Remembering Lieutenant Anthony Jovic, 20 Years After the 9/11 Attacks
September 9, 2021 - On the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, we remember the lives lost that fateful day, including that of Lieutenant Anthony Jovic, the son of Croatian immigrants, who died at age 39.
On a date like today, but 20 years ago, the world shook at the news of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. The shocking images went around the world live and on all the news on the planet. The world surely changed that day, and twenty years later the memory is still present. Moreover, after the recent events in Afghanistan, with the official withdrawal of US troops in Kabul and the installation of the new Taliban government, it has been weeks of reflection for people all over the planet after 20 years that ended a failed war.
But today, beyond the events that occurred as a consequence, serves to pay tribute to the civilians who lost their lives that day, as well as the hundreds of firefighters who tried to save them. In addition to the nearly 25,000 injured, the attack carried out by the terrorist organization Al Qaeda claimed a total of 2,977 victims, including 343 firefighters. And among those firefighters was Anthony Jovic.
Anthony Jovic's name at Ground Zero (Photo: Richard Chemel)
Lieutenant Anthony Jovic, who considered himself an American Croat, was the son of Croatian immigrants and grew up in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. He belonged to Battalion 47, Ladder 34, and was working in Engine 279. This article pays tribute without exception to all the victims, their families, and loved ones, as well as the New York Fire Department. But, in the following lines written by the Bravest Memorial Foundation, we remember Anthony in a special way, who that day had a day off, but did not return home on September 9, 2001, at age 39.
In those first weeks after Lt. Anthony Jovic disappeared with other members of Engine Co. 279 at the World Trade Center, his wife, Cynthia, concentrated on being strong for his two boys, Matthew, 10, and Peter, 9. So she had a little psychological trick she played on herself to keep going. "I'd say, 'He's working today. He's going to come home tonight,'" she recalled. "That night it would be, 'OK, he's working tonight, he's going to come home tomorrow.' Every day I'd tell myself the same thing."
It was because Cynthia Jovic can't imagine morning coffee without her husband of 16 years, a big kidder and hugger-and-kisser who never got through a day without several times telling her and the boys he loved them.
The son of a Croatian longshoreman who grew up in Hell's Kitchen, Jovic, 39, impressed all his friends as being smart enough to win the big one on "Jeopardy!".
The couple met in Manhattan when he was working at a butcher shop on Ninth Avenue and she, also a Croatian immigrant and longshoreman's daughter, was working at a deli nearby. When a cousin suggested they all go to an Irish pub in New Hyde Park, Jovic drove to pick her up in Manhattan in the most formal manner, allowing plenty of time to chat first with her mother and father at the house. For her old-fashioned European parents, his wife said, "it was love at first sight." For the couple, too. They married 2 1/2 years later.
Anthony Jovic with wife Cynthia (Photo: Voices Center for Resilience)
Jovic joined the city fire department 12 years ago, about the time the family moved from Elmhurst to Massapequa Park. He was aiming high, and once he made lieutenant was already spending every free day he could find to prepare for the captain's exam, which he would have taken in October. When not working or studying, it was miniature golf, bowling, and lots of swimming with the family in the backyard pool. They were so close, she could finish his sentences for him.
"We were the happiest when we were together," she said. Cynthia Jovic was watching CNN on Sept. 11; she knew it was bad, because her husband was working with the company in Red Hook, Brooklyn, that day.
"When that [south] tower came down, his soul went right through me. I knew it then, he just went through me and I knew he was gone," she said. His burned and mangled shield turned up in the south tower in November, shortly before a memorial service was held, but no remains have been identified.
Lieutenant Anthony Jovic (Photo: Voices Center for Resilience)
The memory of that moment has become a source of warmth and comfort lately, now that it's no longer possible for her to pretend her husband is coming home tonight, or tomorrow morning, or the next day. Now, Cynthia Jovic knows, he's with her and the kids all the time. "He always told me, 'Every time they take an ID picture, I try to look nice, because you never know when they might be using it for a memorial.' I'll be honest with you, I think he looks wonderful in the picture that they have of him." (By Elizabeth Moore on Newsday, February 5, 2002)
Two years ago, on September 7, 2019, the New York Post reported that Anthony's eldest son, Matthew, had joined the Fire Department just as his father had, along with other 12 young New Yorkers who followed their parents' steps.
