PALOS HILLS, IL – The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Society held their annual Quilt-a-thon on Saturday, March 18, at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Hills.

This was the 16th year that Greek Orthodox women from throughout the Greater Chicago area gathered to make over 200 quilts for hospitals and shelters. A special emblem with a cross is sewn onto each quilt that reads, “Love and comfort to you, love from, made by the Greek Orthodox Philoptochos Society.”

As in previous years, the quilts will be distributed to various hospitals and institutions such as Children’s Memorial, Comers, La Rabida, Hope, Crisis Center, Philoxenia House, and more, to be given to seriously ill children and those with life-threatening diseases.

Six years ago, Metropolis of Chicago Chancellor Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos named and dedicated this annual event the Maria Pazoles Memorial Quilt-a-thon, recognizing Maria’s indelible efforts and contributions to this heart-warming and worthwhile charitable project.

The project has been supported in part from the Metropolis and mostly from donations and sponsors of the quilts. Although it is a year-long project implemented by the diligent efforts of the Quilt-a-thon Committee, many of the quilts are finished on Quilt-a-thon day by members of the Philoptochos Ladies from throughout the Greater Chicago area. In addition to the over 200 quilts expected to be made, one hundred fleeces, and one hundred neck roll pillows are also expected to be finished.

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NEW YORK – In response to the swathe of supertall luxury residential towers rising in New York, local studio Oiio owned by Ioannis Oikonomou has proposed a conceptual skyscraper that loops over to boast length rather than height.

The Big Bend would be formed from a very thin structure that curves at the top and returns to the ground, creating what the architecture firm describes as the longest building in the world.

Oiio, based in New York and Athens, came up with the proposal to highlight the race for height between Manhattan’s luxury condo developers, Dezeen Reports.

“Cities have become a reservoir of emotions and symbolism, deposited daily by their inhabitants,” Oiio founder Oikonomou says to Time Out New York. “Architects are now free from the old constraints and are ready to wrestle with a city fabric covered by layers on top of layers, made of meaning and memory.”

THE BIG BEND

There is an undeniable obsession that resides in Manhattan. It is undeniable because it is made to be seen. There are many different ways that can make a building stand out, but in order to do so the building has to literary stand out.

We have become familiar with building height measurements. We usually learn about the latest tallest building and we are always impressed by it’s price per square foot. It seems that a property’s height operates as a license for it to be expensive.

New York city’s zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks trough which developers try to maximize their property’s height in order to infuse it with the prestige of a high rise structure. But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?

If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan. The longest building in the world.

The Big Bend can become a modest architectural solution to the height limitations of Manhattan. We can now provide our structures with the measurements that will make them stand out without worrying about the limits of the sky.

The post Greek Architect Wants to Change New York’s Skyline appeared first on The National Herald.

“What an amazing day! Bravo everyone!” Estia expressed its pleasure on Facebook.
“A huge shout out to all of our tireless volunteers who give of their time and energy to contribute to another brilliant day. Including the gorgeous and energetic dancers from the Hellenic Dancers and their team behind them, we thank you.

Without you and the committee putting in behind the scenes we wouldn’t have been able to make it happen.

The post An Amazing Greek Day with Tastes and Sounds of Hellenic Culture to Hobart, Australia appeared first on The National Herald.

By Dimitra Pontoporou

Do you speak Greek? This is the vocabulary you will need to form your answer. The verb μιλάω means speak and πεινάω means I am hungry. These verbs have the same endings and fall into the Conjugation B verbs category that can be easily distinguished by the stressed -άς ending of the second person Singular. This is how μιλάω is conjugated:
Greek verb Pronunciation Meaning
Εγώ μιλά-ω eYO miLAo I talk, speak
Εσύ μιλ-άς eSEE miLAS you talk, speak
Η Μαρία μιλ-άει EE maREEa miLAi Maria talks, speaks
Εμείς μιλ-άμε eMEES miLAme we talk, speak
Εσείς μιλ-άτε eSEES miLAte you talk, speak
Η Μαρία και ο Πέτρος μιλ-άνε EE maREEa KE O PEtros miLAne Maria and Pertros talk, speak

Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Τα ελληνικά TA eliniKA Greek
Οι λέξεις EE Lexis words
Το λεξικό TO leXEEko lexicon
Γράφω GRAfo I write
Πολύ poLEE a lot
Πολλές poLES many
Λίγο LEEyo a little
Λίγες LEEyes a few
καλά kaLA good
καθόλου kaTHOlou at all
καταλαβαίνω katalaVEEno I understand
μαθαίνω maTHEno I learn
διαβάζω diaVAzo I read
ξέρω XEro I know

1. DO YOU SPEAK GREEK? Μιλάτε ελληνικά; Which is your case? Erase the wrong word.
1.1. Ναι, μιλάω λίγο/πολύ καλά.
1.2. Καταλαβαίνω πολλές/λίγες λέξεις.
1.3. Διαβάζω, αλλά γράφω λίγες/πολλές λέξεις.
1.4. Ξέρω λίγο/καλά/πολύ καλά ελληνικά.
1.5. Στο σπίτι μιλάμε/δε μιλάμε ελληνικά.
1.6. Η μαμά μου μιλάει καλά/δεν μιλάει καθόλου ελληνικά.
1.7. Μαθαίνω/δεν μαθαίνω ελληνικά.
1.8. Μιλάω/δεν μιλάω ελληνικά.
1.9. Καταλαβαίνω/δεν καταλαβαίνω ελληνικά.
1.10. Ξέρω/δεν ξέρω ελληνικά.

WHICH FRUIT WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT?
This is how the verb, πεινάω, I am hungry, is conjugated:
Greek verb Pronunciation Meaning
Εγώ πειν-άω eYO piNAo I am hungry
Εσύ πειν-άς eSEE piNAS you are hungry
Η Μαρία πειν-άει EE maREEa piNAi Maria is hungry
Εμείς πειν-άμε eMEES piNAme We are hungry
Εσείς πειν-άτε eSEES piNAte You are hungry
Η Μαρία και ο Πέτρος πειν-άνε EE maREEA KE O PEtros piNAne Maria and Petros are hungry

The Greek words for some fruits:
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Το πορτοκάλι TO portoKAli orange
Το μανταρίνι TO mantaREEni tangerine
Το λεμόνι TO leMOni lemon
Το μήλο TO MEElo apple
Το αχλάδι TO ahLAdi pear
Το ροδάκινο TO roDAkino peach
Το καρπούζι TO kaRPOOzi watermelon
Το πεπόνι TO pePOni melon
Το κεράσι TO keRAsi cherry
Το σύκο TO SEEko fig
Η φράουλα EE FRAoola strawberry
Η μπανάνα EE baNAna banana

The verb θέλ-ω (THElo), I want, is a conjugation A verb: εγώ θέλ-ω, εσύ θέλ-εις, η Μαρία θέλ-ει, εμείς θέλ-ουμε, εσείς θέλ-ετε, η Μαρία και ο Πέτρος θέλ-ουν.

2. WHICH FRUIT DO THEY WANT? Add the endings of the verbs πεινάω and θέλω, and write the fruit in Greek like in the given example.
Εγώ πεινά- . Θέλ- μία ….. (banana).
Εγώ πεινάω. Θέλω μία μπανάνα.

2.1. Εγώ πειν- . Θέλ- ένα …..(orange).
2.2. Ο Γιώργος πειν-. Θέλ- ένα….. (pear).
2.3. Μαμά, εμείς πειν-. Θέλ- ….. (watermelon).
2.4. Η Ιωάννα και ο Πέτρος πειν-. Θέλ- ….. (figs).
2.5. Η Κατερίνα πειν-. Θέλ- ένα ….. (apple).
2.6. Άννα πειν- ; Θέλ- ….; (strawberries?)
2.7. Η Ελένη πειν- . Θέλ- ένα ….. (watermelon).
2.8. Ο Πέτρος πειν- . Θέλ- ένα ….. (melon).
2.9. Εγώ πειν- . Θέλ- δύο ….. (apples).
2.10. Η Ελένη και ο Γιάννης πειν- . Θέλ- …..(bananas).

3. Do we use the Singular (μου/σου αρέσει= I/you like it) or the Plural (μου/σου αρέσουν= I/you like them)?
3.1. Μου αρέσει/αρέσουν τα κεράσια;
3.2. Δεν σου αρέσει/αρέσουν το καρπούζι;
3.3. Μου αρέσει/αρέσουν πολύ η μπανάνα.
3.4. Δεν μου αρέσει/αρέσουν το πορτοκάλι.
3.5. Σου αρέσει/αρέσουν τα μήλα;
3.6. Χρήστο, δεν σου αρέσει/αρέσουν το αχλάδι;
3.7. Ελένη, σου αρέσει/αρέσουν πολύ οι φράουλες.
3.8. Μαρία, σου αρέσει/αρέσουν τα ροδάκινα;
3.9. Γιώργο, σου αρέσει/αρέσουν τα σύκα.
3.10. Δεν μου αρέσει/αρέσουν τα μανταρίνια.

The post Our Everyday Greek: Let’s Speak and Eat Greek. Μιλάμε και Tρώμε Eλληνικά. appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – On March 16, the Hellenic Medical Society of New York held the Dr. Mary Kalopothakes Symposium at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City to honor Distinguished Female Physician of the Year Dr. Maria Theodoulou, Medical Oncology, at New York Oncology Hematology (NYOH) in Albany, NY. The award is named in honor of the first Greek-American female physician Dr. Mary Kalopothakes.

