Poochigians in the News
1990-2000
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Index of New Articles
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News Articles 2000 -1990 |
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High School Results for
Boys Soccer,
The Bakersfield Californian, January
30, 2000
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Garrett
Poochigian, Athlete,
Soccer, Garces Memorial High School |
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Legislator Cultivates
Reputation for Integrity,
The Bakersfield Californian, August
28, 1999
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Charles
Poochigian, California
State Senator,
14th Senate District. See Photo of
Chuck Poochigian |
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Debbie Koligian
Poochigian, wife of Charles Poochigian |
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Frank
Poochigian, father of Charles
Poochigian |
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Bob & Gary
Poochigian, brothers of Charles
Poochigian |
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High School Results for
CIF, Southern Section Finals,
The Orange County Register, May 23,
1999
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Poly Boys Stay on Track in
CIF, Press-Telegram, Long Beach,
California, May 16, 1999
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Calendar - Arlington, The The Arlington Journal, December 17, 1998
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Nayiri
Poochikian, Musician, Violinist |
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Four Valley
Lawmakers Sworn in. Poochigian Starts
New Job. The Fresno Bee,
December 8, 1998
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Introducing New Clergy, The Press-Enterprise Riverside,
California, August 8, 1998
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Lts. Thomas
& Patricia Poochigian, Clergy,
Salvation Army, Hemet Corps Community Center,
Hemet, California |
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Lauren, Cameron
& Mackenzie Poochigian,
Children of Thomas & Patricia
Poochigian |
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Poochigian Plans to Seek
Maddy's Seat - Republican
Wants to Go from State Assembly to State Senate,
The Fresno Bee, January 20, 1998
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This Weeks Community
Events - Classical Music Concert,
The Washington Post, January 15, 1998
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Nayiri
Poochikian, Violinist,
Musician, The Friday Morning
Music Club Washington D.C. |
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Brown & Boyajian
Become Big Pain to TCU, The Fresno
Bee,
October 20, 1997
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Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, California
State University
at Fresno, Fresno, California |
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Bulldogs Outclass Northern
Illinois - Heroes Aaron Kincaide
& Ryan Boyajian, The Fresno Bee,
September 6, 1997
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Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, California
State University
at Fresno, Fresno, California |
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International
Conference on Harmonisation,
Federal Register, May 9, 1997
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Guiragos
Poochikian, Ph.D., Center
for Drug Evaluation
and Research, United States Food & Drug Administration,
Washington D.C. |
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Dry Powder
Inhaler Flow Rate Performance,
The Pink Sheet, January 20, 1997
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Guiragos
Poochikian, Ph.D., Pulmonary
Drug Products
Chemistry Team Leader, United States Food & Drug
Administration, Washington D.C. |
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Poochigian Honored as
Republicans' Top Rookie,
The Fresno Bee, September 7, 1996
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Local
Students Receive Scholastic Awards, Fresno
Bee,
August 1, 1996
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Mark
Poochigian, Student at San Joaquin
Memorial
High School & Scholarship Recipient, The Triple X
Fraternity of California, Selma Chapter, Selma, California
See Photo of Mark Poochigian |
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Off to Austria, Professor Will Present Paper at
International Conference on Philosophy,
Grand Forks Herald, July 20, 1996
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Donald
Poochigian, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota |
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Eagles Win Fourth Section
Golf Title, Fresno Bee, May 14, 1996
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Families Honored, Fresno Bee, November 16, 1995
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Frank &
Gladys Poochigian, Farm Owners Since
1912,
Fresno, California |
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Suren &
Violet Melkonian, Farm Owners Since
1920,
Fresno, California |
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Poochigian Names Kaloostian as District Office Director,
The Armenian Reporter, September 9,
1995
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Mary Alice
Kaloostian, Director, Assemblyman
Chuck
Poochigian's District Office, Fresno, California |
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George &
Jackie Kaloostian, Parents of Mary
Alice
Kaloostian |
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Chuck
Poochigian, California State
Assemblyman,
29th Assembly District |
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Veterans Remembered, Veterans of Korean War Get
Their Memorial, The Washington Post,
July 28, 1995
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George
Poochigian, Jr., Korean War Veteran
(Army's 2nd Infantry Division), Whittier, California |
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Valley Rookie Legislatures Assigned to Key
Committees, The Fresno Bee, February
3, 1995
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Local
Leaders Honored for Disability Work, Fresno
Bee,
April 4, 1994
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Vartan
Poochigian, Volunteer of the Year,
California
Association of Physically Handicapped, Fresno, California |
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Bypassing the Gridlock -
BAFA's Hands-on Approach,
Armenian International Magazine (AIM),
February 28, 1994
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John
Poochigian, Jr., MD, Director,
Bay Area Friends
of Armenia (BAFA), San Francisco, California |
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Helping Newly Disabled
People Become Street Smart,
The Orange County Register, February
2, 1994
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Jim Poochigian,
Resident overcomes handicap
on Easy Street in Beverly Manor Nursing Center,
Seal Beach, California |
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Jackie
Poochigian Alexson, Daughter
of Jim Poochigian |
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Justin Alexson,
Grandson of Jim Poochigian |
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Laguna Hills Soccer, The Orange County Register, February 1, 1994
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Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, Laguna Hills
High School,
California |
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Poochigian, Aid to Wilson,
Says He'll Run for Jones'
Assembly Seat, The Fresno Bee, January
14, 1994
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Laguna Hills
Advances on Penalty Kick, The
Orange County
Register, December 28, 1993
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Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, Laguna Hills
High School,
California |
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Anytown Has
Youth on Its Side - Garden Grove,
Los Angeles Times, Orange County, June
10, 1993
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Sandi
Poochigian, Teacher,
Gifted and Talented
Education (GATE) program, Garden Grove Unified School
District, Garden Grove, California |
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Fashion
Show Benefits Home for Seniors,
The Orange County Register, November
12, 1992
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Ellen
Poochigian, Fund
raiser for the Orange County
Guild of the Ararat Home |
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Roman Catholics See Much
Diversity, The Des Moines Register,
May 16, 1992
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Ruth Poochigian, O.P., Director of Adult
Education, St. Joseph
Educational Center, West Des Moines, Iowa |
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Wilson Appoints Poochigian as Appointments Secretary,
The Sacramento Bee, September 6, 1991
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Critics Pick - Music Concert, The Washington Post,
February 10, 1991
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Nayiri Kredian
Poochikian, Musician, Violinist, Friday
Morning Music Club, Washington D.C. |
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Transition at the Top - Pete
Wilson Takes the Reins
in Sacramento, Los Angeles Times,
December 19, 1990
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Chuck
Poochigian, Chief
Deputy Appointments Secretary
Office of the Governor, California State Government,
Sacramento. See Photo of Chuck Poochigian |
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References |
News
Articles
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High School Results for Boys Soccer.
The Bakersfield Californian, January
30, 2000
Garrett Poochigian, Athlete, Soccer, Garces Memorial High School,
Bakersfield, California
Boys soccer
Garces 2, Shafter 1
Shafter 0 1 1
Garces 2 0 2
Shafter goal Cardenas. Shafter assist Fuentez. Garces goals Douglas, [Garrett]
Poochigian. Garces assists Ashley, Barnes. Shots on goal Shafter 8,
Garces 18. Saves Shafter 10 (Vega), Garces 6 (Hupp). Records Shafter 0-3
South Sequoia League, Garces 2-1 SSL, 3-8-2 overall.
JV Garces 3, Shafter 3.
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Legislator Cultivates Reputation for
Integrity.
The Bakersfield Californian, by Vic
Pollard, Californian Sacramento Bureau
August 28, 1999
Charles Poochigian, California State Senator,
14th Senate District. See Photo
of Chuck Poochigian
On paper, Kern County's
newest state senator, Republican Charles Poochigian
of Fresno, looks like one of the luckiest politicians the San Joaquin Valley has ever
known. He's married to the daughter
of a powerful Fresno County political figure.
- He was recruited for a high-level job in
the administration of former Gov. George Deukmejian, a fellow Armenian-American
- He was given an even higher-level position
by Gov. Pete Wilson.
- He was hand-picked by former Assemblyman
Bill Jones, a college classmate, to run for Jones' Fresno-Tulare County Assembly seat when
Jones became secretary of state.
- He avoided potential disaster by deciding
the time was not right to run for statewide office like attorney general or state
treasurer last year, when a surprise Democratic tide mowed down Republicans.
- Then he stepped effortlessly into the 16th
district Senate seat vacated by retired Sen. Ken Maddy when his only potential serious
opponent, Republican Assemblyman Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield, was persuaded not to run.
However, people who know Poochigian (pronounced
poo-CHEE-gee-an) say luck has had less to do with his success than careful, thorough
preparation; a reputation for integrity; a genial, outgoing personality; and hard work.
"If I had to go through a list and
choose someone to replace me," said Maddy, "Chuck Poochigian would
be one of the people at the top of the list."
He said Poochigian's
experience in the administrations of two governors gave him a leg up on the experience of
most lawmakers in the era of term limits. His knowledge of the agriculture industry, from
growing up on a farm near Fresno, was another plus.
"Chuck's philosophy would probably be
called a little bit more conservative than mine," Maddy added, "but in the
Bakersfield area, that probably would fit the profile a lot of people would like."
Indeed, Poochigian gets
rave reviews personally from just about everybody in his political career, from
Bakersfield to Sacramento.
"Chuck Poochigian is
one of those wonderful individuals in public life that have the integrity you want people
to have," said Martha Fallgatter, a Bakersfield Republican and California State
University trustee. "I think he's in politics to try to do the right thing for people
and the state, instead of his own political fortunes."
That's not to say everyone approves of his
political philosophy.
His strong support of property rights and
opposition to government regulations have led to clashes with environmental and consumer
groups.
By all accounts, however, he gets along
well personally with opposition groups as well as the Democratic majority in the
Legislature.
That's the chief reason he was chosen as
the Senate Republicans' point man in negotiations on multibillion-dollar bond issues for
water projects, parks and transportation facilities.
He is frequently called cautious. He is
slow to take positions on controversial issues, preferring to take plenty of time to
analyze them. In interviews, he often gives long answers to questions, choosing his words
carefully and revising or adding to answers later to make sure he is understood correctly.
He bristles, however, at the implication
that he is reluctant to take risks.
He insists he has taken plenty of risks,
like sponsoring a bill in 1996 that would have made it more difficult to prosecute
corporate managers who overlook workplace safety hazards or sell dangerously defective
products. Poochigian said he introduced it at the request of the Chamber
of Commerce to help improve the state's business climate, but it drew a barrage of
criticism from consumer groups and district attorneys before it was defeated.
He acknowledges, however, that he is
careful in his approach to his job.
"I try to be as thorough in
evaluating issues that come before me as possible," he said.
"I'm not knocking anyone else, but I
do sometimes get frustrated that legislation gets thrown together in the wee hours of the
morning without much thought, and then for years our courts are trying to figure out what
we intended, and we spend time and money year after year trying to fix things that maybe
we could have done better if we had spent a little more time."
