Keeley's Valuable Double Vision Greek Government Announces
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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 647 March 6-12 , 2010 $1.50 Keeley’s Greek Government Announces New Austerity Measures Valuable Greece Presents Third Austerity Program; Double EU and Bond Markets Welcome Moves By Christopher Tripoulas Papandreou said in a brief state - TNH Staff Writer ment after informing President Vision Karolos Papoulias about the cab - NEW YORK - The Greek gov - inet’s decisions. “We are in a ernment announced a sweeping race against time to keep our The Princeton-based new austerity program on economy alive,” Papandreou Wednesday, the third in as many told a briefing of his Socialist Translator/Writer months, in a drive to rein in a party’s parliamentary group late massive budget deficit and se - on Tuesday. “If we don’t ensure Speaks to TNH cure European financial sup - that we can borrow at the same port, after bowing to pressure rates [as other EU member By Angelike Contis from the European Union and states], the consequences will TNH Staff Writer investors for more cuts. be beyond catastrophic,” he There are already positive said. NEW YORK – Somewhere in developments in the bond mar - According to The New York Princeton, New Jersey, in a kets. On Thursday, Greece Times, a government official in - ranch house next to an out-of- launched a critical 10-year bond volved in the Cabinet discus - place McMansion, lives a retired issue, a day after winning ap - sions described the cuts as “the professor whose contribution to proval from markets and the Eu - harshest and most difficult mea - the translation of Greek poetry ropean Union for the new pro - sures any government has im - into English can’t be overesti - gram. The bond was already posed since the restoration of mated. Edmund Keeley is the oversubscribed — meaning democracy,” referring to the fall one who introduced many En - more takers than there were of the Greek military dictator - glish speakers, from the 1960s bonds available — within an ship in 1973. on, to the work of Constantine hour of the book opening, with Protests against the austerity Cavafy, George Seferis, Yiannis 7 billion euro ($9.5 billion) in measures continued Wednesday Ritsos, to name a few. offers received. The government on the streets of Athens, how - But at 82, Mr. Keeley is was seeking a maximum of 5 ever. Dozens of pensioners ral - hardly resting on his laurels. billion euro ($6.8 billion), said lied outside the prime minister’s He’s just co-edited a weighty the chief of Greece's debt man - official residence to protest a new Norton anthology entitled agement agency, Petros freeze on pension payments. “The Greek Poets: Homer to the Christodoulou. Teachers at state secondary Present”. After five years, he’s AP PHOTO/DimiTri mESSiNiS The sale is a key test of schools held another protest finished his new novel about the A laid-off worker from former state carrier Olympic Airways sits under a closed bank's shutters Greece's ability to raise money outside the Education Ministry vista-destroying mega mansion spray-painted with the slogan "You are not Born an (Idiot), you Turn into One," as protesters to pay off expiring bonds and over cuts to add-ons to their trend that he, unfortunately, ex - block the entrance to the General Accounting Office in Athens on Thursday, March 4. Protesting avoid the risk of default. wages. Meanwhile taxi drivers perienced in his own neighbor - former Olympic staff prevented employees from entering the building and blocked traffic outside, The new measures aimed to hood. In May, his 1989 non-fic - while Communist-affiliated unionists occupied the Finance Ministry building in a separate protest. generate an extra 4.8 billion Continued on page 9 tion work “The Salonica Bay euro ($6.5-billion) in the gov - Murder, Cold War Politics and ernment's coffers are evenly The Polk Affair” is being re-re - split between spending cuts and leased in Greek by publisher Ell - new revenues, such as taxes, hnika Grammata, with a new in - Selling Greek Tourism in Hard Times Government Spokesman Gior - Greek Parade troduction by John Iatrides, gos Petalotis said on Wednes - offering the latest in the case of day. the 1948 murder of CBS jour - By Demetris Tsakas Tourist Organization partici - Group, featuring the youth of He said the actions include 1/4 Shorter nalist George Polk. He’s writing TNH Staff Writer pated with a large delegation. the New York-based 'Omonoia' trimming civil servants' annual an analysis of a Cavafy poem for Its booth was set up right across Cretans' Association. salaries, with a 30% cut in holi - a Harvard compilation as well NEW YORK - Greece's Culture from the event's