Greece Seeks Relief From Troika After Tough Bailout Test Passes

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ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ
ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ
ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915
The National Herald
www.thenationalherald.com
July 18-24, 2015
th
anniversary
1915-2015
A wEEkly GrEEk-AmEriCAN PuBliCATiON
VOL. 18, ISSUE 927
100
cv
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1
Greece Seeks Relief From Troika After Tough Bailout Test Passes
Defections in
SYRIZA Ranks
Number 38
Krugman:
We Can be
“Another
Greece”
[Economist Paul Krugman
writes in the July 10th edition of
the New York Times that the
United States may indeed become
“another Greece,” but not because
of irresponsible spending; rather,
because of irresponsible austerity
measures coupled with the
limitations of operating without
a self-generated currency. The
article follows.]
Greece is a faraway country
with an economy roughly the
size of greater Miami, so America has very little direct stake in
its ongoing disaster. To the extent that Greece matters to us,
it’s mainly about geopolitics: By
poisoning relations among Europe’s democracies, the Greek
crisis risks depriving the United
States of crucial allies.
But Greece has nonetheless
played an outsized role in U.S.
political debate, as a symbol of
the terrible things that will supposedly happen — any day now
— unless we stop helping the
less fortunate and printing
money to fight unemployment.
And Greece does indeed offer
important lessons to the rest of
us. But they’re not the lessons
you think, and the people most
likely to deliver a Greek-style
economic disaster here in America are the very people who love
to use Greece as a boogeyman.
To understand the real
lessons of Greece, you need to
be aware of two crucial points.
The first is that the “We’re
Greece!” crowd has a truly remarkable track record when it
comes to economic forecasting:
They’ve been wrong about
everything, year after year, but
Continued on page 12
AP PHOTO/THANASSiS STAvrAkiS
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras delivers a speech during a parliament meeting in Athens, Thursday, July 16.
Overlooked: Hardworking, Taxpaying Greeks
By Constantinos E. Scaros
Commentary
ATHENS – Having visited
Athens and various Greek
islands this summer, I encountered a class of Greeks often
overlooked by the media, particularly the media outside of
Greece: Greeks in Greece who
work hard, pay their taxes, have
saved their money responsibly,
and now fear losing it because
of all the turmoil.
Eurostat and other groups
over the years have conducted
surveys that reveal that Greeks
are among the hardest-working
European people.
Americans who know the
Greeks of the United States well
are often surprised at the media’s portrayal of Greeks being
lazy and irresponsible, spending
all day at the coffee shop playing backgammon and sipping
frappes. “I know (so-and-so),
and he is the hardest-working
person I know,” say many about
their Greek-American friends
and neighbors.
Then, there is the report
about the wealthy Greek tax
cheats, who take advantage of
a combination of corruption and
ineptness in the Greek system,
and avoid paying the muchneeded tax revenues that would
help to make Greece solvent,
even thriving.
My colleague Online Editor
and Greece Correspondent Andy
Dabilis often writes about them
in his weekly “Letter from
Athens.”
And while the reports about
the lazy café languishers and the
rich tax cheats are to a great extent quite accurate, Greece also
has a sizeable population of responsible, hardworking individuals, who have managed their
household finances responsibly,
paid their taxes, and saved a
ATHENS (AP) — Greece's troubled left-wing government was
seeking urgent relief from European lenders after it pushed a
harsh austerity package through
Parliament, triggering a revolt
in the governing party and violent demonstrations in central
Athens.
Finance ministers from countries using the euro currency
were planning a conference call
to consider rescue financing for
Greece, while the European
Central Bank will mull a request
from Athens to increase emergency assistance to troubled
Greek banks that have been
closed since June 29.
The bill was the first step in
meeting requirements for negotiations to start on a desperately
needed third international
bailout for Greece that will prevent it from crashing out of Europe's common currency, following a deal reached by Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras and
other Eurozone leaders after a
marathon summit in Brussels
last weekend.
In a post-midnight vote, the
country's parliament voted 22964 to implement more austerity
measures that include pension
reforms and sweeping sales tax
hikes. Approval came thanks to
pro-European opposition parties
who voted in favor, and in spite
of deepening dissent within
Tsipras' left-wing SYRIZA party.
Thirty-eight party lawmakers
defied Tsipras — nearly one-infour — by voting against or abstaining. They included Tsipras'
powerful Energy Minister, Panagiotis Lafazanis, the speaker of
Parliament, Zoe Konstantopoulou, and Yanis Varoufakis,
the former finance minister who
Continued on page 10
Factors Linked to Longevity on Ikaria
By John Chrysochoos
TNH/COSTAS BEJ
Athenian Night a Hit in Astoria
The Athenians’ Society’s President Panos Adamopoulos introduces “Athenian Night” musicians Dimitris Lambrianos, Eleni
Andreou, and Tassos Papaioannou at Cephalonian House.
Several studies carried out by
a number of institutions and
groups of scientists have attempted to identify possible factors linked to life longevity. Although many of such studies are
statistical in nature, checking
the lifestyles of healthy octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians, their results vary considerably from region to region.
Some studies are a little more
scientific investigating the
chemical nature of some ingredients in the diet of those interviewed and their likely medical
significance, like their anti-oxidant potency. Unfortunately,
there are so many other subtle
factors that may be contributing
to life longevity, to the point of
rendering such studies mostly
phenomenological and somewhat superficial at best.
Although genetics may definitely play a significant role to
longevity, and no one would dispute such a claim, there is no
doubt that lifestyle may represent an equal, if not greater, factor affecting longevity. Lifestyle
is, unfortunately, such a gray
area, differing from region to
region, even from person to person in the same region, to the
extent that any attempt to quantify its impact on longevity may
be met with rather limited success. Nonetheless, The National
Geographic Explorer with Dan
Buettner and an international
team of researchers have identified five regions in the world
rumored to contain an unusually large percentage of healthy
octogenarians, nonagenarians
and centenarians. Such areas labeled Blue Zones are: Okinawa
in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica,
Loma Linda in California, Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea,
and the Greek island of Ikaria
in the Aegean Sea, the author’s
birthplace.
On the island of Ikaria the
researchers have traced some
common traits leading to
longevity, linked to the diet,
lifestyle and sleeping habits of
the inhabitants. Their findings
gained great publicity in 2009
when CNN reporter Anderson
Cooper presented a series of reports on Ikaria during an entire
week. In spite of those observations, however, there is no
doubt that some other very subtle factors may affect life
longevity in Ikaria even more
profoundly that those factors
identified by the researchers.
One such factor may be linked
to the so-called “Ikarian Time.”
Scheduling an event on the
island of Ikaria at a fixed time
and observing its timing faithfully is totally inconceivable.
People used to schedule events
with no time restrictions. Guests
used to come and go as they
Continued on page 8
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – For people who
are not artists, creativity is
something between the fingerpainting they did in school and
rocket science they will never
grasp. That is what makes it so
enjoyable to hear from people
like writer Penelope Karageorge
talk about the process that leads
to such delights as her new poetry anthology, The Neon Suitcase, published by Somerset
Hall Press.
Sometimes poems resonate
with a reader’s memories, and
For subscription:
718.784.5255
[email protected]
sometimes with her times.
Karageorge’s “Island Inferno”
grabs one with its title and with
its opening line: “Greece makes
you sweat for its beauty.”
Of course it’s about the summer heat, but reading it today
evokes complex emotions as
Greece teeters on the brink.
Karageorge, a TNH contributing writer, arrived relatively late in the land of the poets. She loved poetry and wrote
it on an off for years, she said,
but she didn’t concentrate on it.
It wasn’t until she won a contest for poems celebrating New
York City in the New York Times
Book Review that she took writing them seriously.
The contest inspired one her
“instant” poems. “I wrote it right
away. I Didn’t change a word
and sent it in and I came in third
out of 2000 entries.”
It was titled “New York Love
Letters – P.S. You’re Crazy.”
Continued on page 3
headed Greece's bailout strategy
until his replacement 10 days
ago.
The government described
the vote as marking a "serious
division" among its lawmakers,
and indicated that dissenters in
Tsipras' Cabinet would be
swiftly replaced.
"Today, Parliament took the
first important step for the deal,
voting for the difficult measures," government spokesman
Gabriel Sakellaridis said.
Continued on page 9
Eva Varellas
Kanellis: She
Changes Lives
Penelope Karageorge’s New
Book: The Neon Suitcase
By Constantine S. Sirigos
AP PHOTO
MP Panagiotis Lafazanis led
the revolt of SYRIZA’s left wing.
By Barbara Harrison
Special to The National Herald
TNH/COSTAS BEJ
NY Cathedral the Joyful Scene of Philotheos’ Elevation
Metropolitan Philotheos of Meloa (C), the new title of the hierarch who has been part of the
Cathedral family for decades. Archbishop Demetrios is seen with Archdeacon Panteleimon.
Plaudits and honors to Eva
Varellas Kanellis, who retired in
June after over 30 years of passionate commitment as founding director of U.S. College
Counseling and Special Programs at Anatolia College, Thessaloniki.
Earlier in the year, she was
awarded the prestigious "Counselors That Change Lives" Award
presented by Colleges That
Change Lives, Inc. The citation
states "Eva [Kanellis] has probably done more to increase the
visibility of students and schools
in Greece than anyone else.
There is no doubt that she is a
counselor who changes lives."
Under her guidance, hundreds of Anatolia students have
Continued on page 5
COMMUNITY
2
GOINGS ON...
HELLENIC HAPPENINGS FROM COAST TO COAST
TNH Staff
TORONTO, CANADA –
Canadian-Greek actress Nia
Vardalos seems to have a lot to
say about the citizens of Greece
and their hand in the financial
crisis. Vardalos just finished production on a sequel to the 2002
blockbuster My Big Fat Greek
Wedding. Just like anyone who
has something to say, Vardalos
took to Twitter to express her
disappointment. She tweeted
that, “as a very proud Greek, I've
encountered comments such as,
‘they should have paid their
taxes.’ The ignorance of this
comment is profoundly upsetting and selectively obtuse. I
would have hoped society
wouldn't simply swallow the
jaded media's typical dissemination of false information. Greece
is a beautiful nation of hardworking, loving people who
would invite you into their
home and even give you their
bed. Please don't judge a country's people based on the actions
of a government. This article explains the politics.”
ASTORIA – All across the
United States Greek-Americans
are feeling the effects of the ongoing financial crisis in Greece.
Greek Chicagoans, a community
of more than 300,000, are trying to adapt to the ensuing crisis. Locals are worrying about
their families and properties in
Greece. Victoria Sdoukos and
her mother have actually cancelled renovations on their family home in Greece because of
the crisis. Sdoukos says, “You
don’t know if the work is going
to get done people are suffering
right now and it may very well
be the case they’ll take the
money and you won’t hear from
them.” In Astoria, the Greek epicenter, many are torn between
the decision to say yes or no to
the Referendum. Maria Kyprianides, a 29-year-old Greek resident who has family in Greece
says, "People can't go on like this
anymore, it's like having a knife
to your throat." Neoklys Melis,
40, is now working at Café Bolis
in Queens. Just weeks ago he
decided to close his mechanics
shop in Greece and move his
family to New York. Melis says,
"You know, you just work to
break even. You need to do
something in your life, and I
have a family, so I came here."
don't know who to believe,
which side to believe now. The
people are optimistic, but the
people are pessimistic too."
Actress Nia Vardalos says “I
hoped society wouldn’t simply
swallow the jaded media’s
typical dissemination of false
information” about Greece.
Konstantisnos Platis, the owner
of Tastee Corner, seems to be
just as stuck as every other
Greek-American. Platis says, "I
WASHINGTON, DC – On
Friday, Jul. 20, The Smithsonian
American Art Museum will be
featuring one of the 19th century's most famous sculptures as
well as a new exhibition about
artist Hiram Powers. One pivotal
piece is a life-size plaster model
of the "Greek Slave," the Washington Post reported. The new
exhibition "Measured Perfection" will reveal the inner workings of the artist and innovator,
Hiram Powers, who adapted
long-established traditions in
sculpture to new technologies
of the 1800s. The exhibit features finished and unfinished
artworks and tools to reveal
Powers' creative process and experimentation. There are 15
sculptures, plaster molds, casts
and other tools, the Post reported. The Smithsonian acquired the materials from Powers' studio in Florence, Italy in
1968. The sculpture was so famous during its time that Powers applied for a U.S. patent to
protect his design.
Uniquity Enjoys Peanuts, Crackerjacks, and Fellowship
By Constantine S. Sirigos
TNH Staff Writer
BROOKLYN – The Uniquity
ministry of the Archdiocesan
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
had a blast – even before the
fireworks that followed the
Brooklyn Cyclones baseball
game – at MCU Park off the
famed Coney Island boardwalk
on July 11.
Friendships were deepened
and formed as fellowship
blended with the delight of
baseball purists who revel in minor league ball and the curiosity
of newcomers to the game –
marking the event a bit hit.
It is always more festive
when the home team wins and
even Yankee fans in attendance
appreciated the ‘Clones 2-1 victory.
Pitcher Kevin Canelon’s fine
performance, limiting Aberdeen
IronBirds to one run on two hits
over six-and-one-third innings,
was backed up by Pedro Perez’s
two-run single early in the
game.
The first-place Cyclones improved to 15–6 in the A-level
summer league
Uniquity is the Cathedral's
ministry for single, widowed
and divorced adults.
“We had a great night
tonight and we had a great
group of people in Uniquity
Leah Hanlon, told TNH. The
Uniquity committee is now
working on its fall schedule of
activities, which could include
a talent night and a karaoke
night. During the past year there
were game nights and visits to
the Met museum.
Five rows deep in this picture, members and friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral’s Uniquity group
enjoy an evening of baseball, fireworks – and Star Wars skits – in Coney Island.
The baseball game was also
the occasion for Star Wars night,
with activities that raised money
for St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens.
Fans enjoyed costumed people taking turns with the
‘Clones’ cheerleaders, “The
Beach Bums” – the old Brooklyn
Dodgers’ nickname was Dem
Bums – performing on the field,
on top of the dugout, and in the
stands.
After the game dozens of
Star Wars characters poured
onto the field for a skit that culminated in a massive light saber
battle – which the good guys
won.
Cathedral member Daniel
Padovano, is not from Brooklyn,
but having grown up in
Yorkville, just north of the
Cathedra near what was known
as Italian Harlem, he fits right
in in Brooklyn. He told TNH,
“Tonight is about good times, a
lot of nice people, good friends,
a lot of fun.”
Jimmy Sirris, is from Brooklyn – a veteran altar boy from
Three Hierarchs who grew up
in nearby Sheepshead Bay, said
he has drawn to the event by “a
pretty good group of people
from the Cathedral.” He is also
a diehard Yankee fan.
Anna McCorriston is in New
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
York for a fashion internship at
Refinery 29. She is studying at
Ryerson University in Toronto.
“I started attending the Cathedral in New York because I go
to the St, George Orthodox
Church in Toronto,” she said.
John Paterakis, the Englishlanguage chanter at the Cathedral, is a minor league aficionado – he is a ‘Clones
mini-season ticket holder – and
helped organize the event. “I encouraged Uniquity to come and
I knew they would have a marvelous time. There are 25 people here.”
And they all would love to
come back.
This summer, no matter where you go,
take The National Herald with you!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ON-LINE EDITION AND STAY INFORMED!
n THRU OCT. 31
CHICAGO, IL – The National
Hellenic Museum, 33 S Halsted
St., in Chicago, pays tribute to
the legendary actor and artist
Anthony Quinn, who brought to
life one of the greatest and most
life-affirming literary characters
of our time – the irrepressible
Zorba the Greek. The depth and
breadth of Anthony Quinn’s creative genius is showcased in an
exhibition of more than 80 of
his emotive paintings and powerful sculptures. Visitors will see
reflections of Anthony Quinn’s
life experiences, traces of his
proud Mexican heritage, his
love of cultures throughout the
world, and the impact of his
long friendship with the Greek
people. The exhibit is being Produced in collaboration with
Katherine Quinn, the Anthony
Quinn Foundation, and the Anthony Quinn Trust. It was organized and curated by Connie
Mourtoupalas, President of Cultural Affairs with assistance by
Chris Helms, Assistant Curator
of Collections & Exhibitions. Exhibition installation assistance
by Dimitra Alvazoglou, John
Anagnostopoulos, Krista Bondi,
Katerina Gailas, Stephanie Larson, Nikolas John Mourtoupalas, Katie Narayan, Kaitlyn
Peterson. This is exhibit was
generously sponsored by John
S. Koudounis & Family, John
and Martha Cannis, Chris P.
Tomaras-PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation, National Hellenic Invitational Basketball
Tournament, National Hellenic
Society, Angelo and Mary Cappas & Family, and Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest C. Karras.
n THRU NOV. 1
TARPON SPRINGS, FL – Night
in the Islands returns to the
world-famous Sponge Docks of
Tarpon Springs for 2015! Saturdays, 6-11PM: Jul. 11, Aug. 1,
Sept. 12, and Oct. 3. A free
event of Greek music, dancing,
and dining! And we will offer
an hour of free Greek dance
lessons by the Levendia Dance
Troupe from 6-7PM. The festival
is supported in part by a grant
from the National Endowment
for the Arts. Come join us for
authentic island fun in the warm
Florida sun and mark your calendar and make this a regular
destination! And if you’re just
in town for a week or two, make
sure to mark your calendar as
you will not want to miss this!
Tarpon Springs is a unique
Greek experience in the United
States, one unlike any other
Greek community. Come be part
of this one-of-a-kind American
experience that will make you
feel as if, truly, you are back in
the homeland!
n JULY 20
SALEM, MA – Please join us
Monday, Jul. 20, for the annual
Nicholas J. Bouras Memorial
Golf Classic on the beautiful
Kernwood
Country
Club
course,1 Kernwood St, in Salem,
designed by the legendary Donald Ross. Start the day with an
early lunch, followed by souvlaki and loukaniko served
course-side. After 18 holes, enjoy hors d’oeuvres, complimentary cocktails, and a raffle. Trophies and prizes awarded over
a steak or lobster dinner.
n JULY 25
POURTSMOUTH, NH – OPA!
Come join us Sat, Jul. 25, for
Greek Music Night at Café Nostimo, 72 Mirona Rd., in
Portsmouth. There will be live
Greek music, Greek dancing and
a belly dancing performance.
Join us for great music, great
food and a great time at Cafe
Nostimo. Featuring Music by
Chuck Koustas and Ross
Richardson and at 9PM a belly
dancing performance by Zabel.
Reservations Recommended.
n JULY 28 – AUGUST 1
MANHATTAN - New York Euripides Summer Festival 2015
presents HECUBA – an American Thymele Theatre Free Euripides Summer Series Presentation.
East
River
Park
Amphitheatre: Tuesday, July 28
at 6:00 PM and Wednesday, July
29 at 6:00 PM; The Richard
Rodgers Amphitheater: Thursday, July 30 at 6:00 PM and Friday, July 31 at 6:00 PM; Minor
Latham Playhouse: Saturday,
August 1 at 8:00 PM. Reservations through SMARTTIX are
suggested for Aug. 1 performance. HECUBA on SmartTix:
http://www.smarttix.com/show
.aspx?showcode=hec775&ss=1
or call SmartTix at: 1-212-8684444. East River Park Amphitheatre – FDR Drive overpass –
Grand Street exit - Between
Cherry Street & Jackson Street.
Richard Rodgers Amphitheater
– Marcus Garvey Park, Bet.
Madison Av. & Mt. Morris Pk.
W. 120-124 Streets. Minor
Latham Playhouse – 3009
Broadway at 119th Street – Milbank Hall – Columbia University. For more information visit:
www.nycgovparks.org/events/k
eyword%20hecuba/
or
www.AmericanThymeleTheatre.yolasite.com/news.php.
Just like in antiquity, all performances are free of charge to the
public.
n AUGUST 1
Santa Barbara's Annual Greek
Festival is taking place from
11AM-7PM on Saturday, Aug. 1
and Sunday, Aug. 2, in beautiful
Oak Park. The festival evokes
the sights, sounds and tastes
that define the traditional Greek
way of life. Stroll through Santa
Barbara's beautiful Oak Park,
and experience the simple pleasures of life in a Greek village.
Dozens of volunteers enthusiastically staff their booths, creating a convivial, welcoming atmosphere. Festivalgoers return
year after year for the food. Delectable festival favorites like gyros and moussaka. And no
Greek village would be complete without homemade pastries from Yia Yia's traditional
recipes:
baklava,
melomakarona, and kataifi are just a
few of the sweet treats to delight you. Listen to the distinctive sounds of the bouzouki and
other exotic instruments played
by authentic Greek musicians
who perform traditional and
popular songs. Delight in the
beauty of the elaborate costumes worn by performers as
they share their carefully practiced steps and intricate dances
with the enthusiastic audience.
Take advantage of a free Greek
dance lesson, and enjoy participating in the same dances you
would perform in the traditional
villages of Greece. Relax and enjoy yourself under the oaks in
the warm embrace of the best
Greek culture has to offer.
n AUGUST 9
CHICAGO, IL – As an installment in its summer film series,
The National Hellenic Museum,
333 S Halsted St., in Chicago,
is showing Greek-American
Radicals: The Untold Story. The
film narrates the story of GreekAmerican radicalism from the
era of mass migration till the
McCarthy period in the 50s. A
history of collective struggles,
radical ideas, exciting journeys
and forgotten traditions interwoven with the times of upheaval, social and political
movements, persecutions and
collective disillusionments. Focusing from the Great Depression to the demise of ethnic radicalism in the 50s, the
documentary Greek-American
Radicals: the Untold Story
brings forth an alternative vision
of Greek-American history that
highlights the transformations
and multiple interrelations between ethnicity, class and radicalism. Tickets are $10.00 per
person and includes a museum
admission. The event is from 35PM.
n SEPTEMBER 5
TOLEDO, OH – OPA! Join Holy
Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral for our 44th Annual GreekAmerican Festival, Sept. 5, 6 &
7. Come and enjoy authentic
Greek Food, Greek Pastries &
Greek Dancing. Browse through
our Greek Boutique, Greek Culture, Greek Language & Religious Education Booths. Tour
our beautiful Byzantine Cathedral. Attend the Greek Language
& Culture Presentations, and
watch the Greek Cooking
Demonstrations.
n OCTOBER 11
LOS ANGELES, CA – By popular
demand, Peggy Zina is coming
to Los Angeles for a special engagement. Peggy will be performing live at Club Nokia, 800
West Olympic Blvd, in Los Angeles. Peggy has a career which
has lasted over 20 years with
many hits going multi-platinum.
