NEO magazine - October 2020

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ion t c e l E 2020 s & an c i l b Repu ocrats Dem NEO o talk t Year

Anniversary

Debbie Matenopoulos of "Home & Family�

Stevie Nicks:

The Reigning Empress of Rock & Roll

FROM THE EDITOR

:: magazine FOUNDED IN 2005 BY Demetrios Rhompotis Dimitri Michalakis Kyprianos Bazenikas Publishing Committee Chairman Demetrios Rhompotis (718) 554-0308 dondemetrio@neomagazine.com Director of Operations Kyprianos Bazenikas info@neomagazine.com Marketing & Advertising Director Tommy Harmantzis (347) 613-4163 th@radioneo.us ATHENS - GREECE Public Relations & Marketing Director Rita Despotidis rdespotis@gmail.com NEO Magazine is published monthly by Neocorp Media Inc. P.O. Box 560105 College Point, NY 11356 Phone: (718) 554-0308 e-Fax: (718) 878-4448 info@neomagazine.com Check our website neomagazine.com COVER PHOTO BY RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS

Fifteen years and counting

The death of George Bizos in South Africa, a friend and partner of Nelson Mandela in his long fight for justice, highlights both a remarkable and historic partnership, and a remarkable man, who saw injustice, and dedicated his entire life to battling it. There is injustice throughout the world, there is injustice in human nature, and the courageous individuals who fight it inspire us all.

This is the fifteenth year anniversary of our magazine and we have come a long way, thanks to the grit and determination and sheer perseverance of our publishing chief, Dimitri Rhompotis. He has been a fixture in the Greek American scene for a very long time, a leading figure in its journalism, and it was his sheer effort that made NEO become a reality and become a mainstay of Greek America and Greek American journalism.

What hasn’t been easy is convincing people that we have a wonderful Greek American world out there and stories to be told and we should support the effort to get these stories told. I once asked a leading Greek American publisher (who published dozens of American trade magazines) to support our effort and he looked at me like I was crazy. You’ll need millions, he said. And who’s going to read this?

We have put out NEO Magazine reliably every ye ar t hroug h t hes e f if te en ye ars w it h considerably less than millions and through the efforts every month of Dimitri Rhompotis, like a surfer trying to stay on the surfboard while the waves crash around him, and now the magazine we are proud to say has become a mainstay of this same Greek American landscape.

But there is so much more to be done. Greeks have created a rich legacy in America: it should be featured, it should be honored, we should know what we are all doing, not just in our backyard, but across the country, and recognize our kindship. And we should highlight the people that make it so interesting and dynamic.

That was our mission fifteen years ago and that remains our mission now. Join us on this mission, help us in these perilous times, and help us recognize and speak to each other across the generations, and record our history, before it vanishes forever with the passing of the generations.

Our mission statement was to create a magazine that would bridge the gap between the generations: the generation of our mothers and fathers and papoudes and yiayiades to our generation and our kids’ and grandkids’—so that we could appreciate the contribution of each and grow from there. We’ve tried to fulfill this mission, and it hasn’t been easy: Greek America is a wonderful pageant of colorful individuals and causes, of hugely successful And please go out and vote for your candidate. people, and of people with little material means, We brought democracy into the world and we who are remarkable and successful in their own should exercise it. way. It is an inexhaustible landscape of wonderful men and women that we barely touched on in our profiles and interviews through the years.

DIMITRI C. MICHALAKIS

:: magazine PUBLISHED MONTHLY IN NEW YORK Editor in Chief: Dimitri C. Michalakis info@neomagazine.com Western Region Desk - Los Angeles Alexander Mizan director@americanhellenic.org West Palm Beach, Florida Desk Vassilios Kukorinis skopelitis@hotmail.com Baltimore Desk Georgia Vavas gvavas@comcast.net Photo/Fashion New York: ETA Press fpapagermanos@yahoo.com Los Angeles: Nick Dimitrokalis (951) 764-5737 photobynikos@hotmail.com Graphic Design NEOgraphix.us Adrian Salescu Athens Desk Konstantinos Rhompotis (01130) 210 51 42 446 (01130) 6937 02 39 94 k.rhompotis@neomagazine.com

Time To Do Your Duty

candle to Greece and Cyprus’ importance to American security in the most dangerous region in the world.

It is all up to you. All Greek Orthodox Hellenes must realize and act on the following. First, if you don’t vote there is no reason, as Polybius would have told you, for your elected officials to consider what you would like her or him to do. You will not be pertinent to his or her fundamental self-interest.

by Andy & Mike Manatos

And second, to the surprise of most your knowledge about our Ecumenical

President Donald Trump

Vice President Joe Biden

Today we must heed the little-known Greek, Polybius, who was born 100 years after the Golden Age, when the Romans were dominant. He deduced the underlying element that made Democracy work. He said, “Rather than trying to eliminate human nature’s fundamental self-interest we should use it”. He realized that the primary reason democratically elected officials respond to the peoples’ concerns is because it is in those officials’ fundamental self-interests – securing or keeping her or his a prestigious position.

our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean -the only Western Democracies, other than Israel – Greece and Cyprus. These three countries Israel, Cyprus and Greece make up A m e r i c a’s E a s t e r n M e d i t e r r a n e a n Partnership.

Patriarchate or about Greece or Cyprus is 10 times greater than that of the average US Senator or Member of the House. The unimaginable number of domestic and foreign issues they must deal with makes it impossible for them to know much at all about each issue. So, feel free to do your duty as one Misguided American foreign aid provided of the “rulers” of our democracy and explain Turkey over the years with $12 billion, in what you know about these issues to any of today’s dollars. The vast majority of it was your elected officials. They will appreciate it. spent on building its military to rank among the world leaders. And unfortunately, those Once every two years it is time for you to do arms have been used in ways that are harmful your duty in our democracy. Please be sure Each of us must help each candidate who to Amer ic a’s E aster n Me diter rane an that you do. wants to represent us understand that their Partnership, particularly Cyprus and Greece. fundamental self-interest rests with their continuing to support or beginning to support As well, America is providing billions of the issues that are dear to our hearts. For Greek dollars each year other countries in that Andy Manatos CEO of Manatos & Manatos.

Orthodox Hellenes that involves at the federal crucial area that are important to America’s For over 85 years and three generations, the level: (1) religious freedom for our spiritual security like Israel and Egypt. And, it provides Manatos family has been working with top leader, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, hundreds of millions to Jordan. Yet Cyprus Senators, Members, Administration officials who is also the spiritual head of the second gets essentially nothing, and funds talked and thought leaders, both Republicans and largest Christian Church in the world; and (2) about for Greece are comparable to US funds Democrats, formulating US policy. helping defend our valiant allies who protect going to Peru, a country that can’t hold a 8

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Biden or Trump: Does it make a difference for U.S. Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean?

announcement unilaterally raises tensions in the region and deliberately complicates the resumption of crucial exploratory talks between our NATO Allies Greece and Turkey.”

The statement also urged Turkey to “end this calculated provocation.”

The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) submitted a 2020 Policy Platform on foreign policy issues of importance to the Greek American community to each of the presidential campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.

The platform provides policy positions on each of the following issue areas: U.S. relations with Greece and Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean & Aegean Sea, Frontline may impact the national interests of the States: Greece, Cyprus & Israel; Religious United States. To this degree, the Greek Freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and American community is no different than any on Turkey. other civically engaged community. Issues including the economy, social injustice, Although AHI presented the platform to each healthcare, taxes, national security, affordable presidential campaign, it is imperative for us education and housing, among others, affect to work as a community to ensure our issues us all. However, I also believe the Greek a re r a i s e d w it h t h e m , a n d t h e y a re American community must have a vested acknowledged with a response. U.S. relations interest in understanding the candidates’ with Greece and Cyprus are strong and it is in positions and platforms when it comes to the best interest of the United States that they advocating for a strong U.S. relationship with remain that way, whether in a second Trump Greece and Cyprus because this, too, serves a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o r a n e w B i d e n administration. the national interests of the United States.

by Nick Larigakis* Well, here we are again. Four more years have passed, and the entire nation is gearing up for another presidential election. The 2020 election is a highly contentious one, especially given the state of our nation; America is undeniably divided and arguably as deeply divided as any time since the Civil War. We have witnessed the demonstrations and violent civil unrest that have plagued the streets of numerous American cities during the past five months, following the death of George Floyd. Frankly, this unrest has also p e r me ate d t h rou g h t he ha l ls of ou r government, albeit, thankfully not in the form of violence. COVID-19 has put the entire world in an unprecedented frenzy, affecting every facet of our lives and wreaking havoc on our economy, except for the stock market.

However, there are experts who claim the bull market is being driven mostly by giants such as Amazon and high-tech stocks, which are doing very well. After all, for many of us, Zoom meetings and home deliveries by Amazon have been the rule of thumb during this pandemic.

Where do the 2020 presidential candidates Additionally, AHI compiled previously expressed actions and statements made either stand?

by President Trump and former Vice Track records have been established for both President Biden or their administrations on Republican presidential candidate and issues of concern to the Greek American incumbent, President Donald Trump and community. These statements have been Democratic presidential candidate, former presented to the candidates’ respective Vice President Joe Biden. President Trump campaign foreign policy advisers. and his administration have shown their stances on policy issues over the course of the To that effect, AHI provided the following past four years, as has former Vice President statements to the Biden campaign team: Biden during his 48 year government career, including serving as chairman of the Senate • The U.S. and Republic of Cyprus are engaged Committee on Foreign Relations and as Vice in a strategic partnership—declared by thenVice President Joe Biden in 2014 when he was President to President Barack Obama. the second vice president in history to visit Currently, neither of the presidential Cyprus—especially in security cooperation. campaigns have issued official statements specifically directed to the Greek American • In 2007, then-Senator Joe Biden called for community. However, former Vice President the Turkish troops’ withdrawal from Cyprus.

Biden issued a statement on October 6, 2020, supporting the efforts of “NATO Secretary • “We have to continue to work together General Jens Stoltenberg and our European around the world to ensure the Greek allies, as well as the United States, to defuse Orthodox Church can not only control its tensions in the eastern Mediterranean…” He destiny, but be free of the influence of also said, “The Trump administration must governments.” (Vice-President Biden press Turkey to refrain from further Speaking At the Archon Athenagoras Human provocative actions in the regions against Rights Award Banquet, October 27, 2018) Greece…I also call on Turkish President Erdogan to reverse his recent decision to The following quotes were given to the Trump campaign team: convert the Hagia Sophia to a mosque…”

However, does it ultimately make a difference More recently, the Trump administration, to the Greek American community who wins through the State Department, issued a strong statement on October 13 in response to the presidency?

Turkey’s renewed survey activity in the As American citizens who have the right to Eastern Mediterranean, “The United States vote, we have a responsibility to review and deplores Turkey’s October 11 announcement analyze the candidates’ policies on domestic of renewed Turkish survey activity in areas and foreign issues to understand how they over which Greece asserts jurisdiction in the E a s t e r n M e d i t e r r a n e a n . Tu r k e y ’s 10

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• “I dare-say that our relationship has never been better, and I am proud of that.”

(Secretary Pompeo at the Cyprus Center for L an d , O p e n - s e a s , an d Po r t S e c ur it y Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony, On September 12, 2020) continue on page 42

Greek Americans are Voting for Trump Pence 2020 and this is Why

by Christos Marafatsos* Trump Pence 2020 re-election campaign, continuing the Greek American tradition of endorsing conservative values and voting Republican. Put simply, Greek Americans support President Trump because of his ability to get the job done.

As a first-generation Greek American, I have had the privilege of serving as an advisor to the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns of President Trump. I have had the unique opportunity of obser ving firsthand the unwavering support and the long-term commitment that President Trump has shown to Greece and to the Greek American community.

Vice-President Mike Pence, President Donald J. Trump, and Greek Voices Chairman, Christos Marafatsos

For many Greek Americans, like myself, President Trump has won our vote. The Greek Americans are one of the most hardworking, educated, successful, and influential following are the top 10 reasons why: ethnic groups in America. With over 3 million Greek American voters preparing to cast their 1. U.S.-Greece Relations “the best it ever ballots on November 3rd, it comes as no was” under Trump Administration surprise that only one candidate has earned On his most recent visit to the United States on our vote - President Donald J. Trump.

