http://www.croatia.org/crown en-us http://www.croatia.org/crown N/A letters@croatia.org Sun, 03 May 2026 12:07:11 +0000 20 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11450/1/PM-Modi-of-India-attended-dinner-hosted-by-PM-Plenkovic-in-Croatias-capital-Zagreb-18th-of-June-2025.html In his address, H. E. Narendra Modi, PM of India, invited his colleague Andrej Plenkoviæ, PM of Croatia, to visit India as soon as possible. Mr Modi mentioned several interesting facts dealing with centuries old history mutual relations between the two countries: the first printed sanskrit grammar in Europe was written by Filip Vezdin, a Croatian scholar, by the end of the 18th century (1798); the study of Sanskrit in Croatia was started at the University of Zagreb already in 1876; the modern day department of Indology at the University of Zagreb was started in 1959. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11422/1/Croatian-Library-for-the-Blind-in-Zagreb-visited-by-Joginder-Singh-Nijjar-and-Jane-Sha.html Mr. Jogdiner Singh Nijjar, president of the Croatian-Indian Society in Zagreb, accompanied with Jane Sha and Darko ®ubriniæ, have visited the Croatian Library for the Blind in Zagreb. Except of the library, this institution contains a printing house for the needs of blind persons. The building where the library is placed contains also The Blind Theatre Company "New Life" (the oldest blind theatre company in Europe! Founded in 1948), the Typhlological Museum, Radio Club, Chess Club, as well as Sports Club for the blind persons. On the photo: tamburitza orchestra consisting of blind children. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11376/1/Dubrovnik-gets-a-new-sister-city-8211-Sorrento-in-Italy-due-to-an-initiative-of-Ivana-Marija-Vidoviae.html The Charter on twinning and cooperation between the City of Dubrovnik and the City of Sorrento was signed on Feb 5, 2023, by two mayors, Mato Frankoviæ on behalf of the City of Dubrovnik and Massimo Coppola on behalf of the City of Sorrento. The Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra and the Sorrento Dubrovnik Festival, as well as the Dubrovnik pianist Ivana Marija Vidoviæ and conductor maestro Paolo Scibilia, are the most responsible for the intensification of cooperation between the two cities. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11367/1/Paul-Bradbury-Life-as-a-Croatian-Postman-on-the-island-of-Hvar.html Of all the interviews and feature stories that Paul Bradbury has done on his Total Croatia News internet project over the years, few were as much fun as an impromptu interview with his local postman over a beer in the town of Jelsa one day in 2016, as he explained to him the incredible Dalmatian GPS system they used to deliver mail on island of Hvar, Croatia. Mr. Bradbury lives in Croatia since 2003. He has published more than two thousand articles about various aspects of culture, life and bussiness in Croatia. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 07 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11217/1/David-Byler-1946-2020-was-8th-generation-Croatian-American-and-permanent-correspondent-of-the-CROWN.html David Byler (1946-2020) served as a Lutheran Pastor as well as a permanent correspondent of the Croatian World Network - CROWN. Being an eighth generation Croatian-American, he has contributed in the past years some extremely interesting and insghtful articles to our readers. His wisdom, knowledge, passion and perserverence will be missed by us all. He is listed among twenty greatest Croatian Americans in the USA. David liked to be nicknamed Slavonac (Slavonia is a historical region on the North of Croatia). We express our sincere condolences to his family. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11162/1/Kinjo-Gakuin-high-school-from-Japan-visited-High-School-Sesvete-in-Croatia-in-2019.html Japanese students and teachers arrived in Zagreb on March, 21st 2019. They were wellcomed by students and teachers from Gimnazija Sesvete at Franjo Tuðman airport. The program consisted of multimedial presentations and workshops which presented Gimnazija Sesvete, Croatian educational system, attractions, beauty and culture of Zagreb and Croatia. Japanese students from Nagoya also presented their school, city and talked about education in Japan. The main purpose of this event was promotion of music as a universal way of connecting people as well as promoting school choir singing. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11118/1/Japanese-Croatian-Friendship-House-in-Tokamachi-emits-a-permanent-light.html Croatian Ambassador to Japan Dr. Drago ©tambuk initiated in 2006 the construction of a Japanese - Croatian Friendship House. It was designed in 2009-2010 and its opening ceremony was held in 2012 in the city of Tokamachi. the facility was designed by the Croatian architectural tandem Vinko Peneziæ and Kre¹imir Rogina. Guided by the common cultural heritage and symbols of both countries, a project of high architectural and symbolic value was achieved. On the photo Mayor of the city of Tokamachi Mr. Sekiguchi with Dr. ©tambuk darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Wed, 31 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10943/1/Giovanna-Drpic-moves-to-CBS46-in-Atlanta.html Giovanna Drpic (left) can say she’s from the South and South America. She grew up in Texas, but she was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Giovanna is now proud to call Atlanta home as CBS46’s political reporter. She previously served as host/producer of the Emmy-nominated business show, "Money & Main$treet", on Verizon FiOS1 News Long Island. Giovanna has also been honored by the NY Associated Press Awards, Folio Awards, the Press Club of Long Island and the Garden State Journalism Association. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 17 Jan 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10877/1/Yoko-Nishii-Japanese-pianist-has-a-series-of-concerts-throughout-Croatia-in-Sep-2016.html Yoko Nishii is known as a leading promoter of the music of Dora Pejaèeviæ, after having published the complete pianist works of the first Croatian woman composer in Tokyo in the Spring of 2016. Yoko-san is preparing her new concert tour in Croatia for September 2016, starting in the town of Rovinj on the Sep 8th. Having studied piano in Japan, Yoko-san continued her specialisation in Croatian town of Lovran. She is fluent in Croatian language, and in the past years visited as a pianist numerous Croatian towns. This time, by the courtesy of Mr. Vjeko Martinko, she will also be hosted among others by Hotel Villa Astra in Lovran, where she will meet her numerous friends. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 05 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10874/1/Brenda-Brkusic-won-her-5th-and-6th-Emmy-Awards-at-the-Television-Academys-LA-Area-Emmy-Awards.html Croatian American Brenda Brkusic (left) won her 5th and 6th Emmy Awards  at the Television Academy's LA Area Emmy Awards held on July 23, 2016.  She was recognized as Executive Producer of "Variety Studio: Actors on Actors" and "China's Challenges: Can China Be Harmonious?" Last year she took home an Emmy for Producing "Mia: A Dancer's Journey" a film about Croatian-born ballerina Mia Corak Slavenska. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 26 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10721/1/Brenda-Brkusic-wins-3rd-and-4th-Los-Angeles-Area-Emmy-.html Brenda Brkusic (left) and her production teams won two Los Angeles Emmys for the film "Mia, a dancer's journey" in the Arts and Culture/History category and "Variety Studio: Actors on Actors" in the Best Entertainment Program category. The winners were announced at the 67th Los Angeles Area Emmy(R) Awards presentation on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at The Skirball Cultural Center Guerin Pavilion in Herscher Hall. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 28 Jul 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10661/1/Danny-Schechter-1942---2015-journalist-documentary-filmmaker-social-justice-activist-and-media-critic.html By definition Danny was a journalist, documentary filmmaker, social justice activist and media critic, but that would be a reduction and simplification of what Danny real was and is. The man who understood the world affairs; talks one minute to the president of a country and the next minute talks to a group of elementary school kids. Only highly intelligent and highly compassionate people can do that. Danny did and could work for major networks as a highly paid producer. By being and staying as an independent journalist, Danny chose truth vs comfort. Only rare birds put such value on truth. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 21 Mar 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10547/1/Vuprem-oci-an-old-traditional-Croatian-song-very-popular-among-French-vocal-choirs.html Vuprem oèi is a very tender and poetic Croatian folk song from the region of Meðimurje on the north of Croatia. Its simple melody follows a pentatonic pattern, so typical for this part of Croatia. We express our deep gratitude to Professor Kre¹imir Veseliæ, distinguished Croatian mathematician, who informed us about popularity of this song in France. We also owe our sincere gratitude to numerous French choirs and their conductors for their exceptional perfomances. Moreover, they all sing this song in Croatian! This song is a jewel of the European cultural landscape. On the photo Mrs. Pascale Scarabin from France, fantastic solo interpretor of Vuprem oèi. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Thu, 17 Apr 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10498/1/Frok-Zefi-Catholic-priest-historian-and-publicist-in-Croatia.html Besides his regular duties in his parish, Don Frok Zefi (on the photo) is very active as a historian and publicist. Till now he has published about a dozen of books and monographs, most of them in Zagreb and Osijek, and some of them printed in Albanian as well. No doubt, the greatest Albanian in history was legenedary Mother Teresa, educated as a girl by Croatian Jesuits. The greatest expert in the history of Albanians was distinguished Croatian scientist and polyglot Milan pl. ©ufflay (1879-1931). darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 13 Dec 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10482/1/Zoran-Orlic-captures-the-band-Trampled-By-Turtles-in-a-new-book.html Croatian-American photographer Zoran Orlic (left) was given the opportunity to capture the band "Trampled by Turtles" as they performed their 10th anniversary concert in Minneapolis earlier this year. Those photos which feature candid backstage shots as well as explosive onstage moments have been collected in a book commemorating the event. The book goes on sale in November and is limited to 1,000 copies. Pre-order your copy today! stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10372/1/Oleh-Hirnyk-translated-Hrvoje-Kacics-monograph-from-Croatian-into-Ukrainian-and-published-in-Kyiv-2013.html   Mr. Oleh Hirnyk translated an important monograph by Dr. Hrvoje Kaèiæ, Serving My Country (U slu¾bi domovine), from Croatian into Ukrainian. The Ukrainian title is Hrvats'ki proriv (Croatian Break Through). The monograph has an extensive preface to the book, written by the translator, revealing many little known details from the history of relations between Croatia and Ukraine. The book has been published in 2013 in Kyiv, and we congratulate Mr. Oleh Hirnyk and the Ukrainian publisher Tempora on great job. The book was previously translated from Croatian into English, Castillian, German, and now into Ukrainian. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10214/1/Tarara-Croats-and-Maori-in-New-Zealand-monograph-by-Senka-Bozic-Vrbancic.html Maori called us Tarara. , as we speak so fast... At the beginning of the twentieth century, as Croatians left Dalmatia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the brave new world of New Zealand, Drawing from official documents, oral histories, novels, letters, newspaper articles, marriage certificates, and much more, Senka Bozic-Vrbancic on the photo explores relationships between Maori and Croats. How has their collective identity been shaped by changing legal regulations from colonial times to the bi cultural New Zealand of today? Croatian and Maori Christmas concert for 2011 in New Zealand. Dame Mira Szászy b. Petrièeviæ was the first Maori woman with university degree. Her father was Croatian. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10173/1/Marie-Bernadette-Rouaux---Universal-Language.html My name is Marie-Bernadette Rouaux, I chose these few photos that recall me some “reflections and spaces” from Bretagne and some wonderful days in Croatia, its intensive blue and green beauty. I loved  Varazdin under the rain, an evening at Zagreb, the river Sava near Cigoc, the green immersion at Plitvice, the Cadillac at Vitina in Herzegovina, the picnic at Majerovo Vrilo, the sunset on the Kornati, the isle of Solta where I feel at home. At 8 a.m., waiting for the departure to Split, I took two photos in the same moment , the rowboat on the quiet sea and the taking flight of a seagull. I felt the strange sensation of suspended time. When I take pictures,  I feel fugitive sensations and deep feelings and it’s a great joy for me to share emotions without words,  just going with the flow, “au fil de l’eau”. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10189/1/Travels-bring-experiences-and-memories-that-last-a-lifetime-Capt-Iv-Vidos-and-Violi-Calvert.html Travels bring experiences and memories that last a lifetime. They give us the opportunities to visit beautiful and interesting places, and meet amazing people. During a recent holiday my husband and I had included a 10-night Mediterranean cruise. In his welcome address I noted that the Captain is Croatian. Captain Iv Vidos reflected in his talk to passengers his great love for the sea and his mission of ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the holidaymakers as well as the staff of the ship. Aside from sharing valuable information and pointers, his good sense of humour came through his announcements before docking at various ports. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10185/1/Google-congratulated-the-Independence-Day-October-8-to-Croatia---many-thanx-to-Google.html On 8 October 1991 the Croatian Deit (Parliament) decided to cancel all ties with ex-Yugoslavia. The day before Zagreb has been bombed by the Yugoslav army attempting to assasinate president Franjo Tuðman and Croatian Government. The decision has been undertaken in circumstances of Serbian agression on Croatia, where the ex-Yu army was left without control of ex-Yugoslav presidency. The Decision obtained support of great majority of citizens of Croatia. Thank you, Google, for celebrating Croatian Independence Day with us! darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 08 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10032/1/Michael-McAdams-1947-2010-historian-and-sincere-Croatian-friend.html C. Michael McAdams (1947-2010) is best known for his important monograph Hrvatska - mit i istina (Croatia Myth & Reality), published in Croatian, Swedish, Danish, Spanish (2 editions), and English (3 editions). Other translations are planned. We invite you to read an article by Croatian historian Dr. Ante Èuvalo written in memory of Michael McAdams. cuvalo@gmail.com (Dr. Ante Èuvalo) Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10011/1/Izumi-Yamaguchi-Japan-singing-Cetiri-Staduna-in-Croatian.html   Izumi Yamaguchi, Japanese pop and jazz singer, surprized us all with her beautiful interpretation of a popular Croatian song Èetiri staðuna (Four Seasons), which she sings in Croatian language. The song is orginally performed by Meri Cetiniæ, composed by Zdenko Runjiæ, and the lyrics written by Tomislav Zuppa. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9986/1/Drago-Stambuk-Croatian-ambassador-in-Japan-writes-about-a-beautiful-friendship.html This year a wonderful example of “friendship building” has been set in motion between our two countries, Japan and Croatia. Accumulated efforts of Japanese and Croatian people have resulted in the project of “Japan - Croatia Friendship House” in Tokamachi, Niigata. Written by Dr. Drago ©tambuk, ambassador of Croatia in Japan. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9858/1/Julian-Rachlin-and-Friends-festival-in-Dubrovnik.html Pianist Yefim Bronfman, violinist Lawrence Power, clarinettist Martin Frost, cellist Torleif Thedéen, double-bassist Stacey Watton, harpsichord player Jan Jansen, along with almost "traditional" participants - cellist Mischa Maisky, pianist Itamar Golan, violinist Janine Jansen and many others - are only several world-renowned names coming to Dubrovnik this year upon the invitation by Maestro Julian Rachlin to perform at the Festival from 31 August to 12 September. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9815/1/Dr-Ante-Simonic-and-Dr-Zlatko-Matesa-captains-of-two-Chinese-football-teams.html Dr. Ante Simoniæ, ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, and Dr. Zlatko Mate¹a, head of the Croatian Olympic Committee, had the honor to be captains of two teams dressed in well known Croatian sports dresses. One team was composed of members of China Radio International Program in Croatian language, and another of former Chinese students of Croatian language in Bejing, plus Dr. Simoniæ and Dr. Mate¹a as captains. Dr. Simoniæ on the photo. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9802/1/Project-of-Croatian-house-in-Tokamachi-Japan.html In the Japanese city of Tokamachi and with the presence of eminent Croatian architects Vinko Peneziæ and Kresimir Rogina, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Japan Dr. Drago ©tambuk and the Mayor of Tokamachi Yoshifumi Sekiguchi confirmed the decision of the City Council regarding the construction of Croatian House that would represent the focal point of Croatia-Japan friendship in Japan. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9572/1/Thank-You-Croatia-Spasibo-Horvatiya.html Amazing news: Russian web site www.soccer.ru/spasibo invites all Russian fans to Say Thank You to Croatia!  or in Russian, Spasibo Horvatiya! Namely, Croatian 2007 win at Wembley in London over England opened the door for the Russian team to appear at the 2008 European Football Championship. Thousands of Russians of all ages responded to the invitation. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9472/1/NFCA-is-Saddened-by-the-Passing-of-Congressman-Tom-Lantos-of-California.html   Tom Lantos was a friend to the Republic of Croatia and to the Croatian American Community.  