Dr. Theodoulou is recognized internationally for her breast cancer research. Prior to joining NYOH, she was an attending physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and a Professor of Medicine at the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University, both in New York City.

Her awards and honors include the Hally Yaccino Steiner Award- Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Greater New York City, Outstanding Physician Award- Sass Foundation for Medical Research, Clinical Excellence & Community Advocacy in Breast Cancer- Brook Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, and the AXIOS Award from American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association’s Cancer Foundation.

The introduction was made by Dr. Stella Lymberis, M.D., Chair, 1st Vice President of the Hellenic Medical Society of New York, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at New York University. The President of the Hellenic Medical Society, Dr. George Liakeas, M.D. offered greetings and thanked Dr. Lymberis for her efforts in organizing the event.

Konstantine “Gus” Costalas Regional Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Executive Director at Lenox Hill Hospital noted that he has attended 15 or so HMSNY events at Lenox Hill and when he heard that Dr. Theodoulou would be the honoree and speaker, he made sure to attend. Costalas observed that Dr. Theodoulou “is an amazing woman” who has saved many lives and continues saving lives and of people he knows personally. He said, “I am proud to know you and blessed to know you… Congratulations.”

Dr. Theodoulou’s presentation was entitled Hormone Sensitive Breast Cancer: Centuries of Standing, Walking, Running, Leaping and Moving Forward. Before she began her lecture, she expressed the hope of everyone for a cure to the terrible disease, saying, “I think we have to take a leap of faith right now and really, truly believe in the bottom of our hearts that one day I will be out of work because there won’t be a need for someone like me.”

Dr. Theodoulou noted that 35 years ago, she was a recipient of a grant from the Hellenic Medical Society that helped her afford an education and gave thanks to the nominating committee for the award, “it’s more than you could ever imagine.”

The Hellenic Medical Society of New York, founded in 1936 is a professional organization of physicians. The Society is devoted to education and international outreach projects, granting scholarships, fellowships and awards, and also fostering strong ties to the community through conferences and symposia like the one held to honor the Distinguished Female Physician of the Year.

Dr. Mary Kalopothakes was born in Athens in 1859. She studied at the Harvard Annex (now Radcliffe College) and then began her medical studies in Paris in 1886. Returning to Athens in 1894, she passed her exams and began her practice in pediatrics and gynecology.

With the Union of Greek Women, Dr. Kalopothakes served as a physician during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, worked with the Hospital of the Red Cross in Volos as a surgeon, and was recognized by Queen Olga and Florence Nightingale for her work preparing nurses for the front.

Working tirelessly for the public health in Greece, she published books on health and hygiene. Dr. Mary Kalopothakes passed away in 1941, but her memory, philanthropy, and contributions to medicine live on with the award named in her honor.

The post Dr. Maria Theodoulou Honored with Dr. Mary Kalopothakes Award (Video) appeared first on The National Herald.

Special to The National Herald

What happens when you take a brilliant journalist (Robert Fisk), a world class diplomat (Catherine Boura) and a critically acclaimed documentarian (NeleferPazira) and put them on stage to discuss the Middle East and the refugee crisis?  The answer is a jammed to capacity (700 seats) crowd who eagerly listen to these experts who have experienced the refugee crisis from three different vantage points.

The event held in Vancouver on March 7^th, was a collaboration between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies and Simon Fraser’s University President’s Square. The President of Simon Fraser University, Andrew Petter welcomed the audience and remarked that “we at Simon Fraser University believe that the health of communities –local and global- depends upon citizens coming together to share information, exchange views.”  “The university”, he added “provides a public square for dialogue on major issues of the day.”

Robert Fisk, a multi-award winning Middle East correspondent for The Independent, rendered an on-the-ground perspective of events in the Middle East and the origins of the refugee crisis. The audience hung on every word. Fisk did not mince words when he rebuked the media, and blamed the infamous historic Balfour agreement for the crisis in the Middle East.

Fisk lamented that: “the western democracies are precisely the countries that have imposed their will, and installed dictators, in the Arab lands since the end of World War I. The West, he said, thinks it has a right and a duty to do so. But these are not our people,” Fisk said :“they have a different history and culture from the West, and we have no business intervening.”

Her Excellency Catherine Boura who is Greece’s permanent representative to the United Nations, framed her analysis by offering data and proposing solutions for the crisis.

Ambassador Boura underscored the crisis when she told the audience: “At the end of 2015 more than 65 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. 21.3 million were refugees. The majority were children and women.” She reminded the audience that “In 2015, Greece received more than 800,000 refugees…”, she added: “Icannot emphasize enough the solidarity shown by local communities especially in the Greek frontline islands, where people put tremendous efforts and financial resources to rescue people in need and to receive them in a humane way at a time of very serious financial constraints.”

Catherine Boura also warned of the complexities of the refugee crisis such as the human traffickers who have amassed billions of dollars. “These criminal groups are likely to smuggle arms, to traffic people, women and girls to slavery, or sponsor terrorism because they thrive from it.” She concluded:“Efficient relocation and resettlement mechanisms must be put in place to secure orderly and legal means of movement and provide opportunities for resettlement of refugees, combating trafficking and smuggling networks.”

Finally, NeloferPazira offered the perspective of the refugee. NeloferPazirais an award-winning Afghan-Canadian director, actress, journalist and author. She grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she lived through ten years of Soviet occupation before escaping with her family to Pakistan, before immigrating to Canada. In 1996 she returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in search of a childhood friend. That journey became the basis for the critically-acclaimed film Kandahar, in which she starred.

As a refugee her poignant story and that of her family spoke to the hearts of all who attended the event. Her narrative put a face on the ubiquitous refugee. Walking from Afghanistan to Pakistan with her family is a testament to the plight of refugees.

Her father had been a pediatrician in Kabul and found himself unable to practice medicine when he arrived in Canada. Throughout his refugee trek he carried a suit, which was carefully tucked away that represented who he had been in his homeland. While in Canada, he kept the ritual of preserving that suit and pulling it out as a reminder of his previous life. This message was not lost on his creative daughter Nelofer who founded the Dyana Afghan Women’s fund, which provides education and skills training for women in Afghanistan.

The humanitarian crisis of refugees is dire. The evening of engaging with Fisk, Boura and Pazira was disturbing as well as enlightening. The dynamic among the speakers provided three unique insights into the refugee crisis and gave the audience an educational and memorable experience.

The post Three Perspectives on the Refugee Crisis, by Beverley Gerolymatos appeared first on The National Herald.

By Eleni Sakellis

NEW YORK – Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is making history with its $170 million opening weekend at the box office in the US and $350 million globally.

The film is an updated version of the animated classic that made history a quarter of a century ago when it was the first animated film to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

The new live-action version, written by Evan Spiliotopoulos who spoke with The National Herald about the film, delighted fans of the original and those new to the story. Spiliotopoulos told TNH on Sunday, Mar. 19, “We are just incredibly happy with the audience response to this film and we worked very hard to do right by the animated masterpiece as well as put our own stamp on this classic story.”

For those unfamiliar with the story, the plot summary is straightforward-  A young prince, imprisoned in the form of a beast, can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle, the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted.

The film expands on the animated version, adding depth to the characters and some new songs. Starring an enchanting Emma Watson as Belle and a wonderful Dan Stevens as the Beast, the film is one of the few in recent memory to inspire cheers and applause from the audience in the movie theatre. It is as delightful as fans of the story and the 1991 film could have hoped. Many are indeed still singing the songs a day or two after having seen the film.

The tremendously talented all-star cast includes Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson. The emotional journey the audience takes along with the characters is impressive. We laughed, cried, cheered, and then left singing the songs, and asking what exactly is the Beast’s name? He is called Prince, but Prince what? Some sources suggest Prince Adam, but Spiliotopoulos was able to clear things up. He said, “Nope. He has no name. The Adam thing is a myth.”

By any name, the character and the fairy tale have enchanted audiences worldwide since the story first appeared in a collection of fairy tales in France in the 1700’s. Though, according to research from universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story may be much older, perhaps 4,000 years old, as reported in the BBC. Since then, Beauty and the Beast has been rewritten and remade many times, but the core of the story, the transformative power of love, and not judging people by their outward appearance alone, remains a valuable lesson.

Belle is also an avid reader which sets a positive example for young children, especially young girls. In this new version, she even takes the time to teach a young girl to read, though it only serves to cement the village’s opinion of her as strange.

Cinema buffs will notice the nod to the 1946 French film classic La Belle et la Bête by Jean Cocteau which starred Josette Day as the Beauty and Jean Marais as the Beast.

The film’s soundtrack features all the favorites from the animated classic plus four new original songs. Among them, “How Does a Moment Last Forever” sung beautifully by Celine Dion who sang the film’s title song duet with Peabo Bryson in the 1991 version, and “Evermore” a poignant song sung by the Beast, was also recorded by Josh Groban for the soundtrack.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is rated PG and is in theatres now.

The post Beauty and the Beast Sets Box Office Record; TNH Interviews Writer Evan Spiliotopoulos  appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Τhe Association of Greek American Professional Women (A.G.A.P.W.) organize “Greek American Woman of the Year” Award Gala Honoring Dr. Miranda Kofinas, MD President of the Archdiocesan Cathedral Philoptochos Society.

Keynote Speaker is Ms. Nancy Papaioannou, President of Atlantic Bank and Chairman of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce. An Excellence Tuition Scholarship will be awarded to Ms. Marina Elizabeth Grabda in Honor of Dr. Miranda Kofinas

Master of Ceremonies is Mrs. Penelope Tsilas, while live performance by barytone Mr. Nektarios Antoniou, soprano Ms. Nikoleta Rallis and pianist Mr. Aza Sydykov. Poetry reading by Ms. Anna Tsoukala.

