TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A year to the day after a federal jury began deliberating corruption charges against him, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez on Tuesday fended off his wealthy Republican challenger to win re-election.

Menendez, 64, defeated Republican Bob Hugin after a grueling and often ugly campaign to win a third term.

In front of cheering supporters, Menendez called it “a victory of hope over hate, facts over fiction, inclusion over division, for hard work over ripping people off.

“I’m so proud that New Jerseyans rejected the politics of personal destruction and the false, negative salacious ads,” he added, referring to the Hugin campaign’s television ads linking him to unsubstantiated years-old allegations of liaisons with underage prostitutes that surfaced before his corruption charges.

Polls showed Hugin, 64, a former executive with drug maker Celgene, and Menendez much closer than expected in overwhelmingly Democratic New Jersey.

In seeking to become the first Republican elected to the Senate from New Jersey since 1972, Hugin tapped his deep pockets for more than $30 million and spent on TV ads attacking Menendez over the 2017 trial on charges that he helped a friend with Medicare billing in exchange for lavish gifts.

The charges were dropped this year after a mistrial last fall. Menendez had always denied wrongdoing, but the Senate Ethics Committee admonished him and concluded that he violated the law.

He apologized to the public in a TV interview and in the race’s only debate in the weeks before the election.

In his concession speech Tuesday, Hugin told supporters that he was proud that his campaign created “a new template” for Republicans by reaching out to urban areas in all corners of the state and letting people know “we represent all of New Jersey.”

“I wasn’t the right messenger to get it delivered, but we opened the door,” he said.

One of Menendez’s supporters at his victory party was Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, a member of the jury at his 2017 corruption trial who was excused midway through deliberations for a scheduled vacation. Arroyo-Maultsby told The Record on Tuesday night that Menendez was “a great man” and repeated her contention from after the trial that he had done nothing wrong.

Another supporter Samantha Bohr, 26, of Parsippany-Troy Hills, said she backed Menendez despite the trial.

“At the end of the day it was a hard choice, and when the good outweighs the bad, you just have to go with it,” Bohr said.

Bohr said she backed Menendez on the expectation that he will be a voice in the Senate to protect health care for Americans and work for immigration reform.

The race was particularly significant because Democrats sought to defend 26 seats, including 10 incumbents running in states that President Donald Trump won in 2016.

Nearly all New Jersey’s voters casting midterm election ballots said deciding who controls Congress played a role in their decision, according to a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate.

AP VoteCast found most said that Trump was a factor in their vote, while a majority also said the country is headed in the wrong direction.

AP VoteCast, an innovative nationwide survey of about 138,000 voters and nonvoters — including 3,800 voters and 664 nonvoters in the state of New Jersey — conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Menendez’s 2015 corruption indictment in which federal prosecutors charged that he accepted lavish gifts from a Florida eye doctor who is his friend in exchange for helping him with a Medicare billing issue was a central issue in the campaign.

Hugin, though, concentrated on scandalous details in the trial, calling Menendez untrustworthy and highlighting a Senate Ethics Committee admonition letter that took him to task. The ethics panel concluded Menendez’s actions “reflected discredit upon the Senate.”

Menendez defended himself by pointing to votes for women’s rights and on health care. He also attacked Hugin over his time at Celgene, which settled for $280 million on Hugin’s watch in 2017 over allegations it promoted cancer drugs that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The company didn’t admit liability, and Hugin points to the life-saving drugs that the company makes for cancer patients.

The race was ugly at times.

Hugin ran an ad that referred to the allegations involving prostitutes, which Menendez called “lies.”

But the barrage of negative ads led to outside Democratic groups pouring money into the race. Senate Majority PAC, for example, said in the final weeks of the campaign that it was spending $3 million on TV ads.

President Donald Trump seemed to be a factor in the campaign. Menendez raised him as a boogeyman and said Hugin would effectively be a rubber stamp for him in Washington.

Hugin, who contributed to Trump’s campaign and appeared at the White House for a roundtable talk about drug prices alongside Trump, largely tried to keep his distance. He said he would be an independent voice for the state.

___
By MICHAEL CATALINI and DAVID PORTER , Associated Press

AP writer Adam Geller contributed to this report.

The post Philhellene Democratic Bob Menendez of NJ Wins Re-election to Senate appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, released the following statement on her successful re-election to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District and the new Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Last night was a great night, not just for the Democratic Party, but for our country. The American people spoke loud and clear; they want change. They want a federal government that listens to them, hears them, and tells them the truth. They want a country that holds true to the values of equality, compassion and decency that have made us the envy the world. They want a Congress of, by, and for the people.

“I am humbled and deeply honored that the voters of New York’s 12th Congressional District have given me another term to serve them in the House of Representatives. All across our great district, there was strong energy and enthusiasm and high voter participation. Despite the lousy weather, the long lines, and the totally unacceptable problems with many voting machines, the people persisted and made their voices heard and I am proud to have earned more votes than any other candidate for Congress from New York on the ballot this year.

“It was this same voter energy that enabled Democrats to earn a majority in the House of Representatives and elected a historic coalition of diverse candidates to Congress. As a result, Congress will now be better equipped to respond to the everyday needs of real Americans because it looks more like the real America.

“We now must seize this opportunity and pursue an agenda that can make a real difference in people’s lives. We must strengthen our healthcare system and lower prescription drug costs, increase infrastructure investments, pass meaningful gun safety reforms, expand affordable housing, pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and stand up for the rights of all – for women and minorities, for immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community. Let us spare no effort to see to it that one day soon, equal truly means equal in this country.

“We also must restore the system of checks and balances that the founders of this country created. For two years, Congressional oversight of President Trump and his administration has been non-existent. That ends in the next Congress and as a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I will be at the forefront of the effort to hold his Administration accountable.

“The American people made themselves clear last night, and we must answer their call for change. I intend to make sure we do.”

The post Philhellene U.S. Rep. Maloney’s Statement Following Reelection appeared first on The National Herald.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Democrat and former Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis became the first woman Lt. Governor of California, beating fellow Democrat Ed Hernandez, with close to 57% of the vote in the November 6 elections. Following her historic victory, Lt. Governor-elect Kounalakis released the following statement to her supporters.

“Thank you.

This campaign was driven by one powerful principle – listening to voters across California and pledging to bring your stories, and your priorities, to Sacramento.

As California’s Lt. Governor, I will fight hard every single day to build an economy that works better for everyone. I will fight to protect our environment for future generations, and to make public higher education affordable, so that more families can walk the same pathway of the American Dream as I have.

Together, truly, we did it. Now, let’s get to work building a better, stronger California.

In gratitude,

Eleni”

The post Eleni Kounalakis’ Statement Following Election Victory appeared first on The National Herald.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire will have its first openly gay member of Congress, after Greek-American Democrat Chris Pappas narrowly defeated Republican Eddie Edwards on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump loomed large in the 1st Congressional race, with Donald Trump Jr. calling on voters to support Edwards days ahead of the election and Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani campaigning with him Monday.

Pappas, for his part, worked to present himself as a bipartisan voice for New Hampshire and said he would serve as a check on Trump and the Republicans in Washington. He also said he would work to fight against Trump policies that discriminate against the LGBT community, including making transgender service members feel unwelcome.

“I am humbled beyond words that the voters of the 1st Congressional District placed their trust in me today,” Pappas told supporters. “Voters in New Hampshire and all across the country are delivering a strong message. When America is faced with a challenge, we don’t’ give up. We don’t give into fear or anger. We persevere.”

In the state’s other House race, Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster was re-elected with an easy victory over Republican state lawmaker Steve Negron.

Kuster won a fourth term in the 2nd District, which covers the northern and western parts of the state. She was first elected in 2012. Among her top issues are fighting sexual violence and supporting veterans and seniors. She also worked across the aisle with Republicans on issues like the opioid crisis and agriculture.

“Tonight the people of New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District sent a message loud and clear that they want a Granite State and a country where no one is left behind and where we stand for the values of decency, integrity and opportunity for every single person,” Kuster told her supporters.

“When I went to Congress, I promised a new approach and that’s what we’ve done— bringing people together, Republicans, Democrats, Independents to solve complex problems,” she said.

In the 2nd District, Kuster benefited from greater name recognition and her profile as an incumbent. Negron trailed in the polls for much of the campaign and was far outspent by Kuster.

Kuster said she plans to fight Republican proposals to cut Social Security and Medicare and would continue to advocate for women including sexual assault victims.

For his part, Negron who opposed expanding Medicaid in the state, argued that Medicare should be run by states and that the opioid crisis should be fought locally. Negron, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant and a supporter of President Donald Trump, was a backer of building a wall to stem illegal immigration.

“It is disappointing to be honest with you. We thought we had done what we need to do to be competitive,” Negron told The Associated Press. “No regrets … I’m not going away. New Hampshire needs someone who will be a guiding light for the Republican Party going forward and hopefully I can be that guy.”

Justin O’Donnell, the Libertarian candidate, came in third.

Pappas, a former state lawmaker who helps run a family restaurant and serves on the Executive Council, said he would work to protect Social Security and Medicare, strengthen the federal background check system for guns and pass more policies that attract young workers to the state, including paid family leave and building a commuter rail service from Manchester to Boston.

