2012 HATCAST Picnic members.

  “We are reviving our organization to play a political role,” Gregory Fegos, President of the Hellenic Taxpayers Association of Southold Town (HATCAST) said. The civic organization held their annual picnic on Saturday, August 24^th at the South Harbor View Park in Southold.

Souvlakis of all varieties were barbecued along with hamburgers and hotdogs. Hellenic melodies were played by George Anastasiadis overlooking the scenic Peconic Bay. Prominent people who attended included Rev. Gerasimos Ballas of the  Sts. Anargyroi, Taxiarchis and Gerasimos Greek Orthodox Church,Greenport; Rev. Constantine Makrinos, of the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church, Mattituck; Judge William Price, Art Tillman, Chairman of the Southold Democratic Party, Marie Domenici and Theresa “Terry” Hoffer, candidates for town assessors and others.

Barbecuing Souvlaki.

HATCAST presents “Meet the Candidates Day” on Sunday, September 29, 2013 11:30 a.m., at Sts.Anargyroi, Taxiarchis and Gerasimos Church, Greenport. Refreshments will be served. Admission is Free.

For further information, contact HATCAST President Gregory Fegos 917-440-5274, Chairman of the Board/Emeritus President Andreas Markakis 631-765-3345 and Vice President Costas Vagelatos 631-744-1984.

A similar Candidates Day is planned for Sunday Oct. 27^th, in the hall of the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church, in Mattituck after church services.

Dimitrios and Stavros Papaloizos

“Learn Greek the Easy Way” is the motto of “Greek 123” by Papaloizos Publications. Adults and children have learned conversation Greek using the Papaloizos method for generations. It seems to work. The elementary school materials are some of the best ever written, They represent the old fashion independent business community of going alone. They have supporters nationally and internationally. Now they are spreading their message on the Internet at  http://www.Greek123.com.

I personally worked with Dimitrios Papaloizos for over thirteen years on the university level. Dimitrios and his brother Stavros public relations are exceptional. They attended the 2013 Hermes International Expo. They shared their views with us. “We came from Maryland to attend the Hermes Modern Greek Seminar. “We wanted to meet with educators and explain our books. Our Father, Dr. Theodore Papaloizos did not want to end Papaloizos Publications. We are putting his old books back into print. The colorful new look of books is appealing. The website and online tutorials shows the Papaloizos use of technology.” http://www.youtube.com/user/Papaloizos is an online site. Videos correspond with lesson dialogues from of latest Papaloizos Publications.

Stavros Papaloizos explained “we couldn’t let the Papaloizos legacy die. When we walk in the streets of Greece, persons stop us and say they studied Greek with Papaloizos Publications. Our Father was a maverick: the first curriculum geared to creating education materials for Greek-Americans.” Now with globalization, the old methods geared to Greek speaking households do not cut it. Persons are going back to the Papaloizos method.

“We are trying to increase our publications,” said Dimitrios. “Greek 123: Learn Greek the Easy Way” supplements the school curriculum. Whether a person is looking to enhance his/her existing language, or as a main source of learning, Greek 123 has a solution that can meet your needs. Greek 123 learning program includes readers, workbooks, activity books, CD’s, DVD’s, mobile applications and interactive computer products. Through Greek 123”s Interactive Progression method students start by learning simple Greek phrases and easily progress to developing advanced conversation skills.”

Links:

 http://www.Greek123.com – free lessons are available

http://www.learn-greek.com/ free lessons

http://usa.greekreporter.com/2012/06/11/free-online-greek-lessons-offered-by-greek-american-writer-papaloizos/- profile

An open discussion on issues concerning the Greek language is being sponsored by major a Greek-American organization on Sunday afternoon, 1 p.m. at the Stathakeion Culture Center in Astoria on 22-51 29^th St., The event is sponsor by the Federation of Hellenic American Educators, Hellenic Paideia Organization (E.P.A.), Prometheus Greek Teachers Association with participation by the Athenian Society and, the Hellenic Medical Society of New York. The event is being supported by the Theodore & Erica Spyropoulos Foundation. For further information on the Federation of Hellenic American Educators please contact: 718 491-2558 or email stkokolis@aol.com

Theodore Kalmoukos will speak on “The Prospects of Greek Education” after which a discussion period will follow. “The Federation of Hellenic American Educators is planning to expand,” explained Vasiliki Filiotis, a member and President of the Hellenic Paideia Organization. “Our aim is to promote Greek language, literature, history, art and science. A joint cooperation will be created with Greek-American organizations. The Hellenic Paideia Organization’s goal is to encourage Greek-Americans and their friends to speak the Greek language. We must leave an inheritance to the next generation” All interested persons can contact President Filiotis at vfiliotis@aol.com.

Mrs. Stella Kokolis (left) receiving an award for the the Federation of Hellenic American Educators from Paul Kotrotsios at the Hermes International Expo in 2012 with 2012 Prometheus Greek Teachers Association President Vasiliki Filiotis (4^th from left) Vasiliki Filiotis.

Prominent Greek-American leaders

A consensus was agreed by major Greek-American leaders and organizations to provide funding for the promotion of Greek language education on the afternoon of Sunday, October 28^th, at the Stathakeion Culture Center in Astoria at 22-51 29^th St.  The event was sponsored by the Federation of Hellenic American Educators, Hellenic Paideia Organization (E.P.A.), Prometheus Greek Teachers Association with participation by the Athenian Society and the Hellenic Medical Society of New York. The event was supported by the Theodore & Erica Spyropoulos Foundation.

     Theodore Kalmoukos spoke on “The Prospects of Greek Education.” Theodore Spyropoulos, President of SAE (World Council of Hellenes Abroad) attended saying “the Greek language offers us the opportunity to reach self-knowledge and an understanding of the meaning of life, as it is the richest language among all others. Our focus is to charter Greek schools in the United States.”

     For further information on the Federation of Hellenic American Educators, contact President Stella Kokolis at 718 491-2558 or email stkokolis@aol.com.  Ms. Vasiliki Filiotis, a Federation member and President of the Hellenic Paideia Organization stated “our aim is to promote Greek language, literature, history, art and science. A joint cooperation today was created with Greek-American organizations. We must leave a legacy for the next generation” All interested persons in the Hellenic Paideia Organization, can contact President Filiotis at vfiliotis@aol.com.

President Coutsouros at a Sunday Liturgy.

“I wanted to give back to the church community that supported me when I needed a family. It is my unique honor to serve the Transfiguration of Christ Church of Mattituck, Long Island, from December 2012-13,” said Mr. Anthony (Tony) Coutsouros. “I want to fade away. I am a devoted parishioner to the church that gave me a second chance on life.”

The Coutsouros presidency altered the path. His focus is “to make everyone feel happy to be in church. Everyone is appreciated. Thank you for coming. Everyone has something to contribute,” President Coutsoros says to all when he shakes their hands at every Sunday’s service.

In the spring 2013, a letter was sent out to every parishioner by the newly elected President. “I am writing to you on a very important subject,” he said. “Your Beloved Church, at present, is in a dire situation: We have a very low Sunday Attendance; our Church membership is very low; Contributions are very low. I appeal to you to come to Church, to pray for you and your family’s good health and success. Bring your family and friends to feel the joy of the Church. Take Communion and purify your soul. Let’s get the feeling back of the first Christian religion that saved the world.” He accomplished his goal.

His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, with President Coutsouros. at August 5th, 2013 visit.

“I believe this is the Church of love and a bright light,” Anthony Coutsouros said. “I was metamorphosed at the Metamorphosis Church in Mattituck,” Coutsouros, a former widower, said. “I went to church depressed, without a reason to live. I saw an angel.” That angel was Elpida Ioanides, a widow for five years. They were married in September 2011. Jimmy Mihaltses, a family friend, said, “Elpida is my wife, Katina’s, friend. We were her first friends at the church. She is a very good person, a brilliant person from Cyprus.” Elpida is aiding him in his community service through public relations. “We are blessed from God to be at the Transfiguration Church,” she said.

President Coutsouros takes pride in “his accomplishments. “The weekly Church Bulletin was reintroduced with the help of Father Constantine Makrinos,” he explained. “We wanted to further educate the parishioners about the church. The Ladies of the Philoptohos began preparing memorial Kolyva with all proceeds going to the church. Mrs. Stella Giannoukakis and others prepared the Kolyva since the spring. A change in the provider of heating fuel resulted in a savings of over eighteen hundred dollars a year.”

The Parish Council leader, with the help of parishioners, took over the maintenance of the church. On a snowy day, he went on the roof to repair damaged incurred by Hurricane Sandy. The senior citizen did not think of his own safety. The bottom line is he wanted to save money for the church.

“I want to thank Kostas Diakovasilis, a senior citizen, for his deep devotion and contribution to the church, through his culinary expertise,” declared President Coutsouros. “He is involved in many maintenance activities of the church. Mr. George Zachariadis, our chanter, passed away.  Mr. Jimmy Talas, the Choir master, passed away on August 6, 2012, resulting in the elimination of the choir. The musical vacuum is being bridged by parishioners. Mr. Peter Pappas, former parish council president and a chanter of forty-three years, is now summer chanter.  He has always donated his services. Mr. Pappas is encouraging members of the former choir to sing with him. Mr. Andreas Markakis, Mr. Demetrios Mihaltses and Mr. Nick Zanikos contributed their chanter services. The Transfiguration of Christ Church has a new chanter, Ioannis Rontiris. Mr. Nick Zanikos took over altar duties, assisting Rev. Makrinos during the liturgy. The acolytes, Anastasios Kassapidis, Pantelis Pando, George and Emmanuel Moustakos, are thanked for their services.”