The gala will take place on Wednesday March 29th, 2017,  7:00-9:00 p.m.

3 West Club, the Lounge Room
3 West 51st Street, New York, NY 10019

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BALTIMORE, MD – After six years of conflict, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is urging continued support for programs to meet the needs of Syrian children and adolescents who face food insecurity, lack access to education, and bear deep psychological scars. Children displaced by the conflict in Syria as well as those who are now refugees outside of the country require support to address all aspects of their health and wellbeing.

The situation of more than 5.6 million children inside Syria, where IOCC has maintained an active presence since 2012 in partnership with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch’s Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development (GOPA-DERD), remains the most desperate.

“The real danger for Syrian children and their families,” explained Mark Ohanian, IOCC Senior Director of Middle East Programs, “is not just the immediate need for humanitarian aid to sustain them physically, but the long-term effects on their wellbeing caused by the trauma they have experienced and disruptions to their lives.”

Majida, a 26-year-old refugee from Homs living in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, was unable to breastfeed her infant son Nader because of renal disease. He is just one of more than 1,000 Syrian refugee children in the Bekaa Valley who have been screened by IOCC staff. Ten percent of the children screened were found to be at-risk of malnutrition, either because of underlying medical conditions or lack of support for nursing mothers. In addition to providing breast-feeding assistance, children found to be at-risk are provided with protein-rich, high-calorie supplements to promote their healthy development.

Through screening and simple interventions, the prognosis for Nader has improved and his wellbeing has also benefitted his family. “A mother’s milk is the best nutrition for the baby as it provides immunity, while the bottle might catch germs and cause the baby to get ill. Nader is in better health with breastfeeding, and we are able to cut down our expenses and spend on other priorities in the difficult conditions we are living in,” Majida said.

Even for otherwise healthy Syrian children, the war is taking its toll. Three million Syrian children born since the beginning of the conflict have experienced prolonged fear from bombings and violence, the loss of family members and friends, and anxiety caused by repeated dislocation and uncertainty.

In an effort to address the trauma on Syrian children, IOCC and its partners began establishing Dream Centers to provide child-friendly environments for Syrian children who are homeless, orphaned, displaced, and those with disabilities. Four centers, including one serving Aleppo, in Syria have been established to date to provide psychosocial support, offer instruction in personal care and hygiene, problem-solving, and non-violent communication, as well as how to express their feelings and respond and adapt to challenging social situations. Participating children and their parents learn through theater, sports, games, art, and other interactive sessions that take place over the course of three months. The program is supervised by a psychiatrist who follows up with the children requiring additional support.

School-aged children also face increasing obstacles to receiving an education. The UN estimates that one in four Syrian schools have been damaged, destroyed, or occupied and more than half of Syrian children are out of school. In Lebanon, which hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country, eight out of every ten Syrian refugee children are not enrolled in school.

In Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Greece, IOCC is providing remedial classes in English, math, and other subjects to keep children engaged and minimize gaps in learning so that they are able to return to formal education. School uniforms, required in many countries, are also being provided to children. Inside Syria, IOCC has employed Syrian women displaced by the conflict to make school uniforms. The cash-for-work program provides children with the uniforms required for school and much-needed income for the women and their families who are often dependent on aid to survive. In rural Damascus and elsewhere in Syria, children and their teachers show remarkable resilience. During cold winter months, many children went to school wrapped in coats and scarves without electricity or heat so that they would not fall behind.

More information on IOCC, its programs, and how to help is available online at www.iocc.org.

The post IOCC Helping At-Risk Syrian Children appeared first on The National Herald.

It is no secret that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge share a love of Africa: Prince William first visited the country during his gap year and the couple got engaged on a safari holiday in Kenya. So what better gift to mark the birth of their son, Prince George, than a sterling silver figurine of an African animal?

William and Kate’s closest friends have bought presents for the baby from upmarket designer Patrick Mavros, who has shops in London, Harare and Mauritius, Daily Mail reported.

The Duchess has long been a fan of Mavros – she discovered him when she was designing jewellery at Jigsaw and bought £70 crocodile stud earrings, £150 Ndoro drop earrings and a £250 Zozo elephant pendant – and has taken her mother and sister to the Fulham Road shop.
Now she has introduced Prince William and Prince Harry to the designer, and she and William are believed to be collecting the firm’s miniatures to decorate their apartment in Kensington Palace.

A fourth-generation native of Zimbabwe, Mavros was born in 1954 in Matabeleland, a province in the country’s western region. His grandfather Stamati Mavros emigrated from Greece to Durban, South Africa, in 1901, while his mother’s side hails from Scotland, as he writes in his webpage.

According to Mavros, Stamati needed the advice of a lawyer, and since “no self-respecting English lawyer would represent a Greek,” his grandfather “sought the council of an Indian gentleman, Mr. Mahatma Gandhi.”

In 1902, Stamati settled in what was at the time Southern Rhodesia, married a lovely lady named Aphrodite, and fathered six children, one of whom was Patrick Mavros’s dad. In his youth, Mavros would tirelessly explore his tough, rural bush environment by climbing trees, swimming in streams, catching birds and watching with fascination the many kinds of animals that surrounded the family home.

His life took a turn for the worse, however, when at the age of five he began showing signs of polio. Even though his father was a doctor, the road to recovery was arduous.

The Patrick Mavros brand was founded 35 years ago when the then-soldier, Patrick, carved a pair of earrings for his wife, Catja. She wore them to the hair salon, where the hairdresser fell in love with them and instantly requested a pair for herself.

From this loving gift, the business was born into what is recognised today as a uniquely African and distinctively exotic, luxury brand. The Mavros sons, Alexander, Forbes, Patrick Jnr and Benjamin are also all passionately involved in the business.

From day one the boys were engrossed in the workshop, experimenting with materials and designs: starting with heavy rough-hewn rock crystals they dug up from the farm, suspended them from fishing line for their adoring and patient mother to wear!

Marrying intricate craftsmanship with an intrepid family heritage, the Mavros’ have not only designed some of the most extraordinary creations in Africa but have also created around them an environment just as magical and bold.

At home, the workshops, the family homestead, the wildlife sanctuary and the studio are all built to form a small village on the family estate in the wild hills outside Harare in Zimbabwe.

The post Silver Animals by Greek Designer Patrick Mavros Are Gifts Fit for a Baby Prince appeared first on The National Herald.

(Astoria, NY) – Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and Councilmember Costa Constantinides released the following statements addressing hate graffiti on the elected officials offices and surrounding community.

Senator Michael Gianaris said, “It is shameful that someone is trying to divide our diverse neighborhood through hostility and bigotry. We can assure our community that these hateful actions will not silence our opposition towards policies we consider un-American, and we will continue to fight for those who need our help no matter the cost.”

Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas said, “Writing hateful graffiti is a cowardly, criminal act that pollutes our neighborhood and makes people feel less safe. I am confident that the 114 Precinct will catch the perpetrator or perpetrators, whatever their sick motivation may be. These acts of hate will neither silence nor stop Astoria’s elected officials from working to fight discrimination and intolerance and to protect the beautiful diversity of our neighborhood.”

Council Member Costa Constantinides said, “I strongly condemn this symbol of hate and vandalism in our community. As we see hate crimes rise across the city, we stand together in support of respect and tolerance. We will continue to fight bigoted and despicable acts such as these. Thank you to the 114th Precinct for their hard work investigating these hate crimes.”

The elected officials have been vocal against the Trump administration’s executive orders and have taken actions towards uniting our neighborhoods including hosting a rally in support of the Muslim community in Little Egypt and a community celebration of Astoria’s diversity.

Senator Gianaris has taken direct efforts against the Trump administration including introducing legislation that would prohibit the Port Authority, which administers New York airports, from utilizing any of its resources in support of the Executive Order’s enforcement. Additionally, Senator Gianaris introduced legislation that would add immigration status to the list of protected classes in the state’s Human Rights and Civil Right Laws and has fought federal efforts that would discriminate against people based on their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender.

The 114th Precinct has documented each incident and is examining local security footage that will help to identify the person committing these heinous acts.

The post Gianaris, Simotas and Constantinides Condemn Hate Graffiti Scrawled on their District Offices appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek – American anchor Ernie Anastos will be honored by Mayor Bill de Blasio with a special reception Tuesday, New York Daily News reports.

The mayor will declare March 21 “Ernie Anastos Day in New York” in recognition of the Fox 5 anchor.

“It’s absolutely amazing to be honored by the city of New York, the greatest place in the world and the people I love the most,” Anastos said in a statement to the Daily News.

I am thrilled to be receiving this special honor from The City of New York and @BilldeBlasio tonight at Gracie Mansion. Thank you so much!

— Ernie Anastos (@ErnieAnastos) March 21, 2017

Ernie Anastos (born July 12, 1943) is an Emmy Award-winning news anchor for New York City’s Fox 5 News at 6:00 p.m.

Anastos is a Hall of Fame Broadcaster and has won more than 30 Emmy awards and nominations, including “Best Newscast in New York” and the Edward R. Murrow Award for broadcast excellence. The New York Times recently described him as “the ubiquitous anchorman.”

Anastos has anchored coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. He also traveled to Cuba and met with Fidel Castro reporting on the 45th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. He covered Cardinal John Joseph O’Connor’s official trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua, and reported on the death and funeral of Princess Diana from London.

