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Victoria’s Greek community calls for authorities to investigate aged care outbreaks

Andriana Simos
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Victoria’s Greek community calls for authorities to investigate aged care outbreaks

In a statement released this afternoon, the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne has called on the Federal Government, Victorian Government and other stakeholders to investigate what went wrong in Victoria’s aged care sector.

Full statement in English:

The Greek-Australian community has been heavily impacted by COVID-19.   In particular, there is a high proportion of elderly Greek-Australians, especially in aged care, that have passed away due to COVID-19 or are currently in hospital fighting for their life as a result of this pandemic.

The GCM is extremely saddened by this and is calling on the industry’s governing authorities to leave no stone unturned in investigating what went wrong and what needs to be urgently fixed to provide the care some of our most vulnerable community members deserve.

We note that the Royal Commission in Aged Care has closed submissions at the end of July and are concerned that the matters specific to the management of this pandemic in Victorian facilities are not fully embraced within its investigations and considerations.

We call on the Federal Government, Victorian Government and other stakeholders to conduct whatever assessments are needed and determine what needs to be put in place moving forward so as to never see a tragedy like the one we are living through ever take place again.

Full statement in Greek:

Η Ελληνο-Αυστραλιανή κοινότητα έχει επηρεαστεί σε μεγάλο βαθμό από τον COVID-19. Συγκεκριμένα, υπάρχει ένα υψηλό ποσοστό ηλικιωμένων Ελλήνοαυστραλών, ειδικά σε οίκους ευγηρείας, που έχουν πεθάνει λόγω του COVID-19 ή επί του παρόντος βρίσκονται σε νοσοκομείο δίνοντας μάχη για τη ζωή τους ως αποτέλεσμα αυτής της πανδημίας.

Η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης λυπάται και ανησυχεί για το γεγονός αυτό και καλεί τις αρμόδιες κυβερνητικές αρχές να εξασφαλίσουν ότι θα διερευνήσουν τα λάθη που έγιναν και τι πρέπει να διορθωθεί επειγόντως για να προσφέρουν τη φροντίδα που αξίζουν τα πιο ευάλωτα μέλη της κοινότητάς μας.

Σημειώνουμε ότι η Βασιλική Έρευνα για τη Φροντίδα των Ηλικιωμένων έκλεισε στα τέλη Ιουλίου και εκφράζονται ανησυχίες ότι τα προβλήματα που αφορούν ειδικά τη διαχείριση αυτής της πανδημίας στους οίκους ευγηρείας της Βικτώριας δεν περιλαμβάνονται πλήρως στις έρευνες και τις εκτιμήσεις της.

Καλούμε την Ομοσπονδιακή Κυβέρνηση, την Κυβέρνηση της Βικτώριας και άλλους ενδιαφερόμενους να πραγματοποιήσουν οποιεσδήποτε έρευνες χρειάζονται και να καθορίσουν τι πρέπει να γίνει ώστε να μην δούμε ποτέ να επαναλαμβάνεται μια τραγωδία όπως αυτή που ζούμε.

St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church in Canberra finishes storm restoration

Andriana Simos
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St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church in Canberra finishes storm restoration

Canberra’s only Greek Orthodox church has received a $1 million makeover after hail ravaged the 50-year-old building in January.

As much as 80 percent of the roof of St Nicholas Church in Kingston was damaged in the unprecedented hailstorm.

Tiles and stained glass windows smashed during the storm led to flooding throughout the church.

“It was a big disaster,” St Nicholas Parish priest Reverend Father Petros Kipouros told The Canberra Times.

“It was very sad for the Greek Orthodox community of Canberra.”

Iconographer Petar Stefanovic has worked on the interior of the dome for months. Picture: Karleen Minney.

Church operations at St Nicholas only became stranger as COVID-19 restrictions led to reduced services, but this allowed for quick construction.

“We took coronavirus as an opportunity to proceed with our church restorations and ensure… St Nicholas [is] restored to its former beauty and glory,” John Loukadellis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra (GOCCC), told The Greek Herald in May.

“Over the last four months we fixed the outside of the church, we replaced the copper [domes] with new ones and everything that was damaged is fixed,” Father Kipouros added.

Parishioners became passionate about fixing the church after the word got out.