Because at least one house of the
Legislature has been controlled by Democrats for his entire tenure, Poochigian cannot
point to major bills he has passed, but he is especially proud of a number of spending
measures and budget items he's pushed.
The valleywide rural crime task force was
expanded over the last two years from a Tulare County pilot project he sponsored. He also
takes credit for a $4 million agricultural technology center that serves four school
districts in rural Fresno County.
Poochigian's biography is
like the quintessential American success story.
He is the grandson of immigrants who fled
the Turkish massacres of Armenians at the turn of the century. His grandfather worked most
of his life in the Chicago stockyards.
His father, Frank Poochigian,
came to California as a child, worked in agriculture and eventually acquired a farm near
Sanger in Fresno County.
Charles Poochigian, 50,
now lives in a rural subdivision near the family farm. His two younger brothers, Bob
and Gary, live nearby.
As a teen-ager in the 1960s, Poochigian
worked during the summers in packing houses and a box-making plant. After graduating from
Sanger High School in 1967, he enrolled at Fresno State, becoming the first in his family
to attend college.
A business administration student and a
fraternity member with a conservative bent, Poochigian found himself at
odds with the anti-Vietnam-War, anti-establishment faction at the center of growing
turmoil at Fresno State.
One of his classmates and best friends was
another farmer's son, Bill Jones, who was elected student body president on a platform of
opposition to the bell-bottomed critics of the government and the college administration.
Poochigian says although he wasn't heavily
involved in student politics in his first two years, Jones appointed him a representative
of the junior class on the Student Senate.
"Chuck was always a steady, reliable,
consistent force that would listen to all sides, not be judgmental, but (was) a very great
support to me in difficult times," Jones said.
The campus turmoil faded after the war,
but personal and political alliances formed there did not.
Twenty years later, he said, "Bill
and I had a conversation, and he said he was more than likely going to run for statewide
office. I was then working in the governor's office, and he said, I don't know if
you're interested in running for the Legislature or not, but I'd be moving on, and you'd
be a strong candidate. If you're interested, this would be a good time to make that move,
Chuck.' "
Poochigian graduated from
Fresno State in 1972 and moved on to the University of Santa Clara law school. In 1975,
Poochigian and a buddy, Steve Vartabedian, opened a law office in Fresno.
Not long after that he was introduced to Debbie
Koligian at the Armenian Orthodox Church.
She is the daughter of Deran Koligian, a
farmer who was beginning to move up through the ranks of boards and commissions to become
a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, where he still serves.
Poochigian got actively
involved in politics in 1978, helping organize a fund-raiser for then-state Sen.
Deukmejian's campaign for attorney general.
In that race, he said, Debbie
demonstrated a talent for organizing political and social events that she has honed into
an art and is now an essential part of his political success.
That led to fund-raising and organizing in
Fresno for Deukmejian's successful campaign for governor four years later as well as local
campaigning for Presidents Reagan and Bush.
In 1988 he received a call out of the blue
from the office of Gov. Deukmejian, who then had just two more years to serve.
"I was asked if I had any interest in
working for Gov. Deukmejian," he said. "The point was made that I was one of the
few people who had been actively involved with him virtually from the beginning and hadn't
asked for anything."
He and Debbie decided
that he would accept the position of chief deputy appointments secretary, interviewing
applicants and making recommendations on appointments to everything except judgeships.
Expecting to stay no more than two years,
Poochigian stayed for the transition to Gov. Pete Wilson's administration and was asked to
fill the vacancy created when Wilson's original appointments secretary left.
That gave him a major role in all the
judicial appointments Wilson made for the next three years.
He gets rave reviews on his performance by
both former governors.
"He impressed me as being very
thorough and having very fine interpersonal skills," said Deukmejian.
"The only thing I used to kid him
about is that he likes to write long memorandums. I kept trying to get him to shorten them
a little bit."
Did he ever change?
"Of course not," laughed Bob
White, Wilson's chief of staff.
Wilson said Poochigian
was "outstanding in what I view as a very important role" making
recommendations in the selection of scores of judges.
"Long after I am a dim, unpleasant
recollection for a number of people," Wilson added, "the legacy that will
survive me is the quality of the people we put on the bench."
Both former governors said Poochigian's
sense of humor and frequent, often outrageous puns made their work more enjoyable.
When Poochigian ran for Jones' Assembly
seat in 1994, he won easily.
That was the year Republicans captured
nominal control of the Assembly for the first time in two decades.
It would be another year before the GOP,
frustrated by former Speaker Willie Brown's maneuvers, could take actual control.
When they did in early 1996, Poochigian
was named to the powerful chairmanship of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, partly in
the belief that he had a better communication pipeline to Wilson than most other GOP
lawmakers.
It's not so inconceivable now in the era
of term limits, but Poochigian believes he may be the first freshman lawmaker to head the
Assembly's money committee, at least in modern times.
In 1998, when Maddy was forced to retire
under term limits, both Poochigian and Ashburn good friends
were logical candidates to replace him. Their Assembly districts were contained within
Maddy's, which ran along the east side of the valley from Fresno down into Bakersfield.
At first, Poochigian
explored running for attorney general or some other statewide office, giving Ashburn hope
that he could go for the Senate without an intraparty primary election battle against his
friend.
But Poochigian decided
the GOP field was already too crowded and the timing was not right. Under the best of
circumstances it would have been an expensive, uphill battle for the statewide name
recognition he lacked.
As the deadline for filing for the Senate
race neared, Ashburn decided to run for re-election to the Assembly. Republican power
brokers had warned him privately they believed Poochigian would win the
battle because of his prodigious fund-raising ability and his powerful political base
among the valley's large and intensely loyal Armenian-American community.
Indeed, Poochigian had
nearly $500,000 in his campaign bank account as of July 1 this year, three years from his
next election.
Ashburn says the decision not to go for
the Senate was his alone.
"I just decided it was not healthy
for our district or for the Republican Party," he said, to waste money and energy
that could be devoted to electing more Republicans to the Legislature.
Both men insist there are no hard
feelings.
In Kern County most political figures are
gauged by their relationship to the county's powerful but controversial congressman,
Republican Bill Thomas. Poochigian is often asked about that, and tells
constituents he wants to be judged on his own, not in comparison with another official.
He says he has a good relationship with
Thomas' office, but he has already crossed Thomas on one issue. He was among Senate
Republicans signing a letter opposing a political reform initiative expected to appear on
the March election ballot with strong backing by Thomas.
If passed by voters, It would take the
reapportionment of legislative districts out of the hands of the Legislature, a goal of
all Republicans with the Legislature and the governor's office controlled by Democrats.
But to appeal to disaffected voters of both parties, it would also slash state
legislators' pay and per diem.
"My concern is where you seek to
inspire angry opposition to the Legislature as a means of getting the measure passed, I
think the likelihood of approval is reduced," Poochigian said.
As for Poochigian's
future, he has the potential of seven more years in the Senate under term limits, and he
insists he spends little or no time "strategizing and scheming about my next
move."
But having already expressed an interest
in moving up, few people would be surprised if he ran for statewide office, probably
attorney general next. He would get enthusiastic backing from nearly everybody who knows
him, including Wilson, who said: "I would be among those encouraging him to do
that."
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High School Results for CIF, Southern Section
Finals.
The Orange County Register, Sports,
Page 16, May 23, 1999
Jamie Kolar, Athlete, Pole Vault, Long Beach Poly High School
See Photo of Jamie Kolar
Girls Track Division 1, Pole Vault
Results
1st Place - Pearson (Hoover) 12-0
2nd Place - Ward (Peninsula) 12-0
3rd Place - Ahn (Santa Monica) 11-6
4th Place - Rebello (Marina) 11-0
5th Place - Clark (Alta Loma) 10-6
6th Place - Kolar (Long Beach Poly) 10-0 |
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Poly Boys Stay on Track in CIF. Press-Telegram By Ben Villa,
Long Beach, California, Sports, Page B7, May 16, 1999
Jamie Kolar, Athlete, Pole Vault, Long Beach Poly High School
See Photo of Jamie Kolar
At the 1999 CIF Southern Section
Division I Track and Field CIF Preliminaries held at Veteran's Stadium, the Poly High boys
team did what they were expected to do. The Jackrabbits, the defending Division I CIF
Southern Section champions who were looking to tune up for next week's CIF finals, did
just that.Poly, which got strong
showings from Darrell Rideaux, who had the fastest time in the 100 meter yard dash (10.51)
and from Jeremy Johnson, who had the fastest mark in the 300 meter hurdles (38.65), saw
eight members of the Jackrabbit team qualify for the championships.
Poly's 4 x 100 meter relay time also came
in first place with a mark of 41.05, edging Lynwood's time of 43.72. Other
Jackrabbits who qualified for next week's finals included Kareem Kelly (10.53) and Samie
Parker (10.87), who qualified along with Rideaux in the 100 meters, Lonnell Penman (6-5)
who qualified in the high jump, Martin Conrad (9:41.53) in the 3,200, Michael Dickerson
(39.85) in the 300 hurdles and Lonnie Hart (44-10) in the triple jump.
"The main thing today was to qualify
for next week," Poly Head Coach Don Norford said. "It didn't matter who
won or who had the fastest time, the important thing was to qualify for the finals."
The top nine performances in each event
qualify for next week's CIF Southern Section Finals at Cerritos College.
Sophomore Jamie Kolar
became the first ever girl to qualify for the finals from Poly in the pole vault when she
had a personal best mark of 9-10.
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Calendar - Arlington. The Arlington Journal, Arlington, Virginia,
December 17, 1998
Nayiri Poochikian, Musician, Violinist
Lunchtime Chamber Concert, noon to 1
p.m., Ellipse Arts Center, 4350 N. Fairfax Drive. Friday Morning Music Club's concert
features Bach's "Partita No. 3, E Major'' with Nayiri Poochikian,''
solo violin, and Mozart's "Divertimento in E Flat Major, K. 563,'' with Katherine
White, violin, Susan Crawford, viola, and Mary Sue Donovan, cello. Free. 228-6960. |
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Four Valley Lawmakers Sworn in. Reyes,
Florez,
Briggs & Poochigian Start New Jobs. The Fresno Bee
by Mike Lewis Bee, Home, Page A1, December 8, 1998
Charles Poochigian, California State Senator,
14th Senate District. See Photo
of Chuck Poochigian
Seldom, if ever, has Valley politics
looked so new or so young. Three 30-something Valley freshman legislators joined the state
Assembly on Monday as the 1999-2000 Legislative session began. Democrats Sarah Reyes of Fresno and Dean Florez of
Shafter, and Fresno Republican Mike Briggs all made the voters' decisions official at the
Capitol's biennial swearing-in ceremony. None has prior experience in the Legislature,
leaving a vast swath of the greater Fresno area with a complete contingent of neophyte
assembly members.