“I take this opportunity to thank the Chairpersons Manny Constantine, Barbara Thermos, Emily Kavourias, Irene Kalogeras, Kosta Diakovasilis and all the volunteers who made this 44^th Festival very successful this year,” said President Tony Coutsouros. “Mrs. Irene Nanos and Mrs. Irene Moustakos help every year creating our delicious loucoumades. It was one of the best Festivals of our parish. I also thank all the youth and cooks who helped us during the Festival.” Over fifty thousand was raised.

“The church outside beautification project is the result of Mrs. Amal Constantine’s efforts,” he explained. “Flowers and shrubs were donated by Mrs. Constantine. A chandelier in memory of Mr. Michael Pappas, Mr. Vasilios Raptis and Mr. George Zachariadis was graciously accepted by the church. Our beautiful church with traditional Byzantine iconography is enhanced by the brilliant lighting of the new chandelier. The Philoptohos has provided refreshments all year. Parishioners get together and develop friendships during coffee hours and socials.”

He believes “the October 19, 2013 Dance Journal was a phenomenal success, because of the unique efforts of Virginia Tripolitis. Mrs. Maria Kavourias is always in the church office assisting Mrs. Tripolitis. Mrs. Despina Demetriades does the recording of the finances.  I sincerely appreciate the spiritual guidance of Very Rev. Constantine Makrinos. The advice and know-how of former President Pantelis Syriodis, the parish council members, chairpersons of socials and community members aid me in my leadership. The generous financial offerings of all are respected.”

President Anthony Coutsouros

The 2013 Parish Council Board, Committee Members and staff  include: Rev. Constantine Makrinos, Protopresbyter;  Anthony Coutsouros, President; George Giannoukakis, First Vice President; Calliope Kentrotas, Second Vice President; Mary Kavourias, Treasurer; Sophia Lahana, Assistant Treasurer; Argyro Mavrikos, Recording Secretary; Parish Council Members, Vasilios Frangias, Dino Demetriades; Alex Mavrikos, Nick Neocleous, Irene Markotsis; Andreas Markakis; Calliope Orfanidis, Harriet Zanikos; Virginia Tripolitis, Church Secretary.

In the 2013 Philoptohos Board are the following: Irene Nanos, President; Honorary President Cynthia Pylarinos; Irene Moustakos, First Vice President; Sophia Lahana, Second Vice President; Chrystalla Stamatis, Treasurer; Katina Mihaltses, Secretary; Lucretia Kratsios, Recording Secretary; Harriet Zanikos, Assistant Treasurer and Voula Anastasiades, Raffles. This is an incomplete list taken from the 2013  Dance Journal and 2013 Parish Council documentation. If any name has been omitted, please contact the Transfiguration Church at 631-298-9652 or e-mail transgochurch@optonline.net.

The Phocaean Greeks introduced the cult of Artemis

“Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind…” – Will Durant, historian and philosopher. Marseille, France, an urban center in decline, is experiencing a rebirth by remembering its roots. “Massalia, Massilia, Marseille, three names for an identity created through the marriage of a Ligurian princess to a Greek sailor from Asia Minor 2,600 years ago,” according to the 2013 Muse D”Histoire De Marseille brochure. Despina Siolas, M.D. /Ph.D. embarked on an exciting trip in to her Ionian heritage on a recent trip to Marseille.

A new Musee d’Histoire de Marseille (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) located in the Bourse site is dedicated to Mediterranean civilization. Marseille is hoping to shake off its negative’ reputation in France, as the deadliest city.

Greek tomb

Jean-Claude Gaudin, Mayor of Marseille and Senateur for Bouches-du-Rhone said “Marseille-Provence has been designated European Capital of Culture for 2013. The city has an opportunity to strength its culture as a means of demonstrating the region’s appeal as a factor in the development of tourism. There are single items alongside animated series using a variety of multi-media tools, all of which are key to understanding the common history that we are keen to share with as many people as possible.”

Mayor Gaudin in the tour diary “Musee D’Histoire De Marseille” believes he is “proud to be involved in the initiation of this great museum, the only one of its kind in France; it is the heart of an ambitious urban plan, very much dedicated to providing a high quality museum experience that will benefit everyone in Marseille and further afield…One specific item forms the focal point around which each series in the museum journey unfolds, as do encounters with leading witnesses (such as the sailor and geographer Pytheas and Alexandre Dumas’ hero, Edmond Dantes).” It is the first in the world dedicated to the heritage of the Mediterranean basin.

The penteconter

This article will concentrate on the Greek culture exhibits. The art comes from the former Paris’ Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, loans from other museums, particularly from Greece. In Series I “The Marriage of Gyptis and Protis, The Legend of the Founding of Marseille”, the exhibit quotes the fifth century BC historian Herodotus. “The people of this city (Phocaea) were the first Greeks to make distance sea voyages; they discovered the Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenia, Iberia and Tartessos; they did not sail in round ships but on pentecontors,” the Histories, Book I,163. Around 00 B.C., Greeks from Asia Minor, Turkey, founded a city on the Lacydon inlet in the present Panier district.

The temples of the Ephesian Artemis, Apollo of Delphi and Athena Polias Gods protected the city. An Ionic capital from a 600 B.C. monument came from a temple. Legend states that a Gallic princess, Gyptis married a Greek sailor Protis. King Nannos, her father, gave them Massalia, the oldest city in France, as a wedding gift. The Phocaeans, who were probably driven from their homes by the Persians in 546 B.C., brought with them their religion, language, building techniques, cultivation of the vines, olive trees, and commercial products such as wine and Mediterranean ceramic vases. Massalia created coins, using a weighing system used in the cities of Ionia. The adobe architecture and grid lined urban planning districts was that of the Greek cities of Ionia.  The Greek Gallic encounter created a rich culture.

Greek statue

            “Marseille and the Gauls of Provence” describes an original Greek-Gaul civilization with mixed marriages. This is proven by Celtic (early tribes of Ireland, the western and northern parts of Great Britain (Wales, Scotland, and Cornwall), the Isle of Man, and Brittany) and Greek style pottery. The development of these relationships were from 600 B.C. until the Roman conquest of Caesar in 49 B.C. Massalia controlled the Gallic settlements of Le Verduron, Saint-Marcel, La Cloche and villages such as Teste Nigre. “It is thought that contacts started even earlier however, as Ionian Greeks traded in the Western Mediterranean and Spain, but only very little remains from that earlier period.^[1] Contacts developed undisputedly from 600 BCE, between the Celts and Celto-Ligurans and the Greeks in the city of Marseille and their other colonies such as Agde, Nice, Antibes, Monaco, Emporiae and Rhoda. The Greeks from Phocaea also founded settlements in the island of Corsica, such as at Alalia. From Massalia, the Phocaean Greeks also founded cities in northeastern Spain such as Emporiae and Rhoda” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille).

Marseille and Provence formed the meeting point of the Celtic World of Northern Europe and the Greek Mediterranean world. Wine from the Mediterranean and then from Marseille vineyards was consumed at Gallic banquets. Gallic and Massalian pottery in the Greek tradition with Celtic shapes, have helped to determine trading activities.

Vase shaped like a bird with the head of Silenus

Dr. Siolas took a photo of a vase shaped like a bird with the head of Silenus. The brochure states “it may be linked to the river god Achelous.”  AKHELOIOS (or Achelous) was a River-God of Aitolia in central Greece. He was the god of the largest fresh-water river in Greece (http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosAkheloios.html-).

Sixth century Marseille coins inspired Gallic communities to produce their own coins in the first century B.C. “During his conquest of Gaul, Caesar reported that the Helvetii were in possession of documents in the Greek script, and all Gaulish coins used the Greek script until about 50 BCE.  Coins in northern Gaul were especially influenced by the coinage of Philip II of Macedon and his famous son Alexander the Great.

Celtic coins often retained Greek subjects, such as the head of Apollo on the obverse and two-horse chariot on the reverse of the gold stater of Philip II, but developed their own style from that basis, thus establishing a Graeco-Celtic synthesis. By the 1st century BCE, the coinage of the Greeks of Marseille circulated freely in Gaul, also influencing coinage as far afield as Great Britain. The coins of the Sunbury hoard, thought to have been manufactured in Kent, show designs derived from Greek coins from Marseille with the stylized head of Apollo and a butting bull (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille).

Artemis, the Greek Goddess, interested Dr. Siolas. She visited Ephesus of Asia Minor. Turkey, seeing similar statues. “The Phocaean Greeks introduced the cult of Artemis, as in their other colonies,” according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille.  “At Ephesus in Ionia, Turkey, her temple became one of the Seven Wonders of the World…. There the Lady whom the Ionians associated with Artemis.. worshiped primarily as a mother goddess…depicted the ‘Lady of Ephesus’.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis).    The Gauls adopted Greek building fortifications and brickwork techniques, such as the site of La Cloche and the Greek alphabet for transcribing their own language in writing.

War between the 2^nd generation Greeks and Gauls flared up (Set 1.2 of Marseillle and the Gauls of  Provence, tour diary of Musee D’ Histoire De Marseille).  The arrival of new Phocaeans began around 540 B.C. after the Persian invasion of the Mother City in Asia Minor. The Massalians took over more land to cultivate their vines at the expense of Gallic farms. Marseille appealed to Rome for help during its history to extricate itself from the grip of the Gauls. The Romans destroyed Gallic settlements from 125-123 B.C. The siege and capture of Marseille by Caesar in 49 B.C. ended its independence.

