Russians dominate at European boxing championships
Associated Press PULA, Croatia (AP) — Russia won nine of the 11 gold medals offered Sunday at the European boxing championships.
World champion Sergei Kazov started things for Russia by winning the light-flyweight title, beating Alfonso Pinto of Italy 41-22. Other Russian winners included Gueorgy Balakchine, Gennadiy Kovalev, Alexander Maletin, Oleg Saitov, Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov, Evgeny Makarenko, Alexandre Alekseev and Alexandre Povetkin. The other two winners were Vitali Taiberd of Germany, who beat Kedhapi Djelkhir of France in three rounds in the featherweight class, and Dimitar Stilianov of Bulgaria, who beat Aydin Selcuk of Turkey 32-21 in the lightweight division.
Balakchine won the flyweight title over Nikoloz Izoria of Georgia 39-21, while worlds silver-medalist Kovalev beat Ali Hallab of France 52-28 in the bantamweight. Light-welterweight Maletin won his third straight European title, walking over Igor Sashchuk of Ukraine. Saitov, making his first appearance at a major competition since winning his second Olympic title in Sydney four years ago, beat Xavier Noel of France 41-22 in the welterweight division. Gaiderbekov won the middleweight goal, stopping Lukas Wilaschek of Germany 39-19, and Makarenko beat Mario Sivolija of Croatia in two rounds to add the European light-heavyweight title to the heavyweight crown he won two years ago.
Makarenko has been unbeaten since winning the first of his two world titles in Belfast in 2001. Heavyweight Alekseev and super-heavyweight Povetkin won the final two events. Worlds silver-medalist Alekseev stopped Zuyen Viktar of Belarus in the second round, while Povetkin nipped Roberto Cammarelli of Italy 30-26.
All 44 semifinalists at the tournament qualified for the Athens Olympics.
The following appeared in today's issue of the Long Beach Press Telegram. John Kraljic
Rudic unknown in U.S. so far DOUG: Rudica taskmaster.
By Doug Krikorian Sports columnist
Saturday, February 28, 2004 - He is seated there in the restaurant booth, and diners file unknowingly past him, not realizing they're in the presence of a legendary figure of his game, a revered figure who's treated like royalty when he returns to his native Croatia or to the other country where he has made such a staggering impact, Italy.
There is an unmistakable aura about him, and he carries his hulking framehe's at least 6- foot-3 and at least 235 pounds with a cool self-assurance that betrays a toughness befitting his exalted status.
He is 56, but the full, square face framed by a clump of black hair still hasn't been invaded by wrinkles, and a distinctive mustache dominates his rugged features.
"Love America,' he says in halting English. "Hold Croatian and Italian passports, but might remain in America. The people friendlier. Need directions here, people help you. In Europe, they turn away.'
They don't turn away from Ratko Rudic, not in Croatia, Russia or Hungary, not in Italy, not anywhere on the planet where men's water polo is played because Rudic happens to be the John Wooden of this particular endeavor.
"No doubt Ratko is the best men's water polo coach in the world, if not the best ever,' says Rich Foster, the Long Beach- based U.S. Water Polo president who's responsible for luring Rudic here to coach the national team. "That's why we hired him. He's the best. Just look at his track record.'
No doubt Ratko Rudic has the deft leadership touch, consummating a water polo hat trick that doubtless never will be equaled, guiding teams to three consecutive Olympic gold medals.
His Yugoslavian men finished on top in the 1984 and 1988 Games, then his Italian men did the same in 1992 in an achievement that sets Rudic far apart from his coaching brethren.
He also was quite a water polo player in his younger days, participating in a couple of Olympics for Yugoslavia under the Tito regime before the breakup of the country and earning a gold and silver medal.
But it is coaching that has gained him a worldwide reputation, and is responsible for his spending most of his waking hours these days at the U.S. National Team's training facility on the Los Alamitos military base.
"Ratko has totally restructured the entire water polo program in this country from the ground up,' says Foster. "He definitely knows what he's doing, and I think you're going to see significant results in a few years.