"I think that this is the first time
you've had this broad of a region, portions of Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties all with
freshmen," said Sen. Jim Costa, now the Valley's senior legislator. Costa, a Fresno
Democrat, and newly elected Sen. Chuck Poochigian, a Fresno
Republican, also were sworn in Monday.
Poochigian, too, is a
freshman. However, he spent four years in the Assembly before winning the Senate seat
vacated by former Sen. Ken Maddy.
Today, most lawmakers will return to their
districts until work officially begins Jan. 4.
On that day, too, Governor-elect Gray
Davis and Lieutenant Governor-elect Cruz Bustamante and other constitutional officers,
including Secretary of State Bill Jones, will be sworn in.
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Introducing New Clergy. The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA,
Page B6, August 8, 1998.
Lts. Thomas & Patricia Poochigian, Clergy Officers,
Salvation Army, Hemet Corps Community Center,Hemet, California
Lts. Thomas and Patricia Poochigian.
Congregation: The Salvation Army, Hemet Corps Community Center, 1779 E. Florida Ave.,
Suites D 2-5, Hemet. Serves San Jacinto Valley, Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Anza, Perris
and Nuevo. Education: Both hold degrees in ministries, Salvation Army College for Office
Training. Past service: Served as Corps helpers at the San Diego Citadel Corps. Previously
were directors of youth, children's ministry and bible study in the U.S. and Europe. Family:
Children: Lauren, 15, Cameron, 13, and Mackenzie, 11. Philosophy: "We would
like to see our Social Services meet more of the community's needs as well as to let the
people know that The Salvation Army is more . . . It is a vital, growing church. . . Our
motto is "A Heart to God and a Hand to Man."
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Poochigian Plans to Seek Maddy's Seat -
Republican
Wants to Go from State Assembly to State Senate.
The Fresno Bee by Mike Lewis Bee,
Home, Page B1, January 20, 1998
Charles Poochigian, California State Assemblyman,
29th Assembly District. See Photo
of Chuck Poochigian
Assemblyman Charles Poochigian
Monday confirmed the worst-kept political secret in Fresno: He will run for Sen. Ken
Maddy's 14th District seat. "I
have thoroughly enjoyed my work in the state Assembly," the Fresno Republican said.
"I am now excited about the possibility of serving a larger constituency in the San
Joaquin Valley."
Considered a conservative stronghold, the
14th District contains 800,000 Valley residents in eastern Fresno, Tulare and Kern
counties.
Republicans have held it for many years,
although the district's boundaries changed under the last reapportionment in 1990 and
likely will change again in 2000.
Before his election to the Assembly in
1994, Poochigian had served in the Deukmejian and Wilson administrations. Poochigian,
in his second term in the 29th Assembly District seat, noted his long experience in
Sacramento and on his family farm.
"I think both have given me a good
perspective on what is good for the Valley and, at the same time, good for the
state," he said.
"During my two terms in the
Legislature, I have tried to fulfill pledges and be true to my philosophy as well as to
work very hard and be responsive."
When he won his Assembly seat, Poochigian
replaced outgoing Republican Assemblyman Bill Jones, who now is the California
Secretary of State. Maddy has occupied the 14th District Senate seat since 1979, and
before that had been in the Assembly since 1970.
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This Weeks Community Events - Classical Music Concert
The Washington Post by Gerri Marmer, Weekly -
DC, Page J4,
January 15, 1998
Nayiri Poochikian, Musician, Violinist,
Friday Morning Music Club,
Washington D.C.
CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT by members of
the Friday Morning Music Club, with works by Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Arno Babadjanyan and Nayiri
Poochikian, noon, Charles Sumner School, 1201 17th St. NW. Free. 202-882-2049.
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Brown & Boyajian Become Big Pain to
TCU. The Fresno Bee
by Ron Orozco, Sports, Page D8, October 20, 1997
Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, California State University at
Fresno,
Fresno, California
Chad Brown should've been the first
Fresno State soccer player signing postgame autographs Sunday, but time with the trainer
made him last. It takes time
strapping ice bags to two sore knees and peeling off wrapping from Brown's left elbow.
"That's the way it's gotta be, I
guess," the Bulldogs junior midfielder said.
No pain mattered to Brown, who curled in a
direct kick in the 60th minute and assisted on Ryan Boyajian 's game-winning header
in the 96th as Fresno State snapped a two-match losing streak with a 2-1 overtime win over
Texas Christian.
"He's still dangerous," Bulldogs
coach Dave Chesler said. "You keep him out there, and he's going to get something
done."
That came in the sixth minute of overtime,
when Brown and Boyajian were tuned to the same wave length. Brown beat his defender
in the left wing.
"I said, `I'm going to drop off for
this one' because {Chad} was beating the guy all day," Boyajian, a senior
midfielder, said.
Boyajian started backpedaling, all
the way behind TCU's defense, and it caught Brown's attention.
"I was just waiting for someone to
get in there," Brown said.
Brown laid the cross just right to Boyajian,
who heard freshman goalkeeper Ian Keate yell for it but didn't stop from trying a header.
"I just went up, and I guess {Keate}
went before me, or behind me, I don't know," Boyajian said.
It didn't matter. Boyajian nailed
it.
"Great feeling. {I} needed
that," he said. The Bulldogs struggled (20 shots on goal) finishing off a Horned
Frogs team reeling from a six-match losing streak.
"You keep a team in {the game}, and
life is miserable," Chesler said. "We made that a much tougher game than it
needed to be.
"{But} it wasn't just the finishing.
We didn't move the ball quickly."
The Bulldogs again switched goalkeepers at
halftime. TCU drew Mirko Vuksic out of goal on a breakaway in the 14th minute, with Aaron
Grieshaber hitting the open net. Jeff Fluharty played the rest of the way.
Brown's goal came from the left corner,
bending around TCU's wall and over Keate.
"Bit of luck," Brown said.
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Bulldogs Outclass Northern Illinois -
Heroes Aaron Kincaide &
Ryan Boyajian. The Fresno Bee by Ron Orozco, Sports, Page D3,
September 6, 1997
Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, California State University at
Fresno,
Fresno, California
Three minutes remained in Friday
afternoon's game when two boys at Bulldog Stadium spoke the truth, using a pretend
microphone -- a water bottle -- to put into perspective the Fresno State-Northern Illinois
soccer match. "The Bulldogs
are good," one boy said.
"The other team's not so good,"
said the other.
The truth might hurt Northern Illinois.
Final score: Bulldogs 6, Huskies 0.
The hot, humid conditions zapped players
enough at the Goal Rush Classic. But pity Northern Illinois goalkeeper Sean McCearley, who
also had to deal with 25 shots on goal.
McCearley, a 6-foot 2-inch, 207-pounder,
didn't know the Bulldogs' objective was to make amends for Sunday when they had 18 shots
on goal in a scoreless tie with No. 6 Washington.
"One of our points of focus was our
finishing, being mobile up front, getting in the box," coach Dave Chesler said after
his first Bulldogs victory.
McCearley could've used that water bottle.
Six Bulldogs scored, from Matt Williams'
hammer deflecting over McCearley in the eighth minute to Ryan Boyajian 's maneuver
around McCearley in the 79th.
Aaron Kincaide, a sophomore forward, came
off the bench in the second half to trigger a three-goal uprising in a span of 10 minutes
48 seconds.
McCearley came 32 yards out of goal for
the ball. Kincaide beat two defenders, but McCearley deflected his chip attempt.
"I didn't think I got the goal,"
Kincaide said.
But the ball caromed past McCearley into
the untended goal, making it 4-0 in the 52nd minute.
Five minutes later, Kincaide spun around
on the outside, one-touched toward the far post to draw McCearley and heard Dana McGregor
"screaming his lungs out" for a cross.
McGregor, a freshman midfielder from
Arroyo Grande, rammed it into another open goal to put the finishing touch on the rout.
"Aaron did all the work,"
McGregor said. "I just put it in."
Harri Kiviniemi, a sophomore forward from
Finland, capped the flurry in the 63rd minute with a rebound goal of his own blocked shot.
Chesler soon replaced Jeff Fluharty in
goal with Mirko Vusic as Northern Illinois mustered just five shots.
"We're just so happy with the way
we're defending," Chesler said. "Our zone defense really frustrates people.
After 15 minutes, they already start trying to play over the top. {They} do not play
through us."
San Diego 1, Butler 0:Nicholas Kalafatich
scored in the 69th minute from 18 yards into the right post, frustrating Butler goalkeeper
Carlos Castellanos, who had made three leaping saves.
Butler midfielder Mike Latos missed a
header just over the goal cage in the 82nd minute.
Toreros goalkeeper Carlos Castellanos
preserved the win with a save on Joel Armstrong's attempt in the 88th minute.
GOAL RUSH CLASSIC
Friday's scores: Bulldogs 6, Northern
Illinois 0; San Diego 1, Butler 0
Heroes: Aaron Kincaide and Ryan
Boyajian each has a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs
Sunday: Noon, San Diego vs. Northern
Illinois; 2:15 p.m., Fresno State vs. Butler, Bulldog Stadium.
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International Conference on Harmonisation
- Guideline of
Stability Testing for New Dosage Forms,
Federal Register, Page 25634
May 9, 1997
Guiragos Poochikian, Ph.D., Center for Drug Evaluation & Research,
United States Food & Drug Administration, Washington D.C.
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is publishing a guideline entitled "Stability Testing for New
Dosage Forms." The guideline was prepared under the auspices of the International
Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals
for Human Use (ICH). The guideline addresses the generation of stability information for
new dosage forms for submission to FDA by the owner of the original application. The
guideline is an annex to the ICH guideline entitled "Stability Testing of New Drug
Substances and Products." DATES:
Effective June 9, 1997. Written comments may be submitted at any time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Regarding the guideline: Guiragos
K. Poochikian, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (HFD-570), Food and
Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-1050.
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Dry Powder Inhaler Flow Rate Performance,
The Pink Sheet, United States Food and Drug
Administration,
January 20, 1997
Guiragos Poochikian, Ph.D., Pulmonary Drug Products
Chemistry Team Leader, United State Food & Drug Administration,
Washington D.C.
Dry Powder Inhaler Flow Rate
Performance Studies are being suggested by FDA, especially for newer inhaler designs,
Division of Pulmonary Drug Products Medical Officer Babatunde Otulana, MD, said at a Jan.
14 Drug Information Association meeting on DPIs in Washington D.C. The studies suggested
by Otulana are in addition to the studies outlined in FDA's 1994 Points to Consider on Dry
Powder Inhalers ("The Pink Sheet" July 18, 1994, T&G-4). FDA has been recommending two additional types of
studies to sponsors "based on some of the [chemistry manufacturing and control]
issues that have come up as we have seen newer and newer designs of DPIs," Otulana
said. "We have come to recognize that a few innovative approaches have to be made in
clinical design."
In designing the flow rate studies,
Otulana recommended that companies look at "patients of varying severity of
disease...and also look at adults and look at children and their ability to generate the
necessary flow through the device." The second type of studies being recommended by
FDA are "studies that assess the systemic safety of the new device," Otulana
said.