In Series 2  in “The World of Pytheas:380-49 B.C,” the following quote by Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, 1874-1965, introduces the topic: “That fine sailor, Pytheas of Marseille, must surely have been one of the greatest explorers history has ever known. He confirmed and proclaimed the existence of the British Isles. He was treated like a liar, and it was only long after the disappearance of the world in which this great sailor had lived, that people began to have some admiration for the discoveries he had made,” (p. 10, “Musee D’Histoire De Marseille).

Pytheas of Massalia was a Greek geographer and explorer from the Greek colony, Massalia (modern day Marseilles). He made a voyage of exploration to northwestern Europe at about 325 BC. In this voyage, he travelled around and visited a considerable part of Great Britain. He is the first person on record to describe the Midnight Sun. The theoretical existence of a Frigid Zone where the nights are very short in summer and the sun does not set at the summer solstice was already known. Similarly, reports of a country of perpetual snows and darkness, the country of the Hyperboreans, had been reaching the Mediterranean for some centuries. Pytheas is the first known scientific visitor and reporter of the Arctic, polar ice, and the Germanic tribes. He is the one who introduced the idea of distant Thule (Norway) to the geographic imagination. His account of the tides is the earliest to state that they are caused by the moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pytheas).

Archaeological model of Greek shipwreck Jules Verne 7, 6th century B.C.

The Marseilles 2013 Exhibit is revealing to the global community the navigation knowledge of the Ancient Greeks destroyed by the fanaticism during the Dark Ages. “The ancient Greek navigation view of the heavenly bodies, imported from Babylonia (Iraq) by the Ionian Greeks,” according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pytheas_of_Massilia.  “The Ionian Greeks used it to become a seafaring nation of merchants and colonists during the ancient period of Greece. Massalia was an Ionian colony. The first Ionian Philosopher, Thales, was known for his ability to measure the distance of a ship at sea by the very method Pytheas used to determine the latitude of Massalia, the trigonometric ratios. The astronomic model on which Ancient Greek navigation was based is still in place today…”

The islanders of Chios and Samos are inheritors of the Ionian civilization (http://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=7259). In particular, the Chian merchant marine controls more than 40% of Greek shipping. Greek owned shipping stands today in first position worldwide (http://www.qgazette.com/news/2013-08-14/Front_Page/Viewpoint_Chios_Merchant_Shipping_a_Success_Story.html and

http://www.hellenicnews.com/index.php/culture/item/613-viewpoint-chios-merchant-shipping-a-success-story).

Massalia had a naval fleet which is frequently mentioned in written sources: battles against the Carthaginians; the naval battle of Saguntum during the Second Punic War in 219 B.C. and the battle against Caesar’s fleet during the siege of 49 B.C., according to “The World of Pytheas, 380-49 B.C.” in Series 2, tour diary. The “Constitution of Marseille and its Policy of Expansion” is explained in Exhibit 2.4. “In the first century B.C., the Greek geographer and philosopher Strabo referred to the administration of Marseille as being halfway between a democracy (with the power in the hands of the people) and an oligarchy (with the power in the hands of a small group of people). …Women, foreigners and slaves were excluded from political life, just as they were in other Greek cities.”

Greek inscription on tombstone

Greek pottery

The history of the excavation at the Bourse, eastern side of the ancient city is explained in detail from 600 BC to the present day in tour diary Series 3.It is the first major urban archaeological dig in France showing Roman warehouses, two Hellenistic burial terraces and ancient wells and ancient port.

Series 4 “From Massalia to Massilia: The Roman City” shows the endurance of the Greek Language and culture under Roman rule. “Massalia was conquered by Julius Caesar and his legate Trebonius in 49 BC.,” according to the tour guide. “The city thus lost its independence, but it remained an active port and retained its Greek character for a considerable length of time. The settlement developed in the old port area….Despite the gradual process of Romanization which manifested itself in the increased use of Latin, in the architecture and décor of the houses and in funeral practices, the Greek cultural legacy lived on in the urban fabric, in its policies and its districts. It was evident in the frequent use of the Greek language on inscriptions.”

Ionic capital, from a 600 B.C. temple

Exhibit 4.3 highlights this fact: the city remained Greek in its habits and customs. “The permanence of the Greek language also reveals the stability of a population whose Greek names slowly became romanized, but were often written in Greek!” states the tour guide. When I visited Syracuse with Dr. Gaetano Cipolla’s Arba Sicula tour, the same fact was emphasized: pride in one’s Greek heritage “The Greeks were colonizers. They created all their economic power through work and sacrifice,” said Salvatore Furnari in his book, Myths, Legends and Customs in Greek and Roman Sicily. “We must say that the Greeks, among ancient peoples, were those that used slaves the least. They respected and never brutalized them. Even though they were excellent warriors, the Greeks were peaceful people who preferred colonizing to occupying. For them, war was their last remedy.” (http://www.qgazette.com/news/2008-07-09/features/024.html and http://www.greeknewsonline.com/?p=8854).

Sources:

Photography by Despina Siolas, MD/PhD.

“Groupement Pour La Reconstitution Du Porte De Marseille Obligation 5%,”  “Musee D’Histoire De Marseille” tour diary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks_in_pre-Roman_Gaul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phocaea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionians

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pytheas_of_Massilia

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23448168/travel-museum-hopes-transform-frances-crime-hit-marseille

http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosAkheloios.html- River God Achelous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pytheas

Abbot Ierotheos with Konstantinos Fotiadis, and the Hellenic Voices of Long Island

“Greek Orthodox Churches open, not close. St. Cosmas  (of Aetolia) said  ‘Things will come out of the schools that your mind cannot even imagine.’ Schools build a community,” said V. Rev. Archimandrite Ierotheos Zacharis, Abbot of the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Orthodox Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou, under the Jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, at their Christmas Luncheon. The event was held on Sunday, December 8 at 1pm at the Stathakion Center, 22-51 29^th Street, Astoria, New York. All proceeds will support the mission of the Monastery and the Greek School. Over two hundred persons attended.

Educators

A unique choral performance by the Hellenic Voices of Long Island Concert, taken from their June concert on the 90^th Anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, was deeply moving. Konstantinos Fotiadis is Choir Master. “I am a Pontian from Serres, Greece,” he said. Listening to the song “Opa, Opa, Bournovalia” brought back memories of my Chiotisa/Mikrasiatisa grandmother. The Byzantine heritage is kept alive at St. Irene’s Orthodox Monastery.

Dr. Vasiliki Filiotis, is Principal of St. Irene Chrysovalantou School and President of the Hellenic Paideia of America Organization. St. Irene Chrysovalantou School is known for creating some of the finest Modern Greek scholars in the metropolitan area and possibly in the United States. Their knowledge of spoken and grammatical Greek is exceptional.

Reknown Professors and friends

Principal Vasiliki Filiotis, explained “We believe in the strengthening, development and implementation of preschool programs where Greek language and culture is taught through play, song, reading and writing. St. Irene Chrysovalantou School has an effective Greek program highly rated in Astoria, New York.  The work of an educator is a ministry. The Greek educator gives his soul to his students. The educator tries to instill a love of Greece, the Greek heritage and the virtues of our ancient Greek philosophers. For this purpose, the he/she needs the Greek-American community to stand by him/her.”

The Hellenic Voices of Long Island

The Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Orthodox Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou is under the Jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The V. Rev. Archimandrite Ierotheos Zacharis is the Abbot. The monastery is located at 36-07 23^rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105-1916. The telephone is (718) 626-6225 and Facsimile: (718) 626-7669, E-mail: stirene@stirene.org

J. Kotsaridis, Rev. Demosthenes, M. Raptis, G. Filiotis, Presvitera Ballas, Rev. Gerasimos Ballas, Abbot Ierotheos, V. Filiotis, Despina Stavrou, A. Mavrelis, Dr. S. Katsifis, Dr. J. Angelidis, E. Angelidis and Prof. Foley enjoyed the Luncheon

Links:

http://www.helleniccomserve.com/greekmusicartsmain.html

Hellenic Voices of Long Island:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz1WjH-ESFE -  Hellenic Voices of Long Island Concert on the 90^th Anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe

http://www.qgazette.com/news/2013-05-22/Front_Page/Unique_Good_Friday_Service_At_St_Irenes_Church.html

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/48531.htm- St. Cosmas  of Aetolia.

Billy Chrissochos

“The arts are fundamental to our culture,” said Billy Chrissochos. “They inspire us, fostering creativity. They help us express our Hellenic values, building bridges between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age.  Greeks must be cultivated to buy and support the Arts, not just making money. Mr. Chrissochos is President of the Greek Artists Guild. He was the major force in hosting the popular “Holiday Art Exhibition & Sale held on Sunday, December 15^th, 2013 at the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria.            “The public was offered the opportunity to find the perfect gift!” he explained. “We offered Arts, Crafts, Collectibles and Antiques for all. Our artists and participating vendors included:  Dora Sislian Themelis; Matina Botoulas; Angelo Kostas; Henry Imms; Denis Kavvadias; Magdalen Mavroudis; Irene Tsiaris; Bobby Tsiaris and Sophokles Plokamakis; Miliana Mitrov
Eftherpi Iatraki
Marianthi Raptis
Ismael Youssef on Facebook –Kobara Comics
Billy Chrissochos
Dion Maravegias
Ellie Braverman
Javier Cruz Winnik www.thecurv.com
Anna Rezan Kritseli
George Delis
Peter Bougdanos and TipCup www.tipcup.fi
Anthony Pappas/ the Julia Pappas Community Service Scholarship
Chris “Guitar Doctor” Ambadjes and the American Guitar Museum www.americanguitarmuseum.com
Zaharoula and Pauline Manolakos (Author)
Paul Anagnostopoulos (Poet)
Martha Tompoulidou and Martha’s Kitchenette www.marthaskitchenette.blogspot.com
Zoe Kanakis (Fabrics & Textiles)

