Crisis Whirlwind: Greece Scrambles for Funds, Risks U.S. Ties

Transcription

NEWS
Make sure to attend Boston's Greek Independence Day Parade this Sunday!
oCV
ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ
ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ
ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915
The National Herald
www.thenationalherald.com
April 25 - May 1, 2015
anniversary
1915-2015
A weekly Greek-AmericAn PublicAtion
VOL. 18, ISSUE 915
100
th
cv
$1.50
1
Crisis Whirlwind: Greece Scrambles for Funds, Risks U.S. Ties
Greek Gov’t
Seizes State
Reserves to
Avert Default
ATHENS — Greece’s cashstrapped government has ordered reserves from state agencies to be placed in a basket
account to help the country meet
obligations, officials said as bond
market traders fretted over the
risk of default.
Following an emergency decree, which has been sent to Parliament for ratification, the funds
from anything from hospitals to
local government will be moved
to an account at the Bank of
Greece to be made available for
short-term loans to the state.
The move is the latest sign
that Athens’ coffers are running
dry in the wake of the new leftwing government’s dispute with
creditors over an economic reform program deemed necessary
to get remaining bailout funds
paid.
The dispute has held up the
payment of 7.2 billion euros
($7.7 billion) from Greece’s international bailout, money it will
most likely need to pay loans due
over the coming few weeks.
Greece’s lenders from the 19country Eurozone and International Monetary Fund are demanding reforms that include
sweeping changes to pensions
and labor rules.
Tsipras' demand that cities,
towns and state enterprises turn
over all their money so he can
make a debt payment to international lenders and pay obligations
is being fought by Mayors who
said they won't comply.
Greece is running out of cash
fast while locked in stalled talks
with international lenders who
won't release a 7.2-billion euro
installment because the government refuses to administer reforms.
Locked out of markets because
of prohibitive interest rates and
Continued on page 11
U.S. Blacklists Two
Terrorists Following
Softer Greek Law
that all the economic problems
will be resolved effectively.
In his remarks he said “we
believe in the Resurrection,
therefore the issues of the religious freedom of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, the persisting
Cyprus tragic division, the financial crisis in Greece and the continuous dispute over the name
of FYROM, can be successfully
WASHINGTON, DC – The
Obama Administration placed
two Greek far-left militants on
a terrorism blacklist April 21
amid concerns that a third could
soon be released from prison to
serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The State Department added
Christodoulos Xiros and Nikolaos Maziotis to the blacklist
that freezes any assets they may
have under U.S. jurisdictions. It
also prohibits Americans from
any transactions with them.
Xiros was a member of the
November 17 group that killed
more than 20 people, including
Americans, between 1975 and
2000. Maziotis is the leader of
Revolutionary Struggle, a group
held responsible for a 2007
grenade attack on the U.S. Embassy in Athens.
The designations come as
Washington has complained
that another November 17
member, Savvas Xiros, may
complete his prison term under
home confinement. Xiros, who
is disabled, could benefit from
new Greek legislation that
would allow him to serve the
remainder of his five life sentences under home confinement.
Savvas Xiros, a member of
the Marxist-nationalist November 17 group, lost most of his
sight and hearing when a bomb
exploded in his hands in 2002.
The explosion led to his arrest and the dismantling of the
group, which killed 23 people
between 1975 and 2000, including U.S., British and Turkish nationals.
U.S. Ambassador David
Pearce said that allowing Xiros,
53, to leave prison would be regarded by the U.S. as “a profoundly unfriendly act” and that
the new Greek law is “inconsistent” with the good partnership
between the two NATO allies.
The issue was discussed dur-
Continued on page 2
Continued on page 11
AP Photo/Andrew hArnik
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and Greek Foreign Minster Nikos Kotzias remain composed amid tensions over a new
Greek law that would send November 17 convicted killer Sav-
vas Xiros home to serve his sentence under house arrest. U.S.Greece relations were affected for years because of Washington’s anger over Athens’ delay in capturing the terror gang.
White House Hosts Greek-Ams. and Varoufakis
By Lena Argiris
WASHINGTON, DC – “The
Greek people should know that
the United States, as a longstanding friend and ally will
stand by them on their difficult
way to economic recovery” President Barack Obama said to the
hundred prominent GreekAmericans who gathered at the
White House’s 29th consecutive
Greek Independence Day cele-
bration.
He also said that “this day
we honor the deep connections
between the two nations and we
celebrate the democratic ideals
at the heart of our shared history.”
He concluded his short but
warm speech by saying “Zito I
Ellas.”
Vice President Biden talked
about the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries
and emphasized the critical role
the Greek-Americans played
over the last decades. He then
welcomed the Archbishop
Demetrios of America and
thanked Andy Manatos for creating and maintaining this annual celebration, which honors
one of the most important days
of Hellenism.
Demetrios discussed the importance of this strong relationship and expressed his wish,
Zagat Rates Kokkari No. 1 Restaurant Overall in San Francisco SPC Tarpon:
Philotimo is
Resplendent
By Penelope Karageorge
When Greek meets Greek
they might open a restaurant,
but it is rarely as fabulous, its
food as succulent, its ambiance
as special as Kokkari Estiatorio
on Jackson Street in San Francisco. In a city known for exceptional cuisine, Kokkari has captured the Number One Rating
by Zagat, meaning it is the best
among the best.
Along with its sister restaurant Evvia, in Palo Alto, there is
plenty for Dr. Kenneth Frangadakis, a leading cosmetic dentist, and George Marcus, real estate mogul, to celebrate. They
created the special dining estab-
For subscription:
718.784.5255
subscriptions@thenationalherald.com
lishments, ignoring the naysayers who said “don’t go into the
restaurant business.” The
restaurants reflect the personalities of the two gentlemen and
their wives, whose families
struggled as kids, but who grew
up to unusual success through
hard work, zeal, and imagination.
Frangadakis and Marcus
went to Greek school together,
played basketball together, and
with their careers underway, enjoyed dining out. In the 1960s,
San Francisco could not lay
claim to an outstanding Greek
restaurant. They felt the lack.
“The Greek restaurants were
take-out, with paper tablecloths,
Parthenons and bouzouki players,” Frangadakis says. “And so
George and I said, ‘why doesn’t
somebody do a Greek restaurant
that’s scaled up? A nicer environment. Just great food, great
ambiance and a lot of fun.’ And
we kept talking to everybody,
and everybody said ‘that’s a stuContinued on page 6
By Constantinos E. Scaros
TARPON SPRINGS, FL – In September, shortly after becoming
Provost of St. Petersburg College’s (SPC) campus in Tarpon
Springs, FL – a community so
deeply immersed in the Greek
culture and lifestyle that the
term “America’s Greek Island” is
an apt phrase to describe it – Dr.
Marvin Bright enthusiastically
proclaimed to The National Herald: “Greece has given so much
to the world in terms of history,
culture, education, that it is a
natural fit” for SPC to become
the premier institution of higher
learning in America in terms of
infusing Hellenism into the curriculum (“Tarpon’s SPC to Feature Hellenism,” Sept. 27).
A few months away from
completing his first year as SPCKokkari has earned the prestigious Zagat rating as the number one restaurant in San Francisco.
Continued on page 6
COMMUNITY
2
THE NATIONAL HERALD, APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2015
GOINGS ON...
Hellenic Happenings from Coast to Coast
TNH Staff
NEW YORK, NY
John Turturro is turning
Greek for a week. Zorba the
Greek, that is. The veteran actor
will star in the title role at the
City Center’s May 6-10 production of the musical, which will
include a full orchestra along
with, naturally, a bouzouki. Turturro got his start in Hollywood
in 1980 as an extra in Raging
Bull, an iconic film that resulted
in Robert DeNiro’s first and todate only Academy Award for
Best Actor (he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1974 for
his portrayal of a young Don
Vito Corleone in The Godfather, Part II.
Turturro’s cousin, Aida Turturro, played Tony Soprano’s
sister, Janice, in the HBO hit series The Sopranos.
HOUSTON, TX
Artist Fotis Gerakis, Greekborn and Houston-based for
years, has taken his skateboard
art around the world, the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) publication The National reports. His
exhibition will be on display at
Dubai’s Galleria Mall until April
29. An Art Director for the
Houston Affiliate of CBS, Gerakis won six Emmy awards,
three Telly awards, and a silver
BDA/Promax award.
“Gerakis’ exhibit promises to
be a fascinating showcase of urban style meets design,” the
Khaleej Times reported. “His
skateboard collection features a
number of iconic women presented in fine art style on a
piece of wood.”
Gerakis is now based in
Riyadh and Beirut.
n APRIL 24
MANHATTAN – Uniquity is
pleased to present a Night at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, at
6:15PM on Friday, Apr. 24. We
will meet at the museum, Fifth
Avenue at 82nd Street, at the
"Tours" sign on the left side of
the Great Hall (just past the
ticket sellers). RSVPs are required for this program. We
need to provide Group Registration with the number of our
group a week in advance, so
please RSVP by noon on April
17. (Please do not RSVP affirmatively if you are not confident
of your attendance!)
Houston-based Fotis Gerakis has taken his skateboard art across the world, where it is featured
in the Galleria Mall in Dubai. An an Art Director for CBS, he has won six Emmy Awards.
LOS ANGELES, CA
The Mistress of Ceremonies
for the Chicago-based Panhellenic Scholarship Foundation’s
annual Awards Gala on June 20
is Krystal White, a Californiaborn actress of Greek and
African-American descent, who
among other films appeared in
the short Persephone with two
My Big, Fat Greek Wedding
alumni, Greek-Australian actor
Louis Mandylor and Lanie
Kazan (who is often mistakenly
associated with Hollywood’s
Greek Kazan family, whose patriarch and best-known member
was famed director Elia Kazan;
she is not related). White lives
in Los Angeles, but has lived in
Greece, “where the hospitality
is unmatched,” she said, the
Foundation announced.
As White’s biography on her
website, krystalwhite.net indicates, she “started writing
screenplays as a vehicle for her
creativity. This past Fall, Krystal
wrote her first short film, The
Interrogation, in which she stars
with Michael B. Silver (Leo Cohen in NYPD Blue) who also directed. The Interrogation is currently being submitted to
festivals.
“Krystal has found her creative passion in filmmaking, and
the art of storytelling. However,
if she is not on a set or glued to
her computer, she spends her
time playing the cello, dancing
the tango and horseback-riding.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA
The Philadelphia 76ers
closed out the NBA’s regular
season on April 13 as they
hosted the Milwaukee Bucks,
whose player Giannis Antetokounmpo, born in Athens to
Nigerian parents, is a fan favorite. The Philadelphia Greek
Basketball League (PGBL)
hosted its first Greek Heritage
Night at the event, honoring
Antetokounmpo, affectionately
known in the basketball world
as “The Greek Freak” because
of his imposing near-7-foot
frame and tremendous athletic
prowess. Amid a sea of fans
sporting Greek flags – and there
was a Greek band on hand, too
– Antetokounmpo said, in
Greek, how proud he is to be
honored and to thank everyone
for turning out to support him.
“The people make me feel even
more Greek,” he said. There was
Greek dancing, by dancers in
traditional Greek village attire,
in the middle of the Sixers’
court.
tnh StAFF
Prominent Greek-Americans were welcomed by President Barack Obama to the White House’s 29th consecutive Greek Independence Day celebration. VP Joe Biden thanked Andy Manatos for creating and maintaining the annual celebration.
White House Hosts Greek-Ams. and Varoufakis
Continued from page 1
confronted and resolved.”
Obama met with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis,
who represented the Greek gov-
ernment and they talked about
the latest economic developments and the ongoing negotiations with the Institutions.
Varoufakis said that President
Obama shared his tough expe-
rience with American economic
crisis back in 2008 and reassured him that Washington remains committed to help
Greece.
Also attending were TNH
Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris, various U.S. officials,
diplomats, business leaders, and
other important members of the
Greek-American community.
Welcome Spring with The National Herald
E
LD
TH
NA
TI O
E
N AL H
RA
100
th
anniversary
n APRIL 25
MANHATTAN – Celebrate
spring with the Greek-American
Writers Association. Award-winning
story-teller
Barbara
Aliprantis and Nick Zaharadakos will demonstrate dramatic yarn-spinning originated
by the ancient bards. Aliprantis
is the artist of humor and
pathos. Nick’s known for his
wonderful New York stories
with a unique ethnic twist.
Singer/guitarist/composer Aristides DuVal, “Mr. Music,” will
debut new songs including
“Walkin’ Thru the Park,” an
American Pop Anthem dedicated to saving the NYC Central
Park Carriage & Horses Industry.
Saturday, 6-8 p.m., Cornelia
Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street
(between Bleecker and West 4th
Street). Subways A, C, E, B, D,
M to West 4th St. or 1 to
Christopher Street. $8 admission includes a glass of wine,
beer or soft drink.
n APRIL 30
MANHATTAN – Archbishop
Iakovos – a Musical Tribute, presented by the Education and
Culture Committee of the Hellenic American Chamber of
Commerce on Thursday, Apr. 30
at 7PM at Saint Peters Church,
619 Lexington Avenue at 54th
Street in Manhattan. Limited
seating: RSVP by Apr 15 at
info@hellenicamerican.cc
(212) 629-6380. No charge for
admission.
n MAY 2
PORTLAND, OR – The HellenicAmerican Cultural Center & Museum, 3131 N.E. Glisan Street
in Portland, is proud to announce the exhibition of Katherine Pappas-Parks, "Treasures of
Age: Carriers of Memories Past
and Present." Opening reception
Saturday, May 2 6-8PM. Katherine Pappas-Parks is an accomplished artist whose Greek culture has shaped her artistic
vision. The other-worldliness,
surrealism and intensity in her
landscapes have their roots in
her experience of being raised
in a Greek immigrant home. Her
artwork is influenced by the art
and traditions of ancient Greece
and Byzantium and by folklore
and superstitions of a culture
connected to the land in a way
that has remained virtually unchanged for over 3000 years.
Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the United
States. She currently displays at
the Walter Wickiser Gallery in
New York City.
n MAY 15-17
ANAHEIM, CA – Join us for Orange County's premiere Greek
Festival, the OC Greek Fest! Experience the flavors, sights and
sounds of Greece and enjoy the
very best of Greek food, music,
dancing and culture right here
in Orange County at St. John
the Baptist Greek Orthodox
Church, 405 N. Dale Street in
Anaheim. Friday, May 15
through Sunday, May 17: Fri 310PM; Sat and Sun, Noon10PM. Free parking behind WalMart at the Buena Park Mall;
free shuttle service to and from
the Buena Park Mall to the festival grounds. Live music; Traditional Greek dance performances scheduled each day;
Authentic Greek foods, appetizers and homemade pastries;
Greek wines, beer, spirits, and
coffee. Great shopping at our
outdoor marketplace; dozens of
unique vendors; Carnival rides
and games for all ages; Complimentary guided tours of our
Greek Orthodox church scheduled each day.
LITTLE ROCK, AR – Join us this
year at the Annunciation Greek
Orthodox Church, 1100 Napa
Valley Drive, in Little Rock from
Friday, May 15 through Sunday,
May 17 for our annual Greek
Festival! Fri and Sat: 11AM9PM, Sun: 11AM-3PM. The Annunciation's International Greek
Food Festival is the largest ethnic Food Festival in the state of
Arkansas! Every year our Festival sponsors a number of AR
charities and celebrates the diverse cultures of our Little Rock
community. It features a
scrumptious medley of Greek
and Mediterranean menu favorites, including gyros, calamari, pastitso, sourouta, Greek
pizza, and much more. All of
this mouthwatering cuisine can
be enjoyed at the Festival or
picked up at our Drive Thru.
The Festival will again feature
our popular Old World Market,
offering specialty foods such as
falafel, Greek olive oil, hummus,
dolmathes (stuffed grape
leaves), cheeses and the popular
Pete’s Famous Salad Dressing
that is handmade and bottled at
the parish. Frozen dinners to go,
pastries, Russian collectibles,
fine jewelry and an array of imported gift items from around
the Mediterranean will also be
available in the Market. In addition to great activities for children to enjoy throughout the
grounds, our huge stage highlights our famous Greek dancers
along with performances from
a wide array of other international entertainment. Our Festival also features our very popular Old World Market, that
includes our famous handmade
Baklava along with a wide array
of other pastries together with
a unique shopping experience
that highlights imported gift
items from around the world.
Free admission, free parking
and free trolleys to and from the
Church grounds!
As in years past, one of the most
wonderful parts of the International Greek Food Festival is
YOU, our friends! When you
visit the Festival with your family and friends, a good time is
guaranteed. In addition, you can
make new friends at the Festival
by enjoying a wide array of international entertainment while
reveling in all of the food &
shopping available. You can
even learn more about your
neighbors by taking a tour of
the Annunciation Church and
discover the rich history and tradition of the Orthodox Christian
faith as well as enjoy the largest
collection of Byzantine iconography in Arkansas!
n MAY 16
MANHATTAN – The Orpheus
Foundation and Kyrenia Opera
present the 90th Birthday Celebration of Mikis Theodorakis on
Saturday, May 16 at 8:30PM at
the Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th
Street in Manhattan, featuring
Betty Harlafti, acclaimed interpreter of Theodorakis’ songs and
a permanent member of his ensemble. The Opera Orchestra
and Chorus is directed by Constantinos Yiannoudes. For tickets and other information, contact
the
Center
at
http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org.
n MAY 22-24
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Opa, opa,
opa! The annual New Orleans
Greek Festival is Memorial Day
weekend. This event is filled
Greek food, music, culture and
fun for kids and adults alike.
New Orleans's connection with
Greece dates back to the mid1800s when large numbers of
Greeks immigrated here, bringing along their storied culture
and traditional heritage. The
Greek Festival celebrates that
culture and heritage every year
on Memorial Day Weekend at
the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
Cathedral (1200 Robert E. Lee
Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70117),
which is on the banks of Bayou
St. John. Free off-site parking
and shuttle service is also available. FOOD: Kali Orexi! This
popular phrase means "Bon
Apetit" or "good appetite". In
other words - you better come
hungry. Trying a gyro sandwich
is a must. The Goatburgers,
which is a hamburger the Greek
way, are also delicious. For
dessert, try a Loukoumades,
which is like a beignet topped
with honey and cinnamon. For
a caffeine fix, pick up a Frappe
(no relation to Starbucks),
which is basically an iced coffee.
MUSIC: Every year, people
come together to perform and
dance to traditional, live Greek
music. Kostas Kastanis will be
playing this year, and guests will
have the chance to learn the
Zorba and other traditional
dances out on the Bayou. SPECIAL EVENTS: For all the runners out there, the annual Greek
Festival Walk/Run will take
place that Friday! Participants
can either choose to walk/run
one mile or 5k. Cash prizes will
be given to the winners. Registration is open until the day of
the race. The 1 mile participants
start at 7 PM and the 5k starts
at 7:20PM. Back this year by
popular demand is Toga Sunday! Anyone wearing a toga
gets free admission. There will
also be a Best Toga contest with
some great prizes. Fun For The
Whole Family!
1915-2015
1
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call at: 718-784-5255, ext. 101
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Is it too soon to pay attention to the 2016 presidential race?
Please
email
your
response
to
scaros@thenationalherald.com
We may publish some responses as Letters to the Editor in
a future issue.
COMMUNITY
3
PhotoS: tnh/coStAS beJ
LEFT: Maria Farantouri and her colleagues dazzled at NUY. Achilleas Wastor, who was also
music director, was the master of Steinway and David Lynch was hypnotic on saxophone.
RIGHT: Maria Farantouri was delighted by the children, directed by Alexandra Skendrou at
right, of the Children's Choral Academy of Hellenic Paideia, a new cultural initiative.
Maria Farantouri Warms Hearts and Inspires Minds at New York Univ.
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – Being a passionate, personal and idealistic people, Greeks easily turn heroes
into symbols. On April 18 the
audience at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts of
poured out reverence and love
for singer Maria Farantouri, as
much an icon as musician, and
she rewarded them with a radiant journey deep into their
youth through her evocative,
resonant voice.
The concert titled “Songs of
Greece and of the World,” which
was dominated by the music of
Mikis Theodorakis, reflecting
the international celebration of
his 90th birthday, was also designed a tribute to the beauty
and ideals of Greece.
Dr. Liana Theodoratou, Director of the A.S. Onassis Program in Hellenic Studies, which
presented the concert in collaboration with Aphrodite Daniel
and Syn-Phonia Entertainment,
said the presentation was timely
given media distortion of
Greece’s crisis and indifference
to the humanitarian emergency
there.
Farantouri entered the darkened stage to applause of appreciation for her sacrifices, and
achievements and in anticipation of a singular evening – a
promise she delivered.
She is one of Greece’s most
celebrated artists and during the
junta she recorded protest songs
in Europe with Theodorakis, being a voice of freedom then and
in the context of the current crisis.
The concert, which Farantouris dedicated to all Greek poets – Theodorakis immortalized
the works of many of the with
his music – began with pianist
Achilleas Wastor’s low notes
rumbling on the Steinway and
David Lynch’s saxophone introducing Theodorakis’ Baptism.
