TORRANCE, CA – The Hellenic American Medical & Dental Society of Southern California (HAMDS) holds its 2018 Scholarship award dinner on November 10 at the Redondo Beach Marriott, where it will honor Chris Thanos, DDS, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Thanos is a Pediatric dentist in Torrance and Moreno Valley. While he is dedicated to helping all children, his passion lies in helping the underprivileged and those with special needs.

In 1964, an American Field Service Scholarship helped Thanos come to the United States and he completed his senior year of high school in Grand Prairie, TX. He returned to Greece after graduating, and soon after with a Fulbright Scholarship, he returned again to the U.S. and attended Franklin and Marshall College.

He has published peer reviewed articles in many professional journals, on dental materials, orthodontics, and adhesive dentistry. He has lectured in the United States and Central America and organized an international symposium in Greece.

As an international student himself, Thanos is committed to mentoring students and dentists from Greece, along with Greek-American students, to advance their careers and education.

The HAMDS 2018 Scholarship recipients are: Sina Bacol, Dean Furkioti, Jr., Andreas Lazaris, Evangelia Lazaris, Christos Sarantopoulos, Nikolaos Sarantopoulos, Alexander Sherman, and Zachary Ellis.

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Enrique Metinides holds a special place among the world’s professional photographers of Greek descent. Metinides spent his entire career taking photographs of the accidents and disasters in and immediately around Mexico City.

Born on February 12, 1934, in Mexico City, of Greek immigrant parents Jaralambos Enrique Metinides Tsironides is today an internationally recognized photographer. Given his place of birth this Greek-Mexican’s name, within Mexico, follows Spanish naming customs where the first or paternal family name is Metinides and the second or maternal family name is Tsironides.

While on their honeymoon in Mexico Metinides’ parents found themselves more or less stateless citizens when the Second World War broke out. What was only meant as a romantic holiday transformed into a new life in the ksenitia.

Enrique Metinides: Schauspiel des Tatsächlichen from Kunst+Film on Vimeo.

Metinides began working with photography as a child when his father gave him a Brownie box camera. Soon he was using it to photograph car accidents on the streets of Sa Cosme in Mexico City near his father’s restaurant, where he lived.

It is said that he began taking such photos imitating popular action movies. The young lad published his first photo in a newspaper when he was eleven. By the age of thirteen, Metinides became an unpaid assistant at La Prensa, the largest newspaper in Mexico City. No sooner did his photographs begin appearing than the older photographers christened him ‘El Nino’ (the Boy).

Metinides soon became a leading news photographer not only in Mexico City but throughout the country.

Unlike, say, Weegee (Arthur Fellig, 1899-1968), the noted American photographer and photojournalist who listened to the police radio traffic young Metinides enrolled as a Red Cross volunteer, arriving at the scene of accidents with the emergency medical crews.

Metinides, an incredibly productive photographer, finally retired in 1997, seeing his work published regularly for over fifty years.

Upon his retirement, Metinides has seen his work gain worldwide recognition with one-man show exhibitions in galleries and other venues in Mexico, the United States, and across Europe. With all that being said, you do not have to leave the comfort of your own home to see and learn about this singular photographer’s career.

The 2016 documentary film The Man Who Saw Too Much: Enrique Metinides by Trisha Ziff is readily available on DVD (themanwhosawtoomuch.com). While the film’s dialogue is in Spanish subtitles in English appear throughout. James Young’s review in Variety had this to say about the initial media screening of this documentary: “Trisha Ziff’s The Man Who Saw Too Much is self-narrated homage to the dauntless Mexican photojournalist who somehow turned tragedy into art with zero exploitation, and for many decades, whose work has become an international art sensation in its own right.

Now 81, the photographer Metinides’ specialty was tragedy – car crashes, earthquakes, gas explosions, wrecks, murder, derailments and heartbreak, and he has seen more than a thousand lifetimes of it without flinching. Ziff’s documentary delves into his well-documented history, centering on personal interviews with the maestro as well as a number of known voices in the photography community in Mexico (October 26, 2015).”

As I see it, there is one reoccurring error in the public press concerning Metinides’ overall work. Metinides’ photographs are often referred to as ‘crime’ photographs and this is most certainly not the case. To be sure over a fifty-year career, Metinides did take photographs related to crime but that was never the center of his visual work.

All manner of human accidents, fires and natural disasters were captured by Metinides’ camera. This makes the vast majority of his images a complex chronicle of the widest possibilities for disaster and the utterly unexpected conceivable in man’s fate.

Still, I may be alone in this point of view. This is due to the fact that Metinides sold his images of “murders, car crashes, and catastrophes (to) the nota rojas, Mexico’s infamous crime magazines. He has won numerous prizes and received recognition from the Presidency of the Republic, journalists’ associations, rescue and judicial corps, and Kodak of Mexico.

In 1997 he received Mexico’s Espejo de Luz Prize (Mirror of Light), awarded to the country’s most outstanding photographer. His work has been shown internationally, including at the Museum of Modern Art and Anton Kern Gallery, New York; and Photographers’ Gallery, London (aperture.org).”

One of the figures interviewed in the Metinides documentary is Dan Gilroy the movie director. Gilroy was undoubtedly chosen because of his film Nightcrawlers (2014), which deals with freelance news photographers in Los Angeles. At one point Gilroy speaks to the whole notion of graphic images in Metinides’ work: “I think in many ways you can also tell a country by its news. And their approach to news. And I think what you can see is that Mexican news is historically more graphic and lurid than even anything the yellow journalism in the United States and New York City in the 1940s really trackled.

Some of the stringers slash ‘nightcrawlers’ who I worked with in my film, who shoot in Los Angeles, the most graphic violent pictures they can’t sell to the American market they sell to the Mexican market.

I think in the United States has always tried to live by an ideal. I’m going to say a faux ideal. In the sense that we do not want to look at anything negative that reflects negatively on our society or our culture. And where you specifically see it is when America gets into a war. We hide our dead.”

Aside from that documentary film, Ziff is also responsible for a touring exhibition of select images drawn from Metinides’ wider body of work. A book, 101 Tragedies of Enrique Metinides (Aperture 2014), which Ziff also edited accompanied this tour. The violence seen in Metinides’ images is one thing in a Mexican newspaper and another thing on an art gallery wall. In her introduction to The 101 Tragedies of Enrique Metinides, Ziff writes:

“‘Metinides’ photographs are crafted with cinematic precision and style, yet his compassion for the victims is never far away. He feels a deep moral responsibility toward those left behind.’ She cites his ‘straightforward commentaries and his obsessive remembering of “names, characters and narratives,’ but these seem like afterthoughts compared with the voyeuristic tendencies of his photographs. Their real power lies in the fact that we look at them even as we want to look away, and in doing so we too are implicated in his dark, ruthless vision (Guardian, November 21, 2012).”

This specific edition of Metinides’ images is also unique given that “since all of Metinides’ previous books are out of print, or strictly for art audiences, this will be the only book in print about his life and work. It is also the only Metinides book comprised of images chosen by the photographer himself, and which offers his own account of his life’s work (enriquemetinides.com).” Again, both the documentary and book are readily available.

As unique as Enrique Metinides’ work may be, he is far from the only internationally recognized photographer of Greek descent. A very short list of such artists would have to include, but is certainly not limited to Effy Alexakis, Chloe Kritharas Devienne, Constantine Manos, William ‘PoPsie’ Randolph, Polixeni Papapetrou, Daimon Xanthopoulos and many, many others. We must extend our vision of modern Hellenism well past our individual home communities and come to recognize the enduring contributions persons of Greek descent continue to make on a daily basis on nothing less than the world stage.

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OCTOBER 28-DECEMBER 9
TARPON SPRINGS, FL – Workshops in Greek Bouzouki with Leonidas Zafiris and Elias Poulos, Sundays, 2-4 PM, October 28;  November 4, 11, 18, and 25; December 2 and 9, at Safford House, 23 Parkin Ct. in Tarpon Springs. Fee: $5 donation per class requested. The City of Tarpon Springs is pleased to present a series of workshops in Greek bouzouki for youth and adults by Leonidas Zafiris and Elias Poulos. Classes will be divided into beginning (2-3 PM) and advanced (3-4 PM) sections. Students should bring an instrument, and there will be a few bouzoukis available on site for beginning students. In addition, a limited number of bouzoukis are available through a Bouzouki Lending Program at the Tarpon Springs Public Library, 138 E. Lemon Street. 727-943-4922. More information is available by contacting Tina Bucuvalas 727-937-1130 or tbucuvalas@ctsfl.us. Classes are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

NOVEMBER 1-4
BALTIMORE, MD – Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Annunciation, 24 West Preston Street in Baltimore holds its Greek Festival November 1-4. Enjoy delicious Greek food and pastries, cooking demonstrations, dining room, outside tent area with food and entertainment, historic and cultural displays, Church tours, vendors, live Greek music Saturday night, dance groups, and dance lessons. Free Admission and Free Parking. Hours: Thursday, Nov. 1, 5-9 PM; Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 AM-9 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 4, Noon-6 PM. More information is available by phone: 410-727-1831 and online: goannun.org.