“It is time to focus on making progress for Granite staters once again,” Pappas said. “Whether you are a Republican, an independent or Democrat, wherever you live, whatever your income, race or religion or whomever you love, I will get up each and every day and work for you.”

Edwards, a former state liquor commission official and police chief, campaigned for gun rights, limited government and repealing the Affordable Care Act. Unlike Pappas, Edwards never really embraced the face that could have made history as the state’s first African-American congressman, saying neither race, nor gender nor sexual orientation should define the race.

“Chris won tonight but we didn’t lose,” Edwards told supporters. “This is really about sending a message about what conservatism is all about. I’m very proud that we can deliver a message when we talk about human decency, unity, bringing our country together.”

The post Greek-American Chris Pappas is New Hampshire’s First Gay Congressman appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the largest Greek-American organization in the United States, has received a $100,000 donation from E. John and Cleo Rumpakis of Portland, OR, Supreme President George E. Loucas announced.

The donation was made in October and officially launches AHEPA’s “Century Capital Campaign,” a development campaign to raise $6 million by the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2022.

For their generous donation, the lobby of AHEPA’s Global Headquarters will be dedicated and named in honor of E. John and Cleo Rumpakis, the organization said.

E. John is a Past Supreme Governor and a Past President of Mount Hood Chapter 154, Portland. He also has served on AHEPA’s Cyprus & Hellenic Affairs Committee.

Cleo, a member of Daughters of Penelope Troy Chapter 32, is a DOP Past District 22 Governor and DOP Past Grand Governor. She recently authored Hellenic Tour USA, a guide book of the Greek American experience covering all 50 states beginning in the year of 1528.

“We are deeply grateful to E. John and Cleo Rumpakis for their unselfish gift to our capital campaign,” Loucas said.

The post AHEPA Receives $100,000 Donation from E. John and Cleo Rumpakis appeared first on The National Herald.

ANDOVER, MA – Over 450 people from the Arlington, Lowell, and Greater Boston areas of Massachusetts attended a luncheon on November 4 at the Andover Country Club to honor and support Fr. Nicholas Kastanas, former priest of the St. Athanasius the Great parish in Arlington. Over a hundred more could not participate due to space limitation.

Fr. Kastanas was St. Athanasius’ presiding priest for 28 years but was dismissed in July, 2017 by Metropolitan Methodios of Boston. The dismissal created turmoil in the parish, the vast majority of the parishioners reacting via mass exodus, creating dire consequences for a parish that was one of the most advancing and promising in New England and in the Archdiocese as a whole. Some parishioners now attend neighboring parishes, such as Annunciation of Woburn, and others simply do not attend church services at all anymore.

Over 50 families removed their children from the St. Athanasius Greek School and established their own called Greek Group Tutoring, teaching the students Greek language, history, and culture. As The National Herald reported, the local hierarch of Boston unsuccessfully attempted to ban the Group from marching in Boston’s Greek Independence Parade on April 22; the decision of the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of New England, led by Bill Kafkas, ensured that the children were included.

Fr. Kastanas and his wife, Litsa, children, and grandchildren, were present at the luncheon. Hundreds ran toward them and greeted them, hugging them, and many were crying. Former Sunday School Director Ioannis Moutsatos offered the prayer before the meal.

Elissa Bowling spoke on behalf of the Organizing Committee. “Thank you all so much for making the effort to be here as we show our enduring love and support for our community, and for Fr. Nick, Presbytera Litsa, and their family. We deeply appreciate your commitment, and I for one am so happy to see all of these familiar faces in one place again.

“Being part of our wonderful community taught me to love and be close to our Greek Orthodox faith. It is difficult for me to put into words how much growing up in this community has meant to me, and I think we all feel it each time we get together. To me, this community exemplifies caring and giving, and showing up in support of one other.”

She said Kastanas’ “love, compassion, encouragement, and support to all of us has enriched us personally and spiritually and built our community. That’s why we’re all here today.”
As TNH reported, Metropolitan Methodios imposed liturgical suspension on Kastanas, cutting off his salary and medical insurance, leaving him and his family without any means of support.

Although Archbishop Demetrios of America knows what has transpired and has placed the parish in a difficult position, he has taken no action. This apparent indifference is not new regarding parishes under Methodios’ metropolis, where Methodios has created significant problems, including at Transfiguration in Lowell, which many dedicated parishioners left.

Meanwhile Fr. Anthony Evangelatos was appointed priest at St. Athanasius, while the assistant priest, Fr. Aaron Walker was transferred to the St. Spyridon parish in Rhode Island.

The post Hundreds Attend Andover, MA Luncheon in Honor and Support of Fr. Nicholas Kastanas appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek and Philhellene candidates made a solid showing in the federal and state elections on November 6, with the Greek-American presence not only being preserved but also strengthened.

In particular, in the House of Representatives, there are now six Greek-Americans, since Dina Titus (D-Nevada), Gus Bilirakis (R-Florida), MichaelWaltz (R- Florida), Charlie Christ (D- Florida), John Sarbanes (D-Maryland) and Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire) won their respective races.

The big news was, of course, the victory of the young Pappas, who, after a very close race, prevailed with 53.5% against 45.1% of Eddie Edwards. Pappas is the first openly gay representative in Congress for New Hampshire.

In the 12th District of Florida, Gus Bilirakis gathered 58.1% with 194,383 votes against his Democratic rival, Chris Hunter, who won 132,632 votes and 39.6%. In this way, Bilirakis was reelected, in spite of tough competition and an opponent who raised more funds.

In the 13th district, Charlie Christreceived 57.6% and 185,263 votes against 42% and 134,183 for Republican, George Buck. In the 6th District, the news was good for the candidate of Greek descent, Michael Waltz, the Republican who beat opponent, Nancy Schoenberg (56.3% – 43.7%).

In Maryland, John Sarbanes was a favorite over Charles Anthony and was re-elected by a comfortable majority after receiving 68.6% against 28.8% for his Republican counterpart.

Dina Titus’ win in Nevada was secured with 66% of the vote to citing Republican Joyce Bentley’s 34%.

On the contrary, for the Senate, the unpleasant news for the Greek community came from the State of Wisconsin, where Republican Leah Papachristou-Vukmir lost to Democratic Tammy Baldwin. In the State of New York, Professor Anthony Pappas suffered an overwhelming defeat by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with 13.8% against 78%.

Nonetheless, Democrat Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey, a philhellene and a longtime supporter of Greek national affairs, won the big fight against Republican Bob Hugin. Although initially trailing, Menendez prevailed with 53.1% (1,470,229 votes) against 43.7% (1,210,698).

In California, Democrat and former Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis became the first female Lt. Governor, beating fellow Democrat Ed Hernandez, with close to 57%. In Connecticut, Susan Bysiewicz, of Greek and Polish descent, also takes over the position of Lt. Governor, after the thriller for the Democratic candidate for Governor, Ned Lamont. The counting of the ballots lasted until 6 in the morning, as the electronic ballots got wet, so the counting was done manually.

Five Greek-Americans Win in State Elections

Positive results for the Greek-Americancandidates in the state legislatures. In New York, State Senator Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, had secured their re-election early on, since they ran unopposed in Tuesday’s elections.

The toughest battle was fought by Andrew Gounardes, former Counsel to the Brooklyn Borough President, and the Democratic candidatefor the State Senate. Gounardis,will join Mr. Gianaris, having prevailed with 51%, against 49% for his Republican rival,the incumbent 8-term State Senator Marty Golden.

In the New York State Assembly, Republican Nicole Malliotakis had a comfortable majority against her opponent (Adam Baumel), with 61% against 39%. Assemblymembers Simotas and Malliotakis will be joined by a third Greek-American, James Skoufis, who scored a clear victory against his opponent, Tom Basile.

In Rhode Island, Leonidas Raptakis will continue his consistent presence in the State, with 55% of the vote, without being particularly at risk from Republican Scott Copley. In contrast, in Ohio, Republican Jim Trakas lost with 49% against 51% for his Democratic rival Phil Robinson. In his post on Facebook, Trakas congratulated his opponent,“Congratulations to Phil Robinson, District 6’s new State Representative. Phil ran a great race and put his heart and soul into it. Best wishes to our new State Representative.”

In the two races for State Auditors, Zack Space was defeated in Ohio, but Kathy Kromedas McGuinness won in Delaware. In her social media post, she noted that “the work starts now.”

Republican Erika Harold was defeated in the race for Illinois Attorney General by Democratic State Senator Kwame Raoul, while in Connecticut Eleni Kavros DeGraw failed to be elected after losing the battle to Republican Leslee Hill.

Judge Helen Voutsinas Elected to New York Supreme Court

Judge Helen Voutsinas was elected to the Supreme Court of New York, in the 10th District, taking first place on the single ballot for the 14 candidate judges vying for the 7 open positions.

In particular, Judge Voutsinas received 12.97% and 801,939 votes, with a marginal difference from the second place finisher, Judge Ruth C. Balkin.

The post More Greek-Americans Elected to Federal and State Office- All the Results appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) held its sixth annual Food & Wine Gala on November 6 at The Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. Chef Costas Spiliadis, whose world-renowned Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Estiatorio Milos was the 2017 winner of The Concierge Choice Awards’ International Cuisine category, designed a one-of-a-kind menu for guests, and also donated all food. The exquisite cuisine was paired with world-class wines provided by George Spiliadis, the son of Chef Spiliadis and Founder of Cava Spiliadis.

Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville, who is also a member of The NYSPCC’s Children’s Council, served as the evening’s host while Mary Pulido PhD, Executive Director of the NYSPCC, gave an inspirational speech about the NYSPCC’s work championing New York’s most vulnerable.

Renowned auctioneer Harry Santa-Olalla led the gala’s reverse auction, which raises crucial funding for The NYSPCC’s Trauma Recovery Program. The program offers a specialized therapeutic program for children, ages 5-18, who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, traumatic bereavement, or who have witnessed family violence. The Food & Wine Gala is one of the major fundraising events for the NYSPCC; the other being the annual Spring Luncheon, which in April 2018 featured an emotional guest speech by Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney.

“We are the first line of defense for vulnerable children and their families in New York City,” said Dr. Pulido, who delivered a powerful speech about the NYSPCC’s work. “Our Trauma Recovery Program provides life-saving counseling to children who have suffered unthinkable abuse, and we’re so grateful to everyone who attended this crucial event and contributed to their rescue and recovery.”

In her introduction to Chef Spiliadis, Deborah Norville said “He has been delighting guests on two continents up in Canada and here in the states and of course in his native country of Greece. He really elevated Greek cuisine to something that is really special, a delight to enjoy. He uses the freshest seafood, the freshest ingredients, the best stuff, and innovative ways of preparing his food. His son George is the founder of Cava Spiliadis and his interest and passion is bringing fabulous Greek wines to America.”

Chef Spiliadis said, “As the grandfather of 6, I understand the challenges that children face in this world which is becoming more cruel every day, unfortunately, and there is this responsibility we all have to make sure that we provide the protection and the warmth to these center of our society that is the most vulnerable, the children, so the NYSPCC is an organization that we must all support.”

George Spiliadis said he hoped everyone was enjoying the food and wine, noting that “tonight we’re serving wines from different areas of Greece. These are some of my favorites. We have wines from Crete, Santorini, and Northern Greece. We have some indigenous varietals that you’ve probably never tasted before, Assyrtiko, Malagoussia, please enjoy and thanks so much again.”

Spiliadis spoke with The National Herald at the event, noting that being a part of the NYSPCC’s Food & Wine Gala “is an honor, and as my father said, he’s the grandfather of six, I have three children and my sister has three. The children are the most important thing. It’s the least we can do to help this organization, helping children.”

Among those in attendance, Greek-American Vicky Cornell, the widow of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and a member of the NYSPCC’s Children’s Council, President of the NYSPCC’s Board Karl Wellner, Gilligan’s Island star Tina Louise, Delicatessen’s Executive Chef Michael Ferraro, who provided the NYSPCC’s exclusive Food & Wine Gala menu in 2017, Commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services David Hansell, business executive and former Reuters CEO Tom Glocer and his wife, NYSPCC Board Member Maarit Glocer, and New York Jets offensive tackle Brent Qvale.

The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) is one of the most highly respected child protective agencies in the world. Founded in 1875, the NYSPCC helps the most vulnerable children of our community recover from trauma. And, more importantly, it helps prevent child abuse through its work with parents, teachers, children and foster care agencies. The NYSPCC’s amazing work is used as a model for child abuse prevention centers across the nation. The NYSPCC has investigated more than 650,000 cases on behalf of over two million children and has educated over 47,000 professionals working with children on child abuse and neglect issues.

More information is available online: nyspcc.org.

The post NYSPCC’s 6th Annual Food & Wine Gala with Chef Spiliadis appeared first on The National Herald.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Hellenic American Women’s Council held its 25th Annual Conference on November 2-3 in Washington, DC. At a time when bold and responsible leadership is key to addressing national and global challenges, the conference focused on what makes leaders effect a positive difference to the world. HAWC also honored one of its own inspiring members, the distinguished journalist and communications professional Thalia Assuras, with the Aristeon Award.

Ms. Assuras represents the best of the Hellenic spirit: hard work coupled with passion, resilience with flexibility, grit with humanity. As the President of Assuras Communications LLC, Assuras is a nationally recognized communications professional in media, presentation and speech training; executive coaching; crisis communications; and public relations. Drawing on more than 25 years of journalistic experience as an anchor, correspondent and writer with national broadcast networks, she appears as a broadcast commentator, analyst, moderator and master of ceremonies for a variety of functions and advises newcomers on communications careers. An award-winning national television news anchor and correspondent for ABC, CBS, Bloomberg, CTV and Global CanWest in the U.S. and Canada, Assuras has reported on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Kosovo refugee crisis, natural disasters, national and international politics and elections, U.S. presidential summits, and Olympic Games. She has interviewed Presidents, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, leaders of foreign nations, corporate executives, scientists, authors and celebrities, among others. She has lectured on journalism and media at American University, George Washington University, and the University of Western Ontario. She is a member of the advisory boards of the Center for National Policy and the Next Generation Initiative.

Assuras was honored with the Aristeon Award and delivered the keynote speech on November 3 at a luncheon at the Capital Hilton. That morning, a panel discussion too place entitled “Leaders Who Make A Difference,” moderated by the editor of Washington Monthly magazine Paul Glastris. The presenters, Former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department Barbara Spyridon Pope, Former Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development Andrew Natsios, and Former Official of the Environmental Protection Agency Margot (Tsirigotis) Oge, explored the type of leaders who make a positive difference to the world, from their personal experiences.

Stella Kokolis, HAWC Founder and Federation of Hellenic-American Educators President, spoke with The National Herald about the event and how the organization was founded with Theodora Hancock for networking and promoting Hellenic culture. She told TNH that HAWC continues to connect professionals from various fields including education, politics, and public relations, and sponsors regional conferences, lectures, debates, and seminars by prominent scholars, government officials, and experts on various issues of interest to its membership. Kokolis noted that newly elected President Maria Stamoulas will undoubtedly carry on the mission of the organization and its Hellenic character.

More information about the Hellenic American Women’s Council is avialble online: hawcnet.org.

The post Hellenic American Women’s Council 25th Annual Conference in DC appeared first on The National Herald.

ATHENS – In a highly charged emotional climate, crowds of people came to the village of Vouliarati (Vouliarates) in Upper Dropoli on November 8 to bid a final farewell to Konstantinos Katsifas, the 35-year-old who was fatally by the Albanian police on October 28th.

Twelve days after his death, relatives, friends, fellow villagers, officials, and many people who traveled from Greece, many of them carrying Greek flags, followed Katsifas to his resting place in the cemetery of St. Athanasios, where the Metropolitan presided over the funeral service.

Residents of the village told The National Herald that more than 4,000 people came to Vouliarati, including many members of the Greek and Albanian media.

The climate was heavy and calm, with many people struggling both because of the long journey, mainly from Athens, and because of the heightened security at the border, in the Kakavia outpost. During the funeral procession from Katsifas’ home to the village cemetery, many slogans were shouted about the Hellenism of Northern Epirus, Macedonia, but also against the government and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

After the burial, a massive march for about 2 kilometers followed from the village to the crossroads of the Kakavia-Tirana National Road, which was symbolically blocked for almost half an hour. Before it began, an announcement was made via microphone asking everyone to respect the family’s wishes for a peaceful march. Both during the funeral and during the march and closure of the highway, the presence of the Albanian Police was particularly discreet.

Among those in attendance at the funeral, Member of the European Parliament from Cyprus Eleni Theocharous spoke to TNH about a “rally for all the people with thousands who manifest their faith in the struggle of Northern Epirus for Freedom. (A rally) for human rights, brutally violated by the corrupt Tirana regime.”

Also in attendance, the Greek Member of Parliament Vangelis Tavos, Dropolis Mayor Achilleas Detsikas, the President of the Human Rights Party Vangelis Doulis, the former Labor Minister of Albania Spyros Xeras, the former President of Omonoia Leonidas Pappas, the President of the Association of Northern Epirus Babis (Charalambos) Karathanos, and many others. The New Democracy MP from Thessaloniki Savvas Anastasiadis and the deputy mayor of Ioannina Pantelis Kolokas also attended the funeral.

The former leader of the community and resident of Vouliarati, Pantelis Kouremenos, told TNH that “it was my honor that with our friends and fellow villagers we carried Katsifas’ coffin from the house to the cemetery on our shoulders,” while a special mention was made of the Greek singer, Savvas Siatras, who also touched the hearts of all those present “at St. Athanasios singing an Epirotic dirge he composed himself especially for Konstantinos Katsifas.”

“There was a lot of people, four to five thousand, from the village, from the surrounding villages, from all over Greece,” Vouliarati-native B.K. said (preferring to be identified only by initials), who resides permanently in Greece. “Unfortunately, this unfortunate incident had to happen in order to rally and unite so many people,” he continued.

HL, a native of the nearby village of Georgoutsaki, a permanent resident of Athens, said he traveled to Vouliarati to honor “a young man who died unfairly and so that Katsifas’ parents (Yiannis and Vasileia) did not experience the pain alone and so this won’t happen again.”