January 7, 2020, Prime Minister Kyriakos Joe Biden, on the other hand, has continuously Mitsotakis met with President Trump in the failed the Greek American community. It’s Oval Office of the White House. It was the time that we acknowledge the fact that after 47 second meeting for the two world leaders years in public service, serving at the highest since the Prime Minister was elected in July levels of government, Joe Biden failed to 2019 and marked a milestone in U.S.-Greece champion and advance the political, relations. In the press conference that followed geopolitical, economic, and religious interests the meeting, both leaders praised the success that are most important to Greek American of their diplomatic relations, with Prime voters. While Joe Biden is just now giving our Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis proclaiming community the attention it deserves during Greece’s relationship with the U.S. as “the best this presidential election, his political record it ever was.” speaks for itself in that it demonstrates that he Furthermore, at the direction of President will continue to let us down if he is elected.

Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo In stark contrast to Joe Biden, President traveled to Greece to meet with Greek Foreign Trump, after only 4 years in office, is the most Minister Nikolaos Dendias to reaffirm the two countries’ common values and strategic Pro-Greek president of our time. i nt e re s t s a n d t o f u r t h e r s t re n g t h e n U.S.-Greece relations is at an all-time high as a cooperation with respect to defense and r e s u l t o f t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e Tr u m p security in the Eastern Mediterranean. This administration and its successful trade historic meeting resulted in Secretary Pompeo agreements and historic shifts in foreign noting that the relations between the U.S. and policy. Additionally, President Trump has a Greece are “at an all-time high and getting proven track record of promoting continued stronger.” economic opportunity, innovation, job creation, lower taxes, and a strong America 2. Greece is in, Turkey is out that embraces secure borders, freedom of r e l i g i o n , a n d t h e A m e r i c a n d r e a m . Historically, under almost every other C onsequently, we’ve seen that Greek president, the United States has prioritized its Americans overwhelmingly support the strategic cooperation with Turkey over Greece. For the first time in modern history, 12

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President Trump has shown the world that Greece is a more strategic and reliable ally than Turkey. On September 28, 2020, in an effort to grow the United States military and strategic cooperation with Greece, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Unites States Navy ship, the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, will be permanently based at the naval base in Souda Bay, Crete. In his remarks during the joint press conference with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Secretary Pompeo stated that the U.S. looks to Greece as a “true pillar for stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we are incredibly proud to support its leadership.”

Senior Advisor to President Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Christos Marafatsos and Congressman Jim Jordan In his first term in office, President Trump was successful in changing the fundamental relationship between the U.S. and Greece by growing the U.S. military cooperation with Greece while at the same time reducing collaboration with Turkey. This alone is a monumental victory for U.S.-Greece relations and a historic shift in the long-term implications of U.S. foreign policy.

3. Trump Holds Erdogan Accountable Contrary to what the American and Greek media portray, President Trump has been the only President to hold dangerous dictators like President Erdogan accountable. Unlike his predecessors, President Trump has placed both tariffs and sanctions on Turkey for its unjustifiable actions against U.S. allies, and incursion into northeast Syria. “I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path,” Trump said in a statement.

Furthermore, in an open letter written to President Erdogan on October 9, 2019, President Trump warned President Erdogan: “You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy- and I will. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool!”

4. Eastern Mediterranean Stability Critical to Trump Under the leadership of President Trump, the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 was passed, allowing the U.S. to fully support the trilateral

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Donald J. Trump shake hands in a meeting at the White House partnership of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus through energy and defense initiatives. This Act further solidifies the U.S.’s national security interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, as it bolsters the relationships with Greece and Cyprus and provides progressive efforts to promote peace, prosperity, and security in the region.

5. Trump Protects Cyprus Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has recognized the Republic of Cyprus as a reliable partner in the Eastern Mediterranean. On September 1, 2020, the Trump administration announced the momentous decision to end the 33-year-old arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus. Moreover, the U.S. announced the intention to provide International Military Education and Training (IMET) to the Republic of Cyprus. The IMET program is a key component of U.S. security assistance by strengthening the bilateral relationship and promoting regional stability and defense capabilities through professional military education and training.

6. The U.S.-Greece Science & Technology Agreement Signed on September 29, 2020 by President Trump, the groundbreaking U.S.-Greece Science and Technology Agreement expands the cooperation between the U.S. and Greek public and private sectors and paves the way for a number of new investments, from modernizing government infrastructure to advancing next generation technologies.

Michael Kratsios, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, explains: “For us, this agreement underscores the commitment of both our nations to the advancement of science and technology for the benefit of our citizens, the economy of the future and security. Some of the priorities we have in the White House for technology, artificial intelligence and 5G are shared by our counterparts here in Greece and we are happy and committed to working with them to promote their development (in these areas)”.

3 data centers in greater Athens and by 2025 religious freedom both a domestic and foreign would train 100,000 people in Greece in policy priority. President Trump and senior digital technologies. administration officials have confirmed that this executive order will have direct and 7. Trump Exempted Greek Olive Oil, positive implications for the continued Cheese, Wine, and other Products from US freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch and will Tariffs Imposed on EU protect against the persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East. (2) Signed an President Trump has proven that his America executive order promoting free speech and First policies, which have been designed to religious liberty that instructs the Treasury protect American jobs, consumers, and Department not to target the tax-exempt products, will also prioritize protecting its status of churches and other institutions. (3) allies, particularly Greece. The Trump Ordered the creation of the Conscience and Religious administration issued a Freedom special exemption Division at regarding Greek olive oil, t h e olive products, cheese, Department wines and other related of Health and products to remain H u m a n exempted from the US S er vices to tariffs on European Union protec t the products. As Greece civil rights of heavily depends on the doctors, export of its agricultural and food products, the President Donald J. Trump and Vice-President nu r s e s an d other healthexemption is considered Mike Pence meet with Archbishop care workers c r u c i a l b y t h e G r e e k Elpidophoros of America to progress issues who refuse to government, as it increases related to the Greek Orthodox Church take part in the competitiveness and procedures such as abortion, reversing an viability of Greek products and companies.

Obama-era policy that required them to do so.

8. Trump Cut Taxes and Regulations (4) Directed the Justice Department to issue a 25-page guidance to federal agencies Greek Americans play a vital role in our instructing them to protect the religious nation’s economy and workforce across all liberty in the execution of federal law. (5) sectors, and President Trump has been Deemed that new Centers for Disease Control recognized as one of the most pro-business guidance will classify houses of worship as presidents in history. President Trump signed “essential,” as he called on governors to allow the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which enabled the them to open “right now” after being closed largest overhaul of the tax code in three during the coronavirus lockdowns. decades. Additionally, between FY 2017 and FY 2019, the Trump administration has cut 10. Trump Embraces the American Dream nearly eight regulations for every new while Joe Biden Embraces Socialism regulation- more than fulfilling President In a desperate ploy to Trump’s promise to cut two win over the regulations for ever y new D e mo c r at Par t y ’s regulation imposed. The $1.5 socialist base, Joe trillion tax overhaul, coupled B i d e n h a s with the elimination of collaborated with regulations and red tape have socialists Bernie undoubtedly positively Sanders, Alexandria impacted Greek American Ocasio-Cortez business owners, families, and (AOC), and Kamala individuals in the workforce, Harris to create the with the average American most radical series of saving thousands each year. policy proposals 9 . Tr u mp put s Rel i g i ou s Senior Advisors to the Trump Campaign i n A m e r i c a n Mercedes & Matt Schlapp, Christos H i s t o r y. T h e Freedom and God First Marafatsos and Congressman Gus t h re at of socialism has As Greek Orthodox Christians, Bilirakis discuss the Hagia Sophia never been there’s nothing we hold higher and issues related to the Greek Orthodox Church on the social greater and only than our faith and values. As media of President Donald J. Trump President Trump liberals continue to promote and will stand up to embrace a society where religion is banned from schools, work, and the norms the far-left to protect American workers, of everyday life, President Trump has maintain law and order, religious freedom, implemented historic policies that will ensure defend our Orthodox Christian values, and our pursuit of the American dream. the greatest religious freedoms and liberties.

According to the historic agreement, the city of Thessaloniki, the international gateway to the western Balkans, is emerging as a regional science and technology hub. It notes that American companies like Pfizer, Cisco, Microsoft, Amazon, and Tesla are expanding their footprint into Greece. Just one week after President Trump has: (1) Signed an executive * Christos Marafatsos is Chairman, Greek this agreement was signed, Microsoft order on Advancing International Religious Voices for Trump announced its plan to invest $1 Billion to build Freedom, declaring the effort to protect NEWS & NOTES

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Greek Americans are not Blindly Supporting Trump

by Leonidas Raptakis*

The chairman of a group called “Greek Voices for Tr ump” recently wrote a c o l u m n h e r e suggesting that only one candidate for president in the Unite State has earned the s upp or t of Gre e k Americans and that is Donald Trump.

l y i n g a b o u t conversations he had with top Russia officials before taking office. He is also known to done lobbying work for the Turkish government during the 2016 election and failed to register as a foreign agent, as he was required to do. These are conflicts of interest that essentially threatened A m e r i c a’s n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y, a s h e h a d divided loyalties that left him exposed to intimidation or blackmail by the Putin and Erdogan regimes.

In times like these, it’s good to remember that most immigrant communities don’t speak with a single voice, they may share a common heritage and homeland but represent disparate interests and viewpoints. And in the case of evaluating Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. There Donald Trump, it is just as easy to argue that he has been not a word from the American has been hostile to Greeks' interests and represents a clear and present danger to That is a stone cold fact, one that Greek- President about Erdogan deploying F-16s in democracy in the region.

Americans cannot ignore. Nor can we fail to the region in support of the Azerbaijani forces. face the reality that President Trump has a clear This should have a profound resonance for affinity for the Erdogan Greek-Americans, who have seen similar regime and has sought to act silence and weakness from the Trump White as a chaos agent in Europe, House in regard to the Erdogan regime’s c o n s t a n t l y s e e k i n g t o provocative actions in the Aegean. The u n d e r m i n e t h e NAT O Turkish government is out of control having s ecurity alliance while violated a United Nations arms embargo in disrupting relationships Libya, deploying its troops and Syrian militias w i t h A m e r i c a’s State Senator Leonidas Raptakis European addressing a Democratic event allies, all w h i l e expressing a desire to improve relations Vice President Joe Biden with Russia.

People have a right to their opinion. They do not have a right to their own invented reality.

Donald Trump’s first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, is facing criminal charges for 14

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Armenian g r o u p s a r e o u t r a g e d by Trump’s silence in the face of Edrogan moving to reignite conflict between Armenia and

to the region and, most recently, engaging in escalating actions in the Eastern Mediterranean that undermine U.S. security interests and directly threaten Greece and our NATO allies.

wife gave birth to their first child as some sort of morally virtuous defender of the faith.

There is no faith in T r u m p administration b e yon d l oy a lt y to Trump. Pretending otherwise is an affront to Greek-Americans and other God-fearing people who live lives of faith and decency.

These are the actions of a rogue regime and the Trump administration’s silence is a sign that they are content to enable chaos rather than stand up for America’s traditional allies. One particular step would be to seek support for imposing sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Imposing CAATSA sanctions is essential to supporting our relationships with Greece, Cyprus and Israel. It is necessary to Joe Biden represents a much-needed return to stop the provocative and reckless actions of basic competency and reliability in American foreign policy. We need to re-establish America’s role as a “Joe Biden represents a much-needed return to s t e a d y an d basic competency and reliability in American foreign trustworthy ally, a government that policy. We need to re-establish America’s role as a stands up for steady and trustworthy ally, a government that democracy and speaks out against stands up for democracy and speaks out against authoritarian authoritarian regimes seeking to exploit divisions." regimes seeking to exploit divisions.

President Erdogan, who clearly feels emboldened by the tepid American response to date.