We are excited to present her
along with her band directly
from Greece for the only west
coast performance! Peggy will
be here Sun, Oct. 11 at 7PM and
Mon, Oct. 12 at 12am. To get
tickets call 1-877-639-9715.
n NOTE TO OUR READERS
This calendar of events section
is a complimentary service to
the Greek American community.
All parishes, organizations and
institutions are encouraged to
e-mail their information regarding the event 3-4 weeks ahead
of time, and no later than Monday of the week before the
event, to [email protected]
For more information contact: [email protected] or call: 718-784-5255, ext. 108
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
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Are the lenders being too hard on Greece, or are they objectively practicing sound fiscal stewardship?
Please
email
your
response
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[email protected]
We may publish some responses as Letters to the Editor in
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COMMUNITY
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
3
How The Community Can Drive Investment to Cyprus and Greece
By Constantine S. Sirigos
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – The idea that each
and every person of Greek and
Cypriot descent can be economic
ambassadors for the homelands
received a boost when Cyprus’
House of Representatives approved ab bill paving the way to
for the island nation’s first
casino.
Diaspora Greeks and Hellenes
have been playing a catalytic role
for developments ranging from
the casino project to the first
business forum presented by the
Republic of Cyprus in cooperation the Cyprus Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (KEVE)
in February, 2016.
The story of the role played
by Michael Karloutsos, entrepreneur and community leader is
both a cautionary tale about how
the countries can squander vital
opportunities, and a model of
how to seize them.
He first spoke of Greece’s
fumble. “I got a call from Congressman Gus Bilirakis, who was
attending an AIPAC event. Bilirakis put hotel mogul Sheldon
Adelson on the phone and he
said he wants to invest $3-4billion of his own money to build a
casino in Greece.”
Karloutsos spoke with the
then-Prime Minister, who urged
him to speak with a cabinet minister who was coming to the U.S.
A meeting was set up, but
nothing ever came of it. “I am
drowning in work,” the minister
told Karloutsos, who pleaded
“you don’t understand...other investors will follow his lead and
we can stop the crisis dead in its
tracks.”
He had to tell Adelson that
Greece was not interested.
Sometime later he got a call
from Adelson, who said “I am
here in Tel Aviv and my pilot says
EU-funded projects like the expansion of the Port of Limassol
make Cyprus attractive to investors. The government is working
to make projects win-win for Cyprus and businesses and members of the diaspora can also recruit investors.
I can get to Larnaca airport in
45 minutes. Can you set up a
meeting with the president?
“We had an incredible meeting with President Christofias,”
TNH was told, but the AKEL
communist party voted not to
support it and it all fell apart.
Adelson shifted his attention
elsewhere, but “that meeting set
the stage” Karloutsos said, for
the legislation that Cyprus
passed last week.
The opportunity returned
when Nicos Anastasiades became president and he seized it,
sending to the U.S. people like
Michalis Michael, Partner with
KPMG Cyprus, to do a white paper on the casino industry. The
report catalogued the errors
made in Greece where “nine casinos were set up through patronage in the wrong places,” Karloutsos said, so “Cyprus decided
to build, a big, Las Vegas-style
“moutra – long faces.” People are
working and seeing the light at
the end of the tunnel.
Andreas Comodromos, honorary chairman of the CyprusU.S. Chamber of Commerce, and
current President Nicholas Karacostas, spoke with TNH about its
recent initiatives.
In 2015 the Chambers met
with Anastasiades about groups
like their can promote Cypriot
recovery and development, and
Karacostas the same can be done
for Greece.
Among the agenda items was
using their relationships with
congresspersons to revise those
countries’ commercial treaties
with the United States.
To promote tourism, the
Chamber suggested forming
teams of experts in social media
to continually disseminate information about tourism in Greece
and Cyprus. Karacostas said
groups like the Chamber’s
Cyprus Young Professionals
group, a powerful human resource, could use material generated by the appropriate agencies in the two homelands.
They also want to see ideas
that have proven very effective
in the United States like incubator programs adapted to Greece
and Cyprus.
Comodromos is most excited
about the establishment of business forums.
“If you invite 100 people, they
are all ambassadors. Each one
has a network of another 20 peo-
integrated resort – casino, hotel,
entertained, hotel, dining, gold,
the works, as opposed to what
in Greece are called “boxes with
slots”- hotels with slot machines
with no character to them.
Officials intend for the super
casino, which will be built where
the winning bidder desires,
hopefully by 2018, to be one of
the best in the world.
Karloutsos said, “They are
thinking big in Cyprus and I like
to think we Greek and CypriotAmericans had something to do
with that. We instilled in them
this idea of getting beyond what
they had done before.”
And he believes the government “is playing it smart. It is using the assets they have, they
have not been fighting amongst
themselves, they took the initial
blow and plugged along.”
“What you don’t see in Cyprus
now that you see in Greece are
Gems in Karageorge’s Neon Suitcase
Continued from page 1
Author Penelope Karageorge,
Director of the Greek-American Writers Association,
standing in front of her
beloved grandmother’s house
in the village of Lychna on
Lemnos.
women tell me they really appreciate the book,” telling her
“you express the feelings that I
have.”
She shares her thoughts and
experiences about growing up
Greek, and American in her
work.
There are profound differences. On the Greek side “you
have this whole culture behind
you,” and also the eyes of every
other Greek family around on
you.
“Actually, it was very charming because in Newburgh, my
dad made ice cream - Karageorge’s favorite was lemon –
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“One poem, daughter of
Persephone, took 20 years to
write,” she told TNH, but the instant poems “are wonderful,
spontaneous things. It’s pretty
remarkable.”
It hasn’t happened to her that
many times. “You start writing
and it just keeps coming. I don’t
know if God is standing over
you, helping out.”
She agrees that it is the result
of things percolating in the subconscious mind for years before
something triggers their release.
“Definitely. That’s it!” she said.
Many poems were written in
her house in Lemnos. It’s a great
place to write poetry she said.
“A wonderful two- story
stone house right on the square
in the village of Lychna, five
minutes from the water.”
It is a very meaningful place
because it was the home of the
grandmother Sevaste – which is
Karageorge’s middle name – she
was very close to her as a child
growing up in Newburgh, NY.
The Neon Suitcase is dedicated to Sevaste and her husband Themistocles Xanthis
They ultimately separated,
and Sevaste went back to
Greece when Karageorge was
about three or four.
“I remember watching the
boat leave.” She said she never
forgot that scene. “I was crying,
my sister was crying…of course
they don’t tell you but suddenly
this wonderful person is gone…
I never saw her again.”
It is difficult to understand
how Greeks endure so much
heartbreak, but they do; the unbroken chain of 4000 years of
poetry helps.
Sevaste returned to her
house in Lychna, which eventually passed to Karageorge, who
told TNH, “I kept it as it was
and people are so charmed by
it. There are fireplaces – which
of course I’ve never lit so I don’t
burn the place down.”
“It was HER house,” she said.
“I still feel her warmth.”
The poem “Greek House” is
about “how a house can still
evoke all these feelings,” Karageorge said.
The penultimate verse reads:
I came to visit the house, to
live in the house, to comfort it,
remember with it, shedding
tears. Loss.
Some poems are inspired by
today’s Greece; others have an
uncanny sense of the ancient,
like the one titled “Tantalus.”
On the road to Argos,
we stopped
and asked a beggar
for directions
to a well. He wept and
pointed to the dry
ground, arid
stones.
And in the distance,
the beautiful
undrinkable
sea.
Many of the poems “are
about New York, or life, or being
a woman,” Karageorge said. She
calls some of her work Chick Lit.
“I am very gratified when
she said, “so whenever I went
into restaurants of confectionary
the owners would make a big
fuss over me and urged treats
on me and not let me pay.”
She wouldn’t let them do
that – her father would not approve.
There was something wonderful about being at home in
so many places, but there was
an ominous dimension.
“There definitely was that
feeling of being watched. She
remembered “that big eye,” on
the iconostasis that looms above
Greek children in church.
The community’s vision for
talented women was also narrow in those days, but Karageorge’s father was progressive,
and he insisted both his daughters go away to good colleges.
“They were wonderful people,”
she said of her parents.
“My mother Melpomene was
a reader and probably would
have been a writer with some
encouragement,” she said. Her
sister Helen is a gifted pianist –
and is very good at languages.
Karageorge’s readers can’t
wait for the next book, and
when she goes to Lemnos she
plans to write a poem a day. “It’s
like an exercise. It’s a great place
to write. ”
She first visited Lemnos in
the winter.
“Nobody told me you don’t
go to the Greek islands in the
winter.”
She loved it.
Greece cold and damp is still
more wonderful than half the
countries in Europe in winter.
One is still on a Greek Island.
And there are those sunsets.
“That was it! The sunsets are
unbelievable.” Karageorge said.
ple who have the capability to
invest. I myself have that network through 40 years of work
that I can make available to
Greece and Cyprus,” he said
“Representatives can come to
Cyprus from every country in the
Diaspora and the government of
Greece and Cyprus can present
to the extremely successful members of the diaspora what the
countries’ needs are, what investment opportunities exists, and
create working groups and business to business meetings…The
Hellenic and Cypriot Diaspora
combined with the business communities back home can create
a powerful synergies and relationships at the business and
government level, ” said Comodromos.
After the Chamber presented
its proposals, Comodromos said,
Anastasiades “went back home
and he mobilized the responsible
agencies and in February 2016
we will have the first business
forum,” Comodromos said.
Fotis Fotiou, Presidential
Commissioner for Humanitarian
Affairs and Overseas Cypriots, is
spearheading the forum.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO?
The idea does not apply to
only businesspersons. People in
other fields who do not have Comodromos’ and Karloutsos’ contacts can come into contact with
potential investors and direct
them people to the right people
in Greece and Cyprus.
Comodromos said people
should take opportunities they
hear about to Greek and Cypriot
chambers of commerce that
those countries’ trade attaches.
“But they should not just stop
there,” he said. “Follow up. Call
the attaché a month later and
ask ‘what have you done about
it; have you had you passed on
this opportunity to your ministry;
what did you hear from your
ministry? They must tell them
‘we cannot afford to lose this opportunity.’”
His colleagues didn’t stop
with a conversation with Anastasiades. “We spoke to other officials and we kept stimulating
the idea,” Comodromos said.
And he says that as troubled
as the economies are, they do offer excellent investment opportunities. “If you do it in a way
that is organized, government
sponsored, and targeted, it will
be win-win for the investors and
the countries.”
Karacostas gave as an example of new opportunities the
deepening relationships between
Israel, Greece and Cyprus “which
can be enhanced by joint events
with Israeli chambers and business groups.”
Karloutsos agrees regarding
Israel. Tourism is way up, and
there more potential, “If we can
help Cyprus build up its hospitality infrastructure.” There is a
multiplier effect: Israeli tourists
will tell their friends and relatives in America about their experiences.
He also agrees with the
Chamber that the members of
the diaspora are rich as a result
of their networks, the people in
the homes or offices next door
in New York and London and
Melbourne who are looking for
investment opportunities.
What makes us rich is the
ability to take an idea and then
to use that wealth of connections
and relationships to bring it to
fruition. That is what I am looking to do here.”
“It’s not my job, but it becomes my job to promote Greece
and Cyprus – but my last name
ends in a “s” and it’s unavoidable,“ Karloutsos said.
His story demonstrates two
important things 1) the vital importance of Comodromos’ emphasis on persistence and follow
up, and 2) serious investors are
aware of Greece and Cyprus
commercial potential despite the
horrific press they have been buffeted with in recent years.
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COMMUNITY
4
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
Gus Constantine’s Novel Escaping Cyprus Shouts: “Never Forget”
By Constantine S. Sirigos
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – Achilleos Argyros.
Yiannis Zouvannis. Those are
the first and last names on a notorious list: the 1,587 men and
women missing after the illegal
Turkish invasion of Cyprus in
1974.
The names of every single one
of those people whom the Turkish government has never accounted for – whether they were
killed immediately, or after they
were dishonored or enslaved –
are listed in the appendix of Gus
Constantine’s novel about the
horrors of the invasion and the
fate of its Greek Cypriot victims.
“I cannot and will not complete this book without listing
their names. I owe them at least
that,” Constantine told TNH. He
said he has begun to receive
phone calls from people in tears
who saw their relatives’ names.
The first sentence reads like
a news flash being pounded on
an old typewriter like a sledge
hammer: “Cyprus, 1974. The
Turkish Invasion.”
The words that follow tell the
tale of a 12 year-old boy, Haji,
who was about to witness the
brutal murder of his parents and
little sister in their kitchen, and
of his teacher, the beautiful and
courageous Rebecca, who like
his mother, was raped.
“He was awakened in the
middle of the night by the sound
of screaming, Help! Help! Help!
He thought he was dreaming.
Suddenly he realized it wasn’t a
dream.”
When the Turks fled in fear
of approaching Greek Cypriot
soldiers, Rebecca helped him escape.
Constantine said “I don’t
know,” when TNH asked why he
chose that topic. “I decided to
write, and I’m Cypriot.”
The book is historical fiction.
It is based on accounts of actual
events he encountered during
his research, but the story and
the characters are his inventions.
“It just came to me,” said the
budding author with a great
imagination. But some things he
did not have to imagine.
“The words ‘barbarian’ and
‘atrocity’ appear in the book over
and over again,” he said,
founded on the historical record.
He knows Cyprus well for
family and visits. His parents
were childhood friends born the
village of Vavla in free Cyprus.
“They never hooked up, but they
married when they accidently
met in America in 1950.”
Looking for a better life, “My
father jumped ship, and my
mother was brought over a few
years earlier by her older
brother.”
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Constantine moved to
Throggs Neck in the Bronx when
he was five. He is now retired
after 29 years as a driver for
UPS, but continues to be involved in charitable organiza-
Gus Constantine’s historical
novel Escaping Cyprus, contains a list of all 1,587 people
who went missing in 1974.
tions, including St. Paraskevi
Church in Greenlawn, N.Y.
where he served as Parish Council President.
His parents firmly planted
him, his older sister Alexandra,
and younger sister Ioulia in the
community.
“We only had one car and my
father worked on Sundays. He
would drop us of at St.
Demetrios, go to the diner, pick
us up and go to the diner for
breakfast, and he would have
his half a day off a week.”
It is the classic immigrant
story: Not knowing English, his
father began as dish washer, but
eventually opened the Broadway Diner in Astoria. He was
hard working and successful,
but ended up losing the diner.
He never owned the property
and the landlord burned him at
lease renewal; again, an old
story.
A product of New York’s public schools, Constantine did not
study to be a writer, but he bore
for years in the back of his mind
an experience from his one writing class. After an assignment,
the teacher told the class to read
two papers – one was Constantine’s.
“The teacher asked, ‘Which
one did you like better’ and 99
percent liked mine.”
The teacher then pointed out
that the other paper was technically flawless, but added “For
me it was a boring story.” Then
he held up Constantine’s paper
and after pointing out its errors
said, “He knows how to tell a
story.”
At St. Paraskevi, Constantine
spoke to Gus Leodas – who is
about to publish his ninth novel.
”I like to write,” Constantine
told his fellow Gus.
As PC President he loved
writing the monthly newsletter,
and when Leodas saw his writing samples, he told him, “You
have the talent,” and began to
teach him the basic and finer
points of the craft.
Leodas coached him through
the process of beginning the
novel, but Constantine told
TNH: “Once I began to write Escaping Cyprus, I’ve never once,
for a second, had writing block.”
The approach that works for
him is to wing it, no notes or
outline.
The story flowed naturally,
and his biggest challenge was
learning Microsoft Word.
Constantine wrote about 120
pages for a second novel, on a
completely different subject,
“But I stopped, because I had an
idea for a sequel,” he said.
Escaping Cyprus is dedicated
to the Cypriots who did and did
not escape, to his wife Georgia,
whose roots are in Nisyros, their
children Christina, Jackie and
Charlie, and to Constantine’s
niece Eleni Lacas, who helped
him with the word processing.
The pain and hope for
Cyprus continue 41 years later.
During one trip to Cyprus, Constantine accidentally bumped
into Congressman Gus Bilirakis
– he sometimes does speak to
people not named Constantine
– who brought two Congressmen to see the reality of the occupied areas.
“They destroyed the northern
part of Cyprus,” Constantine
said, and wiped out its historic
Greek and Orthodox character.
“Famagusta, one of the great resorts of the Mediterranean is
now a ghost town, still fenced
off and untouched since 1974.
There are signs that say “Enter
at your own risk – you will be
shot on sight.”
But the struggle continues,
and Constantine’s book is the
latest Greek declaration of
“Never forget!
Concert Supported by Hellenes Raises Funds for Cancer Research
By Constantine S. Sirigos
TNH Staff Writer
NEW YORK – More and more
individuals and organizations in
the Greek-American and the
wider community are discovering how beautifully culture and
philanthropy can blend, fueled
by the same love of life. On July
7 fashion blog A Cosmo Life
struck a blow in the battle
against cancer by presenting
“Music For A Cause” with a live
performance by violinist Gregory Harrington benefitting the
research fundraising efforts of
Stand Up 2 Cancer.
With a spectacular view of
Manhattan as the backdrop at
230 Fifth Avenue, dozens of
New Yorkers from all walks of
life were thrilled by Harrington,
who was backed up by a fine
jazz band.
The mix of genres they performed included the upbeat, like
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, and
the poignant, the Ashokan
Farewell from the soundtrack of
Ken Burns’ The Civil War.
Wearing a dazzling blue
dress by Romance, The Label,
and Hazen’s spirit showed that
altruism can be fun.
In New York, young professionals are not only always seek-
International musician Gregory Harrington, wearing a vest, was the featured violinist at the
“Music for a Cause” concert organized by Jordan Hazen that raised funds for Stand up 2 Cancer.
ing the next new thrill, they are
also hungry to contribute and
make a difference in some way,
and people like Hazen both provide the opportunity and inspire
others to do the dame
Hazen’s motivations were
that blend of personal and al-
truistic that characterizes people’s response to cancer
tragedies.
“The event came about because I have had lots of family
members both pass away from
as well as survive Cancer,” she
said.
But fighting for any cause is
important to Hazen.
“I am a true believer that you
must give back your time in order to truly be successful - in
life, it's not just about gain... It's
always about giving!
She said Harrington also be-
lieves in giving back, but he also
“dealt with cancer first hand as
well, since he lost his mother 13
years ago to this terrible disease.
Then when we spoke of the
idea, he had mentioned how
amazing Stand Up 2 Cancer
was... Upon research, I fell in
love with their mission and their
dedication to creating awareness.”
She told TNH that since the
organization was founded in
2008, supported by people in
the entertainment industry,
more that $370 Million has been
pledged, funding more than 825
Clinical Trials. Harrington, a
world-renowned solo violinist
who has played in Carnegie
Hall, and for people like Vice
President helped her organize
the event.
The two lived a classic New
York experience. They met at a
wine bar one night and connected on a very spiritual and
mental level. “We wound up
dating for 8 months which were
phenomenal. However, due to
differences, ended our relationship and committed to a lifelong
friendship which is great,” she
said.
Hazen, who is a PR industry
veteran, is now speaking to people in Germany to start an ini-
tiative on a program to help
save money and raise awareness
for refugees in Africa as well as
meeting with a team in Miami
this week to help empower children from under privileged families.
Travel comes naturally to
her. She is from Brazil with
roots in Egypt and Lebanon.
“But my late stepfather,
Gerasimos Colaitis, is from Kefalonia,” Hazen told TNH. He
was a furrier, giving her an early
taste of the fashion industry, and
“he was the most amazing man
in the world,” she said.
Entrepreneur Christo is one
of her cherished Greek connections. When TNH ask him about
his presence at the event, he
said “First of all, I support anything that has to do with
fundraising for cancer,” he said.
He also hosts fundraising events
ant Christos Fifth Avenue. When
I learned about the event and
was told Gregory Harrington
was being featured I said ‘of
course I will be there,’ and I invited all my friends.”
They came to support him,
as he supports their charitable
and cultural endeavors. ”One
hand washes the other,” he said,
which is true in business and
charitable ventures.
Pancretan Association of America Congress in Salt Lake City Glows with Pride
By Chrysoula Tzortzaki
Special to The National Herald
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The
heart of Crete always beats in
Salt Lake City, but it beat more
strongly than ever June 27 to
July 2 when approximately
1,000 Cretans from across the
country gathered for the 44th
Congress of the Pancretan Association of America.
Right from the start participants understood the purpose of
the convention was to strengthen
ties with Crete and to present
the noble history and the traditions of the Cretans in Utah.
The Cretans of Utah shared
stories about their ancestors,
how they arrived, settled, and
thrived as they put down roots
thousands of miles away from
their island, but in an environment that brings to mind the
proud mountains of Crete.
The highly successful congress was the fruit of the efforts
and professionalism of the organizers at all levels
Praise abounded for the
food, the well-planned events,
and the spirit of the volunteers.
The history of immigration
of Greeks in Utah is closely connected with the history of the
mines in Carbon County and
Bingham Canyon. The hardworking miners and their descendants eventually moved all
over the state.