Anastos also was nominated for an Emmy for his reporting on the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. from the site of his plane crash near Cape Cod.

The post Anchor Ernie Anastos will be Honored by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared first on The National Herald.

WINNIPEG, Canada – When Dino Chouzouris first immigrated to Winnipeg with his family from Greece in the 1970’s, the pressure to assimilate into a predominantly white, English-speaking community did not go unnoticed, Winnipeg Free Press reports.

One of the first groups his family connected with when they arrived in 1974 was the Greek Community of Winnipeg and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2255 Grant Ave., which helped his family acclimatize to life in Winnipeg — a purpose the community still serves today.

Founded in 1917, the Greek Community of Winnipeg, Chouzouris said, was a place for his family to practice their religion, connect with other Greek expatriates in the city, and embrace their culture.

Nancy Vardalos Ginakes is part of the committee organizing the Greek Community of Winnipeg’s centennial event on March 25 at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre, 1808 Wellington Ave.

“Join us as we celebrate the past and present history of our Community,” the Greek Community of Winnipeg writes on Facebook account.

“As Greeks we love to dance and have a great time. The band PAREA, coming all the way from Toronto, will perform live for your entertainment with “kefi” and enthusiasm.

Our KEFI dancers will dance to entertain and put you in the mood for an original Greek Party!
Put on your dancing shoes and be prepared to dance the night away!

What is a Greek party without food?
The Victoria Inn is preparing a delicious and sumptuous four course dinner.

Theme of the party: Great Gatsby! (A black tie affair).”

The post 100 Years Jubilee of the Greek Community in Winnipeg appeared first on The National Herald.

MONTREAL, Canada – Health tourism and its promising prospectsin Greece, is the subject of a two-day event which will be held in Montreal, Canada on March 28th and 29th 2017, at the Hellenic Community Center Adrian Maris, 5757 ave. Wilderton, Montréal.

Prominent members of the Greek medical, scientific and business community will be presenting the excellent medical services available in Greece. They include fields such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Dentistry,Ophthalmology, Spa Tourism, Robotics Medicine and Plastic Surgery.

The audience will hear real stories narrated by the actual people who benefited from these advantages.

The event will be attended by prominent members of the Greek Canadian community. They include businessmen, members of the Health and Tourism industries, as well as media representatives from Greece, Canada and the Diaspora.

George Patoulis, President of the Medical Association of Athens (ISA), the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) and the Division of Medical Tourism of the Hellenic Medical Association will be awarded a plaque of Excellency by Nicholas T. Pagonis, President of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal.

Leaders of the Greek community of Montreal will alsohonored for their participation and theirefforts to maintain Greek ideals alive.

Commenting on this subject, ISA and KEDE PresidentGeorge Patoulis stated:
“Greece has a high scientific potential. Medical services provided in Greece are within the highest standards worldwide. Health tourism in Greece can become the center of attraction of the international medical community. This can strengthen the economy, create new jobs and boost other sectors of the weakened Greek economy”.

The post Τwo-day Convention on Health Tourism in Greece to be Held in Montreal appeared first on The National Herald.

By Dr. Leonidas Petrakis

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence, was intimately familiar with classical Greek ideals and culture, which played an important role along with the ideals of the Enlightenment in formulating the principles upon which the American Republic was founded.

In fact, Thomas Jefferson was fluent in classical Greek, and prided himself on being able to read the classics in their original language. In 1800, Jefferson wrote the following to famous chemist, Dr. Joseph Priestley: “I enjoy Homer in his own language infinitely beyond [Alexander] Pope’s translation and I thank on my knees him who directed my early education for having put into my possession this rich source of delight.”

Prior to being elected President, Jefferson served as US Ambassador to France for five years (1785-89), a tumultuous time for France, and indeed for the world. Although the Americans were determined to stay out of the European wars, they did not remain aloof and unengaged in the Old Continent’s intellectual and political developments.

On the contrary, Jefferson’s diplomatic residence in Chaillot was a beehive of activity and a central meeting place for leading European intellectuals. It was there that Adamantios Korais was often a dinner guest of the future President.

Korais was a towering intellectual figure who, along with Rigas Feraios and other patriots of the Greek Diaspora, played a key role in preparing the enslaved Greek nation to gain its independence from the Ottoman Turks.

Korais, whose parents were from Chios, was trained as a physician, but he moved to Paris in 1788, where he established himself as a world renowned classical scholar, editing and publishing many classical Greek texts. His commentaries on the classics (i.e., Prolegomena) are still highly valued. In Paris, Korais also became deeply involved in the Enlightenment movement and closely observed the French Revolution.

Like Jefferson, Korais believed that people enlightened by education could best govern themselves, and that democracy was better than monarchy or any other system.

He devoted his energies to helping his countrymen gain their independence and democracy, advocating the establishment of schools, libraries and, in every way possible, elevating their educational level. Like Jefferson, he admired the achievements of the ancients, but he wanted their noble ideals of freedom and democracy adapted to the realities and needs of modern states.

When the Greek War of Independence broke out in 1821, Korais was too old to return and fight. Instead, he aggressively tried to gain support abroad for the Greek Cause. He wrote countless letters seeking moral, political and material support for the Greeks. Korais mistrusted the European powers, especially England, but he had great admiration for the establishment of the American Republic, and considered it to be the best modern actualization of the democratic ideals first developed by the Greeks. He advocated the adoption of a constitution in Greece which would be in line with the American Constitution.

Furthermore, Korais pointed to George Washington, Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin as role models for politicians of the Modern Greek state when it was starting on its path to independence and nationhood.

Korais wrote his first letter (in French) to Thomas Jefferson in Monticello in the summer of 1823. He reminded Jefferson of their meetings in Paris, and also sent along his newly edited volumes of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics and The Politics, for which Jefferson expressed appreciation. In his letter, Korais, highly vexed by the bickering among the Greeks which was clearly having an adverse effect on the Greek War of Independence, wrote the following to Jefferson:

“Modern Greece has produced many a Leonidas and Miltiades, but since it came out of a long period of slavery, it was not possible to produce law-givers like those that had appeared among Greece’s ancient citizens, or like those that we have seen in our own times in your country.”

Korais proceeded to seek advice and political support from the illustrious and respected ex-President, and also suggested concrete steps which the American Government could take on behalf of the struggling Greek nation.

Jefferson responded in the fall of 1823 with a long letter of his own: “I pray that you accept my thanks (for the books). I had seen only your Lives of Plutarch. These I had read, and profited much by your valuable Scholia. And the aid of a few words from a Modern Greek Dictionary would, I believe, have enabled me to read your patriotic addresses to your countrymen.”

It is interesting that Jefferson the scholar clearly recognized the continuity of the Greek language.

In the same letter, Jefferson also referred to the central role of the classical ideals of Greek democracy and their influence on the founding of the American Republic: “Nothing is more likely to forward this objective (self-government in the newly liberated Greece) than a study of the fine models of science left them by their ancestors, to whom we also are all indebted for the lights which originally led ourselves out of Gothic darkness.”

After discussing the central ideas for the founding of the U.S. (e.g., separation of powers; inherent rights of all people; factors such as geography which make it necessary to adapt, rather than just adopt, the ideas of the ancients), Jefferson proceeded to focus on education, emphasizing what was critical in American primary schools (i.e., public education for every infant of the state, male and female, while in the intermediate schools, the elements of natural philosophy and, as a preparation for university studies, the Greek and Latin languages).

Jefferson then clearly demonstrated his Phil-Hellenic sentiments: No people sympathize more feelingly than ours with the sufferings of your countrymen; none more sincere and ardent prayers to Heaven for their success. And nothing indeed but the fundamental principle of our government, never to entangle us with the broils of Europe, could restrain our generous youth from taking some part in this holy cause. Possessing ourselves the combined blessings of liberty and order, we wish the same to other countries, and to none more than yours which, the first of civilized nations, presented examples of what man should be.

And Jefferson concluded his letter in very moving terms: “I have thus, dear sir, according to your request, given you some thoughts on the subject of national government. They are the result of the observations and reflections of an octogenarian who has passed 50 years of trial and trouble in the various grades of his country’s service.

They are yet but outlines, which you will better fill up and accommodate to the habits and circumstances of your countrymen. Should they furnish a single idea which may be useful to them, I shall fancy it a tribute rendered to the manes of your Homer, your Demosthenes and the splendid constellation of sages and heroes, whose blood is still flowing in your veins, and whose merits are still resting, as a heavy debt, on the shoulders of the living and the future races of men.

While we offer to Heaven the warmest supplications for the restoration of your countrymen to the freedom and science of their ancestors, permit me to assure yourself of the cordial esteem and high respect which I bear and cherish towards yourself personally – T. Jefferson.”

In subsequent letters, Korais sought concrete steps in support of the Greek cause, not as charity, but because it was both morally right, and also beneficial to the American state. What a difference, we may point out, with some of America’s present close friends, who simply put out their hand only to receive.

Jefferson did not grant the Korais’ requests for public political support and the beginning of commercial relations by sending American trade representatives to Greece. By this time, Jefferson was an ex-President, and although still influential, his power was limited. Yet Jefferson’ support was important, and the Greek Cause was actively aided by great Phil-Hellenes, including Edward Everett, Samuel Gridley Howe, Daniel Webster and many others. Even President James Monroe, the fifth US President, expressed great sympathy for the Greeks, although he had to contend with his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams’ real politic and also with his own Monroe Doctrine, which delimited American involvement in Europe.