"Formulation characteristics, drug
delivery from the device, resistance to flow [and] ease of use, as well as the ruggedness
of the device may be more crucial for" multidose devices than single-dose devices,
Otulana explained in an abstract for the meeting. Many of the DPI products under
development in the U.S. are multidose devices, while those that have been marketed are
single-dose designs, he noted.
At the meeting, CDER Division of Pulmonary
Drug Products Chemistry Team Leader Guirag Poochikian, Ph.D., said
that "significant patient and health professional instructions are needed for the
correct use of different DPIs" that have "different designs and modes of
operation." A supportive study that will be necessary to provide those instructions
is "evaluation of the emitted dose and particle size distribution as a function of
flow rate and duration," he said. "This will provide a general idea to
physicians from a review perspective and also from a practice perspective about the
performance characteristics of the device as it relates to the instructed capabilities of
the patient of different age, gender, suffering with different degrees of disease,"
he said.
Poochikian also discussed the
importance of controlling drug product variability to "reduce the noise level and
increase the sensitivity of the clinical study test results" for dry powder inhalers.
Among the parameters that affect variability, particle size distribution "is one of
the most important attributes" that should be controlled. "The method for this
task should be capable of fractionating and collecting particles by aerodynamic mass
diameter and should be able to give size distribution of the whole dose rather than a
fraction of the dose," Poochikian said.
Microscopic evaluation is "a
relatively crude and somewhat subjective task," Poochikian said. "But we
do believe that it has certain important merits and that is why we think it should be
retained as a regulatory test because it does provide information which is not available
by other tests," Poochikian said. "This test will be most useful during
preformulation and particularly the stability studies."
Poochikian commented that content
uniformity "may be examined as appropriate from different perspectives depending on
the type of device." In DPIs using the capsule approach to drug delivery, "the
content uniformity of the capsule itself and the premetered dose as well as that of the
emitted dose" should be evaluated, he said.
Poochikian added that studies
examining "physical abuse" of the device to "figure how will the device
behave if it is mistreated with regard to its performance characteristics,"
evaluations of "flow resistance to the device" and studies of "the
performance characteristics through the life of the device from beginning to end"
could be additional supportive studies.
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Poochigian Honored as Republicans'
Top Rookie.
The Fresno Bee by Phoebe Wall Howard,
Home, Page B1, September 7, 1996
Charles Poochigian, California State Assemblyman,
29th Assembly District. See Photo
of Chuck Poochigian
Assemblyman Chuck Poochigian
of Fresno has been honored as the Assembly's Republican Rookie of the Year by
California Journal magazine in its September issue. Fellow legislators, lobbyists and
Capitol staff helped shape the survey results. Poochigian was named "one of the brightest, most
level-headed" legislators the state Capitol has seen in a long time.
The magazine, which focuses on California
government and politics, says Poochigian is a "hard worker who some say takes
his job too seriously at times." It calls him independent and praises his ability to
create cross-party coalitions.
Poochigian 's reaction: "You
do your best to do the job, work as hard as you can to try to make a difference, sort of
earn your keep. . . . It was really wonderful to receive the kind of recognition this
award represents."
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Local Students Receive Scholastic Awards.
Fresno Bee
Compiled by Michele Daniels, Home, Page B2, August 1, 1996.
Mark Poochigian, Student at San Joaquin Memorial High School &
Scholarship Recipient, The Triple X Fraternity of California, Selma Chapter,
Selma, California. See Photo of
Mark Poochigian
The Triple X Fraternity of California,
Selma Chapter, recently honored the recipients of the annual scholarship awards. Winners and their graduating high schools were:
Hagop Afarian, Edison High School; Jaime Tikijian, Fowler High School; Jill Simonian,
Sanger High School; Amy Bagdasarian, Bullard High School; Mark Poochigian,
San Joaquin Memorial High School.
Students received the $750 scholarships
based on academics, financial need, and community and extra-curricular activities.
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Off to Austria - University of North Dakota Professor Will Present
Paper at International Conference on Philosophy. Grand Forks Herald,
North Dakota, July 20, 1996.
Donald Poochigian, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of
North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Because Ludwig Wittgenstein chose to
ignore his great family wealth and teach elementary school in the 1920s, University of
North Dakota Associate Professor Donald Poochigian will find himself next
month in a tiny town in Lower Austria. Poochigian will be rubbing elbows with some of the
biggest names in contemporary philosophy. Like Wittgenstein, considered by many to be the
greatest philosopher of the 20th century, those names are largely unknown to the general
public.
This is the second
international conference Poochigian has been invited to in the past two
years. He went to Peru last year to deliver a paper on a related topic.
He said it's no coincidence that his
papers take him abroad. Looking at philosophical conferences in the United States, he
said, it appears that Americans have lost interest in talking about the philosophy of
politics and instead are concentrating on narrower, more technical questions.
By contrast, Europe and other parts of the
world are teeming with questions about politics and the legitimacy of government,
especially since the Soviet Union collapsed and many peoples of the world find themselves
facing questions of self-government for the first time in decades.
So, it's off to Austria. Laboring in
obscurity can have its rewards.
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Eagles Win Fourth Section Golf Title. Fresno Bee, Home,
Page D3, May 14, 1996.
Mark Poochigian, Golf Team, San Joaquin Memorial High School,
Fresno, California. See Photo of
Mark Poochigian
A Josh Watney shot 73 and Ryan Meyer 76, the best two scores of the day, as
Clovis West High won its fourth straight Central Section team golf championship at River
Island Country Club. The Golden
Eagles glided past runner-up Golden West 393-405. Mount Whitney's Troy Stotesbery shot 76
and Golden West's Kevin Martin shot 77.
Scores:
Clovis West (393): Josh Watney 73, Ryan
Meyer 76, Michael Thurman 81, David Buchanan 81, Anthony Seidel 82
Golden West (405): Kevin Martin 77, Shaun
Trimble 79, Matt Mahlman 80, Aaron Forbes 84, Kirk Marshall 85
Stockdale (413): Matt Foster 79, Daryl
Friesen 80, Marcos Castro 80, Philip Taube 82, Dustin Russell 92
Mount Whitney (415): Troy Stotesbery 76,
Jud Klinger 83, Randy Chrisman 84, Sam Bingaman 86, Travis Chapin 86
San Joaquin Memorial (419): Matt Muro 79,
Jarret Benov 83,
Mark Poochigian 85, Michael DePrima 85, Phil Ellithorpe 87
Tehachapi (421): Ward Sutton 81, Jeremiah
Marks 84, Danny Stark 84, Chris Carlson 86, Josh Tyree 86
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Families Honored. Fresno Bee, Home, Page E1, November 16, 1995.
Frank & Gladys Poochigian &
Suren & Violet Melkonian,
Farm Owners since 1912 & 1920, Fresno, California
A group of Fresno County families who
have farmed the same land for three generations or more were honored Wednesday at the
AgFRESNO exposition by a group of women volunteers representing several farm
organizations.
The families' histories, including some old photographs, were part of the exhibit that the
volunteer group mounted at the farm equipment show that will continue through Friday at
the Fresno Fairground.
Those honored, the year their farms were founded and their districts are: * Knox and Carol
Blasingame, 1860, Auberry. * Cliff and Mildred Olsen and Steven and Judy Hansen, both in
1875 in Easton. * Richard and Bonnie Schultz, 1886, Burrel. * Walter and Doris Halemaier,
1886, Locan/Lone Star. * Richard and Barbara Milton, 1891, Reedley. * Robert Wash, 1891,
Lone Star. * Ken and Lilyan Chooljian, 1898, Del Rey. * Jim and Julie Olsen, 1900, Easton.
* Dennis and Bonnie Simonian, 1901, Lone Star. * Frank and Gladys Poochigian,
1912, Lone Star. * Suren and Violet Melkonian, 1920, Lone Star.
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Poochigian Names
Kaloostian as District Office Director.
The Armenian Reporter, Page 15,
September 8, 1995.
Mary Alice Kaloostian, Director, Assemblyman Chuck Poochigian's
District Office, Fresno, California
George & Jackie, Parents of Mary Alice Kaloostian
Chuck Poochigian California State Assemblyman, 29th Assembly
District
Mary Alice Kaloostian
has been named the District Office Director for State Assemblyman Chuck Poochigian
's Fresno office. Kaloostian deals directly with the constituents of
the 29th Assembly District, which includes portions of Fresno and Tulare Counties. In his first year as a legislator, Poochigian serves
as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Budget Committee, Joint
Budget Conference Committee, Natural Resources Committee and the Committee on Water,
Parks, and Wildlife.
Kaloostian, daughter of George
and Jackie Kaloostian, was born and raised on her family's Fresno farm. She
attended Sanger High School, Fresno City College, and California State University, Fresno.
Kaloostian has been
interested in government, politics and public affairs from an early age. From student
government, to participating in the campaigns of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush,
and Governors George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson, to a delegate member of the California
Republican Party, she has been very active in Republican politics in the Fresno area.
"My private sector background should
be very helpful in dealing with the special problems handled in a busy Assembly office.
This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to act on my personal interest in
government while assisting Assemblyman Poochigian in service to his
constituents," said Kaloostian.
Kaloostian served for 20
years with Gottschalk's Inc. as a member of senior management. While working for the
company, Kaloostian served on the Steering Committee for the Fresno High
School Marketing Academy and was a keynote speaker and coordinator for a number of special
programs.
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Korea Remembered, Veterans of Forgotten War Get
Their Memorial. The Washington Post by
Lena H. Sun,
Page A01, July 28, 1995.
George Poochigian, Jr., Korean War Veteran (Army's
2nd Infantry Division), Whittier, California
What so many Korean War veterans
remember first about their war is the bitter cold. What tens of thousands of them will
remember about the unveiling of their memorial is the heat. Under a haze-hidden sun that seemed to turn everything liquid,
President Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam dedicated the Korean War
Veterans Memorial yesterday to the veterans and their fallen comrades. The ceremony came
42 years after an armistice perpetuated the division between North and South Korea and
ended a bloody three-year conflict that faded quickly from the consciousness of many
Americans.
In brief remarks, the two presidents
thanked the veterans of the "forgotten war" -- in which 1.5 million Americans
fought -- for their courage more than four decades ago.
"By sending a clear message that
America had not defeated fascism to see communism prevail, you put the Free World on the
road to victory in the Cold War," said Clinton, who acknowledged that Americans in
the past had lost sight of the importance of the 1950-53 conflict.
Reciting wartime hardships that included
deathly cold, months crammed in foxholes and overwhelming numbers of Chinese and North
Korean troops, Clinton said the Korean War veterans "set a standard of courage that
may be equaled but will never be surpassed in the annals of American combat."
Kim, whose remarks were translated into
English from Korean, said, "The blood and sweat shed by the U.S. and the U.N. troops
proved to be the prime mover behind the realization of freedom throughout the world after
the war." In that sense, he said, the Korean War "was a war that heralded the
collapse of the Berlin Wall and the demise of communism."
