The Demetracopoulos Files Is It a Depression Yet for Greece?
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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. 13, ISSUE 672 Αugust 28-September 3 , 2010 $1.50 Will Ground Zero Mosque Battle Help St. Nicholas Church Rebuild? World Trade Center Rising Again, So Do Islam's Critics, No Common Ground TNH staff writers in Manhattan last weekend over an issue that has become a na - NEW YORK – At Ground Zero, tional campaign issue, say it the the site of the World Trade Cen - $100 million center will dese - ter’s twin towers that were de - crate the memories of the nearly stroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001 3,000 people killed that day in terrorist attacks, a new building, the attack. 1 World Trade Center, that will HALLOWED GROUND TOO? be 1,776 feet tall to mark the The location where Demos year of American independence, and Pataki and Greek church has hit the 34th floor. Two leaders held their news confer - blocks away, plans for Islamic ence wasn’t coincidental. It was Center Park51, a religious and a few steps from a fence labeled cultural center for Muslims, 8A, the coveted real estate spot which will include a mosque, where the St. Nicholas commu - has been given rapid initial ap - nity of some 70 families wants proval by city officials. But in to rebuild its church. That Lib - the shadow of the fast-rising 1 erty Street spot was proposed World Trade Center, and not far to them – in a deal that went from the proposed home of bust in March 2009- by the Port Park51, all that’s left of St. Authority of New York and New Nicholas Greek Orthodox Jers ey, which owns the Ground Church, also felled that fateful Zero site, as a suitable swap for day, is an empty lot. Church of - their original location – a short ficials have now stepped up distance within the same fence. their ire too, complaining the The 300-member congregation city has stalled plans for its re - lost its 90-year-old parish when building, even while giving the the twin towers collapsed. Lead - Muslim center a green light. ers of the church and the Port TNH/COSTAS BEJ Against the din of construc - Authority have spent years nego - Bishop Antonios of Phasiane, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, candidate George Demos (R) and former Governor George tion at Ground Zero, opponents tiating a deal that would let the spoke to the media at an event on August 23 at Ground Zero, Pataki (C) also spoke on behalf of the church. Fr. Alex Karlout - of the mosque and supporters church rebuild on land a bit far - just a short distance from where the St. Nicholas Greek Ortho - sos, Archbishop Demetrios'advisor (L) also was present to pre - the church have found common dox Church destroyed on 9/11 once stood. NY Congressional sent the case that the church should be a priority too. ground, if for different reasons, Continued on page 4 and both went to the sites to make their case last week. “The only house of worship destroyed on September 11” is how both Joy of the Scoop: The Demetracopoulos Files George Demos, a Republican Play Ball! candidate for Congress in Suf - folk County, and former New By Angelike Contis resided since an injury a few per Apogevmatini in 2009. videotaped for a forthcoming York Governor George Pataki, Manhattan TNH Staff Writer years ago, still pushing a quest Demetracopoulos' kudos include Greek documentary) made him who was in office in 2001, re - for justice. When reviewing an honorary Phoenix award “a press target of destruction by ferred to the church. With a con - NEW YORK – Greek journalist nuggets of the past, he is prone from the Greek President. the Nixon administration and stant flow of curious tourists vs. the Tony Elias Demetracopoulos, who has to a thinly concealed cynical de - The reporter's biggest claim (Nixon's National Security Ad - passing by, the media (including been based in Washington, D.C. livery, punctuated by the occa - to fame is uncovering the Greek visor Henry) Kissinger.” The the New York Times, Associated since 1967, was on both former sional good-hearted belly laugh. Watergate connection. He dis - then-US secretary of state, Press and WNYC) squeezed into Hamptons president Richard Nixon’s and He prides himself on past scoops covered that, in 1968, the Greek Demetracopoulos said, wanted a narrow zone at the corner of the Greek military junta’s ene - related to Watergate, Konstan - military junta’s intelligence him dead. It wasn’t that per - Liberty and Greenwich streets mies list. Today, at 82, he has tinos G. Karamanlis and dis - agency (KYP) made a $549,000 sonal for the journalist. As he to