However, he also spoke of some nasty behavior, such as “several who have tried to use the occasion for political reasons and some even taking selfies by the grave, overshadowing all those who are not identified with any ideology or party, the common people.”

It is worth mentioning that the Greek flag was covering Katsifas’ coffin and he was buried wearing a military cap.

“Katsifas is a hero martyr,” continued Mrs. Theocharous. “He could have killed many, but he did not and shot in the air. What we experienced today was very moving. Our country has acquired another hero,” she said.

It should be noted that the Albanian authorities did not release Katsifas’ body for 11 days, raising numerous protests from institutions and citizens, including His Eminence Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania. “Let the body of Konstantinos Katsifas be released for burial according to the religious tradition. Let all the souls calm down. Let the irresponsible noise stop. The rest can then be studied with objectivity and mutual respect,” Archbishop Anastasios said on Tuesday.

Mourning and Arrests

According to CNN Greece, the Albanian police arrested four Greeks “who were traveling to Vouliarati to attend the funeral of Konstantinos Katsifas,” while the newspaper Eleutheros Press reported that “four top leaders of the Greek community in Northern Epirus, Charalambos Karathanos (President of the Association of Northern Epirus), Thomas Stefos (former member of the General Council of Omonoia), Christos Doutsis (former prefect of Upper Dropolis), and Andreas Kourtis (councilor of the Municipality of Ilioupoli) were taken to the Police Department of Gjirokaster (Thursday, 1 PM Eastern Time) and interrogated by the Albanian Police.”

Earlier yesterday, an appeal was made to the Greeks who went to the region to show restraint and respect to the Foreign and Citizen Protection Ministries, as reported by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. In particular, the two ministries called on “the Greek citizens who go to Vouliarati for the funeral, to commemorate the dead, showing self-restraint and respect for the family and the ceremony.”

It is noted that already since Wednesday night, the Greek Police were also on alert, carrying out checks on buses and private cars that were traveling to Albania.

Especially close to the Greek-Albanian border a blockade was set up as a checkpoint, while the Albanian authorities took similar precautions on the Albanian side of the border.

The post Konstantinos Katsifas Laid to Rest in Vouliarati (Vid & Pics) appeared first on The National Herald.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — One was a veteran police officer who didn’t hesitate to run toward danger. Another was an art student who worked with children at her church. Others were a Navy veteran, an a cappella singer who worked as a caregiver, and a security guard with a “big personality” who was known for making sure everyone got home safely.

They were among a dozen people killed in a shooting at a country music bar in Southern California. Authorities believe the gunman , Ian David Long, ultimately killed himself.

The victims’ stories began to emerge Thursday. It was going to be a “very difficult day for many people,” said Andrew Fox, mayor of Thousand Oaks, California, where the attack happened Wednesday night.

TELEMACHUS ORFANOS: NAVY VETERAN NICKNAMED ‘TEL’

Telemachus Orfanos, 27, was a U.S. Navy veteran with a thick beard, an easy smile and a gladiator helmet tattoo. His friends called him “Tel.”

“I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts. I want gun control.”

Susan Orfanos says her son, Telemachus Orfanos, survived last year’s Las Vegas mass shooting but did not survive the massacre at a Thousand Oaks bar. pic.twitter.com/fM1JtTMcPn

— ABC News (@ABC) November 9, 2018

“Here are my words: I want gun control,” his mother, Susan Schmidt-Orfanos said, her voice shaking with grief and rage after learning her son was killed. “I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts.”

She said wants Congress to “pass gun control so no one else has a child that doesn’t come home.”

Photos on Orfanos’ Facebook page show the Eagle Scout with friends at ballgames or at work. Some photos are embellished with patriotic graphics and another marks the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

___

RON HELUS: ‘COP’S COP’

Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus was talking to his wife when calls started coming in about a shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill.

“Hey, I got to go handle a call. I love you. I’ll talk to you later,” he told her, according to Sheriff Geoff Dean.

It was the last time she would talk to her husband.

Helus rushed toward the shooting and immediately exchanged fire with the shooter inside the bar, Dean said. Helus was hit multiple times and died at a hospital.

Sgt. Eric Buschow, who said Helus was a friend, described him as a “cop’s cop.”

“The fact that he was the first in the door doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said. “He’s just one of those guys that wouldn’t hesitate in a situation.”

Helus took up fly fishing a few years ago and loved pursuing the hobby in the Sierra Nevada mountains with his grown son, Buschow said.

“He was just a great guy, a gentle soul,” Buschow said. “Patient. Calm no matter what. When you call 911, he’s one of the guys you want showing up.”

Helus was on the SWAT team for much of his career and worked in narcotics and investigations, he said.

“If you were a victim of a crime, you want him investigating the case,” Buschow said. “He would go to the ends of the Earth to find a suspect.”

Thousands of people lined streets and many others pulled over to honor the fallen officer during a somber 25-mile (40-kilometer) procession that took Helus’ body from a hospital to a coroner’s office.

Dean choked back tears talking about Helus and called him a hero.

“He went in there to save people and paid the ultimate price,” he said.

___

CODY COFFMAN: ‘THE BIG BROTHER THAT MY KIDS NEED’

Cody Coffman, who had just turned 22, was talking with Army recruiters and preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, said his father, Jason Coffman, who wept as he told a group of reporters that his first-born son was among the victims.

Cody adored his siblings — three brothers between ages 6 and 9 — and he couldn’t wait for the birth of a sister, due on Nov. 29, said Jason Coffman of Camarillo.

“Cody was the big brother that my kids need,” he said. “He was so excited to have his first sister and now she’ll never know …”

He trailed off, sobbing, then said, “Oh, Cody, I love you, son.”

He said his son was passionate about baseball, serving as an umpire for a little league, and they went fishing together.

“That poor boy would come with me whether he liked it or not,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff I am truly going to miss.”

Jason Coffman said he last spoke to his son Wednesday night before Cody headed to the bar where the gunman opened fire.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Please don’t drink and drive,'” he said. “The last thing I said was, ‘Son, I love you.'”

___

JUSTIN MEEK: ‘FULL OF LIGHT AND HAPPINESS’

Newly graduated from California Lutheran University, Justin Meek cared for children with special needs, performed as a singer and worked at the Borderline bar.

It was there he “heroically saved lives” before being killed, Cal Lutheran President Chris Kimball said in a statement. He didn’t provide details.

The campus chapel overflowed Thursday with people attending a service of mourning. Meek, 23, majored in criminal justice and graduated in May, school spokeswoman Karin Grennan said.

Since last summer, Meek had worked for Channel Island Social Services as a respite caregiver, supporting families with children with special needs, mostly developmental disabilities, chief executive Sharon Francis said.

“Parents just adored him. He was able to bond with their kids,” she said. “He was just an all-around guy.”

Danielle Gallo, who also works at the family-run organization, said he was dedicated to the kids he worked with.

“You could tell he really had a heart for what he did,” she said, sobbing.

Meek also toured professionally as an a cappella singer, said family friend Patrick Ellis, who called Meek a talented musician, singer and athlete and a “fantastic human being.”

“He was a hero every day of his life,” Ellis said. “It was just always positive energy. … Anything he could do for you, he was just there.”

Meek played water polo for Cal Lutheran and had planned to go to San Diego this coming weekend for the retirement party of his dad, a Navy SEAL. Meek also worked at the bar with his sister and fellow Cal Lutheran student, Victoria Rose Meek, who survived, Ellis said.

“Both very polite, iconic American kids, highly educated, wholesome,” Ellis said of the siblings.

As a student, Meek lent his full, velvety voice to the Cal Lutheran choir, where “every time he sang, you could just feel it in your soul,” recalled choir member Rachel Counihan, 20.

“He cared so much about his craft and just cared so much about other people,” she said. “He was just full of light and happiness.”

Scott Roberts, 20, a junior at the school and friend of Victoria Rose Meek’s, had warm memories of her brother.

“He was just the nicest dude,” Roberts said. “I’m just praying he’s in a better place.”

___

ALAINA HOUSLEY: ‘AN INCREDIBLE YOUNG WOMAN’

Alaina Housley was just 18, a promising student at Pepperdine University with plans to study law, her family said.

Adam Housley, a former Fox News correspondent, and Tamera Mowry-Housley, an actress known for the 1990s TV series “Sister Sister,” said their niece was killed at the bar where she had gone line dancing with friends.

“Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her, and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner,” the couple said in a statement.

Alaina was bright, popular and well-loved, a student who had a 4.5 grade-point average since junior high school and earned college scholarships, said her grandfather, Art Housley.

She played soccer and tennis all through high school, studied piano and violin, and sang, he said.

“She’s a really good kid,” he said, fighting tears, before her relatives learned their fears of her death were true. “Everybody loves her.”

____

NOEL SPARKS: ‘ALL-AROUND GOOD GIRL’

Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old college student, loved going to the Borderline Bar & Grill, so friends and family were not surprised when she posted a photo of herself dancing there Wednesday night.

Her aunt Patricia Sparks of Morristown, Tennessee, said police informed Sparks’ father Thursday that she had died in the shooting.

“We’re in shock,” Patricia Sparks told The Associated Press.

She described her niece as an “all-around good girl. She was the kind of girl that if you had friends, you’d want them to marry her.”