Musical Guests:-
Pianist Apostolos Plokamakis
Guitarist Chris Ambadjes Miliana Mitrov
Eftherpi Iatraki
Marianthi Raptis
Ismael Youssef on Facebook –Kobara Comics
Billy Chrissochos
Dion Maravegias
Ellie Braverman
Javier Cruz Winnik www.thecurv.com
Anna Rezan Kritseli
George Delis
Peter Bougdanos and TipCup www.tipcup.fi
Anthony Pappas/ the Julia Pappas Community Service Scholarship
Chris “Guitar Doctor” Ambadjes and the American Guitar Museum www.americanguitarmuseum.com
Zaharoula and Pauline Manolakos (Author)
Paul Anagnostopoulos (Poet)
Martha Tompoulidou and Martha’s Kitchenette www.marthaskitchenette.blogspot.com
Zoe Kanakis (Fabrics & Textiles)

Musical Guests:-
Pianist Apostolos Plokamakis
Guitarist Chris Ambadjes Miliana Mitrov
Eftherpi Iatraki
Marianthi Raptis
Ismael Youssef on Facebook –Kobara Comics Miliana Mitrov
Eftherpi Iatraki
Marianthi Raptis
Ismael Youssef on Facebook –Kobara Comics Miliana Mitrov
Eftherpi Iatraki
Marianthi Raptis
Ismael Youssef on Facebook –Kobara Comics
Billy Chrissochos
Dion Maravegias
Ellie Braverman
Javier Cruz Winnik www.thecurv.com
Anna Rezan Kritseli
For a complete list  of participants, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreekArtistsGuild.

“The Greek Artists Guild was formed in 2013 to help promote Greek-American artists from the NY Tri-State area,” explained President Chryssochos. “We are looking for talented artists, graphic designers, comic book artists, sculptors and graphic designers. Our mission is to promote Greek-American art to the Greater American Public. If you would like to get involved please feel free to contact us.” The Group was founded by Eirini Tsiaris, Billy Chrissochos, Efterpi Iatraki, Marianthi Raptis, George Delis, Marina Smargiannakis and Sophokles Plokamakis. Billy Chrissochos’ Greek American Heavy metal group “Phoenix Reign”  recently played to a SOLD OUT crowd.

– Anthony J.Pappas, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Astoria with his wife Jackie.

Among the vendors was Anthony J.Pappas, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Astoria with his wife Jackie Pappas. They were promoting a Community Service Scholarship in memory of the late community activist Julia Pappas. For more information, contact Vice-President Pappas at 917-376-7802 or email anthonyscifi@hotmail.com.

“This is our seventh Art Exhibit in two and a half years, said President Chrissochos. “ We are growing.” Stronger communities are built through the Arts. For more information, contact Billy Chrissochos at 917-617-0597 or vchrissochos@gmail.com.

Links:
http://www.hellenicsocieties.org/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/GreekArtistsGuild/info
http://karousosartcritics.blogspot.com/2013/05/billy-chrissochos-rock-group-porphyra.html
https://www.facebook.com/billy.chrissochos
http://www.neomagazine.com/2010_04_april/57.html
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Billy-Chrissochos/730909070

“We place leaves of Mastiha in our food,” said John Erdemir, a New York City resident who emigrated from Ankara, Turkey. “On the Asian coast close to Izmir (Tralleis in Greek) and Datca (district on a peninsula near Kos), Cesme (Tseme in Greek, opposite the island of Chios), there are mastiha trees. Few know that mastiha grows there, only the locals and they know how to keep it to themselves. They never mention it to people from Ankara.”

This statement conjured up many memories and prompted my own research. In my childhood in Astoria, I was surrounded by Chian/Micrasiates (from the coast of Greek Asia Minor) who adored anise, mastiha and mastiha ouzo. “Chios’ mastiha and ouzo is the best,” said my late grandmother, Despina Gagas Pappas (Papantonakis). “Mastiha tastes great in koulourakia. Add it. We must treasure our mastiha. Save it.” Thus began my preoccupation with saving 1950’s mastiha the way one saves gold coins. We actually used a hammer to grind it to a powder in later years.

Cesme Mastic trees landscape

I saw mastiha production first hand in 1971 during my first visit to Chios as a teacher/graduate student. “Mastiha is only grown in Chios,” said the Greek islanders. I had not traveled to Tseme by that time. In June 2007, I took an exciting tour to Tseme with Sunrise Tours of Chios, arranged by Argyro, a unique administrator. All along the coast of Cesme I noticed mastic trees dotting the landscape. How could this be? Mastic only grows in Chios!

Burnt mastic trees in Chios Fires 2012.

During the devastating fires of August 2012, which so damaged the Mastic trees, Despina Siolas, MD/Ph.D., traveled the same tour to Izmir, again arranged by Argyro of Sunrise Tours. “Mastic trees are all around the countryside,” she said. “When we returned to Chios, the mastic fires began. Our excursion continued despite the crisis. We actually had coffee frappes at a country tavern with fire fighters; they looked like professional wrestlers. The islanders went about their work a usual with a calmness that was exemplary.”
Knowing of my love for mastiha, Despina bought some back for my baking. We were all concerned about a decline of mastiha in America, but thankfully that never happened.

ANA-MPA, The Athens-Macedonian News Agency, reported on November 22, 2013, “There are encouraging signs that production of mastiha – the mastic gum that is a signature product of the Aegean island of Chios – may recover after a destructive fire in 2012 that destroyed 25 percent of the island’s yield. According to a North Aegean regional authority official, many trees that were considered dead have begun to blossom again and large numbers of new trees have already been planted. This encouraging news was announced during a press conference at the 29th International Tourism Exhibition “Philoxenia” in Thessaloniki, at a North Aegean region pavilion promoting tourism on the nine islands and their potential as holiday destinations,”

Smoke from area before Avgonyma,Chios Fires 2012

Ironically, it was a Turkish-American who told me that Mastic trees can grow outside of Chios, a fact which I refused to believe and which destroyed my lifetime of mastiha memories! According to Mr. Erdemir, a man who loves dancing rebetica in Laterna, a Greek tavern in Bayside, New York, “They sell mastic to tourists visiting the Western Anatolian coast.” My own research on the internet has revealed mastic’s Mediterranean character.

Pistacia lentiscus is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and the Iberian peninsula in the west, through southern France and Turkey to Iraq and Iran in the east. It is also native to the Canary Islands. The word mastic derives either from the Greek verb mastichein (“to gnash the teeth”, origin of the English word masticate) or massein (“to chew”).

Within the European Union, mastic production in Chios has been granted protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) status. Both have been granted because, although the tree is native to the entire Mediterranean region, only the mastic trees of southern Chios “weep” the mastiha resin when their bark is scored. The island’s mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval villages, collectively known as the ‘Mastichochoria,’ which are also located in the southern part of Chios. There is even a small Museum of Mastic in the village of Pyrgi ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistacia_lentiscus).

Traditionally there has also been limited production of mastic on the Çeşme peninsula on the Turkish coast, only eight nautical miles from Chios, with similar conditions suitable for mastic production. The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats TEMA has been leading a project to protect the native mastic trees and to plant new ones on the peninsula, in order to revive commercial production. As part of this project, which is expected to last through 2016, over 3,000 mastic tree saplings were planted between 2008 and October 2011, covering 368 acres (149 hectares) of dedicated farm land provided by the Izmir Institute of Technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_(plant_resin).

Fire fighters resting at local taverna

Dr. Marianna Hagidimitriou, Assistant Professor of the Agricultural University of Athens, said “fossils of mastic tree leaves found on the island reveal its existence six thousand years ago, suggesting that it originally came from this island. It is traded by the Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association that has 4,850 members. The Association was created in 1938 to help commercialize the product, to ensure the income of the growers, to develop new technology and to encourage new cultivation.” (http://www.unipa.it/arbor/varie/Presentation_M.Hagidimitriou_2.)

– Despina Siolas, M.D./Ph.D. (3rd from left) and Sunrise Tour participants at a taverna before Avgonyma, during the Chios fires of 2012.

The Chians are exceptional business persons who have created a unique business. It does not make a difference whether it is grown in other regions. The mastiha industry was created by unique persons who saved their island’s economy through their resourcefulness. This is the treasure of the mastiha industry: persons dedicated to their agricultural inheritance. I will hand down an appreciation of Chios mastic to the next generation of family and friends. Visit the links for more information.

Links:

http://www.gummastic.gr/index.php?langflag=_en – Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2012/08/21/greek-secret-service-eyp-to-investigate-wildfires-on-chios-island-as-thousands-of-mastic-trees-burned-down/-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_(plant_resin)

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/08/20/fire-destroys-40-of-mastic-trees-on-chios/

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2012/08/21/greek-secret-service-eyp-to-investigate-wildfires-on-chios-island-as-thousands-of-mastic-trees-burned-down/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Chios_forest_fire

http://masticbest.wordpress.com

http://www.amna.gr/english/articleview.php?id=4317-  Chios ‘mastiha’ production may recover after destructive 2012 fire,

http://cesme.veryturkey.com/destination-info/mastic-trees

http://www.chiossunrisetours.com.tr/en/genel_bilgiler.php – Sunrise Tours

Artist Matina Botoulas at her Art Exhibit in the Stathakion Cultural Center.

“Painting is almost like a religious experience, which should go on and on. Age just gives you the freedom to do some things you’ve never done before. Great work can come at any stage of your life,” said the late American artist Will Barnet.
Americans are embarking on new careers regardless of age, said Matina Botoulas of Flushing, New York. “I am following a road I never dreamed of. My daughters inspired me with a gift of artist supplies. I began expressing in art my impressions of my surroundings.”