Finally, in terms of the claim that Trump “puts

Freedom and God first” there are southern border detention facilities where families have been separated and children are being held in squalid conditions that give lie to that comment. And it’s hard to take seriously attempts to paint a man who was having an affair with a porn star shortly after his third

while refusing to take action to put through a desperately needed second round of stimulus funding in the face of rising COVID-related job losses and business collapses.

Greek-Americans understand the difference between bluster and results. They understand that nearly 230,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States to date—with a death rate unparalleled elsewhere in the developed world—is a national failure. And they understand that Joe Biden helped the Obama administration restore the economic wreckage of the 2008 financial meltdown, giving the Trump administration a strongly On the domestic growing economy that they managed to front, Biden promises a similar restoration of destroy. calm and the ability to actually do the job—whether it be effectively confronting the C O V I D - 1 9 pandemic (instead of w a l k i n g aw ay from developing a national strategy to confront it) or getting a deeply damaged economy back on track. The T r u m p administration has c l e a r l y demonstrated its priorities in the last month, seeking to push through a controversial Supreme Court appointment and holding a super Senator Kamala Harris spreader event in the Rose Garden to promote the Amy Coney Barrett nomination that infected It’s time for a change, to say “no” to the chaos, dozens of White House officials and staffers, corruption and sheer incompetence of the Trump administration and I hope Greek-American voters will lead the way in making that happen.

* Leonidas Raptakis is a Democratic State Senator from Rhode Island

NEWS & NOTES

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Stevie Nicks:

The Reigning Empress of Rock & Roll

by Markos Papadatos

Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Stevie Nicks chatted with Markos Papadatos about her "24 Karat Gold" concert film, her live album, upcoming single on October 9, and she shared the key to longevity in the music industry.

RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS

Track and field legend Wilma Rudolph once said: "Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us." Stevie Nicks is a woman that embodies this wise quotation.

This interview delves into the conscience of Stevie Nicks as a prolific songwriter, vocalist, poet, storyteller, and a song stylist.

Stevie Nicks — 24 Karat Gold The Concert She will be debuting the "Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold The Concert," via Trafalgar Releasing, on two nights only: October 21 and 25 respectively.

This concert film was directed and produced by Joe Thomas. Acclaimed guitar player Waddy Wachtel served as the musical director of this tour. It was filmed in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh back in 2017. It showcases her intimate storytelling and her inspirations for some of her most famous and timeless recordings. "Who knew four years ago when I went out on that tour?" she said. "This was one of the most important records that I've ever done, in my opinion. I wanted to go back and pick them up. It had 16 songs that I always planned to re-do because they were all recorded at some point and I wasn't happy with how they originally came out."

"The song 'If You Were My Love' is a ballad that I love to sing so much, and I wanted to make sure that it was perfect. It's the song that I love to sing most on stage with the girls," she said.

"Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold The Concert" will be available at select cinemas, drive-ins and exhibition spaces all over the world. With this concert film, Nicks will be taking her fans and listeners on a trip down memory lane, where she will provide them with a virtual front-row seat to her live shows. "The film is coming out soon and this tour that we filmed was the most fun that I've ever had on a tour," she acknowledged. "When you can add six or seven Nicks has been hailed by this music aficionado new songs into a setlist, it changes the whole as the perennial "Empress of Rock and Roll," show, and it makes it seem like the whole show and rightfully so. She possesses one of the most was brand new." significant and powerful voices in the music business; moreover, she has had an illustrious Concert setlist: An eclectic program of classic music career that has spanned well over five and newer songs decades. She scored six Top 10 albums, eight Grammy nominations for her solo work, and Her setlist for this concert film includes such she has sold in excess of 140 million albums fan-favorite songs as "Rhiannon," "Stop collectively as a solo recording artist and as part Draggin' My Heart Around," "Edge of of the iconic rock group Fleetwood Mac. Seventeen," "Stand Back," and "Landslide," among many other classics from her extensive She earned several Grammy Awards as a musical catalog. "Even the older songs that member of the Fleetwood Mac: their seminal weren't on the 24 Karat Gold album become studio album Rumours won the Grammy for new again because of the six or seven new songs "Album of the Year" in 1978, and two Fleetwood that nobody has ever heard before. When I Mac albums have been inducted into the walked off stage, that whole show felt new to me, coveted Grammy Hall of Fame: Rumours in and when you watch the film, you can really see 2003 and Fleetwood Mac in 2016 respectively. that," Nicks said. "It's always a risk when you 18

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"When I recorded the 24 Karat Gold album, we were on a break from Fleetwood Mac. I went to Nashville for only two weeks, and then I came home and we finished it at my house. The album was done in five weeks, and I gave it to Warner Bros. and that was it. It was amazing that I actually pulled it off and it actually happened, and I was so excited about it," she said.

"In May of 2020, I went to Chicago to edit the stories of this film. I was a little scared to do it because of COVID, but we took precautions and went to Chicago. We stayed at a house by a golf course where nobody had been since the previous October and we went to a studio where nobody had been for months and I was there for a month and that's where we edited the 46 minutes of stories. That's when I actually started working again,” she recalled.

"Getting this film all done was not easy especially since you couldn't get in your car and go to a studio. Everything that we have been doing was done pretty much from home except for the short trip to Chicago. I actually am being creative now, and I am really happy about that."

You don't have to continually be having love affairs to continually write songs. You have all your memories of your love affairs and you can bring them all in with one snap of your fingers. You can bring everything back and you can add things that are happening to you in the present and come up with new things continually. I'm sure you love to write because you are an interviewer and I love to write because I'm a songwriter. If you love to write, you are always looking for something cool to write about so you are op e n t o t h e wor l d , " s h e elaborated.

"When I write, I gather all my poetry together. When I am getting ready to write songs and I am getting ready to go to the piano, then I am going to go through my last 10 journals. I am going to look to the left side of the page and I am going to pick out any poems that are pretty much done. I will type them up and then I will put them all in a book, and then I will go to the piano. I don't bring the musical part in unless I actually have a real reason, only then I will make a record."

RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS

add new songs to a show. I hope that my intuition said 'people will love this because I am going to tell them a good story' but my risk factor is definitely there, so when we left the stage that very first night, I was able to look at the audience, and I realized that it worked very well. We had all the confidence in the world to continue on from that moment then."

Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders served as her opening act for the majority of the "24 Karat Gold Tour." "It was so fun to be o the road with Digital age and social media Chrissie Hynde. She and I became really good friends, and Chrissie does not like everybody. On being an artist in the digital age, Nicks said, She's a badass chick!"

“It's the world that we live in. Even though I don't have a computer and I have an iPhone that Live album is not plugged in, it's just a camera, which I love.

I don't go on social media and I only use my In addition, Nicks will be releasing a two-CD website for really important things such as and digital edition on October 30 via BMG, and September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina and the it will be available exclusively at Target. It will Coronavirus. If I went on social media and I feature live versions of 17 of her greatest hits. "I became a member of that whole club, it would am super careful and I refuse to get COVID change everything I do. It would change the way because if I get this virus, I will never sing again. that I write and it would change the way that I I am absolutely sure of that because you get this deal with the world. Social media is just not my cough that never goes away and your lungs get world, I like my world." And that world "is oldcompromised so you won't be able to sing a fashioned, and I would like to keep it that way. I whole show anymore. I am determined above think people are desperately grasping to go back all else that I will never catch this thing. The way to the old ways."

I am treating it is still super careful," she said.

Career-defining moments Music and Songwriting Inspirations An iconic rock singer-songwriter, Nicks She shared that "everything" inspires her music opened up about some of her career-defining and songwriting. "A movie can inspire you to moments. "In the beginning, in 1968, as part of write a formal poem, and for me, that's all I Fritz, we opened for every big band because we need. Also, meeting somebody and running lived in San Francisco. We opened for Janis into something that you haven't seen in a long Joplin several times, Jimi Hendrix for 75,000 time and talking about something that people, and we opened for Buffalo Springfield, happened a long time ago can also inspire you. Chicago, and Santana. The perk of being the Reading something in a book, just one sentence eighth person on a bill is that you get to stand on can inspire you." stage and watch all the other bands," she exlained. "I got to sit on the side of the stage, And "if you are a songwriter, the reason that you somewhere in the shadows, and I got to watch continue to be a songwriter, is because you are Janis Joplin and I did the same thing for Jimi continually inspired just by the world around Hendrix. Janis could just hold that audience in you and your inspiration never really runs out. her hands and she was pretty hardcore and a

badass. I got a lot of little moments from her.

Jimi Hendrix was very humble and super graceful, he was just magical and you just wanted some of that Jimi Hendrix magic. Also, Grace Slick was beautiful, she had that voice, and was just awesome. She would just open her mouth and out came this effortless, massive voice. I was able to take a few little things from Grace Slick. These moments in the first three years that I was in a rock band were super important to me because it formed who I was on stage. Then again, there was Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, who inspired me how to write songs and how to phrase my poetry. I also loved Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As a songwriter, these are the people that really touched my heart," she added.

'Show Them The Way’ Nicks also spoke about her forthcoming single "Show Them The Way," which was released on October 9. This song was inspired by a dream that she had one night in 2008, at the time of the Democratic primaries, where Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were fighting over who would become the presidential candidate that year.

She started watching documentaries that pertained to the fight for the civil rights movement. It involved the dreams of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy, and John Lewis. As a result, she was immersed and hypnotized.

"It was written in 2008 about all those amazing COVER STORY

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documentaries I was watching during that twomonth period when I was back in Chicago editing another music film. I wrote it and I made it into a song from the prose, and then I made a little piano demo of it and I just put it away," she said. "While it was too complicated to come out in 2010 with the In Your Dreams

absolutely sure that when you take that leap on stage that you are going to land in the arms of the person that is catching you. Only then, when you get to that point, you can really perform as a ballerina because you are not worried about making a mistake, you know it so well and you are so ready and you are so rehearsed that you can walk on stage and really perform..."

PHOTO: JUSTIN WYSONG (PURPLE)

On the title of the current chapter of her life, she responded, "Show Them The Way." That is it. That is our prayer!"

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame history

Last year, Nicks made music history because she w as t he f i rst woman inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. "It's a Stevie Nicks performing live big honor and an unexpected one," she admitted. "It did change the numbers a little bit: album, it was supposed to come out now," she one woman who has gone in twice, and 22 men said. "I am super glad that the gods were with who have gone in twice. I think that says me on that one. I hope that people understand something for the power of women and I hope what this is. This poem that I made into this that it will impact the Rock and Roll Hall of song is a prayer.”

Fame and they will induct a few more women into the Hall of Fame because there should be This dream was a cinematic story with a more women. That night when I got inducted, I beginning, a middle and an end. She started think I spoke too long. When I run into The writing the story the moment that her eyes Cure, I will totally apologize to them for talking opened. "I feel that this dream was so real," she so much in my speech. I didn't know much admitted. "In this dream, I saw Martin Luther about them but I had so much fun watching The King Jr. took my arm and walked me down the Cure on stage and I started listening to their hallway into this big room where the Kennedys music. I really enjoyed their stage performance, were and all these people. They were all there so not only will I apologize for taking up their and I could so feel it! While dreams are extra 10 minutes but I will also tell them that I ridiculous in their own way, this dream stayed am now listening to their music," she said. with me long enough for me to get up and grab some paper and a pencil to write it down in Key to Longevity in the Music Business prose, and then be able to actually write it into a poem, and then put it into music. Then, I just On the key to longevity in the music industry, put it away, and just let it stay in a Gothic trunk Nicks shared, "Even if your music doesn't of lost songs until now. I never recorded it until remain incredibly current, you remain current. now. It was meant to be!"

I listen to current music and all the current artists on radio. I make mixtapes and they are all However, "This is a bipartisan work. It's a song in it. I would have a Joni Mitchell song and a and a poem that is meant to bring people song from Haim. Right now, I've been listening together," she underscored. "This is a prayer for to Crosby, Stills & Nash since their music is very people that are freaked out about the world comforting to me. I am also listening to Harry today about politics, the virus, and everything. Styles these days. I think his Fine Line album is There are two versions that are being released one of the best albums of all time. He was ready together: an acoustic version, which was the to go into rehearsal before this pandemic first one that I did, and a rock and roll version, started. It's okay though because Fine Line is which will blow your mind and it make you such a 'fine' album," she said with a sweet laugh. dance around your house."