The convention’s theme was:
"Discover your past, claim your
future", which dominated all the
events that took place, including
thematic tours in the cities of
Price and Helper, UT.
There were displays of items
from historical archives, photographs, and audio recordings
provided by local Cretan clubs
and the Pancretan Association
of America.
The guests could not get
enough of the presentations,
dances, and songs from the second, third and fourth generations of Cretans.
Among the plentiful activities
were a Sunday picnic on the
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Standing: Anthony Kounalis, Anastasia Marakis, Helen Vlastos Ranney, Haralambos Markakis,
Rema Manousakis, John Marakis, Iakovos Boutzoukas, Vasilis Fourakis, Maria Stratoudakis,
Georgia Tsismenakis, Kostas Pitaridis, George Tsoutsounakis. Sitting: Christos Markakis,
Theodore Manousakis, Eleftherios Dramitinos, Erasmia Vlastos Novotny, Roxanne Koston,
Panagiotis Psarakis, Costas Tsiskakis, Xanthippi Gelasakis, Dr. James Saklas, Debbie
Nikokavouras. Absent from photo: Stavros Antonakakis, John Vomvolakis, John Russon, George
Marnelakis, Maria Vamvakis, and Dr. George Papadantonakis.
grounds of the Winter Olympics
of 2002. People were deeply
moved by the views of 10,000
foot-high mountains, which
evoked memories and filled
them with pride.
Many youth activities, including bowling, water sports,
and hiking, laid the foundations
for friendships that will last a
lifetime.
Cretan Night featured a
menu full of the scents and
tastes of Crete – snails, lamb
heads and other delicacies were
offered.
The guests also enjoyed the
music of the band of Harry and
George Pantermakis and were
completely delighted with the
dancing of the youth in traditional dress.
During the organizational
meetings, the members took
stock of the past two years and
elected members of the new
Board and Panagiotis Psarakis
as President
The conference welcomed
Gary Herbert, the Governor of
Utah, who proclaimed as Pancretan Week in Utah the period
from June 27 to July 2, and
Ralph Becker, the Mayor of Salt
More than eight dance groups from across America performed
with skill and enthusiasm at the Congress’s numerous events,
demonstrating their Cretan roots are strong indeed.
Lake City.
Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, was a featured speaker. Touching upon
the tumultuous current events
related to Greece and the harsh
media coverage the country and
its people have received, she declared "Greeks are not lazy. Ac-
tually, the OECD Organization
reports that Greeks work more
hours per year than any other
ethnic group in Europe.”
She summed up the situation
and her hopes for solutions by
saying “Greece needs Europe to
maintain its unity, stability and
strength, but Europe needs to
Greece for the same reasons."
COMMUNITY
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
5
Reporter Katerina Karpakis’ Greek Dreams, Achievements and Tragedies
By Kim Gregorios
Katerina sat in front of her
television. She had been there
for most of Saturday morning
reviewing the recording that her
cameraman made of her having
dinner with the helicopter pilot
she met in Fallujah. Pressing
play and minutes later rewind,
she repeated this process again
and again. The tears and the crying were nonstop. But still she
continued to focus on the interview that was unused material
she had recorded two years earlier.
Katerina Karpakis was an
American reporter, one of a
handful of female war correspondents who traveled together
from one hell hole to the next.
Her last report was from Fallujah. She and her cameraman
Robert Brantley arrived a few
days after the severe fighting had
ratcheted down. Marine helicopter pilot, Captain Michael
Poulos, had taken the two in. Before boarding the flight Katerina
and Michael had acknowledged
their obvious common Greek ancestry. They even spoke in Greek
and exchanged information
about each other. It was an enjoyable conversation and the two
treated each other like long lost
relatives. Katerina’s report would
be a human interest story focusing on the surviving Muslim
women. These women had lost
husbands, sons, daughters and
babies during the fighting. As a
female reporter, she was treated
with certain indifference from
the Muslim men. The women
and children, on the other hand,
felt comfortable talking to
women reporters because they
were not allowed to talk to men
outside of the family circle.
Captain Poulos would return
in three days to pick them up. In
the meantime the two would
stay close to the American soldiers and work on interviews
with the women of the city.
This was to be her last assignment. Unlike the icons before
her, Christiane Amampour,
Marie Corvin, and Janine di Giovannie, she had seen enough
and would be returning to the
security of home. The work went
smoothly. They recorded many
interviews, and the pilot returned in three days and rushed
them to the safety of home base.
She and Brantley worked for two
Reporter Katerina
Karpakis returned to the
U.S. in the hopes picking
up some of the abandoned
threads of her life.
days editing the piece, and on
the third day it aired. Before
leaving, she and her cameraman
conducted many impromptu interviews with the marines that
were protecting them. On her
last night, they both had dinner
with Captain Poulos. Katerina
shared her bottle of Ouzo with
the men. She always liked to
take a bottle with her while on
assignment.
After her “war days,” Katerina
still a single woman in her forties
returned to her alma mater,
Boston University, to obtain her
PhD in journalism. It had been
years since she was a student
and many memories retuned as
she walked the campus. Each
week she would pass by a certain
bench on her way to a lecture. It
was on that very bench in her
first month of college she meet
the boy who changed her life.
He was a grad student from
Canada and a “nice Greek boy.”
The family would have approved
of him. Marriage and a family
was not an avenue she was going to take. College was her goal.
In high school she was never
crazy about boys and now her
lack of experience had placed
her in a gripping situation with
lasting consequences. Her first
year of school became nine
months of hell! She could not
face her family. The drama and
shame was too much. She
sought counsel from a young
Greek Orthodox priest. He
agreed to help her and find
good parents for the baby she
was now carrying. The priest
confided in her that this very
same thing had happened to his
sister and he knew firsthand the
pain she bore. He helped her
with the many excuses she
would need in the next nine
months to keep this matter from
her family.
Katerina returned home,
Pittsburgh, PA, in June after that
first year of college. It had been
the longest she had ever been
away. Her stay was short but
during that time she told her
parents she wanted to be a journalist and maybe, a war correspondent, doing reports on television, from around the world.
The second daughter of three
she was by far the most independent, outgoing, and articulate. While small in stature,
barely over five three, she was
athletic. She played competition
soccer and her Mediterranean
beauty was a constant asset.
She graduated with a masters
degree in six years and landed
her first job with a local TV
newsroom. After a while she became a fill in anchor on weekends. Then with all the battles
going on, CNN was looking for
new young talent who wanted
to be war correspondents. Her
good looks, talent, education
and newly acquired experience
got her the break she needed.
Now, twenty fast years later
she returned to where it all
started! Her experience had
earned her a spot on the faculty
as she worked toward her doctorate. And now the time had
come, she could no longer live
without trying to discover what
had become of her son.
Her search would start by locating the young priest who had
guided her through the ordeal.
Would Father Demetrios still be
at the school in Brookline, MA
after all these years, she asked
herself. As much as she wanted
to call immediately her body was
filled with mixed emotions
which prevented her from placing the call... But a last she did!
The phone was ringing.
“Hello, Hellenic College.”
“This is Katerina Karpakis; I
am trying to locate a priest by
the name of Father Demetrios
who was assigned there about
twenty years ago. Would you
know where I could contact
him?”
“Yes, Miss.” “He is still here. I
will connect you to his extension.”
On the first ring, Katerina
hung up! She was not prepared
to speak to the priest who could
lead her to her son. Now, a week
later, she would try again.
“This is Father Demetrios.
Can I help you?”
“Yes Father. This is Katerina
Karpakis”
“Could you repeat that?” the
voice said!
“This is Katerina Karpakis. Do
you remember me?”
“Yes child, yes child. I do remember you and I have seen
some of your work on TV over
the years. I just knew this call
would come someday. What are
you doing and where are you living now?” He asked.
“I am now living in Boston. I
work at the University. I am
studying for my PhD.
I know I have no right to ask.
But can you tell me anything
about my son? “
“Give me your address. I can
meet you next Friday at your
home. Would six work for you?”
“Yes, Yes. I cannot wait to see
you. I will prepare dinner.” Katerina said.
“No! That is not necessary. I
will bring a bottle of wine.” the
priest said.
Her son who is now twentythree would be twenty-four in
May. May seventh.
When the doorbell rang,
there stood Father Demetrios
and another woman.
Father wasted no time.” “ Katerina, this woman is my sister.
She raised your son as her own.”
“Please come in and sit,” Katerina said. “I will get some wine
glasses.”
Katerina poured the wine, her
heart was racing. The priest proposed a prayer and the three of
them joined hands. Then the
Priest raised his glass in a toast
and said, “To the son of these
women.” They drank!
With that, he sat down and
reached for Katrina’s hand and
looked her in the eyes and said,
“Your son, Captain Michael Poulos, was killed in battle one year
ago.”
Both women embraced and
tears began to fall.
TNH/COSTAS BEJ
Tuesday Greek Nights Commence at Athens Square in Astoria
Tuesday nights at 7 PM through Sept. 22 Greek Nights will be presented at Athens Square.
Dancing erupted at the first one sponsored by the Greek American Homeowners Assn. featuring
the Yiannis Papastefanou Band. Among the organizers present were Petros Galatoulas, Christina
Kostakis, Stavros Ziongas, Stavros Ziongas, George Kitsios, and George Delis.
Eva Varellas Kanellis: The College Counselor Who Really Changes Lives
Continued from page 1
matriculated in colleges and
universities in every region of
the United States. “Our students
are well prepared for academic
success in an American setting,”
she says, “and they are winning
substantial placements and
scholarships.”
Driven by her desire to find
the right match for each student,
she has met with astounding
success and has become a de
facto "ambassador-at-large" for
the college, city, and country for
which she has endless affection.
She counsels students at a
crucial juncture in their lives in
a position that requires a multiplicity of skills. She is alternately
an educator, administrator, psychologist, mentor, writer,
speaker, fund-raiser, traveler
and inexhaustible advocate.
One of her most striking
qualities is her ability to listen
thoughtfully and perceptively.
She is never indifferent, and in
making connections, she dares
to transcend boundaries of age,
race, ethnicity, class, profession,
and gender. To “only connect”
is her call to the world.
An advocate for change, Eva
Kanellis
founded
several
pathfinding programs, including
the exemplary “Anatolia Volunteer Corps,” and “Anatolians at
Work,” an internship program
that introduces students to successful professionals eager to introduce their occupations.
As a part of her international
summer study program, students have traveled to China to
study the Chinese language at
Hong Kong’s Summer School of
Language and Culture and to
Washington, DC to attend a National Student Leadership Conference at Georgetown University.
She created Rainbow Discovery Camp, Anatolia's first GreekEnglish bilingual language
camp, for younger students. "My
goal," she said, “is to offer young
children a unique life experience
in which they'll have fun, be inspired, become more creative,
and come to know and love the
environment."
She herself maintains an infectious sense of wonder. To
identify wildflowers found
nowhere else in the world, she
climbed Mt. Olympus, Greece’s
highest mountain, carrying Arne
Strid’s oversized 400 page masterwork, Wild Flowers of Mount
Olympus, published by the
Goulandris Natural History Museum. She has trekked on three
continents and run the Thessa-
started the first adult education
program in Greece headquartered at the American College
of Thessaloniki, where she
taught sociology.
Prior to her move to Greece,
she worked at Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation in South Dakota
and headed an International
Student Activity Center in Houston, Texas, and a half-way house
for young newly released prisoners. She also had a brief stint
at Amnesty International.
As a young person, active in
the civil rights movement, she
was part of a consciousness raising program at the University of
Tennessee that brought black
and white students together in
equal numbers to share an intense learning experience.
In explaining her world view,
she points to The Butler, the film
that New Yorker critic Richard
Brody called “a song of workingman’s grandeur,” based on
the real-life story of Ernest
Allen, the White House butler
who served several U.S. presidents. Before retiring, she
hosted a dinner to celebrate the
contributions of Anatolia employees, standard-bearers of
their profession: the painters,
gardeners, plumbers, housekeepers, and carpenters. Her
world view is inclusive.
Her friends remind her from
time to time to stop trying to
save the world, but Eva Kanellis
pays no heed, and the word “retirement” in the traditional
sense will have no impact on
her chosen role as a "counselor
who changes lives." Her love of
people, natural inclination toward friendship, and inexhaustible desire to make a difference course through her
veins.
Eva’s commitment is to bring
the world forward – in the rabbinic sense “tikkun olam” meaning “to repair or heal the world”
– and she will continue her
quest in upcoming years.
Greek-American
novelist
Gregory Maguire writes, “Eva is
a bespangled force of nature, a
limited-edition, upright, ambulatory earthquake of energy, ambition, and empathy.”
Despite the devastating impact of the economic crisis on
institutions of higher learning
in small embattled Greece, Eva
Kanellis’ generosity of spirit and
her kefi – joy of life – buoys her
ever-expanding circle of students, colleagues, and friends.
At the American Farm
School, Eva prizes a newly constructed yellow-brick road leading to the just opened preschool
and elementary school. It’s the
magical pathway that she like
Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz,
will follow as she continues to
change lives.
Barbara Harrison, PhD, is Director of The Examined Life: Greek
Studies in the Schools.
Eva Varellas Kanellis
loniki half-marathon.
Her reach is global. She was
instrumental in establishing the
first intergenerational program
for Elder Hostel, now known as
Road Scholar in which she
paired grandparents and grandchildren. Her initiatives reflect
her affection for people of every
age and from every walk of life
– and the history, literature and
landscape of her beloved Greece.
Recently on a tour of the excavated ancient site of Stagira,
the birthplace of Aristotle in
Chalkidiki, she became visibly
moved, recounting the philosopher’s youth and the journey
that perhaps the greatest of all
philosophers most likely made
by sea to Athens.
She loves nothing better than
discussing in spirited colloquy
questions raised by philosophers, poets, and playwrights. –
themes of war and peace, anger
and reconciliation, heroism and
heroic possibilities. Can virtue
be taught? Do those who know
the good, choose the good?–
questions as vital today as in antiquity.
Eva serves on the honorary
board of The Examined Life:
Greek Studies in the Schools, a
professional program for teachers that takes as its theme the
Socratic call to “the examined
life” – a concept that she embraces wholeheartedly as she inspires students to go one step
further, one step higher in their
thinking and in their lives. She’s
always generating new ideas
and possibilities and rousing
students to think a little bit
harder, a little bit wiser.
In her work, she has blazed
new directions in establishing
programs that promote the kind
of critical and creative thinking
necessary to live in a complex,
heterogeneous, and humane
global community.
Recently with her husband
Panos Kanellis, president of the
American Farm School and Perrotis College, she toured California State University/Fresno
and met many members of the
Greek community. The purpose
of the visit was to firm up a partnership with CSU/Fresno for an
exchange of students and faculty focused on agriculture.
Her home on the Farm
School campus is a folk art museum reflecting her world perspective. In one corner an old
loom, in others early wooden
school desks, antique wooden
trunks, African masks, original
expressionist paintings. Traditional Greek folk costumes that
she herself has worn adorn the
walls, and beautifully textured
near Eastern killims are used as
both rugs and decorative wall
hangings.
Born in Los Angeles, Eva
Kanellis’ father was a GreekAmerican and her mother Irish
and Chocktaw. She is fluent in
both Greek and English, and
holds an undergraduate degree
in sociology and English from
Wake Forest University, and
graduate degrees in social work
and urban development. An enlightened educator, Eva Kanellis
Nikitas Moustakas, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Greek-American Attorney
My practice encompasses
businesses, restaurant/hospitality industry,
physicians, hospitals, and estate & trust planning.
Nikitas Moustakas, Esq.
M.B.A., LL.M. in Taxation
Chair, Health Care and Dental Group;
Co-Chair, Business & Tax Group
[email protected]
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OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS
6
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
Coffee Mogul John A. Vassilaros is Mourned by Community
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL NOTICE
NEW YORK – On July 10,
with grace and in peace, John
A. Vassilaros, “our beautiful and
admired Johnny,” in the words
of family members “passed in
the soulful glowing love of his
family at their home in Bridgehampton, NY.
The obituary published by
the New York Times follows in
its entirety. “Born in Manhattan
on July 26, 1945 to Anthony
John Vassilaros and Irene Vassilaros, John was a devoted son,
brother, adventurer, sailor, and
pilot. He delighted in being a
deeply loving father; a tender
and absolutely wonderful husband; and an extraordinary,
one-of-a-kind friend of friends.
As a young man, Johnny served
in the Green Beret Special
Forces. Since 1964, he was President of Vassilaros & Sons, a
third generation family coffeeroasting business that is still
thriving today. John was an innately keen businessman who
was dedicated to producing a
consistently excellent cup of
NYC coffee. His wife, Alexandra
Frangos Gersten Vassilaros, was
blessed to be his fourth cousin
on her mother's side, and with
their family they share an undying passion for the Greek Island
of Ikaria, where their respective
families were born and where
they enjoyed a small home on
the Aegean. Ikaria was their
simple paradise, and a foundational part of their bond and
continuity. Johnny's motto was
‘Live hard, work hard, play hard,
and love hard’ –all of which he
modeled with gusto, verve, and
integrity. For those of us who
knew and loved him he was a
shining presence. He loved life
purely, and that spirit radiated
from him so powerfully that one
couldn't help but be touched by
it. In Greek we might describe
him as: ‘chrisos anthropos’ – a
selfless person who instinctively
puts his loved ones ahead of
himself. Vassilaros Coffee actively supports Greek charities,
and John served as longtime
board member of inner-city
John A. Vassilaros, the revered
businessman who reportedly
made deals on a handshake,
announced his 2013 candidacy
for Mayor with the slogan: The
Right Man, the Right Coffee.
youth mentoring program, The
52nd Street Project. He leaves
behind a legacy of exquisite love
to his wife, Alexandra, and his
three adored and big-hearted
boys, Tonio John, Luka John,
and Stefano John, each of
whom adored him to the fullest
for his love, generosity of spirit,
sense of adventure, and joy. He
is also survived by his mother,
Irene; his sisters, Sophia, Ann,
Irene, and Maria; his nephews
and nieces, Stephanie Kasselakis
Kyles, John Kasselakis, Zachary
Vassilaros, Arianna Peterson,
Paul Peterson, Anthony Boyer;
and so many beloved cousins
and best friends whom he held
in his capable heart…A memorial of Johnny's extraordinarily
well-lived life will be forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, gifts in
Johnny's name can be made to
The 52nd Street Project or Saint
Basil Academy. Those who wish
to do so can leave messages and
memories
at
CaringBridge.com.” A visitation
was held at Frank E. Campbell
Funeral Chapel on July 14 and
the funeral took place at Holy
Trinity Cathedral on July 15.
DEATH NOTICES
n BALATSINOS, GEORGE
PHILADELPHIA, PA (from
philly.com, published on Jul. 7)
– George "Yorgo" Balatsinos, 63,
of Berwyn, PA., Corfu, Greece
and Brigantine Beach, NJ passed
away on July 5, 2015 at Penn
Presbyterian Medical Center.
Beloved husband of Karen Connor; father of George "GJ" of
Philadelphia, Jennifer of Jacksonville Beach, FL and brother
Vasilis of Athens, Greece. He was
known for his huge personality,
zest for life and devotion and love
for his family and friends, and
love for cars, boats and extra-ordinary toys. He was very proud
of his Greek heritage. He founded
and ran several businesses-a successful restaurant equipment distribution company and a commercial real estate investment,
development and management
company. Friends and family are
invited to call at Logan Funeral
Home , 57 S. Eagle Rd, Havertown, PA. on Friday, Jul. 10 from
7 to 9PM. Funeral Services on
Saturday, Jul. 11 will be held at
St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church,
35 N. Malin Rd, Broomall, PA
19008 at 11 A.M. Visitation preceding the service will be at
10AM at the church. A memorial
service will be held in Corfu,
Greece later in the year. In lieu
of flowers, memorial donations
in his name can be made to the
Meso-thelioma Applied Research
Foundation, 1317 King St,
Alexandria, VA 22314.
n BALLAS, MIKE J.
GREENWOOD, MS (from the
Clarion Ledger, published on Jul.
10) – Mike John Ballas, a resident
of Greenwood for the past 63
years, died peacefully at home
on Jul. 6. He was 97 years of age.
Services will be 11AM on Monday, Jul. 13 at the Episcopal
Church of the Nativity and visitation will be 9:30AM. until service time at the church. Burial
will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery.
Mike was born on February 19,
1918 in Pensacola, Florida and
was one of eight children. His
parents, John and Magdalini Ballas emigrated from Greece to
Pensacola, Florida in 1911. When
World War II was declared, Mike
and his brother, George, enlisted
and both were sent to the
beaches of Normandy for the DDay invasion. George was killed
in the first wave, but Mike successfully landed in the second
wave. After the war, Mike returned to Greece to find his bride
and married Deomi Liollio in October of 1948. They settled in
Mississippi where they co-owned
the well-known Delta restaurant,
The Crystal Grill. He was preceded in death by his wife of 59
years, Deomi Liollio Ballas; his
brothers, George Ballas and Jim
Ballas; and two sisters, Samoula
Ballas Panagiotou and Alkmini
Karathanasis. He is survived by
his son, Johnny Ballas and his
wife, Beverly, of Greenwood; his
daughter, Elaine Ballas Isaak and
her husband, Yianni of Dallas, TX
and Athens,Greece; three grandchildren: Anastasia Ballas Jenkins
and husband, Dunbar of Oxford,
MS, Leo Isaak and Alexia Isaak
of Dallas, TX . His surviving siblings are Nick Ballas of Volos,
Greece, Antigone Polizos of
Athens, Greece, and Maria
Maroulis of Skopelos, Greece in
addition to many nieces and
nephews in the US and Greece.