Shouts of “brava” and “bravi”
and expressions of love were
heart throughout the night.
Some of its most touching moments, however, featured the
Children's Choral Academy of
Hellenic Paideia, directed by
Alexandra Skendrou.
The children, who attend
various Greek schools and
ranged from 6-13 years of age,
delighted the audience with
three songs, beginning with
Theodorakis’ Myrtia - with Skendrou and the children alternating verses – and concluding
with Hadjidakis “Persephone’s
Nightmare” for which Farantouris joined them.
Lina Orfanos was invited to
the stage by Farantouri for “I
Mikri Rallou and “Where Did
My Boy Fly Away,” and the soprano was aslo warmly received
by the audience.
Farantouri’s s rich, resonant
voice with its hypnotic melismas
and subtle tremolos evoked
emotional responses all night
long. Wastor, who was also the
musical director, was an exceptional accompanist and Lynch’s
soulful sax – he also added flute
and percussion to the artistic
mix.
Known as the soul of Greece,
Farantouri, paid tribute to New
York of Leonard Bernstein’s
“Somewhere,” a stirring rendition that felt like a prayer.
The more light-hearted songs
included “Thalasaki Mou – My
Little Sea” which was one
Farantouri invited Orfanos to
the stage for another solo turn
and the concert reached its
thrilling conclusion with “Synefiasmeni Kyriaki – Overcast Sunday” and Romiosini mi tin Kles
– Don’t cry for Greece.”
The beloved artist dedicated
songs three people in the audience. “Wraia Poli – Beautiful
City” which is about Athens, was
offered for Rena Dourou, the recently elected Attica regional
governor, to whom she exclaimed “good luck,” prompting
laughter and applause.
Farantouri also honored
Nikos Papaconstantinou on the
occasion of his retirement from
the Greek Foreign Ministry, and
Panos Adamopoulos, outgoing
president of the Athenians’ Society.
Most of the concert’s music
was composed by Theodorakis
and Nikos Gatsos and Yannis
Ritsos were the poets most represented by the songs – some of
the poems were recited by
Theodoratou, who also offered
commentary.
Theodoratou, who thanked
all who helped, said she had
been trying to bring Farantouri
to New York for many years and
added that they also aimed to
highlight the continued vibrancy
in Greece and to spotlight the
new government, which she
said restored people’s hope.
New York’s Famed
Town Hall Gets its
Greek on with
Gaitanos
Petros Gaitanos thrilled at
Town Hall on April. 16.
Shown onscreen in his youth
with Mikis Theodorakis, he
performed with Spiros
Exaras, the concert’s music
director and arranger on
guitar, clarinetist Lefteris
Bournias, Christos
Papadopoulos on bouzouki,
keyboardist Dimitris
Lambrianos, and drummer
George Maniatis. Bassist
Charilaos Pantazis is not
shown.
tnh/coStAS beJ
By Constantine S. Sirigos
The Archangel Michael Church
Seated: Maria Farantouri and Nikos Papaconstantinou, who retired from Greek government
service on Mar. 17. Standing (L-R) Annamaria Koutsouras, Aphrodite Daniel, Malvina Kefalas,
Grigoria Kamaterou, Lina Orfanos, Dr. Liana Theodoratou, and Panos Adamopoulos.
Farantouri Speaks with TNH
About the Giants of Greek Music
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – It may be that the only thing
more delightful than a conversation Maria
Farantouri is one of her concerts. The Greek
musical icon held court during a press conference at the Greek Press office on March 17, a
day before she celebrated her half century career with “Songs of Greece and of the World,”
at NYU and like her audience, nobody wanted
to leave.
Nikos Papaconstantinou, the Director of the
Greek Press Office, introduced Farantouri, who
preceded talking about her life with an informative and touching overview of the Greek music industry’s monumental half century.
She spoke about its golden age highlighted
by the music of giants of Hellenic culture like
Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, and
left no doubt that the triumphs were earned by
the artists, noting that that Greek governments
– even during economic good times – did not
invest in culture. “I suppose they had other priorities,” she said.
The singer, who always supported young
artist by including them in her shows, also spoke
the current struggles of musicians and composers to survive the tumult caused by new
technology and the Greek crisis.
The latter has a silver lining, however: “The
skiladika [dog music] places by the sea are closing,” she said with a smile.
The beloved singer lauded the composer who
set to music the work of modern Greece’s great
poets, including Nobel laureates Odysseas Elitis
and George Seferis.
While Hadjidakis and others embraced this
“melopoioisis,” it was originally Theodorakis’
great dream after he returned from studies in
Paris.
Farantouri said that Theodorakis sent Hadjidakis his “Epitaphios,” the latter was thrilled to
orchestrate it and got Nana Mouskouri to sing
it.
“They had a deep love and respect for each
other despite their political differences.
The composers borrowed elements of Greek
folk music and rebetika to bring the Greek people into closer contact with both the older and
contemporary poets and when Theodorakis was
seeking musical vehicles for his cultural move-
ment, he picked Farantouri out of a choir.
He once said to her “did you know you were
born to be my music’s priestess? ”
She modestly emphasized that, “These songs
are unforgettable and they also have a spiritual
dimension,” but her fans would say that as a
musical goddess she too had power to bestow
some immortality on them.
Just as Theodorakis tapped Farantouri
decades ago, he now delights in the interpretations of Greek-American Lina Orfanos. “She
has an exceptional voice” Farantouri said of Orfanos, who joined her onstage at NYU.
Orfanos told the gathering “I am so honored
to be part of this concert,” and Farantouri
praised diaspora singers for their dedication to
Greek music.
“It’s so important for young people to learn
the Greek language and what better way is there
to teach it than through the Greek songs,” especially the ones that are the receptacles of poems that will never die because they express
great truths,” Farantouri said, adding, “Although
much of Theodorakis’ work was inspired by political struggle…there is much more,” to his music.”
Dr. Theodoratou said she had been trying to
bring Farantouri to New York for many years,”
and she too said how important is for the community’s youth to gain an appreciation of that
the concert will present.
She thanked all the people who worked with
her to make the concert possible, including
Malvina Kefalas, the Onassis program administrator, as well as the Provost's Global Research
Initiatives program and Rutgers University,
which will reprise the program on April 25 at
the Nicholas Music Center and Rutgers University. It will also be presented in Boston.
Aphrodite Daniel of Syn-Phonia Entertainment
is coordinating the tour.
Annamaria Koutsouras, a history and political science major at Rutgers, thanked the principals on behalf of the Hellenic Cultural Association, of which she is president, and the Rutgers
Modern Greek Studies Program.
“It is not easy for a university to present a
concert,” Dr. Theodoratou said, noting it would
have been much easier to just host a lecture,
but they wanted to present something special
and to honor the 90th birthday of Theodorakis,
whose music dominates the concert.
100 Fairway drive, Port washington, ny 11050 • tel: (516) 944-3180
it is with joy that we, the community
of the Archangel michael of Port washington,
extend a warm invitation
to our faithful and dedicated members as well as
to the entire God-loving Greek-American community
to the consecration of our newly erected church dedicated
to the Living God on Saturday, April 25.
his eminence Archbishop demetrios of America will preside
over the Service assisted by his Grace Bishop Antonios
of Phasiane and the parish clergy, Fr. Dennis Strouzas,
preceding priest and Fr. Nikolas Karloutsos, assistant priest
orthos: 7:45 a.m. followed by the holy consecration Service
and the divine liturgy.
Οn Friday, April 24 Vespers begin at 7:30 p.m.,
his Grace bishop Antonios of Phasiane,
chancellor of the holy Archdiocese of America presiding.
The Consecration of our church, the most Sacred and historic milestone for our parish,
will be added to the shining pages and will be recorded in the history of our church.
COMMUNITY
4
Documentary: Celebrity Women Chefs Transforming the Food Industry
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – It’s called Val’s
and if you are ever hungry in
Worcester, MA that is the restaurant to look for. Valerie James
is the owner. Her son Christos
is the chef and her daughter
Joanne sings its praises.
Not literally. Joanne is not a
singer; she is a filmmaker, and
her documentary about the trials and triumphs of women
chefs highlights her mom.
Joanne, whose website,
alianaproductions.com, talks
about the company she runs
with Anastasia Ganias Gellin, a
Greek-American Actress, and
about the film’s Kickstarter campaign, was born and raised in
the restaurant industry and
worked by her mother’s side.
“As I got older and saw how
hard she worked, 80, 100 hour
weeks, bearing all the pressure
and making a big sacrifice for
us, I was inspired to share her
story. She endured adversity and
25 years later she is a successful
restauranteur.”
Joanne beamed as she told
TNH, “Val’s is elegant and top
of the line. My mother has fine
taste but she also wanted a
place where people would feel
comfortable, but the reason it
took off is because of its Greek
hospitality, which is very important to her.”
The business environment
she faced was not as welcoming.
Before Joanne began her research “I was not aware of the
staggering statistics about
women in the culinary industry.
Only 15 percent of executive
chefs are women.”
Even in the classic male dominated fields like engineering or
computer science have more
women she said.
Change is coming however,
as more than 50 percent of culinary school students are
women. “Our film is looking to
explore how we can help and
empower this new generation.
Valerie’s story is the central
narrative, but the film weaves
in numerous renowned restaurateurs and celebrity chefs who
have already been filmed.
Food Network TV personality
Michelle Bernstein of Miami, Diane Cochilas who is well-known
through her cookbooks, and Cat
Cora will also be spotlighted.
Most of the filming is complete and everything is scheduled to be finished by summer.
The Kickstarter campaign will
help get the film finished in time
for release and film festival submissions early in 2016.
It is shot documentary style
but it won’t be news style. They
are targeting the film festival
circuit so “It will be very artistic.
We are working with a Tribeca
Film Festival veteran editor,”
Joanne said.
Joanne and Anastasia trace
the women’s sources of inspiration and the obstacles they over-
kimberly PetAlAS
(L-R) Joanne James, who now lives near St. Eleftherios in Manhattan, holding her daughter
Mariella James Moschos, Valerie James and Executive Producer Anastasia Ganias Gellin.
came.
Joanne told TNH, “our
mother was influenced by her
Greek upbringing…her family is
in the industry but she also
learned just observing Greek
holiday hospitality.”
The movie, whose subjects
“pay tribute to women who
came before them and who
played central roles in kitchens
that did not translate into careers,” is a classic American suc-
cess story, with the additional
dimension of the challenges
faced by single mothers.
Valerie opened her famous
Val’s in her home town of
Worcester, MA after she was divorced. She was raising two kids
and was carrying half a million
dollars of debt.
After 10 years of successfully
opening pizzerias – she learned
the business from father
Demetrios Pantos immigrated in
the 1950s – Valery felt it was
time for a restaurant.
BANKS TO
BUSINESSWOMEN:
GOOD LUCK!
It was, Joanne said, and still
is difficult for women to start
their own businesses. “No bank
was willing to lend to her and it
was hard to obtain property.”
But there was an angel in the
wings. “One of my mother’s best
customers, Robert Erickson, just
trusted her based on her character and reputation for success,” and helped her get
started.
Thus, Val’s Restaurant was
born.
“She kept working hard…
paid off her debt and paid him
rent, but was shocked when he
told her ‘you should own this’
and urged her to work towards
buying the whole strip mall that
housed the restaurant,” Joanne
said.
Of course, she succeeded.
“It’s about entrepreneurialism
and passion and believing in
yourself.”
The movie also explores
Greek culture. Some of its more
dramatic moments entail family
crises and turmoil, but viewers
will also feel the love and support she got from her parents.
“She could not have done it
without their help watching me
and my brother,” Joanne said,
adding that in those scenes the
film explores what can be done
to help women in business.
Joanne was born and raised
in Worcester, MA. She studied
journalism, began as an intern
with the Boston Globe and covered the 2004 Olympics for the
Hellenic Voice in Greece. Later,
she got a Master’s in international communications media
with an emphasis in film production and began Aliana with
Anastasia so that – like good
Greeks – they could call the
shots on what stories to present.
Rena Dourou Describes Attica Challenges, Warns against Drachma Option
TNH Staff Writer
Liana Theodoratou (L) said that as a student Rena Dourou (R)
had academic, not political ambitions, but while she was en-
couraged to pursue a PhD after her master’s at the Univ. of Essex, she decided to return to Greece in 2004 to join SYRIZA.
she faces as the governor of the
country’s largest region where
4 million of Greece’s 11 million
people live.
is fighting against stereotypes of
the extreme left, that condemns
foreign direct investment, as
well as Greece’s political right,
The audience, comprised
mainly of non-Greeks and dominated by students, heard
Dourou emphasize that SYRIZA
JoAnne trikouliS
NEW YORK – Rena Dourou, the
new Governor of Greece’s Attica
region, gave a presentation titled “The Dawn of Another Attica” on April 17 at New York
University as part of the series
of events sponsored by the University’s A.S. Onassis Program
in Hellenic Studies called
“Greece Strikes Back.”
Liana Theodoratou, the
Onassis Program’s director, introduced Dourou and thanked
the NYU Provost's Global Research Initiatives program for
supporting the event.
The talk presented an opportunity for some vital straight talk
to fans of the drachma. “I am almost rude when I respond to
people who want to go back to
drachmas …it’s a good idea,” she
said wryly “if you don’t need to
eat for a few months, and for
people with money in New York
and Switzerland, but not for people on pensions. The Greek people did not vote for us to return
to the drachma, but to negotiate
with the European Union.”
Dourou spoke passionately
about the practical and political
challenges confronting Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras and that
Law Firm
Greek Horsemen
Ride Through
Annapolis
Children and adults
alike are thrilled when
Greek heroes arrive on
horseback. The horse
and George Lagadinos,
representing Theodore
Kolokotronis were
sponsored by the
Korologos Brothers, and
the Pan-Peloponnesian
Society of Baltimore
followed. The day began
with Doxology at St.
Nicholas and Mike
Pantelides, Mayor of
Annapolis, was the
Grand Marshal.
whom she said idea of investment is sweetheart deal and
used the Ellinikon airport project as a notorious example.
Emphasizing that she supports legitimate reform that will
modernize Greece, attract investment, and make government more effective for its people, Dourou said the real debate
“is not whether we have money
or not. If we continue to run the
state the way it was run in the
past, there is not enough money
in the whole world to help.”
Investment is critical, but she
said, “New Democracy told fairy
tales about big investments from
Saudi Arabia and America, and
they did not try to create the
and framework needed to create
investments that will create
jobs.”
She echoed the words Tsipras
spoke during his visits to the
United States, saying, “In
Greece there are no real capitalists,” as in people who take
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risks and are creative, but rather
there are oligarchs who trade
on their influence with governments.
“You need democracy,” and
transparent and credible governance, to attract serious investment in Europe, Dourou said.
To be elected, Dourou fought
a “David versus Goliath” campaign against the mainstream
parties and media and said she
won because she reached out to
people of all 65 municipalities
of Attica and addressed their
problems. “Without the support
of people it is impossible to
change things, and change and
renewal are important to us,”
she said.
And urgent. “Attica is the
first region to be hit and is paying a very heavy price,” and is
hobbled by a severe lack of infrastructure.
When she took office in September, her team acted on three
levels: 1) response to the immediate humanitarian crisis; 2)
creation of conditions for a new
model of economic growth
where markets do not impose
their will on governments; and
3) creation of a new and more
moral political paradigm to restore the credibility of politics.
Dourou noted that she gave
up her seat in Parliament when
she ran for governor to demonstrate that politicians should not
be a privileged class.
“There is a lot to be done and
you must set priorities,” she said.
Drawing on the region’s funds,
she increased social welfare
spending for the needy from 1 to
13 million euro, funding food
banks, healthcare and the restoration of electricity to all households
shut off due to poverty.
She has also focused on practical changes, such as fighting
waste caused by overlapping jurisdictions and cooperating with
NGOs, educational institutions
and the Church.
“We have worked hard and
gotten green lights from the EU
for a number our programs…
we have proven that with hard
work and serious planning we
can achieve results.”
She sought to show what
SYRIZA can do for development
in the context of the neoliberal
environment Dourou said now
prevails in Europe. Their efforts
include not only fighting corruption, but boosting the private
sector, “especially with initiatives for young men and women
who have chosen to not leave
our country, a reality this government must grasp” because
the country needs to retain its
youth and they need jobs.
TNH asked Dourou what her
administration was doing about
making it easier for entrepreneurs, especially the young, to
open and expand business in
light of the failure of ND and
PASOK to keep their promises
about it.
Dourou noted that it is her
“habit” not the criticize rival
parties when she travels abroad,
but she told TNH she has generated 32 initiatives in that area.
She concluded by talking
about what is at stake not just
for SYRIZA but for Greece.”If we
fail to change the moral example in politics, that mean not
just another political failure, but
it will pave a path to the politics
of hatred,” and referred to
Golden Dawn. “The resurgence
of Nazism is ironic in a country
that put up such a valiant fight
against it in WWII.”
COMMUNITY
5
Diaspora Greeks Can Jumpstart Greece with Spirit, Ideas, and Success
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – Among the many
successful Diaspora Greeks who
want to help build the New
Greece is Sam Stathis. “Building” is a key word in his biography. The inventor and serial entrepreneur, founder of Stathis
Enterprises, is a building technology pioneer.
Born Soterios Stathopoulos,
his was the seventh generation
of talented, gritty Greeks who
lived in the same house in
Analtsi in Central Greece. Like
many Greek-Americans, he was
frustrated by the failures of the
Greek establishment that led to
the crisis, but he is believes that
maverick Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras can break down the barriers to change that will liberate
its valuable human resources.
Stathis, believes, however,
that it is the Greeks’ very selfconfidence that has been targeted before and during the crisis, so he welcomes the new
government’s aggressiveness
abroad, which he believes is
backed by many unappreciated
positives at home.
He told TNH “Greece is not
starting from scratch, but they
don’t know it…The Greeks have
a great legacy and well educated young people in mathematics and technology…but
Greece has done a terrible job
marketing itself in what our
strengths are.”
Greeks are also more united
than they were in 1940 and
Tsipras’ party may be in a better
position to do battle with opponents of change, Stathis told
TNH. The lessons of the power
of the unity and mental toughness is written throughout his
family history. His father is partially lame from polio or stroke
– they were never sure which –
but he was a workhorse with
The road to victory for Greece is a long race but Sam Stathis believes the country and the diaspora have the right horses. He loves owning race horses and he just bought the South Florida
Trotting Center. Stathis is seen with friends and trainers at the Winners Circle in the Pompano
Racetrack, 2nd from L. Connie Stathis is 4th from L.
determination driven by power
from the left side of his body.
Numerous observers analogously believe that what is good
about Greece and Greeks can
overcome what is bad.
SECRET WEAPON
But first, Stathis is, “We need
to lift the heads up of young
Greeks…to show them examples of Greek success around the
world…. I would like them to
tell young Greeks their success
stories, and the challenges
Greeks abroad have overcome.”
Stathis also has developed
programs that can be replicated
in Greece, spearheading conferences which focused on the con-
struction and technical revolution he participated in and its
job and business creation dimension.
Stathis helped develop websites such as IntelligentJobSites.com and contributed to the
creation of Startup New York,
which helps people “start, expand or relocate your qualified
business to a tax-free zone in
New York State,” an agenda
long pushed by economists for
Greece.
He said the tools Greece
needs already exist. “I am an inventor and an innovator, but I
also like being practical….what
I learned from these initiatives
is that we do not need to create
new systems in Greece or America…we have enough technology, we just need to get people
to adopt it… we just need to
take that best that currently exist and apply them.
Demographics pose a challenge to both countries’ economic future. The baby
boomers, the mechanical generation, are retiring in the construction, agriculture and most
industries.
Greek firms can become
global leaders in responding to
this challenge.
Stathis’ answer was to forge
bridges “between the mechani-
cal generation of baby boomers
and the digital generation.”
In the old days there were
apprentices but Stathis said in
his projects they no longer give
a mechanic an apprentice, “we
give him a co-mentor. The mechanic does the mechanical stuff
and the co-mentor does the digital work – we create a hybrid
that I call green collar worker –
it’s a symbiotic relationship and
you transfer knowledge more
quickly.”
Stathis Enterprises’ Theometrics University provides young
people with training and certification for the new economy.
Inspired by the devices he invented, he coined Theometrics
for “the art and science of precision measurement and navigation in and on construction
sites.”
He also highlighted some of
the mayoral initiatives of
Michael Bloomberg, like the $5
billion joint venture between
Cornell University and Technion
University of Israel. Stathis
called it “an incubator for developing technology,” that can
be replicated in Greece, whose
new SYRIZA government is pursuing public-private sector partnerships.
Another Bloomberg priority
that applies to Greece is STEM
emphasis (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math).
“America has fallen to 17 in
mathematics, 27 in science,”
and Stathis’ contribution to the
debate is his belief that students
and teachers alike would benefit
from continuing education
classes to keep pace with a fastchanging world.
He hopes Tsipras will lead a
technical and education revolution that will be a secure foundation for the future and a powerful response to Greece’s critics.
