ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A leading critic of New York subsidies for Amazon’s plan to build a second headquarters in Queens was nominated Monday to serve on a state board with the power to reject the project, driving a wedge between opponents of the state’s financial backing and supporters like Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Greek-American Sen. Michael Gianaris of Queens has called the plan to award Amazon billions of dollars in tax credits and direct grants “offensive” to residents and taxpayers struggling with aging subways, overcrowded schools and a lack of affordable housing. Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, tapped Gianaris as her nominee to the Public Authorities Control Board, a little-known but powerful state panel that must approve the state’s involvement in the Amazon project. Each of the panel’s five members has the power to block the funding.
Cuomo could reject the nomination, but at the risk of further angering opponents of the deal.
Gianaris sounded a defiant note in an interview with The New York Times, which was the first to report the nomination, but said he won’t make a final decision until Amazon and city and state officials work out the details of the project.
“My position on the Amazon deal is clear and unambiguous and is not changing,” Gianaris said. “I’m not looking to negotiate a better deal. I am against the deal that has been proposed and don’t believe that it can form the foundation of a negotiation.”
On Monday a spokeswoman for the governor issued a statement denouncing Stewart-Cousins’ choice as “a clear sign” that the Senate Democrats oppose the deal. Dani Lever, Cuomo’s director of communications, said such opposition is “shortsighted” since the state estimates the Amazon campus could create more than 25,000 new jobs.
“Every Democratic senator will now be called on to defend their opposition to the greatest economic growth potential this State has seen in over 50 years,” Lever said.
Stewart-Cousins defended her selection, noting in her own statement that the Public Authorities Control Board has oversight over many projects involving state funding, not just the Amazon headquarters.
“Now is a crucial time for our state and he will bring an important perspective and accountability to this board as it reviews numerous projects,” she said.
There’s no timetable for a decision on the nomination by Cuomo, or on the PACB’s vote on the Amazon project.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo accused his fellow Democrats in the state Senate of “playing politics” by nominating a critic of subsidies for Amazon’s planned campus in Queens to a state board with the power to derail the project.
The governor said on public radio that lawmakers would have to answer to the voters if their opposition to the plan scuttles the project. The comments came a day after Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins tapped the chamber’s No. 2 lawmaker, Queens Sen. Michael Gianaris, to serve on the obscure but powerful Public Authorities Control Board.
“If the Senate is going to be the reason that Amazon leaves New York, I wouldn’t want to be running for re-election as a Democratic Senator, I can tell you that,” Cuomo said on public radio, adding that polls have shown support for the project among New York City residents.
While legislative leaders can nominate people to the board, Cuomo has the final say over appointments to the board. Each of its five members has the power to block funding for individual projects that are up for board approval. Cuomo said he hasn’t decided whether he would reject Gianaris’ nomination.
Gianaris has called the Amazon deal “offensive,” denounced the secretive negotiations that lead to the agreement, and questioned the need for large subsidies for a wealthy global corporation. On Tuesday he shrugged off Cuomo’s criticism and noted that as the second-ranking member of the Senate he is an appropriate choice for the Public Authorities Control Board.
“If they want to act like petulant children that’s on them,” he said of Cuomo and his administration, adding that many New Yorkers have valid concerns about the Amazon deal.
Cuomo and other supporters tout projections that Amazon’s ‘second headquarters’ will create more than 25,000 jobs. To win the coveted project the city and state promised at least $2.8 billion in tax credits and grants.
The dispute between Cuomo and Senate Democrats played out in New York City Democratic circles as well, where Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the Amazon agreement Tuesday.
” I think some of the concerns are heartfelt,” he said, “But I don’t believe that when it comes down to it anyone will want to actually be responsible for losing 25,000 to 40,000 jobs.”
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, however, sided with Gianaris and other critics of the deal, tweeting that Gianaris “is the right person for this appointment.”
STORRS, Conn. — Thomas Katsouleas the provost and executive vice president of the University of Virginia, has been named the 16th president of the University of Connecticut.
Katsouleas was approved by a unanimous voice vote at a meeting of the school’s trustees on Tuesday.
He replaces Susan Herbst, the first woman to hold the position. She is stepping down on July 1 after leading the state’s flagship school since 2011, but will remain on the faculty.
The 60-year-old Katsouleas, an electrical engineer and plasma scientist, has served as provost at Virginia since 2015.
Katsouleas oversees Virginia’s 11 schools, library, art museums, public service activities, numerous university centers and foreign study programs. Prior to that he was the dean of Duke University’s engineering school. He has a PhD in physics from UCLA.
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NEW YORK – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, the son of Greek immigrants, is a vocal opponent of the deal to bring Amazon to Long Island City. On February 5, Gianaris was nominated by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to serve on the Public Authorities Control Board which must approve the deal to bring Amazon to Long Island City before it can happen, the New York Times reported, adding that the board consists of three voting members each of whom has the power to veto the plan. If his nomination is approved, Gianaris could therefore block Amazon from building its second headquarters in Long Island City.
“Mr. Gianaris, once a longtime but largely powerless antagonist to some of Albany’s most influential players, has become one of the Capitol’s central figures,” the Times reported, adding that “Mr. Gianaris waved off the idea that the Amazon controversy had helped his political profile.”
“I would prefer if this never landed on my desk,” he told the Times, adding that “this is an inflection point about the direction of our country, and how we handle one of the greatest issues of our time.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo commented on Gianaris’ nomination to the board in a WNYC radio interview the Times reported, “I think it’s unfortunate that the Senate is playing politics here. Yes, it’s great politically to oppose the Amazon deal. ‘It’s Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people, why are we giving him a break?’”
Gianaris denied a political motivation for his opposition, noting that “there are certain people who are very focused on dealing with the unfairness of income inequality. There are others who are more worried about the wealthy and making sure we accommodate them. And they’re going to be on the other side,” the Times reported.
