From Andros to Holly- Wood: Movie Theater Mogul Pantages Greek-American Reunites with Long-Lost Mom the Good Life's the Hard L
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ nd W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald 10 2 N anniversa ry www.thenationalherald.com A wEEKLy GREEK-AmERICAN PUBLICATION 1915-2017 VOL. 20, ISSUE 1017 April 8-14, 2017 c v $1.50 From Andros to Holly - Greek-American Reunites with Long-Lost Mom wood: Movie Theater The emotional meeting after 58 Mogul Pantages years apart By Dr. Taso G. Lagos from nothing to amass a fortune By Theodore Kalmoukos worth as high as half-billion dol - On the evening of the open - lars today astounds the imagi - OMAHA, NE – His name today ing of his grandest creation, the nation. If any single individual is Daniel Keats. He is 58 years Pantages Hollywood theater, encompasses and best repre - old and lives in Omaha, NE. But Alexander Pantages was lying in sents the various machinations his Greek name was Emilianos a Los Angeles County Jail hos - and sides of the Second Wave Kitsakis from Ioannina of Epiros. pital bed suffering from chest of immigration into the United His troubles started just 13 days pains. States between 1880 and 1925 after he was born. And his story It was June 4, 1930 and it is Alexander Pantages. More has all the makings of a fasci - starry Hollywood turned out for than 22 million of them entered nating film. this epic event, despite the na - the country, the largest influx in On March 3, he embraced tion plunging into economic percentage terms of any period and kissed his mother, after 58 meltdown. It was broadcast not in American history. These im - years of separation. Thanks to a on one but two local radio sta - migrants changed the face of Greek television show called tions. American society and culture. Pame Paketo which airs on the Pantages’ lawyer had asked Certainly, they turned film from Athens-based Alpha station. the LA District Attorney’s office second-rate entertainment to Keats recently spoke with to allow his client to visit the the most popular art form in the The National Herald at length glittery event, but the assistant country. Pantages was one of the about the experience. DA refused, claiming it was not pioneers of this stunning About his initial reaction to his jurisdiction. That was an achievement. Yet, history ne - seeing his mother face-to-face, evasion, since two days later glects him. Why? Keats said “I felt a little relieved Pantages was suddenly given his The answer starts on the that [the anticipation] was over. freedom. Likely the reason he windswept Aegean island of An - I said to her ‘hi, mother, I found was refused participation in the dros sometime in the 1860s (his you.’ I embraced her and we grand celebration of his theater exact birth year in uncertain). were crying. She called me ‘my (broadcast on two radio sta - It is claimed that he left his TNH/COSTAS BEJ child.’ I felt that I belonged to tions) was because he had been family in Greece at age nine. He Dr. Miranda Kofinas Honored as Greek American Woman of the Year somebody, I didn’t feel alone any - convicted of sexually assaulting was with his father in Cairo, more. She told me ‘I love you my a 17-year-old dancer. Egypt, where he may have Dr. Miranda Kofinas with the award from AGAPW President Dr. Olga Alexakos, Consul of Greece BEGINNINGS worked in a tobacconist shop. Manos Koubarakis, and Popita Koutras, wife of Consul General Konstantinos Koutras (page 5). Continued on page 2 Pantages’ life story reads like For two years, Pantages worked an American dream. His rise as a deckhand on cargo boats, but at 11 he jumped ship and labored in the Panama Canal when the French were digging The Philadelphia Greek Parade AHC Honors it, having begun the massive project on the isthmus in 1881. What compelled Pantages as TNH Staff citement and enthusiasm from tians of our Metropolis the op - Dean Spanos a nine year-old to run away the viewers and participants portunity to express our pride from home he never fully ex - PHILADELPHIA, PA – Greek In - alike. and celebrate our homeland, plained, nor particularly felt dependence was celebrated in His Eminence Metropolitan Greece.” at Gala guilty about. He claimed to a re - Philadelphia on April 2, with the Evangelos of New Jersey spoke Demetrios Halakos noted that porter in 1920 that he was born participation of the Evzones, the to The National Herald and ex - all Philadelphia was dressed up By Vasilis Papoutsis to the sea so that it was natural Presidential Guard, many Dias - pressed his pride for the anniver - in blue and white to celebrate for him to take to the open wa - pora organizations, communi - sary of the liberation of Greece Greek Independence Day and LOS ANGELES, CA – The Amer - ters. He also professed that he ties, and associations and Grand and thanked the President of