Stathis developed the entrepreneurship in his genes as soon
his uncle Dino, who owned diners in New Jersey, brought his
family to America in 1969 when
the former was seven.
“We collected worms from
my grandmother’s garden and
overcame the language barrier
to sell them.” He, his brothers
and his friend Michael Giris
made the astonishing sum of
$300 that summer.
He has two older sisters,
Sotiria and Spiridoula, and two
younger brothers, Tommy and
Dino.
Right from the start he loved
and exceled in science and
math.
After high school he worked
at Hellenic Electric for Billy Kontorouchas – “the only person I
ever worked for.” Their projects
included the City’s top nightclubs, but when the guests were
partying Stathis went to school
at night school at the humble
Mechanic’s Institute of Technology, a trade school. Stathis’ own
lawsuit won the school its college level accreditation.
He ended up buying Hellenic
but the excitement was tempered by the economic downturn of the early 1990s. It cost
George H.W. Bush reelection
and sent the company into
Chapter 11 just after Stathis
married the love of his life, Connie Antzoulis following a long
courtship and they have two
children, Christina and Yianni.
So Stathis knows all about
being knocked down and getting up again. He started all
over – as his family did after
WWII wiped them out – with
zero credit and living with his
in-laws.
He rose to ever-greater
heights, also thriving in land development and business management, and active in philanthropy, Stathis never forgot his
roots or the importance of “giving back.”
Manny Demos’ Life, Work
Honored with a Lecture
Series at Queens College
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – Among GreekAmericans, a conversation about
paragons of dedication to the
community would quickly include the name of Emanuel
George Demos, distinguished attorney and churchman. On April
16 the Center for Byzantine and
Modern Greek Studies (CBMGS) of Queens College with
the support of the Kallinikeion
Foundation presented the first
annual lecture in his memory.
George Demos, attending
with his mother, Helen, his wife,
Chrysa, and other family members, thanked the hosts for the
event and the speakers “for their
touching and beautiful words.”
When friends and family
sought an appropriate lecture
topic for the celebration his life
in the Ballroom of Holy Trinity
Cathedral, they agreed it should
reflect Demos’ tireless work as
General Legal Counsel of the
Archdiocese of America.
They invited the Rev. Dr.
Patrick Viscuso, an Orthodox
priest and a specialist in Byzantine history and Orthodox
canons as the featured speaker.
He explained that Demos’ work
ranged from composing regulations for the archdiocese, informed by his legal mind and
his experience as a member and
leader of the community to successfully defending the positions
of the Archdiocese in a lawsuit
in New York.
Attorney Christ Stratakis,
Demos’ co-laborer in numerous
organizations,
highlighted
Demos’ work on the legal committee of the Order of St. Andrew in defense of the Ecumenical Patriarchates and religious
freedom in Turkey.
Fr. Viscuso said Demos asked
for his help on the lawsuit. He
provided the necessary canonical and historical background
for the complex case that turned
on the judge being able to properly understand the hierarchical
character of the Orthodox
Church and the roles of clergy
and laity.
“I will present Manny Demos’
portrait of what a parish should
be within the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese, and what was in
him mind, as he defended
“against ideas that are foreign
to our orthodox conception of
church.”
Demos understood that in
America the Church needed to
steer a middle path between its
Protestant and Catholic neighbors.
Fr. Viscuso explained the
danger posed by ideas that separate the spiritual and material,
contrary to Orthodox theology
which places such ideas in the
context of the incarnational reality of Christ and His two natures, human and divine.
According to Orthodox anthropology, man is a unity of
body and soul, which makes it
wrong to say, as many do, that
the priest should be exclusively
concerned with services and
theology while the laity have the
first and last say on administrative and financial matters.
He said the clergy share the
stewardship responsibilities in
the financial realm and that for
laypersons “to serve on the
parish council is also ministry.”
By also emphasizing the importance of transparency and
cooperation between clergy and
laity in the operation of the
Church, he noted that there is
common ground between
priests and laypersons concerned about the governance of
the church but which were expressed in a misguided way
through the lawsuit.
Fr. Viscuso pointed out the
sources of misunderstandings
and explained that Orthodoxy
and Catholicism have very different conceptions of the
canons. “Canons in the Orthodox Church are standards by
which we live, not laws," he
said.
From the Protestant side the
Church must fight “congregationalism” that puts the laity in
complete control of the parish
and neglects of oversight role of
the bishop.
Rev.
Dr.
Robert
Stephanopoulos, the Cathedral’s
Pastor Emeritus who worked
with Demos for many years,
spoke about the man who became a dear friend, a title many
of his acquaintances aspired to.
He informed that Demos
grew up in New Britain, CT,
where his devotion was born
that “led him to use his skills
and training as a lawyer for the
best interests of the church.”
(L-R) Nikos Papaconstantinou, Effie Lekas, Christ Stratakis,
Theodore Kusulas, Prof. Warren Woodfin, Fr. Patrick Viscuso,
Helen Demos, Chrysa Demos, Dr. Christos Ioannides, Orestes
Fr. Stephanopoulos said that
as a Board member and president of the Cathedral Demos offered many services but he was
especially concerned about education.
Christos Ioannides, the Director of the CBMGS, said of
Demos, "I witnessed the modesty of a remarkable man, and I
was blessed with his friendship.
I consider myself fortunate that
our paths crossed.”
As a member of the Board of
Advisors of the CBMGS and
president of the Kallinikeion
Foundation, Demos spearheaded the effort to establish
the chair of Byzantine Studies
at Queens College currently
held by Prof. Warren Woodfin,
who served as the evening’s Emcee.
Dr. Ioannides praised Demos
for his work in behalf of the
Center and also spoke of his
knowledge and appreciation of
Byzantine Civilization. “With
the Kallinikeion chair Byzantine
studies became institutionalized
at the Center.
Dr. Ioannides thanked the
Kallinikeion Foundation and acknowledged the CBMGS board
members in attendance, Markos
Marinakis, Leandros Papathanasiou, and Orestes Varvitsiotes.
He also thanked Effie Lekas,
his Assistant Director, for organizing the event.
Theodore P. Kusulas, Head of
the Cathedral School praised
Demos for laying “a wonderful
foundation as school board
chairman,” – indeed, many call
Demos the School’s savior.
The National Herald Bookstore
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Stratakis marveled that, “he
always spoke in measured
terms, made valuable and sen-
Varvitsiotes, George Demos, Emanuel Demos, Fr. John Vlahos,
Markos and Mary Marinakis.
sible suggestions and made us
think when he spoke.”
More than one person during
reception that followed spoke of
how much those qualities are
missed by the community.
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THE SICKNESS OF THE MIND OF DARWIN
BY PROOFS AND BY FACTS
The sickness of the mind of Darwin is spreading rapidly to most of the population of this earth
and it is causing a major catastrophe. Because
Darwin’s mind was governed by foolishness he
couldn’t discover the truth of the origin of man,
therefore he lied to himself and he lied to the
world because he said that man originated from
physics only. Human beings are not only physics
but are physics and knowledge together (perfect
knowledge)… Knowledge and physics together
make the perfect personality… Knowledge produces technology not physics. So by fact, before
technology, knowledge must have existed. The
very first perfect knowledge that is what we call
the true God and the true Creator of mankind.
It is a fact that man’s body is the highest technology in the world. And the second fact is in
order to discover technology we need the proper
wisdom. Technology cannot be recognized by
foolishness. That is why Darwin’s foolishness
could not recognize that man’s body is the highest
technology.
THE SICKNESS OF DARWIN STARTED WHEN
HE DENIED HISTORY…
When someone denies history he proves to be
a spiritually sick person. For someone to say
that Moses or Alexander the Great or Caesar of
Rome or even Jesus Christ never existed, for
sure they prove they are sick in their mind.
Today we have a much bigger surprise and a
much bigger catastrophe because most of the
leaders of the world, most of the professors in
universities are sick in the head and at the same
time they are worshipping their sickness and
their own catastrophe. Those sick leaders and
professors of the world are destroying our children because they are teaching them their foolishness and the biggest lie ever concerning their
life, concerning the true origin of man. THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD SAYS BEFORE
CHRIST AND AFTER CHRIST…. Can anybody
with a sound mind say that Jesus Christ never
existed?? Only a sick and paranoid person can
say no! Only people that are locked up in insane
asylums can say no. So historically Christ exists
and historically Jesus Christ proved the perfect
education for the mind so we can govern our
mind always with a perfect knowledge, including perfect communication among human beings, perfect peace and happiness. Second he
proved God’s power, healed all sickness, raised
up people from the dead, and also he himself
was resurrected. “IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH
THAT???? Jesus proved and gave us perfect and
everlasting life and you don’t have to pay a
penny for it. THIS FOR SURE IS THE BIGGEST
OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE”.
When we say we must accept Christ as our
own savior, that is what we mean… to accept
what Christ offered… that is what Christ offers to the world (and to you that is reading
these lines) perfect education, perfect law,
and perfect and everlasting life. And if anyone including yourself does not accept
Christ, you prove that your mind is governed
by the wrong knowledge, the unjust, which
is the spiritual sickness like Darwin had. But
if you are a wise person, at this moment, you
could be saved forever, living with God always. By accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Saviour… “So pray and say, Jesus Christ
the Saviour of the world, I accept you as my
Lord and Saviour with all my heart, please
forgive all of my sins; thank you, amen…
Nikos Papadelis
8075 Broadview Rd
Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147
«I serve the highest authority
that governs the mind perfectly
without any foolishness or evil»
COMMUNITY
6
“The Fox and Boulder,” by Greek-American Playwright Sarah Bennett
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – Surveying the fate
of individuals and nations who
love flirting with disaster, even
skeptics might come to believe
that there really are higher powers looking out for us.
In “The Fox and Boulder,” a
new original play by GreekAmerican Sarah Bennett, who
was also its executive director,
deep humanitarian concerns and
the challenges of everyday life
are in play with unseen strings
being pulled in the tavern that
lends the play its name.
The puzzling action takes
place on the border of the enemy
kingdoms of Garell and Eliopah
and even after everything is revealed the audience might wonder, did they witness an obsessive
busybody in action…or an angel?
Bennett has a gift for creating
characters one cares about and
their stories unfold with wit and
warmth, accompanied by music
written by Bennett (Life is Good)
and John Robert Hoffman (The
Man from Garell) orchestrated
by Ryan Kimble.
Hepley is the ornery proprietor with a heart of gold played
with perfect deadpan by Jon
Schaller. He would love to shoo
away the customers who rarely
pay, but loneliness is worse than
poverty.
As the audience enjoys the
witty banter they are also trying
to unravel who the puppeteer is
affecting the characters’ lives behind the scenes.
Among the candidates are
Strock (AJ Pacheo), an orphan
whose indomitability is partly fueled by a good soul and partly
by the alcohol he sometimes pays
The band of gypsies that invades Fox and Boulder tavern transforms the prevailing anxiety and confusion into revelry. The
play by Greek-American Sarah Bennett enjoyed a monthlong
run in March at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria.
for and sometimes does not.
He recently had a vision of a
lovely lady in blue who told him
he will become king of Eliopah.
Hepley pours as much scorn as
his good soul could muster on
that, but wise barmaid Gretchen
(Layla Sutton), and others treat
him with enough respect to make
one wonder if these are magic
kingdoms where anything can
happen.
Fear seizes the gathering
when soldiers from Garell led by
Sir Holloway burst into the tavern – war is in the air – but
Strock, with remarkable post-vision self-confidence, disarms
them, and they turn into friends.
Holloway’s motives are unclear. He is played with humanitarian intensity by Landon Sutton
the wild night that is developing
will not be a complete disaster.
Lilac, a sharp-minded, tarttongued but kind peddler
(Taryne Kellogg) is not welcomed
by Hepley, but she becomes useful and he warms to her.
Eventually an outrageous
party breaks out but secrets
abound in that nest of busybodies
that could prove calamitous for
the mission (whatever that might
be) of Sir Holloway and the personal and professional life of the
local Abbot (Glenn Stoops).
Scenic Designer Eric Marchetta created a tavern audience
members would enjoy visiting
and Costume Designer Rebecca
Joy Wallace adds flashes of bright
color accented by the lighting of
Shelby Lee Loera. The actions is
and he is definitely on a secret
mission, but he devotes most of
his energy to keeping an eye on
Sir Dashley (Michael Tubman)
and Sir Arrowood (Kevin Ruiter),
a Rosencrantz and Guildestern
kind of pair with the zaniness but
not the nefarious streaks of
Shakespeare’s or Tom Stoppard’s
characters.
Simon (Ian Peterson) wanders
in from a land far away in search
of an almost mystical love. He
says he is a farmer bored by his
life and clings to a book. Is he a
spy?
Then there is the band of gypsies who storm onto the scene
and are almost as quickly
bounced off the stage by Hepley
– until a bag of gold coins appears that gives him hope that
well-coordinated by stage managers Sarah Peterson and Shairi
Turner and the sound was managed by Dave Green.
Additional cast members include: Brittney Moss, Logan Sutton, Megan Magee (keep an eye
on her), Billie Aken-Tyers, Peter
Sanzone and Madeline Lewis –
who does wonderful tarot readings during intermission.
GO EAST YOUNG PEOPLE
Bennett has been singing and
writing since her childhood in
Lake Elsinore, CA. She was directing and producing original
plays by high school that were so
successful that there was no looking back.
Ophelia Theatre Group was
established when Bennett was 21
and she has produced, directed
and often performed in its wide
variety shows.
The group’s success prompted
Bennett to move the remarkable
troupe of actors, singers and
dancers to New York in 2011,
where her younger brother
Micah was already established.
Fifteen core members migrated to New York, many living
in Astoria, where Bennett is also
a popular Astoria karaoke impresario.
She attracts a lot of people
who are actually good singers,
but some guests come just for her
fine voice and wonderful style.
Her parents were born and
raised in California and many nations and a lot of talent streamed
into Bennett’s upbringing and
gene pool. Both her parents’ families are musical and her mother,
Stacie Macias, is also a writer.
She has written a suspense novel
and is currently in graduate
school studying American history.
Bennett’s father Russ, who is
part Mexican, Spanish and
Apachee, was in the mortgage
business and is a classic rock musician. He sings and plays saxophone, flute drums.
For 10 years Stacie sang in
Russ’ band that had the felicitous
name “Partyzon.”
Her roots in Greece – the village of Sofiana which is near
Corinith – and the American Midwest, mainly of English extraction. Her mother’s name is Victoria Theodoropoulos and her
uncle Ilias Theros was a distinguished radiologist in Washington, DC.
“The Fox and Boulder” finished its run at the Variety Boys
and Girls Club in Astoria the
weekend of March 27. For more
information visit www.opheliatheatre.com.
Kokkari Voted by Zagat as Number 1 Restaurant Overall in San Francisco
pid idea. Restaurants are a terrible business. You’re not going
to make any money.’ The thing
is, we never did it to make
money.
“That was never a motivating
issue, why we did these restaurants at all. It was always about
showcasing the food of our
mothers and grandmothers, and
putting that food in an environment that was absolutely beautiful.”
Founding partner Marcus
told Zagat, “Kenny and I envisioned sharing our family food
with our community. We did not
believe Greek food had ever
been represented with traditional family recipes. We wanted
to make our main focus on the
customer, and do everything
first-rate with the best produce,
preparation and service, so we
thought it would take three to
four years to get to a profitable
state. We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have wonderful managers, chefs and
servers who believe that we are
on a special mission to make the
Hellenic cuisine exceptional. We
simply kept our eye on the customer with Greek hospitality
and mom’s cuisine.”
Frangadakis and Marcus set
out to do their restaurants in
their own way, starting from
scratch. “There were no Greek
cooking schools. Nobody was really into Greek cuisine,” Frangadakis says. “So a real estate
guy and a dentist went looking
for a top chef, and we had no
takers. What we did was find an
excellent Italian chef. I have a
backyard kitchen. My wife
Angie and Judy Marcus, as well
as my mother-in-law – three
fantastic cooks – worked with
the chef, teaching him our family recipes.
“We would go to the market
and buy whole fish and lamb
chops and everything else
needed to make great Greek
food. Of course, the chef had to
translate the recipes to serve
500 people, but after we got
over the initial phases, we were
in business.
All of us are foodies. George
and his wife Judy. My wife
Angie has an impeccable palate.
Kokkari was named after her
home town on the island of
Samos. Evvia was named after
George’s Greek island home. Occasionally chefs like to get out
of the box – add their own twist
to one of our classics. We don’t
mind them getting creative as
long as they keep it in the
Aegean mode.”
When Frangadakis talks
about Kokkari, his voice rings
with enthusiasm. “At Kokkari,
we have a large fireplace where
we actually rotisserie. It’s the
most beautiful element in the
restaurant. You can sit in front
and see the meat being cooked
– ducks and goats and lambs
and pigs. You get the smells, the
spices, the ambiance.” Frangadakis takes pride in what he
Kokkari’s impressive ambience and fresh, authentic dishes
combine the flavor of a homemade meal in an upscale setting.
calls the “fifth dimension. It’s
the entertainment aspect, the
service, the atmosphere that’s so
important. We want people to
have a good time. We want to
make people feel warm. Hospi-
tality and philotimo are what
Greeks are all about. It’s a special feeling.”
Reading the menu makes
you want to grab the next plane
and head out to sample the
charcoal grilled octopus, the
zucchini cakes with mint dressing, the goat stew, the fish, the
lamb roasted in a spit in the
restaurant. Marcus, a business
maverick, also brought innovations to dining scene. Says Frangadakis, “My partner George
loves octopus, nobody was serving octopus before we did, nobody was serving smelts before
we did this, so we brought all
of this to the forefront, and now
everybody copies this.”
Speaking of his own favorites, Frangadakis says,
“There’s a goat stew that’s phenomenal. Our lamb chops are
the best. That’s a favorite dish.
The fish can be done on a grill
or cooked in the oven. The
whole fish is a number one
seller. It can be done with potatoes and tomatoes but it’s very
light. There’s the octopus appetizer. Zucchini cakes are a favorite of vegetarians. We make
our own pita bread, our own
ice-cream. Our spreads are the
best.” He adds: “I hate to be
prejudiced, but I think it’s the
best Hellenic restaurant – we
call it Hellenic for non-Greeks –
in the world.”
If you can’t make it to San
Francisco, you can consult the
cookbook, Kokkari, Contemporary Greek Flavors, written by
Erik Cosselman and Janet
Fletcher. This gorgeous tome
could grace any coffee table but
a note at the beginning advises:
“This is not a cookbook we want
you to leave on display on the
shelf. We want it to be stained
with olive oil and splashed with
wine, a source of laughter and
pleasure at the table as you journey through Greek cooking.”
Both Frangadakis and Marcus have been awarded many
honors for their work and contributions to the community.
Marcus, co-founder with Frangadakis of the National Hellenic
Society, also helped fund the
Modern Greek Studies Program
at San Francisco State, his alma
mater. Says Frangadakis: “We
do a lot of special events for the
Greek community. George and I
both belong to the Elios Society
. At the Elios Charity Ball bi-annually, we honor people in the
theater arts -- Alexander Payne,
Jim Gianopulos. George and I
sponsor a VIP cocktail party at
Kokkari for honored guests and
their friends.” The restaurant
frequently hosts celebrities and
politicians. “George is very involved politically, and he was a
regent at the University of California. He’s good friends with
Gov. Jerry Brown, who dines
with us. All the politicos come.
“When we opened Evvia in
Palo Alto 20 years ago, our first
chef was the grandson of Mayor
Joe Alioto. We had George
Christopher, the Greek-American and extremely well-known
mayor of San Francisco and
Alioto at the same table. So we
had two former mayors of San
Francisco debating the qualities
of Italian and Greek cooking. It
was really special.”
At St. Petersburg Coll. in Tarpon Springs, Philotimo and Hellenism Abound
Tarpon Springs Provost, Dr.
Bright now provides an update
about how that important initiative is progressing.
CONTAGIOUS ENTHUSIASM
It was as if we never ended
our conversation from last fall,
as things picked up right where
they left off, seamlessly. Along
with the Greek-American community, including the district’s
Congressman Gus Bilirakis and
his father and predecessor, Mike,
along with former Tarpon
Springs Vice Mayor and current
mayoral candidate Chris Alahouzos, Consul General of
Greece in Tampa Adamantia
Klotsa, and countless academics
from the surrounding area, Dr.
Bright beamed about the
“tremendous strides” in terms of
further infusing Hellenism into
SPC’s curriculum.
“We have cleared the hurdle”
of incorporating Greek language-based courses into the
mix, Bright told TNH, and now
the plan is to get everyone on
board – including academic advisors – to get the message out
to everyone that these are readily available.
PHILOTIMO DAY
Particularly exciting was this
year’s academic forum at SPC by
the American Foundation for
Greek Language and Culture
(AFGLC) a few weeks ago. The
theme, and title, this year was:
“The Virtue of Philotimo.” A
short film released last autumn,
directed by Andy and Mike Manatos and John Kinhard and produced by the OXI Foundation, titled The Greek Secret, focused
on that uniquely-Greek word,
and its widespread popularity
raised the national consciousness – in and out of the Greek
community – about philotimo.