NOVEMBER 2
MANHATTAN – The Hellenic Lawyers Association invites you to its 30th Annual Dinner Gala at The Pierre, 2 East 61st Street in Manhattan, on Friday, Nov. 2, 7 PM. More information is available at: helleniclawyersassociation.org/events.

MANHATTAN – Aktina Productions and Cypreco of America present legendary singer Babis Tsertos and his band in a special concert tribute with Rembetika and Laika songs, from Tsitsanis to Theodorakis at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in Manhattan. More information is available online: aktina.org.

NOVEMBER 2-3
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Holy Mother Of God Greek Orthodox Church, 1645 Phillips Road in Tallahassee, holds its Greek Festival November 2-3, 10 AM-10 PM both days. Enjoy Greek food, Greek imports, and delicious Greek pastries. Live Greek band, music, and dancing. Free Admission. More information is available by phone: 850-878-0747 and online: hmog.org.

NOVEMBER 2-4
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 502 S. Chaparral Street in Corpus Christi, holds its Greek Festival November 2-4. Greek foods, pastries, and more. Admission is free. Live Greek music and dancing. Hours: Friday, Nov. 2, 5-11 PM; Saturday, Nov. 3, 12 noon-11 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 4, 12 noon-5 PM. More information is available by phone: 361-883-9843 and online: stnicholasgoc.net.

BERGENFIELD, NJ – St. Anthony’s International Festival takes place November 2-4 at the St. Anthony Antiochian Orthodox Church, 385 Ivy Lane in Bergenfield. Hours: Friday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 3, 12-10 PM, and Sunday, November 4, 12-6 PM. The fun and festivities will be held in our church hall, Come join our vibrant multi-ethnic parish family for three days of food and fun for all ages! All the popular Greek, Middle Eastern and Slavic menu items will be back, from Lamb Shanks to Stuffed Grape Leaves to Pierogis, plus some American favorites, too. Make sure to save room for dessert, baklava, pasta flora, Mamool, and much, much more! Get a head start on your holiday shopping at our boutique, take the kids to our Fun and Arcade Buses, or dance to live music each day! Also back, a crowd favorite, St. Anthony’s 50-50 raffle! More information is available by phone: 201-568-8840 and on Facebook.

NOVEMBER 3
FLUSHING – Hellenic Public Radio – Cosmos FM 91.5 invites you to its 22nd Annual Phidippides Award Gala, honoring Michael Psaros, at Terrace on the Park – The Penthouse, 52-11 111th Street in Flushing. Reception at 7 PM, dinner at 8. More information is available online: cosmosfm.org or via email: ioannag@cosmosfm.org.

NOVEMBER 3-4
LANCASTER, PA – Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 64 Hershey Avenue in Lancaster, holds its Greek Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 3, 10:30 AM-7:30 PM and Sunday, Nov. 4, 11 AM-6 PM. Enjoy Greek pastries, souvlaki stand, crafts, bookstore, church tours, eat in, drive-thru, take out, attic room, gourmet room, Greek music and dancing. Tickets: $12 in advance, $14 at the door. More information is available by phone: 717-394-1735 and online: annunciationorthodox.org.

NOVEMBER 6
MANHATTAN – The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) will hold its annual Food & Wine Gala at the Metropolitan Club, 1 East 60th St. in Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and wine tasting at 6:30 PM, followed by a dinner and special program. The event features an exclusive menu curated by renowned Chef Costas Spiliadis of Estiatorio Milos. The evening will be hosted by Deborah Norville, Anchor of Inside Edition and member of The NYSPCC Children’s Council. More information is available online: www.nyspcc.org/galatickets18.

NOVEMBER 6-9
NEW LONDON, CT – Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 200 Hempstead Street in New London, holds its 66th Annual Greek Food Festival November 6-9, 11 AM-9 PM daily. Traditional homemade Greek foods and pastries, guided tours of our Byzantine Church, Greek beverages. Take out available. Greek school dancers and live Greek band. Free admission and plenty of free parking. More information is available by phone: 860-442-2377 and online: saintsophianl.org.
NOVEMBER 8-10
RICHMOND, VA – Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 30 Malvern Avenue in Richmond, holds its Greek Festival November 8-10, 11 AM-8 PM daily. Enjoy Greek food, dancing, and music. Tour our beautiful sanctuary and learn more about the Orthodox religion. Browse through the beautiful art, jewelry, and amazing finds in the International Bazaar. Every year we donate a portion of our proceeds to local charities that specifically serve Central Virginia. The Drive-Thru will be open subject to product availability. Please check the Festival website for daily notices of changes. Free admission, free parking. More information is available by phone: 804-355-3687 and online: vagocathedral.org.

NOVEMBER 9-11
FORT WORTH, TX – St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2020 NW 21st Street in Fort Worth, holds the 51st Annual Greek Festival November 9-11. Enjoy live Greek music and folk dancing, authentic Greek meals, baked and frozen foods also available, including pastries, breads, desserts and ready to heat dishes. Outdoor activities for kids available as well as church tours. Admission to the festival is $1. Hours: Friday, Nov. 9, and Saturday, Nov. 10, 10 AM- 10 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 11, 11 AM-3 PM. More information is available by phone: 817-626-5578 and online: fortworthgreekfestival.com.

NOVEMBER 11
ASTORIA – The Hellenic Film Society USA in association with the Museum of the Moving Image presents a series of once-a-month screenings of the best Greek films, Always On Sunday. Smuggling Hendrix, directed by Marios Piperides, Winner, 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, Best International Narrative Feature, will be screened on Sunday, Nov. 11, 3 PM at the Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave in Astoria. The engaging comedy follows a Greek Cypriot faces a bureaucratic nightmare when he tries to retrieve his dog from the Turkish occupied sector of the divided city of Nicosia. Desperate, he engages an unlikely band of accomplices, including a Turkish settler, to help him smuggle the dog back. More information is available by phone: 718-777-6800 and online: hellenicfilmusa.org.

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CHAKAS, NICHOLAS
CLEARWATER, FL (from the Tampa Bay Times, published on Oct. 24) – Nicholas P. Chakas, 89, Clearwater, passed away on Monday, October 22, 2018. He was born in Greece and immigrated to Schenectady, New York. He moved with his wife and family to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1980 where they owned Spartan Restaurant until retiring in 2002. He is survived by his four children, Helen, Nectaria, Panagiota, and Demetrios. Relatives and friends are invited to the viewing on Thursday, October 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Curlew Hills Memory Garden, 1750 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor, Florida, and funeral service on Friday, October 26 at 12:00 noon at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Clearwater, 409 South Old Coachman Road, Clearwater, Florida. Burial will follow at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Capital Campaign. For additional information, please visit: www.CurlewHills.com.

CHAKNIS, EVA
ATLANTA, GA (from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, published on Oct. 26) – Eva Poolos Chaknis, age 93, of Atlanta, Georgia, died peacefully on Oct 24, 2018. Eva was born in Atlanta, Georgia on Central Avenue to the late Nick P. Poolos and Victoria Eliakopoulos Poolos, Greek immigrants from the small village of Nedousa. Victoria died when Eva was two and her father later married Valine Handrinou George, who was a wonderful mother to Eva, her sister Cleo, and brother Pete. Eva graduated from Commercial High and attended Georgia Evening College. Her first job was with Southern Railway, where her greatest memory was of waving a white handkerchief from a window when the funeral train of President Franklin D. Roosevelt came through Atlanta. Condolences may be made at www.asturner.com. Nick Poolos owned a small fruit stand and one day, WWII veteran Mike M. Chaknis, (a very nice Greek boy from a good family) walked in and saw a photo of the lovely Eva. He immediately announced that if this young lady was really this beautiful, he would have to marry her. In 1948, his proclamation came true, and they were happily married for 48 years. They loved tennis, bridge and, in their later years, enjoyed traveling. Eva was devoted to Mike and their two children, Valine and Manuel. She welcomed her children’s friends with humor and pound cake. She returned to the workplace as an Administrative assistant in the Small Business Administration for many years. Eva was deeply proud of her Greek ethnicity and a devoted lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. She served as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, festival volunteer, mailing crew member and member of Philoptochos Society, a philanthropic organization. Long before “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, she too credited Greece with all the world’s great achievements. Her laugh lightened every room that she entered and will always be in our hearts. She is survived by her daughter Valine Georgeson (Stephen) of Atlanta, GA, son, Dr. Manuel M. Chaknis (Suella) of Cape Coral, FL. Brother, Dr. Pete N. Poolos, of Cleveland OH. She was Yiayia to six grandchildren, Vickie Diamond (Brian),of Baltimore MD, Zachary Georgeson (Megan)of Chicago, IL, Alexis Reeves (Alex) of Atlanta, GA, Sophia Chaknis of Chicago, IL, Andrea Chaknis of Chicago, IL and James Chaknis of Boston, MA , great- grandchildren Amalia, Theodore and Graham, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Fountainview Center for Alzheimer’s Disease for their compassionate care . A Prayer service will be held on Friday, October 27 at 7:00 pm, with visitation from 5:00p.m.- 7:00 p.m. at A.S. Turner and Sons . Funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Philoptochos or the Annunciation Cathedral.