The ceremony began promptly at 3 p.m. and
was dispatched quickly. When it was over, however, several hundred veterans who found
themselves trapped in the fenced area for distinguished visitors ran low on patience as
they waited for Clinton, Kim and their parties to leave the Mall and for a group of
distinguished guests to take the first tour of the memorial.
It was then that they displayed a little
of that long-ago daring. Chanting, "Go! Go! Go!" they burst through a line of
U.S. Park Police and charged up a small hill toward the 19 larger-than-life
stainless-steel statues that form the memorial's core.
As the memorial was opened to the public,
veterans and their families began streaming past, posing for photographs and touching the
black granite wall that bears about 2,500 images of the nurses, cooks, mechanics and other
support personnel who served. The images were culled from photographic archives and
sandblasted onto the wall.
In the tradition of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial on the other side of the Mall, they filled the grounds with flowers, wreaths,
small flags and computer-printed certificates and photos of soldiers who had died.
Among the offerings was a poem, "No
Longer the Forgotten War," and a slightly crumpled certificate, trimmed in red, of
Marine Cpl. Clarence Francis Hile Jr., of Ithaca, N.Y., who was "killed in
action" two days after his 20th birthday in August 1950.
"This was a hell of a memorial for
the men who fell before us," said Tom Stauffer, 69, of Jeanette, Pa., one of the
first to reach the memorial. Tears ran down his face as he tried to take a photograph.
Many veterans praised the way the 19
figures -- 14 Army soldiers, three Marines, one Navy medic and one Air Force forward
observer -- capture the essence of their service in Korea. The figures are of men trudging
wearily up a hill as if on patrol. Rifles in hand, they are hunched, tensed for battle.
"I wore that type of boots. I carried
the radio just like that," said Bernard Brooks, 62, a District resident who served in
the Signal Corps, gesturing to one of the statues.
George Poochigian, 61, a retired educator from Whittier, California,
served in the Army's 2nd Infantry Division from 1951 to 1953.
"I've got a lot of buddies of mine
that didn't make it back or they came back in body bags," he said. "Either way,
I've lost lots of guys, guys who didn't get to see this. That's why I had to be here,
whatever it's worth. It's way overdue."
Clinton and Kim took their tour with
retired Marine Gen. Ray Davis, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the
war and who now heads the official Korean War Veterans Memorial board.
In his remarks, Clinton singled out two
Americans for special praise: Lloyd Burke, of Arkansas, who destroyed three enemy bunkers
in a lone assault and threw back hand grenades that were thrown at him; and Ronald Rosser,
who knocked out two enemy bunkers and cleared a trench with only a carbine and a grenade.
Both men won the Medal of Honor and were seated on the dais yesterday.
The war began when the communist North
Koreans launched a surprise attack on South Korea on June 25, 1950. The United Nations
condemned the invasion, and 21 countries, led by the United States, sent troops to fight
the North Koreans and the Communist Chinese, who came to the North's aid. The armistice
was signed July 27, 1953.
Etched in stone at the edge of the pool of
remembrance is the war's grim toll for the United States: 54,246 Americans killed in three
years. During a decade of war in Vietnam, 57,000 Americans died.
There are 8,177 Americans still missing
from the Korean War. Clinton promised yesterday to press North Korea for a full
accounting. For years, the Vietnam War has been the focus of the Pentagon's attention
regarding prisoners of war and military personnel missing in action.
"I'm trying to put the period at the
end of the sentence," said Robert E. Davis, 68, explaining why he came from
Granville, Ohio, for the day's events.
Many of the Korean veterans who flew here
from Seoul for the ceremony said they were grateful for the memorial. They also said the
conflict remains very real for them. "The Korean War is not over for us," said
retired Brig. Gen. Kim Beong-Kil. "We still have trouble between the North and the
South."
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Valley Rookie Legislatures
Assigned to Key Committees. The
Fresno Bee by Pamela J. Podger, Home, Page B4, February 3, 1995
Charles Poochigian, California State Assemblyman,
29th Assembly District. See Photo
of Chuck Poochigian
Choice Assembly leadership posts for
San Joaquin Valley rookie legislators appear to preserve the region's political and
agricultural clout. First-term
Assemblyman Charles Poochigian, of Fresno, is the top Republican
on the new Budget Committee for the 1995-1996 session, in one sign of a faster learning
curve for newcomers.
"It is an awesome
responsibility," Poochigian said. "I think anyone, especially someone in
their first term, has to do a lot of homework with this assignment."
Poochigian, who has handled
appointments for Gov. Wilson and Gov. Deukmejian, has strong Capitol connections and is
expected to be a key advocate of Wilson's $56.3 billion budget.
Wilson has two Fresno lawmakers to help
secure the two-thirds votes required for passage of the budget in each house.
Senate Minority Leader Ken Maddy,
R-Fresno, said he is "delighted" Poochigian was chosen. The two men, who
are friends, will work closely to find ways to trim $2.5 billion debt incurred in prior
years. Cuts in health and welfare programs -- stopped by the federal courts in past years
-- may meet success this year as a result of growing voter impatience, Maddy said.
"There are many, many knotty issues
to be resolved with this budget," Maddy said. " Poochigian is going to
have to move fast to figure out where the Democrats will be willing to compromise."
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Local Leaders Honored for Disability Work.
Fresno Bee, Home,
Page B2, April 4, 1994
Vartan Poochigian, Volunteer of the Year, California Association
of Physically Handicapped, Fresno, California
The California Association of the
Physically Handicapped -- Fresno County Chapter recently held its annual luncheon, where
it recognized several community leaders for their contributions. The Outstanding Advocacy
by Parents of Persons with Disabilities Award was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Les Lindley
for their efforts on behalf of their son, David. The CAPH Volunteer of the Year is Vartan
Poochigian . Deaf since birth, Poochigian labels, sorts and mails
"The CAPH Independent Newsletter" to more than 1,600 subscribers. Honored for
Outstanding Service to Our Community was Karen Pendleton. Pendleton has worked for several
years in Fresno County as an advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. The
Alfred R. Thompson Award was given to Anita Daughtrey in recognition of her commitment to
promote the independence of persons with disabilities. She was a member of CAPH -- Fresno
County Chapter and Fresno Mayor's Committee for Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
She is a founding member of the Clovis Chapter of the National Organization on Disability.
Surgery center honored: The United States' Small Business Administration will present the
Fresno Surgery Center with its Entrepreneurial Success Award. The award is given annually
to owners and operators of a business that was launched as a "small" business by
SBA size standards but has since developed and grown into a large business. The Fresno
Surgery Center was created by Dr. Alan Pierrot and Tony Carr, chief executive, to provide
a "new breed of hospital" for the Valley. The facility is designed for patients
who require surgery and nursing observation following surgery while providing a
non-hospital like setting. The Entrepreneurial Success Award will be presented to the firm
during a Small Business Recognition Breakfast April 22 at the Centre Plaza Holiday Inn.
Details: 487-5785. Informative community event scheduled:The 1994 Community Encounter,
Encuentro de la Comunidad, will be held to provide access to and information about many
available programs and services from noon to 5 p.m. April 17 at Kerchkoff Park in Kerman.
Information about health services, education opportunities, training programs and other
services will be available. The event is sponsored by the UC Davis-SBS Ag Health &
Safety Center Outreach, KXEX Radio Dinamica, Proteus Inc., Mendota Employment Development
Department, Kerman Unified School District and the Kerman Chamber of Commerce.
Spanish-speaking personnel will provide free information and brochures to attendees. There
will be free blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and tuberculosis screenings. The event
will also feature live musical entertainment and free prizes, as well as an amateur talent
contest. Details: 655-4953, 733-6491, 846-4242 or 233-8807. |
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Bypassing the Gridlock - BAFA's Hands-On Approach,
Organization Notes. Armenian International Magazine (AIM)
by Lillie D. Merigian, Page 44, February 28, 1994.
John Poochigian, Jr., MD, Director, Bay Area Friends of Armenia
(BAFA), San Francisco, CaliforniaSeveral years ago a group of 10 professionals in the San Francisco-Oakland
area decided to by pass all the "bureaucratic gridlock and political baggage"
and form an organization to undertake specific humanitarian projects in Armenia with a
hands-on approach from start to finish - no strings attached, no underlying agendas and
zero percent administrative overhead. Impossible?
The Bay Area Friends of Armenia (BAFA) was
born "out of the frustration of people who want to see things done expeditiously and
effectively," says BAFA board member Ara Tahmassian, a health physicist. Other board
directors are just as adamant about the organization's raison d'etre: industrial
pharmacist John Halibian, one of the group's founding members, explains that
"considering the urgencies involved, as a small group we can expedite all support
activities without expecting anything in return."
John Poochigian,
an internist, says BAFA offers "an opportunity to have direct impact on projects and
receive immediate feedback... with all administrative expenses covered by the board of
directors."
Nerses Teshoian, CPA, joined BAFA because
it could "fill the void in those who have a desire to contribute to Armenia and want
to be sure their dollars are being spent for their stated purpose."
"I see BAFA as a bridge between the
Bay Area and Armenia, each side approaching the other with objectivity in order to avoid
false expectations," says Levon Der Bedrossian, restaurateur.
Conceived in November 1992, BAFA filed
documents last March for non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian incorporation. With
funds contributed by each of the 10 board directors, the organization purchased two
computers, hired a secretary and set up office space in the homes of two of its directors.
Day-to-day operations are handled by executive director Francois Antounian, an orthopedic
surgeon, who also serves on the board and was instrumental in founding BAFA.
"Our only agenda," he stresses,
"is to assist Armenia with whatever needs are identified in the republic."
Because of his personal involvement in a
surgical training program in Yerevan, Antounian travels frequently to Armenia and performs
orthopedic surgery on those injured in the Karabakh war. He has witnessed first-hand the
pitiful conditions and survival tactics Armenians must resort to every day. He is outraged
that some groups and individuals in the Diaspora are decrying the Armenian government and
its policies while showing little or no concern about the wretched living conditions
there.
The incentive to organize was propelled by
the ability of the "friends" to raise $10,500 in two days in response to the
Armenian Missionary Association of America's (AMAA) plea for support of its Children's
Milk Fund. But the "friends" went one step further and requested that their
contribution go to the children living in the orphanages adopted throughout Armenia by
First Lady Lucy Ter Petrossian, and the families of Karabakh veterans. Ter Petrossian had
described the details of her project to the Bay Area community during her visit in
October, 1992.
Within one month of collecting the funds,
the "friends" received a fax from the director of the orphanages, thanking them
for the much-needed powdered milk. It was this "mission accomplished" clincher
that hastened the birth of BAFA.
Since the group seeks to collaborate with
other organizations or individuals, the soup kitchen program in Yerevan, established by
Nora Nercessian, a Harvard medical administrator, seemed made-for-BAFA. Currently, six
soup kitchens, known as barekordzakan jasharans, operate in and around Yerevan, feeding
elderly, disabled and orphaned individuals. Using a coupon system developed in cooperation
with the Mayor's office, each kitchen serves 100 people, six days a week. Representatives
from the organization make frequent on-site visits to ensure the quality and effectiveness
of the program. Another benefit of the soup kitchen project is the creation of jobs and
new business for local merchants and farmers.