Accordingly, the topic was quite
timely, eminently appropriate,
and Bright said the feedback he
received was that it was AFGLC’s
“best conference thus far. The
energy, the topics – you really
had to be there to feel the energy,” Bright continued. “I could
talk about it for hours, but you
really had to be there to experience it.”
Bright spoke about AFGLC
Past President Dr. Byron Palls,
who is staunchly dedicated to
the AFGLC Mission in general,
and specifically as it pertains to
Hellenism in the SPC curriculum. Dr. Palls was unable to attend the event live, but he attended via Skype. “The
technology was fantastic,” Bright
said. The event “had a good
scholarly feel. There was a great
deal of research-based information on the topic of philotimo,
but it was all quite nurturing.
My goal is to grow it even more
for next year.”
Palls shared a good deal of
information about AFGLC and
the Philotimo conference with
LEFT: Dr. Marvin Bright,
Provost
of
SPC-Tarpon
Springs, says the energy about
infusing Hellenism into the
curriculum is “contagious.”
ABOVE: The letters proclaiming SPC’s Tarpon Springs campus are emblematic of its Hellenic identity, energy, and
enthusiasm. RIGHT: Dr. Byron
Palls, past AFGLC President,
is committed to seeing a Hellenic Studies Center established at SPC’s Tarpon Springs
campus.
TNH. He explained that Dr. John
Ballis, his predecessor as AFGLC
President, died in 2010 before
he had a chance to realize the
collaborative growth of AFGLC
and SPC. To that end, Palls was
determined to fulfill Ballis’
wishes. Palls has continued to
work diligently to ensure that
SPC continues to host the
AFGLC forum, and that SPC will
create a Center for Hellenic
Studies.
In his presentation, Palls described that existing courses at
SPC include Ancient Greek
Mythology, Introduction to
Greek Culture, and Introduction
to Greek Philosophy, and additional courses in Greek history
and language are planned.
Moreover, Palls outlined
some of the contributions Greeks
have made to civilization that
are perhaps not as well-known
as history, medicine, philosophy,
and theater. These include:
alarm clocks, automatic doors,
odometers, public education,
showers, and vending machines.
“BIG INITIATIVE”
One of the programs Dr.
Bright is most supportive of is
SPC’s Early College Program,
which continues to do well. Essentially, high school students
enroll in SPC courses simultaneously, thereby graduating from
high school with a diploma and
an associate degree. At that
point, he says, “they can enroll
in a four-year college as first-semester juniors.”
Bright is also very excited
about an upcoming “big initiative” regarding Hellenism and
the SPC curriculum. He plans to
reveal more to TNH as details
develop, but for now, he shared
that “it is driven by the community, by the citizens,” and he calls
it “an educational ecosystem.”
Numerous community leaders,
not least of which both Congressmen Bilirakis, are involved.
Further developments may
emerge as soon as this summer.
COMMUNITY
7
ALL HISTORY
“Who Loves Ya Baby!” Kojak was Only the Start of the Greek Gumshoe
By Steve Frangos
TNH Staff Writer
CHICAGO- It is impossible to
tell when, where or why popular culture will attribute some
attitude or object as undeniably
Greek. At the moment we are
living through a time when
commercial after commercial
loudly asserts that the best yogurt imaginable is Greek. No
matter that the product(s) so
identified in no way resembles
traditional Greek yogurt. That
there is little or no rhyme or reason for the vast majority of these
assertions of Greekness is not
the point. When popular culture
strikes all we can do is watch as
it unfolds and try to come to
terms with its unexpected manifestation(s).
Such is the case with the current gaggle of Greek and GreekAmerican detectives. I have no
idea why we are now facing a
virtual herd of Greek and GreekAmerican crimefighters, but
they are appearing in print all
around us. And their numbers
show no sign of disappearing
any time soon. Surprisingly
some of these tales are written
by serious writers whose every
publication elevates their work
to the highest levels of literature. Others are solid tongue in
cheek creations meant as nothing more than passing confections. But one and all consciously choose Greeks as their
central character and the adventures they live are done in what
we are told/ or at the very least
shown is/are a Greek fashion.
I cannot hope to unravel all
the nuances evident in this unlikely collective of gumshoes.
My efforts here will be simply
to assemble the known suspects
and let you come to your own
conclusions about what the appearance of all these new personas might convey about how
the world now sees us.
Fictional depictions of Greeks
as detectives, criminals, and the
victims of crimes is nothing new.
For those of you wishing to get
a grounding in this subgenre I
would suggest reading two
chapters out of Alexander
Karanikas’ book length study
Hellenes and Hellions: Modern
Greek Character sin American
Literature (Chicago: University
of Illinois Press, 1981): Chapter
12 is entitled “Private Eyes and
Victims” and then the next chapter “Thrillers Set in Greece.”
While even Karanikas’ fine account is dated if will situate you
in the older material before the
appearance of this new generation of sleuths.
While undoubtedly many of
you have already thought of
George Pelecanos’ twenty-one
novels and one book of short
stories this outstanding author
was not the first to present a
Greek-American character as a
detective from among this new
wave of Greek crime fighting
figures. I hesitate, especially
with Pelecanos, to call these
writings strictly “crime novels.”
To be sure we are in the same
general genre or thematic area
as fiction involving some kind
of crime or at the very least mystery but also adding the words
“solved” or “detective” somehow
seems off the mark. More and
far less is at work in these volumes than finding “the killer”
or “locating the stolen money.”
Let us instead offer up something of the principal authors
and their works to first demonstrate the body of work at hand
and then move on to possible
similarities and/or differences
in their collective works.
Paul Kemprecos (born March
11, 1939) is the author of the
long running Aristotle “Soc” Socarides series. The character of
Socarides is a Cape Cod fisherman, diver and sometimes private investigator. As of this moment the "Soc" Socarides series
includes: Cool Blue Tomb
(1991), Neptune's Eye (1991),
Death in Deep Water (1992),
Feeding
Frenzy
(1993),
Mayflower Murder (1996), and
Bluefin Blues (1997). The
newly-released Grey Lady is the
seventh book in the popular Socarides detective series. Kemprecos is himself the son of a Greek
immigrant and a lifelong resident of Cape Cod.
Next we have Stamatios T.
Iakovou (b. 1950) and Judith
Kerley Iakovou (b. 1949) and
their creations of Nick Lambros,
Greek immigrant and cafe
owner, and Julia Lambros, cafe
owner and part-time speech
pathologist in Delphi, Georgia.
George Pelecanos’ Stefanos-centered novels include: A Firing
Offense (1992), Nick's Trip (1993) – its cover is seen above,
This crime stopping duo are
found in the novels: So Dear to
Wicked Men (1996), Go Close
Against the Enemy (1998) and
There Lies a Hidden Scorpion
(1999). Takis and Judy Iakovou
have owned and managed
restaurants for nearly twenty
years, but only recently have
they put this experience to work
writing mysteries.
“Tori Carrington” is the pen
name of yet another husband
and wife writing team formed
by Tony Karayianni (b. Smila,
Greece) and Lori Schlachter
Karayianni (b. Toledo, Ohio,
United States). Since 1998, the
couple have proven both productive and popular having
completed over 28 romance
novels. For our interest here Tori
Carrington is the author of the
Sofie Metropolis series: Sofie
Metropolis (2005), Dirty Laundry (2006), Foul Play (2007),
Working Stiff (2008) and Love
Bites (2011). Sofie Metropolis,
is a Greek-American private investigator (well sorta), in
Queens, New York City working
out of her uncle’s agency. This
series is interesting if for no
other reasons than every popular culture cliché from films,
news accounts and other novels
sees expression in Sophie’s
everyday life. And dubious as it
may seem, to the best of my
knowledge, the offering of “real”
Greek recipes began in this series.
Gus Leodas, an Amazon bestselling author is the creator of
the Mitchell Pappas mysteries.
Such as A Tide for Renata
(2000), as well as other novels.
Yet another husband and
wife writing team is Cordelia
Frances Biddle and Steve Zettler
writing under the pseudonym of
Nero Blanc. Their creation is
Rosco Polycrates who is not only
a third generation Greek-American but also a professional private investigator. In this series
of books it is crossword puzzles
that provide the important
clues. Beware Polycrates is for
super-serious crossword buffs.
This series includes: The Crossword Murder (1999), Two
Down (2000), The Crossword
Connection (2001) and A Crossword To Die For (2002).
Then we have Georgie
Nikolopatos the main protagonist in the Greek To Me! series:
Feta Attraction (2015) and Olive
and Let Die (2015) by author
Susannah Hardy. Nikolopatos
manages the Bonaparte House,
a Greek restaurant and historic
landmark in beautiful upstate
New York where the action of
this series takes place. This
tongue in cheek series is another
that “includes delicious Greek
recipes!”
George Pelecanos’ (b. 1957)
intent and writing style place
his work on a far different plane
than the other authors so far
considered. Pelecanos' first three
novels were written in the first
person voice of Nick Stefanos, a
Greek-American D.C. resident
and sometime unofficial investigator. The Stefanos centered
novels include: A Firing Offense
(1992), Nick's Trip (1993), and
Down by the River Where the
Dead Men Go (1994). Other
Greek characters and social settings see presentation in his ongoing writings. Pelecanos is a
writer of the first rank whose
talent seems to have no limit.
To simply illustrate that this
surge in Greek sleuths is not limited to American shores let us
quickly review some authors
whose work features detectives
based in Greece.
Undoubtedly the writer with
the greatest attention right now
is Anne Zouroudi and her
“Greek Detective,” e.g. Hermes
Diaktoros novels. Zouroudi was
born in Britain and married a
Greek. The novels dealing with
Diaktoros, better known by his
enemies as “the fat man” is one
of
the
most
popular
detective/mystery series now
being
published.
While
Zouroudi originally conceived
of her Diaktoros series as seven
novels, each based on one of the
Deadly Sins and set mainly in
the Greek islands, the overall
popularity of the fat man may
well prove to extend this original plan.
Paul Johnston (b 1957) has
given the world Alex Mavros a
half-Scots, half-Greek private investigator living in Greece. His
adventures have been read in
seven novels: Deeper Shade of
Blue (2002), The Last Red
Death (2008), The Golden Silence (2004), The Silver Stain
(2012) The Green Lady (2012)
The Black Life (2013) and The
White Sea (2014).
Petros M rkaris (b 1937) is
a Greek writer of considerable
note who has written along the
way seven detective novels plus
one book of short stories which
feature the exploits of Athenian
police investigator Costas Haritos. Markaris has considerable
literary chops having written
several plays as well as working
with Theo Angelopoulos on a
number of film scripts. Markaris
has translated several German
dramas into Greek and in August 2013 was awarded the
prestigious Goethe Medal.
Markaris’ novels involving
Costas Haritos are especially
noteworthy for including current events such as the economic crisis in the storyline.
More names could well be
added to this all too brief survey.
How and why these GreekAmerican and Greek gumshoes
have come to seize the public’s
attention is still a matter for
study. All feature to one degree
or another central characters
just outside of everyday life. But
this is a core element in most
crime novels where the character’s marginality allows them to
see/understand what is happening in a way the other characters
(and supposedly the readers)
cannot. But why Greeks? And
why did this use of Greeks begin
in the 1990s and only increase
over time? And here we have a
cultural mystery, yet to be
solved!
hero bread, salad, a coconut
custard pie and coffee in celebration, telling me, ‘Always
happy to oblige a friend,’ ”
George cudgeled his brain. Did
Yiannis’ talent prove effective?
Did he choose the honest
worker? Should George be magnanimous and accept that as
fact? He rubbed his chin, still
uncertain. Dimos had accepted
his friend’s abilities while, mentally, tallying the four sumptuous lunches Yiannis had consumed. Then, Yiannis entered
and sat among them, gratified
that everyone had unanimously
acknowledged his timely intervention – even George, whose
disquieting reflections pondered
long on the riddle. Had Yiannis
hoodwinked them all in some
way? How?
Fact was, he hadn’t, really,
chosen the worker. But this extraordinary talent he claimed to
have did, indeed, approve the
counter man. Right? Wrong! Dimos had the last word. That’s
when a flash of enlightenment
came. Yeah! That’s it! What was
certain was that the ol’ fox, indeed, had a talent. That talent
was freeloading!
hellenenow1@yahoo.com
GREEK AMERICAN STORIES
Talents
By Phylis (Kiki) Sembos
nod of Ok. So, after he’d left, I
called the agency and hired
someone who came that same
day. I called Yiannis and told
him he didn’t need to come. But,
he came, anyway. Observing the
new counter man, he said,
‘Bravo, Dimos! He’s perfect!
He’ll work out! I’m certain of it!
My intuition says you’ve got the
right man this time! Yes, he’s the
one!’
”Kipreos’
eyes
widened.“So, Yiannis approved?
Is he working out like Yiannis
said? ” “He did! And, yes, the
worker is O.K. But, then, Yiannis
ordered roast beef on Italian
Special to The National Herald
his neighbors afterwards. “I’m
never wrong!” Sipping his coffee, he continued, “The next
time you want to hire anyone…
call me. I’ll have a look at him
and tell you what my sixth sense
tells me. You’ll see I’m on target.
One look…I’ll know!”
“Ok Yiannis. Tell you what!
I’m expecting two counter men
Monday. You can stand by the
kitchen where you can’t be seen
and look them over. Then, tell
me what your sixth sense tells
you.” George’s eyes narrowed;
suspicious at what scheming
snake oil salesman idea he’d
hatch. He asked, “What do you
expect in return for your services, Yiannis? Surely, you’d not
do something without compensation of some kind.”
“I expect nothing!” he
replied, sounding offended.
“But, I did think it would be better if I looked like a customer
than a spy - looking more natural like...eating at the counter.”
He looked at Dimos, expectantly. “Well, a sandwich and
coffee is not unreasonable compensation.” Dimos agreed. Not
one to kick a free lunch away
Yiannis was more than pleased.
But, the wheels in his brain
churned harder than a cement
mixer. Next Sunday saw them
all gathered in Dixon’s - eager
to hear about Yiannis’ sixth
sense. “Well? Did you hire anyone using Yiannis’ extraordinary
talent?” John asked Dimos. “I’m
still trying to figure that out!”
Dimos said, hesitatingly. “He
didn’t like the two who had
come Monday - had lunch and
left. Tuesday, another applicant
came for the job. He warned
against him - after lunch. When
I complained that his intuition
was eating my profits, he said,
‘my sixth sense is very sensitive
on these matters, Dimos. I’m uncanny, I tell you. We can’t risk
having you hiring another thief.’
Wednesday went by with no
THE NATIONAL HERALD BOOKSTORE
Exercise your mind with the latest books from The National Herald Collection
FLAVOURS & DELIGHTS
Tastes and pleasures of Ancient & Byzantine Cuisine
FLAVOURS & DELIGHTS
elizAbeth conley/the detroit newS
Dimos sat, glumly, in his
place in Dixon’s cafeteria airing
his latest concern to his friends.
“I had to fire him! I mean, he
was the only one in the store
when I went to the bank to deposit the day’s receipts,” he told
his listeners who were equally
concerned. “A whole ham disappeared. What else was I to
think? – especially, when the
waitress saw him go outside to
a parked car holding a large
bag; then, came back empty
handed.”
“Well, you did the right
thing, Dimos!” John consoled.
Dimos relaxed to some degree,
touched by their understanding.
“I, usually, can spot a shifty face
before hiring. But, this one
fooled me, completely.” Yiannis’
mouth formed a sardonic curl,
“There are other ways to judge
a person. Now, I have a special
talent that senses a shady character on the spot. I have infallible intuition.” George raised a
dark brow, somewhat enigmatically. “You have a special talent
to catch shady characters?” “I
do!” assured Yiannis. “When
someone comes to my door asking for something I look hard at
him, notice his body language,
his clothes, his eyes, mostly.
Then, I know what to do.”“What
do you do?” asked Kipreos, wide
eyed. “It’s a sure thing he wants
something. So, I shut the door.”
“Before you find out what he
wanted?” asked George. “Suppose you were wrong!” Yiannis
responded that he’d, later, ask
Hellenic in Detroit:
Evzones take
Monroe St.
Members of the
Detroit Evzones march
down Monroe Street
in Greektown during
the 14th annual Greek
Independence Day
Parade in Greektown
on April 19.
Metropolitan Nicholas
of Detroit led
marchers from dozens
of organizations and
AHEPA Supreme
President Philip
Frangos was Grand
Marshal. Festivities
included dance groups
and marching bands.
$46.99
the flavours of classical Greece
Makedonisi(on). Parsley, the macedonian herb.
byzantine diet and cuisine. in between ancient and modern gastronomy. All in the cooking pot. Advances in the study of byzantine diet.
eating flowers
byzantine aphrodisiacs & delicacies.
liutprand of cremona. A critical guest at the byzantine emperor's
table.
Timarion
hens, cockerels and other choice fowl. everyday food and gastronomic pretensions in byzantium
Pallikaria of lentils. the "brave boys" of beans.
everyday food in the middle byzantine period
dining with foreigners
Food for Saints
the emperor's salad
"the raw and the cooked" way of cooking and serving food in
byzantium
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OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS
8
Chris Nicholson, Greek-American Tribune Editor, was 95
Chris Nicholson, 95, of Sheboygan, passed away March 28,
2015.
Born February 5, 1920, in Albert Lea, MN, Chris was the son
of the late Nick and Christina
Nicolopoulos. After the death of
Christina on February 17, 1920,
Nick took Chris and Chris’s sister
back to Greece, where Chris was
raised until he returned to the
United States in 1945. He studied law at the University of
Athens.
death by his parents and by his
sister, Kathryn Vasiliou.
A family service will be held
at a later date.
The Olson Funeral Home and
Cremation Service has been entrusted with arrangements.
The family would like to
thank the staff at Countryside
Manor, the nurses and staff at
Memorial Hospital, and Dr.
Hancock for their loving care
and support.
Chris worked as a journalist
in other countries and in the
United States. He lived in New
York City most of his adult life.
In New York City he was the editor of The Greek-American Tribune. Chris knew several languages and loved classical
music.
He is survived by his nieces,
Pat (Wayne) Sather, Sheboygan,
and Maria Vasiliou of Wayzata,
MN, as well as by relatives in
Greece. He was preceded in
Bill Arhos, Founder of TV’s Austin City Limits, Dies at 80
By Sam Roberts
AUSTIN, TX (From the New
York Times, published on Apr.
20) – Bill Arhos, a frustrated
guitarist whose long-running
television show, Austin City Limits, introduced much of America
to the sound of redneck rock
and progressive country and
prompted Austin, TX, to proclaim itself the “Live Music Capital of the World,” died on April
11 in suburban Austin. He was
80.
His death, of heart disease,
was announced by KLRU, the
public television station in
Austin, his hometown, which
originated the show.
Armed with a pilot featuring
Willie Nelson that he produced
for $7,000, Mr. Arhos (pronounced AR-hoes) convinced
public broadcasting stations in
1975 that the rest of the nation
was ready for the emerging
home-brewed regional mix of
rock and counterculture lyrics
by country singer-songwriters,
a marked contrast to mainstream Nashville music.
By 2010, Austin City Limits
had become the longest-running
live musical concert show on
television, surpassing the Boston
Pops’ 34-year record on WGBH.
“Bill got it launched as a series,
Bill kept it going as a series for
25 or more years,” said Terry
Lickona, the show’s current producer and Mr. Arhos’ former colleague. “That was an important
part of Bill’s legacy.”
The genesis was collaborative. Inspired by Jan Reid’s 1974
book, The Improbable Rise of
Redneck Rock, Paul Bosner, a
producer for the Austin station
(originally called KLRN), and a
colleague, Bruce Scafe, suggested that they start a music
Bill Arhos (L) with Willie Nelson, who appeared on the very
first episode of Arhos’ television show Austin City Limits.
series. Mr. Arhos submitted a
proposal to PBS, which awarded
a grant and featured his pilot in
one of its first national on-air
fundraising drives.
Introduced with Gary P.
Nunn’s London Homesick Blues,
Austin City Limits went on to
feature performances by country
stars like Chet Atkins, Garth
Brooks, Johnny Cash, the Dixie
Chicks, Emmylou Harris and
Reba McEntire, as well as rock
and blues acts including Ray
Charles, Leonard Cohen, Sheryl
Crow, Fats Domino, Foo Fighters, B. B. King, Roy Orbison,
Pearl Jam, Robert Plant, Neil
Young, Townes Van Zandt, and
Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 2002 the
show spawned the Austin City
Limits Music Festival.
“What was the most visible
cultural product of Austin? Music,” Mr. Arhos was quoted as
saying in the 2010 book “Weird
City,” by Joshua Long. “It was
obvious. It would be like ignoring a rhinoceros in your bathtub.”
In 1995, Mr. Arhos told Texas
Alcalde, the University of Texas
alumni magazine: “There were
probably more blues and jazz
musicians here than country
musicians, but the only moneymaking gigs were in country. So
they played jazz and blues inside the country music, and that
developed a new art form.”