The governor’s office pointed out that Gianaris signed a 2017 letter inviting Amazon to New York, but Gianaris said at that time there was no mention of state subsidies in the letter and if he knew the company’s executives would oppose unionization, he would not have signed that letter, the Times reported.
In another radio interview on February 5, Gov. Cuomo said, “If the Senate is going to be the reason that Amazon leaves New York, I wouldn’t want to be running for re-election as a Democratic senator,” the Times reported.
Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg agrees with Gianaris in his opposition of the deal, “giving Amazon as much as $3 billion in state and city incentives for the company to create 25,000 to 40,000 jobs in Queens,” the Times reported, noting that on February 5, Bloomberg “contended that Amazon chose New York for reasons other than ‘the tax breaks they got, which I didn’t think they needed.’”
In December of 2018, he had said “Let Amazon go to Manhattan, like Google and everybody else, and give us $3 billion worth of affordable housing in Long Island City,” CNBC reported.
Meanwhile, Gianaris continues his work in the Senate, announcing on February 6 that he will introduce legislation to eliminate tax breaks for capital gains when investing in federal Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ).
“The Opportunity Zone program was intended to help economically distressed areas but is being abused to grant tax breaks to already overdeveloped neighborhoods,” said Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris. “The state should not be made to suffer due to the misuse of this program.”
The federal tax overhaul passed in 2017 included a provision aimed at incentivizing investment in economically distressed areas. In 2018, the state was supposed designate census tracts that qualified as “Opportunity Zones” but also included other areas already suffering from overdevelopment and gentrification. Among these areas are wealthy parts of Long Island City and Astoria, among the fastest growing neighborhoods in the United States.
Investors who create opportunity funds to invest in these census tracts are able to defer large capital gains on their federal taxes. Much of New York’s tax code is linked to the federal tax code and Senator Gianaris’ legislation would prevent a massive and unjust giveaway of state resources to the wealthy.
OCEAN CITY, MD – Fifty-one-year-old Teresa Kolacz, former secretary and accountant at the Greek Orthodox community of St. George in Ocean City, MD was sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft from the community.
The court instructed her to return $131,609 to the community, according to mdcoastdispatch.com.
Kolacz was charged with embezzling $141,000 dollars in May 2018. The police were summoned to the community because there was a tip regarding a money-laundering scheme that had been in place for many months.
The investigation revealed that Kolacz, who served as secretary and also as the chief book-keeper of St. George’s, stole money from the church for a period of two years, she did so by basically writing unauthorized checks in her name, and stealing the liquidated assets that were to be deposited in the community account.
Kolacz, who confessed to the acts of theft through checks and liquidated assets, confessed two additional acts. Namely, that she stole money that had been donated to the church, and confessed to stealing rentals that were given to the community hall.
Kolacz was found guilty last December, according to the website mdcoastaldispatch.com. Last Friday, Judge Beau Oglesby sentenced Kolacz to 10 years in prison and demanded the money be returned to the church.
ATHENS – Deputy Minister for Greeks Living Abroad Terence Quick released the following statement for the celebration of International Greek Language Day: “On February 9, the day of the memory of the national poet Dionysios Solomos, we celebrate the International Greek Language Day.
As the leading thinker of the 30’s generation, George Theotokas, said, Europe is like a garden that harmoniously gathers the most different flowers, the most incoherent colors.
I have the feeling that this particular figure is due to the splendor of the first sow, to the charm of the tireless, liveliness of the Greek language, which first planted the seeds in Europe for the complex of dynamic contrasts that constituted Greek-ness.
This unique spiritual creation, which is called the Greek language, is impossible to repeat in history, is the subject of the events organized by the Greek community today all over the world.
A pioneering idea, International Greek Language Day was formulated by the Federation of Greek Communities and Fraternal Organizations of Italy. The Greek Communities in Australia have been among the first to accompany the effort with their own initiatives, and others have followed. The Greek Government, listening to ecumenical Hellenism, fulfilled the deep commitment to the language of our people with the unanimous acceptance of the Greek Parliament.
Today, the Greeks living abroad celebrate with us the day of our language, which is our own way of understanding life itself, and demonstrating to the public our unified citizenry.
The ethos of Greek self-consciousness is expressed in the language of the Greeks, the first people in the history of civilization, who formed the ethos of citizens within a democratic city.
The International Greek Language Day will be a staple of the world human society, recalling in perpetuity that the language of the Greeks always leads to the Greek texts, which bear witness to the Greek way of dialogue and coexistence, namely the True Word, which gave birth to the universal values, still implies the modern civilized world, the one we call the free world, and respect for human rights.
Let us not forget that the two concepts, the pillars of Western civilization, “dialogue” and “democracy,” are Greek.
BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is preparing to make changes and reorganize at least three archdioceses the National Herald has learned.
Specifically, it is expected, as well informed TNH sources say, that the Patriarch will finish with the pending issue of the replacement of Archbishop Demetrios of America. Three times the Patriarch has asked the Archbishop to voluntarily submit his resignation, but he has refused to do so. Last November Bartholomew granted a third and final extension to Demetrios to submit his resignation by Easter, otherwise the Patriarch, the sources assert, will have no other choice but to replace him by electing him to a metropolis in Asia Minor that existed in the past but became defunct after the Asia Minor disaster.
The second Archdiocese in which changes will be made is the Archdiocese of Thyatira and Great Britain since Archbishop Gregorios is more than 90-years old and where there are quite a few problems. A few months ago Bartholomew made an incognito visit to England and saw the situation first-hand. The Patriarch is contemplating its division into two ecclesiastical entities, electing two archbishops or one archbishop and one metropolitan. There is also the possibility that the new Archbishop may come from the United States.
Changes are also in the works for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, since Archbishop Stylianos has become ill, as the Patriarch informed the hierarchs of the Phanar at the beginning of January.