"What makes Ratko such a tremendous coach is, one, his preparation. The guy is a workaholic who puts in long hours. Secondly, he has a tremendous tactical knowledge of the sport. He understands all facets of it. And, lastly, his intensity. He knows how to motivate players and how to get them in great shape. He's just a great, great coach.'
Rudic lives in Belmont Shore, and seems proud of the fact that he's able to navigate the congested Southern California traffic without too much misery.
"Listen, I live in Rome when I coached the Italians, and drove there all the time,' he says, with a laugh. "If a person can drive in Rome, he can drive anywhere.'
Ratko Rudic was born in Split on the Dalmatian coast, and actually preferred soccer as a youth.But his father, a military officer, felt too many soccer players turned out to be wayward adults and strongly encouraged his son to pursue water polo.
Rudic did, and became quite good at it, playing at an international level for 14 years before turning to the coaching profession.
He's known as a stern taskmaster, and it was a cultural shock for the American players when Rudic took over the team in January of 2001.
"Ratko noticed that the U.S. team had been faltering in the final period,' says Foster. "He felt they could be in better shape. And so he started working them. Hard. There definitely was an adjustment period.'
"The players had to understand that they suffer now so later they show strength at the end of games,' says Rudic. "They have to have a tremendous commitment to the game when I coach them. I try not to be too friendly with players. My job is to get most out of them. Some don't like to be driven so hard.'
Rudic is divorced and has a 24- year-old daughter who lives in Milan.
In his spare time, he enjoys painting.
"I'm an artist,' he says. "I always liked art. I been to most museums in Europe. My favorite? Francis Bacon. The best Italian painter? Leonardo da Vinci.'
Before his team competes in the Athens Olympicsit drew an opening round gauntlet of perennial powers Hungary, Russia and Croatia it will make an appearance in the FINA World League Super Finals that will be staged July 16-18 at the Long Beach Swim Stadium.
The Americans aren't expected to earn a medal in Greece, but the team must not be underestimated because of the presence of Rudic.
He does have some talented specimens in people like Tony Azevedo, Wolf Wigo, Ryan Bailey, Chris Segesman and several others, and he has a hallowed history of dredging the most out of his personnel.
As Rich Foster puts it, "We originally anticipated getting to the Olympic podium in 2008, but it might happen in 2004 because we're ahead of schedule. And we also have someone no other team has: Ratko Rudic. He has a history of pulling off miracles.'
-The McDonnell- Douglas Show, featuring Press- Telegram columnist Doug Krikorian and radio personality Joe McDonnell, can be heard Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on ESPN radio, KSPN 710 AM.
Ovdje bih htio sažeti i malo jasnije izložiti moje pocetne prijedloge za rad na projektu "dijaspora." Moji prijedlozi se odnose na pravu dijasporu, nadasve u SAD, a ne toliko na Hrvate u BiH.
Ocjena trenutacnog stanja: Problem Hrvata u dijaspori jest što shvacaju stanje u Hrvatskoj i dalje kao krizno. To se ocituje na razlicite nacine od kojih su glavni sljedeca dva: 1. Politicki desno orijentirani krugovi smatraju Hrvatsku i dalje ugroženom od Srba i drugih. Oni su spremni žrtvovati se, i za borbu su. Izvor frustracije im je što se u odnosu na to pitanje ništa ne dogada. 2. Politicki lijevo orijentirani krugovi smatraju Hrvatsku pomalo državom utemeljenoj na prošlosti u kojoj vlada korupcija i u kojoj ne postoji ustroj normalnog pravnog i civilnog sustava. Uza sve to proistjece da su Hrvati u dijaspori politicki jako polarizirani: ili su žestoko lijevi ili žestoko desni, te je jos živo i ustaštvo i komunizam. Dodao bih dvije važne cinjenice: Prvo, Hrvati u dijaspori s obje strane politickog spektra jako vole Hrvatsku. Cak i oni koji se još uvijek smatraju komunistima i koji otvoreno tuguju za Jugoslavijom imaju vrlo iskrene osjecaje prema Hrvatskoj i to kao samostalnoj državi. Drugo, Hrvati su u dijaspori vrlo dobro povezani, i cesto se susrecu. Medutim, te se veze odnose na fragmentirane skupine i nisu sustavno organizirane iliinstuticionalizirane. (Iznimka je Hrvatsko-Americko društvo i e-mail adresar Nenada Bacha. O tome poslije.)