He was a progressive leader for democratic change around the world and a steadfast supporter of the expansion of human rights for all people. NFCA's President, Mr. Ed Andrus, called on Congressman Lantos in his office when the NFCA was actively campaigning for Croatian Caucus. foleycoinc@earthlink.net (Joe Foley) Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9381/1/Jerry-Ricks-in-memoriam-1940---2007.html American blues guitarist "Philadelphia" Jerry Ricks, who mastered the sound of the 1930s' Delta Blues, died in a clinic in Croatia on Monday. He was 67. He and his wife, Nancy, moved to Croatia this year after performing a concert in the country. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9292/1/President-Mesiae-decorated-the-US-Admiral-Lunney-with-the-Order-of-Trefoil.html The decoration was presented to Lunney at a ceremony in the Croatian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Sept. 26th 2007. Admiral Lunney invested a lot of efforts, time and enthusiasm to find the family of Croat Peter Tomich, who was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, so as to present them with the Congressional Medal of Honor. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9306/1/Toe-Proeski-1981---2007-In-Memoriam-Too-good-too-young-too-soon-too-sad.html The talented boy from Krusevo - Tose Proeski, one of the best Macedonian vocalists ever, was born on 25 January 1981 in Prilep. Prior to his death, he was a student at the final year of the Skopje Music Academy, at the solo singing department. A personal friend, who loved Croatia and Croatians loved him back. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9270/1/New-book-Escape-From-Despair----A-Croatian-Familys-Survival.html  Katarina Tepesh (left) has published a memoir titled "Escape From Despair - A Croatian Family's Survival" learn more about the author, the book and where you can get it. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9251/1/Some-can-sing-opera-Luciano-Pavarotti-was-an-opera-1935---2007.html   No one could inhabit those acrobatic melodies and words like him. He lived the songs, his opera was a great mash of joy and sadness; surreal and earthy at the same time; a great volcano of a man who sang fire but spilled over with a love of life in all its complexity, a great and generous friend letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9108/1/Ruggero-Cattaneo-a-scholar-devoted-to-Croatian-language-and-literature.html Ruggero Cattaneo, a young Italian scholar with profound knowledge of Croatian language and culture, translated the monograph "Povijest hrvatske knji¾evnosti" (History of Croatian Literature) by academician Dubravko Jelèiæ from Croatian into Italian, under the title "Storia della letteratura Croata". darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8800/1/Ed-Bradley-the-award-winning-television-journalist-died-Thursday-Nov-9th-2006.html   Ed Bradley, the award-winning television journalist who broke racial barriers at CBS News and created a distinctive, powerful body of work during his 26 years on "60 Minutes," died Thursday. He was 65. Ed Bradley interviewed Nenad Bach for CBS in 1991, during the Croatian War for Independence. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8645/1/Rear-Admiral-J-Robert-Lunney-A-Portrait-of-an-Honorable-American---part-3.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 04 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8643/1/Rear-Admiral-J-Robert-Lunney-A-Portrait-of-an-Honorable-American---part-2.html 5 Videos. Admiral Lunney speaks on TV about Peter Tomich. Interview about Admiral Lunney's  life done by Joseph Bogovic and Nenad Bach, as a two part video. Presentation of the Medal of Honor...3 Videos are inbeded as a Google  Video. 2 as Windows Media. Enjoy   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 02 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8641/1/Rear-Admiral-J-Robert-Lunney-A-Portrait-of-an-Honorable-American---part-1.html    Heart of an honorable sailor. Commitment, duty, sense of obligation, the bond of teamwork, bravery, work ethic, care for his men and leadership by example is the framework that makes up the heart of Peter Tomich and live deep in the emotional fabric that makes up J. Robert Lunney. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 02 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8529/1/E-Grateful-Deads-last-keyboardist-Vince-Welnick-dies-at-55.html Grateful Dead's last keyboardist, Vince Welnick, dies at 55   Vince Welnick and Nenad Bach at Vince's house   Op-ed I knew Vince for a long time, almost 20 years, before he joined Grateful Dead. Great player and a friend. He played on my last album 'Thousand Years of Peace' on couple of tunes. Great musical sense and easy to work with. I enjoyed every moment with Vince, whether we recorded, talked about Croatia, Bosendorfer (my choice of Piano, as well as Vince's) or horses. We'll miss you.   Nenad     Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, June 3, 2006 SAN FRANCISCO - Vince Welnick, a keyboardist who possessed a fluid and precise style and played with the Tubes, Todd Rundgren and the Grateful Dead, died Friday in Sonoma County at the age of 51. The cause appears to be suicide, Sonoma County sheriff's department said. Mr. Welnick, whom friends called a gentle and sensitive man, was classically trained and spent hours practicing each day. Although he was a member of the Dead for just five years until the band folded after the death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, he left an indelible mark on his bandmates. "He was a good soul, a very sweet guy," said band spokesman Dennis McNally. "He was also an exceptionally competent keyboardist." In a statement posted on its Web site, the band said, "His service to and love for the Grateful Dead were heartfelt and essential. He had a loving soul and a joy in music that we were lucky to share. Our Grateful Dead prayer for the repose of his spirit: May the four winds blow him safely home." Mr. Welnick was born in Phoenix, Ariz., where he started playing piano as a kid. He and friends put together a garage band called the Beans, which became the Tubes when they moved to San Francisco in 1969. "Thank God for rock and roll, because it was a place for all us skinny artistic kids to go when it was 115 degrees outside and we didn't fit in anywhere else," said Michael Cotten, a member of the Tubes who designed many of the band's album covers and elaborate stage shows. The Tubes toured constantly, and their rowdy antics and energetic shows -- which integrated rock music, video technology and outlandish costumes and sets -- earned them a devoted following. The band recorded more than a dozen albums and scored hits with "White Punks on Dope" in 1975 and "Talk to Ya Later" in 1981. "It was an amazing time. We played everywhere, and I don't think Vince ever missed a show," said Tubes vocalist Fee Waybill. "But even with all the success, we were still a hippie band from San Francisco. We all lived together, traveled on the same bus, shared everything." Throughout his time with the Tubes, Mr. Welnick also played with Todd Rundgren. Mr. Welnick auditioned for the Dead in 1990 after keyboardist Brent Mydland died of a drug overdose. He was among a handful of musicians who sought the job, and he immediately impressed the band. "He just magically appeared and he had the attributes they were looking for," McNally said. Mr. Welnick cherished his years with the Dead and thoroughly appreciated both the tradition and hoopla of Deadhead lore and of the band, McNally said. His soulful, high harmony vocals and classical training were a good fit for the band, and his "moment to shine" came whenever the band played The Who classic, "Teenage Wasteland," which begins with an instantly recognizable and utterly unique keyboard passage, McNally said. It "opens with one of the most amazing riffs in rock and roll," he said. "Vince was great at that." Mr. Welnick was devoted to his craft and spent hours a day practicing for most of his life, friends said. He was especially proud of his Boesendorfer piano, which is the piano equivalent to a Stradivarius violin. "His fingers just flew on that thing," Cotten said. Mr. Welnick was close to Garcia, and when the guitarist died of a heart attack in 1995, Mr. Welnick fell into a deep depression. "He was extremely shattered by Jerry's death and was very frank about it," McNally said. Still, Mr. Welnick continued to perform and write. He formed the band Missing Man Formation and performed with Ratdog, a band featuring Dead guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. One of the highpoints of his post-Dead career came in April 2005 when the Tubes had an impromptu reunion at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz. Five of the original members were playing, and Waybill invited other alumni. They all wound up onstage, playing together. "It was amazing, like walking on air," said Cotten, who's working on a Tubes documentary. "The place was packed. People went nuts," said Waybill. "It was a great, great night. Vince was always up for things like that. He was really excited about playing with the Tubes again." And so it was that Mr. Welnick's death came as such a shock. "A few of us were just talking about Vince today and about the incredible music he brought us," Cotten said. "What they call chops, that's what Vince had. That's what we want to remember." Mr. Welnick's death is the latest in a string of recent tragedies for the Dead. Three other members of the band's extended family have died since May 17 -- crew member Lawrence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, drummer Hamza El-Din and road manager Jonathan Riester. He also is the fourth of the band's five keyboardists to die, following Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Keith Godchaux and Mydland. "It's not a happy history," McNally said. "Each one of these guys had a fragility, which isn't that uncommon for musicians." Mr. Welnick is survived by his wife, Lori Welnick. The Associated Press contributed to this story. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/03/MNG45J861V4.DTL Grateful Dead keyboard player Vince Welnick dies By Sara Wykes Mercury News Vince Welnick, 55, who played keyboards with the Grateful Dead for five years before the death of band founder Jerry Garcia, died Friday. Sonoma County sheriffs said he was taken, injured, from his home in rural Forestville near Santa Rosa, to a local hospital. He died there, police said. An unofficial spokesman at the Welnick home said, ``It looks like he took his own life.'' But that is not known for sure, he said. ``The family is very grieved, and trying to figure it all out.'' Welnick arrived in San Francisco in 1971 from his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz., already a keyboardist with a group called the Beans. The Beans became the Tubes and in 1983 their song ``She's a Beauty'' was a hit. Welnick played with Todd Rundgren after the Tubes broke up, and in 1990, was invited to try out for the Dead. Welnick told an interviewer with the Vermont Review that the tryout was exciting. Before he played, the band sent him tapes and CDs, but he didn't have a CD player. He practiced in the hayloft of his barn and then waited for two weeks before he heard he was in. ``That fact that I screamed a lot as a child paid off and got me into the Grateful Dead,'' he told the paper. At his first concert with the band, a sound man jumped on his piano seat to test his microphone and broke the seat into 100 hundred pieces, Welnick said. ``I was somewhat paralyzed playing at first. I remember . . . thinking to myself: `Come on fingers, let's get unstuck. Let's get loose here.' Then I heard this ripple in the audience and there was a kid who yelled, `Welcome Brother Vince!' and there were stickers that said, `Yo Vinnie' stuck to the side of my keyboard. The crowd was very forgiving.'' He told the interviewer that he'd never seen the likes of such music, friendship and spirit and did not know if he ever would again. As a member of the Dead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was scheduled to play the House of Blues in Chicago later this month, according to a Web site devoted to his career. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14732260.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 03 Jun 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6174/1/E-Risha-Cupit-an-honorary-Croatian.html ÂRisha Cupit Â ÂZovem se Risha Cupit. Ja sam Amerikanica iz New Orleans, ali sada iz Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Imam tri Irska Vuka Lovacka psa. Takodjer, bavim se spasavanjem sismisa.I have slowly been studying the Croatian language for one and half years. Although, I have studied many other languages, to me, Croatian is the most beautiful. Boravila sam u Rujnu u Zagrebu, Splitu i Dubrovniku, I fell in love with Croatia.Volim Hrvatska. Volim Hrvatski jezik. On je lijepa. Vise nego ista zelim tamo zivjeti. Something in Croatia calls to me, tells me I belong there, welcomes me...and knows my heart. Never have I felt this way before about any place I have been. My heart has never been so sad to leave a place as when I had to return to the USA.Umjetnik sam. Ja sam slikarica, ukrasarica torte, pjesnikica i fotografkinja. Volim kosarka i ja fotograf Milwaukee Bucks NBA domaci igraci. My career goal is to be a sports and travel photographer. In art I look for movement, fire of the spirit, freedom and life. In my life I live freely, with passion, desire and honesty. I search for knowledge, truth and experiences in everything. Here are a few photographs I shot on my vacation last September. Hopefully, in them I have captured even a small percentage of the immense beauty that stole moj srce i dusa while I was there. Uz srdacne pozdrave,Rishacontact: batthound@yahoo.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 22 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6173/1/E-Bevan-Calvert-Story---An-Australian-Handball-Player.html   Bevan Calvert     Focus: An Australian Handball PlayerHandball as a sports gained greater popularity in Australia following its exposure at the 2000 Olympics Games hosted by Sydney. In June 2004 Australia won the Oceania World Championship Qualification Tournament. This enabled Australia to compete in the World Menâs Handball Championship which was held in January 2005 in Tunisia. A few months after the 2005 World Championships, one of the Australian handballers logged on at the Croatian Crown website and found a picture of one of the Australian players in a game against Croatia, published on the website. This was subsequently forwarded and shared with the handball clubs, the wider Australian community, and family and friends overseas. [Refer to the page 'Croatia Takes Silver â Second in the World', third photo].The player is Bevan Calvert, who was 18 years of age at that time of the World Championship. Bevanâs 'publicist', his mother Violi, sent a note of thanks to Nenad Bach, Editor-in-Chief of the website, for the acknowledgement of an Australian player. As part of the Croatian Crown websiteâs aim to promote world peace through friendship and understanding between people of all cultures, Nenad thought of featuring Bevan on this page.Bevan was born on April 4 1986 in Sydney and is the younger of two sons of an Australian father [John] and Philippine-born mother [Violi]. Like his older brother Tim, Bevan played soccer from when he was six years of age. Through the years, he took the role of team captain and received trophies for his commitment and achievements in the sport.When not playing soccer, Bevan was involved in basketball, cricket, tennis and swimming. His exposure to handball came about when the sport became one of the competition sports in high schools. In 2001, the school attended by Bevan won the State Schools Challenge. In recognition of his achievements in the school and state level in handball, Bevan received the Philippine Community Council â Philippine Air Lines Youth Award in 2002. He was nominated for the award by the North Shore Filipino-Australian Association in Sydney, wherein his mother has been actively involved with.Following that, Bevan made it to the NSW u18's Team which won the Handball National Championship. Three years later, Bevan was named in the Australian Handball Team. He was part of the Team which went to Beijing in June 2004 for a series of friendly games. Then in November 2004, he was named as part of the Australian Team to compete in the 2005 World Handball Championship which was held in January in Tunisia.There were 24 countries which qualified to compete in the World Championship. The Australian Team had a tough draw for their pool games - Croatia [defending champion], Spain [won 2005 title], Sweden, Argentina and Japan so was not able to progress in the championship. Nevertheless, they enjoyed the experience and the challenges of the event. On a personal level, Bevan did very well. He was the Australian Team's top scorer [15 goals] and was voted as the team's "Players' Player". As a student, Bevan was also very involved in various school activities. Aside from representing his school in sports events, he was nominated to attend the Global Young Leaders Conference held in Washington DC and New York in 2002. He was in the Students Council and was elected as Vice-Captain in his senior year. He also participated in a school stage play which showcased his 'unknown' singing and dancing skills. At his high school graduation, Bevan received a gold medal, Faculty Awards, and was named as Senior Sportsman of the Year.Bevan is currently undertaking a Bachelor in Information Technology at Macquarie University in Sydney, as well as doing part time work.Bevan continues to be involved in the handball club competition in Sydney. He enjoys both the competitive edge of the sport and the camaraderie amongst players. He credits a number of âhandball mentorsâ for their continued support. He shares a dream with his fellow handballers to represent Australia in the Olympics in the future. In the meantime, they have their sights on winning the upcoming Oceania Qualifying Tournament to be held in Sydney in May 2006 so they can compete in the World Championship to be held in January 2007 in Germany. It is also Bevanâs wish that one day he would have the opportunity to play handball professionally in Europe. As he is only turning 20 years of age in April this year, he has many years ahead of him to explore and fulfil this dream.  contact Violi Calvert:violicalvert@optusnet.com.au   Bevan on his high school graduation, shown with older brother Tim       Calvert family   Bevanâs 'publicist', his mother Violi, sent a note of thanks to Nenad Bach, Editor-in-Chief of the website, for their acknowledgement of an Australian player.  From this, a friendship between Croatians and Australians albeit through cyberspace was forged. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6175/1/E-Jeffrey-Lesser-Friend-of-Croatia.html ÂÂMario Ancic and Jeffrey LesserÂINTERVIEW WITH JEFFREY LESSER By Katarina TepeshJEFFREY LESSER lives in West Orange, New Jersey, where he is a 16-year-old high school junior. A "straight A" student, Jeffrey is the editorials editor of his school newspaper, the Pioneer, and frequently contributes editorials, mainly about politics. Jeff is the captain of the boys' tennis team at West Orange High School. He hopes to attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wants to major in sports medicine and become a licensed physician. His mother said that Jeff is such a big fan of Croatian tennis, he might as well just move to Croatia altogether. Katarina - Out of hundreds of tennis players from all over the world, we Croatians are delighted that you have an intense interest for Croatian players! How and when did it happen?I first started following professional tennis when I was about 7 years old. At the time, my two favorite tennis players were Michael Chang and Croatian Goran Ivanisevic. I really admired and enjoyed the way Ivanisevic played, with his huge lefty serve and solid strokes from the baseline. I am not really sure how my love for Ivanisevic matriculated into an intense fandom of Croatian tennis, but I know that I began to follow Ivan Ljubicic, who was Ivanisevic's compatriot and occasional doubles partner. When Mario Ancic and Ivo Karlovic went pro, I began to root for them as well, because I already was a big fan of Croatian tennis from Ivanisevic and Ljubicic.Who/What do you aspire to be?When I grow up, I want to become an orthopaedic surgeon or a doctor for a sports team. Because I don't see any method by which I can become a professional tennis player or a professional athlete, I would really love to tie in medicine with my first love, sports.What extracurricular activities do you do in school?In school, I am on the mock trial team, for which I am a lawyer (there are only four lawyers in the whole school), and I am in Junior Statesmen of America, or JSA, which is a debate club. I am also the editorials editor of my high school paper, the Pioneer, for which I write articles, edit, and choose which articles are printed in the paper.What sports do you play?I love playing tennis, and I am the captain of my high school tennis team. As a Junior in high school, this will be my third year starting on the varsity team, making me the longest tenured player currently on the team.What other hobbies to do you have?I love watching sports and going to sporting events. I have been to several New York Knicks basketball games already this year, went to two San Francisco 49ers football games, one in New Orleans and one in New Jersey, and go to Yankee games often. I love professional sports, and my favorite team is the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. I also love following professional tennis, and attended the US Open seven times last year, following several of my favorite players and going to most of their matches.What type of music do you like?I love classic rock, like Jethro Tull (my all-time favorite band), Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band and Paul Simon. I go to as many classic rock concerts as possible.Do you do volunteer work or tutoring?I volunteer three hours per week working at the Gift Shop at the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey. I have been working there since September of 2003. I am also part of the SALE program in my school, which involves going to a middle school and immersing kids in the French language and teaching them the basics of French so that they will be interested in studying French in the future. What type of student are you? Have you won any academic awards?I am a very diligent and hard-working student. I have received straight A's in every marking period of my first three years so far in high school, except for the fourth marking period of my Freshman year, when I received a B in Biology in one marking period (though I did obtain an A for the year, and in my school, that is all that matters). That means that I have been on the high honor roll 8 times so far in high school and regular honor roll once. I am in line to obtain a National Merits Scholarship for my score on the PSATs as well, but I do not find out about this until September 2005.Do you like to travel?I love to travel. I have been to Italy, Israel, France, England, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, and out west to California for a summer playing tennis. I went on a teen tour out to the Pacific Northwest of America and Canada, as well.What is your typical day like? What do you do when you are not in school?My typical day involves going to school and doing school-related activities. Every Monday after school, I volunteer at the Kessler Institute, and on Tuesdays, I attend Hebrew High School for two hours. On Wednesdays and Thursdays I have mock trial after school and JSA, and on Fridays I like to hang out with my friends. Saturdays, I typically eat lunch with my family and do some homework. At night, I go out with my friends. Sundays in the winter are reserved for watching football with my father.Do you really do your homework every day and clean your own room?I actually think I do a pretty good job of completing my homework every day and preparing for the next day in school. Cleaning my room is a different story, however, as my mom can attest. Do you have any brothers or sisters?I have one brother, Eric, who is nineteen and in college, attending the University of Pennsylvania. We see each other a lot and are very close.Besides your parents, who are your idols?Besides my parents, my idol would be my brother. He has affected everything I have done in my life. I have learned from his mistakes and his successes in life. He turned me on to sports and everything I love in life. However, I try to be my own person, as well. I do not like to base my life off of somebody else's. I try to be a unique individual.You seem to have a very mature view on politics. Is it influenced by your parents? What do your parents do for a living?My view on politics is inevitably affected to a degree by the influence of my parents and my brother. However, most of my opinions are made independently of them and their influence. My mother works as a salesperson of software to major corporations in the United States and my father is an attorney.Would you say you are a typical Democrat who wants to change and improve the world? Are you old enough to vote?I most definitely would love to improve the world, because everyone knows (except Bush, maybe) that there is much room for improvement. I believe that we should put those in need first and not give tax cuts to the rich, but rather to the lower and middle class who truly need the money. I am not old enough to vote, but rest assured, when I am (next Presidential election), I will vote for the candidate who will positively affect America and the world.What was it like meeting Ancic at US Open 2004?I was walking around the grounds of the US Open, and I remembered that Sanja Ancic, Mario's sister, was playing in the juniors of the event. So, I went to watch her for a little while; there were about 20 people watching. I don't think any of them knew that she was Mario's sister, because sitting on a bench, with no one recognizing him or approaching him, was Mario Ancic himself! I went and sat right behind him, my mom next to me, and Mario's father I believe was sitting behind me in the bleachers. Mario was reading a Croatian newspaper. I waited until the end of the first set, which Sanja lost in a tiebreaker, to talk to Mario, so as to not rudely disturb him while he was watching his sister. At the end of the first set, I stood up and said, "Mario, I am a huge fan of yours." He said, "Thank you." I asked him if I could take a photograph with him, and he stood up and said, "Sure." He was kind of down because he had lost a few days prior (to Belge Olivier Rochus, I was there) and his sister had dropped the first set. My mom took two photos of the same shot, I said "Thank you," again, and I sat back down to watch a little more of the match before I left. It was amazing, I got to get a picture with one of my absolute favorite tennis players, Wimbledon semifinalist, and rising star, Mario Ancic!IVAN LJUBICIC AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2005 BY JEFFREY LESSERFor the twentieth time in his career, Ivan Ljubicic was ousted before the third round of a Grand Slam. The 22nd ranked player in the world, Ljubicic has only made it past the second round of a Grand Slam twice in his whole career, and has never made it past the third round in these two instances. With his four-set, 6-7 4-6 7-6 2-6 loss to 19-year-old Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the second round of the Australian Open Wednesday, Ljubicic continued his frustrating pattern of Grand Slam disappointments.Considering his great success in other tournaments, Ljubicic's lack of success in the Grand Slams is mind-boggling. This summer, in the tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ljubicic made a great run, defeating the crafty Frenchman, Sebastian Grosjean, in the semifinals and just barely losing to Andy Roddick, the second ranked player in the world, in the final after obtaining several match points. Ivan was playing phenomenally. Then he went to the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York, and immediately lost to 58th ranked Hyung-Taik Lee of Korea.Three months ago, Ivan played great tennis in the Madrid Tennis Masters Series, defeating Rainer Schuettler, Tim Henman, and gutting out a victory over the hard-hitting Joachim Johansson before losing to the scrappy Argentine David Nalbandian in the semifinal. This was a tournament to which only the top players in the world are invited - much like a Grand Slam. Just a week ago in the tournament in Doha, Qatar, Ljubicic defeated the promising young Spaniard Rafael Nadal and his veteran compatriot Albert Costa, only bowing out to the number one player in the world, Roger Federer, in the final.Coming into the 2005 Australian Open, Ivan Ljubicic was playing magnificent tennis. It showed in the first round of the tournament, in which he handily defeated the hard-working Peruvian, Luis Horna, by a lopsided score of 6-4 6-3 6-3. Ljubicic confidently stated after the game that he "destroyed" his opponent from the baseline and described his play as "excellent." However, in the second round of the tournament, Ljubicic failed to come through. Playing against Baghdatis, the talented but unpolished Cypriot baseliner who is ranked just 155th in the world, Ljubicic was defeated in four sets. Ivan had only 42 winners compared to 46 unforced errors, while Baghdatis played brilliantly, striking 72 winners and only hitting 33 unforced errors. Ljubicic converted on only one of eight break points.Did Ljubicic just have an off-day? Everybody should be entitled to play poorly once in a while. Baghdatis did play extremely well, and even if Ivan had played as well as he had been in the past few months, the match would have been a battle. However, Ljubicic has set an astounding and incomprehensible pattern of losing early in Grand Slams to players worse than he is. There is absolutely no reason that Ljubicic should lose time and time again before the third round of a Grand Slam, especially when he is playing some of the best tennis of his life in all of the other tournaments.As a fan of Croatian tennis and of Ivan Ljubicic, I pray that it is just a coincidence that Ivan fails to succeed in the Grand Slams of tennis. I pray that one of these days, he will show the world on the grandest stage what a talented player he actually is. I pray that he reaches the third, or even the fourth round (gasp!) of a major this year. Every knowledgeable tennis fan knows he is more than capable of doing this and much more.Until then, I, along with the rest of his fans, will wait for Croatia's best and highest-ranked player to come through and finally play well at a major. It makes no sense why he can defeat Rainer Schuettler, Rafael Nadal, Sebastian Grosjean, and Tim Henman in regular tournaments and then go lose to 19-year-old Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the 2005 Australian Open. Until then, I will watch and wait patiently and eagerly for Ivan Ljubicic to win when it counts the most. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later.JEFFREY LESSER lives in West Orange, New Jersey, where he is a 16-year-old high school junior. A "straight A" student, Jeffrey is the editorials editor of his school newspaper, the Pioneer, and frequently contributes editorials, mainly about politics. Jeff is the captain of the boys' tennis team at West Orange High School. He hopes to attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wants to major in sports medicine and become a licensed physician. His mother said that Jeff is such a big fan of Croatian tennis, he might as well just move to Croatia altogether. ÂJeff can be reached atJffryLssr@aol.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 24 Jan 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6176/1/E-Frank-Enea---Rock-and-Roll-with-a-Heart.html ÂFrank EneaÂÂwww.frankenea.com Â"With eyes on the world" is how the New York Times, in a July 2003 feature article, described Frank Enea's music and vision of his future. Another quote bandied about was “The Return of Rock!” Music presses, also in 2003, tried to elevate garage-rock bands to headliner status by proclaiming that they were going to save the rock genre. They all came . . . and they all went. The problem? Songs. Or more specifically: the art of songwriting. Here is where Frank Enea’s Makeshift Days comes in. From the opening acoustic intro of “Falling Out Of Bed” to the final track “Holding Back” (featured on the NBC hit show, “Ed”), the listener is reminded of artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Tom Waits and Radiohead. One thing these masters all have in common is their devotion and artistry to songwriting. While they have all varied musical styles they all have the drive and focus for each and every individual song they write, craft and record. Oh, and one more thing they all have in common: the live performances. The one constant of enduring rock acts are the albums they produce AND their live shows which add a new layer of energy to the songs. Frank Enea (vocals and guitar) and Palace Laundry (Alex Morell on bass and Paul Enea on drums) have recorded an album of 12 songs of soulful and melody driven rock. Hear them, experience them. “The Return of Songwriting” is here. Again. Raised in the suburbs of New York, Frank found out early on what he wanted to do with his life, and that was to play music. At the age of five he got his first guitar, given to him by his uncle, and music lessons followed soon thereafter. During this period, his brother Paul was studying drums and would soon be a lifelong band mate. Frank’s love of British rock and American blues music would eventually perk his interest in classical music. Through out High School Frank studied classical guitar and the music of Bach. During this period he also played in bands and performed at local clubs. In the early 1990’s Frank would guest on many recordings by independent artists, teach guitar and, study music at Manhattanville College. In 1998, a new project emerged which would challenge Frank to a new role, and that was lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for his next and current band.During the late 1990’s Frank introduced Satellite Sound recording studios in Mt. Kisco, NY. The studio serves as a place for Frank to write and record, as well as network, teach and produce other acts. The magic of receiving and transmitting music can be best achieved by being knowledgeable in the recording and technological aspect of music. His relentless performing eventually led to interest from major labels. But, in an effort to keep his music fresh and alive, he opted for an independent company to fund his latest CD entitled ‘Makeshift Days”, released in May of 2003. Upon its release, Makeshift Days received many accolades. NBC’s hit show “Ed” featured a song from the disc in an episode. Good press came from The New York Times, Stamford Advocate and other newspapers. College stations through out the U.S. have been promoting his CD as well as major stations such as WAXQ and WPLJ in New York, which have featured the single “Falling Out Of Bed”. Even internet radio station personality, RadioMike, has become a fan. Recently, WPLR in New Haven has been promoting and featuring Frank Enea on live broadcasts in 2004. In addition to promoting his latest project, Frank has composed music for Showtime Networks, NBC, Viacom and PBS. The Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage has featured Frank’s original music in five episodes so far. He is currently residing in Westchester, New York with his wife and child, and working on his next project ...n the world" is how the NY Times, in a July 2003 feature article, described Frank Enea's music and vision of his future. Another quote bandied about was “The Return of Rock!” MÂContact:FrankEnea@aol.com Here the music:http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2825690Website:www.frankenea.com ÂOp-ed:ÂFrank Enea is one of the most talented musician that I've met in America and I met a lot of them. His sense for melody and chord progression is sweet and twisted with Rock and Roll. Plays guitar amazingly well and little that I know him he is one of the most generous and kind man I have ever met. He is always selflessly looking to help others without being conscious about it. Please support his music and get his album Makeshift Days directly from himFrankEnea@aol.com. You won't regret it. He deserves a spotlight as a real Rock and Roll star.