S O C V th ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E 10 0 ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald anniversa ry N www.thenationalherald.com A wEEkly GrEEk-AmEriCAN PuBliCATiON 1915-2015 VOL. 19, ISSUE 950 December 26, 2015 - January 1, 2016 c v $1.50 Gay Day Mitsotakis Ha1s ND Finally Momentum as Jan. 10 Comes to Runoff Looms Big Now Greece ATHENS – An election for the date and Meimarakis represent - leadership of main opposition ing the entrenched party inter - New Democracy Party (ND) has ests but maintaining strong sup - Greek Parliament failed to produce a clear winner port despite being trashed by and a runoff will take place on Prime Minister and SYRIZA legalizes same-sex January 10, Party officials said. leader Alexis Tsipras. Evangelos Meimarakis, 62, a The runoff is required be - civil partnerships former Parliament speaker and cause no candidate got the 50 minister and the Party's acting percent needed to win outright, ATHENS, Greece (AP) — leader from July to November with the other challengers, Cen - Greece's parliament has over - 2015, won some 40 percent of tral Macedonia Regional Gover - whelmingly approved legislation the party members' vote. Kyri - nor Apostolos Tzitzikostas, at 20 legalizing civil partnerships for akos Mitsotakis, 47, a former percent, and former Health Min - gay couples, two years after the Administrative Reform Minister ister Adonis Georgiadis, at 12 country was condemned by a Eu - whose father was a Prime Min - percent, winding up as also- ropean human rights court for ister, won second place with rans. discrimination. about 30 percent. Georgiadis immediately de - In a result announced early Turnout for the Dec. 20 elec - clared his support for his former Wednesday, lawmakers voted tions was unusually high, with cabinet colleague Mitsotakis. “I 193-56 in favor of the bill to ex - more than 400,000 party faith - will support his candidacy for tend civil partnerships to same- ful turning out as the Conserva - three reasons,” said Georgiadis. sex couples, but provisions re - tives try to reassemble them - “Firstly, because I feel the garding family law that could selves after taking twin beatings time for renewal has come. Sec - pave the way for adoption appli - this year at the hands of the rul - ondly, because it is important cations by gay couples were ing Radical Left SYRIZA, which for two people with different dropped before the vote. triumphed in January and then ideologies to cooperate and help Conservative bishops in again in snap elections on Sept. the entire party express itself. Greece's powerful Orthodox TNH/COSTAS BEJ 20, when Meimarakis was the And, thirdly, because Kyriakos Church vehemently opposed the The Cathedral School’s Children Light Up Upper East Side interim chief. and I have already worked to - law, arguing that it undermined The leadership rivals are con - gether perfectly and imple - the institution of family. The Christmas pageant of The Cathedral School of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy sidered moderate, with Mitso - "Homosexuality is a deviation Trinity had delightful students filled with holiday spirit in the spotlight in Manhattan. takis seen as the reform candi - Continued on page 11 from the laws of nature. It is a social crime, a sin. Those who ex - perience or support it are not nor - mal people," said Bishop Amvro - sios of the southern town of Antonellos’ Entrepreneurial Spirit Kalavryta, where church bells tolled in opposition to the bill. In a 2013 ruling, the Council By Constantine S. Sirigos even in the high achieving Antonellos enjoyed courses of Europe's Court of Human TNH Staff Writer Greek-American community is like New Venture Creation and Rights found that Greek legisla - extraordinary in both commer - Business and Society in addition tion was discriminatory and or - NEW YORK – The Greek-Amer - cial and humanitarian terms. to the basic marketing and man - dered Greece to pay damages to ican community’s youth is not His parents, George and agement classes which he also the gay couples who brought the only its future – it is its most dy - Kathy, raised him and his liked. lawsuit. namic present element. New younger brother Stefano in While his professors were full Civil partnerships, introduced Jersey’s Greek American Cham - Hamilton, near Trenton, NJ. He timers, he agrees that some of in 2008, are favored by couples ber of Commerce, whose slogan grew up in the family restaurant the many successful Greek- seeking legal rights without get - is “connecting and promoting and told TNH “we were always American business persons ting married or who are deterred Hellenic Professional and Busi - involved with the Church; we should consider sharing their by lengthy divorce procedures. nesses, knows that, and it re - would always help out at the knowledge