Billy Philip Arhos was born
in the East Texas town of Teague
on Nov. 3, 1934, the son of
Greek immigrants. His father,
Philip Arhos, was a restaurateur.
His mother, the former Helen
Bournias, was a courthouse administrator. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Rice University
and a master’s in education
from Texas A&M.
He is survived by two daughters, Leslie Lucas and Laura
Jenkins; a son, Damon Arhos;
six grandchildren; four greatgrandchildren; and a sister, Virginia Hardy.
Mr. Arhos joined public television shortly after it began
broadcasting from the communications building at the University of Texas in Austin, and
through “Austin City Limits,” his
former colleague Mr. Lickona
said, “he was able vicariously to
live a lot of his musical fantasies.”
He was president and general manager of the station from
1986 until his retirement in
1999. He also served on the
boards of PBS and the Country
Music Association. As executive
producer of “Austin City Limits”
from 1975 until his retirement,
he was credited with setting the
program’s cutting-edge tone.
“Here was a show that you
could watch an entire live performance of a band — not just
one song after Johnny Carson
walks off the couch — in front
of an intimate audience,” Dave
Grohl of Foo Fighters told
Rolling Stone magazine.
“Those experiences translate,” he said. “When I was
young, I was like: ‘Wow, that’s
music! That’s how it’s done!
Now it’s in my living room, and
it makes me want to do that,
too.’ You watch these brilliant
musicians ripping on that stage
week after week, and it could
only inspire young musicians.
Maybe that’s what it was for.”
Sophia “Mimi” Paul, Concert Pianist, Passes away at 107
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice Of Formation, ROBINSONGAL43 LLC.
(DOM. LLC). Articles of Organization Filed with
Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
12/19/2014. Office location: Nassau County.
SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY
shall mail copies of any process served against the
LLC to: c/o: United States Corporation Agents,
Inc. 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY
11228. Purpose: any lawful Purpose or activity.
274380/19477
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice Of Formation, ANTLIA CAPITAL LLC.
(DOM. LLC). Articles of Organization Filed with
Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
03/17/2015. Office location: Kings County. SSNY
designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail
copies of any process served against the LLC to:
Murat Omur, 863 45 Street, Floor 1, Brooklyn, NY
11220. Purpose: any lawful Purpose or activity.
274372/19470
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF FORMATION, P&P estates, LLC.
Articles of Organization Filed with Secretary of
State of New York (SSNY) on 03/04/2015. Office
location: Nassau County. SSNY designated for
service of process. SSNY shall mail copies of any
process served against the LLC to c/o: THE LLC,
87 Georgia Dr., Syosset NY, 11791. Purpose: any
lawful Purpose or activity.
274370/19467
LEGAL NOTICE
family moved to Washington,
DC. In 1935, she married James
D. Paul, founder of Paul's
Wholesale Florist Company and
real estate investor. A classically
trained concert pianist, Mrs.
Paul chose not to pursue a career in music in favor of a life
devoted to her family. She remained active in the arts
throughout her life, and was a
long-time member of The Arts
Club of Washington.
She was on the Women's
Committee for the National
Symphony Orchestra. She was
a patron of the American Heart
Association's Annual Luncheon
Honoring the First Lady and
Congressional Wives. She also
volunteered her time with the
Salvation Army.
Following her husband's
death in 1961, she moved to
The Westchester, her home for
the next 52 years. A gracious
presence in Washington, Mrs.
Paul was a refined woman
known for her elegance and romantic style, always seen with
miniature orchids in her hair.
Her family and friends remember fondly many pleasant afternoons spent together enjoying
high tea in the Garden Terrace
at the Four Seasons in George-
town. Mrs. Paul was the devoted
mother to Dennis and his wife
Georgianna of Washington, DC,
and to Nicholas and his wife
June of Annapolis, MD. She was
adored by her grandchildren:
Catharine, Denisse, Dennis and
wife Coralie, Georgianna and fiancé Bryan, the late James II
and wife Christiana, Mary Elizabeth and husband Andrew,
Nicholas and wife Melissa. She
was the loving great-grandmother to Anais, Ann, Emelia,
James III, James, Maximilien,
and Robert. She attended the
Fifth Church of Christ Scientist
in Georgetown.
DEATH NOTICES
n ANAGNOS, PARNASSOS
RUTLAND, VT (From the Rutland Herald, published on Apr.
17) – Parnassos Peter Anagnos,
78, of Rutland, VT, died April 11,
2015, in Mountain View Center
Genesis Eldercare Network, after
a short illness. He was born on
March 16, 1937, in Sparta,
Greece, the son of Petros and Fotini (Bouthouni) Anagnos. For
many years, he was a chef at The
Rutland Restaurant. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Katherine Anagnos, several nieces,
nephews, and cousins. Memorial
contributions may be made to the
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox
Church, P.O. Box 939, Rutland,
VT 05702.
n BALAOURAS, ELEFTHERIA
(MALLIOS)
WINTHROP, MA (From the
Boston Globe, published on Apr.
7) – Balaouras, Eleftheria
(Mallios) Of Winthrop, April 4.
Devoted wife of George
Balaouras. Loving mother of Helen Balaouras of Winthrop, Barbara O'Donnell and her husband
James of Winthrop and
Stephanie Balaouras and her wife
Helena Johnson of Reading. Dear
sister of Athena Thanou of
Greece and the late Michael and
Anastasios Mallios. Cherished
grandmother of Mary, Ellie and
Marie. Memorial donations may
be made to the Jimmy Fund,
days and dates of funerals,
memorials, and other events directly correspond to the original
publication date, which appears
at the beginning of each notice.
Dana Farber Cancer Institute, PO
Box 849168, Boston MA 022849168
or
go
to
www.danafarber.org.
n COMPGIANNIS, STEVE
SANTA BARBARA, CA (From the
Santa Barbara News-Press, published on Apr. 16) – Was born
November 8, 1923 in Sacramento, California to Thomas and
Eugenia Compogiannis who emigrated from Greece in 1910. In
1924 the family moved to Santa
Barbara, where Steve attended
La Cumbre Junior High School
and Santa Barbara High School
where he was active in student
affairs. Steve graduated from
Stanford University and did graduate work at the University of
Southern California in order to
prepare and qualify to become a
Certified Public Account. During
World War II Steve served in the
U.S. Navy being stationed in Europe. As an active Naval Reserve
Officer, Steve was called up during the Korean War, and served
as a Cost Inspection Officer for
Procurement in Japan. Upon
completion of his active duty,
Steve resumed his career as a
CPA, opening his own office on
Anapamu Street, where he wistfully remembered the rent being
a whopping $25.00 per month.
In 1960 Steve married Anne
Pomeroy Jordan and became a
stepfather to her two children,
Julie and Jim. Steve and Anne
had a son, Thomas in 1964. Steve
was very proud of his Greek Heritage and was an active and lifetime member of the Greek Fraternal Organization, The Order
of AHEPA, whose organization he
served as a local and a district
officer. Despite his preoccupation
with his accounting practice,
Steve enjoyed playing bridge,
bike riding, and walking. Son Jim
taught him to windsurf, with
which he persevered despite the
many "dips." Tennis was also a
favorite family sport at the La
Cumbre Country Club. Steve and
Anne enjoyed traveling and were
able to do so extensively. Steve
was dedicated and loved his profession, meeting clients and
crunching the numbers. Steve, to
the frustration of the Internal
Revenue Service, continued to
prepare and calculating tax returns by hand contending the
computers were not reliable. On
April 3, 2015 when Steve passed
he had been at this office doing
what he loved to do for over 60
years, his old heart so full of generosity, joy and compassion finally gave out. Steve is survived
by his loving family, wife Anne,
children Julie Hamlin (Howard),
Jim Jordan (Bonita), Tom
(Robyn), sister Helen and brother
Chris, Grandchildren Lauren,
Nick, Camryn and Chase Compogiannis.
n KOLOVANI, KYRIAKI
CAPE COD, MA (From the
Lebanon Daily News, published
on Mar. 25) – Kyriaki Kolovani
LEBANON It is with heavy hearts
that the family of Kyriaki A. "Kiki"
Kolovani share the passing of
their loving wife, mother, yiayia
and sister on March 23, 2015, at
78 years of age. She was the oldest daughter of Aristodimos Vafiadis and Anthoula (Homatopoulos); and the wife of Roland C.
Kolovani and the late Nikolaos S.
Frangiadis. Born in Thessaloniki,
Greece, April 6, 1936, she lived
through great poverty due to the
war and disliked watching
movies about that period of time
throughout her life. She wed
Nikolaos in 1962 and went on to
give birth to three children,
Vasilia, Dimitrios, and Anthi.
With her immediate family, she
emigrated to the United States in
1974 in pursuit of the American
Dream - to make the lives of her
children better than her own. She
worked as a seamstress and a
homemaker, raising her family in
Lebanon, Pa.; later opening her
own tailor shop. She was widowed in 1985 while two of her
children attended university and
the third was in elementary
school. While many in her extended family encouraged her to
return to Greece, Kiki persevered
and chose to remain in the
United States, fulfilling their goal
to provide each of their children
with a college education. It was
in her shop where she met
Roland and they wed in 1988.
With Roland, she travelled
throughout the country and the
world, enjoyed gardening and
many visits to her beloved Longwood Gardens, while cooking
and baking her cherished Greek
recipes for all to enjoy - her
kourabiedes were second to none
and she introduced yialanzi to
many. She struggled with many
medical conditions throughout
her lifetime. It was her family devotion and Orthodox faith that
remained in the forefront. Kiki is
survived by her spouse, Roland
C. Kolovani and his family of
Lebanon, Pa. and Florida; her
children, Vasilia "Bess" Kara and
her husband Gerald of St. Jacob's
274331/19442
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of 719 PINE LLC.
Articles of Organization filed with Secretary
of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/25/14.
Office location: Kings county. SSNY is designated as agent for service of process. SSNY
shall mail process to: Ramin Gold, 139 -43
86 Ave, Brairwood,NY 11435." Purpose:
any lawful act.
274330/19441
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of MREG RSG-SHEF 298
WEIRFIELD MEMBER LLC
Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY
(SSNY) on 03/23/15. Office location: Kings
County. Princ. office of LLC: 360 Lexington Ave.,
2nd Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent
of LLC upon whom process against it may be
served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Mack Real
Estate Group, 60 Columbus Circle, 20th Fl., NY,
NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
274329/17976
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of JONNY HIRSCH MUSIC
LLC a (DOM. LLC). Articles of Organization filed
with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
03/31/2015. Office location: Kings County. SSNY
is designated as agent upon whom process against
the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process
to: Jonny Hirsch Music LLC, 80 Meserole Street,
Apt. 4C, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Any Lawful
Purpose.
525 MYRTLE AVENUE CONDOS REALTY
LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY ON
02/10/14. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom
process against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail copy of process to the LLC, 37-36 75th
Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Purpose:
Any lawful purpose.
274323/17973
274363/19466
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of Y&F FAMILY LLC
Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY)
on 03/31/15. Office location: Kings County.
Princ. office of LLC: Joel Frankel, 74 Ross St., Apt.
5-F, Brooklyn, NY 11249. SSNY designated as
agent of LLC upon whom process against it may
be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at
the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful
activity.
Notice of formation of VIA ATALANTA
PRODUCTIONS, LLC a (DOM. LLC). Articles
of Organization filed with the Secretary of
State of New York (SSNY) on 02/26/2015.
Office location: Bronx County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the
LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process
to: VIA ATALANTA PRODUCTIONS, LLC, 3616
Henry Hudson Pkwy, Suite 5EN, Bronx, NY
10463. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
274355/17976
274315/19429
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of B & B Money
Management, LLC Arts of Org filed with Secy. of
State of NY (SSNY) on 3/16/2015. Office
location: BX County, SSNY designated agent
upon whom process may be served and shall mail
copy of process against LLC to principal business
address: 3000 Park Avenue, #4D, Bronx, NY
10451. Purpose: any lawful act.
Planning Change LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ NY
Sec. of State 3/9/15. Office in NY Co. SSNY
designated agent for service of process and
shall mail to 375 Greenwich St. Ste. 802, New
York, NY 10013. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
274309/18796
LEGAL NOTICE
274356/19459
LEGAL NOTICE
IRAM LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ SSNY 1/12/15.
Office in NY Co. SSNY designated for service of
process and shall mail to Reg. Agent: Corporation
Service Co, 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207.
Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Aerobic Sports Dance & Music Exercises Group
LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ NY Sec. of State
3/10/15. Office in NY Co. SSNY designated for
service of process and shall mail to 1641 3rd
Ave. #16F, New York, NY 10128. Purpose: Any
lawful activity.
274308/18796
274350/18796
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of KIT & TOD LLC.
Articles of Organization filed with Secre- tary
Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated
as agent for service of process. SSNY shall
mail process to: KIT & TOD LLC, 3062 Harding
Avenue PH, Bronx, NY 10465. Purpose: any
lawful act.
274339/19447
Otero Law Firm, PLLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ NY
Sec. of State 3/9/15. Office in NY Co. SSNY
designated agent for service of process and
shall mail to 222 Broadway 25th FL, New York,
NY 10038. Purpose: Law Practice.
274307/18796
FUNERAL HOMES
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of DC’s DELIGHT, LLC.
Articles of Organization filed with Secretary
Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated
as agent for service of process. SSNY shall
mail process to: c/o United States Corporation
Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202,
Brooklyn NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act.
274337/19445
WASHINGTON, DC (From the
Washington Post, published on
Apr. 12) – Sophia Camarinos
Paul, known as "Mimi" to her
grandchildren and their friends,
passed away peacefully on
Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at her
home in Washington, DC, having recently celebrated her
107th birthday.
Born
and
raised
in
Williamsport, PA, Sophia was
one of six children of Vasiliki
and Emmanuel Camarinos. She
studied piano and graduated
from the Dickinson Conservatory (now Lycoming College).
During the Great Depression her
"Notice of Formation of Mega Club Fashion,
LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/ Secy. of State of NY
(SSNY) on 07/07/11. Purpose: any lawful act.
Office location: Kings county.
SSNY
designated as agent for service of process.
SSNY shall mail process to: 2204 Ave. U,
Brooklyn, NY 11229."
LEGAL NOTICE
GAB PROPERTIES LLC. Art. of Org. filed with
the SSNY on 02/04/15. Latest date to dissolve:
12/31/2050. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom
process against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail copy of process to the LLC, 238 91st
Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209. Purpose: Any
lawful purpose.
APOSTOLOPOULOS
Apostle Family Gregory, Nicholas, Andrew Funeral Directors of
RIVERDALE
FUNERAL HOME Inc.
5044 Broadway
New York, NY 10034
(212) 942-4000
Toll Free 1-888-GAPOSTLE
CONSTANTINIDES
FUNERAL PARLOR Co.
(718) 745-1010
Services in all localities Low cost shipping to Greece
274335/17973
LEGAL NOTICE
ABSTRAKT PICTURES LLC. Art. of Org. filed
with the SSNY on 02/24/15. Office: Kings
County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC
upon whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 57
Thames Street, Apartment 4B, Brooklyn, NY
11237. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
274334/17973
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of PHRENE CONSULTING
LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secre- tary of State of New York (SSNY) on
Office location: NEWY County.
02/24/15.
SSNY designated as agent for service of process.
SSNY shall mail process to: THE LLC, 630 West
246th Street, Riverdale, NY 10471. Purpose:
any lawful act.
ANTONOPOULOS
FUNERAL HOME, INC.
Konstantinos Antonopoulos Funeral Director
38-08 Ditmars Blvd.,
Astoria, New York 11105
(718) 728-8500
Not affiliated with any
other funeral home.
to PlAce your
clASSiFied Ad, cAll:
(718) 784-5255, ext. 106,
e-mAil:
classifieds@
thenationalherald.com
274338/19446
ON, Dimitri N. Frangiadis and his
wife Laura of Landenberg, Pa.,
and Anthi Frangiadis of Onset,
Mass.; her grandchildren,
Nathaniel and Lydia Kara; Alexi
and Gabriel Frangiadis; and her
siblings, sister Olga Ousantzopoulos and brother Elefterios
Vafiadis and his wife Anneta, all
of Thessaloniki, Greece. Funeral
Service Friday, March 27 at 10
a.m. in St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Cape Cod, 1130
Falmouth Road Rt. 28, Centerville, Mass.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St.
George Greek Orthodox Church
of Cape Cod.
n KRIKORIS, ANASTASIA
LOWELL, MA (From the Lowell
Sun, published on Mar. 28) –
Mrs. Anastasia (Halamoutis)
Krikoris, 83, passed away peacefully at her home with her family by her side. Anastasia was
born September 23, 1931 in
Siatista, Greece, a daughter of
the late Nicholas and Soultana
(Papakosta)
Halamoutis.
this is a service
to the community.
Announcements of deaths
may be telephoned to the
classified department of
the national herald at
(718) 784-5255,
monday through Friday,
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eSt
or e-mailed to:
classifieds@thenationalherald.com
Beloved wife of 34 years to the
late Vasilios Krikoris. Anastasia
came to the United States from
Greece in 1967 with her husband, Vasilios, and son Gregory
settling in Lowell. She has been
a resident since that time. She
worked for many years in the
local mills as a stitcher in the
shoe industry. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoyed cooking for
her family, gardening and attending church. Anastasia was
a member of the Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell. The Krikoris family would
like to thank Commonwealth
Nursing Services Aides for providing exceptional care and
kindness to our mother and in
particular Michelle Almeida
who took care of mom daily.
Anastasia is survived by her son,
Gregory Krikoris and his wife,
Antonia of Dracut; two grandchildren, Vasilios and Katherine
Krikoris; a brother, George
Karafilides and his wife, Roula
of Lowell; two very special
friends, Tasoula Kanavas and
Chrysanthe Dikos; and many
nieces, nephews, grandnieces
and grandnephews. She was
pre-deceased by her brother,
Naoum Halamoutis, and her sister-in-law, Electra Halamoutis,
and many loved ones in Greece.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, donations may be made in her memory to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Lewis St.,
Lowell, MA 01854.
COMMUNITY
9
My Big, Fat Greek Bubblicious: on Chios, this "Candy"Grows on Trees
By Chrysa Pikramenos
Growing up as a first generation Greek-American, one of my
most distinct cultural recollections that I remember as a child,
is chewing on this gum-like substance that my parents referred
to as “masticha.”
Now, excuse me if I might
sound like the father in My Big
Fat Greek Wedding, but, the
word, “mastic” comes from the
Greek word mastichein, which
means, “to grind the teeth,”
which in turn, is the definition
of the English word, “mastichate.”
I vividly remember the taste
of masticha, because of its
unique pine or cedar-like flavor,
which was unlike anything I had
ever tried before. And, it wasn’t
actually “gum” in the sense of a
substance that children would
chomp on, corrupted by artificial
additives and preservatives, but
rather a whole substance that
you could simply chew, without
disrupting its cohesive properties. Imagine that: eating something whole, without any preservatives!
As a kid growing up in the
United States, my parents, who
emigrated from Greece, reluctantly caved in to my addiction
for overly-processed sweets, particularly from the candy food
group. As a result, I developed
into a full-fledged sugar junkie
and frequent visitor to the dental
office. But even while my main
choices of gum consisted of Watermelon Wave Bubblicious or
Big League Chew, I ironically developed a liking to the sugarless
masticha.
I originally came to try it as
my curiosity was provoked by
my mother’s baking of a traditional sweet bread, Tsoureki,
commonly made for Greek
Easter. One of the distinct ingredients added to Tsoureki is none
other than, masticha. I remember the exact moment, as I snuck
up behind her on my eight-yearold toes, as she was cooking in
the kitchen of our two-bedroom
apartment in Astoria, where I
grew up. I wondered about the
crystal-like drops that she was
folding into the bread mixture,
and so she let me sample the
masticha. To this day, I can still
recall that memory, because of
the unique aromatic flavor that
enchanted my senses, a flavor
far different from what my
young Westernized palate was
accustomed to.
As the years passed, I never
actually revisited the mystical allure that I once had with masticha. It simply left my mind,
probably because I was so distracted by the all-American, cavity-inducing treats that I became
addicted to, distorting my impressionable taste buds. However, I was surprised, as an
adult, that I would once again
become curious in revisiting my
long-lost childhood tooth companion, but for altogether different reasons.
Flash forward, I became in-
LEFT: Trees produce masticha exclusively in the Southern region of
Chios.ABOVE TOP: The masticha trees “weep” masticha drops, which harden
fected with Lyme disease while
on a camping trip in the
Catskills, and had no choice but
to undergo long-term antibiotic
treatment, which left me with
digestive problems, killing much
of the friendly flora that supports digestion.
Well, much to my surprise,
after doing some extensive research, I realized that masticha,
or “mastic gum,, as commonly
referred to in the English language, specifically for health
supplements, is used as a therapeutic substance, ingested for digestive disorders.
According to various scientific studies, it helps with indigestion, bacterial infections, and
even has anti-cancer benefits.