Prijedlog strategije: Nadasve treba Hrvate u diaspori bolje informirati o sljedece tri tocke: Prvo, Hrvatska je sasvim normalna zemlja s obicnim politickim, društvenim i civilnim problemima. U Hrvatskoj, kao i u drugim državama Europe, problemi se sastoje od sporog gospodarskog razvoja, nezaposlenosti, i, na primjer, odvoza smeca. Za Hrvatsku ne postoji egzistencijalna opasnost iz vana (od Srbije itd.). Drugo, dostizanje samostalnosti i pobjeda u ratu veliki su uspjesi. Koliko god ljudi bili razocarani poslije rata, bilo s razlogom ili bez njega, to razocaranje može biti jedino razocaranje sasvim druge kategorije. Ono može biti politicko ili društveno razocaranje, ali nipošto ne može nadvladati spoznaju da su samostalnost i Domovinski rat povijesna dostignuca Hrvatske. Napokon, ta spoznaja mora biti iznad politickih stajališta: ne mora se voljeti (i ne voljeti) Tudmana da bi je se prihvatilo. Trece, Hrvatskoj ne treba pomoc kao što bi joj trebala u istinski kriznom razdoblju kao što je rat. Hrvati u dijaspori koji žele poduprijeti Hrvatsku ne moraju se odricati imovine i svojih života. Potpora mora biti obicna suradnja u tocno onome cime se ljudi ionako bave. Oni koji investiraju, neka djelomicno investiraju u Hrvatskoj, oni koji pišu, neka publiciraju i u hrvatskim casopisima, oni koji idu na odmor, neka idu i u Hrvatsku, i tako dalje. (Osobno iskustvo mi je da su me ljudi vrlo cesto pitali: što mogu napraviti za Hrvatsku? Malokad sam znao dobro odgovoriti.)
Konkretni prijedlozi za rad:
Prvo, u jednom službenom pismu, na engleskom i hrvatskom jeziku, treba ukratko objasniti prve dvije gore navedene tocke: Hrvatska je normalna zemlja s normalnim problemima (konkretno: kojima?); Domovinski rat i samostalnost su veliki uspjesi, a neuspjesi (zaduženost, krada u privatizaciji, itd. - to treba tocno navesti)su neuspjesi u jednoj sasvim drugoj kategoriji. Valjalo bi navesti nekoliko službenih podataka o gospodarskomrastu, zaduženosti, itd.
Drugo, valja napraviti lijepu brošuru u boji, s konkretnim objašnjenjima što ljudi u dijaspori mogu napraviti. Dakle, treba konkretno razviti plan po trecoj tocki navedene strategije. Treba ljudima reci kako konkretno postupiti. Na primjer, ako sam student na nekom sveucilištu i želim publicirati u Hrvatskoj, neka me netko poveže s Karlovackim tjednikom, ili slicno. Mozda se cak može stvoriti Povjerenstvo koje ce to voditi.
Trece, bilo bi dobro pretvoriti neke od postojecih veza medu Hrvatima u više službene i institucionalizirane veze. Tu kao primjer navodim adresar gosp. Nenada Bacha. Povezanost postoji, samo ju valja iskoristiti. Iz osobnog iskustva mogu reci da mi se nikad nigdje (ni u Švicarskoj ni u SAD) nije obratilo neko hrvatsko veleposlanstvo. Veleposlanstva takoder cine mrežu koja se može bolje iskoristiti.
Cetvrto, predložio bih da se oda nekakvo službeno simbolicno priznanje ljudima koji su stvorili mreže medu Hrvatima, kao na primjer Nenadu Bachu. To je (bio?) njegov cisto dragovoljan rad, i mala gesta sa službene strane bi, vjerujem, tu puno znacila.