There is also the thought that the Archdiocese of Australia will be divided into two parts, North and South, and even three, with elections of three new primates.
TNH is informed that changes in the metropolises of Turkey should not be ruled out.
In the meantime, the recent granting of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has created cracks in the relationships between the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the prelates of the oldest and newest Patriarchates, and with the autocephalous and autonomous Churches that are under the influence of the Patriarchate of Moscow and which refuse to recognize the newly elected Metropolitan Epiphanios of Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
It is believed at the Phanar that with the passing of time that issue will be resolved, and that they will reconsider and finally recognize Epiphanios so that the unity of the Orthodox Church around the World will not be shaken.
The National Herald has also learned that a specific Russian jurisdiction in the United States is contemplating creating Greek-speaking parishes or even dioceses in various parts of the country where priests who speak the Greek language fluently will be appointed. Representatives are searching for a Roman Catholic or Protestant church which is for sale and there is even consideration for building a church in Massachusetts.
NEW YORK – Celebrity chef and cookbook author Diane Kochilas visited the offices of The National Herald to talk about the second season of her popular show My Greek Table, airing on PBS, check your local listings.
Following a successful first season, broadcast to nearly every part of the United States, My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas premiered its second season in early January.
The show, which is also available streaming online in North America, is a project of Maryland Public Television and is supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the National Hellenic Society (NHS), among others, including many prominent Greek-Americans.
Kochilas told TNH that the show “is a labor of love.” The first season took her to Athens, the Peloponnese, the mountainous north of the Greek mainland, and to islands in the Aegean. The second season, she told TNH, focuses more on themes including grilling, Greek breakfast, and the living traditions of music and food.
Season 2 dives even deeper into the world of Greek cuisine, including into its rich history. In one memorable episode, Kochilas talks with Dr. John Camp, director of the Athenian Agora excavations and Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Classics at Randolph-Macon College, about Athenian cooking practices stretching back two and a half millennia, then prepares “an ancient feast for modern cooks.”
“My dad was a cook, I always cooked, from at least the time I was in my teens,” she told TNH.
“We’re Greek, so food was always a big part of the family spirit, we always had dinner together, every night of the week, I tried to do that, too, with my own kids. Kids are a lot busier today, so it’s not always easy to manage that… My dad was the cook in the family… Food is the thing that most people hold onto as immigrants, certainly, the Greeks do.”
Greek chef Kochilas Diane with the U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt. Photo: gr.usembassy.gov
When asked about her favorite Season 2 episode, Kochilas said, “I love all 13 of them, but my favorite one that’s running right now is called Taste the Music and it’s about the traditions of the Asia Minor Greeks. We filmed in Piraeus actually and there’s a lot of historical information and historical imagery, too, and it’s really about their contribution to food and music. My daughter, who is 26, introduced me to this band of young rebetika musicians and we filmed at a place called To Eidikon in Piraeus which has been a bakaliko/taverna since the 1920s. The atmosphere was kind of like the atmosphere that the people who were immigrating to Greece at that time would have encountered and the musicians are very young, one is half Greek and half Dominican and he doesn’t look like the typical Greek rebeti, but they are amazing musicians, the point is that the music and the food are both living traditions and young people have embraced both and a lot of people don’t really know about that food in the United States, about the Greeks who came from Asia Minor, they don’t know the story, so it’s also very relevant in light of what’s happening today, this mass movement of people in duress from all parts of the world to the West. I guess that’s my favorite episode, but I love them all.
“Another great episode is the one that’s called Ancient Greece for Modern Cooks. I had this amazing experience about two years ago, Art Dimopoulos [NHS Executive Director] was in Athens and called me, ‘come down, [Professor] John Camp is going to give me a private tour of the ancient Agora.’ I’ve been in Greece 26 years and it is by far the best thing I’ve ever experienced in Greece. Dr. Camp is an amazing human being, he’s incredibly erudite and must have been an ancient Greek in some reincarnation and he basically brought ancient Athens to life, he’s such an amazing storyteller, that I wanted to do an episode that included that experience again, so we did the ancient Agora and I concentrated on food and cooking utensils and how the people were living. It was a sweltering hot day and the food is very good, inspired by ancient flavors.
“Then we did the opposite, an Athens vibe episode about the hip, cool, happening Athens, and how it’s this amazing city that’s very much alive and it dances to its own beat and there’s a lot to discover. The food in Athens is also amazing, a modern city with really ancient roots. We went to hip bars, and a young chef, a friend of mine, we cook together. It’s really about sharing Greece, every aspect of Greece. Sometimes that’s about going to specific places, sometimes that’s just about covering specific topics. For the grilling episode, we went to this amazing psistaria, called To Trigono, and I never had lamb chops like that and it’s a really simple place, nothing fancy, no fancy barbecue secrets, just really, really great meats.”
When asked if that had to do with technique or the local lamb, Kochilas said, “I think it’s both, because the food quality is definitely better in Greece.”
The Greek red saffron risotto prepared by celebrity chef Diane Kochilas, at right. (Photo by TNH/Eleni Sakellis)
About the increase in tourism to Greece with a focus on food, she said, “We have to give credit to the Greek National Tourism agency and Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura they really made a concerted effort to market Athens as a weekend destination or a three or four day destination and I see it. I live in Athens and at this time there are foreigners everywhere, the hotels are booked solid, and its February, that’s great, and gastronomy is a big deal for them, understanding that people travel because they want to experience the food. I think they invested in that messaging and I think they’re participation in the show is an expression of that. I get messages from people who are not Greek, ‘I never knew that Volos was such a great food city, it’s on my bucket list next time I go to Greece,’ ‘Pilio looks like an amazing place,’ that’s a good example of how tourism does have a vision and you see it. Travel from the United States is up and I think the show has something to do with that, people are watching it, it’s got 2 million viewers an episode, and they’re not all Greeks.”