When BAFA adopted the kitchen in central
Yerevan last year, the project cost $12,000 a year. However, with runaway inflation and
the issuance of the new dram, costs now have doubled. BAFA's Soup Kitchen Committee,
chaired by scientist Hriar Cabayan, also a board director, has recently launched a
nationwide fund-raising campaign across the US to bolster its budget.
Plans for future projects such as an
educational program for teens about sexually-transmitted diseases and a drive to inoculate
Armenia's children are on the back burner for now. "During this emergency situation
we're focusing upon survival. No long-term projects yet," Antounian says.
He admits that starting an organization is
a headache, and he knows that BAFA is not capable of saving the world. "But so much
is going nowhere. All you have to do is ask `where is the need?' and then, after some
smart planning and evaluation, go into action." Much of BAFA's "action" is
covered in the pages of its slick bi-monthly newsletter, ARIT. It encourages its readers
to comment and debate ways and means of helping the homeland.
Notwithstanding the efforts of other
groups and individuals who support Armenia, BAFA's uniqueness lies in its personal
approach to personal needs. Pediatrician Julie Kulhanjian, one of two women on the board,
has the last word: "To be an Armenian today and in the 21st century means serving
Armenia with one's time, experience and money."
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Helping Newly Disabled People
Become Street Smart,
Coping: On Easy Street: Everyday tasks
can be mastered in a safe
environment, helping people become more independent.
The Orange County Register by Jane Glenn
Haas, Page E03,
February 2, 1994
Jim Poochigian, Resident overcomes handicap on Easy Street
in Beverly Manor Nursing Center, Seal Beach, California
Jackie Poochigian Alexson, Daughter of Jim Poochigian
Justin Alexson, Grandson of Jim Poochigian
When Jim Poochigian
wheeled onto Easy Street, he couldn't stop grinning. There were stairs to climb,
groceries to weigh, doors to open. For Poochigian, confined to bed or a wheelchair
since his stroke two years ago, confronting the obstacles of ordinary life was almost a
new experience. "I just about feel right now like a little kid in a candy
store," said Poochigian, 75, as he wheeled around Easy Street in Beverly Manor
Nursing Center in Seal Beach last week. "It all looks so real. I'm not sure what I
can do, but I can try." The oranges in the grocery store are fake, the automatic
teller machine looks real but doesn't spit out money, and there's no battery in the car.
Otherwise, from the sofa bed to the microwave, everything in this place is real _ just
like home. And that's the point. Most elderly people recovering from strokes or broken
bones regain their skills in a physical-therapy room. They lift weights to rebuild muscle,
regain balance by walking between railings, and exercise legs and feet to make walking
easier. Sooner or later, these same patients need to test themselves against the real
McCoy: slippery tile floors, street curbs, entranceways that have a screen and solid door.
"Try doing that in a wheelchair," said Jennifer Rose, administrator of Beverly
Manor. Learning how to cope with such obstacles with some degree of skill is the purpose
of Easy Street. Beverly Manor is the first nursing home in the nation and the first
rehabilitation department in Orange County to offer the custom-designed environment
produced by HSM Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. Easy Street is available to patients in the
198-bed skilled nursing facility and will be opened to outpatients from surrounding
communities in about four months, Rose said. Poochigian was among the first to use
the $250,000 installation. He had his choice of challenging stairs leading to a real
apartment door, a full working kitchen, a cafe with booth seating and a grocery store with
artificial foods weighted to mimic the real thing. Felled by a stroke two years ago, Poochigian
will use Easy Street to re-learn everyday tasks that take strength, balance and
coordination, said Diana Hernandez, director of rehabilitation at the center. "He can
practice here. This makes his transition time an easy one," she said. Easy Street, an
idea conceived by an occupational therapist at an Arizona hospital, curves around one end
of the Beverly Center's complex. It has realistic curbs, ramps, turnstiles, steps of
varying heights, high and low shelves and different floor surfaces. In the kitchen,
patients learn to make coffee or heat up a meal _ simple tasks that require reaching and
bending, said Steve Furukawa, occupational therapy director. "This is an ideal
situation," Furukawa said. "We have all these options _ simulated shopping,
riding in a car, working in a kitchen, using the bathroom _ and we can present the
patients with almost any everyday situation." After perfecting lost skills on Easy
Street, the patient will go home and therapists will visit for further evaluation, he
said. Before Easy Street, Beverly Manor therapists took patients out into the community
for what is called "re-integration." That meant traveling around the area with
patients, finding places with curbs and other normal obstacles and working in these
outside environments, Furukawa said. "That proved to be sometimes logistically a
problem and sometimes a safety problem," he said. As a result, re-integration often
was restricted to patients with the least severe disabilities, Furukawa said. "Every
patient who is not bedridden, by comparison, can use Easy Street," he said. Poochigian
decided to go grocery shopping on his first day on Easy Street. With the help of
Furukawa and physical therapist Laine Setran, Poochigian weighed out 4 pounds of
oranges on a hanging scale, put items in a shopping cart, and investigated the freezer
case and shelves. Tired out, he stopped short of the checkout counter, which has a
functional cash register, bagging counter, check-writing platform and turnstile. He also
passed up the putting green, where a woman was practicing her balance by hitting balls
across the artificial grass. But, with help, he did walk up the stairs into the apartment
before resting on the sofa bed. "It's not hard to do," Poochigian said,
resting from his Easy Street encounters. "And I enjoyed it." COLOR PHOTO:BLACK
& WHITE PHOTO; Caption: ONE STEP AT A TIME: With the aid of Setran and Furukawa, Poochigian
slowly navigates through the aisles of the Easy Street supermarket. (COLOR) // JUST
LIKE HOME: In the Easy Street apartment mock-up, stroke patient Jim Poochigian
gets a visit from his daughter Jackie and grandson Justin,
3. (B&W) // Jim Poochigian travels the road to stroke recovery
in a mock supermarket on Easy Street at Beverly Manor Nursing Center in Seal Beach with
the aid of Steve Furukawa, occupational therapy director, left, and physical therapist
Laine Setran. |
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Laguna Hills Soccer. The Orange County Register by Jim McCue, Sports, Page V8, February 1, 1994
Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, Laguna Hills High School,
California
Laguna Hills coach Scott Johnson knew
it wouldn't be easy for his Hawks to capture their fourth consecutive Pacific Coast League
title, and the opposition certainly has made their quest a difficult one. In the past three seasons, Laguna Hills lost only
one league game, a 1991 thriller to Trabuco Hills in which the Mustangs overcame a 3-1
halftime deficit to win, 4-3.
This season, though, the one-goal games
have all gone the Hawks' way. At the midway point of the league schedule, Laguna Hills was
atop the league with a 5-0 record, thanks in part to outstanding road play. Of their five
victories, the Hawks have tallied three by one goal, all on the road. They posted 2-1
victories over Costa Mesa and Estancia and a 1-0 shutout of Century.
During the nonleague schedule, Laguna
Hills struggled, losing seven of twelve. But after the Hawks returned players from Laguna
Hills' football team, which advanced to the semifinals of the Division VII playoffs, and
overcame early injuries, they began to come together.
Team captain Rick Stilson made the
transition from one Hawks' defense to another as the senior safety finally shed his
shoulder pads to take over as Johnson's sweeper. Junior stopper R.B. Edwards recovered
from a broken arm suffered before the holiday break.
With a full, healthy team surrounding it,
the middle of the Hawks' lineup has thrived. Halfbacks Ryan Boyajian and Cesar
Montes have accounted for much of the Hawks scoring, Boyajian leading the way with
11 goals and ten assists. The pressure on Boyajian has lightened. however, as more
Hawks have gotten in on the scoring.
"Last week, we had five goals scored
by five guys, which is helpful," Johnson said. "Now we just have to make sure we
don't get complacent."
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Poochigian, Aid to Wilson, Says He'll Run for Jones'
Assembly Seat. The Fresno Bee by Jim
Boren, Home, Page B2, January 14, 1994
Chuck Poochigian, Appointments Secretary, Office of the Governor,
California State Government, Sacramento, California. See Photo of Chuck
Poochigian
Republican Chuck Poochigian,
a key member of Governor Wilson's administration, confirmed Thursday that he'll return to
Fresno to run for the state Assembly. Poochigian had talked of running for months, but delayed his
announcement for the 29th District seat until after Assemblyman Bill Jones, R-Fresno,
formally got into the secretary of state's race. Jones announced Tuesday and Poochigian
followed Thursday.
Poochigian, 44, who handles
appointments for the governor, is well-connected politically. His father-in-law is Fresno
County Supervisor Deran Koligian and Poochigian has served as county chairman for
the campaigns of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush and Gov. George Deukmejian.
"I have had a strong interest in
government and public policy all my life," Poochigian said. "I will be an
outspoken advocate for California agriculture, jobs growth and tough criminal laws to deal
with the epidemic of lawlessness that seems to be overcoming our communities."
He praised Jones' service in the Assembly
and said the region needs to continue to have effective representation in Sacramento
because legislators from large urban areas don't understand the Valley's problems.
The 29th District generally includes the
eastern and northwestern portions of Fresno County and the eastern half of Tulare County.
"I am committed to policies that will
limit oppressive regulation, taxes and public spending," he said. "We have to
recognize that much of our progress has been the result of a vibrant free-enterprise
economy and the initiative of people -- not government."
Poochigian, a lawyer, went to
Sacramento in 1988 to serve as Deukmejian's chief deputy appointments secretary and
continued in that job when Gov. Wilson was elected in 1990. He was elevated to
appointments secretary in 1991.
Poochigian said he will remain in
the governor's office until the end of the month before taking a leave of absence to
campaign beginning in February.
Poochigian was born in Fresno and
his family farmed in the Lone Star area near Sanger. He graduated from Sanger High School,
Fresno State University and received his law degree from the University of Santa Clara
School of Law.
Chuck Poochigian says
he'll be "an outspoken advocate for California agriculture."
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Laguna Hills Advances on Penalty Kick - Boys Soccer: El Dorado
is Upset at Orange: The seventh-ranked Golden Hawks are tied, but
Laguna Hills advances on penalty kicks. The Orange County Register
by Jim Inghram, Sports, Page D6, December 28, 1993
Ryan Boyajian, Athlete, Soccer, Laguna Hills High School,
California
Shaking the effects of a 10-day
layoff, Laguna Hills upset seventh-ranked El Dorado on penalty kicks, 3-2, in the first
round of the Orange Holiday Soccer Classic on Monday at Orange High. Senior midfielder Ryan Boyajian scored both
goals and converted the third penalty kick to give Laguna Hills (2-3-1) the victory.
Boyajian's first goal came on a
penalty kick and tied the score at 1 late in the first half. His second gave Laguna Hills
a short-lived lead midway through the second half.
