The National Herald a b www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 9, ISSUE 465 A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION SEPTEMBER 9, 2006 $1.00 - GREECE: 1.75 Euro Crist Wins Historic Church Handily in Bounces Back from Florida’s Hurricane Katrina Primary By Theodore Kalmoukos Father Stratis recently offered Special to The National Herald a special prayer service thanking God protecting Holy Trinity’s ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) BOSTON – A year after deadly parishioners; for the sustenance of – Florida Attorney General Char- Hurricane Katrina leveled the city the church edifice itself; and for lie Crist won the Republican gu- of New Orleans and wreaked hav- the adjunct community center. He bernatorial nomination this past oc throughout the Southeastern also prayed for the prevention of a Tuesday, September 5, to replace United States, the Cathedral of new disaster. Governor Jeb Bush, defeating the Holy Trinity in New Orleans, He told the Herald “the general Chief Financial Officer Tom Gal- the first Greek Orthodox parish consensus here is we do not need lagher by nearly a two-to-one mar- established in the U.S., is back to another hurricane not even a small gin. normal, according to its pastor, one for many years.” With 81 percent of precincts re- Rev. Anthony Stratis. The text of Father Stratis’ is porting, Crist had 64 percent of “We are now 95 percent back to published below: the vote, compared to 34 percent normal,” Father Stratis told the TNH: A year has gone by since for Gallagher. National Herald in an interview. Hurricane Katrina struck your city Crist is already looking past The historic parish has been and parish. Please describe the Tuesday's victory and onto the holding services in the church and current conditions and circum- November general election. functions in its community center stances in the area, and specifically "I believe Florida will make the since Christmas, Father Stratis in the city of New Orleans. right choice," Crist said. Crist will said, less than four months since STRATIS: Basically, if you face Congressman Jim Davis on the worst natural disaster in Amer- drive through the areas surround- November 7. AP/PHIL COALE ica’s history inundated the Big ing New Orleans and certain spots At a standing-room only victory Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist raises his arms in victory after winning the primary election and be- Easy with the waters of Lake Pon- that were not affected as badly, life party, Crist thanked his supporters coming the Republican candidate for governor of Florida this past Tuesday, September 5. chartrain after the levees broke. is picking up again. It’s getting al- and then began something akin to Telephone and Internet ser- most back to normal. In the neigh- a policy speech. vices were finally restored last borhood that our church is locat- He rehashed his views on fami- month, he added, although there ed, things are looking good. ly values, insurance companies, are still some costs: “A lot was cov- TNH: Is the restoration of the national security and education. ered by insurance, but not all of church and the community center He also challenged the Democrat- Angelides Reaches Out to Voters it… a lot depends on people com- completed? ic nominee to two televised de- ing up and helping out more than STRATIS: We could say that 90 bates and spoke to foreign policy By Juliet Williams who has had trouble captivating until now, has been largely domi- they did in the past, so it’s going to percent of the work is finished. concerns. Associated Press voters and acknowledges he is nated by highly controlled mes- be tough.” Since Christmas, we hold services "I hope to be the first Florida something of a nerd, has dumped sages from Governor Arnold Sadly, he said, many of the New in the church and functions in the governor in modern history to visit SACRAMENTO (AP) – In a his staid suit-and-tie in favor of Schwarzenegger's campaign. Orleans community’s families community center. We finally got a free and open Cuba," he said. bid to woo moderate voters, open-collar shirts – almost always Angelides' makeover is even moved away, and will probably not back into the offices around East- Crist pumped his fist as he left Democratic gubernatorial candi- a comforting blue – and adopted a more crucial because he began the return. er (at the end of this past April). the podium, as supporters rapidly date Phil Angelides has revamped more casual tone on the campaign fight against Schwarzenegger al- As for the wider New Orleans The phones came on the last week popped balloons, making his exit his campaign message, and is trail. ready wounded by attacks from his community, he said, New Orleans