The family would like to thank
his wonderful doctors and caregivers over the years and a special thanks to our neighbor,
James Johnson. We are so immensely appreciative of the time
and love he and all of our caregivers shared to make Mike's final
years so much more bearable. In
lieu of flowers, the family would
prefer that any memorials be
Days and dates of funerals,
memorials, and other events directly correspond to the original
publication date, which appears
at the beginning of each notice.
made to The Greenwood Mississippi Cemetery Association or to
the Greek Orthodox Church in
Jackson, MS.
n BEFAS, TED
NILES, IL (from the Chicago Tribune Media Group, published on
Jul. 7) – Ted Befas, Beloved husband of the late Helen, nee Liakouras. Dear brother-in-law of
Maria (the late Anastasios) Nezis,
Vasiliki (Spiro) Karamoutsos and
the late Georgios (Demetra) Liakouras. Dear uncle of Roula
(Louis) Manis, Constantine
(Vicky) Nezis and many other
nieces and nephews in Greece. A
proud 45 year member of The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Union and member of AHEPA.
Family and friends will meet
Wednesday morning at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church
7373 N. Caldwell Ave. Niles, IL
60714 for visitation from 9:30AM
until time of funeral service at
10:30AM. Entombment Elmwood cemetery.
n GEORGIADIS, ATHANASIOS
SYRACUSE, NY (from the Syracuse Post Standard, published on
Jul. 10) – Athanasios Georgiadis,
98, of Syracuse, passed away Friday at James Square. He was
born in Cappodocia, Asia Minor.
Athanasios moved to Greece in
1922 and lived there until 1981
when he moved to the United
States. He was predeceased by
his wife of 72 years, Chrisoula.
Athanasios is survived by his four
children, Savvas, Yiorgos, Magdalini and Menelaos; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be
held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jul.
13, 2015 at St. Sophia's Greek
Orthodox Church followed by
burial at Oakwood Cemetery,
Syracuse. Family and friends may
call from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday,
Jul. 12, 2015 at the THOMAS J.
PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME,
3401 Vickery Rd. (corner of
Buckley Rd.) North Syracuse, NY.
n HALVATZES, JOHN
MERRIMACK,NH (from the
Union Ledger, published on Jul.
9) – John Halvatzes Sr., 91, of
Merrimack, passed away peacefully Jul. 6, 2015, after a period
of declining health surrounded
by his family at the Community
Hospice House in Merrimack. He
was born in Clinton, Mass. on
Jan. 10, 1924, the son of Kostas
and Anna (Ganastiou) Halvatzes.
He spent his childhood in Kozani,
Greece. He fought with the Greek
resistance in the mountains of
northern Greece from 1942 to
1945. He returned to the United
States in 1946 after World War II
where he relocated in Bridgeport,
Conn. Shortly after that, he met
the love of his life, Theodora Hagiadams of Hollis, whom he married in September 1947, and
moved to Nashua.John had various jobs to support his growing
family, working at Purina Farms
and Hampshire Chemical during
the 1950's. John and Theodora
owned and operated the Poultry
Rama Drive In restaurant in Merrimack from 1960 to 1972. Before retiring, John built a woodwork shop and started another
business out of a hobby. They retired to Weare in the early 80's,
moved to Florida in 1987, and
returned to New Hampshire in
2014. He was predeceased by his
sister, Bessie Mavrokefalos, in
2000.Members of his family include: his loving wife of 68 years,
Theodora (Hagiadams) Halvatzes; four children and their
spouses, Anna and John O'Neill
of Livonia, MI, Anthony and
Linda Halvatzes of Bedford, Constantine and Karen Halvatzes of
Merrimack, and John and Patricia Halvatzes of New Boston; 10
grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Bessie
Myhr of Weare, and many nieces
and nephews. Services: Calling
hours will be held at the Rivet
Funeral Home, 425 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack on Friday, Jul. 10 from 2PM to 4PM
and 6PM to 8PM. A funeral service will be held at St. Nicholas
Greek Orthodox Church, 1160
Bridge St., Manchester on Saturday, Jul. 11 at 10:30AM. Burial
will follow in Last Rest Cemetery,
Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack.For those who wish, memorial donations can be made in
John's memory to Home, Health
& Hospice Care, C/O Community
Hospice House, 7 Executive Park
Drive, Merrimack NH 03054.
n HOUNTALAS, VASSILIKI
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (from the
San Francisco Chronicle, published on Jul. 4) – Vassiliki Hountalas, December 24, 1912 – Jun.
30, 2015, Loving, devoted wife,
mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, sister, cousin and
aunt, Vassiliki Hountalas of San
Francisco, California, passed
away peacefully on Jun. 30,
2015, surrounded by her family.
Vassiliki is survived by her doting
children, Marie (John) Tourlos,
Dan (Mary) Hountalas, and preceded in death by son John
Hountalas; four grandchildren
Eleni Tourlos, Tina Thompson,
Vickie Burgin and Michael Hountalas; nine great-grandchildren
Alexander, Christopher, Eleana,
Phillip, Sarah, Max, Connor, Jason and Cole. She was predeceased by her husband Michael
John Hountalas and sisters Penelope and Konstandina; she is also
survived by many nieces,
nephews and cousins in the
U.S.A. and in Greece. Cecilia
Bonito and Emie Blanco - thank
you for your years of loving care
and dedication to our mother.
Vassiliki was born in Kandila, Arcadia, Greece, to Demosthenes
and Maria Paisopoulos. She married Michael Hountalas in Greece
in January 1931. Vassiliki loved
raising her grandchildren and,
with her quick wit and infectious
sense of humor, regaled her family with her life experiences in
Kandila and in San Francisco.
Vassiliki was an active member
of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
Church in San Francisco. Family
and friends may visit Tuesday Jul.
7 from 5PM and are invited to
attend the Trisagion at 6PM and
the Funeral Service Wednesday
Jul. 8 at 11AM all at Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church, 999
Brotherhood Way, San Francisco.
Interment will be private. Donations may be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church General Fund.
n KALIVAS, HARRY J.
BROCKTON, MA (from The Enterprise, published on Jul. 7) –
Harry J. Kalivas, 97, of Brockton
passed away Tuesday, Jun. 30,
2015, at Signature Healthcare
Brockton Hospital. He was the
husband of Eftyhia Kalivas. Born
in Skoriades, Greece, Harry came
to the United States in the late
forties and spent his life helping
his entire family obtain a better
life both here in the United States
and back in the old country.
Harry was the Patriarch of the
family. He was extremely dedicated to his family and his numerous friends who surrounded
him throughout his life. Harry
was very proud of his wife Effy
and his son Nick and daughter
Becky. Harry especially adored
his four grandchildren and loved
spending time with all of them.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his loving children, Nick
and his wife Laurie, Becky and
her husband George; his grandchildren,
Zachary,
Evana,
Stephanie and Effie; his brother
and sisters and many nieces and
nephews. Funeral from the Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 165
Belmont St. (Rte. 123), Brockton,
Thursday, Jul. 9, at 10AM followed by a funeral service in the
Annunciation Greek Orthodox
Church, 457 Oak St., Brockton,
at 11AM. Interment will follow
in Melrose Cemetery, Brockton.
Calling hours will be Wednesday
from 4-7PM. In lieu of flowers,
memorial gifts may be given to
the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 457 Oak St., Brock-
ton, MA 02301.
n KALKANIS, MICHAEL
CENTERVILLE, MA (from the Falmouth Bulletin, published on Jul.
7) – Longtime Buzzards Bay resident and businessman, Michael
D. Kalkanis, age 78, passed away
peacefully on Wednesday, Jul. 1,
2015 at his home in Buzzards
Bay. Michael was born on May
12, 1937, in Malcan, Albania, the
son of Demetrios and StamatiaKalkanis. He was educated in
Greece, and served as a young
man in the Greek Military. At age
18 he moved to Germany where
he lived with his younger brother
Kosta for eight years. In Jul. 6,
1969, he married his beautiful
wife Olga. In November of 1969,
he and Olga moved to the U.S,
living in Cleveland Ohio, until
eventually moving to Massachusetts in 1972. Mike came to the
U.S. with the intention of living
the American Dream, to build
and own his own successful business, and raise a family. He was
the pioneer of his family, being
in the restaurant business on the
Cape. He opened numerous
pizzerias, eventually settling
down with Buzzards Bay House
of Pizza in 1987, and Minervas
Pizzeria in Cedarville, in 1993.
His hard work ethic made him
the successful owner he was.
Olga and Mike raised four sons.
He was a very loving devoted
husband, father and grandfather.
He loved nothing more than
spending time with his family.
Those left to cherish his memory
are his loving wife of 46 years,
Olga, his sons, Demetrios, Hristos, Thomas and his wife
Gabrielle, Fotios and his wife
Kerri, and his grandchildren Faith
and Mikhalis, all of Bourne. Mike
is also survived by his siblings
Ted Kalkanis, Spiridoula Pappas,
Ismini Stasinos, Jenny Kalkanis
and Irenih Bashadis, as well as
many brother and sister-in-laws,
nieces and nephews. Mike is predeceased by his loving father and
mother, Demetrios and Stamatia,
and younger brother Kostas. The
family suggest in lieu of flowers,
that memorials be made in
Michaels name to the Artifacts
Account / Narthex, in care of the
Greek Orthodox Church, 1130
Falmouth Rd. Centerville, 02632.
n KATIS, GUS M.
SLC, UT (from the Dearest News,
published on Jul. 7) – Gus Mike
Katis, our beloved husband, father, brother and papou, passed
away Jul. 4, 2015. He was born
on December 4, 1925 in Copperfield, Bingham Canyon, UT, to
Greek immigrant parents Mike T.
and Alexandra Mastoris Katis, the
fourth of six children. He graduated from Bingham High School
in the class of 1944. After graduation he joined the U.S. Navy,
proudly serving aboard the U.S.S.
Cleburne in the Pacific Theater.
The ship was heading to Japan
as part of a decoy invasion when
the A-bomb ended the war. Dad
spent the rest of his Navy career
on a great adventure visiting several countries and even playing
basketball at Tiensin University.
Returning home, he met and fell
in love with Jean Abrams. They
eloped on May 18, 1949. They
later married at Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church. She was
his world. Together they raised
six children. Dad started working
for Kennecott Copper when he
was just 15-years old, spending
43 years at the mine. He was supervisor of the big truck shop
when he retired. An avid golfer
he loved spending time on the
links. He was also an accomplished bowler, achieving two
300 games in his life. He was a
life-long member of the Greek
Orthodox Church. Preceded in
death by his parents, infant
brother Theodore, sisters Matina,
Mary, and Amelia (John Kartchner). He is survived by his wife
of 66 years, sons Michael,
Theodore and daughter Alexandria (Midvale); sons Dan (Marsha), Omaha, John (Cindy Buckles),
West
Jordan,
and
LEGAL NOTICE
EASTERN APPAREL LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/
SSNY 7/2/15. Office in NY Co. SSNY designated
agent for service of process and shall mail to: The
LLC, PO Box 1175, New York, NY 10013. Purpose:
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274518/18796
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with Secy of State of NY (SSNY)on
10/03/14, Office located in Nassau Co.
SSNY desig as agent of LLC upon whom
process against it may be served. SSNY
shall mail process to: H & Z Associates
LLC, 150 George Street, Brooklyn, NY
11237. Purpose: General.
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274457/19555
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COMPANY RHD Electric, LLC (“LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New
York (“SSNY”) on April/14/2015. NY office
location: Nassau County. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail copy
of process to: c/o RHD Electric, LLC, 237 Willard Avenue, Farmingdale, NY 11369. Purpose: Any lawful
act or activity. Latest date upon which LLC is to dissolve: No specific date.
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245 KINGSLAND LLC, a domestic LLC,
filed with the SSNY on 5/5/15. Office location: Kings County. SSNY is designated
as agent upon whom process against the
LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail
process to The LLC, 11 Rolling Hill Rd.,
Old Westbury, NY 11568. General purpose.
274450/10709
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Notice of Formation of FINFEED, LLC. (DOM.
LLC) Articles of Organization filed with the
Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
03/03/15. Office location: Kings County. SSNY is
designated as agent of the LLC upon whom
process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
copy of process to: c/o United States Corporation
Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202,
Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
274502/19575
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Formation of AMARILYS
FUSION EXTENSIONS & HAIRSTYLES,
LLC a (DOM. LLC). Articles of
Organization filed with the Secretary of
State of New York, (SSNY) on
03/25/2015. Office location: Nassau
County. SSNY is designated as agent upon
whom process against the LLC may be
served. SSNY shall mail process to:
Amarilys Fusion Extensions & Hairstyles,
LLC, 400 Garden City Plaza, Suite 110,
Garden City, NY 11530. Purpose: Any
Lawful Purpose.
274481/18714
LEGAL NOTICE
FROJO LLC Articles of Org. filed NY
Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/03/2015.
Office in Kings Co. SSNY desig. agent of
LLC upon whom process may be served.
SSNY shall mail copy of process to c/o
Comerford & Dougherty, LLP, 1122
Franklin Ave., Garden City, NY 11530.
Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Principal
business location: 502 Henry St., Brooklyn, NY 11231.
274474/19138
LEGAL NOTICE
ANT BUILT, LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/
SSNY 6/9/15. Office in NY Co. SSNY
designated agent for service of process
and shall mail to Reg. Agent: US Corp.
Agents, Inc, 7014 13th Ave. Ste. 202,
Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any
lawful activity.
Maxine Blake PLLC. Art. of Org. filed w/
NY Sec. of State 6/2/15. Office in NY Co.
SSNY designated agent for service of
process and shall mail to 175 West 93 St,
New York, NY 10025. Purpose: Law Practice.
274457/18796
FUNERAL HOMES
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
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.
274473/18796
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Notice of formation of KFS SALES GROUP,
LLC a (DOM. LLC), Articles. of Organi-zation filed with the SSNY on 03/27/15. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process
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shall mail process to: KFS Sales Group,
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TO PlACE yOur
ClASSiFiED AD, CAll:
(718) 784-5255, ExT. 106,
E-mAil:
classifieds@
thenationalherald.com
274460/19557
Christopher (Kelly Huntington),
Murray; brother and best friend
Chris Katis (Midvale); grandkids
Lyndsey (Jerid Foster), Nick
Katis, Ashley (Brady Baker), Carli
(Michael Straub), Braxton Katis
(Sierra), Gus and Niko Huntington-Katis; great grandkids Haili,
Alexa, Abi, Skylar, Jaxon, Jace ,
Kaydence; god daughter Sandy
Ulery; several nieces and
nephews; cousins in America and
Greece; and grand dog Skeelo. A
viewing will be held at Goff Mortuary, 8090 So, State, Midvale,
from 6 to 8PM. on Wednesday,
Jul. 8. The Trisagion Service will
be held at 7:30PM. Funeral services will be held Thursday, Jul.
9 at 11:00AM. at Prophet Elias
Greek Orthodox Church, 5335
South Highland Drive, Holladay,
followed by interment at Mount
Olivet Cemetery. The family
wishes to thank Dr. Meg Skibitsky, Pam, Jeannie, and Bonnie for
their loving care of Gus. In lieu
of flowers, the family suggests
donations be made in his honor
to the University of Utah's Kidney
Transplant Program, 50 Medical
Drive, SLC UT 84132.
n KATSIKARIS, GEORGE P.
WESTON,MA (from The Boston
Globe, published on Jun. 28) ¬–
George Peter Katsikaris pf Weston, Jun. 27, 2015. Beloved wife
of the late Diane (Theophiles)
Katsikaris. Loving father of Peter
Katsikaris and his wife Maria of
Wellesley and Paul Katsikaris and
his wife Stacy of Medfield. Proud
grandfather of Diane, George,
Genna, and Charlie. Brother of
the late Kosta Katsikaris. Son of
the late Peter and Stamatina Katsikaris. George was the owner of
the Fells Market in Wellesley with
his wife for over three decades.
George came to America from
Greece with the Greek Navy in
1957. He fell in love with America and saw opportunity and
lived the American Dream. He
was a hero to his family and he
will be missed. In lieu of flowers
expressions of sympathy may be
made in George's memory to St.
Demetrios Greek Orthodox
Church, Weston.
n KINTIN, DIMITRA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (from the
San Francisco Chronicle, published on Jul. 12) – Dimitra KinThis 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:
[email protected]
tis, Jun. 26, 1926 – Jul. 5, 2015,
passed away peacefully on Jul.
5, 2015, surrounded by her family. Dimitra is survived by sons
Angelos and George, daughter
Maria, her 6 grandchildren, and
6 great-grandchildren. She also
has three surviving siblings, Andreas in San Francisco, and
Thanasis and Eleni in Greece, in
addition to many cousins, nieces,
nephews and friends. Born in
Vrousti, Greece in 1926, she married her husband, the late Yianni
Kintis, in 1952 and together they
their raised their family in Argos.
In 1972, the family came to San
Francisco and over the next 43
years Dimitra made it her home,
working at 22nd & Irving Market,
faithfully attending liturgy every
Sunday and lovingly watching
her grandchildren and great
grandchildren grow. Donations
in Dimitra's memory may be
made to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund.
n MANESIS, PANAGIOTIS
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (from the
Poughkeepsie Journal, published
on Jul. 7) – Panagiotis Manesis
(Papou Pente) of Othonoi, Corfu,
Greece passed away Jul. 3, 2015
in Poughkeepsie, New York. He
was 85 years old. In difficult and
humble surroundings, he was
born on the small rural island of
Othonoi, Corfu, Greece. With little chance at a education, he was
sent away for work to support
his family at 12 years old. He
would start a family of his own,
and for decades he worked long
hours daily as a restaurant employee, all to provide a better life
for his children and grandchildren; first in Corfu, Greece and
then in the Bronx. Despite this
hard life, however, it would be
hard to find a more pleasant person. He was a jovial person who
actively encouraged laughter
whenever possible. He was also
never shy in expressing how
deeply he cared for his family,
and his hopes for them. He is
survived by his wife of 60 years,
Spyridoula, his two daughters,
Joanna and Angela, son in-law
Telly, and 4 grandchildren, Spyridoula, George, Maria Panagiota
and Peter (Panagiotis); all seven
of whom are college educated,
a souce of great pride for him
and something he always talked
about. He is also survived by his
sister Agatha, brothers Giannis
and Telemachos and his many
nieces and nephews. His parents
Spyridon and Ioanna, son in-law
Antonios and sisters Maria, Angela and Elizabeth predeceased
him. Funeral services will be
held 10am Wednesday Jul. 8,
2015 at the Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church South Grand Ave.
Poughkeepsie, New York 12603.
FEATURE
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
7
ALL HISTORY
Composer Loukianos Cavadias: Something of a Recorded Life
By Steve Frangos
broad outline of Cavadias’ musical efforts as documented by
oral history testimony and musical documents such as pianorolls, sheet music and commercial
recordings.
Now
something of an antiquated musical format piano-rolls were
once top-selling items. In this
regard Cavadias is known to
have composed and recorded a
number of songs on the pianoroll format. Perhaps most
notable among these compositions was The Ahepa Grand
March found on the Alector piano roll number 332. For those
even only vaguely familiar with
Greek-American history can recognize how important and potential successful issuing an
Ahepa March would be
in terms of total
sales and the
notorie t y
TNH Staff Writer
CHICAGO- Over the past twenty
years, the documentation on the
early history of Greek music in
North America has increased
past all expectations. In just this
short period of time public documents dating from the 1890s
onward have seen deposits in
archives, historical societies, and
museums around the nation.
Included in that diverse body
of material are musical instruments, oral histories of musicians and their families, photographs, songbooks, music
boxes, pianorolls, business documents inclusive of all matter
of record catalogs, sheet music,
songbooks, advertising and
other such papers, as well as the
deposit of literally hundreds of
original commercial records.
Taken in total across over a
dozen archives, historical societies and museums this scattered documentation only
awaits systematic appraisal.
To be sure, not every single
document or even class of document have as yet been collected but nonetheless vast areas, events and individuals once
lost to modern Greek history are
now better understood. Given
that only a dozen or so researchers are gathering, depositing and/or searching through
this assorted material means
that we are a long way from a
full chronological history.
Consequently, at this stage of
our collective recalling of Greek
music in North America, we can
begin to piece together the
available documentation and by
so doing not only come to a
finer grained understanding of
Greek-American history, but also
be in a position to ask better
questions of this ever growing
body of documentation. As a
case in point, what is now available on the career of Loukianos
Cavadias can serve to illustrate
how one talented musician
fared in the prospects offered in
North America. As many older
Greek-Americans still recall,
Cavadias was an extremely pop-
Seen here are pianorolls and a player piano into which
they fit. Loukianos Cavadias, a prolific musician, composed many songs in the early 20th century that were
available in pianoroll format.
ular orchestra leader and composer who had an extremely
successful career. Aside from the
recollections of Greek-Americans, the re-release of a number
of Cavadias’ compositions on
compact disks dedicated to the
history of Greek and GreekAmerican music speak to the issue of his initial and enduring
popularity.
Having said that, I make no
claims for providing a complete
career biography of Cavadias.
That is not the point. Before a
full and cumulative history of
Greek music in North America
can ever be written we must
first examine, as best we can,
the careers of as many individual musicians, promoters and
significant others in the wider
community. This case study of
Cavadias’ extremely successful
but curiously short career, in
terms of available documents,
is meant as an effort towards
that broader goal.
The commercial success of
Cavadias’ overall career make it
all the more curious that I was
not able to locate any personal
or professional life details. Still,
it is possible to deduce the
GREEK AMERICAN STORIES
Published, at Last, Almost!
By Phylis (Kiki) Sembos
Special to The National Herald
Recently, I received a computer printed letter from an outfit called, The National Poetry
Association. It informed me that
my poem had been chosen, over
the thousands submitted, to be
printed in their next publication.
Well, I’d been waiting for centuries to be discovered for any
of my manuscripts. But, for the
life of me, I couldn’t remember
ever having sent a poem to their
office. But, hey! I felt honored,
anyway. I remember having
written a poem on a blank card
to a friend who had just had
surgery. I wrote: “I hope you feel
better without your gall bladder.
If you hadn’t done it, you’d be a
lot sadder.”