Napokon, naglasio bih jednu stvar: ljude u dijaspori ne treba pozivati na povratak. Takav poziv ce samo stvoriti odbojnost. Buduci da gotovo svi razmišljaju o povratku, povezivanje ljudi s Hrvatskom na normalne nacine a ne nacinom žrtvovanja (v. tocku o tri strategije) sasvim ce prirodno u ljudima dovesti do jacanja želje za povratkom.
Predstavnici Hrvatske Dijaspore u Saboru. Sto sada?
Postovani gosopdine Nenade, slobodan sam obratiti Vam se s namjerom upoznati Vas i od Vas traziti sudjelovanje (prijedloge, kritike, sugestije, suradnju te siriti i upoznati sto veci broj nasih ljudi i institucija u svijetu) o sljedecem: Na posljednjim parlamentarnim izborima za Sabor Republike Hrvatske izabrana su i cetiri zastupnika (Zdenka Babic Petricevic, Florijan Boras, Kresimir Cosic i Ivan Bagaric) u 11. izbornoj jedinici tj. na tzv. "listi za dijasporu". Kao sto znate to je bila i dosadasnja praksa te je nekoliko zastupnika kako iz Domovine (Hrvatske i Bosne i Hercegovine) tako i iz inozemstva obnasali tu casnu duznost. Jedan od instrumenata Sabora kroz koje ovi zastupnici obnasaju svoju duznost jest i Odbor za useljenistvo koje izmedju ostalih clanova ima predsjednika (Zdenka Babic Pertricevic) i clana (Ivan Bagaric) upravo izmedju gore navedenih cetvero zastupnika s 11. izborne jedinice. Poslovnik Hrvatskog Sabora regulira poslove i zaduzenja ovog Odbora, tako u clanku 79. pise: "U djelokrugu su Odbora za useljenistvo poslovi utvrdjivana i pracenja provodjenja politike, a u postupku donosenja zakona i drugih propisa. Odbor ima prava i duznosti maticnoga radnog tijela u podrucjima koja se odnose na ostvarivanje programa povratka i stvaranje uvjeta za ukljucivanje useljenistva u gospodarski, kulturni i svekoliki razvoj Republike Hrvatske". Pored ovog i svih napora koje provode druga tijela i institucije Sabora i Vlade kao i svih ukljucenih u ovu problematiku, vrlo cesto, od ljudi iz svijeta se moze cuti kako su nezadovoljni odnosom (kontaktom) kako njih samih medju sobom tako i s hrvatskim politickim i kulturnim institucijama u Domovini a i onih u inozemstvu (hrvatska predstavnistva i ambasade). Pitam sebe, Vas i sve ostale kako najucinkovitije obavljati zadacu saborskog zastupnika, kome bi problematika pitanja hrvatskog iseljenistva trebala biti medju prioritetima. BiH i Hrvati u BiH su takodjer od izuzetnog znacaja i svakako zasluzuju posebnu strategiju odnosa a na korist Hrvatske i BiH (to govorim i kao pripadnik tog korpusa hrvatskog naroda). Kako uspjesno (u cijelosti) odgovoriti na cjelokupnu (vaznu) problematiku hrvatskog iseljenistva iz nase perspektive? Kako dosadasnje znanje i iskustvo upotrijebiti i koristiti u buducnosti? Postovani, u prilog ovog mog kratkog obracanja saljem Vam i pismo koje je napisao Berislav Marusic (sada na doktorskom studiju filozofije na sveucilistu Berkeley) nakon razgovora koga sam s njim nedavno vodio u Zagrebu na istu temu. Predlazem, Vi i svi koji dobiju ovo pismo, dopunite i korigirajte ga te vratite natrag kako bi mozda izradili predlozak strateskog dokumenta kojeg bi onda poslali nadleznim u Domovini i iseljenistvu te ga sprovodili.
S postovanjem Dr Ivan Bagaric, zastupnik u Saboru RH veral@tel.net.ba
Matica hrvatska (Matrix Croatica) Durieux (contemporary authors fromCroatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Slovenia and Serbia) Ceres (prose, poetry, drama, travel etc.) Bulaja naklada (Croatian classics on CD ROMs) Meandar (fiction, film, theatre, music) Moderna vremena (online bookshop) Sims (Croatian distributor and exporter of books) Sveznadar.com (on-line bookseller)
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE is located at 58 Park Avenue (38th Street) Tickets are $20/$10 for students and seniors.
