The Passing of a Greek Champion Germany, France, Nix Eurobonds, EU Countries Want Greek Collateral

O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PUBlICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, ISSUE 723 August 20-26, 2011 $1.50 Germany, France, Nix Eurobonds, EU Countries Want Greek Collateral After Finland Strikes Deal, Austria Wants Athens’ Guarantees Too, Eurozone On Edge ATHENS – Just as French Presi - as well if Eurozone countries ap - dent Nicolas Sarkozy and Ger - prove Finland’s deal; a man Chancellor Angela Merkel spokesman from Austrian finance quashed Greek Prime Minister ministry was quoted in a news - George Papandreou’s pleas for paper report as saying. “The col - Eurobonds, a scheme in which lateral model has to be open to the 17 countries of the Eurozone all the Eurozone countries. We who use the euro as a currency will figure out if that’s the case,” would share debt – including Finance Ministry spokesoman Greece’s staggering $460 billion Harald Waiglein told Finland’s deficit – other European coun - biggest newspaper Helsingin tries began demanding collateral Sanomat. in return for a second bailout of The agreement with Finland emergency loans to keep Greece requirews Greece to deposit cash from going bankrupt. Greece is in a state account that Finland in the midst of receiving $152 will invest in AAA rated bonds. billion in loans from the so-called The interest generated will raise Troika of the European Union-In - the amount to match the re - ternational Monetary Fund-Eu - quired collateral. Finland will re - ropean Central Bank, but pay turn the money, plus interest, cuts for Greek workers and tax once the bailout loan is repaid, hikes demanded in return for the Finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen aid have backfired, pushing the said. country into a deep recession, ne - If Greece were unable to pay cessitating a second planned back its loans to the temporary bailout of $157 billion. stability mechanism, Finland That is causing uneasiness in would take possession of the cap - the Eurozone and after Finland ital put up by Greece following a AP PHOTO/PETROS GIANNAKOURIS insisted on – and got – guaran - procedure agreed upon in ad - Bad Moon Rising? tees from Greece in return for co- vance. operating in the bailout, Austrian If Greece pays off its debt, it A full moon rises behind the ancient temple of Poseidon, in nomic crisis that some analysts say will sink the country yet, de - officials said they, too, now want would get back the money that Sounio, about 45 miles southeast of Athens – back in 2005, spite $312 billion in bail-out loans. The autumn will bring more some collateral from Greece, when Greece was riding the crest of good times, before its eco - political battles, and more new moons yet, perhaps ominous. prompting fears the rest of the Continued on page 7 Eurozone countries will want similar assurances. Greece is also planning a $71 billion sell-off and leasing of state-run entities and Kaskarelis’ Message to AHEPA: Greece Will Rise properties – which skeptics said Skourtes will be a fire sale of the country’s assets at rock bottom prices, los - MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Greece’s during his two years in Wash - stituency and a changing world. come the best of citizens. I am ing them forever. That privatiza - Gives $10 Ambassador to the United ington, D.C. he has tried to help In this rapidly changing global - confident that in collaboration tion was also demanded by the States, Vassilis Kaskarelis, was foster a coherent voice for what ized society, all communities, so - with its partners, Greece will Troika in return for more monies awarded the Aristotle 2011 he called “a unified and collab - cieties and nations are inter - once again provide those incen - and has set off internal strife in Million Award during this year’s AHEPA orative community.” He said twined and, consequently, the tives and conditions to allow the Papandreou’s ruling PASOK So - convention here recently, and that by speaking with one voice, fate of one is linked with the ingenuity of its people emerge cialist Administration and wor - used the opportunity to give a “The Greek American commu - fate of many others. and thrive.” ries about more social unrest. A Dental Gift frank assessment of the coun - nity can only be stronger and Greece’s problems, he said, Kaskarelis has emerged as member of PASOK’s political try’s economic woes, but also more effective for it.” That’s could be overcome, especially the face of Greece in the United council accused the government PORTLAND, Oregon – Eugene expound on the role of the or - where AHEPA comes in espe - with backing from the Diaspora. States, delivering cogent de - of “losing touch with reality” and Skourtes didn’t forget his alma ganization and Greek Americans cially, he said. “The role of “The Greek American commu - fenses of Greece during its trou - adopting measures that are mater, Oregon Health Sciences and that he believes Greece will AHEPA and all Greek American nity is proof and testament of bles, while acknowledging its “nearly wiping out Greek society.” University when he was gradu - thrive once more. He noted that organizations must continue to the kinds of people Greeks are, faults, and he didn’t shy away Austria opposed Finland’s ated in 1968, a school that has he’s spent more than 35 years evolve to meet the needs and who, given the proper incentives deal with Greece on collateral for become known for providing of his life outside Greece and aspirations of a changing con - and environment, thrive and be - Continued on page 4 loans and will demand collateral dental care to people who don’t have dental coverage nor can afford the often costly proce - dures need to fix teeth: there were 86,000 such visits last year A Miracle of Unity: alone, for everything from cleanings to tooth pulling. The school didn’t have to pull Sk - Roseland’s Sts. Nicholas, ourtes’ teeth to get him to help keep that coming as more will be helped, and more dentists Constantine and Helen trained after Skourtes and his wife Bonnie pledged $10 million to a $43 million dollar project By Constantine S. Sirigos immigrants. Years after, the of outfitting and expanding a TNH Staff Writer Church of Sts. Constantine and modern dental/medical facility Helen was established in Or - that is the only institution in the NEWARK, N.J. – Things ange, New Jersey, with facilities state which trains students for change. In 1901 the St. Nicholas that were to serve the commu - a career as dentists and medical Greek Orthodox Church was es - nity for generations. After the professionals. Skourtes is tablished in a rented hall in 1967 riots, Newark would never founder of the successful downtown here, home to a be the same, and by the 1990’s Willamette Dental Group. growing community of Greek the Orange church outgrew its The school is helping fill a home. In the fall of 2011, the gap in dental coverage and will two churches, now merged into be able to do much more once one community of Sts. Nicholas, the new school is built, thanks Constantine and Helen will largely to the pledge from the Jimmie move into a spectacular new Skourtes’. Oregon stands out in $16 million complex in Rose - the region, as neighboring states land. The new reality is a tribute such as Idaho and Montana Spheeris: to the vision of their leaders and don’t have any dental institu - hard work and generosity of the tions for this purpose. The parishioners, officials said. pledge is the largest private do - Dreamer Many, such as former Parish nation in OHSU’s 112-year his - Council President Gus Theodos tory. Skourtes’ longtime friend go further. “I consider it a mira - of 55 years, E. John Rumpakis By Steve Frangos cle that two parishes merged said: “This contribution is un - TNH Staff Writer without any fanfare and fasaria precedented here on the West (disturbances,) merging with a Coast. What’s amazing is that it Jimmie Spheeris, in death, purpose and sticking to that pur - is happening even in these tur - achieved more than most per - pose and becoming one family.” TNH/COSTAS BEJ bulent economic times.” formers ever do in life. Spheeris He said no one observing parish Mary Vassiliou Psomiades venerates the icon by the bier of Dr. Harry Psomiades. She is the di - Rumpakis also is very involved didn’t become a rock and roll star activities today would guess rector of the Human Rights Defense Center in Greece and will present her late husband’s final in the academic community, but instead is one of those more they were once two separate book in Athens in October. His final interview will appear in the “Periodiko” of Ethnikos Kirix. serving as a board member at rarified entities an underground churches. The parishes officially Portland State University in Ore - rock legend. A visionary song - merged in 2005 and St. gon. writer during his lifetime, Jimmie Nicholas’ members moved to This past semester, 75 stu - was often compared to artists Orange in December 2007. The Passing of a Greek Champion dents graduated from OHSU such as Joni Mitchell and Peter It would not be the first mir - and according to historical data Gabriel. With Spheeris’ sudden acle for the community. Theodos only about 40 of them will stay death, in 1984, his records slowly told The National Herald that By Demetios Tsakas and vice that was scheduled for He strived throughout his life in the state.

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