With roots from Ikaria, Kochilas is also aware of the drawbacks of unregulated tourism to the islands and other places off the beaten track. “I miss having the beach all to myself,” she said of Ikaria, adding that with increased tourism, “something is gained and some things are lost… There’s got to be some regulation to preserve some sense of authenticity, the unique culture… It’s hard on the environment.”
Of the places Kochilas would like to visit in the upcoming season 3, she hopes to focus on the sea and the islands, possibly Lemnos and “do one or two episodes on Chios, on masticha and shipping, and how that relates to Greek history, I may go back to Lesbos to do something, the Northeast Aegean has always been interesting to me, the Cyclades, some of the Dodecanese, Kalymnos, I want to find a Greek island wedding in Karpathos or Crete, so if you know anyone…”
In 26 years of living in Greece, Kochilas noted that the key to really great food, is simple, “real food that’s in season and fresh, simply cooked.”
When asked about her favorite ingredients, she said, “I love to use my Ikarian honey on all sorts of things, I love to use masticha, I like to cook with ouzo,” and, of course, “Greek olive oil.”
My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours, the companion book to the TV series, is also now available online and in bookstores. An event, part of a series of book signings and dinners in the U.S., was held at Ousia in Manhattan on February 5 with Kochilas cooking recipes from her book in celebration of its publication and her show’s Season 2 premiere.
More information about Diane Kochilas and My Greek Table as well as upcoming events and book signings is available online: dianekochilas.com.
LONDON – Beloved musician Yiannis Polykandriotis, the son of the late rebetiko musician Theodoros Polykandriotis, has passed away at the age of 73. The brother of the well-known composer Thanasis Polykandriotis, Yiannis was one of the greatest artists of the bouzouki.
Yiannis Polykandriotis, the Diaspora bouzouki, as he was known, was born in Athens in 1946 and was the son of rebetis Theodoros Polykandriotis. His professional career playing bouzouki began in 1958-59 at Psatha, Egaleo, with Prodromos Tsaousakis and Anthoula Aliphragki. Later, he performed at the Louzitania, the Garden of Allah, O Perivolas, and the Can Can.
Since 1996, he lived with his family in London and had set up the Yiannis Polykandriotis Music School for the new generation of the Diaspora. The Greek children living in England were taught the art of bouzouki, baglama, and tzoura, as well as the Greek musical tradition while at the same time they contributed to the promotion of our culture by participating in various events.
“I am deeply moved and proud of the fact that genuine Greek music, which I continue to serve consistently in the Diaspora, following my father’s legacy, will have a special place in the great world celebration of sport and culture which originated in Ancient Greece,” Polykandriotis had said about the performance in the 2012 London Olympics in an interview with the Athens News Agency and Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA).
“This is another vindication of the struggle for the promotion of the Greek folk music tradition, especially to Greek children in Britain and that was my purpose… Music stimulates children’s interest in learning the Greek language, especially in our days when it is in danger of being lost,” he pointed out.
Polykandriotis began composing in 1968, and wrote over 1,000 compositions. He performed concerts in the biggest theaters in Europe, America, and Australia, and he also ventured into classical music.
In 1971, he performed with Nana Mouskouri and Marinella. He collaborated with Panos Gavalas, Ria Kourti, Manos Hadjidakis, Stelios Kazantzidis, Stratos Dionysiou, Yiannis Parios, Tolis Voskopoulos, Pavlos Papantoniou, Yiannis Poulopoulos, and other well-known artists throughout his career.
At the 2012 London Olympics, the well-known music composer flooded the stage with the sounds of his bouzouki. The songs performed included Ta paideia tou Piraea, Zorbas, and Zeibekiko tis Evdokias, among others.
Material from the ANA-MPA was used in this report.
NEW YORK – The world-renowned artists Leonidas Kavakos on violin and Yuja Wang on piano dazzled the sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall with their wonderful performance on February 6. The two gifted musicians brought their tremendous individual talents and virtuosic skills together for a memorable concert that the lucky audience members will never forget.
The program began with Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 followed by Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 80. After the intermission, Bela Bartók’s Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano and Richard Strauss’ Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 18 enthralled the audience which gave a prolonged standing ovation and led to two incredible encores, Brahms’ Un poco presto e con sentimento from Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108 and Karol Szymanowski’s “La Fontaine d’Arethuse” from Mythes for Violin and Piano, Op. 30.
Members of the audience were visibly moved by the beauty of the performance which brought tears to the eyes of some. The general sentiment from all those present was that just when Kavakos and Wang seem to have reached the topmost peak of their artistry, they climb once again to even greater heights. They left the audience with such a powerful impression, some could not speak or even stand after the second encore.
Even those who are not very enthusiastic about Prokofiev’s work became fans after witnessing the dynamic performance and inspired interpretation by Kavakos and Wang.
From the subtlety and strength of the opening piece by Brahms through the moody, lyrical Prokofiev with its vibrant moments and delicate muted violin over prolonged piano chords, the memorable concert highlighted the impeccable technique of the artists with Kavakos playing his 1734 “Willemotte” Stradivarius and Wang the Steinway grand piano.
The influence of Hungarian folk music was clear in the Bartok piece which brought to mind, for those raised in the tradition and with an ear to hear it, a touch of Greek folk music at one moment through Kavakos’ deftly played violin. The romantic elements of the Strauss sonata with its lyrical and dramatic moments and rich, soaring notes again demonstrated the artistry of the musicians. The unforgettable concert concluded with the encores which were simply stunning in their perfection.
Kavakos will be returning to Carnegie Hall for an upcoming performance on March 3 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, while Wang is performing on February 11, April 10, May 1, and May 2 at the venerable concert hall.
More information is available online: carnegiehall.org.