Supposedly, there are compounds called triterpenoids that
may help inhibit cancer cells and
tumors from growing.
Mastic gum is also used to
treat Helicobacter pylori, (H.pylori), stomach bacteria known to
cause ulcers, gastritis, and various digestive and physical disorders.
While traditional medical
doctors would routinely prescribe you a round of antibiotics
to kill the H.pylori, a naturopathic doctor may suggest mastic gum as part of your treatment
protocol, along with other supplements, and also accompanied
by a well-balanced diet. More
antibiotics would only exacerbate digestive issues.
Now, I don’t remember Bubblicious having all of these
amazing health benefits. And the
best part is, unlike sugar-laden
gums, chewing on masticha actually fights cavities. Due to its
bacteria-fighting abilities, it will
clean your mouth and freshen
your breath.
Aha! Now here is the missing
link I thought to myself, as I can
hear my grandparents speaking
to me from above, and guiding
me in the right direction towards
good health. I need to find
where I can buy myself some
masticha to help me with my digestive problems.
So what do I do? I ask some
of Greek friends and family for
advice on where to locate the
elusive masticha. Online sources
reveal it is sold at independent
sites and Amazon as well, but
many of them are coming directly from Greece, and shipping
can take quite some time. The
best places, in my opinion, to
get Greek items are authentic
Greek specialty stores.
While I was familiar with Titan Foods in Astoria, I was looking for something a little closer
to where I was residing at the
moment, which was further east
on Long Island. I heard of a
place not too far from me, so I
go. It’s a small place in
Hicksville, NY, by the name of
Bakaliko Greek-American Store.
As I walk in, I see a Greek
man seated behind the counter,
who I believe is the owner. His
name is George. He is somewhere in his 60s, seated behind
the counter, while a Greek lady
close to his age is working by
his side. These could be my
aunts and uncles. Ahh, it feels
like home. A small mom and pop
Greek store, where the people
speak Greek to you and treat you
like you’re family.
So, I asked the seemingly
nice fellow if he had any masticha, and he shows me the gum
on the counter, but in chiclet
form. I realized, however, that
this was not pure masticha, but
instead commercialized chewing
gum with other additives, like
sugar and flavorings, and with
minimal amounts of masticha.
I nod my head in disapproval.
“The one for cooking?” he
asked, in his Greek accent.
I had to think about it, but
then remembered that this is the
form that my mom used when
she cooked with it, and that is
exactly what I chewed as a kid,
back then. So, yes in fact, this
and crystallize. ABOVE: BOTTOM: Pure masticha crystals have tremendous
health benefits, and taste good, too!
would be what I was looking for.
“Yes, for cooking!” I said.
He then walks to the side
where his female associate is,
and picks up a white bucket
filled with small soufflé cups. He
takes one out and hands it to
me. I look inside because part
of me wonders if it still looks as
I remember it, and I see that
they are tiny translucent balls,
resembling crystal-like pearls. I
feel like a kid again, transported
to that time in the Queens
kitchen, when I was eight-yearsold.
“How much?” I asked.
He replied: “7.99.”
“Wow”, I thought to myself.
“That is some expensive gum!”
The price of masticha brings
me to discuss its intriguing history. As my mother tells me, it is
actually limited to grow in just
one place, from the trees that
grow only on one side of the island of Chios, Greece. But, I
can’t solely take my mother’s
word on it, although I can in fact
vouch for her that she is a trustworthy source. So, I do some research, and find some very fascinating information, to not only
support my mother’s wisdom,
but add to it, as well.
Legend has it, that after Saint
Isidore was killed on Chios, by
the Romans during the 3rd century, all the trees on the South
side of the island, started weeping in response to his torture and
death. It was commanded at that
time, during the ruling of the
Roman emperor Decius (249251), that all soldiers were to
worship the Roman pagan gods
and to offer them sacrifice. Saint
Isidore, referred to now as a
Holy martyr, not only confessed
his faith in Christ, but refused
to offer sacrifice to idols, thus
refusing to renounce his faith as
a Christian. He was subsequently
tortured and beheaded. And to
this day, it is only those trees on
the South side of the island of
Chios that can produce mas-
ticha.
Understandably, the limited
amounts of masticha and the
therapeutic need for health
stores to sell its extract in capsule form, would drive the price
to be higher.
In terms of how to supplement with mastic gum I am not
a medical professional, but my
advice is based on my own personal treatment, and many other
people I have met on health forums that have posted their positive experiences with the substance, in both capsule and resin
form.
I advise that if you have digestive problems, such as an ulcer or H.pylori, and can afford
to purchase both the resin and
the capsules, I would consider
using both forms. I have personally tried the two at the same
time, so I would say that the
gum is great for cleaning the
mouth and treating a mild digestive problem, but in the case
of something more serious, such
as an H.pylori infection, ulcer,
serious indigestion, or cancer, I
would say that one would need
to couple it with capsules.
A bottle of capsules could
cost anywhere from 17 dollars
to 60 dollars. Vitamin Shoppe
sells a few different brands ranging from $22.99 to $51.99. They
typically come in 500 mg doses,
and should be taken on an
empty stomach. Dosing really
depends on the individual and
the condition, but I would start
off slowly, and gradually build
up. I personally took 1000mg
doses two to three times a day,
and found this worked for me.
But, remember that everyone
is different, so what works for
one may not work for another.
Always start off slowly and pay
attention to symptoms. Seeing a
naturopathic doctor for a condition is always ideal, but if it is
not an affordable option, it is
definitely possible to do it on
your own, as long as you are
careful, add one new supplement at a time, and pay attention to symptoms.
And a healthy diet, without
refined sugars, flours, or preservatives, would be needed in conjunction with any digestive problem. Therefore, one should not
rely solely on a supplement, because it will most likely not be
as effective. It is optimal to eat
whole foods that are not
processed, if you are trying to
get your body to heal. Doughnuts and pizza are good examples of what not to eat.
The raw chewing resin can
be purchased from a place called
Mastihashop in New York City,
which also has an online store.
They refer to their masticha as
“masticha tears.” This store also
sells the capsules and a wide assortment of other masticha specialty products like toothpaste,
hair products, lotions, etc.
Also, check for local Greek
specialty stores in your area for
the raw resin, since they would
typically sell it, and you could
always call in advance and ask
for it.
I actually have made a habit
out of chewing the resin. I find
it to be very refreshing, and I
don’t feel bad chewing it since
it has no sugar or other chemicals added. I definitely have felt
a difference and overall improvement in my digestion since
I incorporated it into my treatment, along with the capsules,
and I can’t recommend it
enough.
While I advise people with
certain illnesses and ailments to
try masticha, I also recommend
it to people without any problems. It can help with oral hygiene, optimize your overall
health, and possibly prevent any
diseases in the future. Just don’t
be surprised if you develop an
acquired taste for it.
And I’m not just saying this
because I’m Greek!
ABOVE LEFT: Rhodes’ Aquarium Beach, seen here from the
North, features calm, tranquil
waters along its Eastern shore
(L on this photo), whereas the
Western Side (R) is a windsurfer’s delight.
ABOVE: Rhodes’ earth-tone
aquarium contrasts beautifully with the island’s magnificent blue sea and sky.
RIGHT: The famous “Trampolino” diving board at Elli
Beach, adjacent to Aquarium
Beach, has been a favorite fixture for the islands locals and
tourists alike for generations.
LEFT: In many ways “the
world’s most convenient city,”
Rhodes features an array of
amenities and attractions just
steps away from the beach, including this casino.
With 2 Different Types of Water, Aquarium Beach on Rhodes Has it All
The Northern tip of Rhodes,
aptly diamond-shaped, as it is
the jewel of the Dodecanese Islands, has a mustard-colored
structure sharply contrasting the
tri-colored blue Aegean water
forming the “left and right field
lines” alongside it.
It is the “Enidrion – Aquarium” and its lucky visitors not
only get to see the fish inside,
but are able to enjoy two radically different types of beaches
just steps away.
Walk along its Eastern side
and you’ll see a calm, tranquil
sea, ideal for swimmers. It gets
deep very quickly, but is serene
enough where you can float on
the water all afternoon long –
no touristy brightly-colored
plastic inflatable raft needed.
On its Western side, the
winds kick in, forming an amazing opaque turquoise color that
appears to turn a deeper blue
farther in – and that’s the side
for windsurfing.
What looks like a sandy
beach is deceptive, as the
“grains” of “sand” are really tiny
pebbles. Soft enough to walk
on, but coarse enough not to
stick to every part of your body,
and your clothes rolled up in a
ball on your chair or straw mat.
You will also find so many
bars, restaurants, shops, ATM
machines, fish pedicure spas,
and anything else you’d like a
few feet away, you’d think you
were in Times Square. Except
this is better: there are the two
excellent beaches, a casino, and
not a cloud in the sky!
COMMUNITY
10
Woman Who Jumped onto ECB President Draghi’s Desk Talks to TNH
HAMBURG, GERMANY – “I
was focusing on his facial expression, and it was priceless,”
said Josephine Witt, a 21 yearold activist/protester, about the
reaction of European Central
Bank (ECB) President Mario
Draghi when she leaped atop
his desk, towering over him as
he sat, speaking at a press conference, and showered him with
confetti, the Times of Change
(TOC) reported.
Witt conducted this protest
on April 15 at ECB Headquarters in Frankfurt, the footage of
which has been rebroadcast
throughout the world ever
since. “He was so scared,” Witt
continued on a video interview
broadcast by TOC, in a mocking
tone: this “most powerful” man,
scared of tiny pieces of paper.
In an exclusive interview
with The National Herald, Witt
elaborated: “the bankster
scared by tiny pieces of confetti and a young woman jumping on his desk is a
very symbolic image of a moment of truth inside this clean
and hygienic ivory
tower.”
She added: “this is my way
of protest: radical, fearless and
non-violent at the same
time.” Emphasizing that she
strives to be heard loud and
clear, but in a non-violent way,
how did Witt know ECB security
wouldn’t consider her a violent
terrorist? “There is no way to
smuggle any piece of weaponry
inside the ECB,” she explains.
“They have airport-type X-ray
control at the entrance. Accordingly, it never entered her mind
that she might be shot by security, because “I knew it would
not happen. I am a peaceful protester, not a martyr or terrorist.
Everybody could spot this right
LEFT: Activist/protester Josephine Witt leaps onto Mario
Draghi’s desk and stuns the ECB President, showering him
with papers, confetti, and demands to abandon dictatorial governance. ABOVE: Witt later amusingly describes how the “powerful” Mario Draghi “is scared of little pieces of paper” that
she through, as she towers over him. BELOW: Surprised and
delighted that her plan worked perfectly, Witt is whisked away
by ECB security, as she sports a satisfied “mission accomplished” facial expression.
away.”
Witt wore an attention-grabbing t-shirt bearing the message: “End ECB Dick-Tatorship,”
a play on words referencing a
derogatory slang adjective. Her
colorful and powerful statement
reached an international audience. But what exactly is her
problem with the ECB? “The
ECB reacted towards massive recent protests in March with indifference or
even arrogance,” she told
TNH. There is widespread criticism about their policies, but
they are not even obliged to listen because they are not democratically regulated. The
ECB’s Quantitative Easing
program feeds money into the
hands of bankers and endangers
our savings. Their policies have
a direct effect on our everyday
realities, but yet Mario Draghi
can simply hide from the criticism? I could not tolerate that
and decided to say it right in his
face.”
Witt’s words are music to
many Greeks’ ears, particularly
as that nation’s populace to a
great extent blames the ECB for
Greece’s unsustainable loans
and debt, and praises Witt’s
demonstrative assailment. “I did
not do the attack to be considered a hero,” she tells TNH. “I
simply tried my best that day as
a political activist and I am surprised myself that it worked. But
I’m really flattered by the huge
solidarity I receive now from
the Greek people.”
THE HERALD SQUARE
TNH's Crossword Challenge
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8
9
14
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DOWN
1 Greek god of war
2 Greek prefix meaning air or space
3 Isaac's first born
4 Highest or lowest card
5 Nixon's famous dog, inspired speech
6 Hellenic American Republican Assn. (abbrev.)
7 Except
8 Spread
9 Mattress corner support
10 Wood chopper
added, “and grew up in a united
Europe and have many friends
all over the continent. My generation will not be so easily
fooled by Nazi-propaganda,
which tries to divide the continent.”
Is only the ECB to blame for
Greece’s problems? “We can
spend days, months, years discussing who’s to blame,” she responds, “but I am more interested in finding solutions.
Greece will never be able to pay
back the money that it never received, because it went straight
to the banks. We should finally
accept this reality and not try to
kill the Greek economy for good
with the ‘Destroika’s’ measurements of austerity (another play
on words, referring to the Troika
of the ECB, European Union,
and International Monetary
Fund).”
Even if she did not necessarily intend it that way, Witt’s ECB
desk-leaping feat transcends Europe, and multinational banking
conglomerates. In a broader
sense, it is populism in its purest
form. Most people only fantasize about standing up the
“Mario Draghi” in their own
world, but Witt actually made
it happen. We asked her: “What
drives you? Is there an inner
passion for social justice? Is it
the enjoyment of being in the
spotlight? Or a combination of
both, and other factors?”
Witt acknowledged that “it’s
probably a combination. I’m not
scared of the spotlight, even
though I don’t want to use it for
selfish interests. It’s also a passion for truth and performance
art. I ask myself the same question sometimes, particularly because it seems that there is so
much more to lose than to gain
for me. I can only answer with
another question: ‘Why not
me?’”
Witt also expressed “my deep
sorrow about the tragic news
about the deaths of 700 people
[that drowned off the Libyan
coast] in the Mediterranean sea.
This ocean has become the
greatest mass-grave for refugees
worldwide.”
So, if Witt were in charge of
the ECB, or the EU, the IMF,
Germany, Greece, etc., what
would she do differently? What
solutions would she propose so
that life would be better for so
many people than it is right
now? Strongly hinting that she
will talk to TNH again, Witt responded: “That question is too
big – let’s do another interview
to answer it!”
This Week in Greek History:
www.CrosswordWeaver.com
ACROSS
1 American Assn. of Endodontists (abbrev.)
4 Sound of a sneeze
9 Fabric
14 Radio Equipment Syst. (abbrev.)
15 Chafe at the bit
16 Gas company
17 Baseball stat. (abbrev.)
18 Uncanny
19 "Prime Time" Sanders
20 Broth
22 Doze
24 Sign language
25 Greek soccer tm. (init.)
27 Direct Observation Unit (init.)
29 Ms. Bacall
32 Beantown
35 Cntr. for Investigative Reprtng. (abbrev.)
36 Draw
38 Music cassettes
40 Lotion ingredient
42 Man
44 Snake sound
45 Eleventh Greek letter
47 Unit
49 North American Indian
50 Starred in Angels with Dirty Faces
52 Shines
54 Good listener?
55 Dig. Audio Interface (init.)
56 Kimono sash
59 Calm
63 Greek fast food
67 Impressionist painter
69 Oak nut
71 Crowd
72 __ Saxon
73 "Maniacal" Greek professional wrestler John
74 Canadian Auto. Assn. (abbrev.)
75 Wanders
76 _____ Gay
77 Boat
As Witt explained to TOC,
she thought about bringing a
cake with her instead, and shoving it in Draghi’s face, but realized they wouldn’t let her into
ECB headquarters with a cake.
Identifying herself as a journalist, Witt had no problem walking in armed only paper.
“There has not been much
solidarity towards [Greece]
since the crisis,” Witt said. Is it
especially poignant, then, that
she, a German – i.e. a citizen of
the country Greeks most negatively associate with the crisis –
is the one who comes to their
defense? Witt told TNH she
does not particularly see it that
way. “I think if we would not
care so much about our nationalities but more about human
rights, justice, and solidarity
among each other, we could
solve many problems more easily and quickly. Right now, we
have racism dividing the Northern and Southern European
countries, blaming Southerners
for
poverty and telling lies about
everybody. We also have a disgusting rise of nationalism and
anti-Semitism growing again in
Europe. I strongly oppose this
as a feminist and an anti-fascist.
“I was born in 1993,” she
The Trojan Horse
11 Touristy Rhodes village
12 Where animals are kept
13 Eng. as a Non-Native Language (abbrev.)
21 NBA's Gasol
23 "Much ___ about Nothing"
26 Defunct Greek TV Station (abbrev.)
28 Salt Lake City's state
29 Spring flower
30 Perfume
31 Fashionable
32 Confuse
33 Narcotic
34 Bird homes
35 California (abbr.)
37 Automobile
39 South southeast
41 The ____ of Night (soap opera)
43 Useless accessory
46 Newsman Ernie
48 Pod dweller?
51 Bard's before
53 Multinational Ins. Org.
56 Actor Sharif
57 Lead singer of U2
58 Acress Swenson
60 Rank
61 Economics abrv.
62 ____ Contendere - Agnew's plea
64 Song by the Village People
65 Lion's sound
66 Baseball card company
68 Street of many a nightmare, in horror flicks
70 U.S. intelligence agcy. (init.)
This week, on April 24,
1184BC, was the day the Trojans learned, the hard way, to
“beware of Greeks bearing
gifts,” as the famous adage goes.
That was the day most widely
attributed (other dates are mentioned) to the Trojan Horse – a
wooden horse containing soldiers) that the Greeks used to enter Troy in the Trojan War, as depicted by Homer in the Odyssey.
Odysseus’ plan was to present the horse as a trophy to the
unsuspecting Trojans.
Virgil’s Aenid aptly describes
the rest (“Ulysses” is a reference
to Odysseus):
After many years have slipped by,
the leaders of the Greeks,
opposed by the Fates, and
damaged by the war,
build a horse of mountainous
size, through Pallas's divine art,
and weave planks of fir over its
ribs:
they pretend it's a votive offering:
this rumor spreads.
They secretly hide a picked body
of men, chosen by lot,
there, in the dark body, filling
the belly and the huge
cavernous insides with armed
warriors. [...]
Then Laocoön rushes down
eagerly from the heights
of the citadel, to confront them
all, a large crowd with him,
and shouts from far off: "O
unhappy citizens, what madness?
Do you think the enemy's sailed
away? Or do you think
any Greek gift's free of treachery?
Is that Ulysses' reputation?
Either there are Greeks in hiding,
concealed by the wood,
or it's been built as a machine to
use against our walls,
or spy on our homes, or fall on
the city from above,
or it hides some other trick:
Trojans, don't trust this horse.
Whatever it is, I'm afraid of
Greeks even those bearing gifts."
Solution to last week’s puzzle
N O A A
B O S H
A N N A
B
S A C
A C H I
U N I T
D E C A
I D O L
I
P I C C
H L I
O I N K
N A D A
E D I T
M
A
A R
S I
L L
U
I
A N
O L
N A
Y
S
B A S
E R T Z
T B A Y
I N G
D O
S
E S
T
N I T E
D D E
S L A M
E M A
O
S L
S A
T
A N N I
K E I N
A W L
A
L
E
N
Y
U
G A S P
E M I R
T I N A
S A W
P H I N
A
G A F F
O L E O
D A W N
A T E D
E R A
G
A C E S
G A R O
E A R S
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, especially a giant wooden horse during wartime.
GREECE CYPRUS
11
Secretary of State Kerry Sees Cyprus Reunification Hopes on the Horizon
WASHINGTON, DC – Despite
four decades of failed talks, U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry
said he believes there could be
progress this year on reunifying
Cyprus.
Speaking before a meeting
with Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu at the State
Department, Kerry said the dispute over ethnically split Cyprus
had gone on for too long.
“It is begging for international
efforts to try to help bring about
a resolution, a lasting settlement,”
Kerry said, Reuters reported. “We
believe that the parties can make
real and lasting progress in the
year 2015,” he said.
That comes as Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who
had walked away from the bargaining table after Turkey sent
a research vessel and warship
into Cypriot waters to look for
oil and gas pulled them.
Anastasiades had tried to
kickstart stalled talks but now
has to wait until Turkish-Cypriots hold a second round of Presidential voting to select their
leader. Hardliner incumbent
Dervis Eroglu is standing for reelection.
The United Nation’s Special
Envoy for Cyprus, Norway’s Espen Barth Eide, has alternated
between saying he sees hope
and then sees little progress be-
AP Photo/Andrew hArnik
Secretary of State John Kerry gestures while speaking to members of the media before a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister
Nikos Kotzias at the State Department in Washington.
cause the basic disputes between the two sides haven’t
budged an iota for generations.
Cavusoglu said the U.S. had
a role in helping to resolve the
dispute.
“We want to reach a lasting
solution in Cyprus,” he said.
“We are hoping to reach a solution within 2015. ... we are
waiting at the negotiating
table,” he said, adding that talks
should resume after the Presidential elections in the unlawful
Turkish Cypriot state.
Cyprus was split by an unlawful Turkish military invasion
in 1974 which followed a brief
Greek-inspired coup and Turkey
still keeps a standing army of
some 30,000 soldiers in what
were Greek-Cypriot lands. Only
Turkey recognizes the territory
as a legitimate government.
