GLENDALE MAYOR TARGET OF RECALL BID OVER FLAG GOMEZ LABELED DISRESPECTFUL.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Mayor Gus Gomez, who ordered the American flag lowered at city facilities to recognize the Armenian Genocide, was served Tuesday with a recall notice by a resident who felt the gesture showed disrespect for Old Glory.

During the City Council meeting, Joe Mandoky presented Gomez with a petition of more than 350 signatures.

City Clerk Doris Twedt said that of the signatures submitted, 100 must be valid to start the recall process.

``I am very disappointed some people in our community have grabbed this issue to divide us, the council and the ethnic groups in the city,'' Gomez said. ``The city is changing. We have a very diverse community. That's positive, not negative, in this community.''

Councilmen Bob Yousefian, Frank Quintero and Rafi Manoukian, who supported lowering the flag along with Gomez, volunteered to have their names added to the list of recall targets.

However, according to the election code, those who have not held office for 90 days cannot yet be subject to recall.

Mandoky believes lowering the flag for the genocide is a misuse of the quintessential American symbol.

``The Turks were in my country for 400 years. They massacred my people, too,'' said Mandoky, who is of Hungarian heritage. ``We need to remember things that happened, but lowering the flag is not the way.''

He maintains that only the president or a state's governor can order the flag lowered, and only for very specific reasons, such as to mark Memorial Day or the death of a major national figure.

City Attorney Scott Howard had previously advised the council that it had the discretion to order the flag lowered.

Armenian leaders applauded Gomez for recognizing the genocide.

``Armenians have played a big role in the growth of this city. All we ask for is one day of remembrance,'' said Patrick Masihi.

Mandoky gathered the signatures throughout Tuesday in front of the veterans' memorials at Broadway and Isabel Street. Among those who signed his petition authorizing the launch of a recall drive was Lynda Burns, a Glendale resident since 1969.

``The flag is the symbol of the United States of America. It's the most important icon we have,'' Burns said. ``It's reserved for our veterans, senators and dignitaries of the United States.''

Others, such as the Henry Astengo, came out to sign the petition because they felt the flag lowering has only served to divide the community.

``This whole episode of honoring one group is divisive,'' Astengo said. ``If you do it for one group, you need to do it for everyone. All the ethnic groups at one time or another had bad things happen to them.

``It's a terrible precedent. It's got to be stopped. The City Council has done a terrible injustice to the city by doing this. Now it's the Armenians vs. us.''

Gomez will have seven days to respond to the recall notice with a statement of 200 words or less, according to the code.

Assuming Mandoky can move forward with a recall, he must collect about 13,600 valid signatures - 15 percent of the city's registered voters - to qualify the petition for the ballot.

The code requires the signatures be collected in 160 days after the city clerk approves the language and format of the recall petition.