HASSOS, MELPOMENI
ROCHESTER, NY (from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, published on Oct. 24) – Melpomeni Hassos passed away on October 21, 2018 peacefully surrounded by her family at 98. Predeceased by her husband, Lazaros. Beloved mother of Stavros, Pavlos (Kathy), Domnika (Samuel E.) Ruggeri, loving grandmother of Lazaros, Demitrious (Christina), Alysha, Jason (Shari), Melissa (Shawn) Cannan, Ariel M. Ruggeri. She also leaves 8 great-grandchildren and her extended family in Greece and Canada. A Graveside Service will be Thursday 11 AM at Mt. Hope Cemetery (meet at the main entrance). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 962 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607.

KOULIANOS, STERGOS
GRIFFITH, IN (from the Northwest Indiana Times, published on Oct. 24) – Stergos P. Koulianos, age 77, passed away Saturday, October 20, 2018 at home. He was born on November 28, 1940 in Kalymnos, Greece to the late Pantelis and Kalliopi Koulianos. He came to America in 1968 and was self-employed as an industrial painter. He was a member of SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Merrillville. On December 31, 1975, he married Susan Coons, who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Mihalis Koulianos and sister, Irene Mattheos. He is survived by his sons, Pantelis (Amanda) Koulianos of Griffith, Ioannis Koulianos of Griffith, Mihalis (Sarah) Koulianos of Hobart; grandchildren, Anastasia, Isabella, Steven, Mihalis and Susan Koulianos; nephews, Pantales Koulianos, Panagiotis Mattheos; nieces, Kalliopi Popyk, Maria Koulianos, Carol Feliciano, Kathy Koulianos; great nephews and nieces, Michael Koulianos, Michael Garcia, Mattheos Popyk, Mattheos Mattheos and Irene Mattheos. A funeral service for Stergos will take place Friday, October 26, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 8000 Madison St., Merrillville, IN 46410. He will be laid to rest at Evergreen Memorial Park in Hobart. Visitation will be held Thursday, October 25, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a trisagion service at 5:00 p.m. at Rees Funeral Home, Hobart Chapel, 600 West Old Ridge Road, Hobart. For more information, please call (219) 942-2109. Online condolences may be shared with the family at: www.reesfuneralhomes.com.

KOUTELAS, JOHN
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (from the St. Augustine Record, published on Oct. 25) – John F. Koutelas 89, passed away on Monday, October 15, 2018 at Cornerstone Hospice in Tavares, FL. John was born on July 27 th , 1929. He was a native & lifelong resident of St. Augustine – later moving to the Tarpon Springs area he dearly loved and later to Leesburg, FL. John was an accomplished carpenter; building many houses in St. Augustine in the 1950s and 1960s. He grew up in the shrimp boat building business with his father Emanuel Koutelas. Emanuel came to America as a young man from Kalymnos, Greece as a shrimp boat builder. He married Frances Nix and raised their seven children in St. Augustine. John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol; one son, Darren Koutelas (Debra) Leesburg, FL, two daughters, Angie Young (Jimi deceased) and Kathy Maltby (John) St. Augustine; five grandchildren, Darren Koutelas Jr. and Alexandrea Koutelas, Goose Creek, SC, Jeremy Young (Holly), Corey Young (Jena), and Hannah Head (Jared) St. Augustine; and eight great-grandchildren he dearly loved, Walker, Mason & Brooke Young, Cade, Farra and Finley Young and Dawson and Harper Head. John is also survived by one sister, Alice Roberts Dunedin, FL, 2 brothers, George & Earl Koutelas and also many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his two brothers, Jimmy and Emanuel (Irene) and one sister Dora.
John will be remembered and loved by his many wonderful stories and his love for everything Greek. He was very dedicated to the Lord and his family and will be greatly missed. He will remain in our hearts until we meet again. A private service will be held at a later date.

PAPAKONSTANTINO, DEMETRIOS
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (from the San Francisco Chronicle, published on Oct. 25) – Demetrios Papakonstantino passed away on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at the age of 79. Devoted husband to his wife of 55 years, Eugenia; loving father to Stacy, Kathy (Mark) and Peter (Nikol); proud pappou to Maria Eugenia and Demetrios. He is also survived by many relatives in Greece. Born in Fihti, Argos, Greece, he immigrated to the U.S. after high school in 1958. He met Eugenia in San Francisco and after a brief courtship, they married on August 25, 1963. They started a family soon afterward. Demetrios completed college and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from San Francisco State University. He then launched what would be a successful 40-year career at Del Monte Foods. Hardworking and tireless, he sacrificed and worked two full time jobs for 20 years for the benefit of his wife and three children. Demetrios was a beautiful human being and everyone he touched felt his incredible spirit. He was known for his sense of humor and positive thinking. A man of profound wisdom, family and friends often sought his sage advice. Demetrios was a kind and humble man who always put family first. He enjoyed trips to Greece and watching sports such as boxing, football and soccer, but his greatest pleasure was spending time with his grandchildren whom he adored. The immense love he had for his family is evident in the endless happy memories that will sustain us going forward. He will be greatly missed by all. The Trisagion will be on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 7:00pm. The Funeral Service will be on Friday at 11:15am. Both the Trisagion and the Funeral will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 999 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco, CA 94132. Donations may be made to Holy Trinity Church.

SAKKIS, THEODORE
CASTRO VALLEY, CA (from the East Bay Times, published on Oct. 25) – Theodore “Ted” John Sakkis October 31, 1937 – October 22, 2018. Resident of Castro Valley, Ted passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren on October 22, 2018 after a graceful battle with ALS. Ted was born in Pireaus, Greece to Ioannis Sakkis and Vasiliki Douros. Ted spent his early years helping to support his family and attending school studying mechanics. Starting at the age of 18, Ted spent ten years working as an engineer on various ships traveling the world. Ted also served in Greece’s Royal Navy from 1960 to 1962. Ted immigrated to Oakland in 1968 and very soon after was introduced to his future wife, Maria Tsingaris. Ted and Maria were married in May 1969 and embarked on a near 50 year friendship and marriage filled with love, faith, and family, including their three children John, Manoli, and Vicki. Ted’s favorite career was as a travel agent at his Apollon Travel Service in the Dimond District of Oakland, a business he ran for 25 years. Ted was a devoted believer in Orthodoxy and his faith in God was strong. He served over 20 years as cantor at the Ascension Cathedral and his beautiful voice is remembered by many. Ted emulated his faith in all his interactions and is remembered as a generous and kind soul who touched many lives in a myriad of ways. Ted is survived by his wife Maria, children John (Carolyn), Manoli, Vicki (Angelo Limnios), and granddaughters – Marina, Nikoletta, Katie, and Lexi. He is also survived by his siblings Peter, Costa, Vivi, Angelo, Nico, and Sofia and their families. Ted was preceded in death by his parents, a younger sister Sofia, and his brother Dimitrios. A Trisagion service will be held on Thursday October 25 at 7:00pm and the funeral service on Friday at 12 noon, both at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, 4700 Lincoln Ave in Oakland. Interment will occur at Mt. View Cemetery with the Makaria following at the Resurrection Greek Church in Castro Valley, 20104 Center St in Castro Valley. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Monastery of the Holy Theotokos the Life Giving Spring, PO Box 549, Dunlap, CA 93621. For further information, please call Harry W. Greer, Funeral Director (FDR-745).

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ATHENS – Closed-circuit TV footage revealed a Greek-Australian man with a criminal background in Sydney, John Macris, was shot once in his car and three times after getting out of the vehicle outside his home – which was well-secured – as police were trying to determine whether it was connected to gang warfare.

Footage taken from Macris’ surveillance cameras – he headed a security company – showed a gunman shoot him through the right-hand passenger side window. As Macris struggled to escape from the car, the killer circled round the back of the car and shot Macris again when he reached the driver’s side door, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Macris died at the scene on Oct. 31 after being shot in the belly, chest and shoulder blade. Police retrieved six bullet casings shot from a 9mm gun, the paper said, and his blood wwas seen on the footpath outside his home, where inside his mother was minding his two children – a young boy and girl.

The murderer, still on the run, arrived at the scene on foot, wearing a baseball cap low across his face. He was about 1.7 meters (5-6) tall. Police have seized footage from cameras installed outside not just Macris’ home but also those of his neighbors, in affluent area, the paper said.

Macris was on his way to a reception marking the official opening of his new company 24/7 Security Services, an expansion of his My Services business which was less than three-months-old and guests were waiting at the company headquarters when he was killed, with the celebration quickly ending.
On Nov. 2, staff workers were seen removing the signage, although the company’s motto “We Guard. We Protect. We Secure. We believe in keeping you safe,” was still prominent, written on the wall inside the deserted offices, the paper said, with one security guard saying everything was now going to be closed down.

