Dubrovnik in SmithsonianMagazine, 

January 2003

Just received the January edition of the Smithsonian magazine and am
pleased to report that they published the promised article about
Dubrovnik. Several pages with pictures, not the best as far as showing
off Dubrovnik from a tourist's point of view, but much about Dubrovnik's
1000 year history. Very nice!
Hilda

Matko Marua
ić
Illustrated by Vasko Lipovac

DO ANGELS CRY?
Tales of the War

Many books have been written about war, maybe just as many as love. ŤDoAngels Cry?ť takes a standpoint of a learned man who witnessed the war thatravaged  his country in the last decade of the 20th century. What does andwhat can an intellectual do in war? What can a 45-year-old man contribute to thedefence of his homeland? When, and if at all, should the country be put beforethe family?

In this witty, humorous, and above all affectionate collection of war stories,Marua
ić catches the feelings from the periphery of war events  growingconcern for own family, patriotic emotions in conflict with everyday duties,short encounters with the warriors, battle stories heard, victories dreamtabout, and defeats mourned. The subtle amalgam of events, feelings, humor, andpatriotism depicts the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. Like war itself, this booklaughter and tears, fear and courage, tragedy and exultation, absurdity andreason. Hatred is the only feeling absent from the book: Marua
ić fightsthe war with love only.

ISBN 953-176-188-4. 134 pp. 17 _ 24 cm. Soft cover. 2002.
Cijena / Price: 120 kn / 16 Ź / 15 US$

Dragi Nenad,

Vrlo nam je drago da ste zainteresirani za knjigu.
Knjiga se za sada mo~
e naruciti samo preko nas -

Medicinska naklada / Medical Publishing
P.O.Box 525
10001 Zagreb, Croatia

Phone/fax: +385 1 4616355/4617455
medicinska-naklada@zg.hinet.hr

www.medicinskanaklada.hr   

Order the book through emails. ($14.95, Shipping $10)
Kontakt: Masa Morsan, Marketing&PR Narudzbe primamo emailom, fax-om, i prekonaseg weba (narudzbenica na engleskom jeziku ce biti
slijedeci tjedan aktivirana). Ne primamo kartice, za sada zbog sigurnosti
(prijenos podataka). Uplata na nas devizni racun, nakon izdavanja predracuna.
Cijena knjige: 14,95 US $ + postarina (cca. 10 US $ avionom, 5 US $ obicno).
Nadamo se da ce se uskoro moci i preko CROATIA GIFT
SHOP-a naruciti knjiga, nakon dogovora s Melissom Obenauf.

Jos jednom- puno hvala.
Srdacan pozdrav,

Masa

Op-ed

Please support our writers, especially ones who translate their work intoEnglish and other languages. We have been passive for too long. For too longothers are writing our own history. Now when we have talent that does it,..simply support it.

Best,

Nenad Bach

It's another 25th anniversary for MikeGrgich 

Thursday, November 21, 2002

By PAUL FRANSON
Register Correspondent

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Grgich-Hills Cellars by winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich and coffee magnate Austin Hills.

It follows Grgich's other 25th anniversary last year, that marking the renowned Paris tasting where a 1973 chardonnay he made for Chateau Montelena outdid the best French white Burdundies.

Since the winery was founded, it has developed a reputation for excellent wines, but ones that might have been a bit ahead of their time. They're made in a European style rather than the richer California model, and the chardonnays age for years, while the cabernets are highly regarded for both their elegance, aging well and being particularly compatible with food. 

Looking back on a quarter century

Grgich reflected on the last quarter century, and how his winery and its winemaking has evolved. The winery produces now about 80,000 cases per year, and Grgich intends to stay at that level. "We intend to grow quality, size," he said.

To achieve that goal, the firm has been acquiring vineyards throughout Napa Valley, and now owns Grgich-Hills now owns 418 acres of vineyards. In two years, will be able to supply all its own needs. 

In this, he depends on his partner Austin Hills. "He keeps the winery on solid ground," said Grgich. "He's a smart businessman with good experience. He gives us good advice."

Reflecting his European winemaking training, Grgich has always emphasized that vineyards are the most important element of the winemaking process, a concept sometimes forgotten in enthusiasm for "cult" winemakers. "We make our wines in the vineyard," he said. "My job is to grow balanced grapes, then pick them at physiological maturity," he said. 

The winery now has vineyards in what Grgich considers Napa Valley's best sites for the specific grapes: zinfandel on 40 acres in Calistoga, cabernet sauvignon in Rutherford and Yountville, 86 acres chardonnay and four of merlot in Carneros and those same grapes plus sauvignon blanc in American Canyon. 

Last year was the first the winery produced a varietal merlot. It formerly used it as a component of its cabernet sauvignon wines along with small amounts of cabernet franc and petite Verdot. 