My husband, Bill, said,
“Don’t be an idiot! They got
your name off some mailing list.
Next, they’ll be asking you to
buy their publication for money
– big money!” I looked at him
real nasty! “You’re just jealous
because you can’t write a shopping list and spell something
correctly!” I tried to recall any
other poem I’d written. Then, I
remembered that wedding congratulations card to my oft-married friend to whom I wrote:
“Love was just around the corner and it was a sunny day,. now
that you’re married try and stay
that way.”
At least my poems are
straightforward and not like
some poets that write dark and
dreary stuff and by the end of
the reading you don’t know
what th’ hell they said. Anyway,
I waited to hear from the publishers to ask when the book will
be on the market, how much do
I get, and, do I go on book signing tours. Then, I got another
letter from those publishers who
wanted me to write one more
poem to add to the one I can’t
recall ever sending. I asked her
if there is a criterion that I must
adhere to. She said it should
have, at least twelve lines and
it should rhyme. I sat for hours,
thinking, writing and scribbling,
trying again. Looking into my
overflowing waste basket I felt
guilt imaging how many trees
were sacrificed for those sheets.
But, I kept plugging. I bet
Homer felt the same way. Only
he had it harder. He had to write
his stories and poems on rocks!
How do you erase the errors?
Guess he had to go to another
island for more blank rocks.
Well, after a few aspirin sandwiches and half a bottle of Pepto
Bismol, I, finally, came up with
a poem. It nearly ended my
marriage because Bill didn’t like
it when dinner was very late –
or, having sandwiches instead
of a real dinner but I think it’s
my best yet. Here it is:
“I’d like the summers if it
wasn’t so hot! Winter’s not bad
without, ‘you know what.’
the summers are buggie and,
always quite muggie. But, we
gotta’ keep goin’,
like it or not!”
Gee! I told the whole story
of the seasons and rhymed, too.
I don’t care what Bill says. I
could be a latent genius! Anyway, by the end of the month
another letter came from that
publishing house. They liked my
poem. I saw myself receiving
awards – the 2015 Poetry Award
and others. Bill, grinning, was
reading the letter that I shoved
under his bulbous nose as I was
slicing his sandwich in half.
“They’re asking how many
books you want, Kiki – at
$50.00, each.” “But! For me,” I
corrected, “because I am a contributing author, each book will
cost $49.98. That’s a pre-publication price!” He looked at me
with a smug grin. I asked him,
still holding the knife, “What’re
you lookin’ at me like that for?”
He paused, pulling the face he
always wears when doing the
bills, and said, “Let’s see! If
3,000 ‘poets’ buy a book – at
$50 a throw – that’s about
$150,000.00. Not a bad haul!”
I stopped slicing. He sounded
reasonable, somehow. And,
that’s when I saw through the
whole scheme. Acting like I always knew there was a gimmick
in there somewhere, I said, “I
decided I won’t buy any. I’ll wait
for a better deal from some publishing house. Not because I
don’t have talent,” said I,
adding, “But, I couldn’t leave
you alone while I go on long
book tours.” He smiled, taking
up his sandwich.
f o r
the composer/performer its issuance promised.
Not to be forgotten,
Cavadias also released
Bournovalio a smynes manes
on pianoroll (QRS-F 8861) to
great acclaim.
From 1926 to 1935, in terms
of commercial recordings, Cavadias saw the release of thirty
known individual songs. While
this is far from a number of
records a truly popular musician
of this time period might claim
several individual Cavadias
compositions were incredibly
popular. And here is the rub.
Not all of those hit-records were
of Greek traditional or popular
music. Loukianos Cavadias was
a professional musician as such
he played what the audience or
studio directors demanded.
Let us offer what we can in
terms of a historical survey of
Cavadias’ commercial records.
One further layer. of complexity,
as if we needed one, is that
Cavadias recorded for several
different companies and under
a variety of names. Record company documents reveal Cavadias was the orchestra leader
and/or choir director for (at
least) three distinct named
groups of musicians. While
Cavadias is always listed as
composer or arranger no other
musicians are mentioned by
name on any of the record labels
or in the available company documentation. This suggests that
Cavadias did not record with a
sitive Greek record industry into
producing more songs for it’s literally thousands of individual
members is more than especially
curious. At this same session, we
find Cavadias also recorded Ta
Tragoudia Mou (Columbia
566110-F); Xemyalistra (Columbia 56092-F); Stin Erimi Rematia (Columbia 56085-F) and
Gil-Gil-Gil (Columbia 56085-F).
All that company documents
provide beyond the titles and
the catalog numbers is that under Cavadias’ direction is a chorus accompanied by a mandolin
orchestra.
Then in October 1928, again
at Columbia Records’ New York
City studios Cavadias expanded
his performance repertoire.
Aside from syrta and/or haspika
Cavadias recorded polkas,
mazurkas and even a waltz to
some considerable success. First
came the obviously popular
Marenka Polka which saw three
different releases (c.f. Columbia
7043-F; Columbia 12094-F and
Columbia 3810-F). Next the two
instrumentals Glikia Anamnisis
a mazurka (Columbia 7043-F)
and Kleo Thrino a waltz (Columbia 7048-F). Then, another
multiple release Cavadias’ rendition of To Tango Tou Thanatou (Columbia 7048-F; Columbia 12094-F and Columbia
38010-F).
Four more songs were
recorded at this session: To Len
E Kukoi Sta Vouna a syrto
(Colombia 56136-F); Er Yiaman
another syrto (Columbia 56130F), the standard Hasapiko Laterna Tis Polis Columbia 56130F) and finally Maikokos yet
another Hasapiko (Columbia
56136-F). All four were released
as deluxe 12 inch records. Then,
after this incredible run of topselling songs, Loukianos Cavadias was destined to only release one more instrumental for
a major record label Hasapiko
Kavadia recorded on June 26,
1935 (Orthophonic S-322).
Loukianos Cavadias is not a
lost figure of Greek-American
musical history, just one whose
full biography and career details
are not now fully available. This
musicians’ level of popularity
and enduring fame can be
judged by the most recent inclusion of his Hasapiko Kavvadia on the recent compact disc
re-release: Greek Rhapsody - Instrumental Music from Greece
1905-1956 (May 2, 2013).
But we must recognize the
nature of this increase in Greek
musical documentation. We are
in a moment of generational
change.
That generation of individuals who were the children of the
1880 to 1920 wave of mass migration is all but gone. Due to
the new preservation movement
underway in Greek-America and
this clear passage from one generation and it’s time to another
– historic materials of all sorts
are being gathered with the express intention of saving them
for the future. Much could be
lost as this transformation takes
place. It is our duty to see that
as much of our artistic collective
past is preserved as possible.
[email protected]
THE NATIONAL HERALD BOOKSTORE
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FLAVOURS & DELIGHTS
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Eggs Poached
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regular cast if musicians and
that even the performers, one
hears on the strictly instrumental pieces, may not have been
ethnically Greek at all but simply the record company’s studio
musicians.
Beginning in 1926, Cavadias
recorded under the title of Cavadias Popular Orchestra for both
the Victor Talking Machine
Company
and
Columbia
Records. On April 8, 1926,
Cavadias recorded four songs in
New York City Azapiko Syrto
and Me Xehases a kalamatiano
(Victor 68756 A/B) and then
Zeibekiko Haves and Karsilama
Tekirdagh (Victor 68799 A/B).
Then sometime in May 1926,
Cavadias’ Popular Orchestra
recorded Amygdale
and Tatavliano (Columbia 56031-F
A / B ) .
Tatavliano,
an instrumental,
b e came
a smash
dance
hit. Many
senior
generat i o n
Greek-Americans
recall
dancing to this
extremely popular
instrumental. It is perhaps no surprise to note
then that all of Cavadias’
record hits were dance instrumentals.
A small point that may have
future significance is that Tetos
Demetriades, the renowned
Greek baritone and music company executive can be heard on
Tatavliano. Demetriades, who
does not receive any credit on
the record’s label, can be heard
clapping and shouting encouragements to the musicians. Not
only did I find this particular
record in many family collections but I have repeatedly
heard how this song took GreekAmerica by storm. This community memory is supported by the
action s of the Columbia Record
executives. During October and
December 1927, Cavadias as
leader of the Horodia L. Cavadia, recorded 12 songs that is 6
records. Beginning in October
Cavadias and company recorded
six songs: Tournene a rebetiko
(Columbia 56092-F); Sti Nioti
Mas (Columbia 56092-F); Gaiti
To Theli E Manna Sou, a Syrto
(Columbia 56089-F); Dournerakia a Hasapiko serviko, then
Xymeronai (Columbia 56084-F)
and finally Anamiseis (Columbia
56084-F).
In December 1927, the Horodia L. Cavadia recorded E Prosfigopoula, as a Syrto for Columbia records, appearing on one
of the new deluxe 12 inch disks
(Columbia 56089-F).
At this same session the
Cavadia group recorded the
Ahepa March (Columbia 56086F) which surprisingly enough is
but one of three songs I have
ever managed to locate with
Ahepa as its theme.
That this nationwide organization did not spur the extremely dynamic and hypersen-
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Byzantium
By Anna SkamangasScaros
O R D E R
The first time I tried this
recipe is when I was on Chios
as a 17-year-old. My yiayia
made this for me during a fast
when we had already given up
meat, but were able to still eat
eggs. I whip this up every once
in a while, as a delicious memory.
Ingredients:
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce
F O R M
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• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet. Add
onions and cook until translucent. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Add the tomato sauce and
cook until sauce becomes thick.
Gently crack the eggs into the
sauce. Turn off heat and cover.
Allow skillet to remain on the
stove for 10 minutes, until eggs
have poached. Have plenty of
bread on hand to mop up the
sauce!
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8
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
Studies Seen Factors Linked to Longevity on Ikaria and Elsewhere
Continued from page 1
pleased. There was no such a
thing as an invitation list; everyone was welcome. There was always plenty of food, plenty of
drinks, and endless entertainment for everyone, regardless of
whether he or she had arrived
early or late.
Although such an attitude
would have been viewed as very
rude, at the very least, everywhere else in the world, many
Ikarians do not view it that way;
it is considered as quite natural.
It is linked to the Ikarian mentality that no matter how urgent
a task is, it is never too late to
take care of it. There is no reason to feel anxiety and frustration for not completing something right away. Tomorrow is
another day.
In all fairness, however, such
an attitude does not necessarily
mean that Ikarians were lazy
per se. It does not mean that
they used to waste their life as
couch potatoes watching TV and
drinking beer or wine from
morning to night. They simply
carried out their everyday tasks
and activities in their own way.
Although for many Ikarians day
activities used to start very early
in the morning, not later than
6.00 am, and they used to involve walking up and down hills
for 4-5 hours every day, irrigating their gardens, harvesting
vegetables and fruit, gathering
greens and taking care of their
domestic animals, they were
never in a hurry. Why worry if
you did not complete a certain
EiriNi vOurlOumiS/GuArDiAN
ABOVE: Gregoris Tsahas, 100+, has smoked 20 cigarettes a
day for 70 years. BELOW: The key to Ikarian longevity is not
simply a healthful diet; daily socializing may be just as crucial.
From left: Christos Ploutis, 75; Konstantinos Sakoutis, 82; and
Thanasis Kamperis, 62.
ANDrEA FrAzzETTA/luzPHOTO FOr THE NEw yOrk TimES
Stamatis Moraitis tending his vineyard and olive grove on
Ikaria in 2012. He passed away in February 2013.
chore on time; tomorrow is another day. Life was to be enjoyed
rather than linked to anxiety!
Although the type of lifestyle
that has become more prevalent
nowadays on Ikaria involves
considerable dependence on
cars, motorcycles, fast and
processed food and unfortunately reduced physical activity,
there are still individuals living
in remote areas of the island,
particularly in areas not touched
by tourism, who continue to observe the lifestyle of the past,
spending a considerable part of
their time every day carrying
out chores linked to horticulture, agriculture, animal husbandry, viticulture and apiculture. The physical activity linked
to uphill and downhill walking
for several hours per day and
the deep breathing of clean air
outdoors have an unquestionable effect upon their wellbeing
and ther healthy longevity.
It may be coincidental, but
the lifestyle of individuals living
in both Barbagia, Sardinia and
on some mountainous and inaccessible parts of Ikaria describes people who have been,
by and large, isolated from the
outside world for several centuries, if not millennia. Those
inhabitants retained their initial
genetic makeup since they did
not intermarry with newcomers.
Even their language did not
change much from the language
of their ancestors. The Greek
Academician and Linguist, G. N.
Hatzidakis, reported that the
language of those isolated Ikarians, particularly those living on
the northwestern mountainous
part of the island, was closer to
classical than Modern Greek.
Similarly, the language of the
inhabitants of Barbagia in Sardinia is closer to Latin than
Modern Italian.
Although different diets and
different lifestyles may appear
to be contributing factors to life
longevity in different Blue Zones
visited, most of those octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians interviewed in several
of those studies appear to have,
in addition to those traits, something else in common regardless
of the Blue Zone in which they
lived. Most of them appeared to
live in close-knit extended families, they were active members
of such families, and they enjoyed socializing. In other
words, just living a long life is
not particularly important if you
do not enjoy and appreciate it.
Life needs to be meaningful, enjoyable, and full!
In dealing with the aging
process one can distinguish two
different types: Biological aging,
namely, aging of individuals living alone or in nursing homes,
THE HERALD SQUARE
TNH's Crossword Challenge
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www.CrosswordWeaver.com
ACROSS
1 German composer
5 Healing plant
9 Nile's home
14 Evils
15 Takes
16 Encomium
17 Performing couple
18 Skip
19 Dapper
20 Santa's helper
21 Brand of laundry detergent
22 Dull
23 Greek godess of wisdom
25 Late
29 Fall mo.
30 Mexican sandwich
31 To be
32 __ and burn
35 Economics abrv.
36 Crony
37 Fats
38 Yappy
40 Annoyance
41 Spiritedness
42 Simmer
43 Afloat (2 wds.)
44 Expression
45 Askew
46 Nervous system
47 Fuzzy nectarines
49 Ancient City on Rhodes
52 Movie 2001's talking computer
53 Second Greek letter
54 The other half of Jima
56 Right angle to a ships length
59 Like a wing
60 Blooper
61 Tenth Greek letter
62 South American nation
63 Comedian Jay
64 Offensive
65 Takes off
66 Recommend
DOWN
1 Remain
2 Birds “thumb”
3 Rabbet
4 DDE's predecessor
5 Apply holy oil
6 Eleventh Greek letter
7 Off-Broadway award
8 Eastern Standard Time
9 Fifth Greek Letter
10 Third Greek letter
11 Affirmative
12 Golfer's goal
13 Dynamite
21 High __
22 Entice
24 A Cartwright
25 Support
26 VCR needs
27 Remove
28 Fourth Greek letter
30 Kojak actor
32 Blot (2 wds.)
33 Vassal
34 First Greek letter
38 After bath need
39 Ventilates
40 Posttraumatic stress disorder
42 Tropical destination
43 December 9th Saint
46 Tropical fruit
48 Cowboy leg wear
49 Study
50 Cargo ship
51 Used playground equipment
53 Type of cheese
55 Band instrument
56 American Kennel Club (abbr.)
57 Lawyer's test
58 Environmental protection agency (abbr)
59 Rainy mo.
60 ___ shot (2 wds.)
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their diet, namely, vegetables,
fruit, and various types of
legumes and nuts, the rest of
their diet is more different than
similar. In some Blue Zones people are strictly vegetarian
whereas in others meat is an important component; in some diets pork is used extensively
whereas in others, like in Ikaria,
goat meat and fish constitute
considerable components of
their diet. In some Blue Zones
people abstain from alcohol
completely whereas in others,
and notably in Ikaria, people
drink one or two glasses of dark
red local wine with their meal.
Therefore, there appears to be
much more to longevity than
diet.
Much has also been written
ful Christian Orthodox, going to
church every Sunday and on
every holyday. When an individual living in a Blue Zone relinquishes responsibility of whatever is happening to a Higher
or Divine Authority, life gets
simplified quite a lot. If something bad happened, it was
meant to happen; no reason
struggling to avoid it and suffering from such an effort. Obviously, very few would agree
with such mentality.
John Chryschoos, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at
the Univerisity of Toledo in
Ohio. This piece is an excerpt
from his book Longevity: The
Blue Zones Effect (RoseDog
Books, 2015).
Soccer Star Leontiou is Born
Solution to last week’s puzzle
J
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The Ikarian diet: Vegetables from the garden, legumes and
greens, and plenty of olive oil.
This Week in Greek History:
WORD BANK: Abeam, airs, akc, alar, aloe, alpha,
alula, anna, anoint, apr, are, athena, atsea,
awry, bach, back, bahamas, bar, belated, beta,
bide, bleu, boil, chaps, citrus, cleft, cns, crass,
decoy, delta, dim, duet, econ, egypt, elf, epa, epsilon, erase, est, flu, flub, gamma, hal, hoss,
hst, ills, iwo, kappa, lamda, learn, leno, liege, lindos, nabs, obie, oboe, oct, oiler, oils, omit,
paean, pal, par, peaches, pep, peru, pest, ptsd,
runs, slash, smart, sopup, swung, taco, talky,
tapes, tech, telly, tide, tnt, towel, ugh, urge, yea.
A
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and social aging, namely, aging
within their family, extended or
limited, or in communities surrounded by friends. Whereas
the former individuals may be
suffering from lack of interest if
not total boredom, the latter
ones are active and happy elderly who derive enjoyment
from their families or groups
and from helping others. Such
individuals have a reason to live
and unless their life is cut short
by some dreadful disease, they
are likely to become nonagenarians and possibly centenarians.
A lot has been written regarding the diet of those healthy
elderly. However, apart from
some common components in
regarding the role of anti-oxidants in the diet of people living
in Blue Zones, although their actual medical significance has not
been verified. However, a very
common ingredient in the diet
of Ikarians is the so-called
“mountain tea” or sage (flaskomilia), a type of mint tea (fliskouni), and sometimes wildgrown dandelion leaves; they
are all very rich in anti-oxidants.
In addition, a lot of wild-grown
dark green vegetables (horta)
used in the Ikarian diet are also
rich in anti-oxidants. This type
of diet, together with legumes,
nuts, olive oil and local honey
appear to play some significant
role in healthy aging on Ikaria.
The weather is unquestionably another important factor
regarding life longevity. People
in all Blue Zones enjoy sunshine
for at least 8 months per year.
People working outdoors are exposed to the sun several hours
per day, enhancing production
of Vitamin D. Such extensive exposure to the sun would be
quite dangerous to people living
in northern altitudes leading to
skin cancers and melanomas.
However, people who have been
exposed to the sun most of the
year appear to be somewhat
protected. Obviously, in the absence of appropriate protection
against the ultraviolet light, people tend to develop extensive
wrinkles on their faces. This
seems to be a common feature
of several nonagenarians and
centenarians in the Blue Zones.
There is also another common factor in the lives of those
elderly individuals living in Blue
Zones. Most, if not all, are
highly religious, although their
religious belief may be directed
toward completely different divine concepts. They believe God
or some other Divine Being will
provide and take care of them.
The Adventists living in Loma
Linda, California live their life
rooted on very strong faith tradition; they observe Sabbath
faithfully. The elderly living in
Okinawa believe their deceased
ancestors watch after them;
they pray to them and worship
them. The inhabitants of Sardinia are devout Catholics; so
are the inhabitants of Costa
Rica. As far as the Ikarians are
concerned, they used to be faith-
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This week, on July 17, 1984,
Greek footballer Sotiris Leontiou
was born. Leontiou is a native
of Ioannina. Like many Greek
children, Leontiou loved playing
soccer with his family and
friends. In his teenage years he
played in the Panathinaikos FC
as a Defensive Midfielder or Left
Midfielder. After a few years as
an amateur in Panathinaikos he
was loaned to GS Marko. He
played for them for two consecutive years.
From 2001 to 2003 he
played a total of 38 league
matches and scored 11 goals. In
2003 he joined the Proodeftiki
FC, played 26 matches and
scored only two goals. He returned to Panathinaikos for the
2005/06 season. He signed a
five-year contract and became
an elemental force for the team.
He tore a ligament and was out
for two seasons.
In January of 2009 he appeared in training but still did
not play any games. After his
time with Panathinaikos he
joined the Kavala FC. During his
time there he earned his first
Sotirios Leontiou
goal against PAOK, playing only
for nine minutes. At the end of
2009 he returned to his home
team, Panathinaikos, and was
then loaned out to Ilioupolis.
Aside from Panathinaikos,
GS Marko, Proodeftiki, and Ilioupolis, Leontiou also played
for AO Kavala, Apollon Smyrnis,
and GS Marko U20. He has
competed in the Football
League, Greek Super League, FL
Play-Offs, Football League South
and the UEFA Cup. He was playing for Fostira as a defensive
midfielder but will soon be joining
the
AS
Thesprotos
Igoumenitsas soccer club.
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
GREECE CYPRUS
9
Cyprus Leaders Want Leading EU Role, Feud Over Rotating Presidency
NICOSIA – Rival Cypriot leaders
said they want any prospective
deal to reunify the island to be
based on European Union principles and values.
Cypriot President Nicos
Anastasiades and his TurkishCypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci made the declaration after
meeting for a sixth time in the
UN-controlled buffer zone in
Nicosia with United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide.
“The leaders recognize the
importance of having the principles and values upon which
the European Union is founded
upheld and embedded in the
comprehensive settlement,”
Eide said, according to Agence
France Presse.
“The leaders welcome the
European Union’s commitment
to help the achievement of a
comprehensive settlement and
to prepare for the application of
the EU acquis throughout the island,” he added.
Anastasiades told reporters:
“What is being sought is to safeguard, through the rules of the
EU, what has been agreed: the
bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, and political equality…The
role that the EU can play is being intensified and upgraded in
the effort to reach a federal solution to the Cyprus problem on
the basis of all that has been
agreed.”