In May, a friend of Macris was shot dead. The night before Macris was gunned down, 38-year-old Vagelis Zabounis, another well-known Greek gangster, was shot outside the offices of his maritime company in Piraeus but survived and is expected to be questioned.

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NEW YORK – Prominent Greek-American businessman Michael Psaros was honored on Saturday evening, November 3rd, by the Hellenic Public radio –Cosmos FM with its 2018 Phidippides Award. The ceremony took place at Terrace on Park in Flushing.

Mr. Psaros in his speech among other things said that “while I thank Cosmos FM this recognition, this honor belongs to my parents, George and Mary Ann, and Robin, my wife of almost 25 years. My parents are the reason I have dedicated a life of service to serve our Church, Hellenism, and the omoyenia. My Parents and Robin are the embodiment of philotimo. They are living Icons. Robin, thank you for allowing our family to devote the time and resources to serving our Church and the many Hellenic causes we are committed to, often at great sacrifice to our family. All I can say is se apapo. I would also like to recognize my two daughters who are present, Alexandra and Marina, and my son, Leo, who is a sophomore at Georgetown University and couldn’t be with us this evening.”

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NEW YORK – UNESCO, the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN, together with the New York Group of Friends for the Protection of Journalists held a discussion and screening of Hondros, Director Greg Campbell’s feature length documentary film about his dear friend, the award-winning photographer Chris Hondros, tragically killed in Libya covering the conflict there in 2011. The event marked the 5th International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2 at the United Nations headquarters in New York and included a Q&A session with the film’s executive producer, Riva Marker.

Chris Hondros was one of the best conflict photographers of his generation, having covered practically every major world event during his adult life. Beginning with the war in Kosovo in 1999, Hondros served as witness to more than a decade of strife and conflict before he was killed by shrapnel in Libya in April, 2011. But he was so much more than a highly-respected and award-winning photographer.

In this powerful feature length film, interviews with Hondros himself and his peers highlight the tremendous body of work and this remarkable man of unusual depth and sensitivity, whose passion for his craft continues to influence people around the world. The son of immigrant parents, a Greek father and German mother, Hondros was dedicated to his work and felt a responsibility to answer the tough questions. His optimism and his talent helped inspire and continue to inspire people whose lives he touched through his images, his friendship, and his humanity. Director and childhood friend Greg Campbell leads viewers on a global journey to meet those in Hondros’ most influential photos, and to uncover their little known backstories.

Among the speakers at the event, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN, Ambassador Maria Theofili, gave the welcoming remarks. She said, “Please allow me to make this statement on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uruguay, and my country Greece, members of the Group of Friends for the protection of journalists. On this day, while paying tribute to all those journalists around the world losing their lives and suffering attacks in the exercise of their profession, we should also voice our concern about the increasing number of such attacks, which result in a growing culture of impunity. Further, we should not overlook the fact that female journalists are at greater risk, often facing gender based acts of violence, harassment, and intimidation.

“Regrettably, there is currently a trend in a number of countries to limit the scope of free journalism, by discrediting the media and censoring or even prosecuting journalists. In this regard, we truly believe that the international community as a whole has a duty to safeguard freedom of expression by protecting journalists and creating the necessary conditions for them to carry out their work in full independence. To this effect, governments should establish an adequate legal framework as well as create national safety mechanisms, in line with the relevant UN Plan of Action.

“Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, on this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, let us use this opportunity to raise once again awareness on the grave violations of journalists’ rights, taking into account that free journalism forms an integral part of free societies. Every single attack against journalists has to be investigated; there is no room for impunity! I thank you.”

Ricardo de Guimaras Pinto, Liaison Officer for UNESCO Liaison Office to the UN noted that UNESCO is launching an awareness campaign #TruthNeverDies to spread the work of journalists who were killed and to perpetuate their legacy. These journalists were killed in order to be silenced. It is important therefore to assert that the truth will not die, by publishing stories of these journalists and demanding that justice be done.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that crimes against journalists do not go unpunished. We must see to it that journalists can work in safe conditions which allow a free and pluralistic press to flourish,” Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said in a statement on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also introduced their 2018 Global Impunity Index, which spotlights cases of murdered journalists where their killers are still free. The index is available online: cpj.org.

The award-winning documentary, Hondros, opened in theaters in the spring of 2018 and is now available online through iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, Fandango Now, and Netflix. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is also an executive producer of the film and Jamie Lee Curtis is co-executive producer.

Also in New York, at the Bronx Documentary Center’s St. Mary’s Annex, 364 East 151st Street, through December 16, a photo exhibition entitled “War and Peace in Liberia” features the works of Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington, whose images played an important role in bringing the Liberian conflict to an end. The exhibit, free and open to the public, is organized by the Bronx Documentary Center, in collaboration with UN Foundation, UN/DPKO, Getty Images, Magnum Photos and Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (RISC).

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NEW YORK – The Hellenic Lawyers Association (HLA) held its 30th Annual Gala on November 2 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. The Honorable Gregory G. Katsas, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, was awarded the Distinguished Legal Service Award. Scholarships to deserving students were also presented at the gala.

The first two scholarships were sponsored and presented by Nicholas Papain to Vasiliki Sakellaridis, 3rd year law student at Fordham University School of Law, and Nicholas Hilaris, 3rd year law student at Brooklyn Law School. Despina Keegan sponsored and presented the scholarship to Akrivi Anagnostopoulos, 2nd year law student at New York Law School. Sponsored by BakerHostetler, the scholarship to Jennia Iordanou, 3rd year law student at UCLA School of Law, was presented by George Stamboulidis. Poles Tublin sponsored the scholarship awarded to Paulina Economou, 2nd year law student at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Georgia Tsoucalas-Argyrople sponsored the scholarship to Eleni Pappas, 3rd year law student at New York Law School, and the final scholarship was presented to Zachary Latos, 3rd year law student at St. John’s University School of Law.

Among those present were Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras and his wife Popita Pavli, Consul of Greece Lana Zochiou, Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Kornelios Korneliou, Consul General of Cyprus in New York Alexis Phedonos-Vadet and his wife Melina, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas and her husband Theo Apostolou, New York City Council Member Costa Constantinides, the newly elected HLA President Chrysanthy N. Zapantis-Melis, 2nd Vice President George Zapantis, President of the Hellenic Medical Society Dr. George Liakeas, and many judges, including the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis and the Honorable Harriet George.

Fr. Theofanis Papantonis gave the invocation for the event and Peter Metis, the outgoing HLA President, gave the welcoming remarks. He spoke movingly about the late Judge Nicholas Tsoucalas who passed away earlier this year, and was a founding member of the HLA. Metis also presented the award to Judge Katsas who recalled his father being honored 18 years ago with a lifetime achievement award from the New England Hellenic Medical Society in Boston.

Katsas noted that he is thrilled to be following in his father’s footsteps being recognized by his peers in the Greek-American community in his chosen profession. His father grew up in Greece with parents from “Athens and Sparta, the equivalent of a mixed marriage, kind of like Boston and New York,” and became a doctor by the end of World War II, in time to serve during the Civil War in a “MASH unit” in the mountains of Northern Greece before immigrating to the United States. Katsas’ roots on his mother’s side are from Asia Minor.

Judge Katsas was appointed to the D.C. Circuit in December 2017. He graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was an executive editor on the Harvard Law Review. Between 1989 and 1992, he served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Becker on the Third Circuit, to then-Judge Clarence Thomas on the D.C. Circuit, and to Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. Between 1992 and 2001, he was an associate and then partner in the Washington office of Jones Day, where he specialized in appellate and complex civil litigation. Between 2001 and 2009, he served in many senior positions in the Department of Justice, including as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and as Acting Associate Attorney General. In 2009, he returned to Jones Day. From January to December 2017, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President.

Before joining the bench, Judge Katsas argued more than 75 appeals, including three cases in the Supreme Court, 13 cases in the D.C. Circuit, and cases in every other federal court of appeals. By appointment of the Chief Justice, he served on the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules from 2013 to 2017. In 2016, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

The Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis swore in the newly elected HLA President, Chrysanthy Zapantis-Melis, and the officers and board. Zapantis-Melis thanked all those in attendance, especially her parents Nicholas and Maria, and her brother and fellow board member George Zapantis, her husband Demetri Melis and their sons Marco and Nikolaki, for all their support. She also acknowledged with gratitude the benefactors and supporters of the organization and the event. Special thanks went out to Elena Ioannidis for all her efforts.

The festive evening continued with music and dancing well into the night.

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UPPER DARBY, PA – The Brotherhood of Demati hosted its Annual Dinner Dance on November 3 at St. Demetrios Church in Upper Darby. About 350 people attended the event with music provided by GR Music.

Demati is a village in East Zagori in Ioannina in the Epirus region of Greece.

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NEW YORK – The board of the Panepirotic Federation unanimously agreed to give a grant of $5,000 to the 13 year-old daughter of the young ethnic Greek who was killed in a shootout with Albanian police last October 28, according to the Federation’s president, Nicholas Gage.