"I've been very surprised at the merlot from American Canyon," said Grgich. "It's very balanced with a softness I don't see in merlots from other sites." The winery made 500 cases.

In all his vineyards, Grgich is moving toward organic farming of the vines, though he says they've always used minimal chemicals and none of the vineyards are firmly organic yet.

Grgich is especially fond of zinfandel, which reminded him of vines from his native Croatia. He comes from a small town near the coast in the former republic of Yugoslavia that has a wine-making traditional as long as that of nearby Italy. He fled his native land, ending up in Napa Valley where he acted as a winemaker for Chateau Souverain, Christian Brothers, Beaulieu and Robert Mondavi Winery. He joined Chateau Montelena in 1972, then started Grgich-Hills Cellars in 1977.

It's recently been determined, with Grgich's help, that zinfandel is a little-known indigenous Croatian grape variety called Crljenak kastalanski and closely related to its popular Plavac Mali vine. 

Maintaining his love for zinfandel, Grgich-Hills recently introduced a very limited production wine, Miljenko's Old Vine Zinfandel, from his Calistoga vineyard planted in 1884. On the 50-acre property, Grgich planted zinfandel using cuttings from the old 4-acre zinfandel cultivar from the site. The budwood had never been through the heat-treatment process used to eliminate viruses, but Grgich finds it makes superior wine.

Changes in winemaking

Although he still regards the vineyards as the key part of his winemaking, Grgich is a master in the process most consider winemaking. "In the winery we marry the flavors of the grapes, oak and yeast and send the wine on a honeymoon," he said poetically. "None of the flavors should stick out but they should be integrated and rounded."

He hasn't stood still, however. "Every year we've done something better," he said.

One big change for the winery in recent years was to adopt the popular technique of fermenting of chardonnay in oak barrels instead of stainless steel, which helps marry the flavors. It also let the chardonnay age on the yeast cells rather that isolating them, which releases tasty amino acids and proteins from the dying yeast cells.

In optimum years, Grgich-Hills makes limited amounts of a sweet dessert wine named Violetta after Mike's daughter. The winery just released its 2000 vintage; the last year it was made was 1995. 

Grgich notes another big change in the wine business. "Forty years ago, if you had a good wine, that was enough.

"Twenty years ago, you had to make an even better wine, and provide good service for customers." Now, he said, "You have to have that and superior communications with the public as well." 

Grgich remains active in promoting his wine, attending many functions around the country. The winery is renovating its new visitor center to include an upscale experience by appointment only, and is turning his former residence, a prominent Victorian in Yountville surrounded by vines, into a hospitality center and offices .

Mike Grgich is still going strong at 79, but he's increasingly turning day-to-day operations over to Violet and nephew and winemaker Ivo Jeramaz.

Mike Grgich has moved into a modern house overlooking his vineyards in Calistoga and continues to go into the winery as needed. He's legally still the winemaker and approves all the wines.

In addition, he spends time on other projects here and abroad. He is involved in the Roots of Peace program that clears mine fields in Croatia and elsewhere. He has also established a small winery in Croatia to transfer modern technology to his homeland and sells its wines here. 

Most of all, he remains a spokesman for the American dream. "I tell newcomers to America to do quality work and have a good character so people will trust you. If you do, there are always people willing to back you. That's the only way to succeed."

It's a lesson he learned well.