For further ticket information, please call (212) 222 - 3569
Program:
J.H. ROMAN Sonata No. 5 in E Minor (1727) SAARIAHO NoaNoa for solo flute & electronics (1992) A.H. SVEINSSON Intermezzo for flute & piano KUHLAU Divertissement in G Major, Op. 68, No. 5 GRIEG Sonata No. 2 in G Major
Join us for another adventure exploring diverse sounds from Scandinavia.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland are each repesented in this program.
From Swedish Baroque composer J.H. Roman to Kaija Saariaho's work for flute & electronic sounds and Grieg's romantic sonata, we promise a most interesting program.
We invite you, your family, friends and colleagues to join us!
If there are others whom you think may be interested in attending, please forward this reminder.
ALMAE MATRIS ALUMNI CROATICAE (AMAC) Association of Alumni and Friends of Croatian Universities Mid-Atlantic Section (c/o Nenad Gucunski) Rutgers University 623 Bowser Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Vas srdacno poziva na glazbeno poslije podne
Author Jaksa Zlatar will show, through ten musical examples, development of Croatian piano music in Croatia from the 18th century till today. See examples below.
Dragi clanovi i prijatelji AMACa,
Pozivamo Vas na muzicko poslije podne koje AMAC organizira u nedjelju, 7. ozujka u 13:00, u Hrvatskom centru na Manhattanu (502 W 41st St.), u velikoj dvorani ispod crkve. Nasi gosti su Jaksa Zlatar (Zagreb, klavir) i Cveto Kobal (Maribor, flauta). Nadamo se da ce te doci u sto vecem broju. Kao i uvijek, molimo Vas da pozovete i Vase prijatelje i znance.
Uz srdacan pozdrav i postovanje,
Zlatko Bacic, Predsjednik AMAC-Midatlantic
Nedjelja, 7. ozujka 2004. u 1 sat poslije podne
Hrvatski Centar – Velika dvorana Crkva Sv. Cirila i Metoda u New Yorku 502 W 41st Street
Gosti: Jaksa Zlatar, Profesor klavira, Muzicka Akademija u Zagrebu Cveto Kobal, Profesor komorne glazbe, Pedagoski Fakultet u Mariboru
Jaksa Zlatar Predavanje i recital: Kratki pregled razvoja klavirske glazbe u Hrvatskoj
Jaksa Zlatar, klavir & Cveto Kobal, flauta Koncert
Nakon koncerta, druzenje uz kolace, kavu i desertno vino. Dobrovolji prilog od $10 po osobi.
PROGRAM
Jaksa Zlatar Predavanje i recital: Kratki pregled razvoja klavirske glazbe u Hrvatskoj
Autor ce kroz deset glazbenih primjera prikazati razvoj klavirske glazbe u Hrvatskoj od 18. stoljeca do danasnjh dana. Primjeri su:
1. Sonata za cembalo: nepoznati autor sa otoka Krka (18. stoljece) 2. Leopold Ebner: Sonata, Allegro con brio (1811.) 3. Ferdo Livadic: Notturno (1822.) 4. Vatroslav Lisinski: Mazurka (1849.) 5. Dora Pejacevic: 2 notturna (1919/1920) 6. Bozidar Kunc: Mlado lisce (1933); Bagatella (1944.) 7. Marko Tajcevic: Sedam balkanskih igara (1938.) 8. Boris Papandopulo: Studija (1956.) 9. Stjepan Sulek: Sonata (1958.) 10. Frano Parac: Ples barunice (1993.)
