“THE NATIONAL HERALD” AVAILABLE AT MORE NEWSSTANDS IN THE NY METROPOLITAN AREA 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. 12, ISSUE 610 June 20, 2009 $1.25 EUROKINISSI Athenians and visitors to the Greek capitol enjoy an evening crowned by the illuminated Parthenon at a sculpture garden in the vicinity of the new Acropolis Museum that will have its Grand Opening June 20. New Acropolis Museum Opens in Athens to Great Acclaim NEW YORK - On Saturday June 20 ple of Athena. More than half were frieze and metopes which are not even polite to call them the Elgin sculptures in human art history so the artwork and the genius of the the new Acropolis Museum in taken away beginning in 1801 by missed by ancient stones and living Marbles anymore. For decades intimately associated with a particu- artists who created it. Hitchens be- Athens, Greece will have its long- Lord Elgin. The sculptures that sur- Greeks alike remain far away in the there were two strong counter argu- lar building and there are few build- gan his article by saying that “The awaited grand opening. Designed vived the ravages of time and men British Museum. Mr. Tschumi’s new ments. One, that there was no prop- ings more closely tied to a single na- great classicist A.W. Lawrence once by renowned Swiss-French New could be seen until recently in the building may be a force for changing er place for them in Athens – Mr. tion. remarked of the Parthenon that it is York-based architect Bernard Tschu- humble museum on the east end of that reality. Tschumi’s building is an eloquent Among the more passionate of ‘the one building in the world which mi, this masterpiece of modern ar- the sacred rock of the Acropolis. Prompted by the imminent grand and powerful response to that case, the recent articles about the may be assessed as absolutely right” chitecture will finally provide a Those were carefully transferred opening, scholars, journalists and and two, that the return of the mar- Parthenon marbles is Christopher which for him illustrates the chal- home for the masterpieces of Greek two years ago to their new home artists around the world have been bles would set a legal precedent that Hitchens’ piece in the July edition of lenge faced by the building’s current antiquity. which is a mere thousand feet away. making strong calls for the return of would empty the worlds great mu- Vanity Fair. Hitchens stressed the restorers. “Putting the rightest, or The centerpieces of the muse- Its was a short journey marbles that the works of the great Greek sculp- seums. There is now a vehicle for uniqueness and historical signifi- most right, building to rights” re- um’s collection are the Parthenon remained in Greece, but the sibling tor Phidias and his colleagues to the long-unspoken answer to the cance of the Parthenon and its sculp- Marbles that once adorned the Tem- pieces of the brilliant and famous Greece. Newsweek notes that it is second argument: There are few tural decoration, the brilliance of Continued on page 9 AHEPA Unity Star of My Life in Ruins Regains 'Kefi' Forum Starts By Eleni Daniels Movie”), and co-stars Richard Drey- Hanks and his Playtone partner Gary Special to The National Herald fuss (Irv), which was a real highlight Goetzman about it and said, “I think of the production for Ms. Vardalos. there’s something here.” So they To Take Shape Writer-actress and newly adoptive Nia is a quick-witted burst of pos- brought Mike Reiss in and Nia put mother Nia Vardalos talks with Eleni itive energy. She looks svelte and ter- her unique comic spin on it. Daniels in New York City about her rific these days having shed 40 “When you play in someone’s By Evan C. Lambrou work from screenwriting to acting and pounds as a result of a health kick sandbox, you have to be very re- Special at The National Herald about her new film. but it can also be attributed to find- spectful of their script. He [Mike Following an overnight success ing her kefi again. She sees this Reiss] had written a great script. I NEW YORK – Most of the Hellenic story with her breakthrough role in movie as a celebration of Greece. was very, very pleased to be a part of American organizations plan to the indie blockbuster of all time “My My Life in Ruins is the first script it.” send representatives to the unity fo- Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002), Nia that was written for her. It fell on her “At the time, I was going through