Advice for Aspiring Musicians She expressed her love for reading and writing poetry. "I love to stand up and read poetry to For young and aspiring musicians, Nicks people. When you write poetry, you try to create encouraged them to persevere. "Don't give up. I that world for somebody else, when you are never gave up," she said, prior to noting that her reading it. I've read this poem so many times mother inspired her to go to college, and that now that I am almost able to look away from the experience helped turn Nicks into an words, and I almost have it memorized now. I independent woman. "That's who I am and almost compare that to being a ballet dancer," that's who Christine McVie is, and that's the she said. "If you are a ballerina, you have to promise her and I made together in the first six practice, practice, and practice until you are 20

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months that we both joined Fleetwood Mac." she said. “I told Christine that we will never stand in a room of famous guitar players who will not treat us right. We will just get up say 'this party is over,' and we will walk out!"

Message for Loyal Fans For her dedicated and longtime fans, she remarked about her three upcoming musical projects, "I hope that I am able to throw out these three things right now at a time when everybody can really use some new material, especially new important things. This concert film is about as close as to going to to a real live concert as you are going to get for a while. The venue, PPG Paints Arena, where the concert film was shot in Pittsburgh was huge, it reminded me of a mini Wembley Stadium. I knew it was going to be a great audience before we even got there. It was a courageous audience, so of course, thank you God for giving me that outrageous audience since that just makes you 100 percent better on stage. I get a lot of magic from the cosmos, I always have, and I am always really appreciative of it," she elaborated.

Success in the Eyes of Stevie Nicks Regarding her definition of the word success, Nicks said, "Being able to still book a year tour is pretty much the meaning of success because that means that you are still getting to take your work to the people around the world. If you are not ‘successful,' then you are not going to be able to do that as well. For me, all those years that we put in the beginning, to create what we have now, is fantastic because it allows us, just like the ballerina, to be able to do new things and write new music such as 'Show Them The Way.' How happy am I to have this right now and hopefully, the next time that I go on the road, once this virus is under control, I will be able to play this new song on stage and take this song all over the world. That is really exciting because who knew that this would all happen the way that it has happened," she exclaimed. "I can't wait until I can go into rehearsal and put the song 'Show Them The Way' into rotation. My girl singers did such amazing singing on it that I am so proud of them. Wait until you hear it. This song is right up there with 'Edge of Seventeen' and 'Stand Back.' This song is as strong as any of those songs," she added.

Overall, her highly-anticipated concert film, Stevie Nicks — 24 Karat Gold The Concert, her live album, as well as her soon-to-be-released single "Show Them The Way" are a must for all fans of Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, rock music, as well as for anybody that appreciates good, quality music. Her life story and music career are an inspiration for us all. Stevie Nicks is a woman that has found the means to go beyond the ordinary, and she has expanded and redefined rock and roll and contemporary storytelling; moreover, she has molded the musical landscape into what it is today. Long live, the reigning "Empress of Rock and Roll."

To learn more about global music star and Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, check out her Facebook page, Instagram page, and her official website.

England, and ReGeneration inspired her to return to Greece. Once she arrived, companies working with the group began to call her for interviews, and she connected with the Janssen pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson. “I met a lot of young people attending ReGeneration seminars which featured valuable presentations on things like managing performance, effective meeting strategies, and communications,” she said.

ReGeneration knows that building a New Greece requires more than just connecting great companies with great employees. The team is creating a community dedicated to excellence, and entrepreneurship, and mutual support.

The Hellenic Initiative’s ReGeneration Program Tops Creates over 1,600 Jobs in Greece

Ioannis Lagiopoulos, a geologist with Imerys Greece, loves the ‘Regenerators’ – the pro g r am’s a lu m n i . “ T h e y are n ow a community, which we encounter at events w he re we e xch ange i d e a s and sh are experiences; we talk about personal and professional development so that we create a very good climate and environment for facing employment challenges during the crisis.”

George Stamas, THI Board President, expressed his pride in ReGeneration as one of a number of endeavors funded by The Hellenic Initiative which have made a great impact on the careers, lives, and spirit of Greece’s young professionals. “ReGeneration makes it possible for the brightest and most talented young Greeks to remain in their countr y. During the economic crisis, ReGeneration and THI helped them dream of bright futures for themselves and for Greece.

And now w it h t he C OVID-19 cr isis accelerating the remote working trend, Launched in 2014, Re-Generation has Katerina Kypreou, Senior Project Manager, ReGeneration is a powerful bridge for connected 1600+ young Greek professionals said “we are using the new tools, new bringing back the brain drain generation.” with high caliber jobs, offered by 600+ of the country’s top companies. Through $1,030,000 million in grants from The Hellenic Initiative (THI) ReGeneration has become the most impactful and multi-stakeholder education and employment program for young graduates in Greece.

ReGeneration continues to build the new Greece even during the COVID-19 crisis, assisted by an additional $150K more from THI. The dynamic nonprofit has effectively shifted gears and is already working virtually with companies, job candidates, and program alumni. platforms, and new way of doing things we Peter Poulos, THI Executive Director, said were called upon to do from our homes!”

“ReGeneration is the country’s premier job creation program and one we have been happy T H I and C o c a - C ol a b el i e ve d i n t he to support since day 1. We encourage all ReGeneration dream since the very beginning Greeks and philhellenes of the Diaspora to and supported the cause over many years. The support THI’s job creation initiatives.” program later received funding support from The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

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The Stergiopoulos brothers: a positive Coronavirus quarantine story…

The Stergiopoulos brothers, Georgios (age 12) and Argyrios (age 8), who reside with their parents, Drs. Sotirios and Matina Stergiopoulos, in Great Neck, Long Island New York have always been very active young boys. Both play basketball in their respective age groups at their school parish teams, Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church of Port Washington, NY. However, all their activities ceased for them and everyone else when, in mid- March, New York State mandated a quarantine and lock-down of all schools due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Argyrios Stergiopoulos, Argyris Argitakos, Dr. Sotirios Stergiopoulos, Georgios Stergiopoulos at AAU Junior Olympic Games in Florida

trained with their father as their personal coach pushing them to their limits.

Later they would also have the virtual coaching of Nicholas Scarvelis, an Olympian from the Greek National Team at Rio 2016 and current Shot Put G r e e k Na t i o n a l R e c o r d holder. Inquisitive as the young boys are, they wanted to know more about these sports. Of course, Discuss Seeking ways to keep his boys active, their Throwing was one of the father started talking to them about the original Hellenic sports from Olympian sports of Discus Throwing and Shot thousands of years before Put. Their father, in his high school and which was later adopted, undergraduate years, was an avid athlete and along with Shot Put, into the in fact played on the Track & Field team at modern day Olympics. Suddenly, a goal was State University of NY-Stony Brook. The boys instilled in these boys; someday they would were immediately captivated and thus compete in the Olympics! Even though both commenced their journey of daily rigorous are American born, they immediately set their g o a l t o r e p r e s e nt Hellas in their Olympic quest!

Georgios and Argyrios Stergiopoulos in Las Vegas As the pandemic with their Medals from Western Junior Olympics restrictions eased and after a four month routine of daily training and practice, their supportive parents decided they would give them a taste of real competition by enrolling them in the A AU ( A m ate u r Athletic Union) West Coast Junior Olympics to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Ju ly 9t h. We ar ing their Hellenic blue and white colors, the boys went full tilt competing in their respective age groups.

Georgios came in 2nd place in Discus Throwing and 3rd pl ace in Shot Put while Argyrios was workouts. As these activities were not team able to win 1st place in Shot Put! sports there wasn’t any restriction and they were able to train at the local park. Day in and day out enthusiastically they practiced and Having qualified during this competition, the 24

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boys were now ready for national competitions. Their parents registered them in the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics Games held August 5th – 9th at Satellite Beach, Florida with athletes participating from throughout the US! This was a much more challenging competition. Both boys successfully attained All-American status with nation-wide rankings; Georgios came in 3rd place in Discus Throwing and 5th place in Shot Put while Argyrios achieved 2nd place in the Shot Put! While in the winner’s circle Argyrios, during an interview by a national sports channel, was asked about his ultimate goal, boldly and with pride, his answer was, “to become an Olympian representing Greece!”

Brothers Argyrios and Georgios Stergiopoulos with their parents Drs. Sotirios and Matina Stergiopoulos at AAU Junior Olympic Games in Florida

strategy

στρατηγική

Endy Zemenides is the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), a national advocacy organization for the Greek American community. To learn more about HALC, visit www.hellenicleaders.com

MALARKEY ON EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN TENSIONS

By Endy Zemenides There is a saying attributed to Mark Twain that holds: “A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

This saying represents one of the major problems Greece and Cyprus face vis a vis Turkey when it comes to the recent tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean.

It is hard to pin down Cagaptay on Turkey, he vacillates between being a harsh critic of Erdogan and apologist for revanchist policies. He makes statements that cast doubt on the level of information he has on certain issues – and may indicate that he himself if a victim of spin efforts out of Ankara. Take this tweet for example: “Turkey made a valiant effort to unify Cyprus and open EU accession Turkey is continuing the provocations in Greek waters with her exploratory vessels while she talks of dialogue...

For far too long, Greece and Cyprus have been indecisive about even which boots they were going to wear while Turkish lies were proliferating. This is not an across the board indictment, since efforts with segments of the American political establishment have yielded results as have recent efforts in the think tank community. But the chronic underinvestment in engaging with American thought leadership is hampering efforts to hold Turkey accountable in the United States.

Let’s take just one instance of Turkish lies that traveled far and wide while Athens and Nicosia were absent from the debate. Soner Cagaptay, a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, has on Twitter recently pushed the strained argument that the EU effectively ending Turkey’s prospects for full membership is the reason for the present tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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referendum cannot be considered valiant in any way, since it did not rob them of a right of intervention on Cyprus, did not force them to remove occupation troops, did not make them pay any cost of reunification, and gave them an effective veto in an EU member state. Such valor. . .

Policy makers in the U.S., France, Israel and Egypt have finally realized what a bullet they dodged. The effective veto the Annan Plan would have granted Ankara over EU foreign p o l i c y a n d E a s t e r n Me d i t e r r a n e a n collaboration would have been disastrous.

When it comes to Cagaptay’s “Greek diplomat friends”, he should check back with them. They – and many others – will admit that they were duped. Their higher expectations for Erdogan stemmed solely from the fact that he was not a traditional Kemalist with whom they had problems with and they were encouraged by his government’s “zero problems” rhetoric.

Indeed, Turkey’s Christians, its Kurds, and Armenians in Turkey and in Armenia fell prey to similar expectations. And in his final interview with The Atlantic as President, Barack Obama admitted to being duped by Erdogan as well – labelling him “a failure and an authoritarian”.

The hope that Erdogan was a reformer and committed to Western democracy must have been so strong that it blinded so many to who he really was. While EU membership was still talks in 2005 and many of my Greek diplomat very much in play, Erdogan declared: friends fawned on Erdogan as a great leader “Democracy is like a train; you get off once around the same time. Turkish-Greek ties you have reached your destination.” stayed in good shape until the EU shut close The EU was a tool for Erdogan. It helped him doors of accession for Ankara.” consolidate power by neutering Turkey’s This narrative of Turkish “valor” when it Deep State. But the price of being a full EU came to the Annan Plan is not limited to member is not one that would fit with his Cagaptay. Thought leaders and policy ambitions (either geopolitically or his desire makers in both Europe and the US – Carl to surpass Ataturk). Moreover, Greece and Bildt, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, the Cyprus have always been in favor of Turkey’s Atlantic Council – have long bought into this eventual full membership. To attack them in narrative. Nonetheless, Turkish “valor” on retaliation for the EU “ending” negotiations only makes sense in Turkey-apologist world.

Cyprus is a fiction.