Anthony and his eldest son Matthew, who recently joined the New York Fire Department. (Photo: Voices Center for Resilience)
Our thoughts are with all those who, in one way or another, suffered and continue to suffer from the events that occurred twenty years ago.
For more about the Croatian Diaspora, visit our dedicated page here.
First Phase of Croatian 2021 Census Begins on Monday
September the 11th, 2021 - The Croatian 2021 census is about to get underway, and as of Monday, you can fill in your details for yourself and other members of your household online via the e-Citizens (e-Gradjani) system.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a press conference entitled “CENSUS 21” from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society was held yesterday on the occasion of the beginning of the first digital Census of the Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia 2021.
Namely, from September the 13th to October the 17th, 2021, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) will conduct the very first digital Census of the Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia in two phases and in two ways, and residents of the country will be able to choose the census method they prefer. Namely, in the first phase, people will be able to fill in the Croatian 2021 census through the popular e-Citizens system.
The first phase of the Croatian 2021 census
The first phase of self-enumeration through the e-Citizens system will continue from September the 13th to the 26th, and the second phase of enumeration, when enumerators will go out onto the field, will last from September the 27th to October the 17th, according to the CBS.
Those running the process have called on all of Croatia's residents to please find a few minutes to enumerate themselves in the first phase of self-enumeration through the e-Citizens system.
During this period, they will have the opportunity to independently list themselves and all of the members of their household when it suits them best. One household member with a credential to use the e-Citizens platform is enough to list their household and all its members. After completing the Croatian 2021 census questionnaire and successfully completing and sending off the e-census, the respondent will receive a unique control code generated at the time of submission of the e-census, which is evidence of having already gone through the process online, independently.
The control code should then be written down on paper, photographed or printed and saved until the second phase of the Croatian 2011 census (field census) takes place, so that the respondent can give the control code to the enumerator to control the scope of the census.
One e-Citizens credential is enough for the whole household
You can also list your elderly relatives (parents, grandparents or someone else) who live in another household with their credentials, the CBS points out. The rule in e-enumeration is that one household is enumerated with one credential.
The census is based on a statement
According to the Law on Official Statistics, all data collected during the Croatian 2021 census is secret and will be used exclusively for statistical purposes, in other words, the census is not the basis for exercising any rights or obligations, the Central Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Croatian Company Holosys' Remote Reading Devices Impresses Russians
September the 11th, 2021 - The Croatian company Holosys develops and manufactures advanced electrical devices which are based on NB-IOT (narrowband Internet of Things) for the remote reading of energy consumption. They're present in as many as fifty countries around the world.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, as of this week, they have added the largest country in the world - Russia - to their already impressive list of their export markets. Namely, the Croatian company Holosys performed at the EcwaTech 2021 fair at the beginning of the week, the largest event in the water industry in Russia, and clearly caught many an eye.
“It was our first step into this enormous market and we're pleased to be able to present our solutions to all visitors, both from Russia and abroad. We've established contact with numerous utility companies and system integrators from this part of the world and we're continuing with more talks about specific projects. As always, making new contacts means new learning opportunities and opportunities for growth,'' they said from Holosys.
As Tomislav Lekic, CEO of the Croatian company Holosys, explained, they're entering the Russian market with new technology that is beginning to be applied in various economic sectors, and interest is growing due to a number of advantages - better signal coverage, reliable data delivery, savings for utilities and companies. Holosys independently develops, manufactures and supplies the NB-IoT Bridge and the NB-IoT Pulse Reader P1-N, modules that enable connection to the telecom operator's NB-IoT networks.
The company has been doing business with numerous companies and utility companies across Croatia for fifteen years now, while worldwide they work with established manufacturers of telemetry equipment, system integrators and utility companies. Their solutions are in more than 500,000 measures of water and gas consumption in the world.