Cyprus has been divided
since Turkey unlawfully divided
in 1974 and all attempts to get
the two sides back together have
fallen by the wayside with a raft
of diplomats failing to make any
progress.
AP PHOTOS/PHiliPPOS CHriSTOu
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (C), Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades
(R), and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L), shake hands before their meeting inside
the UN controlled buffer zone that divides the Cypriot capital, in Nicosia, July 16.
Turkey wants to join the EU,
of which Cyprus is a member,
but still refuses to recognize the
country or allow its ships and
planes to enter.
There was no explanation
why a country that violates EU
principles now wants them used
in the reunification negotiations
although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said it
will be he – not Akinci – who
has the final word on any deal.
European Commission head
Jean-Claude Juncker is expected
this week in Cyprus for talks
with both leaders.
Eide, a Norwegian diplomat,
said Juncker’s mission would
“provide a good opportunity to
further underline the European
Union readiness to assist the
United Nations-led process”.
Anastasiades and Akinci have
also been discussing the economic dimensions of a reunified
Cyprus.
“In today’s global economic
climate it is essential that a functional, federal Cyprus is financially viable and committed to
capitalising on the economic opportunities that will open up as
Greece Seeks Relief From Troika After Vote
Continued from page 1
"But the results of today's
vote constitute a serious division
in the unity of Syriza parliamentary group," he said. "The Prime
Minister's and the government's
priority is the successful conclusion of the agreement in the immediate future."
Greeks have seen a dramatic
decline in living standards since
the debt-plagued country lost financial market access in 2010
and had to impose severe
spending cuts in exchange for
bailout loans from Eurozone
countries and the International
Monetary Fund.
Before the austerity vote,
some 12,000 demonstrators had
gathered outside Parliament in
the biggest protest against the
government since Tsipras won
elections in late January. The
rally turned violent when several hundred youths attacked
police, torched cars, and
smashed office displays.
TROUBLE IN THE STREETS
Police said 37 people were
detained and 16 arrested over
the hour-long clashes that involved youths hurling rocks and
petrol bombs outside parliament, and riot police responding
with tear gas and baton charges.
Tsipras said he had little
choice other than to accept the
harsh terms offered by lenders
for the new three-year bailout
worth 85 billion euros ($93 billion).
"We had a very specific
choice: A deal we largely disagreed with, or a chaotic default," he told Parliament ahead
of the vote.
REBELS IN THE RANKS
SYRIZA won the January
elections on a promise to end
bailout austerity, and the government's acceptance of more
cuts drew an angry reaction
from many of its lawmakers —
though none of the attacks were
aimed at Tsipras.
Parliament Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou slammed the deal
as a product of blackmail, de-
AP PHOTO/EmiliO mOrENATTi
Riot police officers run away from the fire as anti-austerity protesters throw petrol bombs
during clashes in Athens while Parliament debated on Wednesday, July 15.
scribing the additional poverty
it would cause as an act of "social genocide."
The vote came after more
than two weeks of capital controls, with banks and the stock
exchange shut since June 29
and ATM cash withdrawals limited to 60 euros per day.
Dangerously low on liquidity
at banks and with the state practically out of cash, Greece desperately needs funds. It faces a
July 20 deadline to repay 4.2
billion euros ($4.6 billion) to
the ECB, and is also in arrears
on 2 billion euros to the IMF.
Negotiations on the new
bailout will take an estimated
four weeks, leaving European finance ministers scrambling to
find ways to get Athens some
money sooner.
The European Commission
has proposed giving Greece
seven billion euros in loans from
a special fund overseen by all
28 EU nations so it can meet its
upcoming debts.
GERMAN HARD LINE
Germany's Finance Minister
says the Eurozone must keep to
its rules as it negotiates a new
bailout with Greece, which
Berlin says rules out an outright
debt cut for Athens.
Wolfgang Schaeuble told
Deutschlandfunk radio negotiations will determine whether a
new package is possible given
Greece's increased needs.
He added: "We will open negotiations, we will make every
effort, but we must keep to the
rules because Europe is based
on the principles of democracy
and the rule of law"
Schaeuble has taken a hardline approach. Last weekend, a
paper from his ministry suggesting the possibility of a voluntary,
temporary Greek euro exit
emerged. The minister said July
15 "it would perhaps be a better
way for Greece, and many say
that — increasingly in Greece
too."
Germany's finance minister
says the Greek Parliament's approval of an austerity package
is "an important step" but is
warning that talks on a final
bailout deal will be tough —
and that an outright debt cut
would be incompatible with
Greece keeping the euro.
Greece's creditors demanded
the Greek vote before opening
full bailout negotiations. Eurozone finance ministers must approve opening those talks, as
must Germany's Parliament in a
vote expected July 17.
Schaeuble said that making
Greece's debt sustainable will be
tough. Germany says a debt cut
would be illegal.
Schaeuble said: "No one
knows at the moment how it's
supposed to work without a
debt cut, and everyone knows
that a debt cut is incompatible
with membership in the currency union."
TROUBLED BANKS
The head of the Eurozone's
rescue fund says failure to conclude a bailout deal for Greece
would lead to the collapse of the
country's major banks, which he
says would affect the rest of the
Eurozone.
Greece wants to tap the European Stability Mechanism. To
use the fund, officials must establish the existence of a risk to
the financial stability of the entire Eurozone, which many
question.
ESM chief Klaus Regling told
Germany's ARD television that
failure to reach a final agreement would mean collapse of
Greece's banking system.
He said the four biggest Greek
banks are "system-relevant," code
for significant to the international
financial system, and that if they
fail that would have "severe effects not just for Greece itself ...
but for the Eurozone as a whole."
Congresswoman Maloney Outraged By Troika Threats
By Constantine S. Sirigos
TNH Staff Writer
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney released a letter on July 15 condemning what her office called
“threats against Greek national
security that were reportedly
made during Greek debt negotiations between Greek Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
French President François Hollande and European Council
President Donald Tusk.”
Maloney wrote in her letter:
“As a Co-chair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, I
strongly condemn the use of
threats against Greek national
security as a coercive tool in negotiations over Greece’s participation in the Eurozone.
“It is outrageous for anyone
to suggest that Turkish aggression would go unchecked by the
international community under
any circumstances,” she said.
She added, “Regardless of the
ultimate outcome of debt negotiations, Greece will continue to
be an ally of significant strategic
importance to both the United
States and the European Union.
Suggesting otherwise is Realpolitik in its worst form, and those
making such suggestions should
know better.”
Another letter she penned in
support of Greece will be circulating in Congress, and Maloney
told TNH that “Relations between Americans and Greeks are
deeper than any currency.”
As background, Maloney’s office quoted the July 13 edition
of the Washington Post: “The
moves are fostering a deep sense
of resentment among Tsipras’s
allies and a conviction that Europeans sought to humiliate
him. During a pivotal meeting
with Merkel, French President
François Hollande and European
Council President Donald Tusk,
Tsipras at one point received a
thinly veiled threat that if he
walked away and left the euro,
Greece risked going it alone
geopolitically, too.
“According to two officials in
Brussels with knowledge of the
exchange, the specter was raised
of aggression from Turkey — a
neighboring nation viewed in
Greece as a historic antagonist.”
“These threat are unbelievable, Maloney told TNH. “Germany and other political leaders
should not be making global political or military warnings and
consequences for Greece. The
United States will not allow
Greece to become isolated. The
threats are totally empty.”
Regarding the Greek financial
crisis itself, Maloney she said believes, “The U.S. approach of
balancing stimulus, improved
regulations, and patience has
yielded much better results than
the five years of German austerity… I am concerned about the
real societal burdens on the children and pensioners and Greek
citizens.
She cited the example of
then-President Bill Clinton’s response to the Mexican Peso cri-
sis. “It proved very successful,
and we were aiding our neighbors in economic distress, not
using a punishing austerity.
Maloney also pointed out
that what she called the
hypocrisy of the EU and ECB,
who “have repeatedly and insistently sought regulatory relief in
the U.S. from reforms like DoddFrank we put in place,” after the
2007 Wall Street crash. “They
should apply the same standards
on leniency in dealings with
Greece,” she insisted.
She said of Greece’s crushing
debt that, “When the IMF acknowledges that Greece’s is economically unable to pay the debt
load as currently structured, it
needs to be restructured.”
Maloney added that, “The
American government, and
President Obama put a tremendous amount of pressure in
these negotiations and was reported that the IMF debt analysis be made public, with a need
not only to forgive debt but to
restructure it.”
a result of reaching a final settlement,” said Eide.
NO, MR. PRESIDENT
Plans to reunify Cyprus for
the first time in 41 years would
include Turkish-Cypriots sharing
in the government, although a
dispute remains over a rotating
Presidency.
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yoannis Kasulidis said the
Cypriot side doesn’t want to let
a Turkish-Cypriot be President
every other term, which was
part of a concession made by
former
Cypriot
President
Demetris Christofias.
Kasulidis also said Cyprus –
a member of the European
Union – would not agree to
Turkey’s accession before the island is whole again. Cyprus has
been divided since an unlawful
1974 Turkish invasion and
Ankara maintains a standing
Army of 40,000 troops in the
northern third it occupies in violation of international law.
Kasulidis told the Cypriot
newspaper Semerini, “A rotating
Presidency determined by only
one community is not a fair solution. But it is also not right to
strip any citizen from any community of their right to vote for
a President.”
Anastasiades and Akinci have
been holding talks since May
and are said to be making
progress in talks stalled for four
decades. Their reaching out to
each other with olive branches
instead of sticks imbued hope
into a stalled process.
The Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman said that under the
proposals the new Federal
State’s Parliament will consist of
two houses.
Citizens of Turkish and Greek
Cyprus will have equal representation in the upper house,
but Greek Cypriots will be represented with 70 percent of
seats in the lower house, while
Turkish Cypriots will hold the
remaining 30 percent.
A proposal granting four
freedoms made explicit in the
laws of the EU to the citizens of
Turkish Cyprus – the freedom of
access, of travel, of investment
and of settlement — has met
with disagreement from the
Greek side, the paper said.
The top court would comprise four judges from Turkish
Cyprus and four from Greek
Cyprus. There will be also be
foreign member of the top
court, a position intended to
mediate any contention that
may occur between the two
sides.
The implementation of the
solution would be inspected by
a special commission to be set
up by the EU.
The Turkish side in the negotiations has accepted Greek
Cyprus’ pre-1974 rights to property. The sides will negotiate
over terms of return, exchange
of property and compensation.
After progress regarding
Cyprus’ internal disputes is
made, an international conference will take place, with participation from Turkey, Greece
and the UK, to discuss the rights
of guarantorship, a point that
had doomed previous negotiations to become deadlocked.
Counting Cost of Crisis,
Greece Targets Tax Cheats
ATHENS (AP) — Dimitris Bokas
keeps meticulous records of the
bathroom fixtures he sells from
his small shop in the quiet middle-class residential neighborhood of Koukaki near the center
of Athens — just in case a tax
inspector makes a surprise visit
to ensure Greece’s 23 percent
sales tax is being collected and
reported correctly.
But Bokas also does installation and repair jobs — and half
of those involve cash deals with
no receipts for his labor. The result is that a job costing 250 euros ($275) goes for 125 euros
because he doesn’t charge the
client sales tax and Bokas
doesn’t report the income for
taxation.
“I’ve got a receipt for everything I sell in my shop,” Bokas
said. But tax officials “don’t
know what my hands do.”
This kind of tax dodging is a
Greek national pastime, costing
the state billions of euros in revenue. Greece promised last
week to get tough on tax evasion in return for a third European bailout expected to be negotiated over the next month.
The talks, expected to last
four weeks, will start if Parliament agrees by July 15 to Eurozone demands including tax
hikes and pension cuts.
But experts say Greece has
largely failed in previous crackdowns on tax evasion, which
has been rampant for generations. An estimated 10 billion
euros in taxes never makes it
into government coffers annually.
THE BLAME SOMEONE
ELSE MANTRA
Tax dodging among Greeks
started as a sign of patriotism
during nearly four centuries of
Ottoman rule that ended in
1821. It continues today amid
mistrust over government
spending and disdain over how
the country’s various administrations have handled Greece’s
financial mess after the economy imploded in 2009.
“A lot of Greeks believe it’s
not only a way to cheat the inefficient Greek government, but
a way to exert small time resistance to the bailout agreement
and tax hikes,” said Aristidis
Hatzis, a professor of law and
economics at Athens University.
“They do not perceive this as a
kind of corruption.”
Contributing to the problem
is an informal economy that accounts for about 25 percent of
Greece’s annual gross domestic
product.
Evasion is most common in
the services sector where customers don’t receive a physical
product, and it’s not limited to
small businesses like plumbers
and restaurants.
In monthly reports, Greece’s
financial crimes unit lists finalized tax investigation cases and
recent offenders include doctors, engineers, high tech firms,
construction companies, clothing manufacturers, bakeries, architects and advertising agencies.
Many cases involve unreported income of hundreds of
thousands of euros or more and
one lawyer failed to report 16
million euros in income, the unit
said in a statement last week.
THE RICH STAY RICH,
THAT’S HOW IT GOES
But many cases go uninvestigated because of poorly
trained tax investigators, personnel shortages and politically
motivated appointments of tax
investigation supervisors, said
Haris Theoharis, who was
Greece’s top tax enforcer until
last year and is now a lawmaker
with the centrist To Potami
party.
Theoharis said it’s too soon
to tell whether the governing far
left SYRIZA party will mount an
effective campaign against tax
evasion because few specifics of
its plans have been disclosed.
He argued that freeing the
system from political interference is key: “Unless they depoliticize the tax administration
and stop trying to interfere with
who gets promoted,” he said,
“they will not have success.”
Nikolaos Artavanis, a finance
professor at the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst, said
the government’s decision to
raise the sales tax for restaurants as part of its offer in return
for a bailout could prevent a tax
evasion crackdown from working.
The rate is going from 6.5
percent to 13 percent for hotels
and from 13 percent to 23 percent for restaurants and other
businesses that sell food.
Many Greek restaurant and
hotel owners say they’ll be
forced to absorb the hike because their clients can’t afford
to pay more, and experts like
Artavanis believe evasion could
skyrocket.
“The fiscal impact could be
zero or be negative because tax
evasion will increase,” he said.
“They could get less in taxes.”
More enforcement will be
needed, but Artavanis said
many parts of Greece rarely see
a tax inspector.
His research focuses on tax
payments by Greek restaurants,
and owners in some parts of the
country have told him they have
not had tax inspector visits since
last August.
Bokas, the plumber and fixture vendor, said most of his
customers who want no-tax jobs
are apartment owners or small
businesses.
Larger businesses and big
apartment buildings with on-site
management always want a receipt for the work so they pay
the full price, and Bokas collects
the sales tax and pays tax on
the work he does for those jobs.
He said would prefer to do
all of his work legally but
doubted there will be much
change in Greece unless the entire country changes its habits.
Unlike Greeks who distrust
the government’s ability to effectively spend tax money,
Bokas thinks officials should be
given a chance to prove they
can.
“Paying all the taxes we owe
would be the right thing to do
and it would help us have a
healthier country,” he said. “If
the tax were paid, the rich
wouldn’t be able to get richer
by evading taxes and the poor
wouldn’t have to evade taxes so
they can just get by.”
EDITORIALS LETTERS
10
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The National Herald
A weekly publication of the NATIONAL HERALD, INC.
(ΕΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΞ),
reporting the news and addressing the issues of paramount interest
to the Greek-American community of the United States of America.
Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris
Assistant to the Publisher, Advertising Veta H. Diamataris Papadopoulos
Executive Editor Constantinos E. Scaros
Religion Editor Theodore Kalmoukos
Senior Writer Constantine S. Sirigos
Online Managing Editor Andy Dabilis
Production Manager Chrysoula Karametros
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The Provinces Watch and Hope
From here, from the Northern provinces of Greece, on the
Aegean island of Lemnos, Athens, as always, looks far away.
Here, the people do not participate in decisions being made
in the capital on their behalf. And I learned that rumors are an
important source of information…and television.
This does not mean that the decisions do not affect their
lives.
That is why the world is glued to the television set (newspapers are read mainly by the well-educated). They are waiting to
see when they will “fix” everything. When life will return to the
way it was in the good old days. When the state will resume
“giving.”
Without state services, without pensions and subsidies, the
income of most families is zero. They often no longer have
enough money for cigarettes. Granted, that is a good thing, but
perhaps there are other, better ways to quit smoking.
Things went from bad to worse...the banks had been closed
for two weeks and the island’s economy has dried out.
The island’s social life now takes place on the lines outside
banks while people wait for their 60 euros a day, which is actually
50 because there are no 20 euro notes.
Shops, cafes, and restaurants where you once needed an “in”
to get in….are now desolate. Places of entertainment, which
had been crowded, are now almost empty. The cash of their
parents and grandparents has apparently run out.
It is a very sad spectacle. Depressing. A condition no one in
any country should have to experience. It is unbelievable. The
image of a country in tatters.
We live in truly historic days.
The sun, the sea, and the weather are still the best allies of
the Greeks. And great sources of relief. But the summer will
give way to the days of autumn. And then winter comes.
The effects of the summer’s economic weakness will then be
felt all their fury.
At this time, the people are dealing with the happenings with
stoicism and fatalism.
A taxi driver just spread the news that a solution was found.
As he had predicted, when Prime Minister Tsipras made his
great historical and important revolutionary shift, the kind that
only “left” governments can do. Just like “only Nixon could go
to China.”
After having led the country to the brink. And they feel proud.
Let it be. It is fortunate that he did it.
Greece, therefore, shall remain in the Eurozone. For now.
In the provinces, the turnabout will be welcomed. The queues
at banks will shorten, although the withdrawals will increase.
The public trust in the system has now been shaken. And it
will be shaken further when the impact of the solution will be
felt.
But what else can the people in provinces do: the misinformed, the abandoned, who follow the events in Athens and
hope that those who are govern them will be like them, and
have some philotimo.
Trump Trumps
Just as numerous companies – not least of which NBC and
Macy’s – are distancing themselves from Donald Trump because
of his divisive and crass language about Mexicans, he has surged
in national polls to the top of a crowded field of Republican presidential candidates for 2016.
We realize that the 16 months between now and Election Day
is, in politics, an eternity. We also expect that the sudden euphoria
over Trump is fleeting, and that the GOP will nominate a candidate
with more traditional political experience and less abrasive
rhetoric. Once the campaign season begins in earnest, essentially
at the beginning of next year, and events such as the primary debates begin to narrow the oversized list of contenders, a more realistic picture of who the serious candidates are will begin to materialize.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that, while Mr. Trump has
undoubtedly offended masses of Americans with his comments,
he says some things that make a lot of sense, too.
At the heart of his thoughtless words, more or less that “Mexicans are racists, but I guess there are some good ones, too” –
which no doubt offends an entire nation of people and everyone
else who is interested in respectful dialogue – is a much-needed
conversation about illegal immigration.
The poll respondents, then, who have propelled Mr. Trump,
even if temporarily, to frontrunner status, most likely do not agree
that the majority of Mexicans are rapists. What they do believe,
however, is that the issue of illegal immigration is one that politicians on both sides of the aisle long have considered a “third rail”
issue and have looked the other way time and again for opportunities to achieve meaningful immigration reform.
This newspaper has long championed legislation that would
be favorable to continued immigration. And we – as well as you,
our readers, especially those not born in the United States – know
better than most what it is like to be considered “different” at
times, and to feel like an outcast.
Therefore, we condemn the categorical denouncement of an
entire nationality. At the same time, though, we cannot ignore
Mr. Trump’s message regarding our porous borders. In a recent
speech in Phoenix, for instance, he blasted the perennial GOP
nominee favorite, Jeb Bush for being “weak” on immigration, to
the eruption of cheers and chants to “build a wall!”
To that end, we hope that all of the 2016 candidates, no matter
from which party, engage in meaningful dialogue based not on
insults but on solutions.
Solutions to the simultaneous challenges of preventing economic and security ramifications associated with illegal immigration, while avoiding the painful displacement of hardworking illegals, the dissolution of families, and the deportation of teenagers
or young adults who, brought here as children, may not even realize they are here illegally, all the while ensuring that America
continues to welcome the best and brightest aspiring immigrants
from countries all over the world.
Problems with Orthodoxy:
The Debate Continues
To the Editor:
Constantinos E. Scaros published an interesting op-ed in the June 13 edition of
The National Herald: “Problems with Orthodoxy (and Christianity…Religion).”
He refers to the recent findings of the
Pew Research Center that only 53% of people raised Orthodox stay with the church as
adults. By the way, I don’t know if Pew studied how many people join the church as converts.
In our own city of Portland, OR we have
two Greek Orthodox churches. One of them,
St. John the Baptist, is a thriving community
looking to build or move to a larger building.
About one half of its parishioners are converts. In our parish, Holy Trinity, we have
many converts, including my wife and the
spouses of my children. I don’t know how
strong the convert trend is strong throughout the country.
Mr. Scaros then proceeds to give reasons
for the decline of membership in the Orthodox Church. He cites no studies that have
researched this decline but gives his personal
opinions on the matter. He is entitled to do
that, but personal opinions based on personal experiences often say more about ourselves than the matter under consideration.
He describes his personal experiences of
going to church as a child and teenager and
his thoughts about the Divine Liturgy when
he heard it in English as a teenager. Has he
continued to practice his Orthodox faith, at
least in the way he understands it, beyond
his teen years? Does he have a personal
faith? He does not need to believe in the
Christian faith, that’s his free choice. But
please do not, Mr. Scaros, expand on a subject that shows your personal ignorance.
One could label your comments as your antagonism to the Orthodox and I would be
interested in knowing what your personal
philosophy of life is. I suppose that you have
a clearly articulated one.
