Photo Credit: Jillian Nelson

On May 11, 2013, the 22nd annual Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund (HTSF) GALA was held at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, awarding 36 scholarships to raise the total over its 22 years to more than $2 million.

The event commenced with a video telecast that featured such previous honorees as Ernie Anastos, Bob Costas, Mike Emanuel, Alexis Christoforous, Nick Gregory and a special cameo from Nia Vardalos from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Special guests included Constantine Maroulis and Frank Dicopoulos. HTSF President Nick Katsoris and author of the Loukoumi book series, made the opening remarks.

This year, George Sakellaris, the Chairman and CEO of Ameresco, Inc., was honored with the prestigious Leadership Humanitarian Award that was presented by John Catsimatidis, the CEO of the Red Apple Group and publisher of the Hellenic Times.

Sakellaris remarked, “I am very blessed and thankful. We welcome all of our honored guests and scholarship recipients tonight. It’s an honor and a privilege to receive this award on behalf of the Hellenic Time Scholarship Fund.” “Thank you to the next mayor of New York,” he added referring to John Catsimatidis.

Katsoris introduced Margo Catsimatidis, the vice chair of the HTSF, as well as co-publisher of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund (HTSF) and president of MCV Advertising, as a “woman whose amazing spirit is something to be emulated by all.” Margo presented the scholarships to this year’s recipients. Anjelika Vayas was awarded the top Hellenic Times scholarship in the amount of $20,000.

The event also featured musical performances from JT Taylor, formerly of Kool and The Gang, a group that is best-known for their smash hit “Celebration,” as well as ALPHA Orchestra which included Katerina Tropazi and Thanos Tsiovas.

According to Joanna Kotrotsios, a 2013 HTSF honoree, she remarked, “This award feels amazing. I am so excited to be here and congratulations to all of the other honorees as well.”

For more information on the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund, visit their official website.

Photo Credit: Jillian Nelson

The event will take place on Friday May 17 at Terrace on the Park, Flushing Meadow Park in Queens.
As owners of American Invsco, the Gouletas family carries one of the most highly recognizable names in Chicago real estate.

Gouletas, is an admirer of soccer and a supporter of the club’s efforts. During his long service, George Andreadis, a successful real estate broker, has been a staunch advocate of the  team too and offered much support over the years.

New York Greek American Atlas Soccer Club was formed by Tom Laris and is one of the most successful clubs in America’s annual national soccer tournament, the National Challenge Cup, winning four times, in 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1974.

The team is one of the oldest American soccer clubs in existence and plays its games at the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens.

Kaminis and his associates accompanying him, will also have a separate workshop meeting with the head of Cities of Service of New York, which was founded in 2009 by Bloomberg, to enhance the cooperation of the municipal services with volunteer groups and active citizens to face effectively the problems deriving from the peak of the international economic crisis.

Tonight, the Mayor of Athens is the official guest of a roundtable discussion, Redefining Athens. The discussion is organized by the Council of Foreign Relations, in which academics, diplomats, businessmen, heads of organizations and others are involved.

During his visit to the American metropolis, Kaminis will also meet with the Greek New York State Senator Michael Giannaris, as well as with executives and personalities of the Greek-American community.

Archbishop Ieronymos will begin his visit in Boston where he will be the guest of honor at the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC), which will award him with an honorary doctorate in Theology at its graduation ceremonies on May 18.

The night before he will officiate at the Vespers, while the next morning will be present at the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Cross chapel of the School and present a speech to the students.

The National Herald reported that he is also scheduled to visit New York City where on May 19 he will officiate at the Divine Liturgy at Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. He is expected to be accompanied by the Metropolitan Bishop of Messenia Chrysostomos Savvatos and by Bishop Gabriel of Diavlia.

The visit of Archbishop of Greece Ieronymos constitutes a religious event of historic importance, as it the first time in the last 50 years that the Primate of the Church of Greece will visit the Diaspora in the U.S. His predecessor, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens was not allowed to make any official visit to Greek-Americans.

Pinos has been the manager Mediterranean Foods for 33 years and said he’s overwhelmed with Greeks who’ve moved to the area looking for work the New York Daily News reported. He said at least 10 a day come in looking for a job.

One of them, is 25-year-old Danae Vasiliadou, who relocated three months ago from Thessaloniki to Queens. “It doesn’t really feel like I moved to the States. It’s like I moved to a village in Greece. Everybody is Greek, the places are Greek,” she saids

Nicholas Alexiou, professor of sociology at Queens College, noted: “With the economic crisis deepening, about 5,000 Greeks fled their homeland for Astoria in the past year, compared to about 2,000 a year in the previous half decade.” Alexiou has been studying Greek immigration to Astoria over the last 20 years.

He then continues by adding that most Greek immigrants, who now move to Astoria, are mainly professionals. They happen to be either doctors, teachers or just people who have some kind of degree already in Greece, and they are only willing to take any job to support their family and themselves.

Another example is 22-year-old George Hatzopoulos. Raised in a suburb of Athens, during the past three years he has been living in Astoria, along with his grandparents. He is a part-time student at Queensborough Community College, juggles two jobs and interns at a music studio in Long Island City. These two young people, Vasiliadou and Hatzopoulos, are a small sampling of the new wave of immigration due to the tough economic period crisis-stricken Greece has been struggling with, the newspaper noted.