hear what they had to say. By Constantine S. Sirigos outlived both. Nonetheless his graced banker George Koskotas. donation to Nixon’s 1968 presi - wrote in a 2001 Naval Review Demos and Pataki are opposed TNH Staff Writer struggle against them continues “No other Greek journalist has dential campaign - via Greek Proceedings article: “I did not to building the Islamic center - evidenced by the stacks of pho - been mentioned so often in the American supporter Tom Pap - have a political ax to grind. I near Ground Zero, joining their NEW YORK – The City Mice tocopies that fill his assisted liv - American and British mass me - pas. This, Demetracopoulos says voices to the national debate. and the Country Mice have been ing center suite, where he has dia,” wrote the Greek newspa - (in an interview this journalist Continued on page 3 Critics, who took part in protests at it for about 17 years. That is, members of the Church of the Annunciation/Evangelismos in Manhattan’s Upper West Side trek 100 miles across Long Is - Τhree Hierarchs Academy land to the tony Hamptons (they are not exactly their coun - try cousins of modest means) Now in Aristotle's Hands for a picnic or beach party and a softball game against the Church of the Kimisis/Dormi - to Teach the Young tion. Too bad they didn’t have God as an umpire. This year’s game on Saturday, August 21 By Stavros Marmarinos tending the inaugural ceremony was also notable for a sad rea - TNH Staff Writer of the Aristotle Academy of son: it was the first time the two Math and Sciences, which took parishes have gathered since the NEW YORK –The Pastor of the place in Brooklyn on Sunday, passing of the Annunciation’s Three Hierarch Community in August 15th. Earlier in the day, beloved former pastor, Fr. James Brooklyn, Rev. Eugene Pappas the Three Hierarchs Church was Moskovites, prompting some to handed out blue and gold car - filled with faithful who had refer to it as “the first Father nations - symbolizing Greece come to celebrate the feast of James Memorial Softball and the Chucrh - to all those at - the Dormition of the Virgin Game.” Fr. Moskovites was an Mary. avid baseball fan from Massa - The inaugural ceremony fol - chusetts, so the reverend was a lowed afterwards on a raised devout Boston Red Sox fan. The platform set up in the courtyard parish’s new pastor also loves Greek Hoop outside the community’s school baseball, but Fr. Nathanael building. A procession formed Symeonides was sporting a New right after the divine liturgy, York Yankees cap, something of Hopes for with the community’s local boy a relief to ballplayers who ac - scouts troop participating as cepted and forgave Father well. The ceremony began with James’ baseball ways, especially World Games the singing of the Greek and because their game is the American national anthems, fol - church equivalent of the Sox- lowed by the hymn of the Three Yanks rivalry. ATHENS - If they win the World Hiearchs - the patron saints of The annual event emerged Basketball Championships tak - the parish. A traditional blessing naturally out of friendships be - ing place in Turkey Aug. 28- of the water service, known as tween Annunciation parish - Sept. 12, Greece’s national team the “agiasmos” followed, where ioners who have bought houses will finally have a bigger mo - members of the parish’s Russian in the Hamptons or rent accom - ment than it did at the last event Orthodox community led by AP PHOTO/THANASSIS STAVRAKIS modations for the summer, and in 2006 when it shocked the Rev. Andrianos also partici - For rent signs are displayed at the entrance of a building in central Athens, Aug. 20, 2010. The the people of Kimisis Church. United States in the semi-finals, pated. Earlier in the day, a priest pain from the harshest austerity package debt-ridden Greece has seen in decades has kicked in Stephanie Astic George, who 101-95, behind near-perfect sec - from the Ukrainian Orthodox with a vengeance. Unemployment is up. Shops, caught between higher taxes and consumers' has long been active in the An - ond-half shooting and an un - Church, Rev. Vladimir, distrib - rapidly diminishing purchasing power, are closing. nunciation parish, and her hus - likely uninspired defensive ef - uted the antidoron to faithful at band, own a summer home fort from an American team the end of the Ukrainian Com - nearby. A former president of laden with stars. “I think we munity’s divine liturgy - the the Annunciation Parish Coun - showed everybody that maybe third liturgy that day taking Is it a Depression Yet for Greece? cil, George Nicholas, along with we’re not very good athletes like place in the multiethnic parish.