Pauza
Cveto Kobal, flauta & Jaksa Zlatar, klavir Koncert
Michel Blavet: 4th sonata in g-major Francois Couperin: Concert royale nr.4 for flute and harpsichord Aldo Kumar: Mornings Darius Milhaud: Sonatine Franck Martin: Ballade pour flute et piano
FRANKFURT, 6. veljace 2004. (Hina/dpa) - Pjevanje je zdravo i jaca imunološki sustav, tvrde znanstvenici s Sveucilišta u Frankfurtu, koji svoje tvrdnje potkrepljuju rezultatima krvnih pretraga provedenih na clanovima amaterskog zbora. Clanovi zbora dali su krv na analizu prije i poslije pjevanja Mozartova Rekvijema. Za vrijeme pjevanja razina imunoglobulina A i kortizola - cimbenika koji pokazuju dobro funkcioniranje imunološkog sustava - bili su bitno povišeni.
Drugi uzorak krvi uzet je tjedan poslije. Crkvenom zboru tada nije bilo dopušteno da pjeva, ali su clanovi zbora slušali snimku Rekvijema. Rezultati su pokazali da promatrana razina u krvi nije bila iznad normale kao u prvom testu.
Znanstvenici su ustvrdili kako se tijekom pjevanja pojacalo i pozitivno raspoloženje sudionika.
"Glazbene aktivnosti pozitivno djeluju ne samo na fiziološke faktore, nego i na autonomni živcani sustav", zakljucio je profesor Hans Guenter Bastian s Instituta za glazbenu naobrazbu". Istraživanje je objavljeno u casopisu Behavioral Medicine.
The following book review appeared in today's Miami Herald Tribune. John Kraljic
TRAVEL Desert journey of revelation Poet provides a fascinating look at a world of haunting beauty and colorful characters. BY IKE SEAMANS
DESERT MEMORIES: Journeys Through the Chilean North.
Ariel Dorfman. National Geographic. 283 pages. $21.
Ariel Dorfman's chronicle of the vast, remote Chilean desert is reminiscent of In Patagonia, Bruce Chatwin's 1977 classic about that vast, remote region in Argentina. Their styles are analogous, blending anecdote, whimsy, history and nostalgia to paint an indelible picture of two South American treasures.
Chatwin pursued ghostly legends of Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and other ''bandoleros norteamericanos'' who frequented Patagonia. Dorfman, acclaimed novelist, poet, playwright and journalist, found no glamorous ghosts in the Atacama Desert. He was on a mission to unearth ''the multiple origins'' of his adopted homeland, where his parents moved in 1954 from New York. ''In the desert,'' he writes, ''secrets of the past can be uncovered because in a place like this, they have never been truly lost. They are merely waiting for the right hand, the right eye, to bring them back to life.'' He has crafted nothing less than a love story encompassing family, friends and nation.
Atacama is the world's driest desert, but it isn't a sun-baked wasteland. It is dotted with mining towns and industrial cities, and for 10,000 years silver, iron, copper and nitrate have been extracted from its fertile soil. The mid-19th century discovery of nitrate ignited a boom, transforming Chile into a modern state that generated oligarchic wealth for some and terrible inequalities for most. As a result, the region became the cradle of workers' rights and labor organizations, giving birth to the first Chilean democratic and socialist movements.
Northern Chile has nurtured every major modern political figure from Marxist-inspired President Salvador Allende, for whom Dorfman once worked, to dictator Augusto Pinochet who overthrew Allende in a 1973 U.S.-backed coup, forcing the author to flee for his life, unable to return until 1990. (None of this is covered in this book). Dorfman always ignored ''El Norte Grande'' because of ''blindness to its pleasures and challenges . . . and a deep-seated prejudice against deserts,'' which dissipated during this 2002 trek.
Dorfman tiptoes along the fault lines as he describes the haunting beauty as only a poet can: ''[A] dizzying array of browns, grays and terra-cottas . . . dunes of carrot-like pale red . . . seas of clay and stones . . . drunk with shades and pigments and color.'' Guided by colorful characters passionate about desert life, Dorfman transports readers to copper mines that saved the nation's economy after the nitrate industry collapsed and to such ghost towns as Pampa Union, once filled with brothels, bars, opium dens and gambling joints, ``only visited now by whirlwinds and shifting sands.''