rum AHEPA is trying to organize at is back reminding us that her ances- lap while she was writing a movie for a personal angst – a situation where I the tail-end of its upcoming annual tral homeland of Greece may hold Tom Hanks. “I was at Playtone, his had lost a ten-year battle with infer- national convention, which this year the key to finding your kefi, as company, almost every day, and the tility and I didn’t want to be on cam- is being held in San Francisco be- Greeks call it, or zest for life. script came to me. It was very differ- tween June 29 and July 5, according While not a contender to top the ent,” recalls Vardalos. She told Tom Continued on page 6 to current leaders of several organi- gross revenues of “My Big Fat Greek zations who spoke to the National Wedding” –a whopping $368 million Herald. worldwide, “My Life in Ruins” will be AHEPA Supreme President Ike known as the first movie to ever be Gulas is inviting leaders of the com- allowed to shoot at the ancient site of munity’s largest organizations to at- the Acropolis; its was also filmed at Turmoil in Iran: The Dawn tend a summit on Saturday, July 4, Delphi and Olympia. and said that, while his tenure as In her new film, with Tom Hanks president of AHEPA expires when and Rita Wilson in the executive pro- of the Post-Khomeini Era? the AHEPA convention concludes its ducer lineup as was the case in “My proceedings, he hopes that the unity Big Fat Greek Wedding”, Nia plays a By Dr. Christos P. Ioannides can CIA. The plans for the coup were forum can kick off an ongoing dia- Greek American history professor Special to The National Herald made in utter secrecy in the Spring of logue. TNH PHOTO/COSTAS BEJ (Georgia) who decides to upend her 1953 at the British military Head- “I feel it’s important that our "Pontian Grandma" Sano Halo Given Greek Citizenship at Age 100 life and become a tour guide in NEW YORK - It was 30 years ago, on quarters in Nicosia. Cyprus was a community’s major organizations Greece. The film is directed by Don- February 1, 1979, that Ayatollah British colony at the time. The Amer- discuss a common strategy in order Stavros Pappas, far left, of the Greek Consulate of New York, and Con- ald Petrie (“Grumpy Old Men”,” Miss Khomeini returned triumphantly to ican role in Iran traumatized the to formulate a unified message sul General Aghi Balta look on as Sano Halo, known to many as "the Congeniality”, “How to Lose a Guy in Iran following 15 years of exile. An Iranian psyche and was to weigh about Hellenic issues,” he said. Pontian Grandmother" and mother of Thea Halo, far right –the author 10 Days”), written by Mike Reiss estimated crowd of five million gave heavily on Iranian politics since then. Archbishop Demetrios of Ameri- of the book "Not Even My Name" - signs the paperwork granting her (“Ice Age”,” Ice Age 2”, “Horton him a heroes welcome for he was the ca is also taking Mr. Gulas’ call for an Greek citizenship at the age of 100 . See page 4 for story. Hears a Who”, “The Simpsons Imam, a divine-like figure rooted in Continued on page 9 inter-organizational summit seri- the Shia’a faith. He was allso the ously enough to change his travel leader of the Islamic revolution that arrangements. The Archbishop typi- will go down to history as one of the cally attends the AHEPA Convention great mass rebellions, one that suc- each year, but Demetrios’ office noti- ceeded in overthrowing the ancien Leadership 100 fied AHEPA that the Archbishop has Peterson Donates $1 Billion to Foundation regime, that of the Shah. It was a changed his departure time to Sat- regime supported and armed by the urday afternoon in order to attend By Christopher Tripoulas get our act together,” he told ABC’s His first education in running a United States and was considered Boosts Grants the unity forum that Saturday morn- Special to The National Herald Cynthia McFadden during an inter- business was given to him by his fa- unshakeable, but in the course of ing. view on Nightline on June 11. ther, who ran a 24-hour eatery in 1978, it gradually but steadily lost its By Theodore Kalmoukos Most of the leaders of the com- NEW YORK - Billionaire Peter G. Growing up in the Great Depres- Kearny, Nebraska. Mr. Peterson, legitimacy until it was eventually Special to The National Herald munity’s major secular organiza- Peterson – the third richest Greek sion was a factor that played a key who was the oldest child in the overthrown.