ÂNenad Bach letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Oct 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6177/1/E-David-Amram---A-Living-American-Treasure.html ÂDavid AmramÂB I O G R A P H Y A Living American Treasure David Amram has composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works, written many scores for Broadway theater and film including the classic scores Splendor in The Grass and The Manchurian Candidate, two operas including the ground-breaking Holocaust opera and ABC Television Event The Final Ingredient, and the score for the landmark 1959 Beat Generation documentary film with Jack Kerouac, Pull My Daisy. Amram and Kerouac collaborated on the title song and Amram appeared in the film. A pioneer player of jazz French horn, he is also a virtuoso on piano, numerous flutes and whistles, percussion, and dozens of folkloric instruments from 25 countries as well as improvising lyrics. He has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein (who chose him as The New York Philharmonic's first composer-in-residence in 1966), Langston Hughes, Dizzy Gillespie, Dustin Hoffman, Willie Nelson, Thelonious Monk, Odetta, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, E. G. Marshall, and Tito Puente, among others. For nearly three decades, Amram has brought his contagious enthusiasm, as music director, to young people's, family, and free summer concert programs for organizations including the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and Chicago Symphony. As conductor, narrator, and soloist on instruments from all over the world, he combines jazz, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Native American, and folk musics of the world, in conjunction with the European classics. In the spring of 1995, the Brooklyn Academy of Music honored his quarter of a century as a pioneer of multicultural symphonic programming. He is the recipient of four honorary doctorates for his contribution to American music. He appears as guest conductor and soloist with major orchestras around the world, as well as touring internationally with his quartet, while continuing to produce a remarkable output of new compositions. Recent commissions include A Little Rebellion: Thomas Jefferson, premiered at the Kennedy Center with E. G. Marshall narrating and Amram conducting members of the National Symphony Orchestra. This work was recorded in 1998. In January of 1997, Kokopelli: A Symphony in Three Movements, received its world premiere with Amram conducting the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. It was recorded in June of 1997, conducted by Kenneth Schermerhorn. Currently, David is completing a commissioned work for James Galway, world-renowned flutist, and symphony. Amram has hosted television and radio specials, coordinating music and musicians designed specifically for the occasion. He appears frequently on national television, including four specials with Willie Nelson for Farm Aid, many times with the late Dizzy Gillespie, and numerous appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS Sunday Morning. His video, Origins of Symphonic Instruments, released by Educational Video, is in over 6,000 schools throughout the US and Canada. The award-winning documentary Amram Jam will be nationally televised and released as a home video in 1998. By the end of 1998 there will be twelve CD's of David Amram's music commercially available, ranging from his holocaust opera, The Final Ingredient, his symphonic works Three Concertos, to his classic film scores Splendor In The Grass and The Manchurian Candidate. His live jazz recording, Kerouac and Amram: Pull My Daisy, celebrates Kerouac and Amram's collaboration in the first-ever jazz poetry reading in New York City in 1957, and the subsequent 1959 film which combined Amram's chamber music and jazz with Jack Kerouac's narration. His best-selling autobiography, Vibrations, published in 1968, will be reissued in paperback by Viking Compass in the Fall of 1998. David Amram is one of the most acclaimed composers of his generation, listed by BMI as one of the Twenty Most Performed Composers of Concert Music in the United States since 1974. With four honorary doctorates, he was recently honored by the City of New York for his years of innovative programming with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. David Amram can appear with your orchestra as conductor and soloist, in classical, contemporary, and popular formats or infusing programs with jazz and world music for Subscription Series, Pops, Family, Young People's and Children's concerts. For more information, visit David Amram's website atwww.DavidAmram.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Oct 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6178/1/E-Kerry-Kennedy--RF-Kennedy-Center-for-Human-Rights.html Kerry Kennedy & R.F. Kennedy Center for Human RightsKerry Kennedy has led more than forty human rights delegations to more than thirty countries over the course of two decades. Kerry established the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights in 1987 to ensure the protection of rights codified under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. She has worked on diverse issues such as child labor, disappearances, indigenous land rights, judicial independence, freedom of expression, ethnic violence, the environment, and women's rights. Her book, Speak Truth to Power, spawned a play by Broadway playwright Ariel Dorfman, a photo exhibit by Pulitzer Prize winner Eddie Adams, an award-winning website, an education packet, a series of Public Service Announcements and a documentary broadcast on PBS. Kerry serves as Chair of the Amnesty International Leadership Council and serves on boards or advisory committees of Human Rights First, The Bloody Sunday Trust, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, the Gleitsman Foundation, The China Information Center, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (Northern Ireland), and the International Campaign for Tibet, among others. Kerry Kennedy is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia bars.Established by family and friends over three decades ago, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, based in Washington, DC, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that furthers RFK’s vision by advancing respect for human rights and fighting for social justice around the world. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights 1367 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036 Tel: (202) 463-7575 Fax: (202) 463-7575 www.rfkmemorial.org  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6180/1/E-KLAPADOOWOPELLA.html ÂKLAPADOOWOPELLA www.klapa.us ÂÂA NIGHT OF KLAPA MUSICMore than one-hundred miles to the east of Italy is the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. It is typically Mediterranean, and very mountainous. The crystal-clear Adriatic washes along the hundreds of miles of coastline. The precipitous Dinaric Alps rise thousands of feet, they being so convoluted and rugged that travel along the coast and its islands is restricted to marine traffic and a two-lane highway that twists and turns. Important coastal cities here include Omis, Split, Rijeka, and Dubrovnik. This coast and its cities have been witness to hundreds of years of strife. During WWII, this and the adjacent Slavic countries were called the "underbelly of Europe." The spark that started WWI occurred inland, and more recently, atrocities have been committed between the various Slavic factions.Even so, the Klapa tradition has been developing for hundreds of years. Originally, groups of men would join together in their villages and sing folk songs based on love, fishing, and the sea. A unique style developed, and it was a mix of local dialect and Slavic sentiment, far eastern sound, and Italian harmonic organization.In good times, and also in bad; on weekends and late into the night, the Klapas would sing. Until the collapse of the communist government, men's voices could be heard harmonizing in the taverns and along the streets. Traditionally, these groups singing in four-part harmony would attract small crowds of hangers-on and listeners. Women occasionally might join in, especially if it was a nationalistic or familiar folk song, but generally the women enjoyed listening in the background. The music exhibits tremendous emotion and feel. All the standard and theoretical elements of music can be heard; complex and free rhythms, folk and Italianate harmonies, dynamics, song and verse. It is joyous and romantic; a way to be released from the cares of the world.Today, it is hard to gather for singing, as it is difficult for Dalmatians to scrape out a living. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and they therefore restrict their singing to the non-tourist seasons as this is their only free time for practice. And this is a shame, because people of all ilks love music. Klapa singing perhaps can be reenergized to entertain both tourist and resident alike.In a world far away, imagine, then, hearing voices emanating from a nearby square. As you approach, the strains become louder, but not in a sense of volume; instead, more of an intensity. Men are organized in a circle in the center of a plaza, the plaza, in turn, overlooking a reflected moon on the surface of the Adriatic sea. A warm breeze blows through, and on the edges of the stone courtyard, people are seated or standing, quietly listening to lovely, lovely music.We have been to such a place and experienced this warm breeze and the view of the glistening sea while singing Klapa songs. We would like to take you there through listening to our CD or enjoying us in live performance. ÂHISTORY OF KLAPADOOWOPELLA The Klapa was formed in 1981 in Seattle, Washington, as a result of interest generated in Adriatic Folk singing. It consisted of as many as eight members, and was originally named "Klapa Sokoli" which in English, means "Eagle Group." The Klapa performed actively in the Seattle area for folk festivals and balkan-oriented events. The group also participated in the famous Omish festival of Dalmatia in the former Yugoslavia where they were, to say the least, quite a novelty.The group added American folk tunes over the years, especially "doo-wop" which is comparable to the United States what Klapa singing is to Dalmatia--that is, an outgrowth of singing on the streets. Thus, the words "doo wop" were incorporated into the name resulting in the unusual title of "Klapadoowopella."Songs sung by the "Klapa" are in a number of languages, including Balkan dialects, Russian, Italian, Latin, and, of course, English.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 25 Apr 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6179/1/E-Diane-Mahoney-Friend-of-Croatia.html ÂDiane MahoneyFriend of CroatiaÂPozdravi! I am a new advertiser on CROWN, and a long-time reader of this marvelous web site. Nenad has asked me to write a little bit about myself, as an introduction to his readers. I have enjoyed reading the articles and features on CROWN for quite some time. I learn something new about Croatia every time I log on. I am an immigration defense attorney (I help immigrants stay in the U.S.) living in Sacramento, California. My husband is also an attorney, working for the State of California as an environmental lawyer. We have a 17-year-old daughter who will be leaving for college in another year. My family has visited Croatia twice, and we absolutely love it. We hope to go back and visit again soon.I was born in Chicago, Illinois, of Polish ancestry. "Mahoney" is my married name. My family moved to California when I was six, when my father took a job transfer. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and attended college in San Jose. I came to Sacramento to go to law school and have lived here since 1979. My husband and I met and married here, and our daughter has never lived anywhere else.I was led to practice immigration law by a series of events. My church, a Catholic Franciscan parish in downtown Sacramento, was very involved in offering sanctuary (help & protection) to Central American immigrants fleeing civil wars in the late 1980's. I was a new lawyer then, and thought that the best way I could help these immigrants was with my legal skills. I volunteered for Catholic Social Service (CSS) and started out handling asylum cases for them. That led me to other types of immigration cases, working with people from diverse immigrant communities. Finally, when my daughter was old enough to go to school, I was hired as the staff attorney for the immigration program at CSS. I stayed for about 8 years, before the program was "down-sized" for lack of funding. I worked for another immigration attorney for 18 months, and then started my own firm with a friend who had worked for me at CSS before she became an attorney herself. Eventually, we took on a third partner, and that is the composition of our firm today.Southeastern Europe and Croatia first came to my attention in 1991, when the Homeland War was just starting. I could not believe what I was reading about the Serbian aggression towards Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia, and the world community's lack of resolve to do anything about it. I followed the progress of the war closely, but did not have a personal connection to Croatia until 1994, when I met a client who became a close friend. He was at that time living in the U.S. and needed immigration help. I see only a few clients from Southeastern Europe, living where I do. We do have a Croatian presence in Sacramento, including a beautiful Croatian Cultural Center, which the local community built entirely from private funds, but we do not have the numbers that exist in other parts of the U.S. I connected with this particular client/friend and became much more aware of the personal cost of the war to individuals. My friend was from Vukovar, and his family had lost everything in the war. They managed to get out alive, but lived as refugees in Našice for years, before finally returning to their home and finding it in ruins.My friend's experience induced me to learn more about Croatia and about the history of the whole Southeast European region in general. I have read many books on the subject, to better understand the history and culture. I have a Croatian cookbook and music CD's which I bought in Zagreb and enjoy here at home. I love the Internet because it keeps me informed about what is happening in Croatia and the region now. There are several news source web sites that I visit regularly. And, of course, there is CROWN for culture, sports, human interest, and political articles.My friend eventually returned to Croatia after his father died suddenly. His mother needed him and by that time, they were able to return to Vukovar and start the arduous task of re-building their family home. About three years after he left, my family made a vacation trip to visit him. We saw all of Croatia, because he kindly drove us everywhere. We landed in Zagreb, drove through Eastern Slavonija to Vukovar, and stayed a few days there. The war damage was heart-rending to see, but it was encouraging to see new construction going on, too. Our friend had completely re-built his home by then and it is beautiful, overlooking the Danube River. From Vukovar, we drove through Bosnia (stopping in Sarajevo briefly) to the Croatian coast. We saw Dubrovnik (very impressive) and stayed at Tucepi, near Makarska, for a few more days. We drove north then, passing through Split, Zadar, and Rijeka, to end in Pula. We concluded our trip with a bus ride from Pula to Venice, then back to the U.S. We were captivated by the beauty of the Croatian coast and wished we could spend more time there. We will definitely go back in the future.Last summer, my daughter and I made a second trip to Croatia, this time with my father. Our friend was getting married and we were invited to the wedding. It was an unforgettable experience. The wedding was in Vukovar, at the local Catholic church, with the reception at the Dunav Hotel. About 100 people attended. We were the only Americans, and we felt very welcomed. We were honored to be a part of such a special day. The people we met were all wonderful to us, very friendly and kind.Since our friend's wife does not speak English, I decided it was time to start learning Hrvatski so I could communicate with her by letter, phone, and hopefully, in person in the future. I started studying in September 2002 and am still learning. Ucim Hrvatski svakog dana jednu satu navecer. Imam tri udžbenika i dva rijecnika, ali ne razred! Nima razredi u Californiji, bar u Sacramentu. Ali, imam odlucan ucitelj koji sam sastala kroz CROWN. Šaljem njemu pisma e-mailom i ispravlja moje Hrvatski. On je Hrvat iz Splita, radi u S.A.D.-i. Puno mi pomože. Znam da sam pocetnica, ali cu poboljsati na vrijeme. Kada se vratim u Hrvatsku ponovo, želim govoriti i razumjeti jezik. Hvala vam for the opportunity to introduce myself. I very much appreciate being a part of the community of CROWN readers.Svako dobro,Diane Mahoney P.S. One last thing: remember I told you last week that my local paper had a travel feature article about cities in Eastern Europe that U.S. tourists had to visit? They left out Dubrovnik, so I wrote to tell them about it. They printed my letter, in its entirety, in this Sunday's paper! You inspire me to promote Croatia as you tirelessly do. Every little bit helps.Svako dobro,Diane  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 24 Apr 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6181/1/E-Garth-Hudson-on-Bird-Up.html ÂGARTH HUDSON on the recently released BIRD UP:http://redmusic.com/ecards/BirdUpSavoy Jazz: October 2003http://www.savoyjazz.com/sites/savoy/sjNews/bird3b.asp The artist/track listing is as follows: "Now's The Time (No Time Like Now)" featuring Red Hawk and Deke Damascus; "Relaxin' At Camarillo (August 29)" Me'shell NdegéOcello; "Salt Peanuts (The Mr. Peanut Chronicles)" Hal Willner, Dr. John, The Kronos Quartet, Mocean Worker; "Bebop (Live At the Rooftop)" Choco, The RZA; "Bird of Paradise (Gone)" Serj Tankian; "Congo Blues (Silencer)" Donk, Ravi Coltrane, Wild Children, Hubert Laws, Kodo; "Steeplechase (Sittin' on 22's)" Dan The Automator; "Cheers (X-ecutioners Style)" The X-ecutioners; "A Night In Tunisia (Downpour)" Donk, The Coconut Tree, Kodo; "All the Shadows of Nuff" Hal Willner, Garth Hudson of The Band, Mocean Worker; "Perhaps (Someday the Roof Will Get Fixed)" Dan The Automator; "Barbados (Where Fish Fly)" Matthew Backer, Hubert Laws, Redback; "Constellation (Heavenly Bodies)" El-P, Stephanie Vezina. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Mar 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6183/1/E-Eric-Burdon-Rising-son-of-rebel-music.html ÂEric Burdon Rising son of rebel musicOp-edI performed with Eric in Sarajevo in 1999.Nenad27 November 2003 Eric Burdon, the tough frontman of 1960s band The Animals, has remained a performer. Now he has documented his memories and thoughts in the book Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. He talks to Rosa Shiels. "How many minutes do we have?""It's up to you, my lass."The avuncular Geordie on the end of the phone is one of Newcastle-upon-Tyne's most famous sons. As the founding singer of English band The Animals in the 1960s, Eric Burdon - now also in his 60s - set the standard for white boys doing R'n'B way back when white boys were better at saccharine pop.Growing up in the industrial north of England, Burdon's natural musical tendencies were always towards black soul and blues, and his growly, authoritative voice stood out way above the light romantics on the international charts when the Animals broke through in 1964 with a song about a New Orleans brothel, House of the Rising Sun.Decades on, almost anyone who picks up a guitar for the first time tries to pick out the arpeggio opening chords of this anthematic blues ballad.Along with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Animals made up the victorious British Invasion when they took their stylistic originality across the Atlantic and broadened the scope of modern music. Burdon chose to stay stateside, which is his chosen base to this day.Although Eric Burdon's name will be linked forever with the Animals - perpetuated, in part, by Burdon, who has formed various New Animals bands through the years - he is a singular man.His life and times are marked as much by his own experiences in the heady '60s and '70s as those of the wild and talented people with whom he associated, from Jimi Hendrix and Elvis, to John Lennon, bluesmen BB King and Jimmy Witherspoon, Janis Joplin, Steve McQueen, John Lee Hooker, and Jim Morrison - the list goes on and on.Burdon's take on the apocryphal, often jaw-dropping events that shaped him and those of his contemporaries who managed to survive the wild hallucinogenic swerve of the era is all there in his new book, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.Written with Jeff Marshall Craig, it is a loosely chronological collection of music-biz insider insights and anecdotes about the festivals, the drugs, the crazy times, the successes; Jimi Hendrix's last lonely hours, John Lennon's uncomfortable reunion with his father, Brian Jones' death; the middle men, managers, roadies, groupies, and rip-offs.Read about backstage at Monterey; about Burdon's short spell in jail in Germany as a suspected associate of the Baader-Meinhof gang; about performing in the Joseph Stalin Hall of Culture in Warsaw and the Sarajevo war zone.Turn him on with a question and this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer answers in gritty, familiar tones."I had a terrific book many years ago that I once loaned to Nina Simone. It was a book of newspaper clippings, songs, and ideas. I managed to get every artist in it to sign their autographs, so it was quite a treasure, you know. Unfortunately, it was stolen and disappeared, and I haven't seen it since. That was my first lesson in letting go."Then I had a fire in my home in Palm Springs in California and lost all the photographs that I'd taken - a lot of really good collectable stuff. That was my second lesson in lettin' go. So I gave up on collectin'."Somehow, despite the excesses of spirit he readily admits to between the covers, Burdon's recall is fairly lucid, and despite leading a full-on touring schedule, he was able to get his recollections down."Jeff would help me stay on track, because I was continually touring. I'd go away on tour and we'd pick up the pieces when I came back. It was his job to a), help me with research and b), tell me 'stay away from that subject, develop this one'. So he was kind of like an in-house editor. The writing process for me is long- hand notes, going to tape, and then handing it over to him. He would take it from there."A quick look at his website will show you that this year he's been in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand for performing engagements and book signings."This last year has been the busiest in living memory. I've moved from one agency to another, so I had to work off the old gigs that the old agency had put in place, and the new agency were tryin' to prove themselves."On his rare time off, he retreats for soul refreshment to his Palm Springs home, which he shares with his Greek lawyer partner, when she's there."I live about 50 minutes outside of Palm Springs up in the mountains in Joshua Tree, and October's when the desert starts to go, 'Aahhhhhhhh, it's over'. It starts to cool down, and I really resent not being there during this month. Joshua Tree is a unique place. It's where all of the B westerns were shot that I used to see on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. And so I get to live among those rocks, among those vistas."It's a long, long way from Newcastle where his grandfather was the groundsman for Newcastle-upon-Tyne Football Club and his grandmother had a boarding house in the shadow of the football stadium.The dry air is good for his asthma and his only daughter lives close by ("She's given me four grandchildren, so I'm up to my knees in kids whether I like it or not")."It's the only desert region in the world, the only arid zone that I can live in, without having children point AK47s at you. Pretty much every other arid zone is steeped in violence," he says.Always a peacenik and an anti-establishment rebel, Burdon has taken his music to many edgy and dangerous situations."It sounds perverse, but it's always a buzz to go to a war zone. I mean, you suddenly start to see everything much clearer than you do in your day-to-day experience. And then you see a place that's absolutely flea-bitten, you know, the madness of weaponry, and you start to notice that every third person has a limb missing. It was really a moving experience. I was only there for three days but for those three days I was wide awake, totally in tune with what I had to get on with, why I was there, and what music means to people."What does music mean to him?"I love performance. It's a great way of expressing yourself and being able to exercise your spirit and soul, you know, as well as your physical self. I've found out over the years that music really does have healing power."And when you're in a place like the bombed-out building site that we performed in in Sarajevo, you could see the people who were enemies come together, and see soldiers in uniform listening to the ethnic music of the people who they probably were subjugating 24 hours earlier. It's a moving experience."Something that struck me as a dark spot in the whole visit, though, was as I was leaving and I thought the concert was over, making my way through the crowd and I looked back and the stage suddenly changed from a warm and colourful arena to a sort of Albert Speer kind of light show."A heavy metal band came on stage and suddenly the audience were Nazi fists in the air screaming 'Serbia! Serbia! Serbia!' And I thought, 'Wow, man, they've hijacked the whole concert!' And that's what is going on worldwide. You've got people hijacking religion in order to further their own interests. It's scary."On his last break from touring, Burdon bought himself a new car "to satisfy my boyish fantasies". Then there's always his Harley."I have the obligatory Harley Davidson in my garage. If I get a really good ride in once a month I'm a happy camper."I'm the only person on the block who has a Harley Davidson instead of a horse. I'm surrounded by horse people."I'd love to have animals, but it's totally unfair to have an animal and live my kind of life."I've had dogs in and out of my life since I was a kid, but until my woman comes home and she's gonna be around long enough to look after an animal, that'll be when we get some animal life."Life is definitely more fun with animals, that's for sure." http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2740790a1860,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 30 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6182/1/E-Dino-Rulli-Ph-D.html ÂDino Rulli, Ph DÂHi, I am Dino Rulli, an American biologist of mixed European heritage. I was born on March 18, 1956 in Lorain, Ohio, an industrial town on the shores of Lake Erie. I was blessed to be born and raised by two incredible parents, Sonya and Robert Rulli. Whatever success I have is entirely due to their influence and that of my Russian/Polish maternal grandparents and Italian paternal grandparents. I have six equally lucky siblings.The more than 75 nationalities represented in Lorain provided opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Exposure to cultures comes in many forms, my first exposure to Croatia was learning to bowl at The Croatian Club, a bowling alley / bar next to the steel mill. They have since relocated to the site of a former country club. Croatia was the featured nationality in the 2002 Lorain International Festival, an annual celebration of Lorain's cultural diversity. My interest in Croatia was rekindled during the 2000 presidential campaign when I was designated an "honorary Croatian" by Nenad Bach prior to a meeting between ethnic community leaders and Al Gore. Through CROWN and its' members I hope to be active enough to retain that title.Early in life, I knew I would be a scientist, preferably near a beach. Much of my teen years were spent SCUBA diving in the cold waters of the Great Lakes. Assuming that the tropics were my destiny, I first went to Michigan State University to study general biology. After college, I worked in a factory in Lorain, awaiting word on my applications to marine science graduate programs. It was gratifying to be accepted into a program to study coral reef fish behavior, a goal since youth. However, fate intervened and I accidentally became a neurobiologist instead.An unexpected offer from the University of Miami School of Medicine led to a doctorate degree in cellular and molecular biology. My research in Miami involved the transport of proteins in peripheral nerve cells (related to nerve function and regeneration) and central nervous system neurotransmitters related to Parkinson's disease. The next step, studying the fish sense of smell at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, was certain to lead to a job on a beach in the tropics. Instead, I ended up working on cow proteins in New Jersey.The five years I worked as an analytical chemist at the American Cyanamid Agricultural Research Center in Princeton, NJ taught me a lot about the chemical end of the pharmaceutical industry, from drug discovery to manufacturing issues. I transferred to the animal science department, and although still there the company changed hands (now Fort Dodge Animal Health, a Division of Wyeth). My job entails coordinating studies that evaluate new animal health drugs. This includes writing protocols, contracting the investigators, traveling to the trial sites, and writing reports to the FDA. Traveling is sometimes interesting - horses in New Mexico, cattle at a North Carolina prison farm, pigs in Louisiana, dog breeders in Michigan and Canada, and labs and universities in over a dozen other states.In addition, I have been consulting and doing the programming for an upgrade of the web site for a company that makes silica-based chromatography matrices and columns ( www.stellarphases.com ).I have done a little traveling outside of work, such as dive trips to the Caribbean and Canada, visiting friends in Costa Rica and Europe, and a family trip up the Yangtze River in China before the flooding from the Three Gorges Dam. Visiting Croatia is now a priority. It is also nice to be home with my dog Chancey, my cat Pinky, and Chanceys' cat Smokey. We live in an old cedar log cabin (with some 'flat-walled' rooms added) in Browns Mills, a town at the north edge of the Pine Barrens, the relatively unknown million acres of pines in southern New Jersey. I am now in the 13th year of a five-year plan to rehab the cabin, happy to say almost half done. I've stayed involved to various degrees with SCUBA diving, flying, and learning to sail on "Layla," my 28-foot Columbia sailboat that was based in the Chesapeake Bay and is now in my back yard, awaiting either refurbishing or a flood. As a volunteer in the Coast Guard Auxiliary I've been active in teaching classes, VHF communication networks, and participating in safety patrols both on the water and in the air. Various other hobbies and interests keep me busy in my spare time.My re-introduction to Croatia and the interesting people of CROWN has been very invigorating. I am extremely grateful to Nenad for allowing me to introduce myself, and look forward to meeting many people in this important network of Croatians, honorary or otherwise.ÂR. Dino Rulli, Ph.D. Curriculum Vitae 2003ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂLast update: Nov. 5, 2003ÂP.O. Box 1386  Home: (609) 893-3048Browns Mills, NJ 08015-8386 Work: (732) 631-5828ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂrullid@yahoo.comÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂProfessional ExperienceÂFort Dodge Animal Health  Product Development Manager Jan. 2000 - presentPO Box 5366 Sr. Product Development Coordinator Dec. 92 - Dec.99Princeton, NJ 08540-5366 Global Animal Science Development (GASD)(formerly American Cyanamid Co.)ÂDomestic (US) Investigational New Animal Drug Field Trials general responsibilities·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂDevelop and implement field trial programs in support of product registrations·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂNegotiate program and trial parameters with FDA (CVM), ensure trials are in compliance·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂWrite protocols, identify investigators, negotiate contracts·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂMonitor trials, audit data, review investigator's report, write final reports and submission·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂWork with Regulatory Affairs on submissions in support of new animal drug applications·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂTarget animal safety trials (GLP), efficacy trials (GCP), bioequivalence studies·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂStudied pour-on (transdermal), injectable, oral gel, oral tablet, and sustained-release formulations in various species (dog, horse, cattle, and swine)International Responsibilities·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂReview documentation and edit reports of cattle, sheep, swine, and dog trials from European, Canadian and Australian subsidiaries·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂProvide technical support to the international Regional Technical OfficesÂAmerican Cyanamid Co. Senior Research Biochemist 2/92 - 11/92Princeton, NJ Research Chemist 2/88 - 1/92·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂSupervised chromatography projects and personnel, wrote reports for NADA submissions·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂChaired inter-divisional committee for the advancement of bioanalytical techniques·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂInvestigated the utility of new equipment, including capillary electrophoresis, gammacounters, densitometers, and the Reese system for temperature monitoring·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂDeveloped and validated analytical methods for recombinant proteins (chromatography,gel electrophoresis, and receptor assay), minor components (urea, ammonia, carbohydrates, moisture), and residual solvents (gas chromatography)ÂMonell Chemical Senses Center Research Associate 7/86 - 1/883500 Market St.Philadelphia, PA 19104-3308·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂBiochemical, immunological, and histochemical analysis of vertebrate olfactory systems·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂInvestigated putative signal transduction mechanisms by ligand binding assays, second messenger assays, and immunohistological assays of olfactory mucosa and bulb·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂProvided biochemical support to behavioral biologists working with fish, birds, and mammalsÂÂUniversity of Miami, School of Medicine Post-doctoral Research Assoc. 5/85- 6/86Department of Physiology and BiophysicsMiami, FL 33101·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂInvestigated putative mechanisms of Parkinson's disease in mammals by HPLC analysis of neurotransmitters from tissue-cultured dopaminergic cells of the basal mesencephalon  (substantia nigra) in response to growth factors isolated from their target tissue (striatum)·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂReverse-phase ion-pairing HPLC with electrochemical detection (ECD) of serotonergicand catecholaminergic neurotransmittersEducationÂUniversity of Miami School of Medicine 1978-1985 Ph.D. Dept. of PhysiologyMiami, FL and Biophysics·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂCellular and Molecular Biology (Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Physiology) training grant·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂTwo-dimensional gel electrophoresis of radiolabeled proteins, quantitative densitometry ·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂThesis: "Destination of Fast-Transported Proteins in Spinal Sensory Nerves"ÂMichigan State University 1974-1978 BS (Honors); Biology andE. Lansing, MI Zoology (dual major)·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂEmphasis in applying general principals of biology, mathematics and chemistry to  problems in field biology and wildlife ecology·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂDirector of residential college library and computer center (1975-1978); hired, trained andmanaged a staff of fourteen employeesÂÂPublicationsPeer-Reviewed Papers Grubbs, S.T, D. Amodie, D. Rulli, M. Wulster-Radcliff, C. Reinemeyer, T. Yazwinski, C. Tucker, D. Hutchens, L. Smith and D. Patterson. Field Evaluation of Moxidectin / Praziquantel Equine Oral Gel in Horses. 2003. submitted.McCall, J.W., P. Supakorndej, M.T. Dzimianski, N. Supakorndej, A.E. Mansour, J.J. Jun, S.D. McCall, G.T. Wang, A. Sinha, and R.D. Rulli. Evaluation of Retroactive and Adulticidal Activity of Moxidectin Canine SR (Sustained Release) Injectable Formulation Against Dirofilaria immitis in Beagles. 2002. submitted.Stewart, T.B., S.E. Wiles, J.E. Miller, and R.D. Rulli. Efficacy of Moxidectin 0.5% Pour-on Against Swine Nematodes. Vet. Parasitol., 1999, 87 (1), 39-44.DiPietro, J.A., D.E. Hutchens, T.F. Lock, K. Walker, A.J. Paul, C. Shipley, and D. Rulli. Clinical Field Trial of Moxidectin Oral Gel in Horses. Vet. Parasitol., 1997, 72 (2), 167-177.Rulli, R.D. "Quantitative Evaluation by Computer-Based Video Densitometry of Film Response to Different Isotopes and Fluorographic Treatments" Anal. Biochem., 1988, 175, 145-153.Perng, G., R.D. Rulli, D.L. Wilson, and G.W. Perry. "A Comparison of Fluorographic Methods for the Detection of 35S-Labeled Proteins in Polylacrylamide Gels", Anal. Biochem., 1988, 173, 387-392. Bruch, R.C. and R.D. Rulli. "Ligand Binding Specificity of a Neutral L-amino Acid Olfactory Receptor", Comp. Biochem. and Physiol., 1988, 91B, 535-540. Rulli, R.D. and D.L. Wilson "Destinations of Some Fast-Transported Proteins in Sensory Neurons of Bullfrog Sciatic Nerve", J. Neurochem., 1987, 48(1), 134-140. Rulli, R.D. and D.L. Wilson. "Proteins in Fast Axonal Transport are Differentially Transported in Branches of Sensory Nerves", Brain Research, 1985, 335, 165-168. Book ChaptersWrote chapter 8 "Quality Control" in Aroma-Spa Therapy, by Anne Roebuck, 1995, published by Annessence, Inc., Toronto, Canada. Edited technical aspects of remainder of book.Valdez, H.B., D. Nonner, R.D. Rulli, L. Gralnik, and J.N. Barrett. "Trophic Effects of Striatal Proteins on Central Dopaminergic Neurons in Culture", Progress in Parkinson Research, 1988, 163-172. F. Hefti and W.J. Weiner (eds.), Plenum Press, NY. Symposium Proceedings (oral presentations at scientific meetings)Rulli, R. Dino. Tolerance and Toxicity Evaluation of Quest® Plus Gel (Moxidectin/Praziquantel) in Foals and Yearlings. Fort Dodge Satellite Symposium "Moxidectin", at the 48th AAVP, July 2003, Denver, CO.Rulli, R.D. Safety of Repeated Treatments with Moxidectin Canine SR (Sustained Release) Injectable. ÂAmerican College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) annual meeting, May 2001, Denver, CO.Selected Symposium Proceedings (written presentations at scientific meetings)Rulli, R. Dino. Tolerance and Toxicity Evaluation of Quest® Plus Gel (Moxidectin/Praziquantel) in Foals and Yearlings. Fort Dodge Satellite Symposium "Moxidectin", at the 48th AAVP, July 2003, Denver, CO.Selected Abstracts (presented at scientific meetings) Heaney, K, T. Rock, D. Amodie, R.D. Rulli, D.D. Bowman, N. Neumann, M. Ulrich, J.W. McCall, and R. Lindahl. ProHeart 6 and ProHeart SR-12 Research Update: A summary of recent studies on hookworm persistent efficacy, 3-month retroactive activity and safety in puppies. 