The boy was found dead in his bed, according to the newspaper Chicago Tribune.

The two women, according to the court, were tired of the daily care his condition required and planned to kill him.

Initially, they tried to kill him with sleeping pills. When their attempt failed, his mother stabbed him four times in the chest and then cut his veins. This was not enough for the boy to die and his godmother stabbed him again several times.

The two women were found unconscious by the child’s father when he returned home and was shocked when he saw his son dead in bed.

The two women were taken to the hospital to be administered first aids. In January the child’s mother refused help offered by the Department for Children and Families.

Autism media channel, an organization for autism kids had released a video asking help for Alex.

Autism media channel released the statement below on Alex’s tragic death:

We learned this morning of the tragic death of Alex Spourdalakis, a young man with severe autism whom we were seeking to help because of the failure of the medical system to provide for his needs. We do not know of the circumstances of Alex’s death and await further news on this. We understand from news reports that Alex’s mother and Godmother are in the hospital and receiving treatment, we are deeply concerned for their well-being at this tragic time.

We have tried to highlight the desperate plight of Alex and his family and bring to public attention the failings of the medical system when trying to deal with individuals like Alex. We are aware of many families in a similar state of crisis and our fear is that more cases like Alex will follow.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Alex, a bright 14 year old who had so much potential – Alex just needed appropriate medical care and somewhere safe to live.

The Archimedian Acadamy in Miami, FL

Archimedean Middle Conservatory, a Miami public school, has won top honor at this year’s National Philosophy Slam competition.

It was announced Friday, June 7 that Archimedean Middle Conservatory was the recipient of the “Most Philosophical School in America” award.

This is the first year that a Florida school has won the award for Most Philosophical School in America since the award’s inception in 2001. Additionally, 3 Florida students received honors in the individual essay competition. Abril Macho received 2nd place in the category for “Most Philosophical 6th Grader in America”, David Cuitiva and Antonis Constant received 3rd and 4th respectively in “Most Philosophical 8th Grader in America”.

The Kid’s Philosophy Slam is a national competition in which kids answer a philosophical question. This year, over 4,000 contestants, kindergarten through high school, addressed the question “Which is more powerful, love or hate?” Depending on their age, kids can express themselves in words, artwork, poetry or song. Each grade level has its own national winner. Furthermore, schools from across the country compete for the title of “The Most Philosophical School in America.”

Archimedean Middle Conservatory is a public middle school in Florida that aims to initiate young minds into the art of thinking through the teaching of Mathematics, the Greek Language, and Philosophy. The school’s curriculum includes a 3 year philosophy program, a study of Mathematics in Greek and English, and a rigorous second-language course in Greek. Additionally, since 2011 Archimedean Middle Conservatory is also nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ academic achievement.

The showcase is a series of public programs that explore the journey of Greek immigrants, as reported in Tarpon Springs Patch website.

In the framework of this exhibit, the members of the band Ellada, as well as the local Kalymnian vocalist Irene Karavorikos and the visiting clarinetist Jim Stoynoff will give a musical performance on May 31 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

The event is being presented in conjunction with The Smithsonian exhibition Journey Stories, which explores the powerful tales of how the ancestors came to America, the place they now call home, according to Tarpon Springs Patch website.

The small exhibition Journeys to Tarpon Springs, which will feature items by local families to remind them of the homes and families left behind, will be presented at the cultural center as well.

The exhibits will be at the City of Tarpon Springs’ Center for Gulf Coast Folklife from April 11 until July 5. Admission to the concert is free.

Source: Tarpon Springs Patch website

President Barack Obama addressing his guests at the White House Reception for Greek Independence Day

After delivering remarks at Healing Our City: An Interfaith Service dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed in Monday’s bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, President Obama flew to Washington to host a reception for Greek Independence day  in the East Room of the White House.

Outstanding speakers, interactive roundtables and the opportunity for clients to network with other affluent families in an invitation only, private atmosphere were the hallmarks of the Calamos Family Financial Summit which took place last week at the company’s headquarters in Naperville, IL.

Calamos also hosts regional Building & Preserving Wealth programs and offers online thought leadership through podcasts and whitepapers. Earlier this year, the 2013 Building & Preserving Wealth program began in Illinois and Arizona, featuring presentations on the current and coming economic and tax environment. Upcoming events will be held in Florida, Texas, Michigan, New York and Ohio.