Born and raised in Athens, Kavakos received the 2017 Léonie Sonning Music Prize, Denmark’s highest musical honor given annually to an internationally-recognized composer, instrumentalist, conductor, or singer since 1959. Previous winners include Igor Stravinsky (1959), Leonard Bernstein (1965), Benjamin Britten (1968), and Anne-Sophie Mutter (2001).
By age 21, Kavakos had already won three major competitions: the Sibelius (1985), the Paganini (1988), and the Naumburg (1988). This success led to his making the first recording in history of the original Sibelius Violin Concerto (1903–04), which won the 1991 Gramophone Concerto of the Year Award.
He has since appeared regularly as a soloist with the Vienna, Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles philharmonic orchestras; London, Boston, and Chicago symphony orchestras; and the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Philadelphia Orchestras. As a conductor Kavakos has worked with the Atlanta, Boston, London, and Vienna symphony orchestras; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; and Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Wang was born into a musical family in Beijing, China. After childhood piano studies, she received advanced training in Canada and at the Curtis Institute of Music under Gary Graffman. Wang’s international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon two years later, and has since established her place among the world’s leading artists with a succession of critically acclaimed performances and recordings. Wang was named Musical America’s 2017 Artist of the Year.
In addition to the concert with Kavakos, Wang’s Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall includes performances with Martin Grubinger, Gautier Capuçon, and the New World Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas. This season, Wang is also an artist in residence at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Luxembourg’s Philharmonie.
BOSTON – Dr. Thomas Katsouleas, the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Virginia, was unanimously elected this week President of the University of Connecticut (UConn).
Katsouleas, a prominent educator and administrator, is also a proud Greek-American who loves and respects his roots, adores Greece, and spends his summers there with his wife and two children. They visit his parents, who moved back to Greece from Arizona after his father retired and sold his electronics manufacturing company.
In a telephone interview with The National Herald Katsouleas said, “My father, who is an electrical engineer, was born in a small village called Exahori in Mani and came to the United States when he was 19, brought here by my great uncle who came to Ellis Island from Kalamata in 1902. My father named me after him instead of my grandfather, and my baptismal name is Athanasios. My mother is an American and they met at the University of Arizona.”
He told TNH, “my parents are back in Greece we have a home in the village and they spent their time there and in Athens in Neo Psihiko, and we go back as a family every summer.”
Asked what drew him to the study of physics he said, “when I was ten years old my father told me ‘I want you to be an engineer but first you should learn physics.’ Initially I didn’t want to do it, but I stuck to it because I was fascinated by what I was learning.”
Asked what fascinated him about physics, he said, “how the world works and the joy of discovery, but actually I then began leaning towards engineering. What really captivated me was the power to design new things and trying to build something that will be useful. In the end, it was more exciting to me than understanding nature.”
Nature continues to fascinate him, and he told a story about trying to share his interest with his daughter. “When our daughter was six years old we took her to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington and she saw a planetarium show and after the show she said to me ‘sometimes mommy and I play this game where I always ask questions. Do you want to play that, daddy?’ I said yes Katerina, and she said ‘so what was there before the Big Bang?’”Katsouleas family on a sailing vacation in Skopelos in 2017. (L-r): Filio Boliotis, Katerina Katsouleas (daughter), Soterios Katsouleas (father), Sotiris “Clark” Katsouleas (son), Anna Maria Siega-Riz partner and a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology (Photo: Provided by Dr. Thomas Katsouleas)
Humbled, he said, “I had spent my entire life studying physics,” he said. “I had a PhD, and the first physics question she asked me, I couldn’t answer. Then she said to me ‘you are not as smart as mommy is.’”
Regarding his unanimous election to the presidency of UConn two days earlier, he said, “I am honored and humbled and overwhelmed with the sense of responsibly for leading such an institution that so many thousands of people feel deeply about. I am also thrilled and excited to be given the privilege and the honor, and I look forward to helping the institution and its people reach their expectations, which from everything I learned from my visits is very high.”
Asked if his election was a surprise, Katsouleas said, “you never know. It was a long process and there were other candidates who were also very good, but I would say that during my first meeting with the search committee I felt a certain resonance, and I thought that was a sign, that there was something going on there, that we clicked, and that there was chemistry between us.”
Katsouleas has a dream for UConn. He said, “I kind of have three main thrusts in mind. The University has tremendous momentum particularly in undergraduate programs and I would love to build on that in some ways, but first, I must address the research program and graduation education. My ambitious operational goal is to double the research and scholarship funds at the University over a ten year period. Second, I want to really push UConn into the national conversation about the future of education in this country. UConn can play a significant leadership role in shaping that conversation. I think we can do some things that can be revolutionary and pioneering in higher education. The Third thing is to align the University with the priorities of the new governor of the state, shaping the programs to support work force needs and student needs, and to increase the financial strength of the University.”
Regarding the Center for Greek Studies “Paideia” established by the Paideia organization headed by Elias Tomazos, Kastouleas said, “I am very happy to learn about the Greek connection there and I will get to know more about it.”
Speaking about his Greek-American identity and heritage he said, “I am very proud of it. I feel fortunate to have a Greek background, with the culture which I admire so much and the values including hospitality, the connection you feel no matter where you are when you are with someone who is from the Greek-American Community. The Community was very supportive of me here in Virginia when I came in. One of the first large gifts that were made to the UVA [during my tenure] was by a Greek parent, John Georges and his wife from New Orleans, and they did it, I think, because they wanted to help me to get off to a good start. I can’t say enough about the warmth and the friendship wherever I go.”
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago announced that it is accepting applications for the new position of Executive Director. Interested candidates can find a detailed job description here. Reporting directly to Metropolitan Nathanael, the Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the Metropolis. Other key areas of responsibilities include development, communications and marketing, and community outreach.