“The killing of Konstantinos Katsifas during Oxi Day celebrations in Northern Epiros was tragic and a full and transparent investigation must be conducted to find out what happened,” Mr. Gage said, “but we must think of the young daughter he left behind and try help her.”

Mr. Gage said he will go to Ioannina later this month and give the grant to the young girl, Vasiliki Katsifas, and her grandmother, who has been helping to raise her since the divorce of her parents several years ago. “We will try to raise more funds for young Vasiliki in the future and urge the Greek government to award her free entrance to a state university when she finishes her secondary education,” Mr. Gage said.

Her father, Konstantinos Katsifas, 35, fired at police vehicles after Albanian officers took down a Greek flag that he had raised at a cemetery for Greek soldiers killed fighting Fascist forces at the outbreak of World War II near the town of Vouliarati in Northern Epiros.

He then fled to the nearby hills and Albanian police launched a massive manhunt to track him down. They claim that when they cornered him and asked him to surrender, he fired at them and they shot him dead.

Mr. Gage said the Albanian explanation was hard to accept considering how many ethnic Greeks have been falsely imprisoned, beaten, harassed and killed in the past.

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Some of the hottest congressional races in the country will be decided in New York on Tuesday, including one featuring an indicted incumbent, while voters also decide whether Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo deserves a third term.

Turnout is expected to be high with voters eager to weigh in on the nation’s divided politics.

Here’s a look at what to watch:

CONGRESS: A handful of contentious races — mostly upstate — could help decide whether the Democrats wrest control of the U.S. House from Republicans.

In western New York, Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Collins had been considered a safe bet for re-election before federal authorities charged him with insider trading. Collins, who has pleaded not guilty and called the charges meritless, initially suspended his campaign for a fourth term. But then he reversed course and got back in the race, confounding local Republican leaders who had been working to replace his name on the ballot.

Democratic challenger Nate McMurray, the Grand Island town supervisor, reported a flood of contributions following Collins’ indictment. That support could be critical if Democrats hope to win the district, where Donald Trump thumped Hillary Clinton by 24 percentage points — his largest margin in the state. Polls show the race is close.

In the Hudson Valley, freshmen GOP Congressman John Faso is looking to defend his seat against Democrat Antonio Delgado in a swing district that supported Trump in 2016 but Democrat Barack Obama four years earlier. An ad released last month by the Republican National Congressional Committee showed clips of Delgado performing songs from his 2006 rap album. Delgado, a Rhodes scholar and Harvard Law School graduate, said it was a racially motivated attack on a black candidate in a district that is more than 90 percent white.

In central New York, first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney is locked in a tight battle with Democrat Anthony Brindisi, a state lawmaker. Tenney’s brash rhetoric has drawn comparisons to Trump and turned off many in her own party: She claimed without evidence that “so many” mass murderers are Democrats and urged people to sign a petition seeking the imprisonment of Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey.

Tenney was an early Trump backer and says that while she sometimes disagrees with the president her working relationship with the administration helps her advocate for voters in her district, which includes rolling dairy farms and the cities of Utica and Binghamton. The race is considered a tossup.

Other races to watch include one on Staten Island, where Army veteran Max Rose, a Democrat, hopes to oust U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, the only Republican House member from New York City. And in Queens and the Bronx, Greek-American Republican Anthony Pappas is looking to beat the odds and defeat Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who scored a huge upset over U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley earlier this year.

On the Senate side, Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is heavily favored over Republican Chele Farley.

GOVERNOR’S RACE: Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking a third term as the leader of the nation’s fourth-largest state — a distinction that would put him in the company of former governors DeWitt Clinton, Al Smith, Nelson Rockefeller, George Pataki and his own father, the late Mario Cuomo.

He faces Republican Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, as well as Libertarian Larry Sharpe, Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins and independent Stephanie Miner. Polls show Cuomo is far ahead in the race, and he has a commanding financial advantage.

Cuomo has sought to make the race about Trump, mocking Molinaro as a “Trump Mini-Me” and saying he is the best candidate to protect the state from any efforts to eliminate protections for immigrants, abortion rights or the environment. Considered a possible White House contender, Cuomo has said he will serve a full four years if re-elected.

Though polls show the race has tightened, Cuomo maintains a commanding lead.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: The job of the state’s top law enforcement official has increasingly focused on Trump, too, with incumbent Attorney General Barbara Underwood and her predecessor, disgraced Democrat Eric Schneiderman, launching investigations into the president and his business dealings and filing lawsuits seeking to block the administration’s policy moves.

Democrat Tish James, the New York City public advocate, faces Republican attorney Keith Wofford in the race. Underwood is not running for a full term after replacing Schneiderman, who resigned earlier this year after he was accused of assaulting four women he dated. He has denied the charges.

No matter who wins, the victor will make history as the state’s first black attorney general. They’ve sparred over the attorney general’s role in fighting Trump, with James arguing for an aggressive response to the White House, while Wofford says he would only pursue cases that clearly benefit the state or residents.

In another statewide race, Democratic state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli faces Republican Jonathan Trichter. DiNapoli has served as comptroller since 2007. The office performs government audits, reviews state finances and manages the $207 billion state pension fund.

STATE SENATE: All 213 seats in the state Legislature are up for election, but the attention is on the 63 seats in the state Senate, now the last bastion of Republican control in Albany.

Democrats need to only pick up a few seats in order to win the chamber. They already hold a huge majority in the state Assembly and occupy the governor’s office. Adding the Senate to that list would potentially ease the way for liberal priorities, such as codifying abortion rights in state law, legalizing marijuana and loosening the statute of limitations on molestation to make it easier for victims to sue their alleged abusers.

—
By DAVID KLEPPER , Associated Press

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BROOMALL, PA – On November 4, the Ladies Philoptochos Society of St. Luke, Chapter 1082 in Broomall celebrated the Nameday of the Philoptochos’ Patron Saints Kosmas and Damianos and honored members who have served in Philoptochos for 50 years or more. President Angelique Demetris welcomed and congratulated all the honorees for their contributions, hard work and commitment to the Philoptochos mission.

The speaker for the event was Dee Karras who said, “Philanthropy means Friend of Mankind, while Charity, in Old English translated as “love,” means giving help or money to those in need; it is more personal. We do both.

“The ladies we are honoring today have done their share of baking, sewing, luncheons and fashion shows, board meetings and general assemblies, decorating for the holidays, and serving coffee on Sundays at the Fellowship Hour. Moreover and even more importantly, they have forged friendships, they have shared each other’s pain, they have laughed and cried together. They have spent a good part of their lives serving a higher purpose, serving the needy in whom they see the face of Christ. They are beautiful, strong, Christian women. This army of women wins wars one battle at a time!”

The Chapter thanked Father Christ Kontos for his support and guidance. Fr. Kontos congratulated the honorees and spoke about their dedication to the Philoptochos and the community. The honorees received the icon of Saints Kosmas and Damianos from Fr. Kontos along with a certificate in commemoration of this event.

They also honored Diane Sioutis as the 2018 Clergy Laity St Luke Philoptochos Agape Award nominee.

St. Luke has one of the largest Philoptochos chapters in the country with over 300 members.

Maria Carafides and Katina Maltas were the co-chairs of this heartwarming event. AXIES!

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NEW YORK – With the November 6 mid-term elections just one day away, candidates are still knocking on doors and sending out text messages asking for voters’ support and hoping for a high voter turnout.

In this year’s elections there are many Greek-American candidates running for key positions. Overall, on November 6, at least 25 Greek-American candidates or candidates of Greek descent, are up for election to Congress or for state and local offices, and senior positions, including the candidate for the Supreme Court of New York, in the 10th District, Judge Helen Voutsinas.

Certainly not everyone has the same power: Some are incumbents, well-known to the voters, running for re-election, while others are entering the political arena for the first time.

Also, some are in a very advantageous position according to the polls while some are battling against the odds hoping to overcome the polls and gain a winning percentage.

The National Herald has compiled the Greek-American candidates and calls on all the Greek-American organizations and the expatriate community to think “Greek” and consider supporting these candidates if they are running in your state.

Federal Elections

Congress

For the U.S. House of Representatives there are typically eight Greek-American candidates running across the country, six of whom are likely to be elected or re-elected, as the case may be.

In Florida, three of the eight are found:

In the 12th District, Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis, is running for re-election.

By maintaining good relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, and by acting decisively on national issues, Bilirakis is considered to be one of the most important candidates, although this election may be more difficult this time: On the one hand, the traditional “wear and tear” of mid-term elections, the party of the current President, and, on the other hand, the strong candidacy of Democratic Chris Hunter.

In the 13th District, third-generation Greek-American lawyer Charlie Christ, a Democrat, is running for reelection and is the frontrunner in the race.

A former adviser to George W. Bush, Republican Michael Waltz, is of Greek descent and running in Florida’s 6th District.