Turkey was dragged into this process – first of all by Richard Holbrooke, who laid prime responsibility for lack of progress on Cyprus at the feet of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, and then by the EU who made it clear that Ankara did not hold a veto over Cypriot membership of the EU. That Turkey was happy with the plan that went to

Turkey is the antagonist – more accurately, the villain – in the drama that is unfolding from Libya all the way to the Caucasus. This may be inconvenient for those who spent decades of intellectual energy and political capital in Turkey being the West’s great Islamic hope. It is time for the truth to lace up the boots fully and catch up to the lies.

Overlooked Greek-American Heroes

by Peter S. Giakoumis

all industries, from lumber camps to restaurants.They were not afraid of traveling great distances to find jobs, always mindful of the family they left behind in the patrida.

Now, over 100 years later, their story is finally being told in all its glory. Military historian Peter S. Giakoumis has researched the history of the forgotten heroes for over seven years and is happy to share his results in his book Forgotten Heroes of The Balkan Wars: Greek Americans and Philhellenes 1912-1913. Presented for the first time is the true story of a forgotten GreekAmerican regiment of soldiers, volunteers from all over the U.S., who travelled to th efront lines of the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Most stayed in their regiment, some served under General Ricciotti Garibaldi, and his famous Red-Shirt Legion, while others served in the Greek infantry, witnessing a modern warfare the likes of which no one had ever seen. These men encountered for the first time in combat the use of aeroplanes, motor vehicles, heavy artillery, machine guns and trench warfare. Some GreekAmericans served alongside a retired American National Guard General, who also volunteered and served in the Greek Army. This is their story, from beginning to end, using newspaper reports of that time, letters from the front lines, official military narratives, and private archives that have been presented before. A comprehensive account, with background information on the way of life the pioneer Greeks had faced, brought together in one place. From the early pre-war fund raising, to the fighting on the front lines, and then their triumphant return to the United States. May their memory be eternal!

Modern Greece has had a certain number of key points within her narrative that stand out. When a Greek mentions the year 1821 the average Greek-American typically e q u at e s t h at w it h t h e G re e k declaration of independence, that Greece had to fight to establish a modern nation, and they can name at least one hero, Kolokotronis.The next most famous Greek event is probably OXI Day in 1940, when Greece stood up to the Axis and fought off an invasion. Crammed in between 1821and 1940 is a mountain of trials and tribulations for the small nation. Nothingcame easy for Greece.

Life may havebeen looking up for those hard-working Greek men, but events in the Balkanswere unstable. The Ottoman Empire was crumbling, and former vassal states Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece wanted to unite their ethnic minorities. The pioneer Greek-Americans kept a close eye on the home front, ever vigilant of hostilities. As fate would have it, war was enveloping the region. Greece and her neighbors united against the Ottoman Empire and toward the endof 1912, war was declared. Those Americanized Greeks took action, they dropped everything and left for the war.

Moving into the20th century, the small kingdom had a meager industry and little to offer it sambitious young men. They found prosperity in a far-off land, where jobs were bountiful and hard work could yield a good return. By the early 1900s Greeks started leaving their homeland in large numbers seeking a better future inAmerica. It was the land of opportunity. They landed on the east coast of the United States, but quickly spread out to all parts of the country. Some of those pioneers made their way out west, as far as the state of Washington. They worked all types of jobs, in

Who were those men, and how many took part?

What transpired? What was the outcome?

Either by choice or oversight, the participation of the Greek-Americans and their role in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 is regularly overlooked. The outcome of the Balkan Wars helped forge the modern Greek state, and following the conclusion of the wars, veteran Greek-Americans helped establish the oldest Greek communities throughout the United A u t h o r ’ s p a g e o n F a c e b o o k : States from coast to coast. Those men and the https://www.facebook.com/1912GreekHistory events that transpired between 1912 and 1913 deserve our attention.

PHOTO: NIKOS KOKKALIAS

“I complement the memory of the world…”

Dr. Annita P. Panaretou

Greek DPs and POWs in Nazi and fascist concentration camps and prisons Seventy five years millions of other Europeans - to work for the of Ebensee (a big subcamp of Mauthausen) have passed since Third Reich to win the war. After incredible felt, when they heard the American soldier the unconditional sufferings, a few of those who managed to who appeared out of the turret of the huge German surrender survive and return to Greece wrote about their tank that marched through the opened gate, w h i c h e n d e d experience in detail. shouting in fluent Greek: “Greeks, are there WWII in Europe. any Greeks here?”

Seventy five years Me n and wome n c iv i l i ans , m i l it ar y, have also passed clergymen in concentration camps and The number that replaced identity, hunger, since the delayed prisons in Germany, Italy, liberation of many Austria, Serbia, Poland, left t h o u s a n d s o f shattering texts, reflecting a It is not difficult to imagine how Greeks who did reality that exceeds imagination: the Greek prisoners of Ebensee not celebrate the the dramatic everyday life of Nazi withdrawal hunger, illness, maltreatment, (a big subcamp of Mauthausen) f r o m t h e i r exhausting labor, confrontation homeland with their compatriots in autumn w i t h d e a t h , e x t r e m e felt, when they heard the American 1944, as they had been violently deported psychological ordeal; the unique soldier who appeared out of the during the Greek-Italian war and during the experience of the fascist and t r i p l e ( G e r m a n - It a l i a n - B u l g a r i a n ) Nazi collapse; the liberation by turret of the huge tank that occupation of Greece (1941-1944). A new the Allies and the “odyssey” of marched through the opened book, “I complement the memory of the repatriation, which lasted for world…” Greek DPs and POWs in Nazi and months as they had to wander gate, shouting in fluent Greek: fascist concentration camps and prisons through a chaotic Europe, before published in Greece by Annita P. Panaretou, b e i n g a w k w a r d l y a n d 'Greeks, are there any Greeks here?'

Ph.D, examines this unexplored aspect of unpleasantly “welcomed” by an mo der n Gre ek unprepared and and world history After the liberation and disintegrated and it is based on before the long odyssey Greek State, that had just left c ol d, l i c e, e x h au st i ng l ab ou r, a l l i e d 9,500 pages of behind the destructive German bombardments, the dilemma of escaping, testimonies by of repatriation began Occupation and the bloody ways to stay alive are some of the parameters Greek POWs civil conflict of December 1944. examined in the book as the need for God, the (military, navy, remarkable role of smoking, the supressed airforce), women, A most interesting and moving libido, the psychological impacts, the human clergymen, and d e t a i l i n v o l v e s G r e e k - “mosaic” and the relations between the Greeks Greeks with American soldiers and officers and their fellow prisoners (Greek compatriots, B r i t i s h serving in the U.S. Army in Russians, Italians, British, Jews etc) as well as citizenship. Many Europe. Many of them were the camp and prison staff and the natives of them were among the liberators of major outside the camps. Also the Greek human arrested in Italy (after the countr y’s c on c e nt r at i on c a mp s . B e i n g s e c on d mosaic (political disputes among the Greeks, capitulation) by the Nazis and sent to Poland generation emigrants or, more precisely, free will Greek workers in the Third Reich), and then to Germany. Greek Jews are not children of Greek emigrants, they were experiencing the Third Reich collapse (the included since their case differs in many ways. anxious to trace imprisoned compatriots and behaviour of the Nazis, the food and supply took care of them whenever they found them. shortage, the refugee flows from the East etc), Some of them were arrested in the Albanian Greek women in Nazi camps and prisons, the front; most of them were arrested later, No wonder why the Greek detainees, deeply long crucial period between liberation and because either of their participation in the touched and full of admiration and pride, repatriation, with endless wanderings in the Resistance or their leftist ideas and very often describe them as giants and heroes. It is not chaotic European “landscape”. because they were needed - together with difficult to imagine how the Greek prisoners 28

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The Strength of the Greek “Philotimo”

by Andrea Photopoulos Papa To say that 2020 has been a challenging year is an understatement. If someone would have told us what was to come this year, we would have never believed, you just couldn’t comprehend such madness. No church, no Greek festivals, no school, no work, no travel, no celebrations, sheltering in place for months… like a bad dream or creepy movie. A trail of negative has paved its way through our lives, but through all the bad if you look closely you will realize that there is still a lot of good. The story I’m about to share is just one small example of the power of kindness and the strength of the Greeks' love of their country and community.

A family friend reached out to me in May about selling a mask with a Greek flag design as a business venture. Covid19 had taken its course on affecting our lives and suddenly when for a while no one could even get a mask, now it was required that we wear them in public. He said he posted a picture on social media and had already pre sold 64 masks in two days. At first I really didn’t know what to think, but I told him I’d sleep on it and so I did.

That night I came up with the idea to sell them as a fundraiser to help my church.

The Greek festival was cancelled at the end of the month and not only would everyone miss 30

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f launting with pride every Greek flag, blue and white outfit and mati accessory they owned but it was also our biggest fundraiser. I love my church and I was so disappointed to not be volunteering and me et ing f r iends and family for our annual dinners in the dining room. So I went for it, why not? Amazingly, just as fast as I clicked the post button, I was up to my ears in inquiries about wanting to purchas e these masks. I was overwhelmed with the love and support I was receiving from my fellow Greeks. Greek people from all over the United States, even Greeks from other countries were wanting to support me in my fundraising adventure for church. I was so grateful to raise $1,000 for my church in a time of need in just one week. The Greek Philotimo is so powerful. If you aren’t familiar with the saying it is defined as “Philotimo considered to be the highest of all Greek virtues, the standards for family and social living; the core concept is that of respect and walking in right paths. In its simplest form, the term means "doing good", actions that ensure that one's behavior be exemplary and demonstrate one's personality and the manner in which one was raised. Philotimo to a Greek is essentially a way of life.” At the time I did not realize how much these individuals would mean to me, but I’d soon find out.

running a mask selling marathon and eventually I started to feel silly and stupid and hopeless. What was I doing? This was silly, selling masks wasn’t going to change my Yiayia’s fate. Cancer is ruthless and ugly and painful, but you know what helped?....the Greek Philotimo. Selling the masks didn’t help my YIayia or me, the people I met because I was selling the masks helped.

Around the same time, my Yiayia was They helped give me hope. They showed me diagnosed with brain cancer which really kindness. Complete strangers praying for my threw me into a state of determination to help. Yiayia, praying for me...they reached out to see I knew I couldn’t save her, how I was doing and I knew I couldn’t really do how Yiayia was even anything except be there after they received and love her, but I felt like their mask. They fundraising was the one sent me pictures of thing I could do that themselves wearing would help me feel like I t h e i r m a s k s an d was contributing. So I shared stories of c ont i nu e d t h e m a s k how happy the madness. Selling masks were making thousands of masks, them. You see? Our s t ay i ng up a l l n i g ht love of our country, addressing and our love of our packaging the envelopes Greek community when my toddlers were unites us. My asleep and making trips Y i a y i a’s h e a l t h to the post office once a declined quickly and week carr ying bags s h e p a s s e d stuffed with orders. I was peacefully and

gracefully, she wasn’t in pain and didn’t suffer and I truly believe that all these wonderful i n d i v i d u a l’s p r ay e r s helped her on her journey. I felt the strength of the Greek Philotimo and it gave me hope. The people I met shared their struggles with cancer good and bad and they knew how I felt and we connected. I was praying for them and they were praying for me. Many of t h e m a r e n o w connections on social media and continue to

give back, I was hoping to inspire others and was so touched to learn that I did.

support me in my endeavors. It was the positive that we need to look for and focus on right now. It wasn't about the masks, it wasn’t about t he mone y, it became more than that.

Something much bigger. In taking action to

About a month into ”Masks for Yiayia Masks for a Cause”, my family friend who started me on this endeavor and was my mask supplier, called me and shared that he was joining the mask fundraising madness. He shared fullheartedly that I had inspired him with what I had done and he was going to raise money for a cause that meant something to his heart in memory of his brother. Wow, I was so moved and so proud that my act of kindness was spreading into a pay it forward mission.

hearts of the Greek people. My pride for my Greek heritage has never been more grand than at this moment in my life.

My mission is not complete. I’m still selling masks for causes that mean something to my heart and I will never forget this e x p e r i e n c e . S t ay strong. Stay well.

