AHEPA e-News! - Vol. 12 Issue 42 - Wednesday, October 17, 2018   

Greek Americans Running for U.S. Congress
Ahepans with Congressman Bilirakis on Monday evening in New York City.
With the midterm elections fast approaching on November 6, several Greek Americans are running for public office at the federal, state and local levels of government.  

"We commend individuals, especially those of Hellenic heritage, who seek public office," Supreme President George E. Loucas said. "AHEPA celebrates the ideal of public service and encourages its pursuit because civic responsibility is an important facet of our mission."

U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), who co-chairs the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance, along with U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-FL), John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Dina Titus (D-NV), are running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Two Greek Americans are seeking to join them: Chris Pappas (D) is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District and Michael Waltz (R) is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 6th Congressional District. Turning to the U.S. Senate, Leah Vukmir (R), a daughter of Greek immigrants, is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. 
  • ICYMI: Congressional Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Bilirakis recently provided a policy update --> watch the interview 
  • Are you registered to vote? If you are not registered to vote, AHEPA encourages you to take a moment -- in the spirit of civic responsibility -- to register to vote! There is still time to register to vote in certain states. Check here for deadlines.
  Wedding Bells for AHEPA's Executive Director
Congratulations to Executive Director Basil N. Mossaidis who tied the knot with Jeannette Zaykowski this past weekend at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, D.C. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America, officiated the ceremony. Best wishes to the newlyweds!

Congressional Hellenic Caucus Membership is at 126.
Help It Grow.
 
Although Congress is heading into the homestretch of the 115th Congress, there is still time to increase the membership of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.  AHEPA asks for your help, especially as U.S. representatives are back in their districts until after November's midterm elections.  The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.  It is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and its co-founder, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
 
Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 126  
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Upcoming Events & Deadlines

October - November
19-21 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
26 | Deadline for The Ahepan winter issue
29 - 3 |  2018 AHEPA National Golf Invitational, Frisco, Texas
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In Our Own Words.  What AHEPA means to us.

In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us.

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Greek American News Digest
 
Editor's NoteEditorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.  
   
Both sides welcome preferred parts of UNSG report
Cyprus Mail  (Oct. 16)
 
Both sides in Cyprus on Tuesday cherry-picked the parts of the UN chief's report that supported their respective positions on a resumption of talks and appeared to ignore the parts that did not, each saying they were satisfied with the evaluation.   read more
 
Russia vows tough response to Ecumenical Patriachate over Ukraine
Reuters (Oct. 13)
 
The Russian Orthodox Church said on Saturday it would respond firmly to the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate over its decision to back Ukraine's request to establish an independent, or "autocephalous," Church.   read more  BBC coverage
 
1918 flu pandemic devastated families in staggering numbers
Associated Press (Oct. 13)
 
Two sisters from Greece remained close after emigrating to Western Pennsylvania early in the 20th century.  Susana Mazarakis Pavlakis and Mary Protos both settled in Vandergrift and began raising families when an unseen visitor - a quickly spreading, deadly influenza virus - splintered their households.  Its dark legacy would affect generations to come, including Pavlakis' great-granddaughter, Loretta Sword of North Huntingdon.  A century after Pavlakis succumbed on Dec. 4, 1918, in the midst of world's deadliest influenza pandemic, Sword required help from a cousin to translate the Greek inscription on her great-grandmother's gravestone.   read more 
 
The Remarkable White Wines Of Campania
Forbes  (Oct. 9)
 
There are outstanding white wines from many parts of Italy. While most people think of the wines of Alto Adige and Friuli in the northeastern reaches of the country, there are also some beautiful whites from Piedmont in the northwest as well as Marche, along the Adriatic Coast in eastern central Italy. I love all these wines, but my vote for the region that is home to Italy's finest white wines is Campania in the the country's southwestern sector.   read more 
 
Atlanta Journal Constitution (Oct. 10)

In his new cookbook, "Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrees, and Desserts" (Rizzoli, $37.50), Atlanta chef Pano Karatassos presents the dishes he honed at Kyma, his critically acclaimed and much beloved Greek seafood restaurant.  Drawing from his training at the Culinary Institute of America and experiences working in the kitchens of three of the world's greatest chefs - Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Thomas Keller - Karatassos reaches back to his Greek roots and his family's recipes to create food that is at once simple and sophisticated. In other words, modern Greek cooking.  read more 
 
Ancient shipwrecks found in Greek waters tell tale of trade
Ekathimerini (Oct. 11)
 
Archaeologists in Greece have discovered at least 58 shipwrecks, many laden with antiquities, in what they say may be the largest concentration of ancient wrecks ever found in the Aegean and possibly the whole of the Mediterranean.  The wrecks lie in the small island archipelago of Fournoi, in the Eastern Aegean, and span a huge period from ancient Greece right through to the 20th century.  read more 
 
This is an electronic news service of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
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