“Made possible by a Hellenic Foundation matching grant, adding an Executive Director to our team is an important step in promoting our mission and ushering in a new era of growth and change at the Metropolis,” said His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. “The Executive Director will introduce dedicated, professional skills and capabilities to address the Metropolis’ needs and ensure our effectiveness in key functional areas.”
Metropolitan Nathanael noted that while the Metropolis currently has a committed team of clergy and lay volunteers, the full-time Executive Director will help bring a new level of accountability and responsibility. With the assistance of expert advisors, His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael said he will be personally involved in the review of applications and interview of candidates in order to select the most qualified individual.
The search will be nationwide in scope.
About the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago
Tracing its roots back to 1923, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago is the diocese of Greek Orthodox faithful in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin as well as northern Indiana and southeastern Missouri consisting of 58 parishes and two monastic communities. The Metropolis is one of nine regions in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael. The general offices of the Metropolis are temporarily located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
ATHENS – Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback sent a message that the United States will support the reopening of the Halki Theological School.
In reply to a question by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), he said that the US has always supported the reopening of the School.
He explained that he cannot clearly say what progress has been made in this direction but stressed that the US continues to support the reopening of the School.
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture announced the establishment of the Peter J. and Caroline B. Caloyeras Endowment for the Arts, which is intended to support the presentation of fine and performing arts related to Greece, from the ancient period through the modern day.
Funds from the endowment will be used to bring distinguished lecturers to speak on topics related to the art, history, or archaeology of Greece and to support theatrical and musical performances.
The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture mission statement: Initiated by a generous lead gift of $5 million from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the UCLA Division of Humanities has embarked on an exciting objective to establish the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture. This initiative involves raising a further $3 million, a goal that will allow UCLA to fully support a leading intellectual and cultural center on the west coast. Located at one of the most prestigious public universities in the United States, the Center will have a tremendous impact on a generation of students that is characterized by its global interests.
In addition to its teaching and research mission, the Center is envisioned as a vibrant cultural hub for the sizable Los Angeles Greek community, which has been formed by generations of families and new immigrants. The Center will engage with organizations, churches and academic institutions throughout Southern California to present community programs and generate interest in Greece’s historical and ongoing contributions to modern culture.
More information about the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture is available online: hellenic.ucla.edu.
NEW YORK – The Lower Eastside Girls Club has had some very famous visitors throughout the years, including Hillary Clinton and Michele Obama, so when Greek artist Eirini Linardaki was invited to be the club’s Artist-In-Residence and participate in a project with the girls, she accepted.
Linardaki told The National Herald, “I was invited by the director as a guest artist to do a project with the girls through February 10th.”
She continued, “I have two workshops per week with the girls to produce the artworks.”
Of the girls participating in the project, Linardaki told TNH, “They are great and I love working with them, they are very prolific.”
On Friday, February 15, 5-8 PM, The Lower Eastside Girls Club, 402 East 8th Street in Manhattan, will celebrate Artist-In-Residence Linardaki with a special event and presentation of “What is to Come,” an installation created by the Girls Club and Linardaki. The event is free and open to the community.
Linardaki is a Greek artist who works between New York and the island of Crete. As noted on the Girls Club website, “During her stay from January to February 2019, she worked with the girls to create colorful prints of explosions and a magnetic, interactive installation that places the viewer as both an actor and performer of that piece.
Artist Eirini Linardaki at the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan leading the workshop with the girls. Photo: Courtesy of Eirini Linardaki
“The drawing installation is made with magnetic, fluorescent surfaces that are interchangeable and guests are invited to create their own composition. Working with different textile patterns, inspired by the diversity of the girls, they also created digital collages which celebrate power, joy and potential for change. Together we are the power of change.”
Linardaki’s work will also be on display in the exhibition Apocalypse: The and Now, curated by Dr. Thalia Vrachopoulos at The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 860 11th Avenue in Manhattan, February 13-April 5. Artists Terry Ownby, Goro Nakamura, Jessie Boylan, Panos Charalambides, Mary Chairetaki, Elin O’Hara-Slavick, David McMillan, Takashi Arai, Isao Hashimoto, Vincent Parisot, Hiroshi Sunari, Kazuma Obara, Nick Moore, Dominick Lombardi, and Michael McKeown will also have works on display in the exhibition.
The opening reception will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 5:30-8 PM. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM.
One of the works created by the Girls Club and Eirini Linardaki. Photo: Courtesy of Eirini LinardakiOne of the works created by the Girls Club and Eirini Linardaki. Photo: Courtesy of Eirini Linardaki
ASTORIA – The Hellenic Film Society USA in association with the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) presents a screening of The Other Me (Eteros Ego) at MOMI, 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, on Sunday, Feb. 24, 4 PM.
Directed by Sotiris Tsafoulias and starring Pygmalion Dadakaridis, Dimitris Katalifos, Manos Vakousis, Francois Cluzet, and Dora Karvouni, the film is a psychological thriller featuring a professor of criminology asked by the police to help solve a baffling case involving serial murders. His knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem proves an invaluable asset to the investigation.
Early in its commercial release in Greece, the director withdrew the film from circulation when a murderer told the media that he had been influenced by the film. Nearly three years later, this intriguing psychological thriller is ready for its comeback.
Shown in Greek with English subtitles.
The film is part of the Always on Sunday film series, featuring monthly Sunday afternoon screenings of Greek films.
To purchase tickets, please visit hellenicfilmusa.org or phone: 917-710-3027.
The Hellenic Film Society USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to promote Greek cinema in America. Its mission is to share the richness of Greek films with a wider American audience, to promote Greek filmmakers, and to preserve the film heritage of Greece.
For further information or to learn how to become a Hellenic Film Society USA sponsor, visit hellenicfilmusa.org or email info@hellenicfilmusa.org.