Among the Democrats, John Sarbanes is up for reelection in the 3rd District of Maryland and Dina Titus is running for reelection the 1st District of Nevada.

A promising new candidate is Chris Pappas in the 1st District of New Hampshire whose election would raise the number of Greek-American Representatives in Congress.

Also among the Greek-American candidates, Anthony Pappas, in the 14th District of New York, Republican candidate against Alessandra Ocazio-Cortez who shocked the Democrats by beating incumbent Joe Crowley in the primary election.

Ultimately, the Republicans withdrew their support from Pappas but his name for technical reasons is still on the ballot as the Republican candidate.

In the 3rd District of Arkansas, the Greek-American teacher Michael Kalagias is a contender for Congress, with the support of the Libertarian Party.

Senate

In the Senate, the eyes are on the Republican candidate Leah Papachristou Vukmir, daughter of Greek immigrants and an active member of the Greek Orthodox Church, running in Wisconsin against her Democratic rival, Tammy Baldwin.

Elected for years as State Senator without ever being a favorite, Papachristo-Vukmir hopes to overcome the unfavorable predictions of polls that show Baldwin in the lead.

However, she strongly supports President Trump and that may or may not affect her chances.

Less well-known, Demetri Theodoropoulos of the Green Party is running in Delaware, though the odds are not on his side.

Candidates for State Offices

The November 6th elections, however, are not only about the Federal elections but also the States.

The top nomination for the Greek community is that of Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis in California, with the former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary running for the position of Lt. Governor.

For the same post, but in Connecticut, Susan Bysiewicz is a candidate with roots in Greece and Poland.

The former U.S. Rep. Zack Space (Ohio) and Kathy Kramedas McGuinness (Delaware) are running for the Auditor’s post in their respective states.

In Illinois, Erika Harold, who is of Greek, German and English origin on her father’s side; and on her mother’s side, both Native-American and African-American, is running for Attorney General of the state.

In California, Konstantinos Roditis aims to be elected State Controller.

In the New York State the head of the Democratic majority, Michael Gianaris is running for reelection, while Andrew Gounardes is running for the first time.

In the State Assembly, Democrat Aravella Simotas is running for reelection and James Skoufis for the first time.

On the Republican side, incumbent Nicole Malliotakis is also up for reelection.

Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis is running for reelection as well, while in Ohio State Representative Jim Trakas is running for the State Senate.

In Connecticut, Eleni Kavros DeGraw is on the ballot for the State Representative in the 17th District.

Finally, in Illinois’ Cook County, the incumbent Maria Pappas is the only candidate for Treasurer, a position she has held since 1998.

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NEW YORK – ARCAthens (Artist Residency Center Athens), a new nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York announced the Launch of its Inaugural Residency, Pilot Program: Spring 2019.

Aristides Logothetis, ARCAthens Executive Director, told The National Herald, “We are thrilled to introduce our Inaugural Fellows—artist Cullen Washington, Jr. and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah!

“Taking place in Athens, Greece, from February 18 to March 31, 2019, this six-week residency module will activate our mission to support the arts and build international bridges.”

Key features of the Inaugural Pilot Program:

• Both Visual Art Fellow and Curatorial Fellow will each be provided with live-work accommodations, weekly stipends, travel expenses, and a $1,000 Fellowship—allowing them to immerse and create.
• ARCAthens’ focused and dynamic Outreach Program will provide our Fellows and the Athenian community the elective opportunity to connect through scheduled studio visits, institutional tours, and discussion groups. Additional and extensive outreach with the Athenian community will be cultivated through events and introductions. To start, on February 19, 2019, our Introductory Welcome Event will be held at ATOPOS cvc, a non-profit, cultural organization in Athens.
• At the end of the program, the Fellows will participate in a panel discussion focusing on their work and experience.

Cullen Washington, Jr. utilizes the grid to communicate humanity and interconnectedness. He describes his collage abstract paintings as non-representational fields of activity. Washington has shown nationally and internationally. Selected exhibitions include The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Saatchi Gallery London, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Academy of Arts and Letters, NY. Washington has been a resident at The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. He is the recipient of a Joan Mitchell Foundation Award and in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, Charles Saatchi Gallery, Joyner/Giuffrida Collection, and the Alexandria Museum of Art, Louisiana. Washington will be a 2018 resident at The Joan Mitchell Foundation in New Orleans.

Larry Ossei-Mensah, Susanne Feld Hilberry Senior Curator at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), is a Ghanaian-American curator and cultural critic who uses contemporary art and culture as a vehicle to redefine how we see ourselves and the world around us. He has documented contemporary art happenings profiling some of the most dynamic creatives and visual artists working today—Mickalene Thomas, Kehinde Wiley, Meschac Gaba, Swizz Beatz and JR to name a few.

Ossei-Mensah cut his teeth in the marketing and advertising sector at Sony Music, ClearChannel, Fox TV, Carat Media, The World Economic Forum and Viacom. All of these experiences were the catalyst that informed his over-decade career as an independent curator before taking the helm as Senior Curator at MOCAD in Detroit in September 2018.

As a curator, Ossei-Mensah has organized exhibitions and programs at commercial and nonprofit spaces around the globe from New York City to Rome, Italy—featuring a roster of critically acclaimed artists including Derrick Adams, Firelei Báez, ruby amanze, Hugo McCloud, Brendan Fernandes, Derek Fordjour, Peter Williams, as well as Allison Janae Hamilton’s work at MASS MoCA (co-curated with Susan Cross). Ossei-Mensah is a co-founder of the 501(c)(3) collective ARTNOIR. In 2017, he was the Critic-in-Residence at ART OMI in addition to serving as a member of MoMA’s Friends of Education and a mentor at the New Museum’s incubator program, NEW INC.

ARCAthens’ first New York City Fundraising Event will be held on Tuesday, January 22nd in Tribeca at the newly-opened second gallery of R & Company.

More information is available online: arcathens.org.

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NEW YORK — Nia Vardalos and John Stamos, actors of Greek descent, and The Hellenic Initiative (THI) are launching an online campaign to help rebuild the Greek Orthodox Lyreion Orphanage destroyed by wildfires in Greece last July, according to THI’s press release.

To date, more than $200,000 has been raised and this new online campaign will generate even more funds to be funneled directly to the orphanage for rebuilding. Campaign donations can be made at The Hellenic Initiative Wildfire Relief Fund.

“My heart aches for these orphaned children who’ve been displaced from their home,” said Vardalos, a spokesperson for adoption, and author of The New York Times bestseller, “Instant Mom,” the story of adopting her daughter via American Foster Care. Social workers confirm the book has helped place more than 1,300 children in permanent homes. Vardalos donates all book proceeds to adoption charities. “Greeks living around the world care about Greece and rebuilding this orphanage is a way to help these children in need.” Vardalos’ family is originally from Kalavryta and Sparta in Greece.

“As a new father, the perils these children face hit me particularly hard,” said first-time father John Stamos, whose son Billy was born this spring.” That feeling, coupled with the Greek embrace of philotimo, which is tough to translate, but means a sense of duty and honor and the desire to help others in need, motivated me.” Stamos’ family hails from the village of Kakouri in the Peloponnese area of Greece.

“The summer fires, which claimed 90 lives across Greece, engulfed 50-year-old Lyreion orphanage in Neos Voutzas, Greece, on July 23. While there was no loss of life at the orphanage, which is on the outskirts of Athens, the site remains uninhabitable. The organization had housed 65 children in five homes — one of which burned down and two of which were severely damaged, as were administrative buildings. Other fire losses include the orphanage’s school buses, trucks, farm equipment, and a 1,000-tree olive grove that provided olive oil to the orphanage,” THI says.

“We are grateful the Greek diaspora has come together to rebuild for the children, who are the future of Greece,” Mark Hadjipateras, board member and supporter of the Lyreion Orphanage said. “My family started the orphanage in 1967, so the work by Nia, John, and THI is close to my heart. Their generosity will go a long way toward making the dream of a new Lyreion come true.” Mr. Hadjipateras noted that the children are in temporary accommodations waiting for their new home to be rebuilt. The Lyreion Children’s Foundation is funded by donations, and does not receive subsidies.

About Nia Vardalos

Nia Vardalos is the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated writer and actor of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” 1 and 2, “Connie and Carla,” “I Hate Valentine’s Day,” “My Life in Ruins,” and co-writer with Tom Hanks of “Larry Crowne.” Most recently, she starred in her acclaimed New York Times Critics Pick stage adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s book, “Tiny Beautiful Things,” directed by Thomas Kail. Vardalos is also The New York Times bestselling author of “Instant Mom,” the true story of adopting her daughter as a toddler via American Foster Care.

