A lot of exciting and good news happened in the last two weeks. Website created and maintained by Joza Vrljicak, Studia Croatica, moved to a new address www.studiacroatica.org but that is not all. It didn't just move to another address, but it improved it's design. Congratulations Joza. A valuable work that you have done for years is flourishing at this moment for many people and for the next generations to study from. Check a great story on the front page of www.croatianhistory.net about The Lipik Orphanage and Colonel Mark Cook, a UK humanist. We do not have too much opportunity to put those last two words together, but when we do, we are more then pleased to do it. As a matter of fact, a war criminal is living in the UK right now and the government is being "English" to us. In Croatia we say "prave se englezi". At the same time, my best friends come from England and the story about Colonel Mark Cook speaks volumes about human generosity and kindness. Focusing on good people is CROWN's mantra. Al Gore collected over 500.000 signatures. Thank you for your support. If you didn't hear about Prof. Dr. Nikola Buble, now you have an opportunity to see why do people consider him to be one of the most knowledgeable musicologist. Check Canon National Parks Science Scholarship that will award eight scholarships of $80,000. Talking about fellowships and scholarships, you have one day left to apply for a fellowship at the Kennedy Center for Art Management. It is opened every year. Deadline is April 1st (Post stamped). Fellows receive an annual stipend of $20,000 (paid bi-weekly) to help defray housing and transportation costs. Course tuition, materials, and health insurance are provided at no cost to the Fellow. The U.S. Department of State will provide round-trip transportation from country of origin to Washington, D.C., for international Fellows only. This is a great opportunity to learn the business of art. Kennedy Center is the largest Cultural Center in the world. Klapa Sinj and myself performed there on Dec 4th 2005. I am getting this info because of that collaboration. So, take advantage of it. I was rushing this editorial just for this reason. Your response is otherwise excellent and you are talking these opportunities. That feeds my enthusiasm, which is very much needed to do what I do.

 

Soccer. Croatia beats Macedonia in Zagreb. Last minute goal. Finally we are giving goals in the last minutes rather then receiving them. This is a quantum leap for Croatian psyche. Slaven Bilic, regardless of the future result is a valuable team selector. Educated as a lawyer. You can imagine how good he has to be for someone to glorify a lawyer. Detroit Tamburitza Orchestra proudly presents their 49th Spring Concert Celebration on April 21st. Thanks to Marko Puljic we got this news. Marko is a great help in CROWN posting as you can see his name often under formatted and submitted by. Zoran Orlic Announcing the US Book Launch for The Frames: "Behind The Glass". On April 13th there will be book signing with the co-authors: Zoran Orlic and Janine Schaults in Chicago. Support this talented people by buying their book. Tomorrow at George Washington University be part of the Slavic Cultural Festival March 31, 2007. Thanks to Frank Mustac as well, be part of the event at the University of Connecticut and the lecture about Croatia: The Yugoslav Past and the European Future. This lecture by Ph.D. candidate Katharine Hawkins is a little bit concerning. Their premises are not what I know as facts and it would be nice if some delegation can go there and be sure that they are not distorting the history. It will happen on April 15th. Check the details. Too many examples in our short history, not to pay attention to these kind of "benign" lectures. Josip Novakovich will be participating in a memoir symposium at Trinity College this coming week; he'll talk about the change in perspective one has in relation to one's memories depending on the distance from one's homeland in time and space. Free entrance today and tomorrow. Read about Domagoj Ivanovic, violinist and violin teacher. His special interest is to teach the importance of proper posture and use of body mechanics in order to avoid tension and playing injuries. He developed his own website and got to my attention by prof. Kabalin. Unity through Knowledge Fund has recently launched its first program and announced the Calls for Proposals for financing joint research projects of Croatian expatriate scientists and experts with their Croatian colleagues. Zagreb the Continent's new star. And it truly is.

 

Croatia Edges Australia in Thriller. Beats Russia 13 to 3. Waterpolo World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.. Not just that, we are in finals by beating Serbia 10 to 7. Name association of Barbara Anderson maybe doesn't bring Croatia as your first guess, but she is of Croatian descent and talking about Immigration policies of this country. Send her a note. Award Winning Film Random Lunacy playing in New York on April 1st 2007. Also In Debt we Trust, the latest film from Danny Schechter, playing in New York April 4-5. My music is in both movies. Doesn't happen often that my music plays in two different movies at the same time in New York's movie theaters. Go me. Films are worth your attention. Vic Zimet and Stephanie Silber have proven their talents over and over again. This time Rolling Stones magazine and the famous Peter Travers recognized them as a specially talented duo, plus Best Documentary awards that they received few weeks ago. They know how to tell the story, without being in the way or preaching it to you. Film naturally unfolds, as life itself. Danny Schechter is a legend in his own category. He interviewed John Lennon and Nelson Mandela, to name the few. This film is about Credit Cards. Eye opener for many. One little detail about Danny is that he stood by Croatia since 1991, when we needed it the most. He is a true friend, knowledgeable scholar and humanist. I am more than honored to be associated with these talented filmmakers.

 

 The medal designer creates this system gradually as a symbolic sublimation of history. Damir Matausic, sculptor and medal designer proves that. I am very impressed with Mr. Matausic's work and his website. He also designed a coin that Ireland and Croatia share. More about this unique coin, soon on CROWN. Memory Institutions in the Digital Age: Current Models of Collaboration in Croatia. Thanks to Marta Mestrovic Deyrup who organized this symposium, Sanjica Faletar Tanackovic presented a Croatian story. Very informative and hopeful. Croatian constituency on this March 15, 2007 event: Maja Basioli, Nenad Bach, Marta Mestrovic Deyrup, Sanjica Faletar Tanackovic, Tatjana Lorkovic. At the symposium there was a very interesting presentation by Jared Ingersoll (Columbia University). We were welcome by Marta Mestrovic Deyrup and Howard McGinn, Dean, University Libraries, Robert Sheeran, President, Seton Hall University, John Menzies, Dean, Whitehead School of Diplomacy (present at Dayton Accord), Natalia Levadnaya, Division Head, Federal Agency for Science and Innovations and Gennady Burbulis, Senator, Russian Parliament. One interesting questions that Ms. Mestrovic Deyrup raised is whether Libraries should publish magazines since they are at the well of knowledge. I didn't hear the response that satisfied me, but the question is very legitimate and though provoking.

 

And the last but not the least, few words form NFCA president Ed Andrus.
The NFCA will hold its Annual Assembly of Delegates this year in Philadelphia, PA, from June1-3, at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel in the historic district of the "City of Brotherly Love".  While Croatia is dealing with its own challenges as a relatively new democracy, the birthplace of the United States is a perfect place to meet with its images and memorials to our own struggles in dealing with our newly-won freedoms. The NFCA will be looking back on the past with some excellent speakers who were there, dealing with the present in their activities to strengthen the United States relationship with Croatia, and focusing on a future which can be beneficial to all Croatians with peace and prosperity. The NFCA will pay special tribute to Admiral J. Robert Lunney for his long and arduous search for the Croatian family of Peter Tomich so that his Medal of Honor from WWII could be presented to them. Reservations can be made on-line at a special website the Sheraton has established for the NFCA  www.StarwoodMeeting.com/Book/NFCA2007 at the NFCA rate of $169 per night but is only guaranteed until May 2. Many will be visiting Philadelphia in the Springtime so get your reservation made now.  It promises to be a historic event. 

 

 

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