“We had an interview with (local media) and after 10 minutes one Greek lady called and said, ‘look Father I’ve seen you on TV and I would like to offer $50,000 for the restoration of the dome’,” Mr Kipouros said.

Canberra’s only Greek Orthodox church has received a $1 million makeover after hail ravaged the 50-year-old building in January. Photo supplied.

However, these generous gestures were not necessary as the church was insured.

“Leading up to works there was an extensive process with insurance. The insurance company has been very good with the entire process. The damage was obvious,” Savil Group chief executive Dimitri Livas said.

Mr Livas, who is a broken building specialist, has been at the helm of the rebuild. The build was also personal for Livas, a member of the St Nicholas community.

“It’s worth trying to get things perfect, it’s not the sort of thing you want to come back to in a year,” Mr Livas said.

“It’s going to be here for 50 [years], 100 years – longer.”

The rebuild required craftsmen skilled in rare areas.

Melbourne-based iconographer Petar Stefanovic painted scenes inside the new domes. Mr Stefanovic went to Greece to learn iconography from a monastery at Holy Mount Athos, one of the few places the craft is taught.

The church sustained severe hail damage in January 2020. Source: GOCCC.

“I’m interested in my faith as an Orthodox Christian and I was interested in painting and art. [Iconography] is an expression of my faith,” he said.

“It’s very fulfilling, I love the work that I do. In the dome right up the top there is an unique icon of Jesus Christ. There’s four angels around him. Then beneath that there are eight windows with prophets from the Old Testament.”

The new domes were created by Sydney-based roofer Ben Ashford, who learned the craft from his father.

“I learned [copper roofing] from my old man. He brought it over from England many years ago and basically I’ve been going on-site with him since the age of five and learning that way,” Mr Ashford said.

“There’s no TAFE course or anything for it.”

The copper domes have a shiny rose-gold look but this was temporary – the copper would eventually oxidise to a green-blue.

“It all depends on the air pollution in the area,” Mr Ashford said.

“I’ve done jobs in Tasmania where it stayed shiny for six to eight months but I’ve also done jobs in Japan where it went green within three days.

“I’m expecting it to stay pretty shiny here for at least four months.”

Mr Kipouros was unsure of how the church would celebrate the end of the rebuild while COVID-19 restrictions were still in place.

But the experience reminded him to take the good with the bad.

“Sometimes we must see all the positives from something negative,” he said.

“Finally we have fixed everything and this is the good news.”

Sydney Olympic draw 0-0 at Lambert Park in frustrating match against Rockdale City Suns

The Greek Herald
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Sydney Olympic draw 0-0 at Lambert Park in frustrating match against Rockdale City Suns

It was a frustrating game for Sydney Olympic supporters as the Belmore team couldn’t put any goals past Rockdale City Suns yesterday at Lambert Park.

Both sides brought a desire for victory as Sydney Olympic looked to claim the top spot on the NPL leaderboard and dethrone Rockdale City Suns’ five-game clean sheet run.

Olympic started the match with great confidence against the Suns with full-backs Jason Madonis and Roberge delivering over the top through balls to Darcy Burgess and Charles Lokoli Ngoy who sat in the striker positions.

R-5 NPL Men’s 1 NSW Sydney Olympic FC vs Rockdale City Suns FC . Lambert Park, Sunday, 29 August. Image: Sebastian Giunta for Football NSW.

An attack in the opening 10 minutes almost saw Rockdale score the first goal of the game after No. 10 Jaden Cassela smashed the ball towards the top left corner, saved brilliantly by Olympic keeper Nicholas Sorras.

City Suns striker Nicola Taneski caused some annoyance for Olympic defenders in the early stages of the game, yet a great defensive effort by Olympic defender Zac Mackenzie saw him pull off a double clearance and deny the Suns a goal.

On the attack in the 25th minute, Burgess and Whiteside link up perfectly to get inside Rockdale’s six yard box. The ball at the feet of Whiteside, the Olympic player couldn’t manage to hit it hard enough and falls in the arms of the City Suns keeper.

R-5 NPL Men’s 1 NSW Sydney Olympic FC vs Rockdale City Suns FC . Lambert Park, Sunday, 29 August. Image Sebastian Giunta for Football NSW.

Olympic were granted a free kick outside the box just before the break after a shocking tackle by the City Suns. Adam Parkhouse stepped up to plate and hit it towards the goal, falling into the arms of the Rockdale keeper.