Sadly, Mr. Scaros’ statements show relative ignorance of his subject matter, the Orthodox Church (he chooses to call it a denomination). His comments about the
Divine Liturgy show that he does not know
what it’s all about. Has he ever read The
Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos Ware
or looked up Eastern Orthodoxy in the Encyclopedia Britannica or any other reputable
encyclopedia?
I shall not try to teach Mr. Scaros the basics of the Orthodox faith. I hope that he’ll
be motivated to do it on his own, seeing
that he likes to participate on the subject.
Mr. Scaros, I wish you well.
John Lingas, MD
Portland, OR
Editor’s Reply
Dear Mr. Lingas:
I wish you well, too, and I am happy to
receive your letter. It provides me with an
opportunity not only to answer your specific
questions, but even more importantly to continue the dialogue on a topic important to
many of our readers. In fact, the demand for
more questions and answers about religion
and spirituality in general has inspired us to
publish a quarterly edition on those matters.
To begin, yes indeed, Greek Orthodoxy
has been a part of my adult life and continues
to this day. I was married in the Greek Orthodox Church, and my daughter was baptized there. I attend Sunday services fairly
regularly (at least once every three weeks,
sometimes more frequently), and I enthusiastically participate in my local church’s annual multiweek Bible study. I have read The
Orthodox Church and other books Bishop
Kallistos Ware has written, as well as countless others not only on Greek Orthodoxy, but
also on numerous other Christian denominations (by the way, to another of your
points, some define “denomination” as a subbranch of a type of religion – like Lutherans
as a denomination of Protestants, others de-
fine denomination as a branch of a religion
– such as Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox all being Christian denominations).
I am not quite sure where I am being ignorant of the Orthodox faith, as you suggest.
I say this because I do not recall citing canonical doctrines in my piece, which would be
subject to being correct or incorrect. Nor did
I refute the significance of the Divine Liturgy.
Instead, I said what churchgoing has meant
to me over the years, and reasons why I believe – having spoken to so many people
over the years – why more people who were
baptized in the faith do not attend.
Is that antagonistic to the church? Maybe.
And though my intention is not to be antagonistic, if it is a byproduct of my spiritual
journey, then so be it. By the way, one of the
main reasons I attend my local church frequently – Sts. Constantine and Helen in
Reading, PA – is because the priest there is
open-minded, as all priests should be, and
does not take offense to my sincere questions
and criticisms. I’ve known some other priests
who are like that as well, and it is a privilege
to know them.
There are others associated with the faith,
though – both clergy and laity – whose conduct is shameful and they ought to be criticized. I cite such examples in our Easter 2015
Special Edition, in an article titled “Violations
of Anthropia: My Bad Experiences at Easter.”
I have also attended – and continue to do
so – churches of other Christian denominations, gathering the positive qualities of each
– much like a bee gathers nectar from various
flowers – in continuing my lifelong spiritual
journey
Again, I thank you for your comments
and am happy that you took the time to write
them. I hope more of our readers do the
same and continue the dialogue.
Constantinos E. Scaros
Executive Editor
TO OUR READERS
The National Herald welcomes letters from
its readers intended for publication. They
should include the writer’s name, address,
and telephone number and be addressed
to: The Editor, The National Herald, 37-10
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letters can also be faxed to (718) 4720510 or e-mailed to [email protected]. we reserve the right to edit
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GEOrGE SArAFOGlOu / SPECiAl TO THE NATiONAl HErAlD
COMMENTARY
To See Euro’s Future, Take U.S. as an Example
By Constantinos E. Scaros
Media pundits, particularly
rightwing (aka Obama-bashing)
ones, relish in warning that
America will become “another
Greece” if we don’t curb our big
government appetites. And,
aside from their dubious motives – lambaste President
Obama at every turn – they have
a very valid point.
On the other hand, we can
also look to Greece, and more
broadly, all of the Eurozone
countries, and warn that if they
continue to believe that they can
survive under a common currency in the long run, well, they
should look at another failed
country: the United States of
America.
Oh, I don’t mean the current
United States – not the one that,
with all its imperfections, has
thrived since the ratification of
the Constitution, and remains,
as I often and proudly say: the
kindest, most decent, most
righteous (and mightiest and
wealthiest, to boot) superpower
in the history of the world.
I mean the first United
States. The one that attempted
to function with its first postRevolutionary War government,
based on the Articles of Confederation, which miserably failed.
Most of you are reading this
from the United States. Keep in
mind that the land on which
you stand right now very well
could have reverted to Great
Britain, or perhaps gone to another European power, in 1787.
Game show questions such as
“what was the United States”
would have yielded the answer:
“it was a country formed by rebellious British colonists, which
lasted from 1776 until 1787,
when it collapsed and became
part of (insert country here).”
It was only through the wisdom of the Founding Fathers –
who convened in Philadelphia
in 1787, guided by Alexander
Hamilton’s, James Madison’s,
and John Jay’s Federalist Papers
– that the U.S. Constitution was
written and ratified. A document so far ahead of its time
that Barack Obama, in his book
The Audacity of Hope, and
much to the chagrin of his atheist followers, proclaimed that it
is no wonder it is widely believed to have been Divinely inspired.
We all know what happened.
The Constitution has endured –
and is going strong after 228
years. Except for a scant few, the
overwhelming majority of Americans do not believe that they
will wake up tomorrow and a
military contingent will have arrested and jailed the president
of the United States and the
members of Congress, and imposed martial law on the nation.
As for those scant few who do
believe in that possibility, and are
currently amassing a small arsenal of firepower – and think that
they and their 15 or so gun-
shootin’ buddies can topple the
U.S. military if a confrontation
indeed were to go down – they
should be more worried about
the guy from the looney bin
holding a butterfly net ready to
catch them with it and put them
in a rubber room. But, I digress…
The point is, our nation’s first
form of government failed miserably because the “United
States” were anything but
united. They were an unlikely
assortment of 13 very diverse
colonies who wanted nothing to
do with one another except joining in the common cause of declaring their independence from
Britain. Once that was over and
done with, they were perfectly
happy being their own “citystate,” just like Athens and
Sparta in ancient times.
Then, reality set in. They realized that as 13 mini-nations,
they would be gobbled up by a
larger entity in no time. And so
they attempted to come together as one, even as they had
no bona fide central government (it was one on paper, not
in practice). The Founders, thus,
realized that the only way to
survive and thrive as a nation
was to join together, truly, under
a common, strong central government.
Nowadays, the “European
Union” is just as disunited. If
Virginia had no interest in what
New Jersey’s needs were, or
Massachusetts vis-à-vis North
Carolina, then how does anyone
expect that Germany would
make sacrifices for the good of
Greece? At least the states were
already part of the same nation;
the Eurozone, by comparison, is
an assembly of vastly divergent
nations whose differences far
outweigh their similarities.
UNITE OR DIVIDE
Again, European “Union” is
a misnomer. There is very little
unity among the Eurogroup.
The only logical solution, then,
is to dismantle the euro, and
then each country can go back
to its own currency. Like it or
not, that’s what’s going to happen, sooner or later.
Or, if Europe really wants to
be united, then its nations must
become states, and operate under one central government.
That’s right: a president of Europe, with members of Congress
proportionately chosen among
the states (Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, etc.) – just like it’s done
here in the good ol’ USA.
That also means those
“states” with larger populations,
such as England and Germany,
will get a larger vote. Greece
would suffer from “Rhode Island syndrome.”
Those really are the two logical solutions. Either dissolve the
European Union, or bring it all
together as one big nation. But
let’s stop pretending that this
“euro thing” is going to withstand the wrath of hopelessly
incompatible nations within its
ranks.
Overlooked: The Hardworking, Taxpaying Greeks
Continued from page 1
good amount of money, which
they have deposited in the
Greek banks.
Many of them rush to the
ATM machines on a daily basis,
seeking to withdraw their 50euro daily maximum allowance.
Not because they have no
money to live on otherwise – after all, many are business owners who continue to earn a good
living daily, despite the crisis.
Instead, they fear that their nest
egg will disappear if the Greek
banks collapse.
“Greece is not just about the
pensioners,” one resident of
Rhodes told me, “it’s about
those of us who are working
now!”
Others, on Chios and in
Athens, told me that no matter
what happens in the short run
– even if the banks reopen with
seemingly no aftereffects – plan
to withdraw their savings and
move them to foreign banks. “If
I had an account in America,”
one person said, “then I could
withdraw as much money as I
want to every day, with no restrictions.” And if the banks run
out of money, their relatives in
the States can always keep an
eye on their money, and make
sure they have access to it.
“I can’t believe Americans
think we’re lazy and don’t
work,” a recent college graduate
in Athens told me. “I graduated
two years ago and I still can’t
find a job. Many people of my
generation are looking to go
abroad – the U.S., Australia – to
find a job.”
It is important to note that
the Greek crisis cannot be solely
blamed on the Greek way of life:
retiring before 60, taking afternoon siestas, and having a
month off at Christmastime,
with full pay. After all, Greeks
had been living that way for
decades upon decades, and the
country was not in danger of
collapse.
Granted, many took out
loans when it was trendy to do
so (“I have to borrow money
and do something with it –
everybody’s doing it”) and did
not utilize their newfound capital wisely. Certainly, that’s part
of the problem.
Another concern is politics. I
have encountered many Tsipras
fanatics who think he is the
greatest thing to happen to
Greece in generations. Others,
equally fanatical, portray him as
an amateur whose inexperience
is bringing the country to ruin.
The vast divisiveness in how the
people view their leader is not
at all unlike how Americans
would answer the question:
“How do you think President
Obama is doing?”
But one Greek told me:
“Look, I don’t care about politics. It doesn’t matter why this
happened, what Tsipras says,
what the opposition says, and
what the lenders say. All that
matters is the bottom line: “I
worked hard for a number of
years, saved a good bit of money
that is now sitting in my bank
account, and I don’t want to lose
it.”
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
Europe at the Crossroads
After Grexit is Avoided
miliation that is
The Europeans
meted
out
to
looked down from
Greece.
the edge of the
The European
precipice and deCentral Bank and
cided not to jump.
the European ComGreece will remain
mission (mostly unin the Eurozone,
der German presunless the Greek
sure) declined to
Parliament has a
consider restructurmeltdown.
The
ing the unsustainGreek debt crisis
able Greek burden.
and the response of
The IMF, however,
the Eurozone is a
by DR. ANDRE
will only participate
perfect example of
GEROLYMATOS
in a future loan if
politics trumping
there is a reduction
economics. TwentySpecial to
The National Herald
of the Greek debt.
two years ago the
The German GovEuropean Community transformed into the Euro- ernment refuses, partly out of hispean Union and the Eurozone. torical amnesia, and partly beAfter centuries of conflict, the Eu- cause it fears a backlash from its
ropeans established a European voters. A Greek default, however,
entity in 1993, that many be- means that no loans will ever be
lieved, would herald a future fed- paid.
Perhaps, the current EU goveral European state.
The critical flaw of this vision ernments are loath to bail out
was that they produced a cur- Syriza, the radical left-wing
rency without a central bank con- Greek government, for fear that
trolled by a supranational min- such a move may encourage the
istry of finance. The result was election of similar radical regimes
sustained growth for some EU in Europe. Certainly, the Tsipras
states and debt for others. One Government played to these fears
of the terms of the Maastricht and quickly lost the trust of its
Treaty, which spawned the Euro- negotiating counterparts. Indeed,
zone, was to limit national debt they went out of their way to anto 60% of GDP and annual tagonize the EU finance ministers
deficits to no greater than 3% of – whether out of inexperience or
GDP. Another obligation was to a deliberate negotiating tactic rekeep inflation to 1.5% points mains an open question.
The referendum whatever
higher than the average of the
three best performing EU states. support it provided for Syriza,
These conditions were certainly was no to austerity and not to
ambitious, but – as underscored Europe. Unfortunately, it created
by the current crisis – unrealistic. a deep chasm between Greece
Few Eurozone countries could and many of its European partachieve, let alone sustain, these ners. The chasm, however,
requirements so they resorted to shifted from Greece and the Eu“cooking the books.” Essentially rozone governments to one bethese states sold their debt to tween Germany and France. As
third party investors. Greece, Por- the negotiations dragged on, Antugal, Spain, Italy, and Ireland gel Merkel stubbornly clung to a
masked their debts to keep the hardline position fixated on the
illusion of solvency until the 2008 notion of trust.
The Germans continued to
economic crisis eventually exposed their economic juggling. pound Tsipras and making ex-
Greece was the first to collapse
in 2009, and the first failure of
the Eurozone experiment. Five
years of remorseless austerity has
done little for the Greek economy. The only growth has been
the debt. Since 2010, the IMF,
European governments and the
European Central Bank have lent
€252 billion (now 343) to
Greece. Over the same period,
€232.9 billion has been spent on
debt payments, stabilizing banks
and giving “sweeteners” to speculators in order to get them to
accept the 2012 debt restructuring. In effect, less than 10% of
the money went to the Greek
economy. As a result, the Greek
debt has grown from 133% of
GDP in 2010 to 174% today. The
IMF reported Thursday that
Greece needs an infusion of 50
billion euros over the next three
years to stabilize the economy.
Debt restructuring is not new
in European history. In 1953, the
former Second World War allies,
including Greece, at the London
Conference wrote off 50% of
West Germany’s debt of 30 billion
US dollars from the First and Second World Wars. More generously, the allies allowed the Germans to make payments for the
remaining debt over a thirty-year
period out of trade surpluses. In
effect, West Germany made its
payments using revenue it actually earned, rather than being
forced to resort to new borrowing, as is the case of Greece.
At the time of the London
Conference the German debt was
25% of GDP, in contrast to that
of Greece that is now at 174% of
GDP, while Italy, Spain, Portugal
and Ireland are well over 100%
of GDP. Today, Greeks wonder
why the Europeans cannot extend similar equitable treatment
towards Greece. Certainly the
1953 treaty German tough talk
exposes hypocrisy. The allied
treatment of Germany was not
applied with the degree of hu-
treme demands that in a single
weekend, they lost considerable
political capital. Merkel has come
out of the Brussels negotiations
mean spirited and outright nasty.
Tsipras, on the other hand, held
his ground and earned the respect of many European leaders.
He may have begun as a cocky
radical left activist but has transformed into a center-left politician.
Albeit, Tsipras, from the beginning of assuming power, miscalculated and it quickly became
apparent that Greek negotiating
team was woefully inexperienced
and out of their depth. Varoufakis, in particular, may have
scored points with members of
the radical left, yet proved a disaster for Greece. Grandstanding
and arrogant he cost Greece considerable good will in Europe.
Undoubtedly, the former Finance
minister will go on the lecture
circuit, but he should be made to
hand over all his fees to the
Greek treasury. The fear of the
Europeans to hand Syriza a significant victory evaporated because the Syriza that will remerge in the coming weeks is not
the same party of extreme radicals.
At first, the choice came down
to whether Berlin and Brussels
could have afforded to have a
shattered country on Europe’s
southern flank? Ultimately, it was
whether the Eurozone should remain an indestructible union, or
one that will cast off recalcitrant
members and thus forfeit the
unity of Europe. In the battle for
Europe France has emerge considerably stronger, while Germany proved once again that it
is too harsh a taskmaster to lead
Europe.
Dr. André Gerolymatos is Professor and Director of the Stavros
Niarchos Foundation Centre for
Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser
University in Vancouver.
VIEWPOINTS
11
Should Greece Stay in the Euro for Utility’s Sake?
With the Greek crisis reaching its climax after six long, bitter years of failed fiscal policies
being forcefed down the country's throat – as openly admitted
by the IMF – Greek citizens must
ask themselves if the narrow
confines of the utilitarian wasteland that is the Eurozone conform to their needs. Despite its
record debt and years of wasted
investment opportunities, the
greatest shortfall that Greece
managed to make manifest in
the European Union is the
deficit in democracy. This deficit
far outshines Greece's economic
woes and threatens to bankrupt
the entire European undertaking.
Regardless of whether the
Greek Government had a fully
formulated plan during the past
half year of negotiations, the utter decimation of the Greek
economy imposed by memorandum policies over the past six
years and this month's decision
to suffocate Greek banks (essentially choking the life out of citizens and businesses) speaks
volumes of today's Europe and
its priorities. Worse yet, tiny
Greece, which represents a paltry 2 percent of the EU's GDP is
faced with the full onslaught of
Europe's “institutions,” which
are desparately seeking to avert
similar developments in Italy
and Spain – the next two member states about to head down
the slippery slope of the Eurexit.
The IMF, in no uncertain terms,
spelled this out for the Italian
Government, whose debt to
GDP ratio is about to pass 100
percent.
Meanwhile,
like
Greece, Spain's unemployment
figures surpass 20 percent.
Whatever the outcome of the
currency crisis in Greece, if but
only for a few hours, the citizens
of Hellas were able to rediscover
a bit of their lost dignity and
sovereignty by resoundingly voting “No” to more austerity measures. Of course, the victory was
only a moral one, inasmuch as
the proposal posed in the referendum was no longer on the
table at the time of the vote. In
today's EU, which is democratically bankrupt, referendums are
not taken all that seriously anyway. In all likelihood, if Greece
does stay in the Eurozone, it will
be forced to pass an even
harsher memorandum than the
previous ones, sure to include
sadistic austerity measures.
erated no results; 2)
And theirin lies
the disrespect with
the essence of the
which the Greek
problem. Greece is
government was
risking
slow,
treated by Europainful death to repean leaders was
main in a currency
interpreted by the
that does not suit
people of Greece as
its needs, and to
a show of disrespect
remain in a curto them as well; 3)
rency union whose
the Europeans still
partners resort to
haven't figured out
the lowest form of
by Christopher
that they have
blackmail to enTRIPOULAS
brought the Greek
sure their interests,
Special to
people to the end of
while offering no
The National Herald
their rope. The latclearcut hope for
ter now feel that
the future. Nobel
laureate Paul Krugman touched they have nothing to lose. Sumthe essence of the matter in an ming it up, Friedman notes that
article published a few days be- the Greeks were asked to choose
fore the referendum which between two forms of destrucquestioned
what
future tion. An immediate one, which,
prospects were Greece's Euro- nonetheless, offers an opportupean partners promising in ex- nity for rebuilding, or a
change for all the painful aus- longterm destruction leading to
terity
policies
they
are suffocation with no escape – the
demanding? Setting aside the latter being the European prodegradation from the loss of posal.
Once upon a time, Hellenism
sovereignty, forced economic
migration, planned impoverish- symbolized the complete oppoment of entire generations, and site of utilitarianism. The Anthe insults accompanying injury, cient Greek city-state operated
which are being ever hurled by in such a way as to ensure its
Greece's hypocritical puritanical citizens' search for truth, which
European “partners,” even the was manifested in the direct
absolutely utlitarian promise of participation of the city admin“economic prosperity” or the he- istration. Metaphysics trumped
donistic promise of “increased utility. Similarly, the Greeks of
pleasure, less pain” is nowhere the Middle Ages, as citizens of
to be found in Europe's pro- the Roman Empire, preferred to
subject themselves to the
posal.
In reviewing the reasons that tyrrany of the Ottoman Empire
led 62 percent of Greek voters and maintain their Orthodox
to cast a “No” vote in the refer- faith rather than take the less
endum, Stratfor's George Fried- painful road and unite with the
man notes the following: 1) West, thus losing their spiritual
public opinion could not com- bearings. For centuries – even
prehend and justify the demand during the dark ages of Ottoman
for more measures after six rule – Greece's greatest export
years of cuts and taxes that gen- was its culture. Defeated mili-
tarily and impoverished, Greeks
somehow managed to retain a
nobility and cosmopolitaness
arising from their capacity as citizens of the Roman Empire or
descendants of city-states that
brought civilization to the
world. In 1940, a glimmer of
this pride and nobility appeared
once again, as the tiny Greek
army shocked the world by defeating Mussolini's forces and
delaying Hitler's plans for European domination.
Back against the wall or not,
Greeks always had a say about
their vision for Europe. Greece
was never a wealthy country,
but it boasted many spiritual
treasures and a timeless heroism
that captivated the world. It
generated proposals with a universal appeal that served as the
basis for civilization. This was
Greece's historic mode of existence, thanks to which it survived the many challenges that
it faced throughout its tumultuous history.
Six years into the memorandum, implementing plans and
proposals designed by others
who seek goals and serve interests radically different than
those of the Greeks, every Hellene on the home front and
abroad needs to weigh the price
of utilitarianism. Is it worth
abandoning our historic lifeline
and assenting to our suffocation
for a currency that doesn't even
suit our needs, just so that we
could say that we belong to
some ritzy club in the Occident?
The answer will likely affect the
future of Greece for decades to
come.
Follow
me
@CTripoulas
on
Twitter
LETTER FROM ATHENS
Saved Greece in Ruins: Tsipras, SYRIZA, Survey Damage
“You want fries with that
crow, Mr. Tsipras?”
In the end, Greek Prime Minister Alexis “U-Turn” Tsipras did
the right thing, the responsible
thing – the only thing – he could
have done to keep Greece from
dissolving off the map and to
stave off an economic and bank
collapse and riots in the streets.
In the end – and that was the
problem.
If he had dealt with the hated,
heartless troika of the European
Union-International Monetary
Fund-European Central Bank
(EU-IMF-ECB) immediately after
winning the Jan. 25 snap elections instead of going on an ego
trip and dragging out the talks
for six months, it would have
brought a far less costlier deal
for him and his merry band of
SYRIZA Communists, anarchists,
Trotskyites, Stanlists, Maoists,
Che Guevera idolators, Castroites, Chavezites, and lovers of
failed Soviet-style Republics who
wanted to turn Greece into
Venezuela, bread lines and all.
He knew he could never reverse austerity imposed by previous Premiers George “The
Money is There” Papandreou
who was the then-leader of the
now irrelevant PASOK Anti-Socialists, and Antonis “Mr. Bean
Counter” Samaras, who paid the
price, forced to step down as
leader of the New Democracy
Capitalists.