Woman, modern approach.

Her work has been displayed in a recent exhibition at the Stathakion Cultural Center, Queens, NY. “I loved drawing from a young age,” said Martina who was born in Angelona, Laconia, Greece. “I married my husband, Nick Botoulas of Tripolis. We immigrated to the U.S. and raised our daughters Marilene and Georgia while pursuing careers. At sixty-five, I began working as an artist. I am inspired by my environment. I see a house that reminds me of Greece and I draw it on canvas. A Santorini fridge magnet inspires a painting, while memories of Monemvasia led to a landscape.” Her colorful paintings show clearly her Mediterranean influences.

Black and white drawing of flower display on table.

Martina does not have a preconceived idea of what she wants to produce. When she sees something new or exciting, she is inspired.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreekArtistsGuild/info.

Scene of Greece.

Country landscape.

Members of Hellenic Paideia of America organization during Christmas.

      A meeting of the Hellenic Paideia of America organization was held on Sunday afternoon, December 29^th in Queens, New York. The members discussed issues on preserving and expanding Greek language, culture and civilization in America. They expressed their concern regarding the teaching of the Greek language in primary and secondary public and non-public schools.

      Many expressed disappointment that Greek language classes have been discontinued. Issues were discussed concerning the preservation and expansion of Greek culture. All the Greek children must be offered the opportunity to learn Greek. High schools must have Modern Greek programs.  2014 will be the year of Hellenic education everywhere. A fabulous Christmas party followed the discussion. For further information, contact Hellenic Paideia of America President Vasiliki Filiotis at vfiliotis@aol.com.

Home in Dolo, Pogoni Greece.

Pogoni is a place of natural beauty with history, located in the northwest of the prefecture of Ioannina. Tradition states that the Byzantine Emperor Pogonatos lived here about 700 A.D. Pogoni belongs to Konitsa prefecture and Albania. World War II and the Greek Civil War resulted in massive immigration. The memories of family and tradition remain with the immigrants.

Marianthi Raptis, is a New York City artist who has created unique folk art oil paintings. Her village of Dolo in Pogoni is the stimulus of incredible works of feeling for a way of life that exists in memories. Artist Raptis’ paintings played a major role in the success of a recent “Holiday Art Exhibition & Sale” held at the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria, New York.

Artist Marianthi Raptis.

“My paintings are like my children,” said the artist. “They make me happy. I made a poppy arrangement on a table and created a still life painting. My love of New York is reflected in my Hudson River work. I painted my daughter, Panagiota, in a traditional Pogonisian costume. Our home in Dolo and traditional Epirotan houses are the themes of some of my paintings.”

“I came to the United States in 1958,” she explained. “I studied at the New York School of Interior Design. Subsequently, I attended the Art Students League and studied textile design. I was awarded first prize by both the School and by the Industry for my design work. For thirty years, I worked as a textile designer in home furnishings and wallpapers, in one of the finest companies in America that had originated in France.”

She continued by saying: “I traveled to Europe. I worked in different museums, copying and recreating textile and wallpaper designs for our company.”

poppies

I chose to take an early retirement when the company was sold. But now I am fortunate to be doing what I had dreamt of for years. I have been busy doing oil paintings of flowers, landscapes, animals and people and hope to continue painting for many years to come.

My village of Dolo was considered the jewel of Pogoni. The people from Dolo traveled throughout the world and succeeded in business. Our villagers educated their children. Many hold important positions in Greece. As for me, I thank God who made it my destiny to come to the United States.  America gave me the opportunity of going to school, learning English, creating an art profession and bringing a daughter into this world that makes me proud.”

Links:

http://visitpogoni.com/pogoni-epirus-paradise

http://visitpogoni.com/archives/145- Dolo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ano_Pogoni

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogoni

Aphrodite Kotrotsios, Founder & Executive Director, Hermes Expo’s Young Professionals Initiative (3rd from right) with Phil Kamaratos, Peter Doulis, Aphrodite Kotrotsios, Francesco Parliaros, Alyssa Raisis, Louie Parliaros and Adriane Chambers.

  “In hospitality, the chief thing is good will,”- Greek proverb. Hospitality was from God to the Ancient Greeks. The host was expected to make sure the needs of his guests were satisfied. In Greek society, a person’s ability to offer hospitality determined nobility and social standing.  This concept has been woven into Greek culture for thousands of years. “One must offer refreshments to guests who enter one’s home,” we heard in our Greek-American community of Astoria, New York. “It is a sin and disgrace not to offer at least a glass of water. This is what makes us stand out as a people of class and hospitality. Honor, loyalty, integrity is part of hospitality. One must remember, never forget.”  This concept of hospitality is the focus of the hospitality industry of 2014 America.

            The hospitality industry is changing. Unique and healthy menus, increased spending by older consumers, the influence of Latino and Asian clientele, availability of online orders and coupons are just some of the challenges facing the 2014 hospitality industry. How they approach these trends is important.

“The 23^rd Hermes Expo International will focus on the hospitality industry of 2014 America,” said Paul Kotrotsios (MBA), founder and president of Hermes Expo International and Hellenic News of America. “Greek hospitality is legendary. The modern Greek hospitality industry has supported Hermes Expo International through the years. We bring the premier Greek-American trade show and exhibition conference, Hermes Expo, to the greater Philadelphia area. The focus will be on deals for restaurateurs and buyers, distributors and manufacturers.”

The 2014 Hermes Expo International is set to take place at the Best Western Concordville Inn, Concordville, PA, on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2, 2014. On Thursday, March 27, 2014, the “Taste of Greece” kick off networking event will be held at the Greek Press & Information Office,  305 E. 47^th Street, 2^nd Floor, NY. from 5 to 8p.m. Investors Bank is the sponsor. Educational business seminars and presentations will be held on April 1^st and 2^nd at the Concordville Inn.  Dinner award presentations and entertainment will be held in the evening on April 1st in the Grand Ballroom. Individuals and companies that have excelled and contributed to society will be honored.  April 2^nd will host a Wednesday morning brunch with networking and presentations.

The 7^th Hermes Young Professionals Initiative conference will be held during both days. The organization was established in 2007 by Stavroula and Aphrodite Kotrotsios. “The purpose of the Hermes Young Professionals Initiative is to help young Greek-Americans who are aspiring to meet the professional demands of the 21st century,” said Kotrotsios. “It is a forum to connect, interface and learn. Seasoned Greek-American leaders from various fields including business, medicine, law and government will act as mentors.”
To learn more visit the website at www.hermesexpo.com

The 23rd Hermes Expo International is a unique networking and business development trade show and exhibition. It is specifically tailored to businesses that seek to reach American and international markets. The exhibition, held over the years in New York, Chicago and Atlantic City, attracts businesses and entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries. The all have the common goal to expand their business reach. The 23rd Hermes Expo International is the largest event in the Greek-American business world. The exhibition attracts the attention and interest of governmental agencies. The 2014 Hermes Expo International offers business solutions, strategic partnerships, along with communication and presentations promoting information to boost business productivity and sales.

“Hermes Expo International is one of the country’s largest and most renowned business-to-business networking events and we are excited to partner with the Concordville Inn,” said Paul Kotrotsios, Expo founder and president. “Hermes Expo International has become a proven venue for businesses to establish new contacts, increase sales, and expand their brand. While the Expo still includes many companies doing business with Greece, the event is national and international in scope. That is what makes this event unique. Each year, the event grows in the number of exhibitors, participants, sponsors, and attendees. Get involved, explore, discover and connect is our message. Hermes Expo, business interests and institutions will join forces to build a strong economic future. We sincerely thank the sponsors, contributors, exhibitors and visitors for their continuous support.”

Vassilaros & Sons poster.

Coffee is the essential drink of Americans. People enjoy Vassilaros coffee on the go between jobs and shopping. A bold business initiative is presented by the Vassilaros company youth bringing their product to the kitchen table. John Joseph Papalas and Gianni Pastis promoted a line of coffee products at a recent St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Flushing Festival.

“We are making Vassilaros coffee a household name,” said John Joseph Papalas. “All the diners in New York serve Vassilaros coffee. We have been in business since 1918. Our main mission is to get our coffee into homes. We created a website at www.vassilaroscoffee.com. We work as salesmen from 5 a.m. in the morning. We open up, take care of emergencies, deliveries and accounts.”

Gianni Pastis (left to right), Camela Nitolli and Joh Joseph Papalas at their Festival booth.

            “John Vassilaros manages the company as his father Antonis and grandfather John,” explained Gianni Pastis. “John tastes the coffee. Our classic Vassilaros coffee is from 1918 and is $5.00 a pound.”

            Mr. Papalas said “espresso was introduced recently with a great response from the public. Espresso makes cappuccino. It was voted as the best coffee in the Hamptons. The finest coffee quality from Sumatra is in Vassilaros 1918 coffee at $8 a pound.” He is twenty-six years old. He was given the finest Greek-American education at William Spyropoulos School of St. Nicholas Church in Flushing, New York. The businessman has been working at Vassilaros Company for two years. Mr. Gianni Pastis, a thirty-seven year old businessman, has been employed for six years. “Our families are from Ikaria, Greece,” he said. This Aegean island was mentioned frequently during our interview.

VASSI ESPRESSO.

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor,” – Aristotle.  The Vassilaros family comes from an island of strong, independent people: Ikaria. “It derived its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who fell into the sea nearby. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos.^[2] The historic capitals of the island include Oenoe and Evdilos.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icaria).

VASSILAROS CLASSIC.