All these experiences are built into the development and improvement of the NB IoT system, and according to Director Lekic, the Croatian company Holosys' NB-IoT device can connect up to five metres at once, so less equipment is needed to establish a stable transmission of readings.
''The ideal scenario for the implementation of the solution includes a module that connects to the consumption measures, and which connects to the mobile network through which it sends the collected data. The data is then displayed via software and can be analysed at a remote location.
The devices are extremely durable and can operate at temperatures from -20 to +80 degrees Celsius, the battery lasts up to ten years, depending on the frequency of sending the consumption data, and the devices have IP68 protection against water penetration,'' explained Lekic.
They further explained from the Croatian company Holosys that utilities and companies get a long-term and reliable solution for secure data transfer, and it is possible to implement it where the standard mobile signal fails to reach, so it is ideal for rural areas and underground infrastructure. Implementation, they claim, is simple, and as the infrastructure is significantly simplified, meaning that maintenance costs are kept low.
''With the implementation of NB-IoT, utility companies gain access to the real-time monitoring of their distribution network, and in the event of a breakdown or leak, they can react much faster and as such work to reduce losses. They also get the infrastructure through which end users can access an application that sounds an alarm in the event of a pipe burst and provides information on excessive customer consumption,'' concluded the director.
For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.
Cryptocurrency Can Now be Used to Purchase Rimac's Greyp Bikes
September the 11th, 2021 - Cryptocurrency is in the news more and more frequently of late, either for good or bad reasons. This popular way of investing and it being outside the realm of much government control has proven popular, and as it leaks into the mainstream, people are able to do more and more with it. Mate Rimac, who is perhaps the most forward-thinking entrepreneur in Croatia, has now allowed his Greyp Bikes to be purchased with it.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, thanks to the cooperation of Mate Rimac's Greyp Bikes and PayCek, the leading Croatian cryptocurrency payment processor, all Greyp products can now be purchased directly through nine leading cryptocurrencies: BTC, ETH, BCH, XLM, XRP, DAI, EOS, USDT, USDC.
Greyp Bikes has always been a leader in technology in the cycling world, bringing Croatia forward in that respect too, so this was a logical next step in the further development of this Sveta Nedelja-based company.
Although Greyp Bikes could have been purchased with cryptocurrencies before, the process has now been simplified and fully integrated into the online billing process at greyp.com. The move should come as no surprise to anyone who monitors what Livno-born entrepreneur Mate Rimac does when it comes to both his cars and his bikes, and it seems that advancing forward further and further is something he is deeply interested in.
PayCek, which was otherwise developed by Electrocoin, is a cryptocurrency payment platform that has attracted a new generation of consumers as it enables the easy, secure and fast acceptance of all major cryptocurrencies, and this created a perfect partnership between these two technologically advanced Croatian technology companies.
As Greyp Bikes' slogan suggests - NO GOING BACKWARDS, and this move will certainly make any transactions much more simple and secure.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.
Could Popular Croatian Highlander Become World's Number 1 Hiking Event?
September the 11th, 2021 - The Croatian Highlander brand has taken to many different countries and spread across continents, uniting lovers of hiking and ''tough fitness'' around the world. Is it set to potentially become the world's number one hiking event? Maybe.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, the first time you step out onto the peaks of Velebit, a magical mountain with a view of the endless greenery of the forests of Lika and the blue of the sea stretching all the way to neighbouring Italy, it's almost certain that you will descend from it as a different person. Enchanted by the mighty Velebit, a team from the very different Slavonian plains, led by Jurica Barac, became mountaineering enthusiasts whose story began as a local mountaineering adventure and became a global business.
Five years ago, Highlander Velebit was created, an adventure that combines the beauty and peace of this natural gem and the ultimate long-distance hiking experience. When this year's mountaineers leave Zavizan on September the 25th, in five days, they will pass 100 kilometres through the national parks of Northern Velebit and Paklenica, where the trail ends with a triumphant jump into the sea in Starigrad.