Sparks was a regular at Borderline, where she spent Halloween and celebrated her 21st birthday in August. She often went there with friends and her mom.

When friend Jackie Jones heard about the shooting, she jumped into her car and headed to the bar shortly after midnight. She was determined to find Sparks.

“She would do that for me,” Jones said.

The two met through church two years ago and became fast friends. Sparks was artistic and a leader in church activities. She was majoring in art at nearby Moorpark College.

Sparks worked part time at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. She helped with children’s programs, the Rev. Shawn Thornton said.

“She loved kids. We had a lot of parents show up today to say, ‘She made my child feel important and that they mattered,” Thornton said.

___

SEAN ADLER: ‘A VERY, VERY BIG PERSONALITY’

Sean Adler, 48, was a security guard at Borderline who would stay late to ensure people could get home safely, said Debbie Allen, a longtime friend.

The married father of two boys died doing what he was passionate about — protecting people, Allen said.

“He was a very, very big personality and had a very, very gorgeous smile,” she said, adding that he had once considered becoming a police officer. “I don’t think in all the years I’ve known him, and it’s almost 30, I ever heard him say ‘no’ to someone.”

His other passion, she said, was coffee. Adler recently opened his own coffee shop, Rivalry Roasters, in Simi Valley, said Phil Englander, another longtime friend.

“He was just the most passionate person about coffee you would ever want to meet,” Englander said.

Adler joked about being a “coffee dealer” and spoke energetically, using his hands, while people listened.

“He always had that energetic personality,” he said. “He’s just such a warm and friendly and passionate person about everything in his life.”

Englander said he stopped by the coffee shop Wednesday to visit Adler.

“We talked about family, and we reminisced about an old friend of ours we haven’t seen in years,” he said. “I woke up this morning to tragedy.”

A vigil is being held for Adler Thursday night at the coffee shop. Another one will be held Friday to include family traveling from out of town.

___
By JONATHAN J. COOPER, AMY TAXIN and REBECCA BOONE , Associated Press

Taxin reported from Santa Ana and Boone from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press writers Amanda Lee Myers in Lose Angeles, Terry Tang and Alina Hartounian in Phoenix, Christopher Weber in Thousand Oaks, Julie Watson in San Diego and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed.

The post Greek-American Orfanos Among Victims in California Bar Shooting appeared first on The National Herald.

ΝEW YORK – Michael Katakis, born in Chicago to a Greek immigrant father and mother who was the daughter of Greek immigrants, is an author and photographer as well as the director of Ernest Hemingway’s literary estate.His latest book, Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts From a Life, was published in October.

Among his other books are Despatches (special limited edition), The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, A Thousand Shards of Glass: There Is Another America, Traveller: Observations From an American in Exile, and Photographs and Words written with his late wife Kris L. Hardin. He is the editor of Sacred Trusts: Essays on Stewardship and Responsibility and Excavating Voices: Listening to Photographs of Native Americans. His work has been translated into multiple languages, including Greek, and his writing and photography have been collected by The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC; the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Library in London; and Stanford University’s Special Collections Department. In 1999, Michael was elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Katakis recently told the Associated Press that two lesser known stories by the iconic American author will be published next year in a special reissue of Hemingway’s classic novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. The stories, The Monumentand Indian Country and the White Army,originally written in the 1950s, will appear alongside another little known, except among academics, story, A Room on the Garden Sidewhich appeared in The Strand magazine this summer.

For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Hemingway Library Edition will be published in the summer. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the novel was a favorite of Sen. John McCain, who died in August, and the title of an HBO documentary about the Arizona Republican and Vietnam War veteran.

Katakis edited and wrote the introduction for Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life and has overseen numerous posthumous projects. He has worked in coordination with the author’s son, Patrick Hemingway, on reissues of A Moveable Feast, Green Hills of Africa, and other books, along with the controversial publication of True at First Light, which Ernest Hemingway had left unfinished when he killed himself in 1961.

“I’ve been talking to Patrick for a long time and we always ask the same question, ‘Is there a reason for this to be released?’” Katakis said during an AP interview. He declined to comment further on why they had decided to publish the 1950s stories, part of the Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston.

Hemingway wrote five pieces in 1956, reflecting upon his time as a correspondent and participant in World War II. He would tell his publisher, Charles Scribner Jr., the stories likely needed to come out after his death because they were “a little shocking” and dealt “with irregular troops and combat and with people who actually kill people,” AP reported.

One of those works, Black Ass at the Crossroads, was released years ago, while The Bubble Reputation will at present remain unpublished.

Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life also draws from the collection at the JFK library and features photographs, letters, and extensive annotations. Hemingway fans will especially enjoy this unique book which is available online and in bookstores.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

The post Michael Katakis Edits Ernest Hemingway’s Artifacts appeared first on The National Herald.

ASTORIA – Vasiliki Kassapidis, Bessie, as she is known people by those close to her, “unfolded” her life story to The National Herald at her home in Astoria. The table was full of photos. Black and white, in color, some in frames, with notes on the back, dates, cities, names. Memories of three generations. A whole life, spread out on a table. Beside her, as always, her husband Dr. Anastassios Kassapidis, a well-known surgeon in New York and beloved in the Greek community for many years.

Mrs. Kassapidis is a dynamic, smart, brave, hardworking, tireless woman. She has always stood by her family and especially her husband. It is no accident that they say that behind a successful man is a dynamic woman. She remembers everything in detail. Her stories are many and interesting.

She was born on November 23, 1927 in the city of Lynn in Massachusetts. Both of her parents were from Mytilene. Irene, her mother, arrived in America when she was 21 years old. It was in the 1920s, when the immigrants arrived on Ellis Island for a better life, for the American dream.

As her mother had told, the three weeks on the boat were the best of her life. Her father, Efstratis had come ten years earlier to America in 1910. The couple met and went to Boston, then Lynn, MA, where Bessie was born into the Tragelis family.

She had two brothers, Gregory, who was a lawyer and John, who was a doctor. Both served in World War II. Bessie had just graduated from school and worked at Harvard University Bookstore. She was an active member of the parish of the Annunciation in Boston. There, she met the late Archbishop Iakovos while he was the Dean of Annunciation Cathedral and worked with him for many years.

In the early 1950s, Bessie worked for John Kennedy’s campaign. “An unforgettable experience,” she told TNH.

She remembers their acquaintance and speaks with admiration for him. He was very friendly and wanted to know all who worked for his campaign and to talk to them. “He was communicative and wanted to talk to everyone,” recalls Mrs. Kassapidis.

In fact, she tells me that Kennedy wanted to date her and was going to ask permission from Iakovos. But her father did not let her go. “He must be a Greek,” he told her.

“It was a different time then,” she said. About Kennedy himself, she said, “He was a handsome man, but also a lady’s man. He also wore a lot of makeup because he often appeared on TV. And in the televised debate with Nixon, he looked fresh and younger, while Nixon looked older and tired.”

Indeed, she recalled when the Greek community in Boston had raised $10,000 for Kennedy’s campaign and later he responded to the act by donating $3,000 to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Mrs. Kassapidis organized many charity events in the area to donate money for the needs of the Greek community, to churches, and others.

Bessie’s father, Efstratis, had a restaurant, McBride’s, at Harvard Square, which was a popular hangout for the professors of the famed University. One of the shop regulars was also the brother of her future husband who was leaving Boston for Greece to arrange his immigration papers.

“When he was leaving for Greece, he went to my father and said, ‘My brother is coming from Greece, call him so he’s not all alone.’ So I met my husband Tasso,” Bessie told TNH.

“I had his phone number and said to my mother, ‘I have this young man’s phone number. Do you think he came from Greece yet? It’s been a long time. Should I call him? Well, let me call him to see what’s going on.’ So I called him and told him, ‘I’m so and so, I know your brother and called to see if you need anything.’

“And so we met. Then we talked every day for two hours on the phone,” she says, smiling. In November 1958, they married in Boston and moved to Brooklyn, as her husband Anastassios Kassapidis was working on his specialty as a surgeon at Wyckoff Heights Hospital, while Bessie worked as an assistant in the hospital’s emergency room, and for a while she worked at the Hunter College Library in Manhattan. The children came a bit later. In 1961, Sotiris was born, and a few years later Amalia.

The family moved to Astoria in 1964, where Dr. Kassapidis bought a house and opened his own medical office. Bessie is always at his side and helps him with stitches, sores, biopsies as she has the knowledge and experience from the emergency department at the hospital in Brooklyn. “He would call out, Bess, come down, I have some sewing.”

She remembers heroin users who visited the clinic in search of drugs like opium, and she had to politely turn them away. Her husband was afraid, and called to her again. “‘Come talk to them, I cannot.’ And I went, I was not afraid,” she told TNH.

In 1976, Archbishop Iakovos asked Mrs. Kassapidis to work at the Manhattan Cathedral School. Their acquaintance, went back to her time in Boston, and she was considered to be a trustworthy person, as there were issues with school administration, coercion, and political games. Mrs. Kassapidis then applied for the post of president of the school board and joined the council. She stayed in the position for two years.

She was the rock of the house and a pillar at the doctor’s office. Because in addition to the role of mother, wife, assistant, secretary, in 1984 she was also assigned to manage the buildings owned by the family in Flushing and Astoria. She rented out the apartments, supervised the buildings and the doormen in more than 200 apartments.