the gave his best wishes to everyone. ican Hellenic Council's (AHC) was a born entertainer, adding Marshals Demetrios and Georgia Greek Republic Prokopis Demosthenes Vasiliou, who Annual Awards Gala has been that his father owned a circus Halakos. Pavlopoulos for his decision to was awarded the Eleftheria established as the premier award on Andros. How a sparsely-pop - The parade began at 2 PM at send the contingent of Evzones Medal from the Federation of event of the Greek-American ulated island of mostly subsis - the intersection of 16th Street who, he said, represent the his - Hellenic-American Societies of community in Southern Califor - tence farmers, fishermen and and Parkway and crossed the tory, the struggles, and triumphs Philadelphia and Greater nia, featuring honorees who sheepherders could support a Benjamin Franklin Parkway and of our people. “Today, the parade Delaware Valley on Saturday showcase excellence in various finished near the Philadelphia can be seen worldwide and al - fields including business, philan - Alexander Pantages Continued on page 6 Museum of Art, with great ex - lows all Greek Orthodox Chris - Continued on page 4 thropy, entertainment, and pub - lic service. This year's honorees were ex - ceptional as well. Dean Spanos, Owner and Chairman of the Los FAITH The Good Life’s the Hard Life for Pensioners Angeles Chargers and two Phil - hellenes, Congresswoman Karen Bass and Archaeologist Stephen Scholarship By Andy Dabilis Miller. TNH Staff Emcee Demetrios Boutris had a distinguished career in public for Academic ATHENS – A social worker at a service and business, having Greek centers for pensioners, served as a Commissioner of the Excellence Chara Theodorakaki, 46, said Department of Corporations and she’s not surprised at the re - as Legal Affairs Secretary & By Theodore Kalmoukos silience the elderly show when Counsel to the governor of Cali - they come in to socialize after fornia. Boutris said that “I am NEW YORK- FAITH: An Endow - repeated bouts of benefit cuts happy to be back to AHC among ment for Orthodoxy and Hel - by a succession of governments the people who always loved me lenism is pleased to announce bowing to international lenders and supported me.” the 2017 FAITH Scholarship for for bailouts. AHC President Dr. Menas Academic Excellence application “This generation has had a Kafatos thanked the attendees period has opened. Each year, hard life and are used to hard - and said that “the Council enters FAITH sponsors a series of merit- ships and can pull through even based scholarships for high though they are suffering,” she Continued on page 6 school seniors entering college told The National Herald about in the fall through this presti - the country’s elderly, many who gious scholarship series. In the have witnessed war, a dictator - past, awards have ranged from ship and now economic struggle $1,000 to $20,000 in value. The that’s seen some trying to sur - Margarites, application, along with applicant vive on slashed pensions as low criteria and instructions, can be as 300 euros a month ($320) a downloaded from the FAITH month – before taxes. Director of website at: thefaithendow - A group of elderly women ment.org/scholarships. All appli - and friends were sitting at a cations must be submitted by table preparing materials for the Development June 30, 2017. Scholarship win - coming Easter celebration and ners will be announced in Au - eager to share their anger at and gust. Applicants are encouraged disdain of politicians they said EUROKINISSI NEW YORK – The Greek Ortho - to follow Many elderly Greeks who have witnessed war, dictatorship, and economic struggles must now dox Archdiocese of America re - www.facebook.com/faithendow - Continued on page 9 try to survive on slashed pensions as low as 300 euros ($320) a month – before taxes. cently named Nikki Soteropou - ment for timeline updates. los Margarites Director of In addition, applicants major - Development of the newly cre - ing in STEM fields (science, ated Office of Development. technology, engineering and Margarites comes to the math) are eligible to receive sup - ExxonMobil, Greek Artists Shine at MAD’s Loot Archdiocese from the Ronald port for all four years of their McDonald House in New York. undergraduate studies through Since 2003 she has specialized the “FAITH Scholarship for Ex - Qatar Petrol. By Eleni Sakellis elry enthusiasts flock to MAD’s in areas of major gift fundrais - cellence in STEM.” To renew the Loot event to learn about jew - ing, capital campaigns, direct award, students must major in Drill Deal NEW YORK – Among the 54 elers’ processes, materials, and marketing, strategic planning, a STEM field, maintain a 3.6 artists from 21 countries partic - concepts, and to purchase works and planned gifts. minimum GPA and continue to ipating in the Museum of Arts directly from their makers.