Dr. Petrakis was Senior Scientist and Department Chairman at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, and now resides in Oakland, California.

The post Jefferson and Korais: The Deep Roots of Greco-American Friendship appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on Monday, March 20 welcomed representatives of the Greek community to Brooklyn’s Borough Hall to celebrate Greek heritage in honor of Greek Independence Day.

The annual event is also dedicated to public and community service and honored members of the community who have distinguished themselves through their dedication to giving back. Adams mentioned that this event is one his favorites every year, and spoke about the ideals of the Greek Revolution and the vital role of Greek culture in the development of Western civilization.

He noted the important role of the Diaspora in Brooklyn’s development as well and highlighted the achievements of Greeks in the economy, education, and many other areas.

Father Eugene Pappas of Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn, who served as the master of ceremonies for the event, spoke about Greece’s struggles for freedom, the double celebration of the Annunciation and the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, and noted the role of the Diaspora.

Fr. Eugene also congratulated the honorees and praised their contributions to the community, social and charitable activities. Fr. Eugene made special reference to the sponsors of the event and the restaurants who provided Greek food for the event, as well as the organizing committee Zoe Koutsoupakis, Basil Kapetanakis, John Haskopoulos, Jimmy Tampakis, and Sandy Vallas.

Consul of Greece in New York Manos Koubarakis also attended the ceremony, conveying the cordial greetings of the General Consul Konstantinos Koutras, and congratulated the honorees.

The keynote speaker of the event was Andrew Gounardes, Counsel at the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President who impressed the audience with his comments on the attitude of the Greek community towards the refugee crisis facing Greece and by extension, all humanity.

“We failed to raise our voice for the protection and accommodation of refugees,” said Gounardes, recalling that most expatriates are refugees who came to America after the Pontian Genocide, the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Second World War and the Greek Civil War. Some Greeks came legally and others illegally, and many experienced racism and persecution from the Ku Klux Klan.

Then, he called upon expatriates to speak and teach their children about the refugee crisis and to tell the refugees “you are welcome in this great and hospitable nation.”

The honorees at the event were George Annis, Anna Chrysostomou, Julia Demakakos, Popi Gavales, Connie Ioannides, Chris Kalogerou, Dean Rasinya, Emmanuel Tsoukaris, Theodore Vallas, Fotoula Vasilakos, and Demetrios Voyiazis, while the Greek-American Nicole Malliotakis New York State Assembly Member for Brooklyn and Staten Island awarded commendations from the State Assembly of New York.

Following the award ceremony, the school dance groups from Holy Cross Church in Brooklyn, A. Fantis Parochial School of Saints Constantine and Helen in Brooklyn, as well as the Greek Charter School danced in traditional costumes. The dance presentation delighted all those in attendance at the event and was directed by Sofia Stasinou.

The post Greek Heritage Celebrated at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall (Video) appeared first on The National Herald.

A record 2,043 billionaires made Forbes’ 31st annual ranking of the world’s billionaires, as featured in the March 28, 2017 issue of Forbes magazine.

(Read TNH’s 50 Wealthiest Greek-Americans 2017 List)

Over a dozen Greek-Americans, Greeks and Cypriots are included in Forbes‘ list published on Monday:

#315 Jim Davis & family, $5 B
Jim Davis owns New Balance, which he bought in 1972 as a small shoemaker pumping out 30 pairs a day. Four years later he scored a big hit when the New Balance 320 was rated the best running shoe on the market. Today the $3.7 billion (est. sales) produces millions of athletic and casual shoes annually and has also expanded into clothing and equipment for lacrosse and soccer. New Balance is one of the few major firms still manufacturing some of its shoes in America — churning out more than 4 million U.S.-made pairs annually.

#581 John Catsimatidis, $3.3 B
John Catsimatidis moved with his family from Greece to New York when he was an infant and grew up in an apartment in Harlem. He worked as a grocery clerk while attending NYU but dropped out for the chance to own a piece of that shop. He opened his own grocery store in 1969 and had 10 stores by age 25. In addition to the Gristedes supermarket chain, he owns oil refinery United Refining in Pennsylvania, which he bought out of bankruptcy, and real estate in New York and beyond. Catsimatidis unsuccessfully ran for mayor of New York City in 2013.

#581 Tom Gores $3.3 B
Tom Gores oversees more than 25 companies with some $6 billion in assets through his Los Angeles-based private equity firm, Platinum Equity. An Israeli immigrant, Gores grew up near Detroit and stocked shelves at his father’s small grocery store. His brother, Alec, is also a private equity billionaire. Tom and Alec spent their 20s learning the buyout businesses together before splitting in 1995. A sports nut, he played football, basketball and baseball in high school and still coaches youth soccer and basketball teams.

#630 John Paul DeJoria, $3 B
John Paul DeJoria is known for founding tequila maker Patrón Spirits Co. and hair care company Paul Mitchell Systems. DeJoria slept in his car and sold shampoo door-to-door before he teamed up with Paul Mitchell in 1980 and turned $700 into hair-care outfit John Paul Mitchell Systems. The company is still going strong with an estimated $1 billion in annual revenues. DeJoria also has interests in a range of industries, including life sciences, yachts and telecom.

#814 Philip Niarchos, $2.5 B
Philip Niarchos is the oldest son of the late Stavros Niarchos, one of the world’s richest shipping magnates. The oldest of his four children with Eugenia Livianos, he inherited the bulk of his father’s art collection. Bought in 1957 for $3 million from actor Edward G. Robinson, who needed to pay for his divorce, the art collection includes some of the world’s most recognizable pieces. It is said to be the largest private collection of works by Van Gogh, including a self portrait of the Dutch master after he chopped off his ear.

#867 C. Dean Metropoulos, $2.5 B
Turnaround king C. Dean Metropoulos’ latest success is the snack foods brand Hostess. He and Apollo Global Management bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2013 for $410 million. In November 2016, Metropoulos and Apollo took Hostess public via a special purpose acquisition entity created by billionaire Alec Gores’ private equity firm, The Gores Group. This was not the first time that Metropoulos, who emigrated from Greece with his parents at age 10, took a beaten-down brand and spruced it up.

#867 Alexander Spanos & family, $2.4 B
After more than 50 years in San Diego, Alexander Spanos’s Chargers announced in January their move to Los Angeles for the start of the 2017 NFL season. Spanos bought a controlling stake in the Chargers in 1984, and the team is now worth $1.9 billion net of debt. His grandchildren John and A.G. run the team, while son Dean serves as chairman. The son of Greek immigrants, Spanos started a catering company in 1951 with an $800 loan. He plowed the profits into real estate, including apartment complexes. Today his A.G. Spanos Co. develops master-planned communities and multifamily housing across the country.

#939 George Argyros & family, $2.2 B
Real estate mogul George Argyros runs Arnel & Affiliates, which owns 5,500 apartments in Orange County, Calif. and nearly 2 million square feet of commercial real estate in southern California. Until recently, he was also a board member of DST Systems, First American Financial Corp. and Pacific Mercantile bank; he remains a shareholder in these and a handful of other companies. Argyros was once the largest stockholder in DST Systems, a Kansas software developer, but has sold the bulk of his and his family’s shares under a 2014 agreement.

#973 Alec Gores, $2.1 B
Alec Gores and his younger billionaire brother Tom Gores immigrated to the United States from Israel with their parents and four other siblings in 1968. Alec Gores started bagging groceries at his uncle’s store soon after arriving; he didn’t speak any English at the time. The brothers worked together at the beginning of their careers but went their separate ways in 1995 and have competed for buyout deals ever since. Alec Gores’ The Gores Group has acquired 110 companies and has $2 billion in assets as of September 2016.

#973 Aristotelis Mistakidis, $2.2 B
Aristotelis Mistakidis, known as “Telis, is the director of Glencore’s copper business and owns a 3% stake in the commodities and mining giant. A citizen of both the United Kingdom and his native Greece, he attained billionaire status in 2011 when the IPO of Glencore went public on the London Stock Exchange. He fell off in 2016 due to a weak commodities market, but is back this year thanks to company stocks rising 213%. Mistakidis got his start in the commodities business at Cargill and joined Marc Rich & Co. in 1993. Shortly after, the firm was bought by management and renamed Glencore.

#973 Peter Peterson, $2.1 B
Peter Peterson has one of the most distinguished résumés in America. He served as secretary of commerce under President Nixon, was chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers in the ’70s and early ’80s, cofounded Blackstone Group in 1985 with fellow billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, and then served as the chair of New York’s Federal Reserve Bank from 2000 to 2004. He made most of his fortune at Blackstone and sold a chunk of his stake for $1.85 billion (pretax) in 2007 when the company went public.

#1.030 Maritsa Lazari & family, $1.94 B
Maritsa Lazari is the widow of late billionaire Christos Lazari, who died in 2015, a few months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. The pair both emigrated from the same Cyprus village; she came with her family while he arrived at age 16 to strike out on his own, initially doing odd jobs like washing dishes. The couple, who met in London, married in 1965. Christos studied fashion design and eventually created a successful fashion line. The couple used the profits from that business to buy up property.

#1.098 Spiro Latsis & family, $1.99 B
Spiro Latsis has been managing the family fortune since his father, Greek shipping tycoon John S. Latsis, passed away in 2003. The family still has a foot in the shipping business through Latsco Shipping, which owns a fleet of more than a dozen oil tankers and liquefied petroleum gas carriers. But the bulk of their wealth is now invested elsewhere in companies like EFG International, a Zurich-based private banking group where Latsis is a board director. The family also owns a substantial stake in oil company Hellenic Petroleum and Lamda Development, a publicly traded real estate developer active in southeastern Europe.