NEW YORK – Finding the Bar Codes in Our Brains: Using Genetics to Identify the Brain’s 100 Billion Neurons, the latest lecture in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series, was held at the Columbia University Forum Auditorium in Manhattan on February 7 and featured Dr. Tom Maniatis, the Isidore S. Edelman Professor of Biochemistry and Principal Investigator at Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. The fascinating lecture, offered free to the public to enhance understanding of the biology of the mind and the complexity of human behavior, was hosted by Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Dr, Maniatis thanked all those present and especially the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for its support, and pointed out that he would be try to sum up 20 years of work in the 50 minute lecture. He said, “People may take for granted their ability to touch their nose and know that they are touching their own face, and not another’s. What someone may not know is that each of the 100 billion neurons in your brain also have this ability of self-recognition.
“As individual nerve cells, called neurons, grow branches and connect with thousands of other neurons during brain development, their own branches distinguish between themselves and the branches of other neurons — an important adaptation that avoids entanglements. If a neuron cannot do this, it will not form a functional brain circuit — a key aspect of a healthy, functioning brain.”
Dr. Maniatis discussed the role of protocadherin proteins in brain wiring, which is complex, yet fascinating. These proteins provide individual neurons with a “barcode” that allows them to distinguish between themselves and other neurons – a complex story of gene regulation, protein structure and function, and brain wiring in mice, which has ultimately led to a connection to neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.
Dr. Maniatis, a molecular neuroscientist, studies this self-avoidance mechanism in brain wiring. He explained, “Neurons are a bit like trees. A growing tree uniformly spreads its branches to collect the most sunlight. Similarly, a growing neuron spreads its branches, known as dendrites, into specific brain regions to collect information from as many other neurons as possible.
Neurons accomplish this by creating their own unique identity tags: collections of molecules on their surfaces that Dr. Maniatis likens to a bar code. Dendrites essentially scan each other’s bar codes when they come into contact with each other, and when a dendrite recognizes another with the same bar code, it knows to stay away.
Dr. Maniatis’ interest in self-avoidance was triggered by his laboratory’s discovery, over a decade ago, of an extraordinary group of genes called the clustered protocadherins, or Pcdhs. His lab discovered that the Pcdh gene cluster functions as a generator of random combinations of Pcdh proteins in each cell.
Finding the Bar Codes in Our Brains: Using Genetics to Identify the Brain’s 100 Billion Neurons, the latest lecture in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series, was held at the Columbia University Forum Auditorium. Photo by Eleni Sakellis
The Pcdh proteins project from the surfaces of dendrites, and if the two dendrites from the same neuron touch each other, they recognize each other and are repulsed. These conclusions required the determination of the function and atomic structure of the proteins, which was accomplished in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Barry Honig and Dr. Larry Shapiro, structural biologists also at the Zuckerman Institute.
“This collaboration beautifully illustrates the power of multidisciplinary research at the Zuckerman Institute,” Dr. Maniatis said.
Dr. Maniatis and others have also created mice in which the Pcdh genes are missing. As predicted, this resulted in wiring defects: dendrites no longer avoided other dendrites from the same neuron, and instead became tangled and clumped. In addition, recent large-scale DNA sequencing studies of autistic children by others have identified mutations in the Pcdh genes. Thus, according to Dr. Maniatis, “Basic research of Pcdh genes may lead to fundamental insights into how the brain is wired, and how wiring mistakes can lead to behavioral disorders in children.”
Dr. Maniatis also contributes to clinical medicine by heading Columbia’s precision medicine initiative, created in 2015. This collaboration between Columbia and New York-Presbyterian Hospital aims to understand the relationships between human genetics and disease mechanisms, and to ultimately use this knowledge to personalize treatments for individual patients. Success will require a deep collaboration between early-stage research scientists, such as those at the Zuckerman Institute, and clinicians at Columbia University Medical Center.
Dr. Tom Maniatis, the Isidore S. Edelman Professor of Biochemistry and Principal Investigator at Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Photo by Eleni SakellisThe latest lecture in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series was held at the Columbia University Forum. Photo by Eleni SakellisFinding the Bar Codes in Our Brains: Using Genetics to Identify the Brain’s 100 Billion Neurons, featuring Dr. Tom Maniatis, was the latest in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series. Photo by Eleni SakellisDr. Tom Maniatis presented the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture, Finding the Bar Codes in Our Brains: Using Genetics to Identify the Brain’s 100 Billion Neurons. Photo by Eleni Sakellis
NEW YORK – Dental assistant Arieta Gouvakis, 38, was arrested on February 8 for allegedly stealing jewelry from patients while they were sedated with nitrous oxide, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported.
Charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, Gouvakis had only worked at Long Island Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry, 31 Fairway Drive in Rocky Point, with Dr. Elliot Koschitzk for three weeks before she was arrested. The theft allegedly took place January 31 and February 1 while “the patients were in ‘twilight,’ under nitrous oxide,” Suffolk County Police Chief Stuart Cameron said, Eyewitness News reported.
According to the authorities, “neither patient realized their jewelry was missing until after they left the office,” Eyewitness News reported, adding that “the Suffolk County Police Property Recovery Squad recovered the stolen jewelry from local pawn shops,” and “the dental office cooperated fully with the investigation once they were notified of the allegations.”
Dr. Nick Augenbaum, also with the dental practice, said Gouvakis “has since been fired,” Eyewitness News reported.
“As soon as we were notified by our patients, we called the Suffolk County PD,” Augenbaum told the Eyewitness News and then thanked Suffolk police officers for quickly recovering the patients’ stolen items.
Gouvakis was arrested at her home in Manorville, Eyewitness News reported, adding that “authorities say she has prior arrests and that her motivation may have been to feed a drug habit.”
Anyone with information, including other patients who think they have also been victimized by Gouvakis, should contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.
