How Konstantinos Antonopoulos Eases Human Suffering Egypt's
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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 695 February 5-11 , 2011 $1.50 How Konstantinos Egypt’s Days of Rage Could Tip Greece’s Role Antonopoulos Eases Israel, Turkey in the Mix, Papandreou Human Suffering Makes Calls By Demetris Tsakas the Antonopoulos Funeral Home By Andy Dabilis TNH Staff Writer in Astoria to handle the funeral TNH Staff Writer arrangement for the victims, and NEW YORK - Having covered they would always express their ATHENS - Even as Egyptians the police beat for years, I come gratitude for the generosity dis - engaged in pitched battles in the across many tragic events that played by the funeral home’s streets of Cairo, government have left their mark on the owner/director Konstantinos supporters who want President Greek American Community in Antonopoulos, and his brother Hosni Mubarak not to quit the New York tri-state area. At and co-director Thomas clashing with demonstrators the same time, I had the oppor - Antonopoulos. Although we who wanted him out, the devel - tunity to get acquainted with would try to find out the amount opments were being keenly many Greek Americans who of - of money they contributed in watched in Greece because it fer solace to those in need and each of the cases, we never suc - could tip the balance of power try to ease their pain as much as ceeded, primarily because the in the Mideast and give Turkey possible. Some of them are in Antonopoulos brothers preferred even a bigger foot in the region the front lines, while other make to stay out of the spotlight. They and diminish Athen’s standing, sacrifices and give what they can have religiously upheld – and and affect relations with Israel, to provide some moral and psy - continue to do so – the virtues analysts said. Greek Prime Min - chological support. Over the past and principles of the Greek peo - ister George Papandreou held five years, while covered stories ple, as well as the principles of phone discussions about the cri - involving fatal accidents suffered their profession. The complete sis with several senior leaders by students from Greece and respect they display towards the in the Middle East, including the Cyprus, or other tragic deaths in deceased and the bereaved fam - embattled Mubarak, who had the Community, The National ilies, their respect for privacy, resisted calls from the United Herald observed that represen - their honorableness, prudence, States to step down and have tatives throughout the Greek compassion, solidarity, simplic - an orderly transition of power, American Community would ask ity, and abundant humility AP/ THANASSIS STAvRAKIS which was shattered when his makes them stand out. Tourist Sheryl Horowitz, right, hugs tour director Nancy Davis, both from the U.S., after their ar - opponents charged his govern - Konstantinos and Thomas rival from Egypt at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos in Spata, near Athens, Mon - ment sent thousands of thugs Antonopoulos were and con - day, Jan. 31, 2011. A tourist group with 65 Americans arrived in Athens as hundreds of foreigners onto the streets to attack them, tinue to be good friends with my were being evacuated from the unrest in Egypt, with countries scrambling to send planes to fly in defiance of wishes from West - colleagues and me, but even in their citizens out and Cairo's short-staffed international airport a scene of chaos and confusion. ern leaders there not be vio - instances when we knew that lence. At least five Mubarak op - they had first-hand knowledge ponents were killed by gunfire of the causes behind so many which the government said was tragic deaths that The National “a mistake” and said it would Herald has covered, they never Fans Struggle to Revive the Triremes find out who was behind it. succumbed to the temptation to Mubarak said he would not seek reveal anything they knew from re-election after 30 years in the official documents that they By Sophia Hollander of New Yorkers wants to bring ship, which was crucial to de - power, the result, critics said, of would receive from the coroner, Wall Street Journal the Olympias, the world’s only feating the Persians in the Battle a series of fixed elections over or from the details that the working replica of a trireme, to of Salamis in 480 B.C., part of a the years, but said he would not friends and family of the de - NEW YORK - On a recent morn - the city in 2012. “Dressed in ar - wider war that included the resign, infuriating Egyptians ceased would divulge to them. ing, Ford Weiskittel listened to mor,” suggested board member fight at Thermopylae drama - who, following the lead of Although their discretion did not typical board-meeting chatter Charles Hirschler. “Holding a tized in the film 300. But