DONALD TRUMP DROPS 220 SPOTS
President Donald Trump is the nation’s first billionaire president, but he’s not as rich as he used to be, according to the Forbes 2017 Billionaires List.
The magazine put his net worth at $3.5 billion, down $1 billion from the rankings it issued a year ago.
As a result, his position on the Forbes’ ranking dropped 220 spots, leaving him tied with 19 others as the 544th richest person in the world.

Bill Gates remains in the top spot for the fourth year in a row and has been the richest person in the world for 18 out of the past 23 years. Gates has a fortune of $86 billion, up from $75 billion last year. Warren Buffett, worth $75.6 billion, up from $60.8 billion in 2016, reclaimed the No. 2 slot, after a two-year hiatus. The biggest gainer on the 2017 list is Jeff Bezos (No. 3), whose fortune increased by $27.6 billion for a total net worth of $72.8 billion. This is Bezos’ first time in the top three. Spanish clothing retailer Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara fashion chain) drops to No. 4, despite his net worth increasing to $71.3 billion. Rounding out the top five is Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, worth $56 billion.

To view the list, visit www.forbes.com/billionaires.

The post Greeks, Greek-Americans Included in Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2017 appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The order of the Battalions in the National Day Parade on 5th Avenue New York, commemorating the 196th Anniversary of Greek Independence 1821, has been announced.

The parade will take place in Sunday, March 26, 2017, 1:30 p.m.

Read the parade battalions order:

1. NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT MOUNTED COLOR GUARD
2. NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CEREMONIAL BAND
3. FIRE DEPARTMENT OF NEW YORK HELLENIC SOCIETY
4. COLOR GUARD – BANNER OF THE FEDERATION AND THE GREEK AND AMERICAN FLAGS
5. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FEDERATION OF HELLENIC SOCIETIES OF GREATER NEW YORK
6. FEDERATION OF HELLENIC SOCIETIES OF GREATER NY – PETROS GALATOULAS, PRESIDENT
7. 2017 PARADE GRAND MARSHALS:
• IOANNIS SAVVIDIS
• GEORGE D. YANCOPOULOS, M.D., PHD
8. 2017 PARADE HONORARY MARSHAL: EMIRATES AIRLINE
9. HONORARY PARADE CHAIRMAN – HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS, PRIMATE OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF AMERICA
10. PARADE CHAIRMEN EMERITUS
• JOHN CATSIMATIDIS
• PHILIP CHRISTOPHER
11. PARADE CHAIRMEN
• VASILIOS GOURNELOS
• GEORGE KALERGIOS
12. PARADE CO-CHAIRS
• ARIS KOURKOUMELIS
• ANTHONY MIHAILIDIS
• PAUL KOTRONUS
13. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES
14. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF GREECE AND THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
15. HONORED GUESTS AND OFFICIALS

HONORARY BATTALION
63RD STREET, FIFTH TO PARK AVENUES
1) THESSALONIKI COLLEGE FROM THE REPUBLIC OF GREECE
GREEK SCHOOL OF PLATO MARCHING BAND
ACROPOLIS FLAG CARRIED BY ARISTA STUDENTS OF THE HELLENIC COMMUNITIES
PRESIDENTIAL GUARD OF THE REPUBLIC OF GREECE – EVZONES
NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT – SAINT PAUL’S SOCIETY
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION HELLENIC SOCIETY
LAOGRAFIKOS OMILOS AMERIKIS- GREEK AMERICAN FOLKLORE SOCIETY
KALAVRYTAN, 1821
LAVARON OF ’21 – KALAVRYTAN FRATERNITY
LAVARON OF KALAMATA SOCIETY “SAINT APOSTOLE”
LAVARON OF MANI SOCIETY
LAVARON GEROS TOU MOREA
LAVARA EXODOS MESOLOGIOU, AETOLOAKARNANES & D.O.R.S.
LAVARON CRETAN ASSOCIATION “OMONOIA”
LAVARON PONTION SOCIETY
LAVARON RIGAS FERAIOS
XANTHOS O FILIKOS PATMOS ASSOCIATION, INC.
2) FLOAT # 1– MISS GREEK INDEPENDENCE
3) CATHEDRAL OF HOLY TRINITY, NEW YORK, NY
CATHEDRAL SCHOOL
ST. BASIL ACADEMY
4) HELLENIC MEDICAL SOCIETY
HELLENIC LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
5) FLOAT #2– HELLENIC TIMES SCHOLARSHIP FUND
6) FLOAT #3 – FEDERATION OF STEREA HELLAS – CELEBRATING 100 YEARS – ELEFTHERIANI SOCIETY
FEDERATION OF STEREA HELLAS OF U.S.A. & CANADA
GEORGIOS KARAISKAKOS, HERO OF 1821 PORTRAYED BY JOHN NIKOPOULOS
NAFPAKTIAN BROTHERHOOD, DAUGHTERS ROUMELIS, ST. DEMETRIOS BROTHERHOOD, PLATANOS SOCIETY,
VELOUHIO OF ATLANTA, AETOLPAKARNANIAN MUUAL, AGRINION SOCIETY, ANALYPSIS SOCIETY, ATHANASIOS
DIAKOS, DIPLATANOS SOCIETY, GALAXIDI SOCIETY, KATAFIGION SOCIETY, KARPENISI SOCIETY, PERISTA
SOCIETY, THERMOPYLES SOCIETY, ELEFTHERIANI SOCIETY, ENOSIS EVRYTANON AMERIKIS TO KARPENISI,
SYLLOGOS EVRYTANON AMERIKIS-PANAGIA I PROUSSIOTISA
7) ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ROCHESTER – CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
PANHELLENIC CULTURAL ASSOCATION, PARISH COUNCIL, CHOIR, GREEK SCHOOL, SUNDAY SCHOOL, HOPE
AND JOY, GOYA, DROSOPIGI SOCIETY, AGIA PARASKEVI SOCIETY, OMONIA FLAMBOURO, PONTIOS SOCIETY