Calamos Wealth Management pursues marketplace differentiation by delivering the personalized attention of a wealth management boutique while leveraging the vast resources, track-record, experience and intellectual capital of a global investment firm.

“Our clients continue to seek education and peer networking in a comfortable, confidential environment. We are happy to provide that service by hosting both our summit and regional programs. Beyond reports on their investments, clients are also asking for easy-to-access current and relevant information as they try to sort through all that they read and hear on the news. Our outlooks, podcasts and whitepapers address topics that are top of mind with our clients,” states Calamos Wealth Management President, Jim Baka.

John Calamos Sr.

The roots of Calamos Wealth Management trace back to the difficult markets of the 1970s, when John Calamos, Sr. began investing for private clients, many of whom are still with the firm today. The son of a Greek immigrant, John grew up in Chicago, where he worked in his family’s grocery store. When he was in his teens, he became interested in investing and convinced his parents to entrust him with a portion of their hard-earned nest egg. From these early days, John understood that his investment decisions carried great responsibility. He saw firsthand the effort that went into earning this money and knew the implications of losing it.

Cara Mossington, Director of Marketing and coordinator of the client networking and education programs says, “One of the key questions pertaining to the next generation becomes, ‘You have prepared the wealth for your children, but have you prepared your children for the wealth?’” adding, “The implications of family wealth goes far beyond the monetary impact. It’s a valuable service to provide peer to peer networking and education in a confidential environment to families of great affluence who often have little opportunity to open up about their wealth and the impact it has on their family.”

The summit featured comments by John Calamos, Sr., as well as, speakers from some of the most prominent families in the nation who shared their own stories of success, failure and lessons learned.

Summit speaker Christopher Kennedy Lawford, a best-selling author, actor, and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations stated, “The next generation should be informed, wise stewards of their tangible and intangible assets. Take the time to teach them about the value of a dollar, their genetic inheritance, as well as their family legacy. I am happy I was a part of this event.”

Topics ranged from “Impact Investing” to “Net Worth vs. Self Worth” giving clients the chance to consider and discuss opportunities and issues surrounding family wealth and legacy preservation. Breakout sessions provided options including real estate investing, insurance best practices and Investing 101.

Cross divers in Tarpon Springs

One of four Greek Orthodox teens honored last year after a botched cross-diving event to mark Epiphany is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a party.

Jared Alexander Alissandratos, 17, a senior at Tarpon Springs High School, was arrested this week and charged with sexual battery. The Palm Harbor teen is accused of assaulting the girl at a party at his father’s house on Chesapeake Drive early April 13.

The 15-year-old girl got drunk and was taken to a room to lie down, according to arrest records filed by Tarpon Springs police.

Two other teenage boys also might have assaulted the girl, law enforcement officials said, and prosecutors are expected to decide if there is enough evidence to charge them, too.

Tarpon Springs teenagers have taken to Twitter to discuss the case, with many of them decrying Alissandratos’ arrest and directing derogatory or obscene remarks at the girl he is accused of sexually battering.

Tarpon Springs police learned of the assault on April 15, after the girl spoke with the campus police officer at Tarpon Springs High School, Capt. Jeff Young said.

Alissandratos was among four teen boys declared winners in the 106th annual cross-diving event in Spring Bayou. The 2012 dive was the first time multiple winners were recognized.
(source: tbo)

The vision for a Hellenic museum was first conceived in late 2007, with the aspiration of establishing a center dedicated to “sharing the richness of the Hellenic Heritage of the Greek community and conserving the contributions of Hellenic Culture in shaping our world today and in the future.”

The museum is housed in a 1912 red brick mansion right across from the Detroit Institute of Arts. With a total investment – so far – of about $2 million raised from foundations and individual donations, it will present and promote the many artistic and intellectual achievements of Hellenic culture in every field and the wider story of Greek History from 4,000 B.C. to the present. As part of its mission, “the Museum will chronicle the struggles, triumphs and contributions of the Greek immigrant community’s journey to Michigan. Their legacy will be recorded and preserved through artifacts, oral histories, documents and photographs.