presenting On Sunday, Mr. Geroulanos day bonuses, freezing of pen - TNH Staff as “a little essay on Ritsos,” says and Tourism Minister Pavlos sponsor, American Express. spoke to members of the Ameri - sions and imposing further cuts Mr. Keeley, adding: “You can’t Geroulanos visited The New "It is an important Travel can media and with U.S. travel on stipends and bonuses. NEW YORK - A new round of get away from them.” There’s York Times 2010 Travel Show in Show and attendance is quite re - agents, including many Greek Greece also increased its budget cuts in New York City also the substantial task of clear - New York City where some 500 markable. Our mission here is American operators. sales tax from 19% to 21% and will affect the way that parades ing out his study; Mr. Keeley will tourist destinations were on dis - to show the world Greece’s com - "We are fighting an uphill hiked taxes on alcohol, will be organized. New restric - give most of his papers to play to an audience of 30,000 parative advantages; features battle during a very difficult pe - cigarettes, luxury cars, yachts, tions on the length of routes and Princeton University, where he visitors. The event was held at that make this country unique," riod, because we are very low precious stones and leather the duration of parades means taught for nearly 50 years. the Jacob Javits Center from Fri - Mr. Geroulanos, who visited the on funds. Nonetheless, we could goods. that this year's Greek Parade on That Mr. Keeley doesn’t just day, February 26 to Sunday venue on Saturday, told the not miss this show. We are here “The new measures were not Fifth Avenue will be shorter by live with his wife of five February 28. press. because this is a very important a choice but a necessity to save one quarter of its tradition decades, Mary Keeley, but with Greece has been a sponsor of The busy minister found the event. Tourism is a strategic sec - Greece from the clutches of length. a handful of beloved Greek po - the show since its inception, and time to enjoy a dance perfor - speculators, to allow us to This means that the parade ets is apparent. He quotes Se - this year, the Greek National mance from the Labrys Dance Continued on page 4 breathe,” Prime Minister George route must either start further feris (in Greek), when dis - away from the venues hosting cussing the problems of losing the pre-parade celebrations, or many dear friends over the end blocks before the traditional years. When discussing his finishing point: the Greek Or - wife’s Alexandrian Greek ori - Joannou’s thodox Archdiocese and Greek gins, he recalls how the city’s Consulate on 79th Street. Greek society didn’t treat Cavafy Parade organizers at the Fed - well. “He was really isolated in Art at New eration of Hellenic Societies of that society,” Mr. Keeley notes. Greater N.Y. must now scramble The “Greek Poets” anthology to incorporate the new changes introduced a new circle of much Museum into their plans for this year's older poets into the translator’s parade, which takes place on life. He says of the book, which April 18, 2010. he edited with Peter Constan - NEW YORK – Over 100 works Few events are as quintessen - tine, Rachel Hadas and Karen by 50 international artists - in a tially and flamboyantly emblem - Van Dyck, “This was for me a myriad of shapes and sizes (in - atic of New York as its parades. real gift, because I did some - cluding colossal) – were shipped From Macy’s skyscraper-scrap - thing that I had not done before, from Athens to New York for the ing balloons to the bombast of which was translating ancient New Museum’s current exhibit Puerto Rican Day to the feath - Greek.” “Skin Fruit”. The works were se - ered splendor of the West Indian It was also an opportunity to lected by artist Jeff Koons from American Day Carnival to the his friend Dakis Joannou’s ex - exhi bitionism of gay pride, pa - Continued on page 3 tensive collection of modern art. rades help New Yorkers reclaim Exhibit curator Koons says their streets by the tens of thou - the title “Skin Fruit” has every - sands, and do what they do thing to do with “notions of gen - best: preen and strut. esis, evolution, original sin, and But now, the Police Depart - The Billy sexuality.” And the work often ment is demanding that parade shocks its way under the visitor’s marchers take it down a notch. skin – from an installation enti - On Monday, the department Goat Tavern tled “Schedule of the Crucifix” announced that starting on April by Pawel Althamer (with an ac - 1, the city’s parades must cut tual person strapped onto the the distances they cover by 25 of Chicago cross, who trembled, descended percent — and also not be more a ladder and took a break, dur - TNH/COSTAS BEJ than five hours long.