So repeat after me ……..
They’re …… all …….. the ……
.. same. Tsipras said he would
never negotiate with the troika,
would reverse austerity, stop privatizations, wouldn’t call a referendum, wouldn’t close the
banks, wouldn’t impose capital
billion
euros
controls,
and
($262.79 billion)
wouldn’t ask for a
and would never
third bailout – all of
be able to repay it.
which he did.
He’s still asking for
And instead of
debt relief on that
negotiating in good
so why did he ask
faith for a deal he
for more debt
knew was coming,
since he and the
he dragged his
SYRIZANs believe
heels, held a 60-mildebt is the slave
lion euro SYRIZA
tool of the capitalcircle jerk referenists,
bankers,
dum to save face –
by ANDY
Americans,
Jews,
promptly reneging
DABILIS
Zionists and the
on it – and made
anti-leftist conspirpensioners
and
Special to
ators?
tourists stand in
The National Herald
The price of
ATM lines in the
procrastination is always double
heat for hours.
While politicans and the rich or more and people almost alused their foreign bank cards ways put off doing what’s diffithat were exempt from capital cult in life only to find that the
controls to take out what they inevitable always comes. Tsipras
want, suckers using Greek banks did too, but he put the hurt on
were allowed a skimpy 50-60 millions of people to assuage his
euros, up to $67. Try paying ego.
Do not ask for whom the
your bills, buying food and livcuckoo clock tolls, Mr. Tsipras,
ing on that.
Tsipras found out that, as it tolled for thee. This is how
Johnny Cash informed us, “You delusional these people are: forcan run on for a long time, but mer finance minister Yanis “Dr.
sooner or later, God (the Troika) Strangelove” Varoufakis – who
was forced to quit just ahead of
is gonna cut you down.”
He also learned that when the July 11 vote in which the
you do business with the mob Parliament surrendered to the
you turn over the keys to the Troika – supported the same
store and country and pay the measures he said he would
never sign.
vigarish forever.
Varoufakis said he would
The delay caused by the referendum in which SYRIZA rather “cut my arm off,” than
acolytes and the clueless backed sign the deal he now accepts –
his phony resistance to austerity, at the same time he’s criticizing
also meant that the cost of a it. Tsipras tried that dance too,
third bailout – which would saying "We managed to avoid
have been around 50 billion eu- the most extreme measures.”
Like what? He agreed to alros – became as much as 86 billion euros, about $94.16 billion. most everything he opposed and
He said Greece couldn’t af- got the bones of the hope of
ford the first two bailouts of 240 debt relief being talked about –
after reforms are implemented
– and that an oversight board
controlling privatization receipts
will be in Athens – under Troika
supervision. He didn’t even get
a Pyrrhic victory.
After the 19 Eurozone leaders reached a tentative deal to
keep Greece from financial collapse on July 13, Irish Finance
Michael Noonan said Greece
could have been in a much better situation had it clinched a
deal much earlier — like in February, when it faced a first
bailout deadline and asked for
a four-month extension.
He said: "It would have been
much easier to settle this last
February, and it would have
been much easier to settle this
a fortnight ago," when Greece
shocked its Eurozone allies by
calling a referendum and seeking to reject their latest proposals.
"From an economic, financial
and social point of view it was
an absolute disaster, because we
all know in democracies that political success and economic success go hand in hand,” he said
– except in Greece, which created democracy.
The third bailout – there’ll be
another – sealed the fate of 21st
Century Greece for decades because the debt is, of course, unsustainable even if everyone
pretends it isn’t, and can never
be paid back.
But at some point, when that
happens, whomever is Prime
Minister can just call for another
referendum and ignore it after
finding out that Greece will
need a fourth bailout.
[email protected]
VIEWPOINTS
12
THE NATIONAL HERALD, JULY 18-24, 2015
ECONOMY & POLITICS
The Greek Drama, Now That the Chaos Has (Apparently) Subsided
The Greek drama has finally
come to an end – or hasn’t it? –
and soon enough the retrospective accounting of the situation
is going to commence.
Having been in Greece since
the referendum took place, I
was surprised to see how calm,
serene, and peaceful the atmosphere was in Athens. Of course,
this was a direct result of retail
and commercial activity having
collapsed, but still, there were
no anarchists taking advantage
of the situation, something they
would have certainly done under more normal conditions. I
would like to offer a few
thoughts beyond what easily
meets the eye, i.e., beyond the
recessionary impact of each new
tax measure.
1)
The country desperately needs a conservative party
that is able to convince
and, more importantly, to inspire. Former Prime Minister
Antonis Samaras ran an election
campaign that was all about
fearmongering. He never made
the case to the public that the
measures he needed to implement were necessary for young
generations, for the elderly’s
grandchildren, to enjoy a life
full of promise. No generation
would throw its descendants under the bus if provided with the
choice.
2)
New Democracy and
Mr. Samaras’ aspiring successors
had better not start
Monday morning quarterbacking, blaming SYRIZA and
Prime Minister Tsipras for the
nation’s current predicament.
The fact is that they should have
passed the Troika’s evaluation
at the end of 2014. They were
the country’s government for all
of 2014 and for another yearand-a-half prior to that. The failure to execute the Troika’s program successfully rests squarely
on New Democracy’s shoulders.
In particular, Mr. Samaras
should not have halted or even
retracted reforms after losing
the European Parliament elections in May 2014. And he certainly should not have placed
his successor in a bind by accepting a 2-month program extension as opposed to a 6-month
extension! Had he decided to
look after his long-term legacy
as opposed to his near-term political future, Mr. Samaras
would have been hailed as a
true reformer. Instead, he is now
viewed as a political opportunist, who refused to resign
from his seat even after decisively losing the general election
and whose endorsement of the
“Yes” vote in the referendum
only served to push people toward the “No” vote.
3)
I am actually not too
worried about the deceleration
of the economy during
the first half of this year. The
political uncertainly was an exogenous factor, only a temporary suppression of economic
activity that can be quickly recovered. In fact, Mr. Tsipras is
now the undisputed king of
Greek politics: he is able to pass
tough reforms without any opposition, to rid himself of intraparty dissidents (he needed
them to get elected but not anymore), and to confront long-entrenched business and media
elites. The way he countered the
leader’s late-night
truly bizarre and
speech in parliadisproportionate
ment a few days
German demands
ago, one which did
is going to absolve
not garner much
him of any backcoverage the foltracking on camday,
lowing
paign promises.
sounded surpris4)
Grexit is
ingly reasonable by
very much on the
avoiding bombastic
table. It does not
personal accusamatter that Grexit
tions and instead
was not
focusing on the
accepted as an
by STEFANOS
terms of a potential
option in the evenKASSELAKIS
deal, ending with a
tual deal; the mere
Special to
call
to
return
fact that it was preThe National Herald
Greece to Greeks,
sented as a viable
even if that meant
option and even as
the official position of several eating stones. I think it is more
governments means it will al- likely that SYRIZA’s far-left
ways be lurking to return. splinters off and rebases around
Whether it returns depends on a pro-drachma platform, gainonly one thing: execution, exe- ing more traction than Golden
cution, execution. Mr. Tsipras Dawn. A shift from one end of
needs to execute the agreed the spectrum to the other might
measures as swiftly and as ef- decide how big this voluntary
fectively as possible. Only then Grexit fraction can become in a
can he counter the recessionary new parliament.
6)
People elect the leadmeasures with growth stimuli.
5)
In fact, Greece de- ers they deserve. This truism
pends much more broadly on might as well be a
Mathematical axiom. How
Mr. Tsipras than one might
realize at this point. While a this translates tangibly is not so
large percentage of the public much in the political views of a
has now seen up close what the population but in its culture. It
Grexit option might mean for its pains me to say this, but Greeks
fortunes, the societal fiber of the proved themselves unprepared
population has been so severely to act as Europeans. This is a
damaged over the past six years population susceptible to pop(and this includes 2014, even ulism as a result of decades of
though the country was not de- largesse. I actually blame the
faulting on any one bond) that educated elites for this. They
the pro-drachma platform is set had years and years to create a
to gain followers. Golden Dawn, business-friendly environment.
the nationalist party of the far They had an unprecedented opright, has been relatively quiet portunity to restructure the
in recent months and is now set country after entering the Euro
to become more vocal. Its and enjoying lower borrowing
rates. Instead, as the Wall Street
Journal reported a few days
ago, truth-tellers and reformers
like Ministers Yiannitsis and Papadopoulos were ousted from
government. No leader asked of
the public the necessary sacrifices I spoke to under my first
point. Instead, the country almost failed to carry out its 2004
Olympic Games and almost
failed to stay in the Euro, the
latter by idolizing an egocentric
lecturer – Mr. Varoufakis – who
failed his country and his own
boss. So thank the Lord for some
of the reforms this new deal is
finally mandating because they
might be the only way to make
Greece a modern nation and,
along with that, slowly change
a nation’s mentality from the
top-down.
7)
This memory will last.
No matter what Greece’s faults
may be, the overall
stance held by Germany and
some of its friends will not be
forgotten. Albeit at a hefty price,
Greece succeeded at exposing
the intrinsic design errors of the
European Monetary Union. In
the process, Greeks rekindled
their deep, long-standing bonds
with those nations they are culturally closest to, namely France
and Italy. Who could have
thought François Hollande
could turn into Europe’s figurehead? Greece owes a lot to
those two nations, and this will
not be forgotten. Greeks were
also reminded of one of their
staunchest allies, despite all the
widespread conspiracy theories
that have polluted society, and
that ally is none other than the
United States of America.
8)
Speaking of “allies”,
Mr. Schaeuble, Germany’s Finance Minister, should be
Ashamed of himself. He may
have more power than Ms.
Merkel herself – he was after all
Helmut Kohl’s successor and a
nationally admired figure after
the assassination attempt he
survived – but he should not
have treated others with indignation and arrogance (including
Mr. Draghi, the European Central Bank President). Mr.
Schaeuble joked to his American
counterpart that he would swap
Greece for Puerto Rico (and, not
surprisingly, the joke fell flat).
Mr. Schaeuble should not have
joked about the livelihood of a
whole population, as if it were
a sub-human group of people.
That said, wouldn’t that be the
dream: a dollarized Greek economy supported by the Fed!
I am actually quite optimistic
about Greece’s future, despite
the rough road ahead and the
political uncertainty that may
emerge, one that hopefully Mr.
Trsipras will quash. The reforms
about to be implemented are, in
the end of the day, absolutely
necessary if Greece is to turn a
page (or a chapter). Now what
we need is a population that is
tangibly engaged in that future:
doers, risk-takers, and not just
casual economists.
Numerous times over the
past ten days, while getting a
coffee before returning to my
business affairs, I have overheard people at the cafes
lamenting, “We don’t produce
anything!” And I wonder – doesn’t anyone see the irony in that?
Lessons in Assertiveness and Sales From a Cretan Father
By Lynn (Paitakes)
Lotkowitcz
If you’re lucky enough to experience great success in your
career, you wonder what the
conditions and influences are
that impacted your path.
It wasn’t until many years into
my career that I realized my dad,
from age 7 through my early 20s,
was responsible for all that I
would accomplish in the world
of business and much of life.
My father was born in Crete
and came to the United States
when he was 7. His goal was to
be his own boss and, like many
immigrants of that generation,
to “have a better life and take
advantage of all America had to
offer” – and he succeeded.
He hopped off the boat at Ellis Island, went to school, and
worked in restaurants from his
teenage years. He eventually
owned and operated the Spinning Wheel Diner and Cocktail
Lounge in New Brunswick, NJ.
In the 1950s, roles were
clearly defined, and my dad
worked 70+ hours a week, while
mother cooked, cleaned, and
managed the home and four children, ranging from 1-16 years of
age.
When my dad was home, he
was eating, sleeping or snoozing
in a recliner watching sports. He
seemed always to function in a
state of exhaustion but tried not
to show it. He managed a staff
of 40 in a business that operated
24 hours. (In those days, in the
industrial Northeast shift work
meant people ate all hours of the
day or night, so if you ran a
restaurant it behooved you to
stay open 24/7).
The few hours he was awake
at home, he would talk endlessly
to my mom about what was going on at the business, constantly
interrupted by waiters, cooks,
vendors calling our house (no
texting/ emailing or cell phones,
then) with a variety of issues
only he could resolve.
The pelati (customer) wants
to see a clean, professional serving and operation, if he’s having
meal or if he is taking his family
to Sunday dinner, a lesson in itself indicating that your appearance makes a statement about
you and your character.
Most days my dad would
come home to eat no matter how
late. My mother was an excellent
cook and made elaborate meals
every day – roasts, grilled dishes,
baked treats – all with Greek flair
and all amazing.
Pop would sit down and review the day at the Spinning
Wheel Diner, no matter how late.
A lesson I learned (service
rules for the customer): Sunday
were my favorite day. My mom
and I would go to a quick church
service, Then to Sunday lunch at
the Spinning Wheel Diner, where
Pop, crisply dressed and
sparkling with pride, would seat
us at the family table. After a pat
on my head, he’d run back to
seat his usual Sunday families.
Anyone with a small child
was handed a jumbo Mars candy
bar (“a little something for little
Bobbie”).Little Bobbie grinned
from ear to ear, thus confirming
he’d be well behaved through the
meal, anticipating the Mars bar.
Bobbie’s parents were happy,
would be back next Sunday, and
Pop had a happy repeat customer
at the cost of a 25-cent candy
bar. Lesson: Every staff member’s
position is important and contributes significantly.
If it were slow day midweek,
Pop never sat down. If the dishwasher was full and clean, he’d
empty it. If the expensive terrazzo
floors had crumbs or dirt, he’d
start sweeping, wipe the counters,
fill the sugar bowls, shine the napkin holders – nothing was too menial for him. When I asked him,
as president of this enterprise,
dressed in white shirt and gray
blazer embroidered with his
name on it, why was he doing
these menial tasks that were the
responsibility of others, Pop
would retort angrily,
1) You never sit idle at work,
2) The better the place looks, the
better impression you make 3)
I’m making a point that every job
is important and we are all in
the success of the business together. Respect your employees’
efforts and don’t ask them to do
anything you wouldn’t do.
After a family finished their
meal, he’d always go up to them
and ask is everything was good.
If they didn’t order dessert, he
might send over a piece of complimentary freshly-baked apple
pie. “Jimmy [the house baker],”
he’d say, “just took this out of the
oven. I thought you might enjoy
a taste.”
Around 9 years of age, I realized many of my pals were getting a weekly allowance for various trinkets, candy, Cokes, to
have their own money for what-
ever. I was used to just asking
for things on an “as-needed” basis with not much resistance.
But, peer pressure rules, so I
approached my mom with the
idea. She didn’t think it necessary but gave me the ok to ask
Pop.
So, I practiced in front of the
mirror a few times, worked up
the nerve to ask for 50 cents per
week (remember it was 1960).
My best bud, Frank, was getting 25 cents.
With nothing to lose, I approached him one evening while
he was emptying his pockets in
the bedroom, a nightly ritual
with loads of coins, a wad of dollars and various other trinkets.
”What are you going to do with
the money?” he asked in his intimidating tone. ”I’d like a mirror
for my bike. Or, buy a Coke without having to ask for money...you
know what I mean, Daddy?”
I said, trembling inside but
trying to convey great confidence.
Smiling, he handed me $3
and said: “What the heck can
you buy with 50 cents! Here, $3
will be your allowance every
Wednesday.” Wow, I think, that
went really well (sales training
has begun unbeknownst to me
at the time.)
On the few days he had off,
my dad enjoyed a day at the
horse races. One day, prior to
leaving the house, he asked me
to give him two numbers. My favorite number was three, so I
told him three and three. I forgot
about it and went about my 9year-old life playing with my best
friend the Atlantic to better his
PRESS CLIPPING
Krugman: U.S. May Indeed Become “Another Greece”
Continued from page 1
refuse to learn from their mistakes. The people now saying
that Greece offers an object lesson in the dangers of government debt, and that America is
headed down the same road,
are the same people who predicted soaring interest rates and
runaway inflation in 2010; then,
when it didn’t happen, they predicted soaring rates and runaway inflation in 2011; then,
well, you get the picture.
The second is that the story
you’ve heard about Greece —
that it borrowed too much, and
its excessive debt led to the current crisis — is seriously incomplete. Greece did indeed run up
too much debt (with a lot of
help
from
irresponsible
lenders). But its debt, while
high, wasn’t that high by historical standards. What turned
Greek debt troubles into catastrophe was Greece’s inability,
thanks to the euro, to do what
countries with large debts usually do: impose fiscal austerity,
yes, but offset it with easy
money.
Consider Greece’s situation
at the end of 2009, when its
debt crisis burst into the open.
At that point Greek government
debt was near 130 percent of
gross domestic product, which
is definitely a big number. But
it’s by no means unprecedented.
As it happens, Greece’s debt ratio in 2009 was about the same
as America’s in 1946, just after
the war. And Britain’s debt ratio
in 1946 was twice as high.
Today, however, Greek debt
is over 170 percent of G.D.P. and
still rising. Is that because
Greece just kept on borrowing?
Actually, no — Greek debt is up
only 6 percent since 2009, although that’s partly because it
received some debt relief in
2012. The main point, however,
is that the ratio of debt to G.D.P.
is up because G.D.P. is down by
more than 20 percent. And why
is GDP down? Largely because
of the austerity measures
Greece’s creditors forced it to
impose.
Does this mean that austerity
is always self-defeating? No,
there are cases — for example,
Canada in the 1990s — of countries that slashed their debt
while maintaining growth and
reducing unemployment. But if
you look at how they managed
this, it involved combining fiscal
austerity with easy money:
Canada in the ’90s drastically
reduced interest rates, encouraging private spending, while
allowing its currency to depreciate, encouraging exports.
Greece, unfortunately, no
longer had its own currency
when it was forced into drastic
fiscal retrenchment. The result
was an economic implosion that
ended up making the debt problem even worse. Greece’s formula for disaster, in other
words, didn’t just involve austerity; it involved the toxic combination of austerity with hard
money.
So who wants to impose that
kind of toxic policy mix on
America? The answer is, most
of the Republican Party.
On one side, just about
everyone in the GOP demands
that we reduce government
spending, especially aid to
lower-income families. (They
also, of course, want to reduce
taxes on the rich — but that
wouldn’t do much to boost demand for U.S. products.)
On the other side, leading
Republicans like Representative
Paul Ryan incessantly attack the
Federal Reserve for its efforts to
boost the economy, delivering
solemn lectures on the evils of
“debasing” the dollar — when
the main difference between the
effects of austerity in Canada
and in Greece was precisely that
Canada could “debase” its currency, while Greece couldn’t.
Oh, and many Republicans hanker for a return to the gold standard, which would effectively
put us into a euro-like straitjacket.
The point is that if you really
worry that the U.S. might turn
into Greece, you should focus
your concern on America’s right.
Because if the right gets its way
on economic policy — slashing
spending while blocking any offsetting monetary easing — it
will, in effect, bring the policies
behind the Greek disaster to
America.
The Spinning Wheel Diner and Cocktail Lounge in New
Brunswick, NJ – which James Paitakes owned and operated,
and where his daughter Lynn learned many valuable life lessons
based on how well he treated his customers and employees.
life at age 7, worked his way up
through the ranks of diners and
restaurants to own and run a
very successful business that
grew under his astute management to 40 employees, father of
four who took care of a big family that included children, inlaws and his own parents.
His vote of approval and confirmation of me being “lucky”
was a basis for self-confidence
that was further enhanced later
that night when he mentioned
very casually that many good
things had happened in his life
after I was born. The restaurant
had taken off, he was able to
take my mom on some great vacations and was a well-respected
entrepreneur of the community.
Of course many of these events
were simply coincidence and
timing. But no matter, he said I
was lucky....it must be true. Since
my dad wasn’t a big talker. The
things he said to us kids had
great impact and stuck with you.
My self-confidence soared.
Seven or eight years later, he
sold the business. I was finishing
up the local community college
and got offered an entry-level
position in NY media. My mother
was very nervous to let a naive
19-year-old take the train into
Manhattan every day and encouraged me to seek something
closer to home in very boring NJ.
Pop was thrilled for me and the
experiences I could have in NY
and said: “Go for it.” Thanks to
his support, I took the job, and it
was, as promised, an amazing
experience in the entertainment
industry dining in 5-star restaurants, meeting celebrities and
having the time of my life.
I married, moved to Florida
with my husband, had a son, and
reset my career towards media
sales. To be successful in sales
requires tenacity, perseverance
and tremendous self-confidence.
I learned all those things listening to Pop. It’s worked out beau-
tifully for me.
I credit Pop for all the success
I’ve had these last 25+ years. Listening to his business stories
were the seeds of management
lessons, dealing with people and
setting an example of how to
work both hard and smart. His
generosity and ability to share
his success were a joy to be
around and though he’s been
gone for many years, I think
about him every day.
Some lessons in business and
life really are never out of date.
How you treat your colleagues,
customers and employees will always dictate how successful you
are.
Even more important, what
your children hear from you and
how you treat them will dictate
who they become.
My son and his beautiful wife
and son live in Manhattan. I visit
often and walk my little grandson along the Hudson. They have
successful careers and are able
to enjoy all that life has to offer.
How proud Pop would be to
know all his dreams have come
true, as he must have envisioned
them on the boat to Ellis Island.
I am nearing retirement and
have investigated some nonprofits with which I’d like to become
involved. One I’m particularly interested in is Global Volunteers,
working in Crete with children
who want to learn English.
I participated in their program in 2013 and will try another trip in 2015. It seems like
a great way to give back and
make a positive impression in a
child’s life.
Maybe give them a little extra
self-confidence, the way my Dad
did.
Lynn Lotkowictz is Director of
Advertising at Florida Trend
magazine. She shared this
article with us for publication,
which first appeared in the July
issue of Estiator.