While ten years ago it was almost impossible to meet living souls on Zagreb's Medvednica except on weekends, today it is common to meet a group of mountaineers or cyclists on Wednesday evenings who are descend back down into the city below with lamps on their heads. A reversal in the way of thinking and the growing need to escape to nature after work is one of the main reasons for the success of the Croatian Highlander brand as well.
"The wellness market is set to blow up over the next five to ten years. Croatia hasn't yet fully tapped into its potential, but more and more people are starting to engage in sports and hiking,'' stated the executive director of the Croatian Highlander brand, Jurica Barac.
This is reflected in the applications for the upcoming Velebit adventure, the number of which is increasing from year to year, and these events could easily be attended by about 600 mountaineers.
Soon after it came to life, the Croatian Highlander brand transcended local and regional boundaries and today it is organised on 12 more mountains in Austria, Greece, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, but also Spain, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
Global branding
"When the coronavirus pandemic started, we had a year of great expansion in which we sold the rights to the event in five more countries. Then for 2021 in ten more countries, mainly here in Europe and in the Middle East,'' explained Barac. It was, as he says, a trigger to start thinking about taking the next serious step - looking for a fund or bank to finance the expansion or a strategic partner.
The decision eventually fell on the world’s leading event brand, the American Spartan Race, who initiated contact with the Croatian Highlander brand and with whom a global strategic partnership was recently contracted. Spartan Race has otherwise been organising obstacle race events since back in 2010, meanwhile it has expanded its business to 45 countries and become a world leader in endurance sports, creating a new category of "Tough Fitness".
"When we started the talks, it wasn't really money that was all that crucial for us, but the possibility of global branding. It's very difficult and takes a long time to get to the US market, which is the ultimate market for us,'' said Barac. Spartan Race, whose events are attended by 1.5 million people per year, already has all these channels open and will be available to the Croatian Highlander brand.
Barac hasn't disclosed the investment and the amounts in question, justifying that with the fact that the figures are a trade secret, but he will only say that the majority control of the company is still in his hands.
Next year, the Croatian Highlander brand will organise three to five events in the USA, China and much closer to home in England, the exact locations are currently being discussed, but it is to be expected that they will be in some of the most famous national parks.
"It was crucial in the talks that Highlander will become the number one hiking event in the world with this cooperation. We're already negotiating with countries like Argentina, Australia and South Korea, we wouldn't be able to do that alone without a strategic partner,'' Barac said.
When it comes to tasting success, anyone who has tried their hand at business will say that a special mindset is needed. Much like in sports, the domination of the mind over the body is crucial. The old saying that luck favours the brave, or that God lovers one who tries, also rings true here.
Incredible luck appeared when the Croatian Highlander brand embarked on the intellectual protection of the brand in the USA and Europe, managing to protect the name Highlander, although in America, where about 40 million people are engaged in mountaineering, it is practically synonymous with mountaineering.
With the support of Spartan Race, the Croatian Highlander brand has an optimistic future and the aim to present its concept to a much wider audience, while keeping the concept and philosophy in the hands of the founders.
“Investing in a partnership with Highlander allows us to encourage even more people around the world to participate in physically demanding activities that they think are beyond their reach. We're excited to work with Highlander and increase their global reach, but also because of the fact that we'll be able to offer our Spartan community even more opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone,'' said Spartan Race founder and CEO Joe De Sen when the collaboration was agreed.
For the American company, the cooperation with this rising Croatian company is an opportunity to expand the "tough fitness" portfolio to hiking.
For more, follow Made in Croatia.
DroneDays 2021: All About Drones in Biograd na Moru
September 11, 2021 - The DroneDays 2021 event will turn Biograd na Moru near the popular city of Zadar into an aerial robotics mecca from October 4-5.
Airplanes are fun, but unless yo're a pilot, you can only passively enjoy the stunning aerial view as you travel the beaten path managed by the captain in a cockpit. No control, no say on the height or the direction of the above ground observing experience.