The game got into proper stride in the second half after super-sub Fabio Ferreira came on and produced strokes of magnificence for Olympic, almost tying the knot multiple times for the Belmore side.

The Portuguese player managed to dribble past two midfielders and lay it off to Lokoli Ngoy on the wing. Only one defender on him, Ferreira waits in the box to nail it home although the ball sails over his head. Only two minutes later in the 71st minute, Ferreira runs the ball himself down the centre and hits it towards the goal, yet it’s saved comfortably by the keeper.

R-5 NPL Men’s 1 NSW Sydney Olympic FC vs Rockdale City Suns FC . Lambert Park, Sunday, 29 August. Image Sebastian Giunta for Football NSW.

An expert save by Sorras denied Rockdale a goal in the 85th minute, diving to the bottom right corner to parry the ball out. Only a few seconds later, Ferreira managed to dribble through the Rockdale defence yet sailed it over the bar, leaving the match scoreless as it finished 0-0.

Sydney Olympic FC will play Marconi Stallions FC next Saturday night at Marconi Stadium.

Turkey marks 1922 victory over Greece amid east Med tensions

The Greek Herald
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Turkey marks 1922 victory over Greece amid east Med tensions

Turkey marked the 98th anniversary of the War of Independence battle against Greek forces on Sunday, as the threat of a new conflict with Athens looms in the eastern Mediterranean.

“Turkey’s struggle for independence and future continues today as well,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message to commemorate Victory Day.

“It is absolutely not a coincidence that those who seek to exclude us from the eastern Mediterranean are the same invaders as the ones who attempted to invade our homeland a century ago.”

Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, center, visits the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.

In recent weeks, Turkish and Greek forces have engaged in a series of cat-and-mouse military exercises in the seas between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete. The confrontation was sparked when Turkey sent a research vessel accompanied by warships to search for gas and oil reserves.

READ MORE: Turkey flexes military muscle near Kastellorizo as Greece calls the move ‘illegal.’

Greece, a member of the European Union, claims the waters are part of its continental shelf and has enlisted the support of the 27-nation bloc, which has condemned Turkey’s “illegal activities” and warned of potential sanctions against Ankara.

Turkey says Greece and others are denying its rights to explore for energy resources in the Mediterranean.

Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, center, is flanked by Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop, left, and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.

Greece and Cyprus have recently been joined by France, Italy and the United Arab Emirates in carrying out naval and aerial war games in the region.

On Saturday, Turkey began its own military maneuvers until September 11 off its southern coast. Turkey’s Defense Ministry also released cockpit footage of what it said were Turkish jets in mock dogfights with Greek F-16s between Crete and Cyprus.

“No one should have any doubts about our resolve in this matter and our unshakeable belief in victory,” Erdogan said.

In an interview with broadcaster AHaber on Saturday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Greece extending its territorial waters from six to 12 nautical miles would be a “cause for war.” Earlier this week, Athens announced plans to extend its maritime border with Italy to 12 nautical miles.

Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, second left, follows a military honour guard during a ceremony at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.

READ MORE: Greece to extend territorial waters in the Ionian Sea, says PM.

Erdogan laid a wreath at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara later Sunday. Ataturk led the Turkish troops in the independence struggle following World War I and went on to establish modern Turkey.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Sunday told a crowd in Rome that he was “following with worry” the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

The pontiff did not name a specific country but appealed for “constructive dialogue and respect for international law to resolve the conflicts that threaten the peace of the peoples of that region.”

Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan, right, and a foreign ambassador greet each other during a ceremony at the presidential palace, in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Photo: Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool.

In other commemorations, Turkish troops marched through Ankara, the capital, while people in Istanbul waved flags from cars in an impromptu procession. Turkish warships will visit 20 ports around Turkey and northern Cyprus for sunset flag ceremonies.

Events to mark the 1922 battle of Dumlupinar, which saw Turkish forces overwhelm Greek troops in western Anatolia, have been muted due to coronavirus measures.

This has led to claims that Erdogan’s Islamic-orientated government is attempting to downplay the achievements of Ataturk’s secular regime.

Source: AP News.

Melbourne man to face trial over Georgia Vizovitis’ death at sea

Andriana Simos
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Melbourne man to face trial over Georgia Vizovitis’ death at sea

31-year-old Alan Whittley is set to face trial over the death of Greek Australian teenager, Georgia Vizovitis, at sea.