19th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, p.115, August 2003, New Orleans, LA.Rulli, R. Dino. Tolerance and Toxicity Evaluation of Quest® Plus Gel (Moxidectin/Praziquantel) in Foals and Yearlings. Fort Dodge Satellite Symposium "Moxidectin", page 7, 48th AAVP, July 2003, Denver, CO.Grubbs, S, D. Amodie, M. Wulster-Radcliff, D. Rulli, C. Reinemeyer, T. Yaswinki and C. Tucker Field Evaluation of Moxidectin / Praziquantel Equine Oral Gel in Horses. 48th AAVP, Abst. 47, July 2003, Denver, CO,Rulli, R. D. S. Grubbs, K. Heaney, C.E. Heird, E. Ivey-Weich and C. Reinemeyer. Tolerance and Toxicity Evaluation of Moxidectin/Praziquantel Equine Oral Gel in Foals and Yearllings. 48th AAVP, Abst. 46, July 2003, Denver, CO.Cleale, R, K. Heaney, D. Hutchens, M. Hutchinson, T. Klei, G. Levot, C. Reinemeyer, D.Rulli and R. Swain. Dose Confirmation and Field Efficacy Studies of a 2% Moxidectin / 12.5% Praziquantel oral Gel Formulations Against Anoplocephala spp. and other Equine Parasites. 48th AAVP, Abst. 45, July 2003, Denver, CO. McCall, J.M., P. Supakorndej, M.T. Dzimanski, A. Mansour, J-J Jin, N. Supakorndej, N. Supakorndej, S.D. McCall, K. Heaney, and R.D. Rulli. Evaluation of Moxidectin (ProHeartÃ’ 6 and ProHeart SR-12) against 3-, 4-, and 6- month old infections of Dirofilaria immitis in Beagles. 47th AAVP, Abst. 13, July2002, Nashville, TN. Heaney, K, S. Ranjan, R.M. Cleale, R.D. Rulli, D.D. Bowman, L. Hulsebos, M. Holm-Martin, and R. Atwell. ProHeartÃ’ 6 and ProHeartÃ’ SR-12 Research Update: Larvicidal Effects Against Hookworm Safety Evaluation in Puppies and at 15X the ProHeartÃ’ 6 dose in Adult Dogs. 47th AAVP, Abst. 12, July 2002, Nashville, TN. Rulli, R.D. Safety of Repeated Treatments with Moxidectin Canine SR (Sustained Release) Injectable. ÂAmerican College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) annual meeting, May 2001, Denver, CO.McCall, J.M., P. Supakorndej, M.T. Dzimanski, A. Mansour, J-J Jin, N. Supakorndej, S.D. McCall, G.T. Wang, and R.D. Rulli. Evaluation of Retroactive and Adulticidal Activity of Moxidectin Canine SR (Sustained Release) Injectable Formulation Against Dirofilaria immitis Infections in Beagles. Heartworm Symposium, April 2001, San Antonio, TX. Blagburn, B.L., A.J. Paul, J.M. Butler, D.E. Hutchens, J.L. Vaughan, W. Tranquilli, R.M. Cleale, and R.D. Rulli. Safety of Moxidectin Canine SR (Sustained Release) Injectable in Ivermectin-Sensitive Collies and in Naturally Infected Mongrel Dogs. Heartworm Symposium, April 2001, San Antonio, TX.Bowman, D.D., J.W. McCall, P. Supakorndej, N. Supakorndej, S.D. McCall, R.M. Cleale, PlJ. Scholl, and R.D. Rulli. Efficacy of Moxidectin Canine SR (Slow-Release) Injectable Against Experimental Hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala) Infections in Dogs. 45th AAVP, Abst. 6, July 2000, Salt Lake City, UT.Blagburn, B.L., J.M. Butler, J.L. Vaughan and R.D. Rulli. Clinical Observations Following the Administration of Moxidectin Canine Sustained Release (SR) Injectable in Heartworm Positive Dogs. 45th AAVP, Abst. 60, July2000, Salt Lake City, UT.Stewart, T.B., S.E. Wiles, J.E. Miller, and R.D. Rulli. 1998 Efficacy of moxidectin 0.5% pour-on against swine nematodes. 43rd AAVP, Abst 2,July 1998, Baltimore, MD.DiPietro, J.A., D.E. Hutchens, T.F. Lock, K. Walker, A.J. Paul, C. Shipley, and D. Rulli. Effect of Moxidectin Oral Gel on Posttreatment Strongyle Egg Count Suppression in Horses. AAVP, Abst. 23, July 1996, Louisville, KY.Vest, D.J., Tracy Fant, Catherine Wade, R.D. Rulli, and T.M. Craig. A Controlled Study on the Effect of Moxidectin on Gasterophilus intestinalis. AAVP, Abst 28, July 1996, Louisville, KY.Bruch, R.C., J.H. Teeter, and R.D. Rulli. "Olfactory Structure-Activity Relationships: Receptor Binding Specificity and Cyclic Nucleotide Second Messengers", Chemical Senses, 1989, 14(1), 176. Bruch, R.C., R.D. Rulli, and A.G. Boyle. "Olfactory L-amino Acid Receptor Specificity and Stimulation of Potential Second Messengers", Chemical Senses, 1987, 12(4), 642-643. Rulli, R.D. and R.C. Bruch. "Ligand binding Specificity of the Olfactory L-alanine Receptor of the Channel Catfish", Chemical Senses, 1987, 12(4), 692-693.Rulli, R.D. and D.L. Wilson. "Selective Routing of Fast-Transported Proteins in Branches of Sensory Axons" Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 1983, 9, 20. ÂAwards2000, 2001 American Home Products Performance Incentive Award1998, 1999 American Home Products Personal Achievement Award1978 NIH Institutional Fellowship (full scholarship to Ph.D.)1974 National Merit Scholar 1972 MAA (Mathematics Association of America) awardSelected Professional Courses (needs updating)·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂVICH/GCP and OECD Guidelines for Study Directors and Monitors, March, 2001·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂGLP refresher course, at BASF (formerly American Cyanamid), January, 2000·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂHow to Handle Regulatory FDA Inspections, at American Cyanamid, November, 1998·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂReport Review Procedures, at American Cyanamid, October, 1996·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂPerformance Planning, at American Cyanamid, February, 1996·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂGLP refresher course, at American Cyanamid, January, 1996·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂInterpersonal Communication Skills (Skillpath Seminar), Atlantic City, NJ June, 1995·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂTechnical Writing Workshop (Shipley Associates), Princeton, NJ March, 1995·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂData Integrity Workshop, at American Cyanamid, August, 1994·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂMarketing Workshop, Princeton, NJ, February, 1994·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂWorkshop on the Regulation of Animal Products, The Food and Drug Law Institute, Â Alexandria, VA June, 1993·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂPraxis: Back to Basics (Kenning principals of management), April, 1993·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂComputer courses in: Formal Reports Electronic Database (FRED), SAS Basics Version 5,  Intermediate Lotus, Advanced DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1, Word for Windows 2.0, Excel  4.0, and Introduction to the Internet, at American Cyanamid Company, October 1988 -  September, 1994·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂFDA Perspective Update - Validation of Drug Substances and Drug Products (Rutgers,  College of Pharmacy), New Brunswick, NJ, December, 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂRegulatory Compliance (Center for Professional Advancement), Chicago, IL, Sept., 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂAdvanced Techniques for Ion Analysis (Waters Co.), Princeton, NJ, August, 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂAsk the FDA (Rutgers, College of Pharmacy), Woodbridge, NJ, June, 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂEPA Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Standards, by W. Garner, Rider College, Trenton,  NJ, June, 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂIntroduction to Good Laboratory Practices, by C. Lennon, at American Cyanamid Co.,  February, 1991·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂIntroduction to Oracle SQL*Plus, at American Cyanamid, September, 1990·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂCapillary Electrophoresis, ABI Symposium, April, 1990·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂChemical Dynamics (graduate chemistry course, Princeton University), Princeton NJ, 1989·ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂTargeted Selection (Interviewing techniques), at American Cyanamid, September, 1988ÂTeaching Experience1997 - Certified Instructor, US Coast Guard Auxiliary. Instructor in public education boating safety and advanced coastal navigation courses1987 - 1988 Instructor, Photographic Techniques for Scientific Publications, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA1986 - 1987 Directed undergraduate student research in neurobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA1982 - 1985 Lab Instructor, Physiology, S.E. College of Osteopathic Medicine, North Miami Beach, FL. Nerve-muscle physiology, EKG, cardiovascular pharmacology of the dog (surgery lab), pulmonary physiology, renal physiology, and endocrinology1980 - 1985 Tutored medical students from the University of Miami School of Medicine, S.E.ÂCollege of Osteopathic Medicine, and St. Georges University, in medical physiology1979 Assistant Instructor, P.A.D.I. (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Advanced SCUBA course, Florida Keys, FL1977 - 1978 Swimming Instructor, Michigan School for the Blind, Lansing, MI1975 - 1976 Assistant First Aid Instructor, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI1973 - 1974 Photography and Darkroom Techniques course instructor, Southview High School, Lorain, OHÂCertifications2003 Amateur Radio (Ham) License - Technician (KC2LCE)2002 US Coast Guard Auxiliary - Air Crew2000 US Coast Guard Auxiliary - Aviation Observer 1998 Certified in: CPR, Infant CPR, Standard First Aid,1998 Certified Vessel Examiner, US Coast Guard Auxiliary1998 Certified (by Coast Guard) as Boat Crew Qualified 1997 Certified as Instructor - US Coast Guard Auxiliary1997 Certified (by Coast Guard) as Auxiliary Specialist in: Weather, Seamanship, Navigation, Communications, Search and Rescue, Patrols, Administration 1996 US Coast Guard Auxiliary - Basically Qualified (BQ) member1996 Sailing and Seamanship Course, US Coast Guard Auxiliary1991 Commercial Pilot (Airplane)1990 Instrument Rating (Airplane)1988 Private Pilot (Airplane, Single-Engine Land)1980, 1991 Basic Rescuer - CPR (American Red Cross, American Heart)1978 Assistant SCUBA Instructor (Y.M.C.A.)1977 Water Safety Instructor (American Red Cross)1976, 1987 Advanced Lifesaving and Water Safety (American Red Cross)1975 Standard First Aid (American Red Cross)1974 Advanced SCUBA Diving (N.A.U.I.)1973 Ice Diving Clinic (Lee Somers, Univ. of Michigan)1971 Basic SCUBA Diving (P.A.D.I., Y.M.C.A.) letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 30 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6184/1/E-Home-Team-Productions---Composing-Croatia.html Distributed by CroatianWorld from the heart...to the lens...to the screen.http://www.hometeamproductions.tvCOMPOSING CROATIANenad Bach was a rock star in his native country, albeit a classically trained one; but in 1984 he made the decision to expatriate in order to follow his dream of finding a U.S. market for his music. The singer/songwriter has appeared, Zelig-like, with musicians ranging from Bono to Pavarotti to Garth Hudson and the late Rick Danko of The Band. He has hobnobbed with actors and heads of states in his role as an unofficial ambassador for peace, having transcended the trauma of war back home to emerge empowered to effect change. In addition to recording his own music, he has produced CD’s featuring the never-before recorded folk music of his homeland, the haunting acappella sounds of “klapa,” with its universal themes of love, the sea, the fight for freedom and the heroic human struggle. HOME TEAM has been documenting Nenad over the past five years – witness to his personal struggle to make the transition from stardom in Croatia to outsider in an industry dominated by youth and pop culture. He has never given up. Now, he is composing scores for independent films as he continues to perform and write his own music. Perhaps most importantly, he remains committed to his work as a “citizen of the world,” a tireless antiwar activist, the driving passion which infuses his life and the music Home Team Productions was launched in December, 1999. Its founding members are Producer/Directors Victor Zimet and Stephanie Silber. Home Team's opening season was a busy one. Credits include WORKFORCE, a pilot for Fox; segments for BRAZELTON ON PARENTING for Fox Family; work on Rob Reiner's I AM YOUR CHILD FOUNDATION videos, for New Screen Concepts; and a one-hour BRAVO Profile on Cyndi Lauper. A second BRAVO Profile produced and directed by Home Team about the actor/director Robert Duvall aired October, 2002. The hour, shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as in America's heartland, took a close up look at Duvall's creative process as he produced and directed his film, ASSASSINATION TANGO. No ordinary man; no ordinary profile. The documentary won a Telly Award and an Aurora Award, 2003.Currently Zimet and Silber are at work on a long-form concert documentary about the late Irish blues guitar great, Rory Gallagher. Stephanie directing in Argentina Victor directing "Chasing A Dream" Stephanie Silber has worked in entertainment and the media for over twenty years. Her theatrical experience includes work both on the boards and behind the scenes, and includes associations with Playwrights Horizons and The Ensemble Studio Theatre. After a stint as a print journalist, writing primarily about entertainment, Silber began producing, writing, and directing long-form documentaries which have aired on outlets such as Court Television, The History Channel and The Learning Channel. Her educational video, ENVIRONMENTALISTS UNDER FIRE, for the Sierra Club and Amnesty International, was recognized in 2000 with a Telly Award, and was represented at the Amnesty International Film Festival in Vancouver, 2002. Silber brings her vision as a painter and a novelist to her work. Victor Zimet has worked in the film and television business for twenty-five years. Along the way he collected an Emmy for producing and directing a magazine segment on the victorious 1986 Mets for WYNC. Prior to the launching of HOME TEAM, he edited many network specials, and developed a stellar reputation at CBS, editing on various series including STREET STORIES with Ed Bradley, EYE TO EYE with Connie Chung, and PUBLIC EYE with Bryant Gumbel, during which he received another Emmy nomination. In 1999 he co-produced a story for National Geographic about his friends, The Flying Neutrinos, formerly homeless street musicians who managed through hard work and a totally original vision to build a raft and sail the Atlantic from New York to Ireland.Silber and Zimet are real-life teammates as well. They were married during the period in the early 80's when they were producing and directing two documentaries about baseball, Victor's first love, operating as Home Plate Productions in those days. Their current collaboration marks the realization of a dream no longer deferred.The Home Team philosophy can be summed up simply: from the heart...to the lens...to the screen. http://www.hometeamproductions.tv/previews.html http://www.hometeamproductions.tv/works.html  Please feel free to contact us via phone, fascimile or e-mail.    Mailing Address Phone/Fax E-Mail Home Team Productions 118 Dubois Avenue Mamaroneck, NY 10543 914-698-3937 Contact Form letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 16 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6185/1/E-Let-it-be-Beatrice.html ÂLet it be BeatriceBeatrice Milly McCartneyOctober 29th 2003 ÂWelcome Beatrice Milly! To remind Crown readers:Paul and Heather are continuously supporting Croatia to become free of landmines.Want to be part of 1000 dinners on November 6th 2003. Log on.www.landmines.org letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 03 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6186/1/E-Orchestre-Surreal-THE-BIG-SHOW.html ÂTHE BIG SHOW - SYMPHONY OF THE ABSURDFriday September 19th at the Ford Amphitheatre2580 Cahuenga Blvd East in Hollywoodwww.eschoenberg.com ÂOp-edDear All,I've seen Orchestre Surreal and I've been amazed how good it is and how talented they are. If you have an interest you won't regret. You do not see or hear 20 plus people on the stage performing on the highest level every day. Outstanding !Nenad Bachp.s. If you go to see the show say hello to Elvis.The Count Down to: THE BIG SHOW.The Orchestre Surreal complete with it's usual cast of twenty+ characters, Elvis Schoenberg, The Fabulous Miss Thing, Dangerous Dan, and the Musicians who miraculously play the impossible and improbable music, have teamed up with director Allan Walls, choreographer Karen Russell, and the special effects designers at Anatomorphex, for a brand new show that quite frankly has gotten out of hand. What was originally going to be a simple concert at a nice outdoor theater has evolved into a spectacle-extravaganza with an ensemble of over 40, complete with over the top production numbers. So, if you were ever curious to see the Orchestre Surreal this is the show to see. This is by far our most ambitious endeavor yet, and for those of you who have seen the group, that is saying something. We can't promise that we will be able to pull this off again anytime soon.Our Big Show entitled "Symphony Of The Absurd" is One Night Only!8:00PM Friday September 19th at the Ford Amphitheatre: 2580 Cahuenga Blvd East in Hollywood, just across the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl and just south of Universal Studios. For Tickets Call: 323 GO 1-Ford, or 323 461-3673,www.fordamphitheatre.org eschoenberg@earthlink.net Tomorrow Elvis Schoenberg, The Fabulous Miss Thing, and Dangerous Dan O'Callaghan will be interviewed on KPFK 90.7FM from 11:45AM to 12:30PM Also,The LA Times will be running feature story on the Orchestre Surreal in this Thursday's (tomorrow's) Calendar section.For those of you who live in Santa Monica/Beverly Hills, Hollywood/Los Feliz, or the SF Valley and have Adelphia Cable. Look for our TV commercial for our concert this Friday at 8:00PM at the Ford Amphitheatre. It will be running on the comedy channel tonight from 10:30 to 11:00 during Reno 911, and today and tomorrow on Bravo and VH1 from 4:00PM to Midnight. For more info and tickets call: 323 GO-1-FORD or (323) 461-3673www.fordamphitheatre.org We look forward to seeing you at our show. www.eschoenberg.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 17 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6187/1/E-Otok-Ben-Hvar.html ÂGarcia changed his name for the beloved island of Hvar© Copyright 2000-2003 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.