The international community
regards the Greek Cypriot government in southern Cyprus as
the sole legal representative for
the island.
A long line of diplomats and
officials have tried and failed to
get Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots to get past sticking points,
such as Turkey’s refusal to remove its army and as TurkishCypriots don’t want to give back
the homes and properties stolen
from Cypriots.
Even the offer of allowing a
Turkish-Cypriot to be the country’s President every other term
couldn’t close the gap. Cypriots
in 2004 voted down a plan offered by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan after the Turkish
side approved it.
Anastasiades said earlier this
year that he felt the U.S. and
European Union – to which
Cyprus belongs and which
Turkey wants to join – were unfairly squeezing him to make
concessions to end the decades-
AP PhotoS
126 Migrants Reach Greek Shores,
a Day After Fatal Sinking
Migrants swim to reach the shore as others
remainare on a listing vessel that later sunk in
the eastern Aegean island of Rhodes, Greece on
Monday, April 20, 2015. Greek authorities have
picked up more than 120 migrants who illegally
entered the country by sea on three separate
vessels, a day after a yacht with 90 people on
board foundered just off the island of Rhodes,
drowning three. The Merchant Marine Ministry
says 42 people, including seven children, were
taken off a small boat near the eastern Aegean
Sea islet of Agathonissi. All are in good health.
A further 84 people were located in separate
incidents earlier Tuesday on the islet of
Farmakonissi and the island of Lesvos.
About 550 migrants have reached Greek shores
over the past three days, amid a surge of illegal
immigration that has seen arrivals exceed
12,000 so far this year — a nearly threefold
increase over 2014.
Witnesses Attacked, Golden Dawn Trial Postponed
ATHENS – The trial of 69 members and leaders of the ultra-extreme right Golden Dawn Party
that was set to open on April 20
was suddenly set back to May
17 after one of the defendants
said he didn’t have a lawyer and
witnesses to the murder of an
anti-fascist hip-hop artists were
attacked outside the court.
The government has been accumulating evidence for almost
two years to build a case that
the party is really a criminal
gang, a process that has taken
so long that its leader, Nikos
Michaoliakos, and other party
hierarchy had to be released
from pretrial detention and are
under house arrest for now.
It wasn’t explained why he
and most of the party’s 18 Members of Parliament, all of whom
had been arrested, didn’t appear
for the beginning of the trial
that came as hundreds of protesters in the neighborhood
around the high-security Korydallos Prison where the proceedings are to take place demanded it be moved.
Only 44 defendants were
taken to the court, with 25 absent, with no explanation why
they didn’t have to show up for
their criminal trial.
AP Photo
In Occupied Cyprus, Eroglu v. Akinci, Round 2
Turkish Cypriots leadership candidate Mustafa Akinci speaks
to his supporters outside of his campaign office in divided capital Nicosia at the Turkish Cypriot breakaway north part of the
divided island of Cyprus, Sunday, April 19, 2015. The election
for the Turkish Cypriot leadership will go to a second round
after none of the candidates managed to garner enough votes
Sunday to avoid a runoff, authorities said, as talks to reunify
the ethnically-split island of Cyprus are expected to resume
next month. The hard-line incumbent, Dervis Eroglu, and challenger Mustafa Akinci will vie for the leadership of the breakaway north in next week's runoff. Eroglu edged out Akinci by
a slight margin, according to an official statement.
Among the charges are that
the party has conducted assaults
on immigrants and others including one member, Giorgos
Roupakias, charged with killing
hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas in
September, 2013, stabbing him
to death in a fracas outside a
cafe.
Journalists were told that
witnesses of Fyssas’s murder
were attacked by Golden Dawn
supporters as they arrived at Korydallos Prison. Details of the
alleged incident were not immediately available but the police were notified.
The first day of the trial was
attended by Fyssas’s mother,
who appeared shaken and had
to be helped by relatives. Others
who came were representatives
from political parties, as well as
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis,
who also had been attacked by
a Golden Dawn member, who
was released.
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Prosecutors said that Golden
Dawn used a Nazi methodology
and carried out a campaign of
violence against immigrants and
left-wing opponents.
The trial is expected to last
up to 18 months as the judicial
system in Greece is painstakingly slow and defendants often
are granted continuances for almost any reason, which caused
the new delay after the trial had
already been pushed back five
months.
First appearing as a tiny neoNazi organization in the mid1980s, Golden Dawn transformed from a marginal
far-right group into a popular
political party during the financial crisis that started in 2009.
It won 6.28 percent of the
vote in a general election three
months ago, despite having
state campaign funding axed.
The trial is being held inside
Korydallos maximum-security
prison near Athens, where
nearby schools and municipal
services had to be closed for
what was supposed to be the
opening day. It wasn’t reported
if they would have to stay closed
for the duration of the trial as
pro-and-anti-Golden Dawn protesters are expected to clash
daily.
Police cordoned off streets
around the jail, about 10 kilometers (six miles) west of the
capital, while several antiGolden Dawn rallies attended
by more than a thousand protesters remained peaceful.
“The town is like a fortress
... The trial should not take
place here,” Korydallos Mayor
Stavros Kasimatis said.
Michaloliakos, a 57-year-old
anti-immigrant firebrand, and
12 other Members of Parliament
each face up to 10 years in
prison if found guilty. Politicians
and legal experts are divided
over whether convictions could
lead to the party being outlawed, with most opposing a
ban.
Although Greek authorities
don’t keep official records on
racist violence, human rights
groups say a surge of attacks has
occurred since 2010, typically
against dark-skinned immigrants in Athens and frequently
resulting in serious injury.
Victims have reported that
attackers — often in groups and
using brass knuckles and baseball bats — have often identified
themselves as Golden Dawn
supporters.
The party denies any involvement in attacks, however, claiming political opponents conspired against them after
Golden Dawn exceeded 10 percent in opinion polls in 2013.
“They decided to put us in
handcuffs ... but in the face of
all the mudslinging, Golden
Dawn is the third strongest
party in the country whether
some people like it or not,”
Michaloliakos said after his release from prison last month,
having served the maximum 18
months permitted under Greek
law in pre-trial detention.
(Material from the Associated
Press was used in this report)
long division.
He also has warned that if
Turkey sends its ships back into
Cypriot waters that he’d walk
again and the talks would be
stymied.
After a Milder Greek Law,
U.S. Blacklists 2 Terrorists
ing talks in Washington between
Secretary of State John Kerry
and Greek Foreign Minister
Nikos Kotzias.
Kotzias, in an interview with
The Associated Press, said that
if Xiros seeks a change of confinement under the new law, the
request would have to be approved by a Greek court.
Moreover, Kotzias said he
told Kerry that Greece would
seek U.S. cooperation to obtain
technology for a house arrest
ankle bracelet.
Kotzias said the new law was
a response to a European court
of human rights decision criticizing conditions in Greek prisons.
“So the government, after the
decision of the European court
of human rights, took the humanitarian decision that people
who have an 80 percent disability or more can go to other forms
of being prisoners,” he said.
Savvas Xiros, blind and suffering from multiple sclerosis, is
98 percent disabled, Kotzias
said, without mentioning he did
to himself and is asking mercy
while unrepentant for his murders, including car bombings.
Greek opposition parties and
relatives of November 17’s victims have also strongly
protested the new law.
Kerry, in diplomatic language, showed American displeasure at the move while trying to maintain, as best he could
through the tension, relations
between the countries as critics
said the new Radical Left
SYRIZA-led government Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras harbors
sympathies for anarchists and
terrorists and wants to empty
the jails of them.
“Our efforts on counter-terrorism could not be more important together in the future.
Obviously, we’re very concerned
that those who have committed
acts of terrorism who’ve been
incarcerated need to remain incarcerated,” said Kerry.
OPPONENTS MOCK SYRIZA
The move to free Savvas
Xiros was ridiculed by political
opponents in Greece who said
that releasing Xiros because he’s
disabled - from a bomb he was
making to kill others - was like
a boy killing his parents and asking the court for mercy because
he’s an orphan.
Kotzias tried to explain that
house arrest was incarceration
although Pearce had said it’s not
the same when Xiros’ victims are
dead and he can be in his own
house.
“I’m here as a friend – as a
friend with somebody who’s
working together with us for
democracy and peace against
terrorism,” Kotzias said. “And I
hope that our relations will be
deepened and that we will find
new feat of cooperation.
“I think I can – we can be sure
that the new law in Greece about
the prisoners will not let any terrorists become free. It will be not
only a test of the detention of –
the way of this detention, nobody
will become free,” he said, trying
to assure Kerry and the
The unprecedented plan to
allow a notorious terrorist out
of jail has infuriated the U.S.
and the backlash created some
rethinking in the Greek government, although so far it’s sticking to its plans.
The State Department, using
Executive Order 13224, freezes
any assets the terrorists may
have in America but while it’s
practical effect is limited the
strong symbolism was apparently designed to send a message to Greece the level of anger
that’s being felt.
The U.S. is also concerned
because so far Greece has no security bracelet program and is
asking help in designing one. It
wasn’t reported whether Xiros
and others, including jailed family members of terrorists also
slotted to go free, would do so
without monitoring or if there
were worries they’d escape, as
Xiros’ brother did from a Christmas vacation he was given.
Government sources told
Kathimerini the Greek government tried to ease concerns by
referring to a “slow process,”
noting that a proposal hasn’t
been put out yet to develop the
ankle bracelets and that “second
thoughts” might slow the
process further.
Desperate Greece Seizes
State Monies to Stay Afloat
with depositors yanking billions
of euros out of bank accounts, the
government has ordered all state
cash apart from pensions be deposited in the Bank of Greece and
promised to return it with 2.5 percent interest.
MAYORS SAY NO
In a tense meeting of the
Union of Municipalities (KEDE),
the Mayors said they would
refuse the order to turn over their
municipal monies until meeting
with Tsipras.
They bitterl- criticized Alternative Finance Minister Dimitris
Mardas for the government's action in issuing a Presidential decree which would force them to
turn over their money, leaving
them unable to operate and fearing it wouldn't be returned and
be lost in a one-time payment to
the troika.
KEDE’s executive board approved a resolution calling on all
municipalities to refuse to hand
over the cash until a general
meeting.
The only dissension was from
Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis
Boutaris said he understood why
the government needs the
money, even though he didn't like
the decree demanding it.
Mardas assured the Mayors
that they would not lose their
cash and said it's needed so the
government pay its debt and
meet its obligation.
“We did not want to catch
you by surprise but I assure you
there was no other choice,” he
said, adding that the government
could gain 2.5 billion euros to
cover payments until the end of
May.
"I want this 2.5 billion euros
to cover any needs that may occur, I repeat, taking into account
the worst case scenarios and the
needs for May," he told Star TV,
adding that he was confident that
Greece and its lenders would
reach a deal.
The government is so desperate it has also ordered state enterprises to turn over all their
money. Mardas said earlier that
the government needs 350-400
million euros to meet obligations,
including salaries and pensions,
this month.
A BIG DILEMMA
For Greece’s SYRIZA government, many of the demands are
considered counter to its electoral
mandate. SYRIZA was elected on
a promise to bring an end to stifling austerity that many in the
country blame for the severe economic hardship of the past few
years.
Greek Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis said in a weekend interview that lenders were
seeking “submission and surrender” from Greece and not a fair
compromise.
The impasse between Athens
and creditors has ratcheted up
fears that Greece will run out of
money soon and leave the euro
currency.
That’s evident in the bond
markets where Greek borrowing
costs – a gauge of default risk –
spiked higher once again April
20, with the rate on three-year
bonds touching 28 percent.
Many in the markets think
that April 24 could be the latest
crunch point. Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is due to
meet his counterparts from the
Eurozone at a meeting in the Latvian capital of Riga.
Some hope of progress
emerged with comments from a
senior IMF official that bailout
talks had gathered “a little more
momentum,” but that pressure
was growing on Greece.
Poul Thomsen told the German business daily Handelsblatt
in an interview that Athens could
have enough money to meet debt
and other commitments until
June but would need to reach an
agreement before then. Greece
has to pay around 1 billion euros
to the IMF by mid-May.
“We are making progress, but
we are far from the destination,”
said Thomsen, who led most of
Greece’s bailout inspections before taking up his current post as
head of the fund’s department in
Europe.
EDITORIALS LETTERS
12
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The National Herald
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The Crisis Brews…
Multiple Bridge-Burning
An inviolable rule of military strategy is that you must not
open two or more fronts at the same time. That is equivalent to
suicide.
Yet the government in Athens seems to believe that the more
opponents you engage simultaneously, the more victories you
can accumulate . It is almost as if they are entertaining themselves by causing crises.
Let us be clear: one must go beyond the limits of reason to
imagine that a government facing an economic crisis, such as
Greece is, would jeopardize its relations with the United States,
essentially the only ally it has left, by releasing a convicted
murderer – a terrorist – from prison.
The climate in Washington has suddenly turned heavy with
respect to U.S.-Greece relations. It is somewhat reminiscent of
the period of PASOK's rise to power, but with some major differences.
First, at the helm of the state then was Andreas Papandreou,
a man who knew very well what he was doing and why he was
doing it. Second, Papandreou was not facing an economic crisis,
despite his rhetorical references to Greece’s "scorched earth."
And third, he had complete control of his party.
Today it seems that ministers are competing among themselves to see who can do the most damage, to see who takes
second place in causing the most crises in the world… after
Russia.
In the halls of the IMF at the end of last week, the main
topic of discussion was the economic crisis in Greece. But those
discussions, unlike the ones in the past, were melancholic, pervaded by disappointment and even anger – which is unusual
among technocrats. They are unable to negotiate with the government in Athens because basically, the Greeks do not want to
negotiate. The only message Greece sends is "save us, we have
an urgent need for liquidity.”
The Eurozone is unlikely to back off without an agreement
by the government on a specific course of action, and the IMF
will definitely not relax its position, as that would be contrary
to its regulations.
At the Greek Independence Day reception it hosted last week,
the White House insisted that the conversation between President Obama and Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis lasted
four minutes, not 12 as, amazingly, the Greek government reported!
Even dress code was an issue, as there was some doubt
whether Varoufakis – who wore no tie and an unbuttoned shirt
collar – would even be allowed to enter. In the end, however,
they decided they had no choice but to let him in, because of
his position. This is how far things have gone.
And as that Varoufakis left there, “another” Varoufakis, who
insisted on lecturing – he is a professor, after all – U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerry. He must think Americans are idiots, or uniformed, and cannot understand why Savvas Xiros is being released from prison. Naturally, Kerry was furious.
We close by emphasizing that all the evidence shows that
great damage is being done to Greece, and this course cannot
continue without long-term adverse effects.
Let the prime minister understand and honor his responsibility.
Semper Infidelis
The United States has demonstrated many times that it does
not leave its dead on the battlefield, or forgive killers of the
men and women who serve in its Armed Forces or its security
and diplomatic services.
We fear that some members of the Greek government do
not realize this, so they do not fully understand the seriousness
with which Washington looks upon the case of Savvas Xiros,
who murdered four Americans, including Greek-American
George Tsantes.
We hope that the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias
grasped the message sent to him during the meeting with his U.S.
counterpart, John Kerry, through words and body language. And
we hope he relays that message to his colleagues in Athens.
For better or for worse, Kerry send a message of his own by
putting Xiros’ brother Christodoulos Xiros and Nikos Maziotis
on the U.S. terrorist list.
While that in itself does not mean very much, it constitutes
a warning shot that Washington’s response might reach as high
as the level of a travel advisory. (Remember what President
Reagan did in 1985, when he called upon American airlines to
“review the wisdom” of flying to Greece because of lax airport
security?) It is the last thing the Greek tourism industry needs.
Xiros is serving six consecutive life sentences plus an additional 25 years for taking part in six assassinations, bombings,
and robberies, among other criminal activities. On January 6,
2014 he was declared wanted by the police when he did not report to the police station as he was required to do after being
given a furlough on January 1.
Only a case of collective amnesia to the highest degree would
explain exhibiting apathy toward such news about a member
of the November 17 terrorist gang. One would need to be completely insane not to take into account that November 17 killed
23 people and caused untold suffering to their families and untold damage to the country, during its operation from 1975
until 2002.
Moreover, all of us would be complicit if we allowed some
officials of the Greek government, for their own dark purposes,
to again raise the issue of terrorism in the country.
Accordingly, we hope that Prime Minister Tsipras himself
will personally look into this matter and put an end to an issue
that should never have arisen in the first place.
National security matters should never become entangled in
internal partisan games or for the satisfaction of ideological
druthers. It is one of those issues about which politicians, no
matter what their personal feelings, ought to adopt the position
of the military.
And the military will defend its people until the bitter end.
Dokos/Kantzavelos Scandal
Damages Parish in Illinois
To the Editor:
The removal of Fr. Angelo
Artemas and his replacement
with Fr. James Dokos by Bishop
Kantzavelos has caused irreparable and immeasurable
harm to my parish, Sts. Peter
and Paul in Glenview, IL.
The spiritual damage of being ministered by a priest for
two years who has been charged
with felony theft by the Milwaukee, WI District Attorney is incalculable. My parish lost 54
donor families between 2012
and 2014. The scandal has divided the faithful between those
who are calling for the removal
of the Bishop/Chancellor [see
the website: goccl.org] and
those who have succumbed to
TO OUR READERS
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we reserve the right to edit
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hierarchical-induced feelings of
impotence and resignation.
The damage includes significant financial losses. Stewardship receipts for 2011 and 2012,
before the Bishop/Chancellor
removed Fr. Artemas and imposed Fr. Dokos on our parish,
averaged $758,349 per year. Receipts for 2013 and 2014, after
the arrival of Fr. Dokos, averaged $630,818 per year. My
parish experienced an average
reduction of $127,531 per year
for that two-year period – a loss
of $255,062. Those losses are a
direct cost of the Dokos/Kantzavelos Scandal.
Aside from these losses, the
issue of justice must be addressed. Bishop Kantzavelos is
an Auxiliary Bishop. Archbishop
Demetrios has the authority to
remove and suspend him . The
archbishop should remove him
from the Chicago Metropolis
and suspend him from any duties where he can make parish
clergy assignments to reward his
friends, and should punish those
who resist pressure to cover-up
wrongdoing.
Your newspaper has reported
on the scandal and the threats
and intimidation the Bishop
made against Fr. Artemas. Removing and suspending him will
help my parish to start healing
and more broadly, will help all
of the parishes in the Chicago
Metropolis.
Moreover, it will do justice
to Fr. Artemas and the parish
council of the Annunciation
Parish in Milwaukee, who stood
up to his threats and bullying.
George D. Karcazes, Esq.
Chicago, IL
George Karcazes served on the
Parish Council of Saints Peter &
Paul for more than 20 years
(three years as President) and
currently serves on the Parish
Stewardship Committee.
Bravo, Amb. Theros,
For Your Insights
To the Editor:
I wanted to compliment your
editorial staff in regards to the
articles from Patrick Theros in
your paper. The writing is outstanding and I always find his
articles historically interesting
and thought provoking, and
hard to dispute based on his career and what he has most likely
experienced in his life. Though
as a former military officer and
proud American of Greek ethnicity, I don't necessarily agree
with all of his points or conclusions but he at least makes me
think about the other side and
what they have endured.
Kudos again and keep them
coming. I'm sure there will be
no shortage of them, considering all the craziness going on in
that area now and for the foreseeable future, unfortunately…
Will Ticoras
Mequon, WI
GeorGe SArAFoGlou / SPeciAl to the nAtionAl herAld
ECONOMY & POLITICS
What is GOP’s Platform for 2016? Do They Have One?
What will Republicans run
on? More importantly, what can
they run on? This is the question
that will ultimately determine
the outcome of the 2016 election.
Jog your memory back a little over six years ago. Democrats were solidly unified against
George W. Bush and his neoconservative crowd – a crowd that
even President Bush himself
chose to sideline toward the end
of his tenure – and were offering
a stark contrast on foreign policy.
If you recall, a major issue in
the Democratic primary was
Barack Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq war, contrary to
Hillary Clinton’s Senate vote in
favor. What was probably Mr.
Bush’s best decision as commander-in-chief, his gamble with the
troop surge (as opposed to a
troop pullout) at a time when
American casualties were at
their peak, has almost been relegated into obscurity, as the
mess ended up being so big that
making an argument with context still is a luxury reserved for
historians. A radical rethinking
of foreign entanglements and
cowboy diplomacy is exactly
what Democrats were offering.
Add to that reigning in on Wall
Street and expanding healthcare
coverage, and Democrats ended
up having a genuine counteroffer to Republican governance.
Unlike 2008, one can now
observe an unusual development: Republicans may very
well have the stronger candidate, but Democrats (presumably under the unequivocally
polarizing Hillary Clinton) will
have the stronger case.
Consider, for example, the
Affordable Care Act, or, as it is
more commonly known, Obamacare. Republicans have spent
so much time, effort, and
rhetoric on demonizing the law
ahead of its implementation.
Then, Obamacare comes into effect, and despite a disastrous online rollout, meets and exceeds
its goals. What will Republicans
tell the 9 million or so people
who are now covered under the
Act? Besides calling the law a
“monstrosity,” what will Republicans offer instead? Vouchers?