Dorfman also had deeply personal motivations to initiate this journey of revelation as he and his wife searched for her lost family history. Angelica's ancestors arrived from Croatia in the 1880s to reap riches from the desert. Despite an exhaustive effort, most of the saga remains buried. In another poignant twist, Dorfman obsessively seeks clues about the fate of close friend and fellow 1960s political activist Freddy Taberna, a Marxist who was executed in a desert death camp for machinations deemed harmful to Pinochet's dictatorship. His body has never been found.
Those not familiar with Chile or Dorfman, now a professor at Duke University, may be puzzled by his vague, off-hand references to Chilean politics and his exile. Perhaps because the desert sojurn was only three weeks, this brief memoir rambles tangentially and is uneven, skimming the surface on some topics while fixating ad infinitum on copper and nitrate mining, which only experts will appreciate. But overall, this is a fascinating peek at a little-known place that ``engendered contemporary Chile, everything that was good about it, everything that was dreadful.''
Ike Seamans is senior correspondent for WTVJ/NBC6.
An Invitation to Join Us In Philadelphia on March 2 From Roy E. Disney And Stanley P. Gold
As a valued SaveDisney supporter, we would like to invite you to join Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold for a SaveDisney.com Briefing and Reception in Philadelphia on Tuesday March, 2, from 4pm to 6pm (the day before the Disney Annual meeting, to be held in the same city). Unlike the Disney meeting, the SaveDisney event will be open to ALL supporters.
Our meeting will be held at the Loews Hotel at 1200 Market Street in downtown Philadelphia. The Disney Annual Meeting will be held a few blocks away on Wednesday March 3 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street. Registration for the Disney Annual Meeting begins at 8 am and seating is available at 9 am. We urge you to attend both the SaveDisney.com meeting on Tuesday and the Walt Disney Annual meeting on Wednesday.
At our meeting, which will be an open forum, we intend to tell those who attend why we believe they should join us in Voting No on the election of Michael Eisner, George Mitchell, John Bryson and Judith Estrin as Disney Directors. We will also discuss why we resigned from the Disney Board and why we are seeking to replace Michael Eisner as the company’s CEO.
We think it is important that the facts be put in perspective. For example:
In 1994, Disney’s operating income was $3.1 billion. Despite investing more than $25 billion in Company operations since, Disney’s operating income in fiscal year 2003 was only $3.2 billion. Assuming the Company achieves its forecasts for Fiscal 2004, earnings will only approximate those achieved 6 years ago. In 1995, the market showed confidence in the Disney name and rewarded the company with an average price-to-book ratio of nearly 6x. In 2003, Disney’s average price-to-book ratio was under 2.0x. While Disney stock has had a good recovery recently, $10,000 invested on January 1, 1996 would have grown to only $11,497 by December 31, 2003. This same amount, $10,000, invested in a Dow Jones index fund on January 1, 1996, would have grown to $20,191 by December 31, 2003. There is much more we intend to share with you including our thoughts concerning the Company’s serious governance deficiencies and the actions we believe need to be taken to correct these deficiencies.
It is our belief that the more Disney shareholders know the more likely they are to support our position.
But as much as we have to share with you, we do not intend to have this meeting be a monologue. We are anxious to meet you and hear your views. We look forward to your questions and comments.
To assist you in attending the meeting, we have secured special discount travel arrangements specifically for Disney Shareholders from cities across the nation. (Additional information follows this letter.)
We have every expectation that you will see a lot of glitz and razzle-dazzle at Disney’s annual meeting. Unfortunately, in our view that has been the modus operandi of the Company in recent years: a lot of fluff and not enough substance. We believe the company’s shareholders deserve the facts without the spin. You will get the facts at our meeting on the 2nd.
We look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia.
Sincerely,
Roy E. Disney Stanley P. Gold
Don't Forget to RSVP We'd like to be able to accommodate all those wishing to attend the March 2 briefing. Please RSVP to us so we can gauge the crowd size adequately.
Send us an e-mail to rsvp@savedisney.com and in the subject line only, write the number of people attending. Responding does not guarantee admission but will allow us to better prepare for the day. Please do not email us more than once. Actual admission is on a first come, first served basis. Thanks for taking the time to inform us.
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