Despite Critics, Kaskarelis Says Greece Making Its Way Back
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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 717 July 9-15, 2011 $1.50 Despite Critics, Kaskarelis Says Greece Making Its Way Back Country Seen at Critical Juncture But Progress Made, Blasts Skeptics By Theodore Kalmoukos transatlantic relations, as well TNH Staff Writer as relations with Russia and Turkey. WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Before serving in the EU Greece struggles through an post, Kaskarelis was Greece’s economic crisis unprecedented Permanent Representative to since World War II, government NATO during the years 2000 to officials are counting on one of 2004, which coincided with the their most experienced diplo - September 11, 2001 terrorist at - mats, Vassilis Kaskarelis, to tacks. He also worked on the is - carry the country’s message and sues of stability in the Western try to salvage its reputation, as Balkans, the Afghanistan and Greece’s Ambassador to the Iraq wars, and served as the United States. lead negotiator for the Confi - Well-educated and experi - dence Building Measures be - enced, Kaskarelis is well con - tween Greece and Turkey. nected with American media, From 1994 to 2000, respected by U.S. authorities, Kaskarelis served as Greece’s and has a deep understanding Deputy Permanent Representa - of the issues at hand, fundamen - tive to the United Nations in tals for the dynamic and digni - New York, responsible for the fied representation of Greece, coordination and supervision of the cradle of civilization. United Nations issues, at a crit - At this time of dire economic ical time for the organization. straits for Greece, which finds He served in Ankara and itself virtually on the verge of Nicosia, which provided him collapse, the U.S. media’s rep - with important first-hand expe - resentation of Greece as an ex - rience on Greek-Turkish issues; AP/ SAnDrO cOmPArDO ample to be avoided is being he also served in West Berlin, All Together Now? challenged by Kaskarelis, who where he witnessed the fall of has brought his considerable the Berlin Wall and subsequent (L-R) Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis media skills to use during inter - events that changed the shape Eroglu in a show of unity before a meeting on long-stalled reunification talks on the island divided by the Turkish invasion of views. He is a friendly and affa - 1974, as the 37th anniversary looms on July 20. They met at the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7. ble man, skilled at analyzing Continued on page 4 events and political actions, and, supporters say, capable of seeing through things for what they are. Samaras Brings New Democracy Back on the Attack He joined the Greek Foreign Corona Service in 1974 and is serving his second year in Washington. ATHENS – In an assault on his metrically-opposed political through a second round of aus - warned that that Greece will Before coming to Washing - Day School rivals, the head of the major op - philosophies, told The Wall terity measures at the end of again fail to meet its budget tar - ton, Kaskarelis had 16 years of position Conservative New Street Journal in an interview June in the face of violent gets under current policies. “In international experience in key Democracy party whose admin - that Papandreou’s deep austerity protests outside the building in three months we’ll be asking for international fields, with in- Shuts Down istration from 2004-090 pushed measures, imposed by the so- which 300 people suffered in - more money,” he warned. Al - depth knowledge of European Greece to the brink of collapse called Troika of the European juries or inhalation of tear gas ready reeling under a year of issues, transatlantic relations, after it was charged with faking Union-International Monetary and chemical weapons used by deep pay cuts for public workers, and international affairs. As Per - By Theodore Kalmoukos its economic condition, said it’s Fund-European Central Bank police, who now have been tax hikes and slashed pensions manent Representative of TNH Staff Writer the ruling Socialist PASOK party which are loaning Greece $155 charged by prosecutor with ex - while the country’s rich have Greece to the European Union, of Prime Minister George Papan - billion in emergency rescue cessive force, prompting Papan - largely escaped, Greeks now face based in Brussels for six years, NEW YORK – After 44 years of dreou has brought the country loans to stave off default, have dreou to try to ease tension a five-year $41 billion second he participated in decisions and contribution to the Hellenic to ruin. Antonis Samaras – once failed