St. George's Church Makes a Deal, But
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COMING MAY 28 : THE 100 BEST GREEk Bringing the news RESTAuRANTS ISSuE: FROm to generations of FAVORITE TAVERNAS TO The National Herald Greek Americans HAuTE HELLENIC CuISINE c v A wEEkLy GREEk AmERICAN PuBLICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, ISSUE 710 May 21-27, 2011 $1.50 Coming St. George’s Church Makes a Deal, But Methodios Reneges for Greek A Compromise Falls Apart at The Last Workers: Moment After Being Revealed in Detail By Theodore Kalmoukos was reportedly also agreed that TNH Staff Writer the compromise figure would be The Sack? paid for three years and that BOSTON – After weeks of wran - Methodios would lift sanctions gling with Metropolitan Metho - against the church and its pre - Thousands of Civil dios and his demands for a siding priest, Father George $20,000 annual increase in its Tsoukalas, who had been barred Servants Could be assessment, St. George’s Church from performing baptisms and of Lynn, Mass. agreed to pay marriages. He also would be al - Booted By Reforms $10,000 if he would withdraw lowed to be back in communion his sanctions, but the Metropoli - with his fellow priests. ATHENS – Already suffering big tan withdrew his approval at the Methodios had asked the pay cuts, tax hikes and reduced last minute, reportedly because priests of the 63 churches in New pension benefits, Greek public news of the compromise was re - England under his jurisdiction to workers are now facing the end vealed on The National Herald’s sign a letter supporting him in of the long-accepted practice of website. St. George’s General As - the confrontation. Some 53, in - cradle-to-grave no-layoff life - sembly ratified what seemed to cluding many retired priests, time jobs with as many as be a deal with the Metropolis on supported the Metropolitan 130,000 set to be fired as a con - May 17, a day after Parish Coun - while 14 refused to sign. Metho - dition of getting the full package cil President John Meklis and dios also reportedly agreed to of $155 billion rescue loans one of the church’s most influ - give Meklis a letter concurring from the European Union-Inter - ential members, Thomas De - with the deal that was to be read national Monetary Fund-Euro - makis, who was also a benefac - at St. George’s meeting. Metho - pean Central Bank to keep tor to St. George’s along with the dios did not send representatives Greece from going bankrupt. Metropolis and Holy Cross The - to the May 17 Assembly to avoid Even the discussion of the idea ological School, met with Metho - any further tension with the of firings has sent fear and dios, Chancellor Ted Barbas, At - church’s members, many of shock waves through the public torney Demetris Moschos, whom are furious with him and service sector where it has been Angelo Stamoulis, and Gerry had called for his removal. On virtually impossible to fire work - Dimitriou, Director of Adminis - May 16, a separate meeting took ers, many political patronage tration and Finance of the Greek place between Methodios and hires whose performance hasn’t AP PHOTO/VALENTINA PETROVA Orthodox Archdiocese for more Tsoukalas, who had not spoken been measured. While the gov - Love and Restoration than four hours and reached a to each other since December. ernment has sent mixed mes - consensus on the $78,000, the Also present were Barbas and sages on whether it will proceed The country may be crumbling economically, but Greece still hath charms for lovers. Amid re - same amount St. George’s of - Holy Cross Theological School with firings – so far it has con - ports the Greek islands are becoming popular marriage spots for people around the world, this fered to pay last December, but retired professors Rev. Alkiviadis tinued to hire one worker for newlywed couple preferred a quiet, softly lit spot in front of a Thessaloniki taverna in an old was rejected by Methodios, who every five who leaves by attri - part of the city whose architecture is being restored. Maybe Greece can too, before it's too late. insisted on the full $20,000. It Continued on page 5 tion – public school teachers got the jittery news last week that thousands of them would be made redundant, the European term for fired, and that some Hold The Hemlock, This Time Socrates Wins Big Georgakas’ were asked to fire themselves and choose between colleagues teaching the same subject. By Constantine S. Sirigos sored by the Onassis Foundation and Anthony Papadimitriou, from the foundation, the event Detroit Was If firings occur, it would be TNH Staff Writer (USA) beneath the coffered ceil - President of the Onassis Foun - felt like a real trial and unfolded contradictory to the Socialist ing of the stately Ceremonial dation. Three