Ne ve r forge t t he power of kindness and the strength of the Greek Philotimo.

I hope my story inspires you to take action and give back. The power of kindness is unstoppable and can change the world.

If you’d like to support my cause and learn more about my mask fundraisers, you can find In difficult times like these we tend to turn my Facebook page @ Masks for Yiayia Masks away from God, we feel that he has abandoned f o r a C a u s e o r e m a i l m e a t us, but the truth is He is in us, He is in these masksforyiayia@gmail.com acts of kindness and I hope the cycle of positive inspiration continues. The Greek If you’d like to learn more about supporting culture and religion go so tightly hand in hand my friend George’s cause in memory of his which makes sense as to why Philotimo is so brother, please visit remember-Jerry.com. amazingly strong and present within the

Poker Chips, Umbrellas and Violins: All in a Cane's Work

by Athena Efter “Speak softly and carry a big stick” may be back in 1929. When Gus got a hold of the cane, something that American president Theodore it came complete with the original ivory chips Roosevelt once said, but he wasn’t writing to at the bottom.

Al Capone nor using his cane. Gus Tsiavos, however, might have a different story when it Other uses for canes included umbrellas, which made for a ver y comes to sticks and convenient two-in one device canes. Gus is a master that protected you from both craftsman in the art of the rain and a slip and fall. It “caning”. It’s serious must be no coincidence then business. Waking up that the handles of umbrellas at 4am, at the crack of often resemble a cane. dawn, he heads to his workshop to break apart and crack open The canes Gus collects come a few legs. No crime is from different parts of the being committed world. “People often here, but who knew don’t realize that these that Al Capone canes may be carrying carried a cane, and objects in them,” he inside that cane, he explains. One of the c ar r i e d h is p oke r canes he stumbled chips and gambling upon was made out of loot too? Gus will tell a horn. The base was you that you never very dirty and it had to know what you are be cleaned. It took 3.5 Gus Tsiavos wearing a hat he made going to find inside with months just to prepare over 500 cigar labels using canes that get sold in a glue gun and lacquer and holding the cane to be opened. various places, like the Al Capone cane Once he was able to eBay, flea markets, open it, he found a and antique stores. samurai sword inside.

Gus collects canes, not just any canes, but canes that may come with a history. He has an impressive and extensive collection – about 550 canes to be exact. He takes them apart, rebuilds them, and even redesigns them. He explained that, in the past, one n e e d e d permission to carry a cane.

Doctors often hid medicine inside canes when they went to visit sick patients. It The Al Capone cane is reputed that Byzantine monks hid silk worms in their canes and smuggled them out of China which had the monopoly of silk, until then. Gangsters, like Al Capone, knew they were a great way to hide your earnings during the era of prohibition and illegal gambling. This particular Al Capone cane, of which Gus is the proud owner, was gifted to the infamous gangster by the prestigious NYC Stork Club 32

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Apart from opening them, which is its own process, he has a creative eye for redesigning them as he rebuilds them.

He had a cane from Russia to which he connected a horn from Africa.

Another cane he redesigned was made out of bamboo and belonged to a priest, which he fashioned after a lambada, a type of Greek Orthodox candle used for certain festive occasions like Easter. He uses an epoxy resin, which is a type of durable adhesive that can take anywhere from 5 minutes to two hours to harden. In this case, he had to keep turning the cane for two hours to get it to harden.

He also ads coffee grinds and cigar ash to the mixture. Gus uses the same type of epoxy used for golf clubs.

One of the most sought after canes

by cane collectors is the violin cane. If it belonged to a famous violinist, it’ safe to assume you would have struck a very big chord here, so the next time you are at that antique store or flea market and come across a cane, maybe grandma hid her millions in it.

When Gus is not partaking in his cane hobby, which we hope we will see on exhibit someday, he also extends a hand to other arts and crafts hobbies. It is no secret that Gus is a huge cigar aficionado. What to do with all those cigar labels he collected over the years? He took an old hat from the 1920s and put over 5000 cigar labels using a glue gun and lacquer. Not sure if he’s ever been caught wearing it, but Gus can often be found relaxing at Biskoti Café and Baker y in Astoria, where he likes to enjoy a sweet or savory treat over coffee, without a hat and cane.

Senate Democrats Urge President Trump to Stop Erdogan from Violating UN Security Council Resolutions Regarding Varosha, Cyprus The ghost city of Varosha/Famagusta in the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus

On October 6th, 2020, Turkey announced the immediate opening of Varosha beach, an integral part of the fenced area of Varosha in the Turkish occupied area of Cyprus, in violation of relevant UNSC Resolutions.

Varosha is under the direct control of the Turkish army and a symbol of the occupation itself. The UN has set a specific framework for its return to its lawful inhabitants, where the resettlement of the area under UN auspices will be a priority without awaiting the outcome of discussions on other aspects of the Cyprus problem.

As PSEKA (International Coorrdinating Committee Justice for Cyprus) announced, this move by Turkey bears extremely serious ramifications, in particular to any prospects of resuming negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem. There is in fact little doubt that this is a step towards the permanent partition of the island, a deliberate attempt by 34

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Resolutions. At the same time, action should be taken to restore the situation to the status quo ante.

At a moment when all efforts are focused on the termination of violations, the deescalation of tensions and the creation of an environment conducive to the resumption of the negotiating process, the materialization of Turkey's threats for Varosha constitute a severe blow to these efforts and to the very prospect for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Urgent action is needed in order to avert Turkish plans for Varosha, prevent the fueling of the vicious circle of violations and tensions and ensure that all efforts are aligned in the direction of charting a positive way forward.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) in voicing grave concerns over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s announced intention to open the beach in Varosha, Cyprus, in violation of several United Nations Resolutions and longstanding policy in the country. The Senators urged President Trump to call on President Erdogan to reverse the decision and to work through the United Nations Security Council to ensure implementation of the organization’s existing resolutions regarding Turkey to impose its "plan B" of altering the Varosha. basis of the solution, at a time when the UN Secretary General is preparing for the “We support a return to dialogue after months resumption of the peace process. It is therefore of tension caused by Turkey in the eastern a move which carries wide and far-reaching Mediterranean, but Erdogan’s move on Varosha calls into serious question Turkey’s consequences for the entire island. genuine commitment to a diplomatic path Urgent action is needed, particularly in the forward,” the Senators wrote. “Working with context of the UN SC, to prevent the the European Union, the United States must materialization of the Turkish plans. US lead an effort to condemn these actions.” support is crucial in demanding the immediate cessation of actions that run They specifically called on President Trump to contrary to UN SC Resolutions, which clearly capitalize on his close ties to President call for "the transfer of that area to the Erdogan to push him to reverse course. “We administration of the United Nations" support engagement with leaders around the world if used in ways that advance the U.S. (Resolution 550, 1984). interest,” the Senators added. “Please work Any plans towards the opening of the fenced with urgency to use your close friendship with area of Varosha and the undermining of President Erdogan to ask him to comply with efforts to resume the peace process should be UN Security Council Resolutions on Varosha condemned, and the status of the area and to stop damaging the prospects for reaffirmed as enshrined in the UN SC reunification negotiations.”

hellenes without borders Sister Cities—The Next Step in Greek-American Relations?

Sister Cities (or Town-Twinning) Programs are an excellent and innovative way to build local-to-local links between communities in different countries, complimentary yet independent of the nations’ international relations. Trade, cultural, ethnic, or historical links might serve as the impetus for (or the result of) fostering a Sister Cities relationship, but at its core it represents a public/private init i at ive f rom t wo sides to for m a relationship. From there, the relationship is what both sides want to make of it.

Alexander Billinis is a writer and lawyer in Chicago, Illinois. He and his family returned to the US after nearly a decade in Greece, the UK, and Serbia. He writes prolifically on Balkan topics. His books, The Eagle has Two Faces: Journeys through Byzantine Europe, and Hidden Mosaics: An Aegean Tale, are available from Amazon.com.

Greece and the Diaspora are actively involved in activities designed to commemorate and to contextualize this important event in world history, one which was inspired in part by the success of the American Revolution a few decades prior to 1821. With this in mind, as a proud Hydriot, I became actively involved in Hydra’s 2021 Committee; the island’s initiatives at home and abroad to commemorate the vital role of this tiny island deserve our praise and support, and it got me to thinking.

mayor, Chris Alahouzos, and I received a call back the next day. Fortuitously a fellow Hydriot divides his time between Hydra and Tarpon Springs, and he did his part to move the process forward. Both mayors are handson, dedicated public servants, and the agreement to pursue the relationship passed both municipal councils. This summer, on the grounds of the US Embassy in Athens, the mayors of Hydra and Tarpon Springs met to discuss their Sister Cities agreement. The formal signing will take place in both towns, hopefully in 2021 once pandemic conditions I am a devotee of have subsided.

Tarpon Springs. I have only visited twice, the Certainly, every situation is different, and last time in 2019 to both municipalities are relatively small and g i v e a l e c t u r e i n have the good fortune to be run by switchednearby Clearwater, on mayors. However, I am certain that the but the town grabbed process could be repeated in so many h o l d o f m e a s a n locations throughout the US, places with a a u t h e n t i c G r e e k very active Greek community with ties to v e n u e , s e a s i d e , communities back in Greece. This coming caiques, and even a year, as we celebrate a Revolution that was b e a u t i f u l s h r i n e inspired by the American Revolution, with straight out of the m a ny a c t i v e a n d p a s s i v e A m e r i c a n Aegean. It is easy to participants in that bygone era, it seems only fall in love with the logical that a great way for local Greekplace and I wrote an American communities to honor both a r t i c l e a b o u t m y countries is to build these local-to-local newfound love for the relationships. town and the wider region of the west From there, the only limits are that of the At the US Embassy in Athens. From left, Mayor George c o a s t o f F l o r i d a , human imagination. Cultural, educational, Koukoudakis, Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Tarpon Springs w h i c h i s r a p i d l y business, and other contacts may flourish Mayor Chris Alahouzos and Cynthia Harvey, Public Relations becoming one of the thereafter, with a civic blessing. It provides a Director US Embassy. PHOTO: GEORGE KOUKOUDAKIS. key centers of gravity great opportunity for real places and people Photo furnished by George Koukoudakis, Hydra mayor for Greek America. to learn about one another, removed from the halls of foreign policy in Washington DC or Much of 2020 has Athens. It is, further, something that local I became familiar with the Sister Cities been spent at home in front of a screen. On people can do, rather than relying on the Program while living in Chicago, which has one such occasion, after finishing teaching Greek American advocacy organizations in strong relationships with any number of cities yet another online class via Zoom, I Washington DC which claim to represent us.

I know very well, most notably Athens and approached Mayor George Koukoudakis of I started this process for Hydra and Tarpon Belgrade. The strong ties between the two Hydra with the idea of twinning Hydra with Springs “off the side of my desk,” and so can Balkan capitals and Chicago are fostered by Tarpon Springs. Some of the first Greeks who others. several hundred thousand Chicagoans of immigrated to Tarpon Springs were Hydriots, Greek and Serbian descent, but on the back of and the small seaside Florida town, like As Americans and Greeks, we owe it to both this strong ethnic foundation any number of Hydra, is beloved both of Greek Americans countries, and the Bicentennial of the Greek cultural, economic, academic initiatives can and tourists. It made sense to me, and it did Revolution is the perfect time to do it. It starts be and have been developed. not take the mayor long to become interested. with an idea and a phone call.

As we are all aware, next year Greece The next day, I placed a phone call and an celebrates its bicentennial, seminal moment email to Tarpon Spring’s Greek American in any nation’s history, and many of us in

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Daughters of Penelope Evryklea Chapter 36 Kicks off the Year with the “Sunset Dinner” Fundraiser The Supreme President of AHEPA George Horiatis with Elsa Johsson and Bill Matsikoudis.

by Athena Efter

PHOTO: ETA PRESS

The Daughters of Penelope “Evryklea”, Manhattan Chapter 36 held recently a charity benefit at Mykonos Blue in the Chelsea Flower District of Manhattan. The rooftop “Sunset Dinner” featured a three course dinnerand raffles worth over $8000 provided by several Greek artisans, artists, and designers who helped sponsor this event. Elsa Johnson, who has been involved with the Daughters of Penelope for the past two years, is the chapter’s current president and emphasized the importance of sisterhood, especially in helping women and children, among their worthy causes.

