteers and seven dogs shared the limelight. Humane Society Volunteer Nancy Flores introduced Guinness, a 4-year-old male who was found by the shelter as a stray on New Year’s Day. According to Flores, Guinness is a Cairn Terrier who might be a “blue blood.” But this little blue blood had a collar with no I.D. tag and a body with no implanted identifying chip.
Longtime Glendale resident Gregory Simms cozied up to Guinness. While considering the adoption, Simms took advantage of the food trucks that often appear at any event at which a crowd may gather. Simms’ favorite was the Cool Haus truck and opted for ice cream before lunch. He also entered a raffle to win a copy of “Adopting Pets for Dummies”. Simms might walk off with Guinness, yet.
All raffle and pet adoption proceeds benefit the Humane Society.