ÂUnflagging zealBy SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer© St. Petersburg Timespublished July 5, 2003Garcia changed his name for the beloved island of HvarOtok Ben-Hvar, formerly known as Ben Garcia, has covered this flag with 3,056 vials holding rice kernals inscribed with the names of each victim of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.ÂThis glass vial contains pieces of rice inscribed with the names of people who died in the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.ÂBefore Ben Garcia became Otok Ben-Hvar, before his heart gave out 20 times, he once rode a lawn mower across the United States, played Santa on Red Square in Moscow, got married in an ambulance and danced ballet atJuilliard.ÂFiguring he's living on borrowed time, Ben-Hvar is fighting a deadline to accomplish one more feat, this one steeped in patriotism, nitrates and the humble chutzpah of ForrestGump.He wants to plant a 5-foot maple tree on the White House lawn."This is the first American national tree," exclaims the wiry, white-haired retiree from Holiday. "A tree planted with all the soils of every state."Plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories, five in all, he points out. In thanks for the soil samples sent by every governor, the 67-year-old has traveled to every state and territory with the tree - racking up more than 113,000 miles."That tree has been on some pretty fancy planes," he said.For the nonbeliever, Ben-Hvar offers thick binders and scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings and letters from the nation's governors. There are photos of smiling airline passengers and bewildered flight attendants holding the tree. In one, serious looking Navy SEALs gather around its burgeoning branches. In another, the potted plant sits alone in the belly of an empty C-130 cargo hold.Ben-Hvar has gained some attention and credibility during his four-year quest since the day he first planted a maple seed in a soil-filled plastic macaroni salad bowl.He's been written about in the Congressional Record and won the support of a U.S. senator from New Hampshire. He hopes the tree, growing in soil he originally gathered to form his grave bed, will be planted on the White House lawn this Thanksgiving."It symbolizes all of America," he said of the tree, sparkling eyes squinting in concentration. How can the White House disagree? "It's historic!"From dancer to skaterÂLong before he started lobbying the White House, years before two appearances in the Guinness Book of World Records,Ben-Hvar was born Ben Garcia in Jersey City, N.J.A cleft palate at birth forced him into clinics as a child. He was misdiagnosed as mentally retarded and spent his elementary school years in special education classrooms.When the family couldn't afford doctor bills, officials forgave them. The generosity planted seeds of patriotism in the impressionable young man. But the cleft palate left his speech slurred. One writer once likened his high-pitched chatter to the quacking of a duck.By high school, the prankster was born. On a whim, he signed up for the Army Reserves."Just to get out of class, I went," he said.After high school, he studied ballet at Juilliard. School officials say he was registered in the late 1950s.But he never graduated. During Army reserve training, he jumped 10 feet out of an airplane and smashed his foot."That finished my dancing career," he said. No more stints at New York nightclubs and off-Broadway shows."That's how I became an ice skater."From skater to pilotÂTo strengthen his torn lingaments and tendons in his right foot, Garcia took to the ice. His agile frame whirled blind teenagers around the rink. He gave lessons for Jersey City Recreation Division and nursed Olympic aspirations.A faded newspaper article from the time says that more than figure skating, he was "mastering trick and dare-devil skating, including twirling of blazing batons and jumping through hoops of fire."He became somewhat of a local celebrity."People stopped and kissed me, they stopped me in the street!" he said.He never made it to the Olympics, and his dancing foot didn't heal. Meanwhile, he lived in the back of a religion store in Jersey City, selling rosary beads and statues. He started a truck company and a theater company that brought opera to poor, inner-city children."That's how I became a pilot," he said.Crash leads to celebrity statusÂSquinting, perplexed that he needs to explain that transition, he elaborated:"Well, we had to get the singers to the various schools."Garcia took flying lessons and with his savings bought a Piper Colt aircraft with 108 horsepower.In 1969, he dropped $24 and joined the Great Atlantic Air Race, the eight-day adventure designed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic claimed by two British aviators. Three hundred and ninety competitors raced between the top of the Empire State Building and the London Post Office Tower in a 3,500-mile dash. Some competitors used hot-air balloons, Roman chariots and vintage cars.His Piper Colt did not have a big enough fuel tank for the trip. He planned to glide the last 99 miles."All I needed was a tail wind to blow me over," he says. But things got thorny on the first leg to Canada.Greeting Ben-Hvar and the cavalcade of reporters at the airfield were aviation officials, ordering him not to fly. He and his plane were not equipped for the flight, they said.So he called the plane manufacturer and agreed to meet them in Pennsylvania, where they'd outfit his plane with a bigger fuel tank.Instead, he crashed, landing upside down in a Pennsylvania field and getting knocked in the head with a jar of peanut butter he had brought for the ride.Back in New York and London, no one knew what became of him." "DON'T GO' - THEN ATLANTIC SOLO PILOT VANISHES," a headline from the London Evening News screamed.After he called New York, volunteers raced down to scoop him up and bring him back."DOWN ON THE FARM! THERE'S DAREDEVIL BEN" another London headline announced.He got back to the Empire State Building, this time deciding to go in the commercial flight category."I punched out again, and there was an off-duty motorcycle cop waiting for me. In 17 minutes, he had me at the JFK airport," he says. He arrived at Heathrow on rollerskates"How else was I going to get from Heathrow to London?" he asks, wrinkling his face, incredulous. "I didn't know anybody."But they knew him. Crowds gathered to cheer him on as he raced for the Post Office Tower.Peter Bostock, in his book, The Great Atlantic Air Race, wrote about him several times."With three days stubble of beard on his chin, he arrived on roller skates, creating Pandemonium at the top of the Tower as he hurtled toward the final check-in station with a hunk of his unfortunate aircraft's fuselage rolled up under his arm."Man becomes "Battling Ben'ÂAfter the Great Race, and the newly earned nickname Battling Ben, he steered to the White House.In part of his quest to prove that one man can make a difference, he gathered 1-million signatures in support of troops in Southeast Asia while backing the gradual withdrawal of forces from Vietnam.Newspaper stories detail his presentation of the signatures to a White House aide, accompanied by 150 friends and family on Labor Day weekend, 1970.Letters signed by President Richard Nixon thanked him for his "patriotic spirit," as well as the "thoughtful tokens" Garcia left behind for the president and his wife, including an "attractively designed ice bucket."Soon after, Garcia enlisted in the Army full time and became a paratrooper. He was 34.An accident ended his military career after his parachute failed to open in a 1975 jump. He plunged 1,250 feet onto a sand hill, broke 40 bones and blew out his eardrums."Then I decided to play Santa Claus in the Soviet Union," he said.Santa gets cold receptionÂHe began first bringing little toys and trinkets as an "ambassador of good will," he said.Then, in 1977 he showed up in a red Santa suit, ringing his bell on Red Square. Agents with guns surrounded him."They wouldn't arrest me," he said. "But they would hold me."The next 13 years, he made many friends during his frequent trips to the Communist country."The Moscow News asked me to judge their pie-baking contest," he says, pointing to photos of himself in a Santa suit leaning over a table of sweets.Through the 1980s, he also became a motel owner in Maine, suffered a string of heart attacks, and landed in the Guinness Book of World Records - twice.The first time was for "the longest lawn mower drive."The 1988 book states: "Ben Garcia drove a rebuilt AMF lawn mower powered by an 8-horse-power Briggs and Stratton engine (he replaced it twice), 2801 miles, 4,507 km, across the United States from Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Maine, to Los Angeles, California, in 38 days from 6 Oct.-13 Nov. 1986."The purpose, he explains: "To trim the nuclear arms race."In pictures, he's bundled in a coat and scarf on the mower, an American flag flapping in the wind behind him. He's trailed by a mobile home on a four-lane highway.He next appeared in the Guinness Book in 1990, this time for an unusual wedding. While being treated for one of his many heart attacks, he proposed to a friend, thinking the end was near. En route from one hospital to another, they married in an ambulance on Nov. 11, 1988. He survived. The marriage, his second, didn't.Kindness shared in BalkansÂRussian officials barred Garcia from entering the country again after 1990.So he started making regular trips to Bosnia and Croatia, even before the war in Yugoslavia. He played Santa to Muslim and Christian children. When the fighting began, he kept up the trips, driving over bomb-pocked roads and through war zones."I'd just drive," he said. "I didn't know where I was half the time . . . I knew they needed me. I knew how much one person could bring joy."At first he handed out little trinkets, finger puppets, things he could buy with his own money and donations he could score.Once he brought 2,000 pairs of roller skates.Then as more newspaper and television stories about him appeared, the donations came by the boxes. Pictures show trucks hauling presents through Bosnian and Croatian towns. Guards and townspeople grew to know him by sight."One time I pulled off the side of the road in my Santa suit, sick," he said. "Kids saw me and got scared. They ran away. Their mom came down and said,"Ben-Hvar?'"She knew me on the side of the road!"Tree-planting idea takes rootÂGarcia changed his name for the beloved island of Hvar off the coast of Croatia, where he stayed for long periods.In 1995, officials in Croatia granted him honorary citizenship.But Ben-Hvar wanted to be buried in American soil. So in 1997, he began writing to every state and territory, plus Washington, D.C., asking officials to place a pound of soil in an enclosed plastic bag and a self-addressed stamped envelope.Over the next two years, they complied, but not all did so readily. One governor's office refused at first "in the interest of conserving taxpayer funds." That was the office of Gov. George W. Bush of Texas. After a follow-up request byBen-Hvar, Bush's office relented.The soil came in from American Samoa's coral beaches, a Nebraska cornfield, an Iowa family farm. Some states sent historic soil: Oklahoma, dirt preserved under a Sherman tank that fought in the 45th Infantry Division of France; New York from the site of the 1777 British surrender at Saratoga.Once the soil came in, Ben-Hvar felt overwhelmed. He changed his mind and decided against a foreign burial."No way can I be buried away from my (American) patriots," he said.He took some maple seeds from his back yard in Maine in 1999 and planted them in a teaspoon of soil from each of the 56 samples. Within two weeks, it started to sprout in its plastic macaroni salad dish."I became so excited about it, I started taking it on a tour," he said.He began contacting the White House, asking that the nation's tree be planted there.Last year, Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Smith of New Hampshire replied with a letter of support. Smith said he wrote to President Bush. Smith also published a letter of commendation aboutBen-Hvar in the Congressional Record, Nov. 12, 2002.So far, Ben-Hvar said, the White House has ignored his requests.Numerous calls to the White House from the St. Petersburg Times went unreturned.The tree means more than all his other adventures, Ben-Hvar says."It's more permanent, it has more lasting meaning, and it involves every person," he said slowly, his voice laced with the lyricism of a storyteller."It brings us together," he said. "It's the president's home, and the president represents every American, and so does the tree."With the tree, Ben-Hvar travels with an American flag on which he's stitched vials of soil from each state. The vials hang on the stars in the order the states entered the union. He's also sewn vials on the stripes that hold grains of rice carrying the names of each victim of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the sight of which prompted another heart attack.He wants to fly it from every state Capitol, starting with Tallahassee this Sept. 11.Ben-Hvar can't understand why he's still alive. Many of his friends have died. Innocent lives were snuffed out by terrorists. Yet, with all his heart attacks, including one that resulted in a death notice, he is still alive."He feels so blessed by God to have survived everything he has," said columnist Tom Weber, who has written countless pieces aboutBen-Hvar over the years for the Bangor Daily News of Maine."He has just a pure passion for life."Ben-Hvar can't be stopped."When it comes time I'm on my death bed, and I've been there many times," he said, "I don't want to think, "Heavens, I haven't done enough.' "- Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report.http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/05/Pasco/Unflagging_zeal.shtml© Copyright 2000-2003 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 05 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6189/1/E-Suzanne-Lord.html Distributed by CroatianWorldSuzanne Lord Nenad has kindly asked if I would introduce myself. I apologize for the length - it's a long life. I am so grateful to Nenad and CROWN members for helping me discover the astounding country and history of Croatia and its people. I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1946 to an Air Force family. We lived in ten places over the next twelve years, so I learned to be very adaptable! My family broke up when I was 13, and my sister and I moved with our mother to her hometown in Mississippi. The next seven years were a misery. I had never seen segregation - another word for apartheid - and was always embarrassed by things that I heard and saw, even in my own family. Music became an important outlet. But when I tried to major in music in college, I saw how far behind I was. I became discouraged and dropped out of school. It was the late 1960s. I was a hippie in San Francisco, andeventually lived in a New Mexico commune where I met my son's father. When hemoved east, I followed and arrived in New York with $8, a box of Pampers, a15-month-old child, and no job skills. My "ex" left. I lived with friends,got a job, then an apartment, and daycare.I was a typist at Scholastic Magazines when I noticed thatwriters got paid a LOT more then secretaries. My editor, Bob Stine, began to letme write. When he became editor of his own magazine, I tried out for it and washired. Eventually I became Associate Editor. I worked 12 years at Scholastic.During those years I bought a flute and played as an amateur. When the magazineI worked on was discontinued, I decided to go back to school and get thatlong-forgotten music degree. I went freelance as a writer and took part-timejobs. I went to Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and studied with HaroldJones and Michael Parloff while still raising my son.By the time I had my Bachelor's degree, my son hadgraduated High School. He did not want to go to college. I waited two years tosee if he would change his mind, and then (with his blessings) got a Master'sdegree at Louisiana State and a Doctorate at Florida State. My goal was to get auniversity job before I was 50. First I worked at Oklahoma State University andthen was hired by Southern Illinois University in Carbondale - one monthbefore my 50th birthday. My "double life" of publishing andmusic was what they needed, and I now teach Flute, Music History, and MusicBibliography and I also play in the Paducah, KY symphony. I have been at SIUC for almost seven years now. I couldn'task for better colleagues or more cooperative students. This area has rollinghills, miles of peach and apple orchards, and five producing wineries. I lovegoing to New York to see my son and his family (his beautiful wife and twofabulous children). My son is the retail manager for Phat Farm, a hip-hopclothing store in Soho.I became aware of Croatia at first because of the war, andthen because of ER and Wimbleton. When I remembered "Yugoslavian-American"friends from past years and places they had told me about, I realized that theyhad been Croatian. I saw a travel film and realized that the cheap, good wines Ihad found when I was young and poor had also been Croatian, as were the fig jamsI had bought in New York over the years. I became more and more curious.In 2002 the American Flute Orchestra (I am their piccoloplayer) was supposed to play in Slovenia. I was very excited, because it was achance to see Eastern Europe. Then because of 9/11 the tour was cancelled.Angry, I decided to go anyway. I remembered a place that a friend of mine hadtold me about, 27 years earlier - Dubrovnik. I contacted CROWN to see if Icould find a group to go with. The kindest people in the world - members ofCROWN - said that I should go by myself. So I took a deep breath, went lastMay and discovered Croatia. It has changed my life.In Dubrovnik, I met wonderful people whom I hope will belifelong friends. I have also met many wonderful Croatian-Americans and hope thesame! When I heard the language it sounded like music to me, and I am takinglanguage lessons to learn it. Plus I have discovered so much music and so manycomposers that I never knew about! Some people say that Europe is the old world,but Croatia is a new world for me - and I like it very, very much. I have beenplanning all year to go back and see more. I feel that I have opened a door andfound an entire room in a house I thought I knew.Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself. I readCROWN with great interest, and translate everything I can manage.ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂPuno pozdrava,ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂSuzanne Lord letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Feb 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6188/1/E-Diane-Lane-nominated-for-Oscar.html  Diane Lane nominated for OscarFor your consideration - to CROWN subscribers as well as TheAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membersThank you,NB letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 13 Feb 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6190/1/E-Burt-Youngs-Gallery.html  Burt Young's Galleryhttp://www.imagemakersart.com/burt1.html Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia: Squat character actor who has specialized in playing seedy roles, and is probably best remembered as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law, Paulie, in Rocky (1976, for which he earned an Oscar nomination) and the film's four sequels. He studied acting with Lee Strasberg and went on to score supporting roles in The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Cinderella Liberty (1973), Chinatown (1974), The Killer Elite (1975), and Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976). Aside from a leading role as a trumpet player in Uncle Joe Shannon (1978, which he also wrote), Young has mostly played variations on cretinous archetypes in Amityville II: The Possession, Lookin' to Get Out (both 1982), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Pope of Greenwich Village (also 1984, one of his best performances, as "Bedbug Eddie"), Back to School (1986), Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Betsy's Wedding (1990), and Excessive Force (1993). He made an impressive Broadway debut in "Cuba and His Teddy Bear" and starred in the short-lived TV sitcom "Roomies" (1987). Photo by Steve Granitz/SteveGranitz.comDear All,You all recognize a talented actor/director/writer BurtYoung. Besides being a friend of Croatians, he isa very talented painter. Here are some of his available paintings. Besidestalent his generosity and kind spirit is somethingthat is self evident instantly in a personal contact. Support our friends.ÂNenad Bachp.s. I will inform you about film"Murder on Mott Street" (project that we did together) when it getsout. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 02 Feb 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6191/1/E-In-Memoriam---Timothy-White.html ÂTimothy White1952-2002"One of the most potent myths of the modern music industry is that it derives its power from the money it makes. But the truth is, that with music as with he rest of culture, its greatest might lies in its ability to inspire hope. As long as our business is dedicated to the philosophy that tenderness is strength, love is courage and human dignity is priceless then music will always prosper where it matters most-in the hearts and minds of the people on this small planet."HONORING TIMOTHY WHITE I would hope that Bill Flangan of VH-1 would have another look at this titillating and pandering programming in light of his brilliant and hysterical comments yesterday at a beautiful memorial service honoring Timothy White, the brilliant editor of Billboard who died suddenly at age 50 on my birth day, June 27. Friends, colleagues, music biz moguls, family members and entertainers like Billy Joel and Phoebe Snow were all on hand for the tribute at the New School in Greenwich Village. Tim, who I have known for years and came close to working with was hailed by one and all as an original, as a man of vision and conscience who spoke out against wrong doing in a music industry known for its sleaziness. "He was a man of moral example," said Billy Joel. Another said he believed in practicing "business as unusual." Known for his careful prose and personal style, He was never seen without a bow tie and white buck shoes projecting an old fashioned image known for shlumpy jeans and sloppy T Shirts. Timothy sought to elevate the terms of music journalism as well. In l999, he received a heroes award from the Recording academy. His words of acceptance about music can easily be extended to the world of journalism of which he was a leading light. "One of the most potent myths of the modern music industry is that it derives its power from the money it makes. But the truth is, that with music as with he rest of culture, its greatest might lies in its ability to inspire hope. As long as our business is dedicated to the philosophy that tenderness is strength, love is courage and human dignity is priceless then music will always prosper where it matters most-in the hearts and minds of the people on this small planet." Amen to that, and to his widow, Judy Garlan White, who knew him best and misses him the most, who said that Tim, despite all the adulations he received in death didn't always know how much people cared in life. "So if you are waiting to tell someone you care," she said. "do it Now. Now." On that high note, I bid adieu.Âdissector@mediachanel.org.ÂPosted by Danny on Wed, Jul 24, 2002Op-edTimothy White was an incredible man of integrity. I was honored to know him.He is the one who put "Can We Go Higher?" news, when Croatia was not arecognized country yet. Five times. No hesitation. In Danny Schechter'sGlobalvision office in New York. He saw the video and said: "This has to bein Billboard on Friday". And it was. No gains for him to help, except valueof truth. After that, CBS and CNN and many other stations around the worldpicked up the news, but Timothy White was the FIRST. I was mesmerized to listento the wealth of his words and knowledge of music and as a matter of fact, anysubject. Always enthusiastic about life in general. His words about musicwas POETRY to MY ears. He will be missed by many friends, especially his dearfamily.Nenad Bach letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 27 Jul 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6192/1/E-McCartney-ties-knot-at-rock-n-roll-wedding---June-11-2002.html  McCartney ties knot at rock 'n' roll weddingJune 11, 2002 Sir Paul and Lady Heather leave the chapel after the ceremony.ÂHeather's tireless work to clear land mines in Croatia earned her a humanitarian award in December 2001. Part of the money she raised helped pay for new limbs for child war victims.ÂOp-edWe congratulate Paul and Heather. Croatiaand all Croatians around the world can only be happy to have such, kind andauthentic artists, for friends. Even photos from the wedding will benefitclearing landmines in the world, as well as Croatian land from this silent anddeadly killer. I hope that we will know how to appreciate this.NBSir Paul McCartney, Nenad Bach, LadyHeather McCartney-MillsGLASLOUGH, Republic of Ireland -- Flowers petals fluttered and bells pealed as ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and his bride Heather Mills departed St. Salvator's church Tuesday after their wedding ceremony. The bride wore a lace dress designed with the help of two London designers, who did not include McCartney's designer daughter, Stella. The groom wore a three-piece brown suit. It was the second marriage for both. A local priest presided over the Church of Ireland service, which was closed to the press. Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is believed to have given a reading during the ceremony based on the group's song, "All You Need is Love." Sir Paul's children, Stella, James, Mary and stepdaughter Heather, are believed to have attended, despite reports of a rift between them and the bride. A single official wedding photo was made available to publications that made a £1,000 ($1,471 US) an anti-landmine charity, Adopt A Minefield UK. The couple turned down a £1.5 million ($2.2. million US) offer from a celebrity magazine for exclusive coverage of the wedding. "An occasion like this is for everyone," Sir Paul's spokesman Geoff Baker said. The bride, who was by tradition slightly late for the ceremony, faltered as she spoke in front of family, friends and celebrities, McCartney's spokesman said. She carried a bouquet of 11 McCartney roses -- named in honor of her new husband -- and two peonies, he said. Mills entered the church to the strains of the song "Heather," which McCartney wrote for his recent album. As the two walked back down the aisle after exchanging vows, the organ played the "Wedding March" McCartney wrote for the 1966 movie "The Family Way." With reporters and camera kept out of the church, commentators took the sound of ringing bells at the 300-year-old St Salvator's church as a sign that the 34-year-old ex-model and the 59-year-old former Beatle were wed. CNN's Richard Quest said the marriage was delayed by about 30 minutes on Tuesday after a helicopter was heard hovering low over the church as Mills was supposed to have approached. "Organisers -- and we can only assume that is McCartney and Mills -- became very annoyed," he said. "It is said to have left a bad taste in the mouth." (Full story) Stars from the music and fashion world began flying into Belfast from Heathrow, London, and Liverpool just hours before the ceremony. Musicians Chrissie Hynde and Jools Holland and former model Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson flew over on a chartered Airbus A-330. Other guests thought to have attended are guitarist Eric Clapton, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and John Eastman, brother of Sir Paul's late wife, Linda. After the ceremony, the 300 guests moved from the church into three marquees by the side of the lake to tuck into a vegetarian Indian banquet and Champagne on the banks of the lake on the enclosed 1,000-acre estate at Castle Leslie, Glaslough, in County Monaghan. A covered walkway had been custom built between the chapel and the marquees to prevent the possibility of the heavy rainfall of previous days dampening the celebrations. The guests were treated to a band playing Indian and Celtic music under the strict instructions that mobile phones should be switched off or left behind. McCartney had said earlier that no dress code would be required and that while the menu was vegetarian it would also be "very liquid and alcoholic." "It's a rock 'n' roll wedding," Sir Paul said. "We are going to have family and friends and a lot of fun." Thousands of flowers, including lilies and roses, had been delivered to the site. Lighting effects were put in trees and floating pontoons laid along the banks of the lake, possibly for a spectacular fireworks display expected to round off the wedding, estimated to have cost $3 million. Ringo Starr heads to Ireland for McCartney's wedding At some point McCartney and Mills are expected to take to a 40-foot yacht on the lake. McCartney and Mills arrived at the 17th-century estate on Sunday night by helicopter. Castle Leslie has no phones, clocks or televisions in its 14 rooms. McCartney and Mills, a model who lost a leg in a motorcycle accident nine years ago, met at a charity function where she was raising money to oppose the use of land mines. The couple announced their engagement last July. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 11 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6193/1/E-Houston---Rijeka-Sister-Cities-Why-not-.html Op-ed:If anybody has any information aboutCroatians in Texas especially in Houston are, please contact me at letters@croatianworld.netor directly Wanda Radetti at: TasteTours@aol.comor/and Victoria Hedrich at: VictoriaHedrich@aol.comÂbest,Nenad BachÂSubj: International Sister CitiesÂHello Nenad,As mentioned to you, I am sending you the letter that my colleague and good friend Victoria has prepared regarding the International Sister Cities - and the need to find Croatian organizations in Houston to help follow up and support the project. I am grateful for any help and information that you may be able to provide. I am truly passionate about creating this type of exchange that I believe is absolutely necessary and can prove to be beneficial to Croatia as well as the sister cities in the United States.I wish you well and hope to see you again and soon.Wanda S. RadettiTasteTours@aol.comÂVictoria J. Hedrich 3095 Bellaire Ranch Drive Fort Worth Texas 76109 817 989 1306 817 714 8303  VictoriaHedrich@aol.com May 30, 2002Dear Nenad,Wanda Radetti spoke very highlyof you and felt you could be of great assistance to our effort.ÂI have the pleasure of working with Wanda and Vojko Obersnell, the Mayorof Rijeka, as well as other prominent citizens of Rijeka to initiate an officialInternational Sister City relationship between the cities of Houston and Rijeka.ÂI am interested in identifying members of the Croatian community withinHouston that may help me to champion this initiative.Sister Cities International (SCI)is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnershipsbetween U.S. and international communities in an effort to increase globalcooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding and tostimulate economic development. SCI also invites associations, businesses, educationalinstitutions and individuals to participate in the SCI network.An official SCI relationshipbetween Houston and Rijeka is agreat means to establish meaningful and lasting connections.ÂThe success of SCI has opened doors to the world, enhancing quality oflife through educational exchanges, business development opportunities andinformation sharing on issues such as technology, health care, and theenvironment. My many experiences inestablishing such relaionships has made me realize that the success of suchinitiatives is predicated upon a strong grass roots effort, usually byÂthose most familiar with the culture of the foreign partner city.During the first weeks of June Iplan to visit Houson in further pursuitof this mission and I would welcome the opportunity to personally introducemyself to those individuals withinthe community that have an interest in helping me to champion this intiative.ÂAppreciatively yours,VictoriaÂRijekaRijeka: Latitude 45.20 N Longitude14.25 EThe population of Rijeka is 250.000Rijekais located in the Kvarner Bay deep in the Adriatic see. With the mountain Učkaon the west and Kvarner islands to the south-east, the view from above Rijekaoutward is magnificent. The city has many streets filled with buildings built inthe styles of past ages: baroque, secession, etc. The town history begins in Neolit, but the name Rijeka isfirst mentioned in the 9th century. A small village on the mouth of riverRjeeina into the see eventually grew into a big city despite ever-changinggovernments and two disastrous fires. The city was declared a free port in 1719.marking a beginning of a new period in which Rijeka will economically prosper. Rijeka is a major port connecting the Croatian road and railway networks with the seas and oceans of the World. While the port handles most of the transit cargo from the Adriatic to the Danube region, Rijeka is an important stop for coastline tourist traffic. Rijeka is the largest Croatian port and one of the largest cities in Croatian. Today it is the county center of the Primorsko-Goranska county.ÂHoustonÂLocation State of Texas, southwest U.S. Upper Gulf Coast (50 miles from Gulf of Mexico)Population 1.9 million /city 4.5 million / county metropolitan statistical area 3.4 million people reside in Harris County. The third most populous county in the nation Houston is the seat of ethnically diverse Harris County Houston is 54 percent white, 23 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African American and 4 percent Asian.Size 617 square miles / city of Houston 8,778 square miles / CMSAHistory Founded in August 1836 by brothers Augustus and John Allen. Houston is named after General Sam Houston, who led the Texas Army in its victory over General Santa Anna's Mexican forces at the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto. In 1837, Houston was incorporated in the Republic of Texas and served as its capital from 1837 to 1840.Accommodations More than 46,000 hotel rooms in the cityMajor Airports George Bush Intercontinental Airport William P. Hobby AirportArchitecture Chase Tower, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River, and Williams Tower, the tallest building outside a central business district, are two examples of Houston's award-winning architectureEconomic Health Houston's job count is 206 million - more than all of Colorado. The city also is an affordable place to live with a cost of living 21 percent below the average for 17 metro areas with more than 2 million people.Arts One of the few U.S. cities with permanent ballet, opera, symphony and theater companies. More than 30 museums. With 10,000 theater seats, Houston ranks second only to New York.Transportation Buses: The Metropolitan Transit Authority operates more than 1,400 buses on 128 routes throughout the city. In FY 98, METRO had more than 100 million bus boardings. Freeways / expressways: 570 miles High Occupancy vehicle expressways: 86 miles carrying 85,000 people each weekday. The third-largest taxi cab fleet in the country with 2,000 vehicles. A free downtown trolley system.Recreation 500-plus parks in Harris County 12,236 water-covered areas 32 miles of public beaches in area 100-plus golf courses in greater Houston Third largest concentration of pleasure boats in the United StatesRestaurants More than 8,000 restaurants feature a wide variety of ethnic cuisines.Shopping The Galleria, Houston's largest and best-known retail mall, features 320 stores and is visited by more than 16 million people annually. The oldest shopping district is the River Oaks Shopping Center. Walk Rice Village's charming sidewalks and scour its hundreds of shops. There are six major outlet malls in the area, offering great discount shopping.Sports Houston Rockets, basketball Houston Astros, baseball Houston Aeros, hockey Houston Comets, women's basketballWeather Mild year-round climate 66° average high winter temperature 91° average high summer temperature 79° average high spring / autumn temperatureTime Zone Houston is located in the Central Time Zone letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 30 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/6194/1/E-GARTH-HUDSON-The-Band-Live-WebcastMay-4th.html ÂDear All,Garth Hudson, from a legendary "The Band" has hisfirst solo album out. "The Sea To The North". Support him. He and hiswife Maud are, besides their talent, humanitarians that recognize injustice inits early stage. My admiration and support ! You can support them by buyingtheir CD. Garth HudsonThe album is a journey in the land of worldly sounds, a texture that stays withyou for a long time. One of a kind music, that you cannot compare to anythingand still feels like home. I am humbled and honored to be working with them.Nenad BachHere is the info about the live stream broadcast of Garth's CD The Sea To The North:GARTH HUDSON of "The Band" live stream web cast featuring his first solo CD The Sea To The North in it's entirety including an interview! Toll-free call in line during broadcast: 800-921-9667. Bob Reicher's "Nighthawks" show at WOMR 92.1fm broadcast is this coming Saturday night, May 4th, 10:00 PM to 1:00 PM Pacific/1:00 AM to 4:00 AM Eastern (Sunday morning).Log on during broadcast to listen live:Click Here: Live365 - WOMR 92.1fmhttp://www.live365.com/stations/womr?site=womr letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 03 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000