S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ nd W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald 10 2 N anniversa ry www.thenationalherald.com A wEEkly GrEEk-AmEriCAN PuBliCATiON 1915-2017 VOL. 20, ISSUE 1018 April 15-21, 2017 c v $1.50 George Behrakis’ Greek Youth Anti- Smoking Campaign A $10 million donation continues his efforts to end the terrible habit among young people By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA – Esteemed busi - nessman and philanthropist George Behrakis has a dream and he is pursuing it decisively. He wants to make the children of Greece stop smoking ciga - rettes. The Behrakis Family Foundation is spending $10 mil - lion dollars for this antismoking campaign. In an interview with The Na - tional Herald, the Lowell-based entrepreneur said: “we have a problem in Greece because boys and girls 11 to 17 years old are being given cigarettes. I know the government voted for no smoking in restaurants and pub - lic places and the owners don’t obey; this is stupidity. Close Businessman and philan - them down for a night, espe - thropist George Behrakis Kali Anastasi and Kalo Pascha cially on their busiest night, and you will see how fast they will If I can cut smoking among the The icon of The Descent into Hades by an unknown painter since the beginning of the world. The triumphant moment change. We have cut cigarette youth by 30 percent, it is a suc - from Constantinople in the late 14th century depicts Jesus takes place between the time of the Crucifixion and the Resur - smoking in America by 50 per - cess. It is difficult, but remember Christ bringing salvation to all the righteous who had died rection. Enjoy our Easter special with this issue! cent; why are our restaurants Greece was under Ottoman oc - and bars still doing business? cupation for 400 years but Or - Because they know how to obey thodoxy and Hellenism sur - the law.” vived, and that sends a message Behrakis, who visited Greece that this endeavor will bring re - Greek-American Nehamas Wins Pulitzer Prize a few weeks ago, also said that sults.” “the tax on cigarettes should be He said the recent trip to increased in Greece. Also, make Greece was excellent. “I went to By Theo Karantsalis afternoon, Apr. 10. 11.5 million leaked files, Ne - sey, Nehamas graduated in 2014 sure you control the black mar - Thessaloniki; you wouldn’t “The stories brought together hamas said. Journalists from dif - from Columbia University's ket from coming in from Bul - know that there is a crisis in MIAMI, FL – Nicholas Nehamas, more than 300 reporters from ferent newsrooms in different Graduate School of Journalism. garia, Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, Greece. People were very happy; 28, a Greek-American news re - around the globe to expose how countries speaking different lan - Nehamas also earned a bachelor and FYROM.” the shops in Thessaloniki were porter, has won the 2017 criminals and the wealthy abuse guages were brought together of arts from Harvard University, He explained that “I am do - spectacular and reminded me Pulitzer Prize, the Miami Herald the secret world of offshore to collaborate on this massive where he studied the classics in ing this in Greece it because I Fifth Avenue in New York or announced Monday. companies to launder money endeavor. Greek and Latin. am very discouraged when I sit Newbery Street in Boston.” “The Miami Herald shared and evade taxes.” “Nick, recently promoted to “My father is from Athens outside a tavern and I see young He also said “without a the Pulitzer Prize for Explana - The Panama Papers project the Miami Herald's investigative and I'm sure he is busy telling people coming out from school doubt the people also are hurt - tory Reporting with the Interna - was unique not just in the reve - team, is a bright young star who all our friends and family in smoking and I know health care ing; the unemployment rate is tional Consortium of Investiga - lations of our reporting (which has quickly shown himself to be Greece about the good news,” costs in Greece are skyrocketing. too high.” But “Greece is in the tive Journalists and our parent led to the resignation of Ice - a talented team player,” said Mi - said Nehamas. “My mom said The problem is they go home ideal location. We have the cli - company McClatchy for our land's PM and investigations ami Herald Editor Steve she was always sure we would and they see their parents smok - mate, we have the intelligence; work on the Panama Papers,” around the world) but for the Rothaus. ing. I am not interested in the Nehamas told TNH late Monday process we used to analyze the Born and raised in New Jer - Continued on page 9 parents but in the young kids. Continued on page 5 Greek Americans Offer to Hall of