Brian Hurley of El Dorado (3-0-3) tied the
score less than a minute later when he converted a penalty kick.
"This is a good win for us,"
Laguna Hills coach Scott Johnson said. "We've been off to a slow start and have been
pretty banged up. I'm pleased with today's performance."
Johnson singled out Boyajian, Jamie
Miller and Cesar Montes for play away from the ball.
Senior Luciano Cid gave El Dorado a 1-0
lead at the 11-minute mark. Brad Myrand assisted on the play.
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Anytown Has Youth on Its Side. Orange County Focus:
Garden Grove, Los Angeles Times, Orange County by Jon Nalick,
Metro, Part B, Metro Desk, Page 2, June 10, 1993
Sandi Poochigian, Teacher, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
program, Garden Grove Unified School District, Garden Grove, California
Things have been rough for Anytown,
Calif., for the last few months. Its beaches and rivers have been fouled by oil and toxic
waste spills. The local timber industry is clashing with environmentalists over the fate
of the spotted owl. Its once-blue skies are increasingly tainted with smog. Still, the
story of this unlucky fictional town may get a happy ending, as long as a group of third-
and fourth-grade students can come up with realistic solutions to Anytown's problems. The
38 students, all members of a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program run by the
Garden Grove Unified School District, are exploring complex man-made and natural problems
that plague real communities, said Sandi Poochigian, one of the
teachers. Twice a week since February, students from 11 schools have met at Peters
Elementary School to discuss ecology and run related experiments. Students also have
created a series of six-foot-tall booths covered with magazine photos and posters which
depict life in the fictional Northern California town. One side of the booth shows the
problems, the other side depicts their solutions. Nikki Mesa, 9, of Garden Grove, talks
about Anytown as if she has been there: "There's lots of wildlife and oceans and lots
of rocks to climb on and a lot of trees. It's really sad (that) all these things happened
to it." Nikki, a fourth-grade student at Patton Elementary, lamented the town's
misfortune on Wednesday, saying: "It's been really, really hard because of all the
disasters, they're complicated disasters and we're only kids." Still, she added that
her classmates' proposed solutions for the town's ills are "going to help a lot. We
can keep on making money so the economy doesn't go bad (and) everything will be just like
it was, or pretty close." During the course of the program, students have gathered
information about the environment and Anytown's problems by conducting experiments,
constructing displays and listening to guest lecturers, including representatives of the
Air Quality Management District, a local trash-hauling company and the Audubon Society. In
one corner of the room is a display called "Fred Is Dead," which chronicles the
poisoning of a fictional fish by trash, oil and detergent. Nearby is a sponge cut into a
fish shape covered in a fish bowl along with a sludge composed of the materials that
killed Fred. Other student projects include displays showing that plants grow poorly when
their water is mixed with various adulterants, such as vinegar. The program will culminate
on June 16 when students present recommendations to their parents and teachers during a
"town meeting," Poochigian said. On Wednesday, the students prepared
their proposals for fixing the city's problems. For example, one group made a list showing
the pros and cons of restricting logging in the area. On the plus side, the threat to the
spotted owl would be diminished, on the minus side was the loss in loggers' jobs. The
students proposed that loggers be retrained for other jobs and that the city promote
itself as a tourist center to recoup lost dollars to the economy and create jobs. "I
learned a lot of stuff," said Mana Tahaie, 10, of Fountain Valley. "It's pretty
fun to make our own little town and get to run it." Still, when it comes to real
environmental problems, "Parents and adults don't listen to kids even though we have
good ideas," she added. "We think kids can make a difference." |
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Fashion Show Benefits Home for Seniors. The Orange County
Register by Eve Lash, Community, Zone 3, November 12, 1992
Ellen Poochigian, Fund-raiser for the Orange County Guild of the
Ararat Home
Fall fashion fund-raiser: Every last
detail was elegant and beautiful at the recent "Fall into Fashion" fund-raiser
for the Orange County Guild of the Ararat Home at Le Meridien hotel in Newport Beach. As members and guests entered the ballroom foyer
they were deluged with a half-dozen or so vendors selling boutique items. Everything from
very glitzy costume jewelry, decorated photo albums, baskets, embroidered linen and lace
table linens, sterling silver and gold jewelry, dried-flower arrangements and clothing was
for sale.
Hundreds of well-dressed women crammed the
area to get a better look at the ritzy items. Enjoying the prelude to the luncheon was
committee member Kathleen Kuilanoff of Santa Ana.
"This is very special," she
said. "There is a special energy level for the show and the decor _ it's escalating
and you feed on that. I am a mother who stays home with my kids all day, so having this
event helps to fulfill my time.
Also having fun shopping before the show
and tending to last-minute details was event chairwoman Dorothy Nalbandian.
"This is really something. It is so
exhilarating for our members. ... Lots of my friends are here from all over Orange
County," she said.
Doing a fine job staying away from the
shopping area was Irvine's Ellen Poochigian, who was selling
raffle tickets to members and guests as they arrived.
"The nicest part of the event is
seeing a lot of people I haven't seen for a long time. It's nice to get
reacquainted," Poochigian said. She said she also was looking forward to
seeing the glitzy designs from Saks Fifth Avenue. "It's nice, especially with the
holidays approaching. I'm looking for a special dress for a cruise that I'm going on with
six couples to Mexico."
The ballroom was aglow with huge crystal
chandeliers, gold lame-covered pots, silk centerpieces and white linens.
The hearty lunch consisted of bibb lettuce
with grapefruit, boneless breast of chicken with sage sauce, potatoes and vegetables, and
"duo double" chocolate cake with passionfruit sauce.
Nalbandian welcomed everyone and thanked
them for their outstanding support of the Ararat Home for the aged. She then introduced
board Chairman Robert Shamlian.
"The goal of the Ararat Home is to
create an exceptional home of which all of us can be proud. This has been achieved thanks
to the untiring efforts of many people and the full support of the guilds. The Orange
County Guild contributed greatly to the success," he said.
Committee members recognized were: Peggy
Barsam, Lola Bashijian, Alma Chakerian, Mary Dergarabedian, Denise Kaprelian, Kuilanoff,
Rose Markarian, Gertrude Nahigian and Alice Sahagen.
Among the assistant committee members
named were: Lucia Bartholio, Alice Bilezikjian, Jeanette Davis, Flora Garakian, Margaret
Gazurian, Alice Kashian, Martha Rapaelian and Lucy Schlauch.
After lunch was the very haute fashion
show presented by Saks. Professional and volunteer models pranced and danced on stage
highlighting the newest fashions. Stephanie Lewis and Carole Latham produced the show.
As "These Boots are Made for
Walking" played, very sexy Western garb was presented, including denim ensembles,
suede, silk and animal prints.
Approximately 300 people attended the
event that raised about $14,000. Proceeds will benefit the convalescent hospital under
construction in Mission Hills, set to open its doors in July.
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Roman Catholics See Much Diversity - The Conference for
Marian Devotees and the Civil Disobedience in Nebraska Illustrate
Catholics Wide-ranging Views. The Orange County Register
by Eve Lash, Community, Zone 3, November 12, 1992
Sister Ruth Poochigian, O.P., Director of Adult Education,
St. Joseph Educational Center, West Des Moines, Iowa
The Roman Catholic Church is, well,
catholic. Somewhere along the
educational journey, you probably learned that the dictionary definition of catholic is
"universal, all-inclusive." It suggests the idea of a huge house where family
members have diverse ways of acting, but who all consider themselves -- and each other --
to be part of the family regardless of their differences.
The past two weekends in these parts have
provided dramatic examples of how "catholic" Roman Catholics are.
Two weeks ago, 9,000 devotees of the
Virgin Mary gathered at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. They talked in
rapturous tones about apparitions around the world. They called for a return to praying
the rosary, frequent confession and a restoration of the central role of Mary in the
church. They told of healings through her intercession. Many said they saw the
"miracle of the sun" -- a dancing disk in and about the sun -- that has been
associated with reported Marian appearances since those in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.
That deep, personal devotion to Mary is
part of the tapestry of Catholic diversity.
Social Activists
Last weekend, a group of social-activist
Catholics worshiped at a Glenwood church, then drove to the Strategic Air Command
headquarters near Bellevue, Neb., where 37 in the group engaged in non-violent civil
disobedience by defying orders to not cross the line onto base property. It was done, they
said, from religious concern for peace and justice and in memory of the late Bishop
Maurice Dingman, prelate of the Des Moines Roman Catholic Diocese for 19 years before
retiring in 1987.
That deep, personal devotion to action
seeking peace and justice is also part of the Catholic tapestry.
The Roman Catholic Church is those
activists out to change the world by their involvement. It is the Carmelite nuns and the
Trappist monks whose way of changing the world is their continual life of prayer for the
rest of us. It is Mother Teresa seeing Christ in the faces of the poor dying in the
street.
The Roman Catholic Church provides a home
for those who thrill at the sonorous Gregorian chant, those who yearn for the return of
Latin and those who really get into a polka or guitar Mass. It has opened the doors of its
ancient and spacious house to the charismatic renewal with its hand-clapping and
foot-stomping joy, speaking in tongues, healings and messages of prophecy.
It has many folks who still cherish what
others call the "pray, pay and obey" church of the pre-Vatican II Council of the
1960s. And it has a growing and restive flock who insist that the church belongs to all
the people of God, not just the hierarchy and not just males.
Three Catholic educators reflected this
week on Catholic diversity.
"Yes, the church does embrace a wide
range of people, ideas, attitudes and orientation," said the Rev. Richard McBrien,
professor of theology at Notre Dame University, a columnist for Catholic newspapers and an
outspoken liberal.
"It is a strength of the church. But
it carries with it the seeds of its own undoing," McBrien said. "Since it is
open to such diversity, a lot of elements get in that, paradoxically, work against the
diversity. It is almost always people on the right who want to hassle people. You almost
never hear of people on the left who want to kick the ultra-conservatives out of the
church."
Welcoming Diversity
"Any communion as enormous as the
Catholic Church has to permit a great deal of diversity. It is a strength when we can
welcome that kind of diversity. It enlarges our conversation about issues and forces us to
clarify our position," said Sister Ruth Poochigian, director
of adult education at the St. Joseph Educational Center in West Des Moines.
The diversity may not have been so obvious
to non-Catholics in days gone by, Poochigian said, because the hierarchy tended to
be the voice that spoke for the church. "That is still an important voice, but there
are many other voices in the public conversation about the church. There are many men and
women with theological education and in leadership and ministry roles and are not part of
the hierarchy."
"Diversity creates tension
necessarily and healthily," said the Rev. Robert Beck, professor of theology at Loras
College in Dubuque. "Diversity is good, though the tension is hard to put up with.
The problem is in keeping the parts of the church talking to each other."
In such a diverse church, what is the glue
that holds it together?
"It is a faith that transcends human
diversity," said McBrien. "What keeps liberals and progressives in the church at
a time when they are being trampled on is their faith. They believe in the gospel, the
values preached by Jesus. The Catholic Church is their home and family. They aren't going
to leave their family and they aren't going to ask their rude and embarrassing relatives
to leave."