NEW YORK (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Friday about what he called “political pandering” to critics of Amazon’s proposed secondary headquarters amid a report that the company is reconsidering its planned New York City headquarters.
But opponents said they’d keep fighting a project they consider corporate welfare.
The back-and-forth came after The Washington Post reported that Amazon is having second thoughts because of some local politicians’ opposition to the nearly $3 billion incentive package. The report cited two unnamed people familiar with the company’s thinking.
In response, Amazon would say only that it’s engaging with small business owners, community leaders and educators, pointing to its pledges to fund high school computer science classes and contribute to job training.
“We are working hard to demonstrate what kind of neighbor we will be,” the Seattle-based company said in a statement.
Noting the Post’s report, Cuomo accused the state Senate — whose leader recently tapped an Amazon critic for a board that might have sway over the project’s subsidies — of “governmental malpractice” and siding with those who are “pandering to the local politics.”
“And that’s what could stop Amazon,” he said at an unrelated event on Long Island. “I’ve never seen a more absurd situation where political pandering, and obvious pandering, so defeats a bona fide economic development project.”
“It is irresponsible to allow political opposition to overcome sound government policy,” he said.
Cuomo and the Senate leadership are Democrats, as are many of the deal’s critics.
Cuomo and Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio say Amazon will transform Queens’ Long Island City area into a high-tech hub and spur economic growth that will pay for the $2.8 billion in state and city incentives many times over.
“The mayor fully expects Amazon to deliver on its promise to New Yorkers,” spokesman Eric Phillips said in response to the Post’s report.
Construction-industry groups urged the public and officials to get behind a plan projected to create at least 25,000 jobs in a decade: “It’s time to stop the showboating,” declared Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, a group of unions.
Critics see the project as an extravagant giveaway to one of the world’s biggest companies and argue it won’t provide much direct benefit to most New Yorkers. Several welcomed the news that Amazon might be rethinking the plan.
“We rose up and held the line. … It’s not over, but I’m proud of the values we fought for,” Democratic City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents Long Island City, said in a statement.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes some nearby neighborhoods, suggested on Twitter that the report showed people can “come together and effectively organize against creeping overreach of one of the world’s biggest corporations.”
The Post said no firm decision had been made about whether Amazon would pull out of the deal.
“I don’t know if they’re serious or not, and frankly, I don’t care,” said Greek-American Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat who represents Long Island City and calls the agreement bad policy. “If their view is ‘we’re going to extort New York or we’re going to leave,’ then they should leave.”
State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins nominated Gianaris earlier this week to a little-known state panel that could ultimately be asked to approve the subsidies. Cuomo has the final say over appointments.
After Cuomo’s remarks Friday, a spokesman for Stewart-Cousins said it was “unfortunate that the governor is trying to divide the Democratic Party at this crucial and historic time.”
A Quinnipiac University poll released in December found New York City voters support having an Amazon headquarters, by 57-26 percent. But they were divided on the incentives: 46 percent in favor, 44 percent against.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
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By JENNIFER PELTZ and DAVID KLEPPER , Associated Press
David Klepper reported from Albany. Associated Press writer Bernard Condon in New York contributed.
ASTORIA – Greek comedy has a long history in the world of theatre, going back at least to Aristophanes whose extant works are sometimes revived with great interest and success. More recent stage comedies can be difficult to translate for the Greek-American audience, but the demand is always high for a lighthearted theatrical experience.
The Fama Theater Group NY presentation of Val’ ton Ypourgo stin Priza (Plug in the Minister) by Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas is bringing the laughs to the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria. The strong cast, led by director and Fama Theater Group founder Alexandros Ammohostianos, works well together in the ensemble piece.
The physical comedy is a highlight of the farce as the actors navigate through the plot twists and the misunderstandings in the play as the scheming characters attempt to keep a government in power without anyone finding out that an important minister is in a coma and needs to be kept “plugged in.”
Ammohostianos in his remarks following the performance noted that the aim of the theater company is to bring back to the Greek-American community in the tri-state area the Greek comedy it has been missing for many years.
There is a reason “A laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market,” as English poet and essayist Charles Lamb wrote. Comedy can help shed a light on the absurdity of life and put things into perspective while offering a respite from the dreary and often tragic news we hear every day.
The cast of Plug in the Minister taking its bows following the performance. Photo by Eleni Sakellis
Performed in Greek, Plug in the Minister has its moments of true comic gold, but the more delicate sensibilities should be aware that there is some strong language and innuendo. The show is, after all, intended for mature audiences. A few of the lines and references, though delivered well, did also seem a bit dated, but as actor Edmund Gwenn, best known today for his role as Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), famously said on his deathbed, “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.”
The director and the entire company gave special thanks to the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York for the use of the space, and also thanked the playwrights Papathanasiou and Repas who granted the rights to present the project to the Greek community.
Among those present were Federation of Hellenic Societies President Cleanthis Meimaroglou, Pancyprian Cultural Division President Ismene Michaels, Pancyprian Choir Artistic and Music Director Phyto Stratis, and many members of the Choir and the community.
The performance on February 9 was followed by a reception with food provided by Dionysos Restaurant. Contributions were also collected for the Greek Children’s Fund following the show.
A scene from Plug in the Minister. Photo by Eleni Sakellis
A portion of the revenue from the production will be given to support the New York Greek Independence Parade in recognition of the project and the support provided by the Federation of Hellenic Societies.
Plug in the Minister is running for a limited engagement at the Stathakion Cultural Center, 22-51 29th Street in Astoria.
Performances take place during four weekends in February (Feb. 2-3, 9-10, 15-16, 23-24). On Saturdays, performances start at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM.
For reservations, call 917-635-8867.
A scene from Plug in the Minister with actors Mantalena Papadatou, Chrysa Petridou, Ero Pappa, Ioanna Chasta, and Alexandros Ammohostianos. Photo by Eleni Sakellis