About John Stamos

John Stamos is a two-time Emmy Award nominated actor and producer who has performed for more than 30 years across television, film, and theater. He is currently co-starring in Greg Berlanti’s new drama “You,” which premiered September 2018 on Lifetime. His many television credits include “General Hospital,” “Full House,” “ER,” “Grandfathered,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Galavant,” and “Scream Queens.” Stamos serves as a producer and guest star on the sequel to “Full House,” “Fuller House,” which premiered in 2016 and recently completed filming its fourth season. He has starred on the stage numerous times, including his Broadway debut in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (1995), as well as “Cabaret” (2002), “Nine” (2003), “Bye Bye Birdie” (2009), and “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” (2012). A drummer, singer and musician, Stamos has toured, recorded and collaborated with the Beach Boys for more than 30 years.

About The Hellenic Initiative

The Hellenic Initiative (THI), founded in 2012, is a global, nonprofit, secular institution mobilizing the Greek diaspora and Philhellene community to support sustainable economic recovery and renewal for the Greek people. THI’s programs address crisis relief through strong nonprofit organizations. THI also builds entrepreneurial skills in a new generation of business leaders. THI hosted its 6th Annual Gala in New York City on Friday, September 21, 2018 and raised more than $2 million in funds that will be invested in entrepreneurial programs in Greece and support crisis relief organizations — including rebuilding of the Lyreion Orphanage.

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CONSTANTINOPLE – On November 3, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Excellency President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine reaffirmed their desire to enhance the cooperation between the Ecumenical Patriarchate (EP) and the Ukrainian Nation – within the framework of the process for granting Autocephaly to the unified Orthodox Church in Ukraine – during President Poroshenko’s visit to EP’s headquarters at the Phanar.

Patriarch Bartholomew warmly received Poroshenko, accompanied by Their Excellencies Stepan Kubiv and Gennadiy Zubko, Vice Prime Ministers of his Government; His Excellency Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs; His Excellency Stepan Poltorak, Minister of Defense; and the Honorable Yurij Lutsenko, Prosecutor General, together with a large delegation of his colleagues and His Excellency Andriy Sybiha, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey.

Immediately following their private meeting in the Patriarchal Office, Bartholomew and Poroshenko signed a Bilateral Agreement on Cooperation and Coordination before their colleagues and numerous representatives of the mass media in the Chamber of the Throne.

His All-Holiness characterized the day as historic for relations between the EP and Ukraine, while underscoring that the signed Agreement “will expedite the granting of the Tomos recognizing the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

“This autocephaly, which for years – not to say centuries – you have so fervently and nostalgically awaited is your right, just as it was the right of all the other people of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, whose churches received autocephaly from the Mother Church of Constantinople. It is also the exclusive prerogative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in accordance with the Holy Canons, to grant this autocephaly when it deems fit, whenever circumstances have matured.

“Here at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we are convinced that our decision will lead the Ukrainian people and the Orthodox faithful there to greater unity—which they have been deprived of for about the last thirty years – and that almost all of the country’s Orthodox faithful will rally around this new Autocephalous Church of Ukraine. In this way, this Autocephalous Church will enter the family of Orthodox Autocephalous Churches and we shall all work together for the good of our faithful and the glory of the Lord’s name.”

The Patriarch thanked Boroshenko for conceding the magnificent Church of Saint Andrew in Kyiv to the Mother Church “so that the permanent presence of your Mother Church of Constantinople may be there in the Capital of Ukraine.” He also expressed his wish “that the Lord may grant [him] the opportunity to visit once more, in the near future, your beautiful and hospitable country [of Ukraine].” The Patriarch then asked the President to convey the blessing of the Mother Church and his love to the entire Ukrainian people.

Boroshenko also characterized the day as historic: “Ukrainians wanted and prayed for us to have a unified, local, Autocephalous Church. After Pascha, on April 9th, we met with His All-Holiness in this office (i.e., the Patriarchal Office) and agreed to move forward with the granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church. Personally, the Parliament and I worked hard for the Ukrainian people to have Autocephaly. All the Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, of the Patriarchate of Kyiv, of the autocephalous Church and part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Moscow, signed a petition of appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the granting of this Autocephaly, which has been the dream of the entire Ukrainian nation for 1030 years. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I express my deep gratitude for this wise decision to grant Autocephaly to the unified Orthodox Ukrainian Church. The agreement that we signed today will greatly assist us so that the Tomos of Autocephaly may be granted very soon.”

He mentioned that the Agreement will assist the Ukrainian people on the way toward autocephaly, while also bringing an end to heresies and tensions, so that peace will once again prevail in Ukraine.
Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon, and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton attended the private meeting.

Afterward, Bartholomew accompanied Boroshenko to the Venerable Patriarchal Church, where the latter paid his respects and was informed by the Grand Syngellos Amvrosios about the Church’s history and the sacred treasures preserved there.

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WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Oxi Day Foundation again featured #OXIcourage, past and present, before top U.S. policymakers from the White House and State Department, and thought leaders from think tanks and the media. On October 25, at the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Foundation honored modern day fighters for freedom and democracy who exhibit the David vs. Goliath courage of the Greeks in World War II.

The prestigious Oxi Courage Award was presented to twice-poisoned Russian democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza and Chinese poet Liu Xia, the widow of China’s greatest dissident and Nobel laureate Liu Xaibo. The Chairman of the national Holocaust Museum Board, Howard Lorber, received the Metropolitan Chrysostomos Award which highlights the courage of the Greeks during the Holocaust.

Mike Manatos, Executive Director of the Foundation, told The National Herald, “We are humbled and inspired by the Oxi courage of our honorees again this year. Like the Greeks in World War II and throughout time have proven, and as our honorees continue to prove today, as Vladimir Kara-Murza said that night, ‘moral courage can be stronger than military might.’”

Previous recipients of the Oxi Courage Award award include:

• 2017: North Korean defector and human rights activist Ji Seong-ho – who 3 months later was featured by the President of the United States in the State of the Union address.
• 2016: Vice President Joe Biden and son Beau Biden (posthumously).
• 2016: Escaped ISIS sex slave and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nadia Murad (nominated by Amal Clooney).
• 2015: Imprisoned Azerbaijani activist Leyla Yunus (nominated and introduced by Bono) – who weeks later was freed from jail.
• 2014: Journalist James Foley, just weeks after becoming the first American executed by ISIS. (President Bill Clinton introduced Foley and Jim’s parents accepted the award).

Earlier in the day, at the National World War II Memorial, the Oxi Day Foundation honored three remarkable WWII veterans – a Greek, a Greek-American, and an American – alongside Korean War veteran Michael Johnson who received the prestigious 2018 Michael Jaharis Service Award, for his service in the war and continued service to the Greek-American community.

The WWII veterans honored were: 101 year old American veteran nominated by Senator Bob Dole (who previously received this award), Celestino Almeda; 97 year old Greek veteran who fought alongside U.S. troops in the historic D-Day battle, Rear Admiral Theodoros Lymberakis; and (posthumously) Greek-American member of the remarkable OSS (the pre-cursor to the CIA), Alexander Georgiades.

About the Honorees

Vladimir Kara-Murza is vice chairman of the Open Russia movement and chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom. He was a longtime colleague of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. Kara-Murza is a former deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and was a candidate for the Russian State Duma. He has testified on Russian affairs before parliaments in Europe and North America and played a key role in the passage of the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law that imposed targeted sanctions on Russian human rights violators.

Twice, in 2015 and 2017, he was poisoned with an unknown substance and left in a coma; the attempts on his life were widely viewed as politically motivated. Kara-Murza writes regular commentary for the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, World Affairs, and other periodicals, and has previously worked as a journalist for Russian broadcast and print media, including Ekho Moskvy and Kommersant.Kara-Murza is a recipient of the Magnitsky Human Rights Award, the Sakharov Prize for Journalism as an Act of Conscience and the Geneva Summit Courage Award. He holds an MA (Cantab.) in History from Cambridge. He is married, with three children.

Liu Xia was placed under police surveillance in 2010, the same year her husband, Liu Xiabo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee called “his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental rights in China.” Liu Xiabo was not allowed to go to Oslo to receive the prize; Liu Xia was also barred from attending the ceremony.

Liu Xiabo, who was detained in 2008 after promoting a pro-democracy charter, died of liver cancer at age 61 while serving an 11-year prison sentence for “inciting subversion of state power.”

Liu Xia was restricted to her Beijing apartment, where she was kept virtually incommunicado and under heavy surveillance, occasionally allowed to leave for short trips or receive visitors, but denied a passport. She battled severe depression and threatened to kill herself earlier this year.

Howard M. Lorber is the Chairman of Douglas Elliman, one of the nation’s oldest and largest real estate brokerage firms with approximately $26.9 billion in annual sales volume and approximately 7,000 affiliated real estate agents. In 2017, Lorber received a Presidential appointment to serve as Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He also serves on the board of the 92nd Street Y, on the board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, as Chairman of Southampton Hospital Foundation, and as Co-Chairman of the Silver Shield Foundation—a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance towards the educational costs of children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

During WWII, Celestino Almeda served in the Anti-Sabotage Unit of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East from December 1941 to January 1942 and then as a Filipino guerilla from May 1942 to April 1945.Along with American troops, he fought hard against the Japanese.Almeda was born in the Philippines but was naturalized and became a U.S. citizen in 1996. More than 70 years after the war, he continues to fight another longtime battle of his life: recognition from the U.S. government for his military service.Almeda was among those recognized on October 25, 2017 at Emancipation Hall in the United States Capitol with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. He accepted the first Filipino Veterans Congressional Gold Medal from House Speaker Paul Ryan and spoke on behalf of thousands of his comrades and their families.