Last year they raised substantial funds for Paidiko Chorio, a childcare facility in Thessaloniki, Greece. This kickoff fundraiser was a benefit for the Penelope Houses in Alabama, which offer women of domestic violence assistance with shelter, counseling, advocacy and referrals to community resources and agencies throughout various counties in the state. Elsa enthusiastically expressed her commitment to Hellenic causes and women and children: “It means a lot when I am abroad to support Hellenism and especially female organizations. Women and children need a lot of assistance and help, and we are hoping to do that.”

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Elsa also expressed much gratitude to the fraternal organization, The Manhattan Chapter 25 of the Order of the AHEPA: “They are always helpful and supportive of all of our endeavors and we work often together. Our main goal is charity and advocating about Hellenic issues, and having some fun while we are doing it. We are about sisterhood, about helping each other at the same time, and raising money for worthy causes.”

As Ted Klingos pointed out, the organization has a great history. The first chapter was founded by Alexandra Apostolides in her quest to create a woman’s organization with the support of her husband Dr. Emanuel Apostolides, who was a dedicated AHEPAN himself. Alexandra formed EOS Chapter #1 with 25 members on November 16, 1929 in San Francisco, and was elected the first Grand President of the organization in 1931. She had a vision for first-generation Greek-American women and drafted the basic principles of the organization. She wrote the Constitution and Bylaws of the organization as they exist today.

Their mission is to promote Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, and family and individual excellence. With its Headquarters located in Washington D.C., the Daughters of Penelope have over 350 chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, and Cyprus with sister chapters in Australia. They work closely with whole AHEPA family, which includes the Order of AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope, Maids of Athena and Sons of Pericles.

The reinstatement of Evryklea Manhattan Chapter 36 represents a significant move to highlight the organization’s good work here in New York City, a hub of cultural and economic activity, along with the chance to work with their AHEPA family here in New York to fulfilling their mission’s goals.

For Michele Mitrovich, a former corresponding secretary for the chapter and current member, the event held even greater importance to her because of the timing: “I’m really enjoying the amazing sisterhood and incredible support we all give to each other, and for such a great cause. We really try to make a difference. This is a wonderful event, especially during this time of blues, when people are experiencing this health crisis, I Also present was Board member of AHEPA think it’s still important to stay connected and Delphi Chapter #25 Ted Klingos who reach out, and bring people together in the expressed his deep appreciation for the best way that we can to keep everybody safe, organization: “We are fortunate because two years ago, this particular chapter was reactivated, Michele Mitrovich with Argyris Argitakos which is a wonderful thing. This is at the Mykonos Blue Event our sister chapter. I think the whole organization is wonderful. It has a tremendous history and network which is incredible. It’s very grassroots. It’s there to help. It’s philanthropic. It’s educational. We look to find ways to help each other. They have supported us in the past and we are here to support them tonight, and their new administration. They have a new president and we congratulate her, and look forward to working together.”

Elsa Jonsson, Maria Ntini, Elisabeth Goni, Christina Pappas, Madalena Aravosita

but still doing something very important for a great cause.”

Also present to show his support was Supreme President of the Order of AHEPA George C. Horiates. He emphasized the twofold significance of the event as both a celebration and a remembrance unifying Greeks of the diaspora: “Here we are in midtown New York City, in the capital of the world, and it’s a very symbolic evening, because the Hellenes of the diaspora are kicking off what is a wonderful reawakening, coming out of the social distancing of Covid-19 since March. We are

here with the Daughters of Penelope, a great group of sisterhood to raise money for wonderful causes. This year also has additional significance as we are op ening up, because it is the bicentennial of the Greek nation. We will have our supreme convention in Athens. After that we will have the twentieth a n n i v e r s a r y commemoration of 9/11 and a celebration of the Elsa Jonsson- Matsikoudis, Elisabeth Goni, Keila Alvarado, re-opening of the St. Melanie Matsikoudis and Vice President Maria Ntini Nicholas Shrine, and then finally, we will recognize the 100-year anniversary of the Greek Orthodox soaps, jewelr y, beachwear, handbags, Archdiocese and the 100-year anniversary of handwoven belts, robes and kaftans, sandals, the Order of AHEPA, so tonight, in many silk scarves, pottery, and artwork. ways, this is a kick-off celebration, the opening act of what prompts us to be one of the truly The Sunset Dinner fundraiser marked a lovely golden ages in the Greek diaspora.” evening of friends and supporters coming together to raise funds for women and The event ended with a raffle drawing that children to help them seek shelter and gain featured an array of unique and handcrafted their independence from abusive situations. I products for the gift bags and and raffle prizes. was truly touched by the gesture of the raffle In the true spirit of brotherhood, sisterhood, winner George Horiates, who bequeathed his and the Greek diaspora, all items were raffle prize to one of the guests at his table. I provided by various Greek owned artists, was the proud recipient of a hand painted artisans, and designers, such as handmade aluminum ship inspired by ancient triremes.

SOUTH AFRICA’S LION OF FREEDOM

PICTURE: REFILWE MODISE

GEORGE BIZOS:

By Kelly Fanarioti

An immigrant who became Nelson Mandela’s friend and lawyer

It was noon on September 10th when the voice of the distinguished lawyer who spared Nelson Mandela from a life sentence and millions of Africans from violations of human rights fell eternally silent. George Bizos, betrayed by his health, passed away at the age of 92, leaving behind a hole that would be very difficult to fill.

It was the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, who broke the news of his death and who said in his eulogy, during the funeral at the Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church: “It is not many who are of such distinguished reputation that they are known only by their first name, not just in their own social circle but in this entire country. It is only the rarest of individuals upon whom the title of champion of the oppressed can be bestowed. As we say in our languages, a great tree has fallen - a tree that gave shades to the patriots that founded our great nation and sheltered the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable.”

A public viewing of Bizos’s coffin, which was covered with the flag of the country that welcomed him in the difficult years of the German occupation in Greece, a country he served faithfully until his 91st year, was held at the Greek Cultural Centre of the South African metropolis.

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The beginning But how did a boy born in 1927 in a small Peloponnese village become one of the most renowned lawyers of South Africa and one of the most emblematic personalities of the Greek diaspora?

In his new home country, George Bizos discovered that the rights of black people were being brutally violated and consequently decided to become a lawyer in order to defend them. At university, he met Nelson Mandela and immediately forged a deep and sincere friendship which lasted for 65 years. Several

It all started in 1941, when he left Vassilisi in Messinia in haste with his parents and siblings for the island of Crete. At that time, thirteen-year-old George could not imagine what destiny had in store for him – he was going to make history in a distant foreign land.

Battling against the Aegean rough seas for three days and nights on a Two giants: the late George fishing boat, they were Bizos with his friend, informed by an allied ship the late Nelson Mandela which crossed their path that Crete was occupied by the enemy and thus they changed course to years later, they co-wrote the South African Alexandria. After a three-month stay in Egypt, Constitution, which is regarded as one of the they ended up in South Africa. best in the world with regard to human rights.

They first met in 1948 at the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. During that period Mandela was concluding his studies in law while George Bizos still had a few years ahead of him.

“He was talking all the time to the students about racial discriminations and I was following him with great interest. Later, he would assign to me cases to defend poor people and he would also involve me in political trials. I did this work for free of charge, although he was a very good lawyer and he was becoming known for his activities.

On one occasion during a trial a judge questioned his qualifications and asked for his license, which he did not have on him. As a result, he was not allowed to continue. I took the case to the High Court, asking for the dismissal of the judge on racial discrimination grounds, since Nelson Mandela was a well-

the tireless Greek lawyer became known to the four corners of the world. After the abolition of apartheid, Bizos contributed to the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, whose purpose was to investigate the political crimes of the previous regime.

He continued to fight for justice, freedom and human dignity until last year. His final major l e g a l c a s e r e s u l t e d i n t h e aw a r d o f compensation to 34 families of miners who were killed by the police in 2012 during a union demonstration.

In his autobiography “Odyssey to Freedom”, George Bizos, remembering his arrival in Johannesburg, says that he had no money and only spoke three words of English. “Later I discovered that as a white European migrant, I had more rights than the majority of black South Africans,” he wrote.

known figure. We won the case, and thus our In the final chapter of his book, he draws deep and lasting friendship was born,” George parallels between his life and Kavafi’s poem “Ithaka”. “I realized I was connected with both Bizos told me during our interview in 2013. the country where I was born and the country When in 1962 the legendary leader of South that adopted me. They both became my Africa was arrested and charged with serious “Ithaka”. We shared together their joys and offences, then transferred a few months later sorrows. I always kept in mind my two to the Robben Island prison in Cape Town, the “Ithakas”. Perhaps I acquired wisdom, for sure Greek lawyer took over his defense and though I got experience. What I can say for certain is that the two “Ithakas” did not fool became his most frequent visitor. me”. There is no doubt that George Bizos’ road “He had to choose only one person who would was a long one, full of adventure, and precious become his and his family’s contact and he knowledge; a voyage during which he “entered chose me. Those were very difficult years for many harbors that he was seeing for the first him, but also for me to see him spending long t i m e ”. H e e n c o u n t e r e d s e v e r a l hours breaking rocks down into gravel in a 4 “Laistrygonians” whom he fought with square meter cell,” Bizos told me from the determination, always staying faithful to his vision for a better and more fair world. And if other on the other end of the telephone line. his “Ithakas” have nothing left to give him The release from prison of Madiba (Father of now, his legacy will remain strong and his the Nation) in 1990 brought enormous joy to name synonymous with freedom. the whole of South Africa, while the name of

Frank S. Kamberos in Memoriam

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) and the Chicago Greek community mourn the passing of Frank S. Kamberos who has served on NHM’s Board of Trustees since 2005 and financed the construction of the National Hellenic Museum’s Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center. A cornerstone of the Museum’s work to preserve and share the Greek American story, the Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center has grown in the past fifteen years to become the largest depository of Greek American oral histories in the world and an impor tant resource for scholars, genealogists, and the public.

Frank S. Kamberos, a native of Chicago, attended Illinois Institute of Technology and served in US Air Corps during WWII in England, France, and Germany.

In 1962, Mr. Kamberos along with his brothers, Chris and George, founded Treasure Island Foods, Inc. A leader in the community, Mr. Kamberos was active in many o r g a n i z a t i o n s : Un i t e d H e l l e n i c Amer ic an C ong ress (UHAC), Leadership 100, Hellenic Foundation, and others.

NEWS & NOTES

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continued from page 10

Over the years, my experience forces me to • “…we’ll keep supporting your prosperity, conclude that it makes no difference which your security, and your democracy…” political party occupies the White House when it comes to advancing policies to resolve referring to Greece. the outstanding core issues of the Greek (Secretary Michael R. Pompeo At Reception in American community. Their campaign Honor of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos statements, if issued, are used primarily for Mitsotakis and Mrs. Mitsotakis, in Washington, fundraising purposes and for getting votes.

Once in office, they are forgotten at the DC, January 8, 2020) presidential level. Instead, these statements • “We, the Americans, look to Greece as a true are relegated to bureaucrats at the State pillar for stability and prosperity in the Department. Ultimately, the onus lies squarely on the shoulders of the Greek American Eastern Mediterranean” community to become involved with our (Secretary Michael R. Pompeo And Greek elected policymakers in the executive and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Joint Press legislative branches of government. It is Statements After Their Meeting, in Crete, crucial to engage with them on the issues. As such, it is essential that Greek Americans, Greece, September 29, 2020) through their grassroots efforts, outreach to • “Our conversations reflected a robust, policymakers and their staff to educate them growing diplomatic, security, and economic on issues of importance to the Greek partnership between the United States of American community.