“It remained part of the Ottoman Empire until July 17, 1912 when the Icarians expelled a Turkish garrison and thereby achieved independence.^[12] After its independence, Icaria played a critical role in the liberation of Samos and Chios since it provided food and supplies through its Warship “Cleopatra” when the two islands fought for their independence. George N. Spanos (c. 1872–1912) of Evdilos, killed in a Turkish ambush on that July 17, 1912, is honored as the hero of the Ikarian Revolution. His bust, depicting him defiantly, with bandoliers and rifle in hand, may be seen at the memorial established in his honor at the site of his death located in the Icarian town of Chrysostomos.

“After the ravages of the war, the nationalists and communists fought in the Greek Civil War (1945–1947). The Greek government used the island to exile about 13,000 communists. ….  In his analysis, “Rebels and Radicals; Icaria 1600–2000″, historian Anthony J. Papalas (East Carolina University) examines modern Icaria in the light of such 20th-century questions as poverty, emigration to America, the nature of the Axis occupation, the rise of Communism, the Greek Civil War and the rightwing reaction to radical post-war movements.

The Icarian Greeks (Ikariotes) are an ethnically Greek^[15] group whose ancestry consists of Pelasgian and Carian settlers, as well as Greek settlers from Miletus and Samos (Ionian civilization rooted in Anatolia). Historically, Icaria has been under the control of Polycrates‘ Sea Empire, the Second Athenian League, the Roman province of Asia, the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Genoa, the Knights of Saint John and the Ottoman Empire before becoming an independent people on the 17th of July, 1912. Icarians are found throughout Greece, specifically on the Islands of Icaria, Thimena and Fournoi, Korseon, as well as in Athens, where a large community is found. The Icarian Diaspora can be found throughout the world, mainly in Australia, USA, Canada and United Kingdom. Icarian Greeks are closely related to other Aegean island Greeks, such as Greeks from Samos, Chios, Fournoi Korseon and Patmos, as well as Greeks from Anatolia.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icaria).

Traditional demitasse coffee.

What is the future of Vassilaros coffee? Mr. Papalas explained “we see ourselves in supermarkets, high-end stores and in other American states. The public will become familiar with our name. We will project the Vassilaros name into the public consciousness. Everyone is drinking Vassilaros coffee in New York. Three and a half million cups are served a week. Our goal is to make sure people are drinking our coffee.”

“New York City’s role in the success story of Vassilaros & Sons Coffee cannot be overlooked. Every customer and account in all five boroughs have played a part in building the business to where it stands today,” according to https://vassilaroscoffee.com/our-story. My late father George Vlassios Tsounis had a luncheonette in Queens Plaza, the former factory district of Long Island City. “I use Vassilaros coffee from my patriot John,” he would say. His father was from Lemnos near the Vassilaros family island of  Ikaria. Businessmen trusted Vassilaros Coffee owners as people of honor and principle. The next generation is building on this extraordinary reputation in the twenty-first century.

– Decaf coffee.

The Olympics follow the Ancient Greek philosophy that the success of democracy depends on the moral character of its citizens. The 2014 Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony was a visit back to Russian pride, which has ancient Greek cultural roots and Byzantine Orthodox tradition. These elements were present in Greece’s entry in the Parade of Athletes; in the Cyrillic alphabet; the Russian history timeline, opening with dark monastic images of Saints Cyril and Methodius; the images of Greek exploration into the Euxinos Pontus (Black Sea); Moscow’s Orthodox Sretensky Monastery choir and other features of Greek mythology.

Throughout the years, commentators on the Olympic opening ceremony have remarked about Greece leading the Parade of Athletes “because of past glory, when it earns few Olympic medals”. The 2014 Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony was an exception. Not one negative comment was made about Greece leading the Parade of athletes. In fact, for the first time in my memory, Bob Costas said “hooray.”

We are all sensitive about Greece’s economic catastrophe and the recent Cephalonian earthquake affecting many of our friends’ families. Seeing the Greek contingent enter the stadium surrounded by a satellite image of Greece from space, caught my attention. I realized this evening was going to make everyone with Greek and Byzantine roots proud.

Ancient Greek colonists.

The countries paraded in Cyrillic alphabetical order – not the usual Roman alphabet. “The Cyrillic alphabet writing system, developed in the 9th–10th century AD for the Slavic-speaking peoples of the Eastern Orthodox faith, is the alphabet currently used for Russian and other languages of the republics that once formed the Soviet Union, and for Bulgarian and Serbian,” according to Britannica. “Based on the Medieval Greek uncial script, the Cyrillic alphabet was probably invented by later followers of the 9th century ’apostles to the Slavs’ St. Cyril (or Constantine), for whom it was named, and St. Methodius. As the Slavic languages were richer in sounds than Greek, 43 letters were originally provided to represent them; the added letters were modifications or combinations of Greek letters.”

The Sochi opening ceremony began with the Russian alphabet projected onto the stadium floor, as a young girl told the story of her country’s heroes. Seeing the Greek letters in their alphabet displayed their Hellenic legacy. The first heroes who shaped Russian history were not politicians, military heroes or the rich. Two images of missionaries in simple Greek Orthodox robes were shown. Saints Cyril and Methodius were Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessalonica in the 9th century who became Christian missionaries among the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia (on the present-day border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and Pannonia (western Hungary, eastern Austria, northern Croatia, north-western Serbia and Slovenia). Their work influenced the cultural development of all Slavs. They received the title “Apostles to the Slavs”, devising the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic . The Cyrillic alphabet is used for Russian and other languages of the republics that once formed the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Serbia. It is based on the Medieval Greek uncial script.

The Russian national anthem was performed by the 600 year old Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir. This is a sign of an increasing rapprochement between the state and the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is led by Tikhon Shevkunov, who is known to be Putin’s confessor and one of the nation’s most influential clergymen.

“The general cultural liberalization that followed Stalin’s death in 1953, brought a natural curiosity about the Russian past that especially caught the interest of younger generations,” according to Glenn E. Curtis, in the book Russia: A Country Study. “The ceremonies and art forms of the Russian Orthodox Church, an inseparable part of that past, attracted particular attention, to the dismay of the Khrushchev and Brezhnev regimes. Historian James Billington has pointed out that in that period religious belief, was a form of generational rebellion by children against doctrinaire communist parents.”

A video showing the political development of Sochi and the Black Sea coast was shown to millions. The movie production of Greek warriors and explorers landing in Sochi (ancient Colchis), bringing trade and civilization to the Black Sea coast, hit me like a thunderbolt. I have heard this from Pontian Greeks in Thessaloniki and it features in their Greek literature and television productions. I was thrown off-balance seeing this in a Russian production shown to millions on prime time television. The opening video showed that the Greeks did not come to plunder wealth, rape the countryside and destroy tribes. They came to settle. They gave their civilization and established communities that still exist in 2014 Russia. This theme was repeated in the 2013 brochure of Musee d’Histoire de Marseille (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) in France and Sicily’s historical sites.

“The Ancient Greeks sailed to the Sochi area in the fifth–sixth centuries BC and kept visiting it until about the first century BC,” according to a wikipedia thread.

“They encountered the Aehi, Zygii and other people who were apparently keen for the luxury goods brought by Greeks and exchanged them for slaves. Slaves were a major commodity of the time, and thus the Caucasian coast became a slave trade center. An ethnic group of a few thousand Greeks still lives around Krasnaya Polyana. ….In the Middle Ages, the region was mostly influenced by the Byzantine Empire and Christianity, as evidenced by the style of nine churches and eighteen fortresses dating from those times. The northern wall of an eleventh-century Byzantine style basilica still stands in the district. Christianity reached and spread throughout the Caucasus between the 4th century and the 6th century under Greek Byzantine influence and later through the Georgians between the 10th century and the 13th century.”

I watched the Olympics avidly every day, but I saw no NBC reference to Sochi‘s unique history. All I saw was Vodka drinking, swimming in the 50 degree Black Sea and women athletes in revealing photo shoots. What about the culture that the Russian broadcasting showed in one of the best opening ceremonies in Olympic history? Possibly, I missed a program about its history that goes back thousands of years? At the Vancouver Olympics, there was a constant reference to the Straits of Juan de Fuga and historical sites.

Mark Whittington, Yahoo Contributor Network, in the Jan 13, 2014 article “Sochi Has a Relationship with Ancient Greece”, said “Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympics is to take place, has some associations with Ancient Greece that go beyond the fact that the Olympic games originated in that part of the world. Sochi was the venue of Ancient Greek myths.” On Dr. Gaetano Cipolla’s Arba Sicula tours, the Greek heritage of Sicily is described with the same viewpoint.

“The Moscow Times ruminates that Prometheus, the Titan who gave humankind the gift of fire according to the myths, was chained to a rock on a mountain quite near to modern Sochi where his liver was ravaged by an eagle each day,” explains Mr. Whittington. “The story also goes on to state that the spirit of the Agura River would alleviate Prometheus’ torment, giving him food and salving his wounds.

Sochi was also, it is alleged, in the area where Jason and the Argonauts sailed to seek the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece was the pelt of a ram that was sacrificed to the god Zeus by Phrixus, the son of Athamus and the goddess Nephele, for having been delivered from being sacrificed by his jealous stepmother.  The Golden Fleece, which was considered a symbol of kingship, was nailed to a tree and remained there until Jason and his friends arrived to retrieve it. A Golden Fleece Monument resides in Sochi, consisting of two pillars and a gold-plated sheep guarded by a dragon, meant to symbolize the association of Sochi with Greece.