The son of a Hellenic Coast Guard Officer, Theodoros Lymberakis entered the Hellenic Naval Academy in 1938 and, due to the ongoing war, graduated in 1940 with the rank of Warrant Officer. He served onboard Battleship HS Averof and in April of 1941, he was transferred to the Destroyer HS Hydra.After a German air assault resulted in the sinking of HS Hydra, he could not follow the Fleet departure to the Middle East in April 1941. However, he was fortunate enough to do so in November 1941. During his stay in the Middle East, he finished his Academy education and training onboard HS Averof and served onboard the Destroyers HS Kountouriotis,HS Kanaris, HS Spetsai, and the Corvette HS Tombazis. He participated in a variety of operations in India and in the Mediterranean Sea,and in convoys including Operation Overlord, the famed Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944. For his action during WWII, Lymberakis was awarded the Exceptional Actions Medal and the Military Cross 3rd Class. France awarded him the title Member of the Legion d’Honneur. After the war, he served as Commanding Officer onboard various ships, as Director of Academic Issues at the Hellenic Naval Academy, as staff officer at the Hellenic Fleet Headquarters and NATO Commands and as Naval Attache in Rome, Italy. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1969.

During WWII, Alexander Martin Georgiades joined the American army and was recruited into the American intelligence service, namely the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).Georgiades never hesitated to take on extraordinary missions, occasionally even risking his own life in duty towards “both homelands,” Greece and America.Born in Othos, on the isle of Karpathos, Alexander Martin Georgiades immigrated to America as a teenager, where he eventually studied electrical engineering at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Technical Institute (now Carnegie-Mellon University). He became an officially naturalized American citizen in 1940. Georgiades was a founding member of the Karpathian Educational and Progressive Association of America (KEPA), and member of AHEPA since its foundation.

Michael S. Johnson was born in Maryville, Missouri in 1926. His father immigrated to America at age 14 in 1903. Johnson graduated from The Ohio State University in 1949 with a BA and MSc in Geology. He was drafted in the Korean War and served from September 1950 to December 1952.He enjoyed a successful career in the oil and gas business. His exploration efforts over the past 57 years include over 10 oil discoveries spanning the entire Rocky Mountain Region, as well as projects in Greece, Italy, Guatemala, Panama, and Canada. For the past 60 years, Johnson has been an active supporter of Hellenism and Orthodoxy in the U.S. He is a member of FAITH, serves on the board of trustees for Leadership 100, and served for over 20 years on the Archdiocesan Council (where he first met Michael Jaharis). He has been a member of the Order of Saint Andrew since 1980 and is a major financial supporter of the Archdiocese, among several other causes. Johnson presently lives in Denverwith his wife of 59 years. They have two children, Alicia and Mark, and two grandchildren.

More information about the Washington Oxi Day Foundation is available online: oxidayfoundation.org.

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NEW YORK –

State Senate District 22

202 of 202 precincts – 100 percent

Andrew Gounardes, Dem 31,168 – 51 percent

Martin Golden, GOP (i) 30,039 – 49 percent

State Senate District 39

249 of 249 precincts – 100 percent

x-James Skoufis, Dem 48,789 – 54 percent

Tom Basile, GOP 42,051 – 46 percent

State Senate District 5

295 of 295 precincts – 100 percent

x-James Gaughran, Dem 62,933 – 54 percent

Carl Marcellino, GOP (i) 52,883 – 46 percent

State Senate District 42

263 of 263 precincts – 100 percent

Jen Metzger, Dem 48,075 – 51 percent

Ann Rabbitt, GOP 45,552 – 49 percent

State Senate District 43

248 of 248 precincts – 100 percent

x-Daphne Jordan, GOP 63,540 – 54 percent

Aaron Gladd, Dem 53,902 – 46 percent

State Senate District 50

258 of 258 precincts – 100 percent

Robert Antonacci, GOP 58,694 – 51 percent

John Mannion, Dem 55,865 – 49 percent

AP Elections 11-07-2018 06:50

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CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A shark killed a man in an island harbor on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef where two tourists were mauled on consecutive days in September in a spate of attacks that has left authorities struggling to explain an apparent escalation in danger in an internationally renowned vacation destination.

The 33-year-old victim, Daniel Christidis, was among 10 friends who set out from Airlie Beach on the Queensland state mainland on Monday morning on a rented yacht to sail themselves on a five-day cruise through the idyllic Whitsunday Islands, Police Inspector Steve O’Connell said.

They anchored 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Airlie Beach in Cid Harbor, intending to spend their first night in the popular, protected anchorage on Whitsunday Island, the uninhabited largest island in the group, he said.

Christidis, a urologist from the city of Melbourne, was taking turns with a woman standing on a paddle board or swimming in the harbor late Monday afternoon. He had dived into the water to give the woman her turn on the board when he was attacked, O’Connell said.

There were more than a dozen yachts in the harbor at the time. French-speaking tourists launched a dinghy from their yacht and rescued Chritidis, O’Connell said.

They brought Christidis to his own yacht, where most of the group had medical backgrounds, including two doctors.

“Despite their best efforts, the injuries were too severe,” O’Connell told reporters.

Christidis was taken by helicopter to the Mackay Base Hospital, 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the south, where he died.

“CPR was ongoing for a very long time and every solid effort was made to save that man’s life,” O’Connell said, referring cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

“They did everything imaginable to try to save the man. It’s just — the injuries were so severe,” he added.

Christidis’ employer, Austin Health, said the doctor was a research fellow.

A 46-year-old tourist, Justine Barwick, was attacked on Sept. 19 while swimming from a yacht in Cid Harbor and is recovering. A 12-year-old tourist, Hannah Papps, was attacked in the same harbor while swimming from a yacht the next day, losing a leg.

The last shark attack in the Whitsunday Islands before the latest spate occurred on Feb. 13, 2010, off Dent Island where 60-year-old tourist Patricia Trumbull survived lacerations to her buttocks and major blood loss.

Tourism Whitsundays chief executive Peter O’Reilly said at the time that the Trumbull attack was the first in the islands in 13 years and only the third ever recorded.

Daniel Gschwind, chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, which represents more than 3,000 tourism businesses, said on Tuesday that authorities were examining why the unprecedented series of attacks had occurred and whether environmental changes were a factor.

“We need to now have the scientific background and investigation of what is causing this sudden spike of attacks and interactions with sharks. We simply do not know why this is occurring and what is responsible for it,” Gschwind said.

The species of sharks involved in the attacks have not been identified.

Police and fisheries boats were patrolling Cid Harbor on Tuesday and advising tourists on yachts to keep out of the water, O’Connell said.

Authorities killed six sharks in the Cid Harbor area in a week following the September attacks in a bid to reduce their numbers in the popular tourist location. Critics argued that killing sharks was not the answer.

Gschwind called for a science-based response to the latest tragedy.

Australia had not experienced a fatal shark attack since April 17 last year and it has averaged fewer than two deadly shark attacks per year in recent decades.

—
By ROD McGUIRK , Associated Press

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NEW YORK (AP) — Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Greek-American Republican Anthony Pappas Tuesday in a congressional district representing part of New York City and, at 29, could become the youngest woman elected to Congress.

“There is nothing inherently noble about protecting a status quo that does not serve the needs of working-class Americans,” said Ocasio-Cortez, one of a handful of Congressional candidates this year who identified as democratic socialists.

Ocasio-Cortez’ victory over Republican Pappas, an economics professor, had been widely expected since the Democratic primary in June, when she scored an unanticipated upset over 10-term U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley.

Since then, Ocasio-Cortez has been hailed as part of a movement of new faces and voices in the party taking aim at more established, politically moderate Democrats. She supports government-paid health care for all, a $15 minimum wage, free college tuition and the abolition of the federal department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In the past few months, Ocasio-Cortez had traveled around the country to places including Kansas and California to stump for other candidates as part of an effort to move the Democratic party further to the political left.

Groans rose from the crowd at Ocasio-Cortez’ victory celebration as news broke that Republican Ted Cruz had defeated Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the senate race in Texas, but Ocasio-Cortez told her supporters, “We will flip Texas. It’s just a matter of time.”

Ocasio-Cortez, a community organizer and former bartender, will represent New York’s 14th Congressional District, which covers parts of the Bronx and Queens.

American voters have elected many men in their 20s to Congress, but Ocasio-Cortez could become the youngest woman to join the House.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican representing upstate New York, was previously the youngest, elected in 2014 at age 30.

Only one candidate for Congress this year is younger: Republican Morgan Murtaugh, who is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Davis in San Diego, California. Murtaugh is 26.

—
By STEPHEN R. GROVES , Associated Press

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