NOTEworthy Cultural
NOTEworthy Cultural Center Seeks Artifacts Passports, old letters, photographs and vintage items made in Iraq are being sought by the Chaldean Cultural Center for its “Journey to America” exhibit. The CCC is currently being constructed inside Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. It will include five galleries covering more than 5,000 years of Chaldean history. Journey to America will tell about Chaldean families who left the homeland for a new start in Detroit and will include an early Chaldean-owned grocery store. To donate items or learn more about the CCC, call (248) 681-5050. On Top of the World Paul Shaya of Bloomfield Hills reached Mount Kilimanjaro’s highest point, called the Roof of Africa, on February 3 – where the temperature was a balmy 18 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit and oxygen levels were 50 percent. The 37-year-old said that three people died on the mountain that week. It took Shaya seven days to reach the 19,455-foot summit. Health Fair Saves Lives During this year’s recent annual health fair at St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church in West Bloomfield, three serious health conditions were diagnosed, perhaps saving lives. One man was sent to the emergency room after complaining to doctors of shortness of breath and chest pains. One physician stated “he was actively in unstable angina.” A woman learned her blood glucose level was 323, and was told to immediately administer her insulin. She previously wasn’t compliant with monitoring, but was told to check at least before meals and at bedtime. She was also TIMZ Catches On The Chaldean rapper known as TIMZ (aka Tommy Hanna) has captured a fair amount of media coverage with this new video, “Iraq,” which decries the war. He appeared on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes on January 26 and on Mancow’s syndicated radio show on February 12. He has also fielded inquiries from Howard Stern and TV Russia. TIMZ was nominated for Best Hip- Hop Album at the 2006 San Diego Music Awards and is receiving much airplay on college stations. The San Diego-based rapper is scheduled to appear in the Detroit area in April. “Iraq” has received more than 36,000 hits on YouTube. View it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= DRiy4yfh-IM or visit www.timzonline.com. educated about the consequences of improper diabetes management. Another woman, who attended the fair out of pure curiosity, was discovered to have a blood pressure reading of 210/98. Dr. Adil Arabbo donated flu vaccines to the health fair. Other participating physicians included: Iyad J. Alosachi, Mazin P. Yonana, Musib S. Gappy and Silvana P. Younana. Medical assistants included Sara Hedow, Nariman Gumma and Christine Gumma. Clair Konja helped organize this year’s event, and Vanessa Kallabat helped arrange bone mineral testing with her employer, Advance Mobile Services. The fee was donated back to St. Thomas. New Number for Abuse Reports A toll-free telephone number dedicated to handing reports of abuse has been established by the Michigan Department of Human Services in Oakland County. The number – (866) 975-5010 – is for reporting suspected adult or child abuse and neglect in Oakland County. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/dhs. New Iraq Refugee Group Established Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has announced the establishment of the Iraq Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Task Force. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky will lead this effort, building on support already provided, to coordinate refugee and IDP assistance to the region and refugee resettlement. The task force will also draw on the Department of State’s multidisciplinary expertise to devise strategies for Iraqis at risk because of their work with the U.S. Government. The task force will focus the State Department’s coordination with other government agencies, the United Nations and other stakeholders. Refugee Students Turned Away Refugees who have fled Iraq face a growing problem: getting their children educated in their new country. Three-quarters of a million Iraqi refugees now live in Jordan, mostly in Amman. But the Jordanian government has decreed that Iraqi children can only attend public school if their families have official residency in Jordan – something the vast majority of refugees lack. Most refugee families are too poor to send their children to private school. According to the Chaldean Federation of America, the same problem is occurring in Syria and Turkey. “These children will be adults in the near future and will have lost the most basic knowledge,” said Steven Garmo, chair of CFA’s Immigration/Refugee Committee. Grand opening ceremonies for the Clark Park Outdoor Ice Skating Arena Chaldean-Designed Ice Arena Opens Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, along with lots of area children, were on hand for the grand opening of the Clark Park Outdoor Ice Skating Arena. Located at the Clark Park Recreational Center at 1130 Clark Street in Detroit, the -million arena was designed by Tucker, Young, Jackson, Tull, Inc., whose president is Chaldean George Karmo. 8 CHALDEAN NEWS MARCH 2007
I wish I could quit smoking. When you smoke around your kids it’s like they are smoking. As a matter of fact, if you smoke around children from birth, by age 5, they'll have inhaled over 100 packs. Protect your children from secondhand smoke. Make your home a smoke-free one. Secondhand smoke not only hurts lung growth but can permanently damage lung functions. It can cause bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and asthma in children. To learn how to quit and keep smoke away from your children, call the FREE Michigan Tobacco Quit Line. 1.800.480.7848 Secondhand Smoke - It’s nothing to kid about. MARCH 2007 CHALDEAN NEWS 9