Although providing that exciting sense of freedom of flying on a screen only, drones are much better options for those who want to take control of an aerial space. For those who want to learn more about drones, October 4-5 needs to be marked in the diary for DroneDays 2021, a Croatian conference on all things related to drones.
''DroneDays 2021 is a two-day workshop focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, which will be held on 4th and 5th October 2021 in Biograd na Moru, Croatia. The programme consists of keynote lectures, an exhibition area, and is focused on unmanned aerial vehicle applications and end-user industries. It will serve as a meeting place for experts from the industry and academia, end-users, as well as regulatory bodies from the region,'' reads the official website of the event.
DroneDays 2021 will be held at the Ilirija Resort at Biograd na Moru, and 14 speakers have confirmed their arrival at the event at the time of writing this article, with more invited. The confirmed names include drone experts from across Croatia and abroad, from academics from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) to foreign universities and even NATO.
DroneDays 2021 promises an exciting two days for drone lovers in a more theoretical approach with conferences hosting presentations from keynote industry leaders to more practical opportunities. These include exhibitions (open for the public) where visitors can have face-to-face meetings with leading industrial companies from across the region, showcasing their latest products and services. In addition, there will be a flying area where you can participate in live demonstrations of the latest technological achievements in aerial robotics, and there is also a B2B event where you can meet new partners who share your love for aerial robotics.
Much like drones, the event isn't free. Would-be participants must register on the website and buy a 10 euro ticket. That ticket includes two-day access to the whole programme as well as accreditation, a registration package, workshop materials, and coffee breaks.
With the discussion of order and freedom at large, the debates concerning the legal frame of operating drones in Croatia may well be the most interesting topics of this year's edition of DroneDays.
As TCN previously reported, drone regulations in Croatia have two levels of authority, one that is national and the other concerning EU Drone Regulation that came into force back in 2020.
After the conference in Biograd na Moru, why not hop to nearby Zadar? Learn more in our TC guide.
For more about technology in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Milanović: We're Fed up with COVID Frenzy, Life Should Go Back to Normal
ZAGREB, 10 Sept 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Friday that the media frenzy over COVID-19 was grating on people's nerves and that things should start going back to normal.
"We should know the aim of all this frenzy. If anybody tells me that the aim is to completely eradicate coronavirus, I will tell them that this is insane. It is impossible. What matters now is adjustment and resumption of normal life," Milanović told the press in his office.
The story with coronavirus will be over the moment we have more vaccinated people than those who are not vaccinated, he said.
"The media frenzy over coronavirus is starting to grate on people's nerves."
"Everything has been said. Those who have got vaccinated, have solved their problem. If you get vaccinated, you do not stand any chance of developing serious symptoms or consequences. It is then like the flu," the president said.
He also finds it insane to advocate the "obsessive culture of safety".
"No one can be absolutely safe and secure, there is no life without any risk or disease," the president underscored.
Commenting on the high prevalence of this topic in foreign media outlets, such as CNN, Milanović said that each day he wondered "whether he is normal or whether they have gone mad."
"This amounts to sowing panic, and they are not the only ones to have been doing that since the beginning (of the pandemic). Simply, there is no absolute safety that excludes any possibility of getting sick. People develop thousands of more serious diseases, while we have been commenting on COVID for a year and a half."
In response to the comments from the press that Croatia's vaccination rate has not exceeded 50%, Milanović said that he did not care any more about that, since this was a sufficient rate of vaccination.
"Everyone knows that... there is no chance of putting those people at risk," the Croatian president said.
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MEP Warns Against Manipulating Consumers with Incomplete Product Information
ZAGREB, 10 Sept 2021- Labelling products made with imported raw materials 'local' is perfidious manipulation of consumers, European Parliament member Biljana Borzan said on Friday, after her amendments for more transparent labelling of products in the EU were adopted by the competent EP committees.
The EP committees on environment, public health and food safety and on agriculture and rural development on Friday stated their position on the European Commission's proposal for the From Farm to Fork strategy and adopted amendments put forward by Borzan, a Croatian Social Democrat who is the Socialists' rapporteur on the strategy.