Once, she remembers, drug dealers who did not pay rent, caused a great deal of damage. “The FBI went several times to the building, broke the doors down to catch them. They broke the doors and we had to pay for them. I went to court to testify, I was not afraid. Once we found someone dead from a drug overdose in the building.”

She remembers a story again with a tenant who had a gun inside an apartment. She then called the FBI to come but “I was told ‘we cannot come if there are no shots fired. At that time, I thought to convince them to come and tell them that they threatened to blow up the building, as they were threatening us to do it anyway. So I managed to convince them and they came to the building.”

A decade after, her husband invested in shopping centers in Montreal, Canada. But the manager was not doing a good job there. So Mrs. Kassapidis took charge of managing the business in 1995 and for at least 12 years, she traveled the New York-Canada route. While there, she also learned French. It is at that time that her daughter gave birth to her first child, Sotiris.

She tells us that when her daughter was giving birth, she missed it, and then her husband said to her daughter, “Don’t tell her you gave birth because she would come down and leave Canada,” recalls Bessie. “At first I didn’t like it in Canada. I missed my family, my husband, my children, and my grandchildren. In the meantime, however, I liked what I was doing. I also got a dog for consolation and companionship.”

Mrs. Kassapidis was driving 200 miles a week from Canada to Windham, north of New York, and her husband was driving up from Astoria to meet her where they had a home.

There they met all the years that she was managing the malls in Canada. She drove at night, in the snow and rain, and she did not mind at all. “Youth. When you are young you don’t think about what could go wrong,” she told TNH, recalling the past.

Today, Mrs. Kassapidis, reflecting on her life, does not regret anything, she said. And if she could go back, she would do the same all over again.

Talking about her husband of sixty years, she says he is the love of her life, the companion of her life all these years. They created what they did through cooperation. Besides, she has contributed greatly to their success, always helping her husband in accomplishing the great things and the small.

She is proud and happy for her family and her four grandchildren, two from her son Sotiris, Vasiliki, named after her, and studying at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine to become a doctor, and Anastasis, studying at Hofstra Law School to become a lawyer.

The other two grandchildren are from her daughter Amalia Spireas. Sotiris studied pharmacy and is now working at the pharmaceutical company SigmaPharm Laboratories but is still considering becoming a lawyer. Dr. Spiros Spireas, the Kassapidis’ son-in-law, is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the company. Granddaughter Mary is studying Pre Med, specializing in Chemistry.

The post The Dynamic Bessie Kassapidis Talks to TNH appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK–The Tällberg Foundation announced on October 17 the winners of the 2018 Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes awarded annually for extraordinary leadership – in any field and any country- to those who are courageous, optimistic, dynamic, rooted in universal values, and global in application or in aspiration.

The 2018 laureates to be honored:

SharmeenObaid-Chinoy, a multi-award-winning Pakistani filmmaker, journalist and activist who uses her world-class storytelling skills to focus global audiences on issues that affect marginalized communities with the aim of changing minds and impacting legislation.

Rafael Yuste, Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, leading neuroscientist, inspirer of the U.S. Brain Initiative (2013), and a leading advocate to frame cutting edge neuroscience and AI research within an ethical context.

Imam Omar KobineLayama, president of the Central African Islamic Community; Cardinal DieudonnéNzapalainga, the Archbishop of Bangui; andNicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, president of the Evangelical Alliance of the Central African Republic; the founders of the Plateforme des Confessions Religieuses de Centrafrique (PCRC) who seek peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion amidst the violence that has plagued their country and region.

“These leaders, working in very different contexts, share a common commitment: to make the world less what it is and at least a little more like what it should be,” said Alan Stoga, Tällberg Foundation chairman.

“Taken together, we view this as an incredibly positive andpowerful statement about the kinds of leadership we need in the world today,” he continued.

Winners of the Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, originated in 2005 and given in its current form since 2014, are nominated at large through an open, online process and are ultimately selected by a jury of people who themselves are accomplished leaders from a range of countries and disciplines. Each of the three prizes includes a$50,000 honorarium. The Eliasson prizes are generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

“The Eliasson Global Leadership Prize identifies and honors leaders, whose creative, bold and principled leadership is desperately needed today,” said Andreas Dracopoulos, SNF co-President.

This year’s winners will be honored on November 15 at a public colloquium in Mexico City that is being co-sponsored by the InstitutoTecnológicoAutónomo de México (ITAM), Mexico’s leading non-profit private research university. “We are delighted to welcome these amazing individuals to Mexico, and look forward to the opportunity for our students, faculty and alumni to engage with and learn from them,” said ITAM’s rector, Arturo Fernández.

The winners were chosen from among 825 nominees from 130 countries and dozens of different occupations, positions, and causes. The jury’s selections reflected the following considerations:

SharmeenObaid-Chinoy, filmmaker; because of her increasingly insistent and effective leadership not just in changing minds, but in addressing the facts that create outcomes that should be unacceptable in the 21st century.

Rafael Yuste, neuroscientist; because of his vision and leadership in contributing to the pursuit of new understanding of how the brain works, as well as his deep commitment to promoting a global conversation about the ethical implications of rapidly accelerating neuro-technology.

Imam Omar KobineLayama, Cardinal DieudonnéNzapalainga and Pastor Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou; because they are demonstrating that deeply rooted moral leadership can overcome the divisions of tribe, ethnicity, and religious identification in the name of our common humanity.

The post Tällberg Foundation Announces 2018 Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes appeared first on The National Herald.

Metropolitan of San Francisco, Gerasimos, issued a statement on the Thousand Oaks Shooting. He writes that “One of those killed was 27-year old Telemachus “Tel” Orfanos, a member of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge, CA. Orfanos’ family has been active in the parish for many years, and Tel served as an altar boy in his youth. This young man was a veteran of the United States Navy, and was a survivor of the Route 91 massacre in Las Vegas in 2017”.

The full statement reads:

Beloved in the Lord,

“Lord of the powers be with us: for in times of distress, we have no other help but you. Lord of the powers, have mercy on us.” Hymn of Great Compline, Plagal Fourth Tone

One life lost is too many. Yet today we mourn the tragic killing of 13 young people who were enjoying an evening at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California when gunfire erupted. A nightclub full of college students and young adults quickly turned into a crime scene with dead and injured people, and people literally running for their lives.

We grieve with the families and friends of all those who are suffering from yet another senseless act of violence. There are no words that can adequately provide solace and comfort, especially with the loss of young life. The bright future of these 13 people has been snuffed out like a candle, and the flame extinguished by the tears of those left behind who will forever have a void in their lives.

One of those killed was 27-year old Telemachus “Tel” Orfanos, a member of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Northridge, CA. Orfanos’ family has been active in the parish for many years, and Tel served as an altar boy in his youth. This young man was a veteran of the United States Navy, and was a survivor of the Route 91 massacre in Las Vegas in 2017.

There is nothing more powerful than prayer, and we must come together as an Orthodox family, raising our voices and our hearts in collective prayer. This Sunday, November 11, I ask that all our communities offer a Trisagion for the repose of the souls of those who perished, and prayers for the restoration of the health of those who were injured, and for the families and friends who are suffering emotional trauma from this horrific ordeal.

The time is now for us to also raise our collective voices throughout this country to all civic and religious leaders that definitive and decisive steps must be taken to eradicate this kind of violence that continues to befall our nation. We must not allow this type of behavior to become commonplace; it is up to us as people of faith to act in unity to stamp out this evil.

Let us continue to pray for peace in the world, so that no more innocent lives may be lost through random acts of violence, terrorism and war. May God, the source of peace and unconditional love, sustain us all through this tragedy.

With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco

The post Metropolitan of San Francisco Issues Statement on the Thousand Oaks Shooting and “Tel” Orfanos appeared first on The National Herald.

1. Η ΓΗ IN ENGLISH WORDS FROM EARTH SCIENCES

Η γηi s found in the form of the prefix geo-, γεω- in Greek, in many English words. They all come from Greek words.If we analyze these words in their compounds, you will realize that you are familiar with many more Greek words than you may think.

English word Greek word Pronunciation
Geocentric γεωκεντρικός geokentriKOS
Geochronology γεωχρονολογία geokhronoloYEEa
Geomorphology γεωμορφολογία geomorpholoYEEa
Geochemistry γεωχημεία geokhiMEEa
Geodynamic γεωδυναμικός geodinamiKOS
Geomagnetic γεωμαγνητικός geomagnitiKOS
Geomagnetismγεωμαγνητισμός geomagnitiSMOS
Geophysical γεωφυσικός geofisiKOS
Geophysics γεωφυσική geofisiKEE
Geopolitics γεωπολιτική geopolitiKEE

2. THE SECOND COMPONENT
Geo+centric = γεω+κεντρικός>γη+ κέντρο.
Geo+dynamic = γεω+δυναμικός> γη + δύναμη
Geo+magnetic = γεω+μαγνητικός> γη + μαγνήτης
Geo+morpho+logy = γεω+μορφο+λογία > γη + μορφή + λόγος
Geo+chrono+logy = γεω+χρονο+λογία > γη + χρόνος + λόγος
Geo+chemistry = γεω+χημεία> γη + χημεία
Geo+physical = γεω+φυσικός> γη + φυσικός
Geo+physics = γεω+φυσική> γη + φυσική
Geo+politics = γεω+πολιτική> γη + πολιτική

Τοκέντροisthecenter in English.
Ηδύναμη is the power, the strength, familiar to you from English words that come from Greek, like dynamic, dynamite, dynasty (= the family of the powerful).
Ηφύσηis the nature in Greek. The words Physics (ηΦυσική), and physical (φυσικός) derive from this root.
Ηπόληis the city, the town in Greek. From this word derive words like: ηπολιτική (politics), and οπολιτικός (the politician).