This rich heritage of extraordinary Greek-Americans will be passed on from generation to generation.” It will thus promote the Hellenic culture through exhibits from all over the world, educational workshops, guest lectures, films, cooking classes and music and dance performances and other cultural events. According to its founders, it aspires to be in the truest sense of the word, a Mouseion, a house of the Muses.

One of the first exhibits of the Museum will be the History of Greektown, where immigrants gathered to bring a part of their beloved Greece to the new shores. That tradition still holds true today in modern Greektown.

Museum officials say they hope to attract visitors far beyond the local Greek community, which they estimate numbers about 70,000.

The museum’s grand opening will took place on Saturday, April 13, 2013. The Hellenic Museum of Michigan dedication ceremony was presided by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit, along with Museum President, Ernest Zachary. They will be joined by Museum Trustees and Honorary Committee: George Reganis, 2013 Special Hellenic Heritage Honoree and Parade Grand Marshal, Jim Papas, Grand Benefactor of the Hellenic Museum of Michigan and one of the first developers of modern Greektown properties, Paul Massaron, Wayne State Board of Governors, Dr. Jim Jacobs, President Macomb Community College, Dr. Kenneth Walters, Professor Department Classics, Wayne State University, Sue Mosey, President of Midtown Detroit, Inc., Effie Weinberg, Hellenic Heritage Society, Dr. and Mrs. Steven Kalkanis, Karla Scherer, and Stephanie Vlahakis, Trustee National Museum, Chicago, Honorary Dedication Committee.

Currently the museum will only operate on Saturday afternoons, due to ongoing reconstruction of the building.

Hialeah Police Lt. Leo Thalassites is the oldest active police officer in the country. Here, the Gree-American holds an honorary plaque outside Hialeah City Hall (Credit: Theo Karantsalis/ Greek Reporter)

Barrel-chested Leo Thalassites squints like Clint Eastwood, hops like Jackie Chan and has been an active cop for nearly six decades. He is 86 years old.

He first joined the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1956. He moved to the Hialeah Police Department in 1963, where he has been on active duty ever since. And now, according to the International Police Association, he is the oldest active police officer.

He might have started his police career sooner but he was busy serving in all five branches of the military during World War II and Korea. Thalassites earned three Purple Hearts — two in WWII and one in Korea — and competed in the Olympics trials for the 1964 Toyko Games, representing the U.S. in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Starting in 1963, he won the police Olympics seven years in a row. At 170 pounds, he benched 340, squatted 500 and dead-lifted 540 pounds. Thalassites was named last year to the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. He has trained fighters including Hector “Macho” Camacho, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

Thalassites moved to Tampa in 1995 to be closer to the Greek community in Tarpon Springs. He frequently drives 300 miles to Hialeah – from Tampa – to train officers and make sure that they are physically fit and ready for action.

Thalassites turns 87 on April 24. But his 177-pound, five-foot-eight inch frame is nearly as strong as it was 50 years ago. For nearly his entire life, he has combined a strict regimen of daily prayer, exercise and diet. He has not had a soda in decades, shuns sugar and fat, and eats small meals throughout the day. “I put protein in a blender along with broccoli, celery, garlic and some other stuff,” said Thalassites, who noted that when he shuts off the blender, he watches the mixture bubble up. “That means it’s ready.”

Thalassites had a chapel custom-built inside his home. It is ornately decorated with 30 Byzantine icons. There are stained-glass windows in memory of his parents. His father, George, was a seventh-generation priest who served Miami’s Greek community in the 1940′s. Before that, his father taught combat fighting to elite Greek soldiers.

“The first thing I do when I wake up is pray,” said Thalassites. He then prays for exactly one hour and 33 minutes each morning. The 33 extra minutes signify the age of Jesus Christ when he died. “It is compulsory.”

After, he runs four miles around his Palm Harbor neighborhood, then returns to his home gym, where he jumps rope, lifts free weights, and does speed and heavy bag work.

He is also ready when it comes to police work. “The history of this police department cannot be written without mentioning” Thalassites, said Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, who once trained as a police officer under Thalassites. Last year, Hernandez proclaimed Feb. 28 as Lt. Leo Thalassites Day.

