Armenian Vartan Gharpetian elected Glendale mayorMay 4, 2017 - 12:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Vartan Gharpetian will serve his third year on the Glendale City Council as the city’s mayor thanks to a unanimous vote by council members Monday, May 1, where new and returning faces were officially sworn in to their roles as civil servants, according to Glendale News Press. City Council incumbents Ara Najarian and Zareh Sinanyan took their oath of office for another four years of service alongside first-time Councilman Vrej Agajanian. Unopposed candidates Ardy Kassakhian and Rafi Manoukian will continue their roles as city clerk and city treasurer, respectively. Before Gharpetian took on his new role, acting Mayor Paula Devine received recognition for her contributions to the city by state Sen. Anthony Portantino and a representative from the office of Assemblywoman Laura Friedman. In parting comments, Devine expressed her gratitude to colleagues and supporters for the opportunity to pursue her vision of the city, which included greater public engagement by moving oral communication to an earlier portion of council meetings, park creation and renovation, and an expansion of the Glendale business and art community. Mayors serve one-year terms and are selected by fellow council members. No city code governs the annual process, but members are encouraged to elect someone with experience on council. Gharpetian was also chair of the Housing Authority during his time on council and originally ran because of his concerns about rapid development in the downtown area and hopes to increase open space in the city. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. |