In fact, while the area around Sochi was inhabited off and on since Neolithic times, it was colonized by Greeks around the first millennium B.C. Colchis, as the area was called in classical antiquity, was an important Greek trading community which dealt in gold, slaves, hides, linen cloth, and agricultural produce, as well as shipbuilding materials as timber, flax, pitch, and wax…..The Russians are relative latecomers, arriving in force in the 19th Century. However a considerable number of ethnic Greeks remain in modern times.

“Sochi: Connected to Greece by More Than the Games,” an article by Michael Shepherd, 07/02/2014, says “Olympics host Sochi, is connected to ancient Greece in far more ways than the Winter Games themselves.  Especially since the ancient version was held in the summer only.  Attention parents, teachers and students: you can watch the Olympics sports coverage and study ancient history at same time. This region once known as Colchis was an important trade center, much like its better-known neighbor Troy.  Over the last 100,000 years or so it has been a crossroads for cave men, stone-age hunters, Greeks, Romans, and Turks.  The Russians have only been there since the 1800’s, when they won a couple of wars to conquer the area.  Historically the Greeks sailed in and made themselves at home in the 500-600 B.C. period.  Ethnic Greek communities remain in the area to this day.  However, Greek mythology traces the location back to the creation of mankind by Prometheus.  This myth and its ramifications are quite intricate and a basic reference for anyone who studies the classics.”

The city and neighboring towns where events were held also have many archaeological sites that showed up in the background of the sports coverage.

Greek mythology that will be more familiar to modern youth is the story of Jason and the Argonauts.  It has been told in many variations in literature and countless films.  Colchis, now known as Sochi, is where Jason found the Golden Fleece, a symbol of kingship.  Viewers of the competition perhaps caught sight of two pillars with gold-plated sheep guarded by a dragon; that is the official monument to the ancient Greece connection.

My viewpoint on the Olympics is summarized with Michael Shepherd’s closing paragraph. “So, parents, teachers and students watch and learn.  Visit ancient Greece in modern Sochi.  Everything you see can be traced back to cultural roots in ancient Greece.  Even the electronic technology used to measure and report results rely on the use of prime numbers which were discovered and studied in ancient Greece.”

Links:
http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/02/sochi-olympics-opening-ceremony-explained/357847/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/148713/Cyrillic-alphabet
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-12-28/Features/Viewpoint_A_Moment_in_Russian_Byzantium_At_Kimisis.html
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/02/07/42054/sochi-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony-highlights/
http://voices.yahoo.com/sochi-has-relationship-ancient-greece-12492567.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adyghe_people

“I wanted to have opening reception days of celebrating the first full days of spring,” explained Stavroula Nicolas Raia, Whimsical Gallery owner. The opening reception was held on Friday, March 21, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, March 2², 5-9 p.m. and Sunday, March 23, 3-7 p.m. The Art Gallery is located at 89 Job’s Lane, Southampton, New York.

Stavroula Nicolas Raia, gallery owner.

Creative, imaginative and playful works are exhibited by exceptional artists. The artists who were represented included: Audrey Schilp, Fashion Illustrator, whose family has roots from Ioannina, Greece; Joseph Conaty, Abstract Expressionist; Alan Richards, photo manipulation; Shakor, visual known artist; Camilo Del Mar, Space Art and Matt Moffett, Animal Portraiture.

Ed Floros, of the Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, celebrated his eighty-third birthday at the gallery with family and friends on the Friday grand opening.   “The opening reception was well attended,” said Mrs. Nicolas-Raia, a Greek-American whose parents were immigrants from Pano-Lefkara, Cyprus.

Investors Bank booth: Paul Kotrotsios (left to right), Ana Oliveira, Tina Handras, Charoula Ioannou, Mary Rose Genovese, Nico Paphitis, Maria Odysseos, Angelos Kouzinas.

A preview into the soul of the 2014 Hermes Expo was experienced by all. The New York “Taste of Greece” Kick off  Networking Event  pushed onward to the April 1st and 2nd  Hermes Expo at the Concordville Inn, PA.. The New York Kick off was held at the Greek Press & Information Office, 305 E. 47^th Street, 2^nd Floor, NY, from 5 to 8 p.m.

 Business, the hospitality industry and culture societies joined hands to create an exceptional evening. Nikos Papakonstantinou, Director of the Greek Press & Information Office with Grigoria Kamaterou, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organization welcomed all to visit Greece. New York Consul General of Cyprus Vasilis Philippou gave greetings, while Investors Bank CEO Kevin Cummings reaffirmed their commitment to help their Greek-American community. Booths featuring the best of Greek cuisine and wine, business and societies were present and included: Chef Gregory Zapantis and Kellari staff;  Ethos, 51^st  gallery; Eklektikon wines; Sam Catechis of Stellar Imports; Investors Bank, The Web Empire of John Varsamis and the Cephalonian Brotherhood Society Youth of the Cephalonian Earthquake Relief Fund, Paul Kotrotsios, the Expo’s founder and president. “Hermes Expo International Aphrodite Kotrotsios, is Founder & Executive Director of Hermes Expo’s Young Professionals Initiative.

New York Consul General of Cyprus Vasilis Philippou gave greeting (podium) with Grigoria Kamaterou, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organization (left to right), Nikos Papakonstantinou, Director of the Greek Press & Information Office Paul Kotrotsios and Cephalonian Earthquake Relief Fund listening.

Fresh scallops, octopus, spanakopites, tiropites, Mediterranean dips, platters of cold cuts with samples of  the best known Greek pastries made the participants break their Spring resolution to lose weight. The Mediterranean Diet was explained with enthusiasm by Chef Zapantis who said “this is a great day. My friend is Paul Kotrotsios, who I support in his mission: bringing the Hospitality Industry and business together. The Greek Mediterranean Diet is a major power in the United States Market. It is all natural. Greeks are few in number but a major force in our economy. Everyone talks about the Greek yogurt, but this did not happen by chance.” Recently, I went to buy granola bars in our local supermarket and found Greek granola bars. The name Greek on U.S. products connotes the best in food.

The culinary expert should be on television. He shows more enthusiasm for his products than some media personalities. “Greek yogurt was the work of many. Greece is a small country,” he said. “We think ahead and do not let our problems overcome us with the economic crisis. Our cuisine is healthy, simple with elegant Greek wines. We have respect for our product. All nationalities are interested in the Greek cuisine.” That we all know with Mainland China’s buying Cretan olive oil. China and Japan have shown interest in Mastic from Chios.

Chef Zapantis said he “has a love for his homeland of Cephalonia. Mou lipi (It is missing from my life). Where you are born, there lies your soul. My children are born here. Our life is here in New York City. Our City helped me. Life in Cephalonia is not easy.”

Chef Gregory Zapantis of Kellari with Spyridoula Haralambopoulos.

“WE believe tonight is an opportunity to become closer with the Greek community,” said Ana Oliveira, senior vice president and New York Regional Manager. “We welcome to help give back to a culture that is so rich. Investors provides world-class products and services, in an honest and straightforward manner, for individuals, families, growing businesses and commercial real estate clients. We work hard to always do what’s right for each and every customer — making sure they get the right products and great value — to help them meet their everyday banking needs as well as to achieve their long-term goals. To do well, you have to do right. And doing right by our customers is how we hope to become the leading community-oriented bank in the region.”

Paul Kotrotsios with Chrisoula Zikopoulos, Director of the Heritage Museum of Epirus.

Co-Host of the evening was Ms. Gloria Consolacion T. Cressler, Elite Professional Networking Group/P.R. Business Coach, Celebrity Event Producer/Philanthropist, said “everyone is Greek tonight. We are having a good time. Paul Oleska, opera singer, said she “was invited by Gloria to have an unforgettable evening. I enjoyed learning about Greek culture. Gloria and I went to Kellari New Year’s Eve and had a spectacular time.”

“We hope to see you next year,”said Nikos Papakonstantinou, Director of the Greek Press & Information Office. “We are happy to have events like this with good food and wine. Paul Kotrotsios brought us together. This is one of the finest events of the year here.”  New York Consul General of Cyprus Vasilis Philippou said “this is a bridge with Greece and Cyprus. Our countries have difficult moments. It is wonderful to see Greek filotimo (hospitality) lives on.”

Networking was a theme of the evening. Mrs. Kokolis, president of the Federation of Hellenic American Teachers and the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE)’s Education Committee for the US region and Hellenic Paideia of America President Vasiliki Filiotis reunited with youth they mentored. “I am very touched to meet my former student, Ifigenia Chondros Zapuntis, from St. Demetrios of Astoria Greek Afternoon School,” said Mrs. Kokolis. “She wrote the finest modern Greek papers.” Chrisoula Zikopoulos, Director of the Heritage Museum of Epirus, with fellow member/artist Marianthi Raptis, came “to support their patrioti, Paul Kotrotsios.  We are proud of his accomplishments.” The publisher was born in the village of Parakalamo, Yiannina, Epirus.

Aphrodite Kotrotsios, is Founder & Executive Director of Hermes Expo’s Young Professionals Initiative (left to right) with members: Dr. Despina Siolas, Laurentino Ibarra, Spiridoula Haralambopoulos and Catherine Hunt.

Kostas Vagelatos of the Cephalonian Brotherhood described the Youth society purpose of raising funds for the devastated island on January 26^th and February 3^rd (http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/224/Two-M6-earthquakes-in-Cephalonia-Greece-within-8-days). Our youth are selling T-Shirts to aid the islanders in their recovery,” he explained. “We are one thousand islands away but the same pain is in our hearts.” For more information, contact costas@hellenism.com. There was a strong Cephalonian presence that evening. AHEPA was present, spreading the ideals of Hellenism among the global community.

Artist Marianthi Raptis and friend enjoying event.