and that Greece will soon building among lawmakers and round of austerity measures – developments concerning the Paideia, teaching of the Greek a college roommate of Papan - be back with its hand out. society. even as the country reportedly EU and its quasi-Constitution, language, history, culture and dreou at Amherst College in Papandreou, whose party Samaras, who, with his party the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s eco - the Orthodox Faith, the Greek Massachusetts despite their dia - controls the Parliament, rammed members voted against the plan, Continued on page 7 nomic prospects, enlargement, Day School of the Transfigura - tion Greek Orthodox Parish of Corona, N.Y. has closed. A Gen - eral Assembly of the parish, on June 20 made the decision to Greek-Americans Galloping shut down the school, which be - gan in 1927 and became a day school in 1967. Only seven to Greece’s Rescue, Urged to years ago, the school had 290 students, but that fell dramati - cally to 197 three years ago, and Come Visit, Boost Tourism by this year it had dwindled to only 37, out of which only 23 were the tentative students for By Jeff Stein for the Greek Cultural Center in the upcoming academic year. CNN Astoria, Queens, canceled her It was decided by the parish trip and decided that she would to lease the school building to NEW YORK - Larisa Antypa was instead spend her vacation the School System of New York ready for her cruise in the money in Greece. Like a grow - for $300,000 per year for two Caribbean when news of the ing number of her fellow expa - years. The priest of the Corona economic crisis in Greece, her triates, Antypa hopes to bolster parish, Fr. George Anastasiou, home country, began to worsen. the teetering Greek economy - in an interview with The Na - Antypa, a program coordinator roiled again by a wave of violent tional Herald said that, “It is protests and a countrywide hoped that the school will open strike against proposed austerity again after two years either as measures - through tourism. It accounts for 15% of the coun - Continued on page 4 Gust Kraras try’s jobs and 18% of its GDP, according to the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism. “I want Wrote the to support Greece by spending my money there; it’s very im - Car Accident portant when your country’s in Book of Life trouble to do whatever you can,” Antypa said. “I ask people Tears a why they’re going back, why By Steve Frangos they don’t go somewhere else, and they say, ‘Now, Greece Family Life Gust C. Kraras is one among needs us.’” that small band of dedicated Antypa said that more mem - Greek-American historians qui - bers of her community, largely By Demetrios Tsakas etly preserving our history for motivated by pride of country, TNH Staff Writer future generations. You have are vacationing in Greece than probably never heard of Kraras, ever before. This perception was AP/briAn bAer NEW YORK – Two teenagers just as you are unfamiliar with corroborated by Ted Spyropou - Reince Priebus, the new RNC Chairman, charmed his new friends at a dinner in his honor at from a Greek American family any other names among the cur - los, President of the U.S. chapter New York’s Boathouse. He’s serious about challenges faced by America and his party. from Staten Island and their rent hard working group of Hel - of the World Council of Hellenes friend were killed in a tragic lenic American historians. It’s Abroad, who said the number July 4th car accident when their not understandable, but clear of Greek-Americans visiting SUV crashed into a guardrail, that these dedicated researchers home has surged and is ex - Priebus’ Rise to Top of GOP Lauded ejecting five of the seven people will only be able to receive their pected to increase anywhere inside. Police said Dimitrios Il - time of praise and understand - from 20% to 30% in 2011 from iopoulos and his family had ing some other time. Those who 2010. “(Greeks) have an oblig - By Constantine S. Sirigos Michael Karloutsos which de - Priebus approached the gone to Atlantic City the day be - research and write parish com - ation to go because Greece TNH Staff Writer clared excitedly: “The new podium amidst a warm ovation fore and he was driving them memorative volumes, fraternal needs the help right now,” said chairman of the RNC is Greek and with an ebullience apropos back home early on Indepen - organization histories, photo Spyropoulos, who added his or - NEW YORK - As Greek Ameri - American.” After Priebus, born of a candidate as well as a suc - dence Day morning when he histories of communities, or ganization has launched a cam - cans rose to the top of every pro - to parents of Greek and German cessful Chairman.