Borzan asked in her amendments that the system of identifying the origin of raw materials on food products in the EU be changed to include the name of the country of origin, the exact content of honey from the EU in relation to third countries, such as China, and more visible identification of the origin of primary raw materials on food products sold on the EU market.
"Producers use the fact that in each member-country, including Croatia, 70% or more citizens prefer local products to make them believe that they have bought local products," Borzan told a news conference in Zagreb.
"I am not denying producers the right to import raw materials if there is not a sufficient amount of the raw materials they need in Croatia, but consumers must be aware of that and must not be misled," she said.
The current practice is to label a product on the front of the packaging "local, Slavonian, Dalmatian, Istrian, etc." while on the back of the packaging the country of origin of the raw material other than Croatia is put in small print, she said.
If, for example, the Slavonian kulen salami is made from imported meat, that information should be clearly visible on the packaging, she said, noting that currently information on the country of origin is necessary only for products such as fresh and frozen meat, fish and eggs but not for smoked and cured meats, milk and dairy products, which are labelled only "made in the EU", which Borzan believes should be changed.
The SDP MEP thanked former Croatian MEP Ruža Tomašić for ensuring support of her political group (European Conservatives and Reformists) for her amendments, recalling also the contribution to the EP's position of Croatian MEPs Tonino Picula, Sunčana Glavak and Ivan Vilibor Sinčić.
MEP Picula's amendments to contribute to consumption of locally produced food
Amendments by Croatian member of the European Parliament Tonino Picula to the EU's From Farm to Fork Strategy, which were adopted on Friday by the EP committees on environment, public health and food safety and on agriculture and rural development, will contribute to tourists consuming local food, which will help small family farms and rural areas in Croatia, Picula's office said after the vote on the strategy before the two EP committees.
"Protection of small local producers in the supply chain as well as consumption of local and fresh organic food is a guarantee of the long-term survival of our family farms and consequently the survival and prosperity of rural areas," Picula said.
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President Meets Athletes Who Won Medals at Olympic, Paralympic Games
ZAGREB, 10 Sept 2021 - President Zoran Milanović on Friday received Croatian athletes who won medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and a delegation of the Croatian Olympic (HOO) and Paralympic Committees, presenting the HOO with the Charter of the Republic of Croatia for its 30th anniversary.
Congratulating the athletes on their medals, Milanović said that they had done a great thing for Croatia.
"You have made us very happy, we followed what you did," he said, expressing regret that other Croatian competitors at the Olympic and Paralympic Games who did not win any medals were not at the reception as well.
"They, too, deserve our respect... Croatia owes you, you have done a beautiful thing for the country," Milanović said.
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COVID Certificates to Be Mandatory in Hospitals, Says Minister
ZAGREB, 10 Sept 2021 - All medical workers will soon have to have COVID certificates or be tested once a week, Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Friday, adding that as of Monday the public would be informed differently about the COVID situation in Croatia.
The epidemiological situation is such that we must introduce COVID certificates in the health system, he said at the weekly press briefing of the national COVID-19 crisis management team.
Patients and sick people will not have to have COVID certificates so that access to healthcare is not restricted.
"We wish to reduce the possibility of infection in a health institution. We must ensure healthcare for everyone, and only half the adult population have been vaccinated," Beroš said.
The COVID certificate requirement is being considered for other sectors too, notably social care, but the decision will be made by experts, he added.
Medical workers without a certificate will have to be tested once a week, at first free of charge and later at their expense.
Beroš said that as of next week reporting on the COVID situation in Croatia would focus on the percentage of vaccinated and unvaccinated hospitalised patients.
He said Croatia was "totally unnecessarily" on the red COVID list as of yesterday. "The way out is in increasing the number of those vaccinated."
He said that Denmark, for example thanks to its high vaccination rate, was lifting all restrictions today.
Croatian Institute of Public Health director Krunoslav Capak said infections had been rising considerably week on week since late August. He added that incidence was lowest in Istria County and highest in Split-Dalmatia County.
Capak also said that census takers would not have to have COVID certificates but would have to comply with COVID rules when the population census begins later this month.
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