Though Thalassites still carries the Colt .45 issued to him in the Korean War, he has never had to use it. Rather, he relies on something far more dangerous. “His fists are weapons of mass destruction,” said Hialeah Police Lt. Carl Zogby.

Stories about Thalassites over the years include the time he jumped into a boxing ring – on live TV – to knock out a Korean trainer after he disrespected the U.S. flag. He also is said to have fractured the skull of a would-be mugger outside a Greek restaurant.

In 1967, Thalassites responded to a Liberty City bar fight where two of his coworkers had been shot dead. “He pulled a gun on me,” Thalassites said of the suspect. He quickly disarmed then nearly beat the suspect to death with his baseball-mitt-sized fists. “I defended myself.”

Over the years, he has preferred to fight “big guys” for one simple reason: “I bring them down to me, see, then I break their wrists, ribs and shoulders,” said Thalassites, who still trains officers in the Hialeah police gym named after him in 2002.

Next month marks Thalassites’ 50th year as a Hialeah policeman, and he noted some changes with the department since its Wild West years.

“We did real police work back then,” said Thalassites, who feels that guns and Tasers are overused to compensate for overweight and lazy cops who can’t fight or control a situation. Even worse, the cops he describes as having counterfeit muscles. “They come into training with big arms and small waists and think they’re something until I put them in a headlock and they can’t get out,” said Thalassites, who added that annual physical fitness exams should be mandatory for all officers. “They have no real strength, run out of breath fast and can’t even run.”

Out-of-shape cops, he says, present the biggest hazard to the public. “They are quick to pull a gun because they can’t use their fists,” said Thalassites. “I may have broken a lot of bones but at least they lived.”

The Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections was among the subjects that concerned the Secretary General of Culture, Lina Mendoni during her recent trip to the U.S.A. She told the Greek news agency AMNA that the exhibits were ‘are on the right track as the contacts with the American museum concerned, except for the big exhibition on Byzantium which will be held from April until August 2014, the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011 between the Ministry of Culture and the Getty Museum”.

She said that, “A series of actions on issues about the maintenance of artworks are provided. A typical example is the Motya Charioteer, whose maintenance was recently done in the laboratories of the American museum, which are considered among the best of the world.”

In the context of the cultural agreement between Getty and Sicily, the statue was involved in an 18-month maintenance program in the laboratories of the museum, where – among others – the statue acquired an anti-seismic base, which will also accompany it at the Mozia Museum.

This artwork is one of the finest surviving examples of ancient Greek sculpture. It is dated between 470 and 460 B.C. and was discovered in 1976 in the ancient city of Motya (Mozia), located in a small island west of Sicily. It traveled to Greece in 2004 for the exhibition at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Magna Graecia: Athletics and the Olympic spirit in the periphery of the Greek world. Southern Italy and Sicily, in the framework of the Cultural program of the Olympic Games 2004.

The “renewed” artwork was also exhibited at the British Museum in 2012 as part of the London Olympics. From April 3 – August 19, it will have a prominent place in the exhibition Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome, where 150 ancient objects will be presented by museums and institutes of Sicily. The exhibition will take place at the Getty Museum.

The exhibition Heaven and Earth. Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections, is organized by the Secretary General of Culture in cooperation with the Benaki Museum and two prominent American museums, where the statue will be presented: the National Gallery of Art in Washington (October 2013-March 2014) and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles ( April-August 2014).

Andrew Athens, the great Greek-American Philanthropist, died on March 14th 2013. He passed away during his sleep at his Chicago home after long illness. His impact on people’s lives has been tremendous. Senator Barbara Mikulski had referred to him as a “one-man foreign aid program,” dedicated to helping others.

The Greek community in USA and people from all around the world mourned his death, including heads of States, countless political figures, and organizations.

Supreme President of AHEPA, Dr. John Grossomanides has issued the following statement:

“The members of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association mourn the passing of Life Member Andrew Athens, a true pillar of global Hellenism, a highly-decorated World War Two veteran, an unwavering community activist, ardent philanthropist, and a successful businessman who truly realized and fulfilled the American Dream.”

“Brother Athens will be sorely missed by all Hellenes as his kind and benevolent charitable work touched the lives of many people around the world. His legacy will live on through the several organizations he founded and led in support of Hellenism and Orthodoxy worldwide as well as in the many individuals he inspired. We are proud to have called him a Brother Ahepan.”