FIRST BATTALION
63RD STREET, FIFTH TO PARK AVENUES
8) FLOAT #4– ATLANTIC BANK
9) ZOODOHOS PEGHE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, BRONX, NY
GREEK AMERICAN INSTITUTE
10) FLOAT #5 – CYPRUS FEDERATION
PAN-CYPRIAN BAND
CYPRUS FEDERATION OF AMERICA
PANCYPRIAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, DIVISIONS: ATHLETIC, YOUTH ATHLETIC (ELEFTHERIA), WOMEN’S
ISSUES NETWORK, DANCE, CHOIR, ASGATA ASSOCIATION “CYPRUS”, CYPRUS YOUTH COMMITTEE AMERICA
(CYCA), LAMPOUSA CYPRIOT-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, ENOSIS LEFKARITON IN AMERICA, NJ CYPRIOT
ASSOCIATION SALAMIS, KALAVASOS FRATERNITY, PANPAPHIAN ASSOCIATION, UNITED CYPRIANS OF AMERICA
11) ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF KINGSTON
12) FLOAT #6 – AHEPA FAMILY
AHEPA EMPIRE STATE DISTRICT 6, NJ DISTRICT 5, YANKEE DISTRICT 7
DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE, SONS OF PERICLES AND MAIDS OF ATHENA
13) FLOAT #7– ALMA BANK
BAND:#1- NYC ALL CITY HS BAND
14) ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, NEW YORK CITY
14A) ST. ELEFTHERIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, NEW YORK CITY
14B) ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTOHOX CHURCH OF NEWBURGH, NY
15) FLOAT #8 – INVESTORS SAVINGS BANK
16) FLOAT #9 – PAN-ICARIAN
PAN-ICARIAN BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICA
17) FLOAT #10– HIMARRIOTON SOCIETY
18) FLOAT #11- UNITED CHIOS SOCIETIES
BAND:#2- EMERSON HS BAND
CHIAN FEDERATION
PAN CHIAKI SOCIETY, INC. “KORAIS”
UNITED CHIOS SOCIETIES OF AMERICA & CANADA
19) FLOAT #12 – ARCHANGEL MICHAEL CHURCH
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, PT. WASHINGTON, NY
20) ACADEMY OF HELLENIC PAIDEIA
21) FLOAT #13- HELLENIC COMMUNITIES OF BROOKLYN & STATEN ISLAND
STS CONSTANTINE & HELEN CATHEDRAL OF BROOKLYN, NY
ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER
BAND:#3- BOY SCOUT TROOP 236 BAND
KIMISIS THEOTOKOU OF BROOKLYN
HOLY CROSS – BROOKLYN
THREE HIERARCHS – BROOKLYN
HOLY TRINITY – ST. NICHOLAS – STATEN ISLAND
22) FLOAT #14- ST. DEMETRIOS OF MERRICK
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. DEMETRIOS, MERRICK, NY
23) PAN LEMNIAN PHILANTHROPIC ASSOCIATION “HEPHAESTUS” INC
24) FLOAT #15- ST. BARBARA OF ORANGE
SAINT BARBARA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ORANGE, CT
25) FLOAT #16– ST. IRENE CHRYSOVALANTOU
SACRED PATRIARCHAL MONASTERY OF ST. IRENE CHRYSOVALANTOU
EXECUTIVE ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL
PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY, YOUTH, GREEK SCHOOL OF ST. IRENE CHRYSOVALANTOU,
PTA OF THE GREEK SCHOOL, ST. NECTARIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, BROOKLYN, NY,
EXECUTIVE ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL, PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY, GREEK SCHOOL OF ST. NECTARIOS
PTO OF THE GREEK SCHOOL
26) FLOAT #17 – CORONA
TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST CHURCH OF CORONA, NEW YORK
TRANSFIGURATION GREEK SCHOOL
27) FLOAT #18 – CRETAN SOCIETIES
OF NY & NJ
UNITED CULTURAL & EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF NY & NJ CRETANS
CRETAN ASSOCIATION “OMONOIA”, CRETAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATED “PASIFAE”
LAVRYS CRETAN YOUTH ORGANIZATION OF NEW YORK, SYLLOGOS KRETON-MINOS,
CRETAN SISTERHOOD OF BROOKLYN, CRETAN BROTHERHOOD OF BROOKLYN
KAZANTZAKIS YOUTH, PHILOXENIA OF STATEN ISLAND, DICTAMOS OF WESTCHESTER
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS & ARKADI OF NJ, EROTOKRITOS & ARETOYSA OF LONG ISLAND
28) GREEK SCHOOL OF PLATO FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
29) FLOAT #19– ST. NICHOLAS, FLUSHING
BAND:#4- NEWARK SYMPHONIC BAND
ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
WILLIAM SPYROPOULOS SCHOOL
GREEK AFTERNOON SCHOOL “STEFANOS & ARETI TSERPELIS”
SUNDAY SCHOOL – P.T.A.
CHOIR – PARISH COUNCIL
30) FLOAT #20 – PAN KERKYRAIKOS
PAN KERKYRAIKOS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
OTHONI SOCIETY OF USA
PAN ERIKOUSA SOCIETY OF AMERICA
31) FLOAT #21– PAN GREGORIAN
PAN GREGORIAN ENTERPRISES
32) ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURH OF NEW YORK CITY
33) FLOAT #22 – CARNIVAL OF LOVE
34) FLOAT #23- ST. DEMETRIOS OF JAMAICA
BAND:#5- YONKERS MILITARY BAND
ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. DEMETRIOS, JAMAICA, NY
35) PANAGHIA OF ISLAND PARK GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, ISLAND PARK, NY
36) HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF NEW ROCHELLE, NY
GREEK AFTERNOON SCHOOL, BOY SCOUTS, GIRL SCOUTS, PHILOPTOCHOS, AHEPA
37) WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
MANHASSET HIGH SCHOOL HELLENIC CLUB
ARCHBISHOP MOLLOY HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
FRANK SINATRA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS GREEK CLUB
FRANCIS LEWIS HIGH SCHOOL HELLENIC CLUB
GREEK CLUB OF LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL
TOWNSEND HARRIS HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
38) FLOAT #24 – ST. DEMETRIOS CATHEDRAL, ASTORIA
G.O.C. ST DEMETRIOS CATHEDRAL OF ASTORIA & STS CATHERINE & GEORGE CLERGY,
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, DAY SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AFTERNOON SCHOOL, PHILOPTOCHOS,
G.O.Y.A., BOY & GIRL SCOUTS
39) FLOAT #25- ARMENIAN
KNIGHTS OF VARTAN -ARMENIAN FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION
40) STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE HELLENIC CULTURAL SOCIETY
BROOKLYN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
41) ST. MARKELLA CATHEDRAL OF ASTORIA, NY
HOLY METROPOLIS OF G.O.C. OF AMERICA
CATHEDRAL OF SAINT MARKELLA OF ASTORIA
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY, GREEK SCHOOL
SAINT ISIDOROS CHURCH OF BETHPAGE L.I.
PARISH EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY
42) HELLENIC LYCEUM OF KAVALA, GREECE
43) FLOAT #26 – KASTORIAN SOCIETY
BAND:#6- PASSAIC COUNTY BAND
SOCIETY OF KASTORIANS “OMONOIA” INC., PHILOPTOCHOS KASTORIA, YOUTH KASTORIA,
PAN MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, PAN-MACEDONIAN STUDY CENTER, HELLENIC AMERICAN
LIBRARY ELIAS NEOFYTIDES, MACEDONIAN TV, PAN MACEDONIAN NY & NJ DISTRICT, ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY
OF THESSALONIKI, GROUP OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, THESSALONIKI, KASTORIA, MAVROVON, ALIAKMON,
HALKIDIKI, DRAMA, GIANNITSA, KAVALA, KILKIS, KOZANI, KORISOS, LITOHORO, KOSTARAZION, OINOE,
THASSOS, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, KATERINI, NAOUSA
44) FLOAT #27- GREEK CHILDRENS FUND
45) LOUPAKIS SCHOOL
46) FLOAT #28- PONTIAN OF NEW YORK & CONNECTICUT
PAN PONTIAN FEDERATION OF USA & CANADA
PONTION SOCIETY “KOMNINOI”
PANAGIA SOUMELA PONTION AMERIKIS
PONTIAN SOCIETY “PONTOS” OF NORWALK
47) FLOAT #29 – PAN-ARCADIAN
BAND:#7- PARK RIDGE HS BAND
PAN ARCADIAN FEDERATION OF AMERICA, EASTERN DISTRICT
“GEROS TOU MORIA”
EPARXIA KYNOURIAS

SECOND BATTALION
64TH STREET, FIFTH TO PARK AVENUES
48) PATRIOT BRASS ENSEMBLE – METROPOLIS BAND
49) FORT LEE POLICE DEPARTMENT- MOTORCYCLE UNIT
50) GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF NEW JERSEY
51) HELLENIC FEDERATION OF NEW JERSEY
52) FLOAT #30 – ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN OF TENAFLY
GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN, TENAFLY, NJ
53) SAINT BARBARA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF TOMS RIVERS, NJ
54) ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CLIFTON, NJ
55) FLOAT #31– ST. ATHANASIUS OF PARAMUS
ST. ATHANASIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF PARAMUS, NJ
56) GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ASCENSION OF FAIRVIEW, NJ
57) KIMISIS TIS THEOTOKOU GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF HOLMDEL, NJ
58) ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF OCEAN, NJ
BAND:#8- EMERSON HS BAND
59) RUTGERS UNIVERSITY HELLENIC CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
60) THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY HELLENIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION
61) NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY HELLENIC CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
62) WILLIAM PATTERSON UNIVERSITY HELLENIC CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
63) MONTCLAIR UNIVERSITY HELLENIC SOCIETY
64) FLOAT #32– ST. NICHOLAS OF WYCKOFF
ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF WYCKOFF, NJ
65) FLOAT #33 – ST. GEORGE OF PISCATAWAY
ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF PISCATAWAY, NJ
66) ST. ANDREW GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF RANDOLPH, NJ
67) FLOAT #34– ST. DEMETRIOS OF UNION
ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF UNION, NJ
68) FLOAT #35 – STS NICHOLAS OF ROSELAND
ST. NICHOLAS, CONSTANTINE AND HELEN OF ROSELAND, NJ
69) FLOAT #36 – HOLY TRINITY OF HICKSVILLE
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY, HICKSVILLE, NY
BAND:#9- BOY SCOUT TROOP 236 BAND
70) FLOAT #37– HOLY RESURRECTION OF BROOKVILLE
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY RESURRECTION, BROOKVILLE, NY
71) FLOAT #38 – ST. PARASKEVI OF GREENLAWN
ST. PARASKEVI GREEK ORTHODOX SHRINE CHURCH
PARISH COUNCIL, PHILOPTOHOS, GREEK SCHOOL, SUNDAY SCHOOL,
GREEK-AMERICAN PRE-SCHOOL, GIRL SCOUTS, GOYA, PTO, JOY, HOPE, YAL
72) AESCULAPIAN THESSALIAN BROTHERHOOD
73) STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF WEST NYACK, NY
74) FLOAT #39– HOLY CROSS OF WHITESTONE
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF HOLY CROSS
GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY OF WHITESTONE
75) ST. PETROS THE APOSTLE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF BRONX
EVDOXIA LEVESANOS SCHOOL
AGIA ELPIS PHILOPTOHOS
CULTURAL FOLKLORE SOCIETY FROM PIRREAS, GREECE
76) PANSAMIAN BROTHERHOOD “PYTHAGORAS” OF NY
77) FLOAT #40 – ST MARKELLA – WANTAGH
ST MARKELLA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH AND SCHOOL OF WANTAGH, NY
78) FOLKLORE & CULTURAL SOCIETY OF DOROPOLIS, GREECE
79) FLOAT #41 – EPIROTES
PANEPIROTIC FEDERATION, SOCIETY OF EPIROTES, ANAGENESIS, SOULIOTISSES,
PYRRHUS BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, DAUGHTERS OF EPIRUS
80) BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL HELLENIC SOCIETY
BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO HIGH SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
81) FLOAT #42 – CATHEDRAL OF ST. PAUL, HEMPSTEAD
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAINT PAUL CATHEDRAL
82) FLOAT #43 – MESSINIAN
MESSINIAN BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION “ARISTOMENIS
83) FEDERATION OF DODECANESE SOCIETIES OF USA AND THE YOUTH
NISYRIAN SOCIETY OF NEW YORK RHODES, KOS, KALYMNOS, KARPATHOS, KASOS, SYMI, NISYROS, LEROS,
ASTYPALEA, KASTELLORIZO, TILOS, HALKI, PATMOS, LIPSI
BAND:#10- PARK RIDGE HS BAND