Fame Buy Ethniki Insurance Gymnastics In response to calls by the Calamos Asset Management, Coach Leads Greek authorities for invest - global insurance executive Matt ments in the Greek market, and Fairfield, as well as Pavlos despite the ongoing crisis, a Kanellopoulos, a businessman UCLA Team team of well-known, major based in Greece. Greek-American entrepreneurs Their company operates un - along with two other partners, der the name EXIN Partners. By Vasilis Papoutsis one of whom lives in Athens, This team, therefore, com - have made a joint bid valued at bines knowledge of the insur - LOS ANGELES, CA – The Uni - approximately $1 billion for the ance and financial markets in versity of California Los Angeles acquisition of Ethniki Hellenic general, as well as knowledge (UCLA) Women’s Gymnastics General Insurance Company of the Greek market and reality. team has won the NCAA Cham - (“Ethniki Insurance”), a sub - The selection of the preferred paign Regional, a competition sidiary of the National Bank of bidder is estimated to be made that coach Valorie Kondos Field Greece. by the National Bank’s Board of considers ''the most stressful Offers have also been sub - Directors by the end of the meet of the year'' and is now mitted by three Chinese groups. month. preparing for the NCAA Cham - The expatriates are John ExPATRIATE REACTIONS pionships in St. Louis are set to Calamos, whose company The news of Calamos and begin April 14. Calamos Asset Management Inc. Koudounis’ interest in the Greek Her teams have won six Na - manages about $20 billion, insurance market - preceded by tional Championships and de - John Koudounis who has 30 a series of reports in the Greek spite the low scoring at the Re - years of financial services expe - financial press – was widely dis - gional, Field believes that if they rience and serves as the CEO of cussed in Greek-American busi - have a great meet at the finals, ness circles. they still have a chance to win. Many worry that if expatriate LIFELONG PASSION investments in the Greek econ - Field's impressive career as For subscription: omy are once again impeded, UCLA's women’s gymnastics 718.784.5255 for various reasons, there will coach has exceeded a lot of peo - [email protected] be very unpleasant long-term ef - TNH/COSTAS BEJ ple's expectations, including her fects. Book Launch for Stratakis own. As a young girl she suf - "If this occurs again," a fered from scoliosis, a condition Greek-American who requested Christopher Stratakis, Esq. signs copies of his debut novel, the fictionalized memoir Appointment of the spine in which the back - with Yesterday, at the Harvard Club in Midtown Manhattan. Stratakis is a senior partner of Continued on page 2 Poles, Tublin, Stratakis & Gonzalez, LLP. Continued on page 6 2 COMMUNITY THE NATIONAL HERALD, APRIL 15-21, 2017 Ηappy Easter Christ is Risen Crisis at Holy Cross School of Theology, Calls for a New President By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA – Both Board of Trustees members and students of the Holy Cross Greek Ortho - dox School of Theology demand the immediate removal of Rev. Christopher Metropulos as pres - ident. In the analysis piece “What’s Going on at the School of The - ology” (Nov. 30), this newspa - per reported about the boiling crisis at the School. Two meetings took place re - cently, presided by His Emi - nence Archbishop Geron of America Demetrios, who is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College and Holy Gross School of Theology (HCHC), a position that carries legal and fiduciary responsibili - ties. One of the meetings was His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America with Fr. convened at the Archdiocese in Christopher Metropulos at his installation ceremony to the New York and the other one at presidency of the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Or - the School. Trustees even sug - thodox School of Theology gested to break ties with Metropulos and pay him for his established a webpage to “Fix and about “professors with se - remaining time under his con - the Seminary” (hchcseminari - vere emotional problems.” tract. Some who now demand ansforchange.wordpress.com) in The Hellenic College and the his removal voted for his ap - which they publish revealing in - School of Theology have approx - pointment two years ago, in formation about the ongoings at imately 179 students and the an - May, 2015. the School. Specifically, they nual operating budget is about Law Offices of At some point the Trustees claim that “the tragedy of this $12 million. wanted to go into Executive Ses - situation is that the School has When Metropoulos was cho - sion and Metropulos was asked nearly failed to be accredited sen two years ago out of 41 can - DINO J.