of May. We couldn’t do much in sound like a fireworks' display. pushing an economic plan he He's even received policy tips rival in the Democratic Primary, residents were still edgy enough to the office until then. The comput- Crist found success on the cam- hopes will resonate with the mid- from the Democratic Party's mas- State Controller Steve Westly. go to Home Depot for supplies ers and high-speed Internet came paign trail portraying himself as a dle class. ter campaigner, former President Angelides has spent the last few when they learned Tropical Storm in the first part of August. We are consumer advocate and Bush-style At the same time, he is giving Clinton. weeks traveling the state promot- Ernesto was approaching Florida, now 95 percent back to normal. his personal image a makeover. It's all part of a strategy to rede- even though it was not expected to Continued on Page 4 The California State Treasurer, fine the candidate in a race which, Continued on Page 2 foray into the Gulf Coast. Continued on Page 4 Bilirakis Wins Readings on the Community’s Future GOP Primary, By Steve Frangos cal skills and abilities. world terms Moves Toward Special to The National Herald To date, Georgakas has served Since its inception, the Modern as special editor on four all-Greek Greek Studies Association has al- Father’s Seat While many things can be said American issues of the Journal of ways carefully courted the Greek about contemporary Greek Amer- the Hellenic Diaspora, and now in American community. The vast By Robin Stein icans, being close readers of aca- that same role, he has served as majority of the funding, and the St. Petersburg Times demic journals is not the first thing both organizer and essayist for the now nearly half-century of contin- that comes to mind – which is a Journal of Modern Hellenism. In ued support, for the Modern Gus Bilirakis' resounding victo- shame. For Professor Dan Geor- the course of his more than half a Greek Studies programs all across ry in the Republican primary this gakas, the guest editor of the latest century as an educator, Georgakas North America come directly from past Tuesday put him one step issue of the Journal of Modern has – aside from his career as an the local Greek communities. closer to continuing the family Hellenism (Volume 21-22, 2004- internationally recognized labor While I have no accurate figures, legacy in Florida's 9th Congres- 05), has devoted more than 25 historian and film critic – also we can safely assume that the sional District. years to producing special issues somehow found time to spur MGSA has always had more than Neither the outcome nor the devoted to Greek Americana. scholars in both North America 100 dues paying members at any margin were unexpected. But the In this latest collection, Prof. and Greece to contribute exten- given time during its existence. In election was the first litmus test of Georgakas has yet again used his sively researched and thoughtful all that time and with all those in- how voters will react to the end of considerable powers as a deft or- articles on an amazingly diverse dividual members, the MGSA’s an incumbency which has spanned ganizer and coalition builder to as- array of literary, historical and cul- official publication, The Journal of two and a half decades. semble a notable compilation of tural essays. No other scholar has Modern Greek Studies, has never By 10 PM, the state Division of essays. His latest two-part view- ever successfully dedicated this once issued an entire issue devot- Elections website showed that point in the National Herald (see much time and energy to the goal ed exclusively to Greeks in the Bilirakis had amassed a command- AP/DUSAN VRANIC July 8 and July 15 editions), deal- of the Greek American essay. United States. ing lead over David Langheier, a Greece’s head coach Panagiotis Yannakis expresses his dismay during ing with the same subject matter, Let us understand this one chiropractor from East Lake. the World Basketball Championships final against Spain in Saitama, also fully demonstrates his analyti- man’s accomplishment in real- Continued on Page 5 "I'm energized," Bilirakis said Japan last Sunday, September 3. Tuesday night, from a celebration at an Oldsmar restaurant. "We've been working hard for the past year and a half. But we're going to Pagdatis Wins have a big one in November." Greece Beats U.S., but In November, voters across Hearts, As Well northern Pinellas, western Pasco Loses to Spain in Final and suburban Hillsborough Coun- As Legend Andre ties will decide whether to send a By Evan C. Lambrou (7-foot Pau Gasol, Spain’s leading Agassi’s Respect second Bilirakis generation to Special to The National Herald scorer and rebounder, who also Washington.