THIRD BATTALION
65TH STREET, FIFTH TO PARK AVENUES
84) ARISTOTELIO UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI – DEPT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
85) BROTHERHOOD OF MANI, INC.
86) PAN ELIAKOS SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC
87) KALAMATA SOCIETY
88) FLOAT #44 – OLYMPIACOS
OLYMPIACOS FAN CLUB
89) ST. NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, WEST BABYLON, NY
GREEK AFTERNOON SCHOOL, GOYA, JOY, PARISH COUNCIL
90) HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, BRIDGEPORT, CT
91) FLOAT #45 – ASSUMPTION CHURCH
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ASSUMPTION, PORT JEFFERSON, NY
92) GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR COMMUNITY, RYE, NY
93) GREEK ORTHODOX COUNCIL OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS, LOCAL #3 IBEW
94) INTERCOLLEGIATE HELLENIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY HELLENIC SOCIETY
HELLENIC STUDENTS MANHATTAN COLLEGE
HELLENIC SOCIETY OF ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY HELLENIC CLUB
STONYBROOK GREEK & CYPRIOT STUDENTS
QUEENS COLLEGE ICAROS GREEK CLUB
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE & LAW SCHOOL GREEK CLUB
HUNTER HELLENIC SOCIETY
BINGHAMPTON GREEK CLUB
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HELLENIC SOCIETY
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY HELLENIC SOCIETY
SUNY MARITIME COLLEGE HELLENIC CULTURAL CLUB
95) FLOAT #46– FEDERATION OF LACONIAN SOCIETIES
FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATED LACONIAN SOCIETIES
NEW YORK SOCIETY “VRYSEON ANAVRYTIS”, ARCHODIKO SOCIETY, SOCIETY ARNIOTON “ST ATHANASIOS”,
DAFNIOTON SOCIETY “SAINT GEORGE”, GYTHION ASSOCIATION OF UNITED STATES, INC, KOUTOUMOU
SOCIETY OF AMERICA, ASSOCIATION LACEDAEMONIANS, NY, LYKOYRGIAN –LACONIAN GUARD, ASSOCIATION
MAGOULIOTON OF SPARTA, MYSTRAS SOCIETY OF PA AND DE, PANTANASSA ASSOCIATES OF MYSTRIOTES
IN AMERICA, PETRINA, PROGRESSIVE, BROTHERHOOD, SPARTAN SOCIETY
96) NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT HIGHWAY PATROL
97) FEDERATION OF HELLENIC SOCIETIES OF GREATER NEW YORK MEMBERS AND 2017 PARADE COMMITTEE

• FLOATS WILL BE LINED UP ON 62ND STREET FROM FIFTH TO LEXINGTON AVENUES
• PARKING FOR BUSES WILL BE FROM 80TH TO 83RD STREETS, MADISON TO PARK AVENUES
• ALL GUESTS WITH SEATING PASSES MUST ENTER 5TH AVENUE FROM 70TH STREET

The post Order of Battalions in the National Day Parade on 5th Avenue New York appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek-American, Emmy-award winning news anchor Ernie Anastos was honored by Mayor Bill de Blasio at a special reception on Tuesday night at Gracie Mansion. In recognition of the Fox 5 anchor’s many accomplishments, the mayor declared March 21 “Ernie Anastos Day in New York.”

“It’s absolutely amazing to be honored by the city of New York, the greatest place in the world and the people I love the most,” Anastos said in a statement to the Daily News.

The 73-year-old broadcaster is one of the most respected in the business. He joined the Fox affiliate after years with the local ABC and CBS affiliates.

Among his notable work over the years, Anastos has anchored coverage of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, traveled to Cuba to interview Fidel Castro on the 45th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and has interviewed world leaders including Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, and South African Bishop Desmond Tutu.

Anastos won an Emmy for His coverage of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s death in 1999 from the site of the Cape Cod plane crash earned Anastos an Emmy award.

I am thrilled to be receiving this special honor from The City of New York and @BilldeBlasio tonight at Gracie Mansion. Thank you so much! pic.twitter.com/BnhElc3mC1

— Ernie Anastos (@ErnieAnastos) March 21, 2017

“As an accomplished writer, a respected broadcast journalist and celebrated anchorman, Ernie Anastos has been a leader in the television industry for more than 40 years,” de Blasio said as reported in the Daily News.

“Throughout his impressive career, Ernie has always demonstrated an unyielding commitment to raising the standards of reporting and helped keep generations of New Yorkers well-informed. Today, we also celebrate him as a symbol of the bold and indomitable spirit of New York’s Greek American community.”

Anastos is a Hall of Fame Broadcaster and has won more than 30 Emmy awards and nominations, including “Best Newscast in New York” and the Edward R. Murrow Award for broadcast excellence. The New York Times recently described him as “the ubiquitous anchorman.”

Hosted by the Mayor and First Lady Chirlane McCray, the event also celebrated Greek heritage in honor of Greek Independence Day, March 25.

Among the guests at the event were His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Cyprus Vasilios Philippou, Consul of Greece Manos Koubarakis, President of the Federation of Hellenic Societies Petros Galatoulas, Onassis Foundation Executive Director and Cultural Director Amalia Cosmetatou, Nicolas Bornozis- founder, President and CEO of Capital Link and his wife Olga Bornozi, businessman John Catsimatidis, Fr. George Anastasiou- pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ in Corona, Queens and a Chaplain for the NYPD, Andrew Gounardes- Counsel at the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, singer Yiannis Papastefanou, Maria and Taso Pardalis, George Zapantis, members of the Greek military, New York police and firefighters, and other members of the Greek-American community. Miss Greek Independence Julia Kokkosis was also present along with other participants in the pageant first runner-up Florence Emmanuela Dallas, second runner-up Fotini Mamos, Miss Athens Panagiota Chasen, Miss Nisyros Stella Fragioudakis, Miss Crete Irene Koutsoulidakis, and Miss Messinia Katerina Lampropoulos.

Live Greek music greeted the guests who were served hors d’oeuvres with a Greek theme, including grilled octopus, spanakopita bites, and Greek salad skewers.

Greek – American anchor Ernie Anastos honored by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Photo by Costas Bej

The post Ernie Anastos Honored by Mayor de Blasio (Video) appeared first on The National Herald.

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Senate passed on Wednesday a resolution authored by US Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) commemorating the 196th Anniversary of Greek Independence Day on March 25, 2017.

“The United States and Greece have a deep and enduring relationship that dates back to the founding of our great nation on the democratic principles pioneered by the ancient Greeks. I am honored to again stand with my colleagues in the Senate and Greek-Americans across the country to celebrate the 196th anniversary of Greek independence.” Sen. Menendez said. “This resolution identifies Ancient Greece as the birthplace of democracy, and applauds the Greeks’ continued commitment to democratic principles. Congratulations to Greek-Americans and the people of Greece on their nearly two centuries of independence, and best wishes to everyone during the upcoming celebrations.”

The resolution:

• Celebrates the 196th Anniversary of Greek Independence Day
• Recognizes the birth of democracy in Ancient Greece and Greece’s everlasting commitment to democratic governance principles
• Identifies the important role Greece has played in the wider European Region and throughout the world

Authored by Sens. Menendez and Barasso, the resolution has 22 original co-sponsors, including Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R..I), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The full text of the resolution follows:

115TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES.

Recognizing the 196th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. COONS, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PERDUE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. REED, Mr. RUBIO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 196th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.

Whereas the people of ancient Greece developed the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people;

Whereas the founding fathers of the United States, many of whom read Greek political philosophy in the original Greek language, drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming the representative democracy of the United States;

Whereas Petros Mavromichalis, the former Commander in Chief of Greece and a founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United States in 1821, ‘‘It is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and . . . in imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling you.’’;

Whereas the Greek national anthem, the ‘‘Hymn to Liberty’’, includes the words, ‘‘most heartily was gladdened George Washington’s brave land’’;

Whereas the people of the United States generously offered humanitarian assistance to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence;

Whereas Greece heroically resisted Axis forces at a crucial moment in World War II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change his timeline and delaying the attack on Russia;

Whereas Winston Churchill said, ‘‘if there had not been the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the outcome of World War II would have been’’ and ‘‘no longer will we say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks’’;

Whereas hundreds of thousands of the people of Greece were killed during World War II;

Whereas Greece consistently allied with the United States in major international conflicts throughout the 20th century;

Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United States in bringing political stability and economic development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested billions of dollars in the countries of the region and having contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid for the region;

Whereas the Government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations, including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe;

Whereas Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during the 2004 Olympic Games of more than 14,000 athletes and more than 2,000,000 spectators and journalists, a feat the government and people of Greece handled efficiently, securely, and with hospitality;

Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with Muslim countries and Israel;

Whereas Greece remains an integral part of the European Union;

Whereas the Government of Greece has taken important steps in recent years to further cross-cultural understanding, rapprochement, and cooperation in various fields with Turkey, and has also improved its relations with other countries in the region, including Israel, thus enhancing the stability of the wider region;

Whereas the governments and people of Greece and the United States are at the forefront of efforts to advance freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights;

Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the people of Greece and the United States; and

Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate March 25, 2017, Greek Independence Day, with the people of Greece and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which those two great countries were founded:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— (1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 196th anniversary of the independence of Greece; (2) expresses support for the principles of democratic governance to which the people of Greece are committed; and (3) notes the important role that Greece has played in the wider European region and in the community of nations since gaining its independence 196 years ago.

The post Menendez Resolution Honoring Greece’s 196th Independence Day Passes appeared first on The National Herald.