“The 2014 Hermes Expo International represents an exchange of ideas, synergizing, learning from a variety of businesses, education seminars, symposiums and seeing services and products of the world market., said Paul Kotrotsios. “The 23^rd Hermes Expo International Expo will focus on the Hospitality Industry of 2014 America. The 2014 Hermes Expo is set to take place at the Best Western Hotel at the Concordville Inn, in Concordville, PA 19331, on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2, 2014.

Kostas Vagelatos (2nd from left) with the youth of the Cephalonian Brotherhood.

Business seminars, presentations and food demonstrations will be held on April 1 and 2 at the Concordville Inn, PA. A Dinner Awards Presentation and Entertainment, at 6:30 p.m., will be held on April 1 evening in the Grand Ballroom.  Exceptional individuals and companies that have excelled and contributed to society will be honored.  April 2 will host a Wednesday Morning Brunch with networking and presentations. Get involved, explore, discover and connect is our message. Hermes Expo, business interests and institutions will join forces to build a strong economic future.”

Mr. Kotrotsios said “we sincerely thank the Sponsors, Contributors, Exhibitors and Visitors for their continuous support. Exceptional individuals and companies that have excelled and contributed to society will be honored.  April 2 will host a Wednesday Morning Brunch with networking and presentations.” For more information visit hermesexpo.com.

Father Dimitrios Moraitis in a New York Church

A unique, pioneer work, based on a doctoral project, presents the Orthodox perspective to addiction through the eyes of Father Dimitrios Moraitis, drawing upon religious, administrative, scholastic and social sources. His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, explains in the book’s foreword that “with a substantial bibliography, the work constitutes a compelling argument, as well as a timely opportunity, for the involvement of clergy and other religious workers in our ongoing efforts to seek reintegration of the addict into the church community.”

The 179-page book seeks to define alcoholism and examine the causes of addiction from a theological perspective and offers clergymen advice on how to work with addicts. Father Moraitis believes “recovery from addiction is more of a spiritual exercise than anything else and people in recovery are generally on a wonderful spiritual journey that can be enhanced by the priest and the church community and the recovery person can also enhance the church community,” (Part 1, p.20).

The author addresses a major point in an alcoholic’s recovery. How does one administer Holy Communion to an alcoholic in complete abstinence of alcohol? On page 55, the theologian addresses this issue. Father Moraitis lists and describes twelve core competencies for clergy. They include: definition and societal stigma; knowledge, signs, withdrawal characteristics, effects on individual and family and characteristics of recovery stages; awareness of indicators of disease; spiritual and religious recovery; early intervention; pastoral interactions with addicted person and network; positive communication; utilize community resources; knowledge of twelve step programs; address values and attitudes of alcohol and drug dependence; cultivate positive support from community and prevention strategies that benefit community.

Father Moraitis’ book is easy to read. His candor and incisive statements keep the reader’s attention. “All things must come to an end,” said the author. The alcoholic/addict will either get sober, end up in a psychiatric institution or die…Finally there is a spiritual rock-bottom, which comes as a result of a person realizing that they are dying spiritually. This is the result of the alcoholics and addicts awareness that they have truly distorted the image and likeness of God in themselves,” (pp. 87-88).

Many persons say why me, blaming God for their problems and consequences. Father Moraitis believes one has free will to get sober or to remain addicted, explained on page 89. The author believes the priest must be active in the recovery process of the addicted Orthodox Christian, helping in the return to the sacramental life of the church, as described on page 148.

Father Moraitis hopes his study will spark dialogue between clergy and addicts. His research can be a guide to all on the unique spiritual and biological aspects of recovery from destructive behavior. The book inspired this reviewer to think about “the Greek influence on life after death”, an article written by Rabbi Marc Gellman in Newsday, June 1, 2013. He says that a soul survives the death of the body through God via Aristotle. As Rabbi Gellman reminds us how after the conquest of Israel by Alexander in 333 BCE, a period called Hellenism began which brought Greek philosophy into contact with biblical Judaism through the scholar/teachers called rabbis, who unlike the biblical priestly class, were drawn to Greek philosophy as a new source of divine revelation. All this should remind us that the greatest advances in religious thinking happen only when religious people take seriously the best of what the secular world are learning and teaching about the nature of human existence. Father Dimitrios Moraitis does just that, taking the best information and services of the secular community to create a masterpiece of Orthodox ministry to the alcoholic and addict.

Mrs. Stella Kokolis with former student Ifigenia Zapuntis

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ – Winston Churchill.

Three unique promoters of Hellenism and Greek education were honored at the Hermes Expo International April 1^st Gala on Tuesday evening at the Best Western Hotel of the Concordville Inn, in Concordville, Pennsylvania. The Federation of Hellenic American Teachers and the Hellenic Paideia of America, Inc. honored George Righos, Founder of the Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, President Peter Tsagarakis of Pan Gregorian Enterprises of Upper NY and Georgia Filiotis of Hellenic Paideia of America and United Nations representative for Human Rights and Education.

Mrs. Stella Kokolis President of the Federation of Hellenic American Teachers and the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Education Committee for the US region, said “we must be united to solidify Greek education. Mrs. Kokolis was with a student she mentored at the March 27^th Hermes Expo Kickoff in New York City in the Press & Communications Office, Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN. “I am very touched to meet my former student, Ifigenia Chondros Zapuntis, from St. Demetrios of Astoria Greek Afternoon School,” said Mrs. Kokolis. “She wrote the finest modern Greek papers.”

“We congratulate the honorees with the Hermes Expo and supporters of Hellenic education,” continued Mrs. Kokolis. “I accompanied the honor roll students of the parochial and afternoon schools in the Greek Parade up 5^th Ave. in New York City. The students held the Greek flag that flies over the Acropolis for the first time in our parade. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio joined us on 64^th   St. with enthusiasm. He said it was an honor to hold the Acropolis flag and march with us throughout the parade.”

President Kokolis believes “we celebrate Freedom, Equality and Democratic values of the western world at the Greek Parade. Mayor de Blasio thanked His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, Mrs. Ikouta and I at the March 25^th  Greek Independence Day  celebration at Gracie Mansion. I congratulate George Righos for spreading Greek values and supervising the charter schools successfully. Peter Tsagarakis,President of Pan Gregorian Upper New York is a supporter and benefactor of Hellenic education and philanthropies.”

Dr. Dean Lomis (1st from left) with educators. Photo by Stavroula Raia.

In an interview, President Tsagarakis believes “these educators are making a difference. When older volunteers give of themselves, they find the world gives back to them. They do not want to retire rest or relax. These honorable persons volunteer their services to help the next generation: our grandchildren. I have the deepest respect for them. They deserve a great thank you for us.”

Mr. Tsagarakis has a Cretan name, but is from the island of Kerkyra. He has two children and a two year old grandchild. “My friend, Yannis Markopoulos, a former teacher, asked me to help finance the Prometheus excursion to the Hermes International Expo. We are all friends with Pete Sassos, a great man, who worked many years for Pan Gregorian. We all wish him the best in his projects and family life. It is our honor to help volunteers attend Mr. Paul Kotrotsios’ Hermes International Expo. We thank Mr. Kotrotsios for providing this networking for all of us. He makes things happen.” I was amazed by Mr. Kotrotsios’ ability to reach out to the second, third and fourth generation and bring them back to their Greek roots.

Mr. Tsagarakis (4th from left) honored. Photo by Aphrodite Kotrotsios

“We are honored to participate in the 2014 Hermes Expo International,” said Vasiliki Filiotis, President of Hellenic Paideia of America, Inc. “Greek educators and supporters of Greek language and culture were honored at the evening’s gala. We want the community close to us, thinking positive. We welcome all to join us. For more information call, 718 844-0902.

“Hermes Expo International is one of the country’s largest and renowned business- to-business networking events and we are excited to partner with The Concordville Inn,” said Paul Kotrotsios, the Expo’s founder and president. This unique awards presentation was made possible by Mr. Kotrotsios, in one of the country’s largest and renowned business- to-business networking events.

glass jewelry

They do not have a plan when they create their creations. They see exciting ideas wherever they go and then create. They search. They rework the same subject, creating with inspiration. Irene Tsiaris and Babis Sampelidis fashion unique jewelry, accessories, home décor in their “Glass Creations By Irene” business. On, they fashion favors, kitchen backsplashes, bathroom vanities, sinks and tiles.

“Our mission is to promote Greek-American art to the Greater American Public,” explained Irene.

“My energy is reflected in my icon painting on rocks. We form from spontaneous experiences and encounters with our environment. Babi and I do everything together.”

Their works express their aim and aspiration and sometimes their artistic exploration. These artists have created a powerful and moving collection of pieces showing their understanding of the art and culture of the world.

Irene Tsiaris and Babis Sampelidis

A recent exhibition of their works, at the Stathakion Culture Center in Astoria, acquainted the public with their vision. Dramatic, handmade glass jewelry necklace in a variety of styles, with blown glass art grabed a person’s attention. The hand-blown art work inspired and amazed persons who entered the “Glass Creations By Irene” exhibit.

Babi Sampelidis, a native of  Drama, Greece. He was trained in the art of glass making by his father, a carpenter and glassmaker. “I was born in Germany,” he said. “My parents worked in Germany. I still have family there. I enjoy dual citizenship with Germany and Greece. We create bottles and glass in a 1400degF. kilt. Glassware making takes ten hours. Irene concentrates on painting icons on rocks, while I create glass pieces and jewelry. The glass styles are Irene’s ideas. The art of glass making was taught to Irene by me. Our prices are reasonable from ten to forty dollars.” Babi and Irene hand blow each creation, capturing the beauty and color of elegant forms. For more information, email the artists at babpiano@yahoo.com.and visit http://glasscreationsbyirene.com.