THE ENDING
RULE ONE
Ageneral rule is that Greek nouns that refer to a science discipline usually end in -ια, while in English end in -y. Therefore, the discipline is: Γεωχημείαin Greek, Geochemistr-y in English.
They may also end in -logy. This ending comes from the Greek verb εγώλέω (eYOLEo) and the noun ο λόγος (O LOyos). The verb means I say, I tell, I talk about and the noun means the talk.
RULE TWO
The relevant adjectives end in -ικος, while in English end in -ic or -ical: γεωκεντρικός, γεωμαγνητικός, γεωδυναμικός (geocentric, geomagnetic, geodynamic).

VOCABULARY
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Τοκέντρο TOKEntro the center
Οκεντρικός OkentriKOS central
Ημορφή EEmoRFEE the shape, the form, person
Ολόγος OLOyos the speech, the talk
Οχρόνος O KHROnos time
ΗΧημεία EEhiMEEa chemistry
Ηδύναμη EEDEEnami power
Ο δυναμικός OdinamiKOS dynamic
Ομαγνήτης O maGNEEtis magnet
Ηφύση EE FEEsi nature
ΗΦυσική EE fisiKEE physics
Ηπολιτική EE politiKEE politics
Οπολιτικός OpolitiKOS thepolitician
Ηπόλη EE POLi the city, the town
Ορόλος OROlos the role

EXERCISE
Can you understand and translate the Greek phrases below?They are all built with Greek words used in English. We just added the basic verbs έχει= has, έχουν = have and είναι= is.
1.Το κέντρο της γης είναι μαγνήτης.
2. Η Γεωχημεία και η Γεωφυσική έχουν κεντρικό ρόλο στη φύση.
3. Ο λόγος έχει δύναμη.
4. Tο κέντρο τηςγης.
5. Ο πολιτικός έχει δύναμη.
6. Ο πολιτικός είναι δυναμικός.

Match the English phrases below with the Greek ones above.
1.Geochemistry and Geophysics have a central role in the nature.
2. The politician has power.
3. The earth’s center.
4. The earth’s center is a magnet.
5. The speech is powerful.
6. The politician is dynamic.

PRONUNCIATION KEY
i (idiom), ee (needle), e (energy), o (organism), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.

The post Our Everyday Greek: Greek Words you Already Know from Earth Sciences appeared first on The National Herald.

The story of Philomela and Procne is one that can be added to the list of #MeToo revelations centuries after the myth was first recounted.

After Procne marries Tereus and moves away, she asks her husband to bring her sister to Thrace for a visit. On their way, Tereus rapes his sister-in-law. When Philomela asserts that she will declare his depravity to the world, he punishes her presumption and silences her by ripping out her tongue.Thus, he renders her threat empty. If she cannot speak, as men do, she is powerless. Philomela, however, devises another means to communicate, a method that Tereus, in his personal and cultural superiority, never anticipates nor can even imagine. She weaves the story of her rape, mutilation and imprisonment on a tapestry, and Procne reads it as clearly as if she were reading a text.

Unsurprisingly, male mythographers ignore Tereus’ crime and focus, instead, on the horror of the sisters’ revenge: killing and cooking Itys, Tereus’ son with Procne, and feeding him to his father. The sisters are monsters, unnatural women to usurp such power, and Tereus is a poor father bereft of his son and heir. This reading inaugurates a literary, social, and historical tradition in which women are troped as silent, submissive and subjugated as punishment for their audacity. Women, on the other hand, read the myth as a testament to the strength of female bonding and a model of self-empowerment through an alternate, female, non-verbal mode of communication – a female lexicon outside of patriarchy (i.e., the tapestry). And women become texts themselves, reading each other’s gestures, facial expressions and eye movements as subliminal statements of intent ignored by men as female idiosyncrasies. Women read and speak between the lines, within the ellipses of their conversations and, through this coded indirection, shape an alternate reality disdained by men.

For centuries since, women writers have used the metaphors inaugurated in Philomela and Procne to tell their stories.But who knew they were writing?A survey of Norton Anthologies of Literature – any literature, any decade – reveals that, other than a nod to Sappho, Elizabeth I, a few American colonial women, and little Phillis Wheatley, women were just not writing.Actually, they were just not being published. Another survey of Norton Anthologies in the mid-1960s – during the Women’s Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War Movement – reveals – WOW! – that women have been writing for centuries.And much of what they have been writing – even those colonial women – has been subversive. Beneath the veneer of the dutiful daughter, wife, and mother writes the woman who may not be able to reject these roles publically but who definitely criticizes the system that imposes them unilaterally and with impunity.

In 1898, Kate Chopin published The Awakening, in which a mother declares, “I would die for my children, but I would not give my life for them.” With that sentence, Chopin’s protagonist puts herself into the same league as Medea and Lady Macbeth, and Chopin’s career ends. Susan Glaspell helped found the Provincetown Players with Eugene O’Neill. Remember him? Have you ever heard of her?In 1916, she wrote Trifles, a one-act play that revolutionizes theater by setting its story in a kitchen – woman’s space – and moving men off-stage for most of the action.It is the story of a woman who kills her husband because he is emotionally abusive. The two women sent to fetch things she may need in jail find clues to the wife’s motives that the three male investigators discount as “trifles.” Whereas the men are looking for signs of violence, the women recognize that a counter that has not been wiped down, a quilt whose stitching is uneven, and a broken bird cage point to the wife’s oppressed existence. To the men, she is a terrible homemaker and, because she cannot fulfill that role satisfactorily, she is unnatural and, therefore, capable of murder. To the women, these female signs silently proclaim suffering. Like Philomela’s tapestry. The dead husband, on the other hand, though not terribly friendly, put food on the table (in a manner of speaking) a roof over her head, and clothes on her back. Well, at least one decent dress for church. What else did she expect from a marriage?

#MeToo has brought Philomela and Procne’s story into the 21st century.Women are no longer silent.They speak and write their outrage. Editorials, letters, picket signs, t-shirts, open palms, pink hats, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. But they are still too often drowned out by the cacophony of men who have appropriated women’s outrage as their own. Louis CK, who admitted to masturbating in front of women, decided he had suffered enough, was remorseful enough, and so he made a surprise appearance in a comedy club after a nine-month absence. Six months after Charlie Rose was fired from CBS and PBS, stories circulated that he would host a show in which he would interview other men who had behaved badly and were now shunned for their efforts. What kind of world do we live in that would even entertain such a notion, let alone garner viewers to tune in?

The kind of world that, just a few hours after Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford told her story in measured tones, allows Brett Kavanaugh to rage about her testimony in a partisan rant that should have disqualified him from the Supreme Court on that basis alone; a rant that was echoed by Lindsey Graham in a performance that defies comprehension. The kind of world that listens to the president mock Dr. Ford’s testimony in that grating voice of his and later call it a hoax. We all know that had Dr. Ford raised her voice less than an octave, had she punctuated her story with a sob, she would have been dismissed as a hysterical woman. Indeed, for many, the fact that she controlled herself made her credible. This in 2018.In the United States of America.

So Brett Kavanaugh will sit on the Supreme Court for decades. If we’re lucky, he’ll follow Clarence Thomas’ example and keep his mouth shut. Probably not. What we do know is that he is no Anthony Kennedy.

I don’t blame Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford if she never speaks publically again. Then again, she doesn’t have to.She has inspired a new generation of Philomelas and Procnes.

At the end of the myth, when Tereus realizes that he’s eating his son, he chases the sisters, bent on killing them. The gods have other plans. They transform the three figures into birds:Tereus become a hoopoe, a kind of avian catfish – you know, a bottom feeder. Procne becomes a swallow and memorializes her son with her song. Philomela becomes a nightingale, destined to sing the name of her rapist, “Teru, Teru,” forever.

The post Two Greek Girls and #MeToo appeared first on The National Herald.