This “monstrosity” works for a
lot of people and,
coming the brightfactually, has reest spot in the deduced rates.
veloped world. In
The “repeal Obafact,
Romney’s
macare” platform
own unemploygenerally
that
ment rate goal was
served Republicans
years
reached
well in 2012 will no
ahead of the timelonger be an urgent
line put forth by
concern to the elechis campaign. Yes
torate. Also worth
– the energy sector
noting is that the fiis experiencing a
nal draft of the Afhit from lower oil
by STEFANOS
fordable Care Act is
and gas prices
KASSELAKIS
a lot closer to 2008
(which are actually
candidate Hillary
owed to the secSpecial to
The National Herald
Clinton’s plan than
tor’s own engineerto Obama’s own
ing success) and
original plan.
the housing market is feeling a
Consider then the economy. bit “toppy,” but job creation has
During the last election, Mitt been very strong and financial
Romney repeatedly lamented markets are hot, despite the
the lackluster growth experi- (also demonized by Republienced during President Obama’s cans) regulations on Wall Street.
first term. Ironically, this unin- So what case will Republicans
spiring growth would have been make? That Obama’s economy
considered a lofty goal had is terrible? That simply does not
Romney’s initial ideas being reflect reality.
adopted, namely, letting the auConsider, finally, foreign poltomobile industry collapse and icy. There, too Republicans have
homeowners enter into foreclo- expended a lot of effort on blastsure. Romney was right about ing the administration’s “leading
regulations standing in the way from behind.” The emergence
of growth acceleration, but of ISIS is indeed a very unfortumany of those regulations nate development, partly caused
Obama had inherited, not cre- by the withdrawal of American
ated. The simple truth is that combat forces, something
any economy cannot recover in Barack Obama had promised
full force after one of the deep- before being elected in 2008.
est recessions in decades. And But honestly – should the
since then, the U.S. economy United States ever have a forhas surprised to the upside, be- eign policy that requires indefi-
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is seen here railing against Obamacare, but recently he signed up for it himself.
nite presence of American
troops? Would that not blatantly
encourage freeriding by other
countries? The United States
should not be the world’s policeman and certainly not free
of charge. President Obama’s
choice to support the fight
against ISIS only from the air
while letting regional powers assemble and deploy ground
troops may actually turn out to
be a wise one – and one that
came against the recommendations of his own generals and,
of course, Republican Senators
and policy experts.
Do Republicans really think
it is best to marginalize Iran forever? Iran had started a process
of rapprochement with the
United States at the turn of the
century, until 9/11 happened
and President Bush’s “axis of
evil” kicked in. It is about time
that process resumes in a farreaching way, such as with the
agreement recently negotiated.
The same can be said about
not bombing Syria in 2013 following the chemical weapons
attack and about not overreacting to the great “strategic mind”
of Vladimir Putin following the
annexation of Crimea. Was either of those choices commensurate to America’s moral,
strong global leadership? No,
not really. But they both are decision fit for the long game.
To put all this in perspective,
a few years ago Republicans
were making amends for President Bush’s policy choices by arguing there was no attack on
U.S. soil after 9/11. By that
standard, President Obama has
kept the country safe, too (so
far – knock on wood). So I guess
they should be supporting his
policies?
I could write five times the
size of this column about the
things the Obama administration has done wrong and about
the President’s own drawbacks.
Nevertheless, the truth is President Obama has not been all
that bad. Hillary Clinton may be
a deeply-flawed candidate, but
Republicans will lose to her if
they try to run against the eight
years of Barack Obama. Their
best shot is coming up with a
new governance framework altogether.
Observations By Antonis H. Diamataris
Greece in Isolation
One after another, the most important
players in the Eurozone and the world economy are warning and urging Greece to
hurry up and reach an agreement with its
lenders before it is driven into bankruptcy.
Messrs. Obama, Lagarde, Draghi,
Schaeuble, Sapen, with one voice, are saying the same thing: find a compromise urgently. Implement reforms. Avoid bankruptcy. Otherwise, you will do real damage
to the international economic system, but
the damage you will do to your people will
be much worse.
That the situation is urgent is illustrated
by the fact that President Obama in his
speech at the ceremony commemorating
Greek Independence Day at the White
House last week departed from the usual
written speech and referred to the current
crisis in Greece. He placed particular em-
phasis on reforms.
He said the same a little later during his
conversation with Finance Minister Yanis
Varoufakis – who appeared with no tie and
an unbuttoned shirt collar.
What are the Greek responses to all these
statements? What is the government planning to do? This is where things get confusing, or so they seem to the outside observer.
The government is talking about "red
lines," meaning that it precludes further reductions in public sector wages and pensions, and labor market liberalization. We
will find solutions, Varoufakis said, and we
will make concessions, but not included in
concessions, or something to that effect…it
was difficult to grasp what he was saying.
Varoufakis seems to emit an unusual
calm-before-the-storm type of energy. And
he exudes the certainty of a man who believes – he either knows it or believes he
does – that he will ultimately find a solution,
just before the big cannon starts to fire.
Maybe, but if not?
Is he not even concerned that he finds
himself in complete isolation? Is he not
aware of all the negative leaks in the international media? Are they all "lies?”
Have the forces that want Greece's exit
from the Eurozone in the end succeeded in
causing that unpredictable "accident"?
Time is running short. It is no longer
counted in days, but in hours.
This applies even if you believe that they
are deliberately creating a mini-panic to
strengthen their negotiating position.
But the clock is also ticking for the government, which still acts like the opposition
instead of the ones governing. It could be
that its popularity is very high at the moment – something that can change very
quickly – but it is losing international credibility that it needs in order to be effective.
To the degree that there is time remaining, now is the time for decision.
VIEWPOINTS
13
The Paschal Celebration as Want to Beat Hillary? Then Stop Linking Her to Obama
An Empirical Participation
tionale of religion
This
Pascha,
(not faith), we rereaders
were
main mired deep in
treated to two semthe darkness of iginal texts, one in
norance, lost in a
English from Giles
sea of false solace.
Fraser, which apThe language of
peared in the
post-Newtonian
British newspaper
physics appears to
Guardian, entitled
manifest more than
“Arguments over
the language of inGreek debt echo
dividualistic reliancient disputes
by Christopher
gious “convictions.”
about Easter,” and
TRIPOULAS
In the study of natthe other by Prof.
Special to
ural phenomena,
Christos Yannaras,
The National Herald
only the relationwhich appeared in
ships that are
the Greek language
newspaper Kathimerini on April formed within the framework of
12th. Readers are strongly en- the different systems of refercouraged to read Fraser’s article ence seem to have any actual
on their own, while this column properties. If we seek to locate
will endeavor to loosely trans- a “position,” we discover a parlate some excerpts of Yannaras’ ticle, and if we are seeking “motion,” then we encounter a
article.
Today the greeting “Christos wave. Every measurement or
Anesti” seems to have been rel- any other type of observation
egated to a formality, without forms a relationship between
inviting the interlocutor to par- the observer and the informaticipate in the joy. It perpetuates tion being recorded. The relathe remnants of an erstwhile tionship is what creates the
feast, which, today, have noth- knowledge of reality, inasmuch
ing to do with existential chal- as the knowledge represents the
lenges: the realities of despera- connections drawn between the
tion, absence of communication, different studies made by the
and loneliness, the tragedy of observer.
From a religious standpoint,
terminal illness, the panic that
Christ’s Resurrection is an inexdeath brings to our souls.
In the best-case scenario, the plicable ‘miracle’ that compels
declaration “Christ is Risen” us to accept it as a “belief.” From
manifests a priori individual be- an ecclesiastical viewpoint, it is
liefs and a psychological cling- a mode of existence, which is
ing to ideological “convictions” known to us not from descripmeant to reassure the ego; con- tions and abstract formulas, but
victions tantamount to those solely through participation in
possessed by sports fans or faith- this mode or manner. And semful voters of a particular political inal meaning is lent to this mode
party. The reassurance that via the language of love,
‘Christ defeated death’ is under- through the “kenosis” or empstood by many today like the in- tying of every individualistic
dividual triumphant boast of selfishness. This manner is recfans, that team xyz beat another ognized only when this loving
one, or that some political party offering of the self takes place,
liberating us from slavery to the
triumphed over another.
We hear and read the annual absolute necessities of survival.
Paschal encyclicals of Church of- The empirical measure for apficials and desperately (but to proaching the ecclesiastical rano avail) search for even the tionale and language of the Resslightest traces of empirical con- urrection is self-emptying love,
tact that can be found therein. participation in the feat and joy
Drifting aimlessly as we are in of offering up one’s own self.
This means that the Resurthe head-spinning void of historic materialistic nihilism, with rection is not remanded as a
the sole “meaning” of life and “miracle,” but rather, attained,
exclusive nonstop concern being like every beloved thing: with
the inhumane machinations be- the voluntary acceptance of
ing billed as “economics” and death; that is, the relinquishing
“politics,” we might surely wish of self-centered life for the sake
to find some shred of realistic of life itself. In the language of
integrity beneath the phrase the Gospels, Christ did not rise
on the third day in order to con“Christos Anesti.”
If Christ died on the cross tinue the historic path of indiand came back to life on the vidual existence. He appeared
third day, why should this event embodying freedom from the
concern us today? How does it boundaries of nature. The
relate to us? People continue to Church sings an hymn saying
die, as was the case before that “the boundaries of nature
Christ’s Resurrection. No one have been defeated.” That goes
has come back to life after their for all nature – human nature
death, so why should we cele- as well as the boundaries of dibrate the fact that death was de- vine nature. The Incarnate Lord
feated because Christ resur- is free from the rational prescriptions of divinity, as well as
rected Himself?
Perhaps our problem lies in the necessities (time, space, corthe loss of the ability to distin- ruption, death) of humanity.
The declaration “Christos
guish the use of language, or
the difference in prevailing “ra- Anesti” must have come about
tionales”: There is a rationale from the manifestation of a conbehind survival and a rationale scientious and realistic joy. What
behind life; a rationale behind people thirst for is not an endutility and a rationale behind re- less (hence nightmarish) surlationships. The rationale be- vival of some shadow or overhind productivity is radically dif- tone of our existence in “a place
ferent that the rationale behind of repose” serving as some eterintegrity. The rationale behind nal ‘resting’ place for retirees;
conduct is different that the rano. We thirst for freedom from
tionale behind participation, in- every constraint and necessity.
We want to exist because we
teraction.
If we want to talk about love wish to do so of our own free
with the language of utilitarian well, and we wish to exist berationality, we will immediately cause we love and are loved. We
show ourselves to be clueless, thirst for “the fullness of love.”
The declaration “Christos
and hence, loveless. And if we
create architecture, paint, or Anesti” quenches this thirst. The
make music using the language Paschal Celebration is an inviof sensationalism, we show our- tation to participate empirically
selves to have never tasted the in the joy of freedom.
manifestation of beauty. If we
speak of the Gospel of the Follow
me
on
Twitter
Church in the language and ra- @CTripoulas
GUEST EDITORIALS
the national herald welcomes manuscripts representing a variety of
views for publication. they should include the writer’s name, address,
and telephone number, and be addressed to the editor, the national
herald, 37-10 30th St., long island city, ny 11101. they may also
be e-mailed to scaros@thenationalherald.com. we reserve the right
to edit any manuscripts that we publish, and we do not return or
otherwise acknowledge unpublished ones. due to considerations of
space we enforce a strict 850-word upper limit.
Hillary Clinton, it is fair to
say, is a “polarizing figure.” Her
husband, President Bill Clinton,
is not. Neither is the elder President (George H.W.) Bush, nor
his son, Jeb. But the younger
President (George W.) Bush,
Sarah Palin, and President
Barack Obama most certainly
are. In terms of her now-official
2016 presidential bid, then, tens
of millions of Americans are
overjoyed at the prospect of
President Hillary, whereas tens
of millions more are utterly horrified by it.
For the latter group, please
take note: if you want to beat
Hillary Clinton, you’re not going
to do it by linking her to President Obama. And if you’ve got
ties to any GOP movers and
shakers, please get this article
to them – quickly.
You see, when it comes to
winning elections, Republicans,
just like Democrats, haven’t got
a clue. They simply get lucky
from time to time, by being
blessed with an eminently electable candidate. Other times,
they are in the enviable role of
being the alternative: much like
the Democrats of 2008, or the
Republicans of 2014. If either
of those parties’ strategists try
to take credit for those election
year victories, that’s like 19th
century campaigns in agricultural America, when candidates
and their camps would take
credit for bountiful crops –
when the real hero was…lots
and lots of rain that year!
Therefore, if Republicans can
accept the fact that there are in
desperate need of advice about
how to win, then hopefully they
will take some – do not link
Hillary to Obama. And here’s
why:
Fox News-watching, talk radio-listening, churchgoing, nonmarijuana-smoking, gunowning, suburban-dwelling voters
with an opposite-gender spouse,
children, and a dog, are already
not going to vote for Hillary
Clinton.
They do not even need to
hear her name linked to
Obama’s – not even once. Sure,
it might make them angrier than
they already are, but that won’t
make their vote count for more.
They can only vote once.
But a Hillary-Obama link will
only serve to alienate Obama
supporters who plan to vote for
Hillary’s opponent (whoever
that may be), not for her, who
are insulted by that conflation.
paign-launching
Yes,
provideo about “real
Obama/antipeople?” Could it
Hillary types do exhad been any more
ist. I know several,
obviously-scripted
personally. A link
in terms of diversity
such as that would
composition? I sat
perpetuate
the
there watching it
stereotype
that
and thought to myevery Republican
self: “an Asian is
simply hates every
coming up next,
Democratic candifollowed by a gay
date, no matter
couple.”
Bingo!
what. It would
by CONSTANTINOS E.
Right
on
cue!
I’m
send a message of:
SCAROS
surprised she left
“we don’t like
out a paraplegic
Hillary, and we
Special to
The National Herald
and a Muslim.
don’t like Obama,
To clarify: of
because they’re Democrats.” And that is not a win- course her message – that America belongs to everyone, not just
ning message.
Also, please stop talking the well-connected white folks
about Benghazi. Give it up – no – is admirable. It is not her
one but the conservative media words that are revolting. It is
hosts and their loyal listeners the artificially-scripted compascare. The more damaging issue sion she injects conveying them.
is Emailgate. That one is a no- It is even more nauseating than
brainer: Hillary was subpoenaed Bill Clinton biting his lower lip
by Congress to turn over her to feign concern as he says: “I
email server, and what did she feel your pain.” For more examples, see William Hurt in the
do instead? She erased it.
Hillary also said she was un- film Broadcast News, in which
der enemy fire in Bosnia, when he played an anchorman who
CBS News showed footage re- applied water around his eyes
vealing nothing of the kind. “I to make it look as if he were
misremembered,” she said – crying while reporting on a story
even though she (and husband of date rape. Real tears over
Bill) repeated the story count- rape are human. Fabricated
less times. Forget Brian ones are subhuman.
This is the point, RepubliWilliams, when it comes to selfaggrandizing lies, Hillary is in cans. If you really want to beat
Hillary in 2016, focus not on
her own league.
And what about her cam- what makes her similar to
Obama – who in 2008 and 2012
received more votes than any
presidential candidate in American history, by the way – but
what makes her different from
him. Whereas, like most politicians, he is guilty of contradicting himself from time to time,
Hillary (just like Mitt Romney,
Al Gore, and John Kerry), is the
quintessential “phony politician.” And that is the number
one reason why she should not
be president.
Those who paint politics with
broad Republican Red or Democratic Blue strokes already know
whom they’re voting for: the
candidate – whoever he/she is
– whose name appears directly
below “Republican” or “Democrat” in the voting booth. But it
is the vast middle, the undecided voters, not the predictable
partisans, who decide presidential elections. And those undecideds are far too nuanced to
link one candidate to another
because of party. They are far
more likely to be repulsed by
pretentiousness and disingenuousness, which Hillary possesses, in droves.
Constantinos E. Scaros’ latest
book, about the 2016 presidential race, will be published this
summer. It is titled Grumpy Old
Party: 20 Tips on How the Republicans Can Shed their Anger,
Reclaim their Respectability,
and Win Back the White House.
Linking Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama in order to damage her campaign will backfire. A
bigger liability to Hillary’s presidency than Obama is Hillary herself.
LETTER FROM ATHENS
SYRIZA’s Flailing: Get Ready for Big, Fat, Greek Default
This is what happens when
you bring guys up from the Minor Leagues before they’re ready
to hit curveballs.
Unless the Gods intervene or
Prime Minister and Coalition of
the Looney Left leader Alexis
Tsipras takes his sanity pill,
Greece will likely be the first allegedly civilized country to default on loans to the International Monetary Fund and
change its name to Eastern
Venezeula.
That is unless Turkey takes
advantage of a vacuum of Greek
leadership and invades, as it
keeps testing Greek waters and
airspace, and then declares
Greek is Western Turkey.
You can’t make this stuff up
and even the usually conservative
Greek
newspaper
Kathimerini bannered a headline that “Greece Enters Twilight
Zone as Visions of Euro Exit
Take Shape.”
At this point, you can almost
hear Rod Serling offstage like a
Greek chorus in a stage whisper:
“Submitted for your approval: a
country that can’t pay its bills
or loans and spends money like
a drunken sailor has taken a detour down a road and entered
….. doot doot doot doot doot
doot doot doot …. DA DUN! The
Twilight Zone.”
Tsipras has completely lost
control of his own party and
ministers who are undermining
and defying him at the same
time as they stab him and each
other in the back.
That’s what happens when
the political party running
Greece is a composite of cuckoos, a loose collection of war-
Now caught bering factions of
tween varying sets
Maoists, Stalinists,
of
broken
Leninists,
Trotpromises and lies,
skyites, Anarchists,
he’s about to fall
Communists and
on his sword,
people so strange
which will hit only
they could be extras
his far left side,
in Rob Zombie’s The
and bring Greece
Devil’s
Rejects.
down with him to
They’re out there
save his false
past Pluto and
pride, and workthey’re running a
ers,
pensioners
country into the
by ANDY
and the poor he
ground, at least
DABILIS
vowed to save go
what’s left of it.
under so that he
SYRIZA is the
Special to
The National Herald
can raise the Hamprime example of
mer and Sickle
what happens when
you try to have a committee and declare he was true to his
reach a consensus and they word even it killed 10 million
build a camel instead of a horse. other people.
Unless Tsipras again changes
They’re so busy fighting
amongst themselves they forgot his mind and agrees to impose
what’s at stake here and it’s more heartless reforms denothing less than the survival of manded by the soulless troika,
Greece, which many of them are Greece will fail. If he sticks to
willing to sacrifice on the altar his guns without ammunition,
Greece will fail. Either way, orof Che Guevara.
Tsipras won power on Jan. dinary Greeks are screwed but
25 on the back of his promise the argument is only over to
not to negotiate with interna- what degree.
What Greece is staring at is
tional lenders, to walk on at
least half the country’s debt of a default and economic chaos
240 billion euros ($260 billion) and catastrophe for most, except
to the troika of the European politicans, the rich and priviUnion-International Monetary leged who long ago moved their
Fund-European Central Bank laundered money to foreign tax
(EU-IMF-ECB), and to reverse havens and will, as usual, be
the austerity conditions that held harmless and prosper.
Tsipras and Greece are caught
came with the money.
Once he realized you can’t in a Hobson’s Choice, which
run a country without moolah means there is no choice, no anhe reneged on his promises and swer, no salvation and no hope.
changed his mind then reneged Millions of Greeks will pay the
on his reneged promises and price for generations of wild overchanged his mind again, just the spending and runaway patronage
kind of mindset you want in a caused by alternating administrations of the New Democracy
leader you can depend on.
Capitalists and PASOK Anti-Socialists happy to let SYRIZA take
the fall and all the blame.
Without more aid, Greece
just can’t pay $763 million due
the IMF on May 12 and there’s
no way in hell it can meet $11
billion due the ECB, IMF and
Treasury bills in June or July so
that’s Tsipras’ out: we can’t pay.
The reason default could
happen, barring a last-second
compromise, is because both the
government and the lenders are
correct: Greece badly needed
critical reforms but there isn’t
enough money to repay the debt
even if all the nearly 800,000
public workers have their pay
cut 100 percent and Greece
stops paying pensions.
The austerity measures have
been savagely cruel to the people least able to afford it and if
your pay or pension has been
cut 30 percent, your taxes almost doubled in some cases, or
you lost your job, how can you
pay what you owe?
Banks – some of them – will
restructure debt to give people
either more time to pay or lower
interest or both because they
don’t want them to default, so
why can’t the troika do that? It’s
because the taxpayers in the
other 18 Eurozone countries
would pick up the tab for the
difference so in the end this isn’t
about fairness or economics, but
who wins.
When it comes to that, it’s always the poor, workers, pensioners, and people without political protection who will pay.
Unless they default.
adabilis@thenationalherald.com
14

Crisis Whirlwind: Greece Scrambles for Funds, Risks U.S. Ties

Transcription

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