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ALASHKERT'S MAIN PRIORITY: TURNING WINDOWLESS HULK BACK TO A CULTURAL CENTER
http://hetq.am/eng/news/29123/alashkerts-main-priority-turning-windowless-hulk-back-to-a-cultural-center.html
Kristine Aghalaryan
14:30, September 5, 2013
Travel to Alashkert, a village of some 1,800 in Armenia's Armavir
Province, and local residents are more than willing to point out the
problems they face.
First off, there's the road, a mixture of gravel and asphalt,
which leads to the village. They'll next point to the dilapidated
kindergarten and a large building without windows in the middle
of Alashkert.
"Guess what that building is," a resident tells me. The man says it's
the village cultural center which now mostly serves as a public urinal.
The walls stand and residents claim it can be renovated, but it
remains neglected and abandoned.
Village Deputy Mayor Derenik Gabrielyan says the cultural center
is high on the list of priorities, but quickly mentions a number of
reasons why nothing has been done.
"We don't have the resources," he says, adding that the entire annual
budget for the village is 18.7 million AMD, of which 10 million is
in state subsidies.
Municipal Staff Secretary Ara Manukyan says they petitioned the
national government in 2010 for assistance with the cultural center.
"A bunch of specialists came and drew up blueprints, but that's the
last we heard from them," Manukyan says.
Deputy Mayor Gabrielyan then launches into naming the other problems
of the village.
Topping the list is that the local well water is overly alkaline
and villagers have been forced to buy water for drinking at 100 AMD
per pail.
"Our people have progressed and now want quality water to drink,"
Manukyan jokes.
Hailstorms also hit Alashkert hard this spring, damaging most of the
seasonal fruit crop, but Manukyan tells me residents are a hardy lot
and have bounced back.
As our conversations come to an end, Ara Manukyan turns to me and
whispers, "Please get us some help with our cultural center."
From: A. Papazian
http://hetq.am/eng/news/29123/alashkerts-main-priority-turning-windowless-hulk-back-to-a-cultural-center.html
Kristine Aghalaryan
14:30, September 5, 2013
Travel to Alashkert, a village of some 1,800 in Armenia's Armavir
Province, and local residents are more than willing to point out the
problems they face.
First off, there's the road, a mixture of gravel and asphalt,
which leads to the village. They'll next point to the dilapidated
kindergarten and a large building without windows in the middle
of Alashkert.
"Guess what that building is," a resident tells me. The man says it's
the village cultural center which now mostly serves as a public urinal.
The walls stand and residents claim it can be renovated, but it
remains neglected and abandoned.
Village Deputy Mayor Derenik Gabrielyan says the cultural center
is high on the list of priorities, but quickly mentions a number of
reasons why nothing has been done.
"We don't have the resources," he says, adding that the entire annual
budget for the village is 18.7 million AMD, of which 10 million is
in state subsidies.
Municipal Staff Secretary Ara Manukyan says they petitioned the
national government in 2010 for assistance with the cultural center.
"A bunch of specialists came and drew up blueprints, but that's the
last we heard from them," Manukyan says.
Deputy Mayor Gabrielyan then launches into naming the other problems
of the village.
Topping the list is that the local well water is overly alkaline
and villagers have been forced to buy water for drinking at 100 AMD
per pail.
"Our people have progressed and now want quality water to drink,"
Manukyan jokes.
Hailstorms also hit Alashkert hard this spring, damaging most of the
seasonal fruit crop, but Manukyan tells me residents are a hardy lot
and have bounced back.
As our conversations come to an end, Ara Manukyan turns to me and
whispers, "Please get us some help with our cultural center."
From: A. Papazian