Beck suggested that the sacraments, the
authority of the church and a certain "Catholic style, a Catholic sense of life that
one shares," would be given by many as elements of the glue. He, too, came around to
a sense of family. "The church is like a family reunion. Some of the members may be
cantankerous, but they are still family."
"This is clearly a church rooted in
the gospel, sacramental life, a long sense of history and reflection on what the word of
God means in each generation," said Poochigian .
Robert Beck Church is like a family
reunion Ruth Poochigian There are many voices . . . Richard McBrien Faith
transcends diversity.
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Wilson Appoints Poochigian as
Appointments Secretary.
The Sacramento Bee, Page A3, September
6, 1991
Chuck Poochigian, Appointments Secretary, Office of the Governor,
California State Government, Sacramento, California. See Photo of Chuck
Poochigian
Governor Wilson appointed Charles
Poochigian, 42, of Sacramento as his appointments secretary. Poochigian
replaces Terrance Flanigan, who is leaving the administration to launch a law firm
specializing in governmental law and lobbying. Poochigian previously served as
chief deputy appointments secretary in both the Wilson and Deukmejian administrations. |
|
Critics Pick - Music. The Washington Post, Show, Page 65,
February 10, 1991
Nayiri Kredian Poochikian, Musician, Violinist,
Friday Morning
Music Club, Washington D.C.
The Juilliard String Quartet will
highlight the week's chamber music, tonight at the National Gallery. Also worth noting:
the Capitol Woodwind Quintet, with pianist Christine Debus, tonight at Strathmore Hall;
the Washington Bach Consort, presenting "The Bach Family and Friends," today at
the National Presbyterian Church; the U.S. Marine Chamber Ensemble, today at the Marine
Barracks; Hexagon, woodwind and piano, today at the Phillips Collection; Eleana Mendoza,
cello, Monday at Strathmore Hall; CUA Chamber Ensemble, Tuesday at Catholic University;
the Smithson String Quartet, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Renwick Gallery; the Friday
Morning Music Club, Wednesday and Friday noon at the Sumner School; Nayiri
Kredian-Poochikian, violin, 1 p.m. Wednesday in the World Bank Auditorium;
Prevailing Winds, Wednesday night in the Terrace Theater; National String Quartet, Friday
night in Little Falls Presbyterian Church; Eduardo Fernandez, guitar, Friday night at
National Presbyterian Church; Bruce Myers, violin, Ignacio Alcover, cello, and Kathryn
Brake, piano, Friday night at the French Embassy.
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Transition at the Top - Wilson Takes the Reins in
Sacramento. Los Angeles Times by
Daniel M. Weintraub, Home,
Page 3, December 19, 1990
Chuck Poochigian, Chief Deputy Appointments Secretary, Office
of the Governor, California State Government, Sacramento, California
See Photo of Chuck Poochigian
Governor-elect Pete Wilson, who
campaigned as a candidate for change, on Tuesday named six Deukmejian Administration
veterans and one newcomer to top jobs on his executive staff. Among the five men and two women Wilson appointed
were the aides who will help him pick judges, choose political appointees and lobby the
Legislature.
The seven will join Wilson's longtime
chief of staff, Bob White, and a handful of other top aides who were named shortly after
the Nov. 6 election. Wilson has about 10 more jobs to fill in his inner circle, as well as
more than two dozen cabinet secretaries and department directors to name.
The only newcomer in the group named
Tuesday is Mark Davis, who will leave a speech-writing job with President Bush to become
Wilson's chief speech writer and solicit ideas from California's universities and private
policy think tanks. His job will be director of writing and research.
The others on the list are:
* Janice Rogers Brown, legal affairs
secretary. Brown has worked for the Legislature and the state Department of Justice and
was deputy secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing under Gov. George Deukmejian.
Most recent, she worked for a Sacramento law firm that includes among its partners Steven
Merksamer, Deukmejian's former chief of staff.
* Allan Zaremberg, legislative secretary.
Zaremberg has worked for Deukmejian for 10 years, first as his legislative representative
when he was attorney general, then as deputy legislative secretary in the governor's
office and finally in the top job.
* Maureen Higgins, deputy legislative
affairs secretary. Higgins is now Deukmejian's director of housing and community
development. She worked in Deukmejian's legislative unit from 1983 to 1988.
* Terrance Flanigan, appointments
secretary. Flanigan has known Wilson since he was a deputy city attorney and Wilson was
mayor of San Diego. Before becoming Deukmejian's appointments director in 1988, Flanigan
was a deputy in that office and a lobbyist for the California State Bar and the California
Manufacturers Assn.
* Chuck Poochigian,
chief deputy appointments secretary. Appointed by Deukmejian to a seat on the state Fair
Employment and Housing Commission, Poochigian has been deputy appointments
secretary since 1988. Before that, he was a lawyer in private practice in Fresno.
* David Caffrey, deputy chief of staff for
administration. Caffrey, who has been an aide to Deukmejian since his days as attorney
general, is now the governor's Cabinet secretary.
Wilson's press secretary, Bill
Livingstone, said the governor-elect chose several Deukmejian aides for his Administration
to take advantage of their expertise. Livingstone said Wilson may give his assistants
different marching orders than they have had under his predecessor.
"Wilson has a different style,"
Livingstone said. "It is going to be Wilson's agenda that these individuals are
supporting."
Livingstone said Flanigan's knowledge of
the process will enable Wilson to move "much more quickly" to make the
appointments needed to get the government running "at full speed."
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References
Arlington Journal, The, Arlington,
Virginia, "Calendar - Arlington," December 17, 1998. Nayiri Poochikian.
Armenian International Magazine (AIM),
"Organization Notes: Bypassing the Gridlock, BAFA's Hands-on Approach," February
28, 1994, Page 44. John
Poochigian, Jr.
Armenian Reporter, The, "Poochigian
Names Kaloostian as District Office Director," September 9, 1995, Page 15. Mary Alice Kaloostian, George
Kaloostian, Jackie Kaloostian & Chuck Poochigian
Bakersfield Californian, the,
"Legislator Cultivates Reputation for Integrity," by Vic Pollard, Californian
Sacramento Bureau, August 28, 1999. Charles Poochigian, Debbie Koligian Poochigian, Bob Poochigian, Frank
Poochigian & Gary Poochigian
Des Moines Register, The, "Roman Catholics See Much Diversity - The Conference
for Marian Devotees and the Civil Disobedience in Nebraska Illustrate Catholics
Wide-ranging Views," by William
Simbro, May 16, 1992, Page 4. Ruth Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Brown Becomes Big
Pain to TCU," by Ron Orozco, October 20, 1997, Sports, Page D8. David Boyajian
Fresno Bee, The, "Bulldogs Outclass
Northern Illinois," by Ron Orozco, September 6, 1997, Sports, Page D3. David Boyajian
Fresno Bee, The, "Eagles Win Fourth
Section Golf Title," May 14, 1996, Home, Page D3. Mark Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Families
Honored," November 16, 1995, Home, Page E. Suren Melkonian, Violet Melkonian, Frank Poochigian & Gladys
Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Four Valley
Lawmakers Sworn in. Reyes, Florez, Briggs & Poochigian Start New Jobs," by Mike
Lewis Bee, December 8, 1998, Home, Page A1. Chuck Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Local Leaders
Honored for Disability Work," April 4, 1994, Page B2. Vartan Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Local Students
Receive Scholastic Awards," by Michele Daniels, August 1, 1996, Home, Page B2. Mark Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Poochigian Honored
as Republicans' Top Rookie," by Phoebe Wall Howard, September 7, 1996, Home, Page
B1. Chuck Poochigian
Fresno Bee, The, "Poochigian
Plans to Seek Maddy's Seat - Republican Wants to Go from State Assembly to State
Senate," by Mike Lewis Bee, January 20, 1998, Home, Page B1. Charles Poochigian
Fresno, Bee, The, "Valley Rookie
Legislatures Assigned to Key Committees," February 3, 1995, Home, Page B4. Charles Poochigian
Grand Forks Herald, "Off to Austria -
University of North Dakota Professor Will Present Paper at International Conference on
Philosophy," July 20, 1996. Donald
Poochigian
Los Angeles Times, "Transition at the
Top - Wilson Takes the Reins in Sacramento," by Daniel M. Weintraub, December 19,
1990, Home, Page 3. Chuck
Poochigian
Los Angeles Times, Orange County,
"Orange County Focus: Garden Grove, Anytown Has Youth on Its Side," by Jon
Nalick, June 10, 1993, Metro, Part B, Metro Desk, Page 2. Sandi Poochigian
Orange County Register, The, "Fashion
Show Benefits Home for Seniors," by Eve Lash, November 12, 1992, Community, Zone 3,
Page 5. Ellen Poochigian
Orange County Register, The, "Helping
Newly Disabled People Become Street Smart, Coping: On Easy Street, Everyday tasks can be
mastered in a safe environment, helping people become more independent," by Jane
Glenn Haas, February 2, 1994, Page E03. Jim Poochigian, Jackie Poochigian Alexson & Justin Alexson
Orange County Register, "High School
Results for CIF, Southern Section Finals," May 23, 1999, Sports, Page 16. Jamie Kolar
Orange County Register, The, "Laguna
Hills Advances on Penalty Kick," December 28, 1993, Sports, Page D6. Ryan Boyajian
Orange County Register, The, "Laguna
Hills Soccer," by Jim McCue, February 1, 1994, Sports, Page V8. Ryan Boyajian
Press-Enterprise, The, Riverside, CA,
"Introducing New Clergy," August 8, 1998, Page B6. Thomas Poochigian, Patricia Poochigian, Lauren
Poochigian, Cameron Poochigian & Mackenzie Poochigian
Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA, "Poly
Boys Stay on Track in CIF," May 16, 1999, Sports Section, Page B7. Jamie Kolar
Sacramento Bee, The, "Wilson Appoints
Poochigian to Appointments Secretary," September 6, 1991, Page A3. Chuck Poochigian
United States, Federal Register,
"International Conference on Harmonisation; Guideline on Stability Testing for New
Dosage Forms; Availability," May 9, 1997, Page 25634. Guiragos Poochikian
United States, Food & Drug
Administration, The Pink Sheet, "Dry Powder Inhaler Flow Rate Performance Studies
Being Suggested by FDA, Especially for Newer Devices," January 20, 1997. Guiragos Poochikian
Washington Post, The, "Korea
Remembered, Veterans of Forgotten War Get Their Memorial," by Lena H. Sun, July 28,
1995, Page A1. George Poochigian, Jr.
Washington Post, The, "Critics Pick -
Music Concert," February 10, 1991, Show, Page G5. Nayiri Kredian Poochikian
Washington Post, The, "This Weeks
Community Events - Classical Music Concert," by Gerri Marmer, January 15, 1998,
Weekly - DC, Page J4. Nayiri
Poochikian
Updated 02/09/00 |
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