America and the Republic of Cyprus. We’re proud to cultivate ties with nations that share If we work together toward the same goals, we can realize positive developments with the our values.” next president and the new Congress going (Secretary Pompeo at the Cyprus Center for forward. If we continue to be disinterested, we L an d , O p e n - s e a s , an d Po r t S e c ur it y will keep having this discussion four years Memorandum of Understanding Signing from now. Except then, circumstances in the Eastern Mediterranean might be much, much Ceremony, On September 12, 2020) worse!

To view the full 2020 Policy Platforms prepared by AHI, please visit the AHI website The projection of U.S. interests in the Eastern Mediterranean depends on the stability of the at ahiworld.org. region. Therefore, the U.S. has an important stake in fostering good relations between two 42 SEP/OCT 2020 NEWS & NOTES

NATO members, Greece and Turkey, in achieving a just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem.

However, Turkey’s continuing occupation and increasing provocative actions regarding Cyprus, including the recent illegal decision to open parts of Varosha, its continuous violations of Greece’s territorial waters, continental shelf, and airspace; its violations of religious and human rights, especially with respect to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, coupled with its “Blue Homeland” hegemony policy, foster instability and damage U.S. interests.

U.S. interests are served when the United States sends a message to the world that it does not compromise its principles, such as the rule of law, support for international law and the codes and declarations of international institutions, such as the UN and NATO. Regardless of who becomes the next president, at least as it relates to U.S. policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, these should be the guiding U.S. principles.

We all need to work hard to make it so.

* Nick Larigakis is President, American Hellenic Institute

THANK YOU!!!

Every year In October we celebrate OXI Day, when thensuperpower Italy invaded Greece, October 28, 1940, and got one of history's most expensive lessons. It took almost a year and Nazi Germany's might had to come to the rescue in order for tiny Greece to be subdued. And even then, the war wasn't over, as many Greek officers and soldiers went to Egypt to continue the struggle with the Allies, or took to the mountains in Greece, forming a very active resistance.

Nowadays, in a faraway place, we, the American Greeks, are resisting another enemy that threatens to destroy humanity, Covid-19. Along with OXI Day's lessons, we apply ...OXI Clean--instead of helmets, we wear masks, and in place of Germans we kill ...germs! The fight is equally, if not more important, and we need to win and win fast before the virus brings down our economy and way of life faster that our politicians ever will…

Speaking of the—devil—in a few days the election is taking place. We, at NEO, never endorse presidential candidates, we consider you mature and smart enough to decide on your own. The only thing we tell you is go out and vote, whoever you want, make your voice heard and your presence felt. And don't forget, besides president, you need to vote for congressmen, senators and local officials that determine to a great extent the quality of your day-to-day life.

Last, but not least, this month we also celebrate NEO's 15 Year anniversary! Yes, you heard right, our project has reached another milestone thanks to your love and support!

What better way to celebrate than featuring on the cover the great Stevie Nicks, a real honor, and many thanks to Markos Papadatos for securing an exclusive interview for NEO. While I'm grateful to Dimitri Michalakis for the “eulogy” in the editorial, this beautiful magazine – always a work in progress – is the result of the collaboration of many people, past and present, and the convergence of great brains like mine– Dimitri Michalakis is the--beauty!

And, of course, supporters like you, our steady and ad hoc pillars that even in times of great distress, such as 2008 and now with Covid, manage to show up and offer what it takes for NEO to be reborn issue after issue.

THANK YOU!!!

cookbook was inspired after the loss of her father from ALS seven years ago. "It was so devastating," she said. "I went home from Los Angeles to Virginia to be with him and to take care of him with my mother. It was such a beautiful experience to be there for him."

She subsequently decided to do the cookbook in his honor since she wanted him to be proud of her, as well as to raise proceeds to help the ALS Foundation, in an effort to help find a cure. "I went to Greece and I got all the family recipes from my parents and family there, as well as some neighbors there, and I compiled this cookbook. This cookbook was like a love letter to my country, Greece. And I am working on a second cookbook," she hinted.

by Markos Papadatos

PHOTO: PAUL ARCHULETA

Debbie Matenopoulos, Co-Host of “Home & Family”

For almost two decades, this five-time Emmynominated TV personality has successfully sustained her career as a journalist, talk show host, lifestyle expert, and best-selling cookbook author. She is one of the most recognized and respected personalities on television today. "It really was an honor to be nominated all of those times since you are amongst your peers," she said. "Just to see the categories I am in is quite amazing." She is the co-host alongside Cameron Mathison. "Home & Family has been amazing. Cameron and I love working together," she said. "I feel like my entire career has led me here. I definitely feel that everything I've done, I have done to get to where I am today with Home & Family. It's my favorite show I've ever done," she admitted adding that the show "has kindness, and warmth to it. It's very welcoming and extremely family-friendly. It is such a wonderful and heartwarming show. Our main goal is to spread goodness and sunshine. You can turn our show on and you can relax for a little."

On the title of the current chapter of her life, she said, "Love in the time of Corona! You just need to go with the flow and let the universe do its thing. Everybody needs to slow down and 46

SEP/OCT 2020

NEWS & NOTES

This November, she revealed that she will be launching a new Greek skincare line titled "Ikaria," which is all organized and comprised of Greek olive oil, Greek honey, and all-natural Greek ingredients.

On the Greek-American community here in the United States, she remarked that “It is so welcoming and it feels like a huge, extended family. They celebrate all of your successes, and that's really nice. They are constantly they need to remember what is really helping their other fellow Greeks succeed as important. We all need to be kinder and well." gentler. We need to care more about our neighbors, and not just about ourselves. At the Matenopoulos defined the word success as end of the day, it's all about how people make "having the love of my family and for all of you feel. The same thing with our show, Home them to be happy and healthy. Peace of mind!" & Family, we want people to feel good about s themselves and the world."

For more information on TV host Debbie Her cookbook, It's All Greek to Me, is available Matenopoulos you can follow her on Twitter, in stores and on Amazon. This family Instagram and Facebook.

PHOTO: PAUL ARCHULETA

Debbie Matenopoulos is the co-host of "Home & Family" on the Hallmark Channel. She chatted with Markos Papadatos about her show, cookbook, and Greek heritage.

Matenopoulos shared that both of her parents are from Xanthi, Thrace in northeastern Greece. "I am the first in the whole family to be born in the United States, and I want to visit Greece more than my older siblings," she said with a sweet laugh. "I am so proud to be of Greek origin."

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Philoptochos Turns 90 and Expands its Mission “To help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the widowed, those with disabilities and the victims of disasters…”

In 2014, the Greek Orthodox L adies Philoptochos Society asked its chapters and stewards to join the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in supporting the historic construction of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine – while still meeting the organization's longtime fundamental mission to serve the needy among us.

The following is a partial list of the charitable philanthropy. And so, while feeding more grants of nearly $10 million dollars during this than 4,000,000 meals to the homeless and period: hungry, while offering much needed supplies to underserved schools across the United States, and while developing educational Ÿ Saint Basil Academy initiatives addressing serious problems faced by our communities, the stewards of Ÿ Social Services Philoptochos also opened their hearts and Ÿ Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of contributed $1,665,000 to the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine.

Theology

It was a daunting challenge no doubt, but one that the 25,000 Philoptochos stewards across the United States embraced with faith, energy, and spirited dedication. Since that time, Philoptochos contributed $11,293,921 to brothers and sisters in need, emergencies across the globe and deserving institutions, causes and programs. The women of Philoptochos raised these funds through fundraising events and individual contributions, all the while inspiring their communities by their example of love for Christ and His message.

For 89 years, the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society has offered generous Ÿ Philanthropies of the Ecumenical and continuous assistance, love and faith wherever and whenever a need arises – not Patriarchate only to our local communities, metropolises and nation – but around the world, as well. Ÿ National Philoptochos Emergency Fund Children’s Medical Fund

Ÿ

The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society is the philanthropic arm of the Greek But that’s not all. As Philoptochos fulfilled its Orthodox Archdiocese of America and their mission, one dollar at a time, their stewards website is philoptochos.org als o embraced a return to hands-on Aid to Greece & Cyprus

Ÿ

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Greece in a Box: a new online documentary platform Greece in a Box is a freshly built online platform with a unique collection of awardwinning documentaries about Greece, available for rent or purchase. Greece in a box was created to allow an international audience to enjoy and share unique Greek stories.

Special focus is given to projects promoting Greek history, identity and culture. From Greece’s most famous musical clan in Crete, to the uplifting story of Greek villagers who tackle the world market with organic tomatoes, and the human experience of population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922, the platform offers an amazing selection of films that capture the people, stories and events from Greece’s past.

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Title

By Author Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

Etiam et augue eget massa vehicula pretium.

Ut eget dui felis. Curabitur mauris lacus, dignissim id ultricies vel, vehicula in enim.

Suspendisse vitae massa eget sem dictum facilisis.

Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

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Ut eget dui felis. Curabitur mauris lacus, dignissim id ultricies vel, vehicula in enim.

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Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

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In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

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Title

By Author Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque facilisis, nunc ut vulputate dictum, turpis urna viverra neque, ut ultricies magna quam eu urna. Duis sed tellus arcu, quis tempus enim. Etiam aliquam turpis quis quam tempus quis feugiat nunc viverra. Proin mollis quam sit amet ligula convallis venenatis. Sed mollis libero nec risus convallis luctus pretium nunc mollis. Integer nec tempus mauris. Donec iaculis orci eu felis condimentum dictum. Nulla metus orci, ultrices bibendum venenatis accumsan, posuere quis dui. Curabitur malesuada metus a augue ullamcorper tristique. Nunc a pulvinar ante. Nullam vitae dui enim.

Phasellus ultrices vestibulum lacinia. Mauris ac tincidunt eros. Aenean adipiscing vestibulum blandit. Nam vel justo mauris, sed venenatis ante. Aenean commodo, magna non dignissim mollis, tellus augue cursus nunc, a pellentesque ipsum justo at magna. Duis iaculis egestas justo. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Proin leo nisi, aliquet in molestie ac, dignissim sit amet lectus.

Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

Etiam et augue eget massa vehicula pretium.

Ut eget dui felis. Curabitur mauris lacus, dignissim id ultricies vel, vehicula in enim.

Suspendisse vitae massa eget sem dictum facilisis.

Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

Etiam et augue eget massa vehicula pretium.

Ut eget dui felis. Curabitur mauris lacus, dignissim id ultricies vel, vehicula in enim.

Suspendisse vitae massa eget sem dictum facilisis.

Vivamus arcu ipsum, dictum vel scelerisque eget, pharetra sit amet lectus. Vivamus non risus libero, sed consectetur ante. Vestibulum eu arcu metus. Etiam suscipit dui ut erat pretium mattis. Quisque malesuada libero vitae tellus pharetra non volutpat sem fermentum. Sed sit amet turpis felis. Morbi dictum euismod nunc ac pulvinar. Nulla gravida condimentum tellus sed tempus. Sed vehicula commodo est, non ultricies dolor feugiat id. Cras nunc odio, hendrerit vestibulum dictum sed, rhoncus sit amet tellus. Phasellus vulputate, neque sit amet consequat interdum, diam magna bibendum arcu, sit amet iaculis lectus nunc at urna.

Etiam et augue eget massa vehicula pretium.

Ut eget dui felis. Curabitur mauris lacus, dignissim id ultricies vel, vehicula in enim.

Suspendisse vitae massa eget sem dictum facilisis.

In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

In consectetur turpis non elit bibendum tincidunt hendrerit nisl egestas. Donec quis odio at massa bibendum venenatis et sed velit.

Duis id arcu ut purus tempor feugiat non ac ante. Integer odio elit, rhoncus id porttitor quis, auctor ac eros. Aenean varius libero nec purus adipiscing commodo. Integer in dapibus odio. Suspendisse quis dignissim nulla. Pellentesque porta porttitor eros eget feugiat. Donec sit amet semper purus. Proin bibendum commodo orci sit amet pellentesque. Aliquam placerat ultricies diam feugiat dignissim. Pellentesque ut quam ac mi venenatis eleifend in non erat. Vivamus a eleifend neque. Fusce semper sapien nec quam pharetra vel facilisis enim tristique.

NEWS & NOTES

SEP/OCT 2020

57