and experiences But same-sex couples were cently presented its Young En - Greek festival – I would cut the with young people as adjunct barred from civil partnerships. trepreneur Award to Nikos gyros.” professors. Lawmakers from the govern - Antonellos. Growing up he was heavily REAL WORLD THRIVING ing leftist Syriza party backed the The 25-year old founder and into soccer. “I lived and Sidekicks was actually born bill, standing to clap when it President of Sidekicks Support breathed soccer.” His passion in college. “It was a final pro - passed, while the main opposi - Service, whose services to spe - and ability earned him a partial ject,” he told TNH, and origi - tion conservatives were split on cial needs children is life en - scholarship to play four years nally he was going to establish the vote. The human rights group hancing for them and virtually on the varsity team at Elizabeth - a breakfast sandwich place, Amnesty International called the life-saving for their parents, town College in Pennsylvania. deep in his comfort zone. Greek Lights up Bay Ridge for Christmas new law a "significant and his - shared the story of the remark - He majored in business ad - But said to himself “Why not toric step in the right direction." able firm he established as a col - ministration with a concentra - venture out? I have been doing Isidoros Bilarikis from Chios, the owner of Athens Home Con - Several hundred pro-gay lege student three years ago. tion in entrepreneurship, so he the food thing all my life.” tracting, also known as Sam Bilas, is known as well for having rights protesters gathered outside His upbringing is typical, but had plan in case he did not the best-decorated house in Brooklyn for Christmas. His Bay parliament before the vote, under his success at such a young age, reach the pros. Continued on page 6 Ridge residence attracts admirers from near and far. a large banner that read "Love is the law." "This is a good start, even though this law doesn't cover everything," Philippos Pa - ganis, a 21-year-old member of Constantina Rhodes: The Power of Intuition Poulias Bros. the gay rights group Colour Youth, told the AP. "We want to keep up the pressure ... for same- By Penelope Karageorge says. “The most frequent ques - way. But can we hear it?” tory of Religion at New York Enlighten the sex marriages to be allowed — tions I’m asked have to do with Says Constantina: “Many City’s Hunter College. She’s the that gives you more rights — and Remember when you got major changes regarding love, people get psychic impressions author of several books, includ - to make it easier for people to that vibe, followed your in - career and where to live. – like you know somebody is go - ing those based on her own San - Guatemalans declare their gender," he said. stincts – rationality had nothing Ninety-nine percent of the peo - ing to call you. But there’s a way skrit translations. She did not The new legislation allowing to do with it -- met that person ple I consult with say it’s great.” to train yourself so that you can come immediately to her call - By Maria Iliou civil partnerships for same-sex and lived happily ever after? Or Science has begun to take in - tap into that, pay attention to ing. couples is expected to take effect did not follow a hunch and lived tuition seriously. Innovator how your body feels with infor - “I’ve always been intuitive, In the context of a recent trip early next year once it is pub - to regret it. Human beings are Steve Jobs called it “more pow - mation. So when I teach, I tell but I’m also very intellectual and to Latin America, I found myself lished in the government gazette. gifted with intuition. The fa - erful than intellect.” The U.S. people it’s like art or music. rational. I had a lot of spiritual a few weeks ago in Guatemala, mous Oracle at Delphi clued in Military is investigating the Some people are born with an experiences growing up, but I a country that impressed me Solon, and he listened. Con - power of intuition, how it helps exceptionally beautiful voice, never really connected them.” both for its natural beauty and stantina Rhodes, a charming, troops to make decisions and some with an ordinary voice, Living in Tampa, FL with her interesting environment and also hyper-perceptive Ph.D. , is a save lives. Arianna Huffington, but at whatever the starting husband and daughter, she was for the presence of a vibrant Archdiocese certified intuitive. She walks the author of Thrive, wrote: “Even point, if you train, if you learn searching. Greek community and the exis - talk, teaching others how to de - when we’re not at a fork in the the grammar of it, and the ba - “There were so many things tence of a unique foundation es - velop their intuitive powers, and road, wondering what to do and sics, and how it works in your I was trying to figure out.