Russia gains first Mediterranean oil outlet

Central Asia 
Russia gains first Mediterranean oil outlet
By John Helmer 
MOSCOW - As Russia's crude oil production for 2003 is forecast to continue this year's growth, outstripping domestic demand, and the Kremlin remains unconvinced and undecided on major new export outlets, a new agreement to open a pipeline to the Croatian port of Omisalj has beenmade, with a minimum of controversy. 
According to Sergei Grigoryev, vice-president of Transneft, the state pipeline operator, "realization of this project will not require any large-scale investments in the Russian part of the pipeline, but some other countries, particularly Croatia, will have to invest [the largest part]". 
The project announcement, issued on Monday by the governments of Russia, Croatia, Belarus, Slovakia and Hungary, will require Croatia to spend US$19 million to reverse the flow of the pipeline between Omisalj to the terminal town of Sisak. Another $320 million in investment is projected to triple the existing capacity of the Druzhba-Adria pipeline network, so that shipments can jump from 5 to 15 million tonnes per annum. The project has been in negotiation for two years. Agreement was made possible by the decision of Ukraine to accept a tariff of $0.64 per tonne per 100 kilometers, 12 percent below the current pipeline tariff being charged across Ukrainian territory. 
This is the first transportation agreement enabling Russian oil to reach the Mediterranean without having to pass the Turkish straits. Russians are being squeezed by the government in Ankara, which prefers to concentrate oil flows through the planned new pipeline from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Ceyhan. Another Russian alternative, involving a tanker shuttle across the Black Sea to Burgas, Bulgaria, and a pipeline from there to Alexandropoulos, Greece, is stalled in negotiations that have now lasted more than five years. 
Transneft is proving to be a tough defender of its pipeline monopoly inside Russia; tougher indeed than Russia's oil majors have anticipated. While the oil producers want the Kremlin to agree to support and help finance pipeline routes to Murmansk, on the Barents Sea, and to Daqing, in northern China, Transneft is objecting, arguing that the costs do not justify either the outlays, or the market forecasts. 
However, the Croatian outlet, Grigoriev told Asia Times Online, is unobjectionable. "Five million tonnes per year to begin with is not a large volume of exports, but this route opens access to the US market for Russian oil companies. This project will not lead to any changes on other routes operated by Transneft. It will only expand Russian export capacities by using a new route." 
Yukos, Tyumen Oil Company and Rosneft are reported to be the first Russian oil producers to aim to ship through Omisalj to the US. Yukos - which this year also acquired the Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol - is likely to dispatch 5 million tonnes of oil for shipping out of Omisalj; Tyumen Oil Company 2.5 million tonnes. 
Dmitri Panteleyev, spokesman for Rosneft, said that his company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Marathon Oil for shipments to the US. "This is not a contract," he said, "so it doesn't specify the volumes of possible deliveries, but the letter says that deliveries are to start some time in 2003. When we will be discussing the volumes and exact routes for deliveries, we will probably pay special attention to Omisalj." 
Sergei Lukyanov, an industry analyst in Moscow, told Asia Times Online that "Yukos and probably other oil companies are now trying to establish themselves as suppliers of oil to the US. In order to do that, they have to have one or two shipments per month to the US. Omisalj port is perfect for supplies to the US, as it enables the companies to use larger tankers." 
Russian tanker companies say that they don't expect to be favored for shipments out of Omisalj. Yukos has been trialling shipments from the Murmansk roadstead using tankers from Novorossiysk Shipping Company, but none of the Russian tanker operators has the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) that are likely to be used from Omisalj. According to Panteleyev of Rosneft, "Deliveries to the US will be considered later, including whether we will use services of Russian tanker companies or not. Until now, Rosneft has not made any trial oil deliveries to the US." 
Igor Borisenko, deputy general director of Sovcomflot, Russia's leading tanker operator, said that the Russian fleet doesn't have VLCCs because "analysis shows that these are very problematic vessels from the point of view of investment. Often the performance of VLCC tankers is close to loss-making, and there are not many cases when VLCC vessels are used very effectively." He said that negotiations are under way with Yukos and LUKoil for long-term tanker contracts that include US deliveries. But he added, "I don't think there will be any privileges given to Russian shipping companies." (Š2002 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. Dec 20, 2002 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Asia Times Online, 6306 The Center, Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Schumacher, Kostelic Named European Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year
VOA Sports
21 Dec 2002, 02:24 UTC

German Formula One driving champion Michael Schumacher and four-time Olympic medalist Janica Kostelic of Croatia have been voted the European Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. 

Schumacher won a fifth Formula One driving championship with Ferrari this year. He finished with 62 points in voting by the European Sports Writers Union. Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen was second with 40 points and Austrian skier Stefan Eberharter finished third. 

Kostelic received 60 points with British runner and world record holder Paula Radcliffe second with 55 points. German swimmer Franziska van Almsick was third with only 16 points. Van Almsick won five gold medals at the European Swimming championships in Berlin and she also broke the world record in the 200-meters freestyle event. 

HOW TO BE ADICTATOR

The following doucumentary was screened on BBC Four last week. It was superb, no "all sides guilty" here. Indeed, by the end it effectively blamed the Serb people as a whole. 

There is one scene which was JNA footage overflying devastated Vukovar, cutting back and forth with drivel from Milosevic's wife; the footage was the most striking I have seen of the devastation wreaked by the JNA. 

Lots in this programme. It was co-produced with WNET, so it should be available on US PBS TV. 
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all.

Brian. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/milosevic.shtml 

Leslie Woodhead and Paul Jenkins spent six months filming in Belgrade in order to reconstitute the career of Slobodan Milosevic. The man who is now on trail at The Hague for genocide proves to suffer from what witnesses refer to as a kind of autism. It is extremely hard ever to pin down what he did, but he proved able to exercise dictatorial powers over his country and also to wage a series of catastrophic wars that led to the break-up of Yugoslavia and many hundreds of thousands of deaths. 
This is a totally chilling film, made with the rigour and compassion that one has come to expect from Leslie Woodhead. It is not always easy viewing, but it does offer a definitive account of the blackness at the heart of Europe in the past decade.