The first wave of immigrants arrived in Astoria back in 1920 and the second between 1965 and 1980. The extended article concludes by stating that for as long as Greece continues to navigate rough economic waters, Astoria continues to be a beacon of hope for many Greek immigrants.

On April 26, Dendias visited the Joint Operational Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the U.S. and the New York Police Department (NYPD) and was informed by the Greek head of the Office of the FBI in New York, George Venizelos, of the function of intelligence departments, Anti-Cyber-crime and Research (where another service belongs that is related to fighting racist violence).

Dendias was informed of the FBI training issues and the operation of the Department of Administration, as well as by several officials of the New York Police Department (NYPD) about the interagency cooperation with the FBI, as well as more general matters about fighting crime.

On the evening of April 26, Dendias is programmed to speak at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York (CUNY), on the subject, Citizen’s Insurance and the Rule of Law.

The following day Dendias will visit the offices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in Manhattan, where he will meet with Archbishop Demetrios. Then he is going to hold a press conference at the Press and Communication Office in Greece.

“We need a radical change in Greece and Europe,” Rena Dourou, a Member of the Greek Parliament for the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) part said during programs at Princeton University and New York University presented under the title Is The European Union Condemned? A View From Greece.

Dourou talked about several issues, outlining the economic crisis in Greece and in Europe. She said that  new policies are needed to build a new EU and benefit people not banks or markets. SYRIZA opposes the austerity measures being imposed in Greece on the orders of international lenders putting up $325 billion in two bailouts.

Among other things, she talked about the problems of unemployment, tax evasion, humanitarian disaster etc. , adding that the Eurozone is a strategy of public investment in jobs, infrastructure, education and research. These alone, could create a new, progressive agenda for the EU so as to regain its credibility towards the people, she said.

In response to several questions, she talked about Greece’s record unemployment rate and the rise of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party which won 18 seats in Parliament last year on the back of a platform to rid Greece of all immigrants and has promoted an anti-Semitic and anti-Gay stance as well. 

Dourou was to meet with Archbishop Demetrios of America and then with members of the National Council of America and speak as well to the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.

The photographs illustrate the size of the ecological disaster and human pain and are presented at the Consulate General of Greece in New York.

The opening of the exhibition took place on April 15, led by Greek Consul General George Iliopoulos. The Mayor’s Office Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Haeda Mihaltses, Greece’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Dimitris Karamitsos-Tziras, the Consul of Greece in NY, Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, diplomats, academics and people of arts attended the exhibition’s inauguration.

“Anybody can contribute in his own way to support those people who lost everything,” noted Mavromichalis. During the opening, an auction of her photographs was organized, the proceeds of which were donated to The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, a Bloomberg’s initiative.

Mavromichalis said that her first visit in affected areas in order to provide material assistance to those in direct need was the reason of her photo shooting. “It was a unique experience. When I was there, beyond the images of destruction, I met with people who were eager to tell their story, eager to let the world know what has really happened to them, that it was an unprecedented tragedy,” she pointed out.

Photography has been Mavromichalis’ hobby for many years. When she moved to the U.S. as her husband is a diplomat, she studied in the International Center of Photography in New York and today is an assistant professor. “I always try to convey strong emotions through my pictures,” she said.

Mavromichalis has participated in several collective exhibitions in the past. This is her first personal exhibition and is presented with the cooperation of the Consulate General of Greece and the Women’s Consul General Group of New York, of which she has been Vice President.

Photo Credit: NY Daily News

As her husband Tom Hanks performs on Broadway in “Lucky Man,” Rita Wilson is taking the stage to sing songs from her album AM/FM at New York City nightclub 54 Below, with performances through April 20.

The actress, and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Mamma Mia!” producer, released her debut solo album in 2012. Born and raised in the Hollywood Hills, Wilson harbored dreams of becoming a singer in the 60’s and 70’s after falling in love with The Beatles, The Mamas & the Papas, Janis Joplin, and The Supremes, among others. AM/FM was recorded at the legendary Capitol Records Studio A in Hollywood. Over the last few years, she appeared as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” on Broadway and recorded the song “Lessons Learned,” by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren for “The Trap,” a short film Wilson directed as part of Glamour magazine’s “Reel Moments” series.

Wilson told the NY Daily News that she plans on continuing to act, write songs, and possibly get back on Broadway, adding, ”The truth is I feel blessed to be able to do what I love to do. My parents left their countries for precisely this reason. I keep that in the back of my mind. Without their hardship so that they could live free, life might be very different.”

54 Below is located at 254 W. 54th St. There is a $25 food and drink minimum per show. For tickets and schedule, visit: broadway.com/shows/rita-wilson/

The ongoing crisis in Greece, closing factories and shipping strikes have narrowed the suppliers’ list of Titan Foods from 200 to 100, explained the owner of the store Costas Mastoras to the New York Daily. This Easter he will be only able to provide 75% of the normally stocked items and is feverishly looking for new supplying alternatives that will get him out of the dire situation.

For Mastoras, who has been selling Greek products for 32 years, ranging from feta cheese to gourmet products originating from small Greek islands, the situation is unprecedented. Exports from small Greek islands have stagnated the past years due to continuing shipping strikes and the lack of liquidity in the Greek economy.