days later, Braf - like a television courtroom tenets of the ruling PASOK Ad - NEW YORK – It took 2,500 Courtroom of the Daniel Patrick man found himself back in a drama. Your Town ministration of Prime Minister years to right, if only theatri - Moynihan U.S. Courthouse on real life battle defending Inter - The program contained the George Papandreou, who long cally, what his followers then – May 12. Art imitated life again national Monetary Fund chief charge from 399 B.C.: “Socrates ago reneged on his 2009 cam - and now – believe was the ulti - as Socrates’ defense was put Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is guilty of not acknowledging By Angelike Contis paign promises to protect work - mate miscarriage of justice, the forth by the man who portrayed was charged with sexually as - the gods the city acknowledges TNH Staff Writer ers, and whose imposing of the conviction of ancient philoso - him eloquently, noted attorney saulting a maid at his $3000 a and introduces other, new di - austerity measures is said to be pher Socrates, of corrupting the Benjamin Brafman, who, with night New York hotel room. This vinities. He is also guilty of cor - NEW YORK - Dan Georgakas is causing a near-schism in the minds of the youth of Athens his attorney Edward Walter time, Brafman’s plea for his rupting the young men of the a rock star - of Greek American party, especially Members of and of “not believing in the gods Hayes, persuaded a three-judge client to be released on bail was - city. The penalty demanded is scholarship that is. Tall, with a Parliament who are ordered to of the state,” and his execution panel and an audience to over - n’t as convincing and Strauss- death.” The guests were excited shock of white long shiny hair rubber stamp the directives he by drinking the poison hemlock, turn Socrates’ conviction, best - Kahn was held. as the bailiff intoned, “All rise,” and as charismatic and funny a puts forth at the demand of the but he’s been aquitted posthu - ing the prosecution represented With the attention to detail and the judges – sitting federal speaker as they come, the mously. The drama didn’t unfold by Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, and distinguished participants scholar and writer accumulated Continued on page 9 in Greece, but in an event spon - a N.Y. Asst. District Attorney, the guests have come to expect Continued on page 3 quite a fan base, as evidenced at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Ballroom on May 5 – where there were people standing in the back for his lecture about his Kaskarelis Community’s autobiographical book My De - troit: Growing Up Greek and American in the Motor City. “Let Diplomat Youth Shine me start by saying, in 1900, there were virtually no Greeks in Detroit, if any. In 2011, there of The Year At the 20th are virtually no Greeks in De - troit, if any.” Laughter. From his LOS ANGELES - The prestigious opening, the crowd was ready World Affairs Council, whose HTSF Gala to learn more about the origins membership consists of opinion of the Georgakas phenomenon leaders, prominent business peo - NEW YORK – The Hellenic – but also the rise and fall of a ple and academics, honored Vas - Times Scholarship fund cele - community. Professor, Director silis Kaskarelis, Ambassador of brated its 20th anniversary at of the Greek American Studies Greece to the United States, with the Marriot Marquis on May 14 Project at the Center for Byzan - the Diplomat of the Year award with a spectacular gala dinner tine and Modern Greek Studies at a special Diplomatic Dinner, and concert and by presenting of Queens College, AHI fellow, held at the Four Seasons Hotel more than $150,000 in scholar - Writer Labor Scholar, Cineaste in Beverly Hills on May 4. The ships, the largest amount in the Co-Editor, and early on, maybe Chairman of the World Affairs history of an event that is one even Poet/Anarchist (adding to Council L.A. Board of Directors, of the highlights of the social the star quality) – all have been Marvin Suomi, bestowed the calendar of the Greek American Georgakas roles. Award upon the Ambassador in community in New York. As Explaining in large part what the presence of over 200 guests, proud as he is about the almost he’d become in the future, My stating, “This highly coveted, $2 million distributed to more Detroit outlines Georgakas’ early than 750 students over the years and his parents’ arrival and Continued on page 4 years, HTSF founder John Cat - course in the Motor City. But, as simatidis, the CEO of the Red the Holy Trinity talk reinforced, Apple Group, was thrilled that it asks questions about the future his annual fete has helped foster of Hellenism in the U.S. more For subscription: more than 1000 weddings, good generally.