Storyville Homepage 

Op-ed

I want to emphasize that CROWN is not supporting any particular politicalparty in Croatia. We want intellectual bridge and transfer of ideas and respectto flow over the oceans and continents that divide us. Continue to talk to eachother and keep the dialog opened and learn from each other.

Nenad Bach

Editor-in-chief

Dear Readers of the CROWN:

From our beautiful and beloved homeland I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – Sretan Bozic i Nova Godina. For the twelfth year we rejoice to celebrate these great holydays as citizens of a sovereign, independent country. Your contribution to that wonderful fact will never be forgotten.

I am, however, also sad that Croatia and the Croatian people have not fully realized their potential. As you probably know, the country is undergoing a crisis – political, economic, moral – a crisis of leadership. Yet, we at the DC – "Democratic Center – the Croatian Center Party" look forward to future with confidence. This is to a great extent because of people like you. For thanks to you, our sisters and brothers all around the world, the Croatian community, the Croatian people, is much stronger than it may seem. We know that the way to a secure and prosperous future for Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Croatian people lies in true integration and cooperation of Croatian communities all around the world. The CROWN has been one of the key instruments of that process.

DC has taken concrete steps toward that noble goal. It fully realizes that Croatian diaspora is a complex body of people emigrating for over 200 years, and that we must be able to reach and communicate with every segment of that large group. DC will never discriminate among the Croatian communities abroad, nor will it ever try to politically divide them. In that we are in a total agreement with the practices of the CROWN. We are aware of the importance of diaspora’s presence in every sector of Croatian life, and we will be proposing concrete measures to have Croatian diaspora represented in relevant offices, ministries, and committees at home. We are proposing a High Office for the Diaspora Affairs, a non-partisan, efficient, and flexible body to keep in touch with the Croatian World Community – the Global Croatia – on a daily basis. DC has also appointed a Special Advisor on Diaspora Affairs. Your comments and suggestions are more than welcome.

Croatia is a beautiful and potentially very rich country. Believe me, its cultural and natural resources are still about 90% unspoiled. We, at DC, believe that it should remain so. We believe in a strong, modern Croatia, open to the world, but maintaining its traditional values and virtues, a Croatia which may join the world community as a proud individual subject, not an object. We know that we can count on you in pursuing those noble goals.

With this in mind I again wish the CROWN, its contributors, and readers all the best in the name of the DC members, and my own.

Dr. Mate Granic, President,
DC – Demokratski centar – Hrvatska stranka centra
DC – Democratic Center – Croatian Center Party. 

demokratski-centar@demokratski-centar.hr 

The Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship

http://www.nba.com/nets/foundation/foundation_petrovic.html 
http://www.hoophall.com/ 

Monday, December 23,2002 at 7:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Chicago Bulls Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.Is it just another NBA game in December ? 

Nets were NBA finalists in 2002 playoffs. In 1993 they retired # 3,worn by Drazen Petrovic,the greatest Croatian basketball player ever.Drazen died in 1993 in a tragic automobile accident.His funeral in Zagreb was attended by more than quarter million people.Nets were represented by Hall of Famer Willis Reed,Chris Dudley,Chris Morris and NBA executives.On September 27,2002 Drazen Petrovic was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.In 1994 the New Jersey Nets established Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship in honor of their fallen star. Every year since 1994 New Jersety Nets provide scholarship to Croatian-American student graduating from New Jersey high school who is accepted to a four-year accredited college in the United States.At half-time ceremony of the Nets - Bulls game on Monday, December 23,2002 this year's Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship winner will be announced.So far, the New Jersey Nets have contributed over $!
120,000 to the Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship
The Drazen Petrovic Memorial Scholarship provides financial assistance to Croatian-American students who have graduated from New Jersey high schools and plan to attend four-year accredited colleges in the United States. The New Jersey Nets established the scholarship as a lasting memorial to Drazen Petrovic, the Nets star shooting guard who was tragically killed in an automobile crash in June 1993. 
The $10,000 scholarship, payable over four years, is awarded annually to a deserving Croatian-American student who exhibits the same work ethic and will to succeed that made Drazen Petrovic such an intense competitor and unique symbol of Croatian spirit and pride. 
YearScholar NameHometownCollege2001Janine BrownSaddle Brook, NJ Cornell University2000Petar CrnogoracBoonton, NJSouthampton College at L.I. University1999Marissa KelloggSummit, NJYale University1998Andrea BertolineRidgefield, NJUniversity of Pennsylvania1997Vedrana KaticWoodridge, NJ Georgetown University1996Sandra CvitanTowaco, NJRutgers University1995Robert GrgurevCliffside Park, NJColumbia University1994Josip GazicNorth Bergen, NJRensselaer Polytechnic Institute

http://www.nba.com/nets/foundation/foundation_petrovic.html 
http://www.hoophall.com/