“Our deepest sympathies are with the family of Andrew Athens. May his memory be eternal.”

Andrew A. Athens (Andreas Athanasoulas) was born in 1922 in Chicago, USA to immigrant parents. The name of his father was Aristides. His outstanding service to the Greek Community and the Orthodox Church placed him among the leading figures of the Greek Diaspora.

He served as President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) since its founding in 1995 and until December 2006 when the 6th World Assembly of SAE unanimously proclaimed him president emeritus.

Andrew Athens is an example of a man of vision, commitment and self-sacrifice that knows how to inspire and lead in struggles for the defense of the rights of the Greeks. He has approached each endeavor in his life with total commitment and hard work always tireless and lively characterized by his unwavering faith to his ideals and goals.

He was distinguished in WWII battlefronts as well as in the post-war effort for the reconstruction of Europe. As a US Army Captain he fought alongside the allied forces in Europe and the Middle East. After the war he was honored with the Bronze Star Medal and the US Army Commendation Medal, while he was commended by the Hungarian government for his contribution to the country’s rebuilding.

His successful business career was launched in 1950 with the founding of the Metron Steel Corporation, a particularly successful industry in the American Midwest that even today is one of the largest steelworks in the USA.

Athens became involved in Greek community affairs at an early age. He put his mark on all major initiatives in support of Hellenism and Orthodoxy in the United States and elsewhere. He led the efforts and successes of the Greeks abroad both under his capacity as a founding member or as a president of Greek community organizations and institutes.

He played a leading role in every struggle launched for the rights of the Greeks, for justice and peace in Greece and Cyprus, for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Orthodox Patriarchates and for the Greeks who are in dire need, like those living in former Soviet Union countries, Albania and elsewhere. He occupied leadership offices in roughly 50 Greek community organizations and chambers of commerce in the US, Greece, Belgium and other countries.

Immediately after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, he played a leading role in establishing a Greek Lobby in Washington and founded the United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC), an organization with notable accomplishments and presence. In this effort he was assisted by the Washington-based National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH) he had co-founded.

He is the “Leadership 100” Endowment Fund president emeritus. Athens was its founder and first president of the board (1986-1996). He has co-founded and chaired the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). For two decades (1974-1995) he was the president of the Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. He was the co-founder of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce and served as its president from 1991 to 1997.

Andrew Athens won international recognition for his service to the community. Foreign governments, Orthodox Church Patriarchates, charitable organizations and production sector representatives around the world honored him with over 42 awards, medals and distinctions.

He received the Greek State’s Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (1977), the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award (1977), the Cypriot Republic Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (1997), the US Congressional Medal of Honor (1993), the Georgia Republic Supreme Medal (2001), the Ukraine Parliament Medal (2003) and many more. In 1979, he was declared Knight of the Order of the Crown in Belgium.

He was the “Archon” of the Great Church of Christ, an Ecumenical Patriarchate honorary title conferred upon individuals honouring them for their service and dedication to the Church. He was also honored by other Orthodox Patriarchates and Churches for his tireless efforts defending religious freedom and human rights. He received, among others, the Medal of the Supreme Taxiarch of the Holy Sepulchre, the “Athenagoras” Human Rights Award and the Gold Cross of the Holy Cross Seminary bestowed by Archbishop Iakovos.

In May 1979, he received the Church of Cyprus St Barnabas Gold Medal in recognition of his service to the people of Cyprus.

Throughout his lifetime, Andrew Athens traveled to all continents covering a distance of millions of miles in an effort to unite and strengthen the Greek communities abroad.

In 1997, he founded Hellenicare, a Primary Health Care Initiative and humanitarian assistance project which constitutes a lifeline of hope and example of selfless service to the human being. A total of seven medical care centres, established in former Soviet countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia) and Albania, offer free medical services to people of Greek and non Greek descent.

Finally, Andrew Athens was an excellent family man. He met his wife Louise during WWII. They had two children, a son and a daughter, and four grandchildren.

Andrew Athens died on March 14th 2013 at his Chicago home.

Details about his funeral to follow.

(Biographical details extracted from SAE’s official website)