a demonstrators who brought help in the difficult job that a for a nonprofit group: an up - sword.” “Let’s not get carried wreck of a trireme - a nimble down the Tunisians govern - reporter undertakes to seek the coming fund-raiser, the possibil - away,” said Mr. Weiskittel, a for - vessel tipped with a bronze bat - ment, said they wanted an end truth, each time that they re - ity of attracting celebrities, the mer classics professor at Hobart tering ram—has never been to decades of repression. That fused to give details on a partic - benefits of one honoree versus and William Smith Colleges. found. Classicists have had to led the United States to walk a ular incident, our staff’s respect two. But there was something The men are part of a group try - piece together clues about its fine line because it has always and appreciation for their dedi - he really wanted to know: Was ing to bring to New York a full- design from vase images, carved supported him because he kept cation to their profession would asking prominent citizens to wa - scale, working replica of the an - reliefs and bad jokes in ancient a lid on the Muslim Brotherhood grow. “The job of a funeral di - ter-ski behind a replica of an an - cient Athenian warship known plays, generating competing and Muslim extremists. rector is a sacred one; just as sa - cient warship being rowed as the trireme. theories about its size, structure Papandreou also spoke with down the Hudson River one For centuries, scholars have Konstantinos Antonopoulos Continued on page 4 publicity stunt too far? A group squabbled over the design of the Continued on page 3 Continued on page 11 Angelides Probe Found They speak English, but Think Greek at St. Gregory’s Money Never Sleeps on By Theodore Kalmoukos TNH Staff Writer Wall Street's Home Turf BOSTON – It’s a curious combi - nation. Father Michael Bird of By Constantine S. Sirigos Phil Angelides, a former Califor - the St. Gregory The Theologian TNH Staff Writer nia State Treasurer – came to Church in Mansfield, Massachu - the unsurprising conclusion that setts, located at the crossroads NEW YORK – It took 19 days of the country’s near fiscal melt - of the superhighways Routes hearings and wound up with down was avoidable and every - 495 and 95, is a convert to millions of pages of documen - one who was supposed to pre - Greek Orthodoxy, starting with tation, but the government-ap - vent it, from government chanting and then learning to pointed Financial Crisis Inquiry officials to regulators to banks speak the language fluently Commission, under Chairman and insurance companies, was enough to become a priest, and asleep at the wheel or manipu - more so than most of the mem - lated the system out of pure bers of his church, established greed. The media has had a to serve primarily English- Science Series mixed reaction to the 600-page speaking Greek Americans and report, which is available at Orthodox from other ethnic bookstores everywhere for $14. backgrounds and the spouses of Dr. George Some reporters noted Congress inter-faith marriages. Still, they has already reacted to the crisis come, and frequently chant through the Dodd-Frank law, themselves, sometimes even in Bakris, A while others said its work was Greek. St. Gregory is a “singing nonetheless valuable in helping church” - the responses and Real Healer shape reforms and to identify hymns are sung by the congre - what went wrong with Ameri - gation, not a formal choir. can’s financial system beginning “Thus, our parishioners experi - By Amalia Deligiannis in 2008. Angelides and his fel - ence the ancient practice of Or - Special to The National Herald low commissioner Byron Geor - thodox worship by which the giou recently discussed their clergy and laity together partic - TNH In a typical week, you will work with the National Herald. Fr. Michael Bird, a licensed architect who discovered the beauty and treasure of Orthodoxy find Dr. George Bakris designing Despite the strenuous efforts Continued on page 7 and Hellenism at St. Gregory’s Church in Mansfield, Mass. with his presbytera. clinical studies, treating pa - and associated sleep deprivation tients, serving on a number of of a year and a half, their pas - editorial boards of medical jour - sion and sense of urgency have nals, and giving lectures as a not diminished. Professor of Medicine and Di - “From the crash two years The Troika Looks at New Greek Rescue Scheme rector of the Hypertensive Dis - ago, almost nothing’s changed eases Unit in the Department of on Wall Street. We have yet to Medicine at the University of see whether the regulators have ATHENS – Even as officials countries into a variety or tend the maturity of their Chicago Pritzker School of Med - the backbone to stand up in a from The Troika – the European “menu” of new bonds after bailout loans to Greece to 30 icine.