CATSIMATIDES, MARY

CHARLESTON, SC (from the Charleston Post & Courier, published on Oct. 30) – Mary Catsimatides, 96, passed away on Friday October 26, 2018, in White Plains, NY. She was born, as she would proudly say, “on the corner of Princess Street and King Street” in Charleston, SC, on November 19, 1921, to her parents Constantine Michael Cockinos and Irene ZapetisCockinos. Mary was a free-spirited and independent woman who gave of herself to many, always had a lively comment to cheer people up, refused to let anything get her down, and loved life itself up until the very end. Her family moved to Charlotte, NC, where she became a beautician and taught Sunday school. Mary always had an adventurous spirit, and in 1954 she travelled to her ancestral home of Nisyros, Greece, where she met and married Michael Anthony Catsimatides. They settled in the Bronx, NY, where she raised her family and assisted him with intellectual and moral support in his successful candidacy for a dissertation at Columbia University in Philosophy and American History. She spent much of her time renovating the lower level of their home, where she did all the construction herself, and transformed it into a hair salon where she worked for many years before accepting a position as a sales consultant in the field of interior design with a window dressing company on Bartow Avenue in the Bronx. Starting in 1980, after the passing of her husband, Mary enjoyed traveling to Greece every year where she would spend several months out planning and rebuilding her mother’s ancestral home on Nisyros. Many close friends and family have fond memories of visiting Mary and coming back with precious stories thanks to Mary’s generous accommodating nature and desire to enjoy everyone’s company and always make even strangers feel at ease. Her last trip to Greece was at the age of 91, which she made by herself! She always liked to say about aging “don’t think of it as an age, think of it as a number,” for even at the end, she surely did not feel, look, nor exude the presence of someone who lived so long. While traveling to Greece, she would often take side trips throughout Europe and the Balkans, by bus, train, taxi, or foot, where her stories of meeting and hanging out with young travelers provided us with many hours of stories and photos of the people and places she visited. In the spring of 1996, after being retired for many years, she decided to move back to her beloved home town of Charleston, SC. Mary joined the prominent group, the Hat Ladies, and proudly displayed a variety of exquisite and unique hats for many causes such as providing assistance to the elderly, children and the sick, all of whom were warmly touched by her gift for buoying up one’s life just by her presence and her cheerful and positive energy. Mary is survived by her sister, PetsaCockinos Schwartz; her daughter, Renee CatsimatidesHoering; her son, Anthony Michael Catsimatides and his wife, Alyson Markell; her granddaughter, Cassis Hoering; and her niece, Constance Schwartz-Morini. She is predeceased by her husband and siblings, Frank Cockinos, Mike Cockinos, and Happy Cockinos. Visitation will be held at the Riverdale Funeral Home in Manhattan, on Tuesday, October 30, from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Funeral Services will be held at Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY, on Wednesday, October 31, at 11:30am.

CHAKNIS, EVA
ATLANTA, GA (from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, published on Oct. 26) – Eva PoolosChaknis, 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 EliakopoulosPoolos, 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.

COLLIS, FLOYD JOHN
WASHINGTON, DC (from The Maryland Independent, published on Nov. 2) – It is with great sadness that the family of Floyd John Collis announces his passing at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC on October 4, 2018 at the age of 93 years. Floyd was born in Washington D.C. June 10, 1925 to the late John Collis and Amalia Gartiata. Floyd’s family went back to Greece when he was one month old and he returned to Washington D.C. in 1946. Floyd joined the U.S. Army November 3, 1954 and was honorably discharged October 5, 1956. Floyd made a career as a Master craftsman by using his talent of visualizing and then designing restaurants, homes and nightclubs such as Port Said in Washington, D.C. all without blueprints and plans. He was truly gifted and one of a kind. Floyd will be lovingly remembered by his daughter, Torina Collis; son, John Collis and stepson, Michael Singleton. Floyd is also survived by his grandchildren, Johnny Jr., Kimberly and great-grandchildren, Bradley, Caleb, Lily and Arielle. Floyd will also be lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews. Family will receive friends for Floyd’s Life Celebration Visitation on Wednesday, November 7th from 5-8 p.m. at Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Rd, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Funeral Services will be on Thursday, November 8th at 11 a.m. at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2815 36th Street, NW, Washington, DC. Interment will follow at Trinity Memorial Gardens, 3221 Mattawoman Beantown Road, Waldorf, MD 20601. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.

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 IoannisSakkis and VasilikiDouros. 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).

The post Obituaries in Greek-American Community appeared first on The National Herald.

THRU 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 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.

MANHATTAN – On Sunday, Nov. 11, you’re invited to AHEPA’s Recognition of Veterans at the Holy Trinity Cathedral,337 East 74th Streetin Manhattan. Immediately following the Divine Holy Liturgy, the Manhattan-based AHEPA Chapter, Delphi #25, will sponsor Coffee Hour and will be in attendance to greet and recognize Veterans of the community. All are welcome to join!More information is available online: ahepa25.org and thecathedralnyc.org.

MANHATTAN – The Greek Lit Book Club presents a lecture on Byzantium for Beginners at the Holy Trinity Cathedral,337 East 74th Street in Manhattan, on Sunday, Nov. 11, 1-3 PM. Featuring Rev. Fr. John Vlahos, Nektarios Antoniou, Billy Chrissochos, and Daniel Padavano. Please contact Jeannie Kouros at 917-642-5633 or email jsedona27@aol.com for details.

NOVEMBER 12
MANHATTAN –The American Hellenic Institute Business Network requests the pleasure of your company at its Monthly Informal Networking Reception at Avra Restaurant,141 East 48th Street in Manhattan, on Monday, Nov. 12, 5:30-7:30 PM. Please RSVP to csirigos100@aol.com.

MANSFIELD, MA – Dream Dinner Fundraiser St. Gregory the Theologian Greek Church,1007 West Streetin Mansfield, MA,holds a terrific evening of assembling your own food and fun on Monday, Nov. 12, 7-8:30 PM.Help St. Anastasia Chapter of Philoptochos (Friends of the poor) meet their goal by participating in this Dream Dinners Fundraising session.More information is available online: dreamdinners.comand by phone: 508-337-9986.

NOVEMBER 13
ISELIN, NJ – The Greek American Chamber of Commerce invites you to a Job Transitioning Seminar, featuring Maureen Wilner of The Wilner Group Professional Staffing & Talent Management Solutions, at EisnerAmper LLC on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7 PM in Iselin. Please visit www.greekamericanchamber.com for details.

MANHATTAN –AHEPA Chapter, Delphi #25 Manhattan invites you to its General Membership Meeting at the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church,143 East 17th Street in Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 6:30 PM. This meeting is open ONLY to all existing members and those new members interested in joining on that day. Please visit www.ahepa25.org for details.

MANHATTAN –The Manhattan Women’s Chapter of AHEPA, Daughter of Penelope (DOP), Evryklea #36, invites you to its next Member’s Meeting at Cesca Restaurant,164 West 75th Street in Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 6:30 PM. Those interested in joining a fun and vibrant sisterhood organization focused on charity causes and networking opportunities can become members the day of the event. Please contact dop36.evrykleanyc@gmail.com for details.

NOVEMBER 15-18
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church,129 N. Halifax Avenue in Daytona Beach, holds its annual Greek festival November 15-18. Enjoy Greek foods, pastries, drinks, live Greek music and dancing, and more. Easy parking with shuttle. Hours: Thursday, Nov. 15, Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, 11 AM-10 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 18, 11 AM- 8 PM. More information is available by phone: 386-252-6012and online:stdemetriosdaytona.org.

NOVEMBER 19
MANHATTAN –On Monday, Nov. 19, 6-8 PM Hellenic Professional Women Inc. in collaboration with Kleos Mastiha Spirit invites you to its “Cocktails & Connect – NYC” event at Greca,452 Washington Streetin Manhattan. Effie Panagopoulos, Founder of Kleos Mastiha Spirit, will talk about her journey in creating her brand. Complimentary appetizers, cash bar. Please visit www.hellenicprofessionalwomen.org for details.

NOVEMBER 24
FLUSHING –The Association of Asgata “Cyprus” Annual Dinner Dance takes place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 7 PM at Terrace on the Park,52-11 111th Street in Flushing Meadows. For tickets and info, please contact Loula Antoniou at 347-345-7407 or Peter Louca at 516-679-2205.

NOVEMBER 25
GARFIELD, NJ – Cyprus Children’s Fund, Inc. invites you to its 2018 Annual Testimonial Dinner, honoring Mr. Savas Tsivicos, Former National Chairman & President of CCF, at The Venetian, 546 River Drive in Garfield, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 5 PM. Please visit www.cyprus-childrensfund.org for details.

The post Going on in Our Community appeared first on The National Herald.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A man who drove a car through a lunchtime crowd on a pedestrian-only Australian street last year, killing six people and injuring dozens more, plans to explain his actions during his trial, his lawyer told a court on Thursday.

Greek-Tongan James Gargasoulas, 28, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of murder and 27 of reckless conduct endangering life after driving a stolen car down a busy pedestrian mall and sidewalks in downtown Melbourne on Jan. 20 last year. He faces a potential life sentence in prison if convicted.

Gargasoulas agreed to “essentially all of the facts” presented by prosecutors and wanted to give his reasons for the rampage, his lawyer Theo Alexander said. He noted his client had been found fit to stand trial though he had a mental illness and was suffering a drug-induced psychosis when he drove the car.

“Mr. Gargasoulas, for better or for worse, is absolutely committed to his explanation,” Alexander told the jury in the Victoria state Supreme Court.

There were audible gasps as Prosecutor Kerri Judd played video footage of the rampage to the courtroom packed with victims and families.

Witnesses told police Gargasoulas appeared to deliberately steer at people without hesitation and went out of his way to hit a stroller with a baby and toddler inside, Judd said.

The post James Gargasoulas, Who Drove Car through Australian Crowd, Plans to Testify appeared first on The National Herald.