Mr Whittley is part of an award-winning Melbourne boatbuilding family which has been in business for more than 50 years.

He was master of a vessel in March 2018 when Georgia, who was a passenger, died in an ­accident off the NSW south coast. The 6.3m boat overturned at Moruya Heads, trapping the 13-year-old from Canberra underneath.

Her body was later recovered by rescuers who converged on the area.

Alan Whittley leaves court in 2019 after he was charged over the death of a 13-year-old girl in a boating accident. Photo: ABC News / Tom Lowrey.

Authorities later said none of the six people on board was wearing a life jacket despite what were described as challenging conditions in an area where the Moruya River meets the ocean.

Coroner Doug Dick last year suspended an inquest into the matter after some witnesses decided not to give evidence, and those who did could not be questioned by lawyers.

He referred the case to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, and charges were laid.

The Whittley company has a large-scale factory at Somerton in the northern suburbs. Mr Whittley, of Pattersons Lakes, is its business development manager.

At a brief hearing in Batemans Bay last year, Mr Whittley offered no plea on charges of negligent operation of a recreational boat causing death and navigating in a dangerous manner causing death.

A “readiness hearing” on the matter will be held next March in a Sydney court, with a later trial to be held at Bega in southern NSW.

Mr Whittley, two other men and two other 13-year-olds were rescued after the mishap.

Police later said the boat had been hit by three waves, the last of which capsized it.

Greece responds to Turkey’s open threat to occupy Aegean islands

Andriana Simos
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0
Greece responds to Turkey’s open threat to occupy Aegean islands

In a major escalation of aggressive rhetoric by Ankara, Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay signaled on Saturday that the Erdogan government has set its eyes on taking over the Greek islands close to Turkey.

In an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency, Oktay held up a map of the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean and told viewers: “Think about Sakiz [Chios]. Just one kilometer away from the Turkish coast. Where is Athens?”

“Look where is Meis [Kastellorizo],” he continued. “It’s just two kilometers from the [Turkish city of] Kas. Don’t my citizens in Kas see this? Every morning when they wake up they cry their heart out.”

Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay signaled on Saturday that the Erdogan government has set its eyes on taking over the Greek islands close to Turkey.

The Vice-President added that Turkey will not allow this to continue, saying “we will tear up this map and we will tear up those who think of this map. We will crush them when necessary.”

He also threatened Greece with war if it expands its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean.

“If Athens’ attempts to expand its territorial waters isn’t a cause of war, then what is?” Oktay asked.

In response, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement:

“Turkey’s unprecedented belief that it can threaten neighboring countries with the use of force when they exercise their legal rights is contrary to contemporary political culture and also the fundamental provisions of international law.

“The exercise of Greece’s sovereign rights is not subject to any form of Turkish veto.”

Wildfire erupts near tomb of Agamemnon in Greece

Andriana Simos
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Wildfire erupts near tomb of Agamemnon in Greece

A wildfire erupted on Sunday near the ruins of the Bronze Age site of Mycenae in Greece, prompting the evacuation of visitors to the archaeological site. 

According to local media, the fire started near the tomb of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae who was killed during the Trojan war.

The flames licked the ruins but the fire department insisted there was no danger to the museum on the site in Greece’s Peloponnese region.

The flames licked the ruins but the fire department insisted there was no danger to the site’s museum. Photo: Eurokinissi / AFP.

The blaze went through “a section of the archaeological site and burnt some dry grass without menacing the museum,” the commander of the southern Peloponnese region’s fire brigade, Thanassis Koliviras, told Athens News Agency.

In an announcement, the Ministry of Culture also attempted to downplay the damage caused to the ancient site.

“The fire did not cause damage to the antiquities, as far as it can be assessed at this time,” it says.

However, the same announcement acknowledges that certain areas within the archaeological site were affected.

Specifically, the East Wing of the Palace, the Northern Warehouses, the area of ​​the archaic temple at the top of the hill, the upper western slope of the Acropolis, the south-west District and the area of ​​the Religious Center of Mycenae.

A force of 27 firefighters, a ground team and eight fire brigades, assisted by two aircraft and a helicopter, are currently working to put out the blaze.

Smoke covers the site. Photo: Vangelis Bougiotis / EPA.

Greece grapples with wildfires every year during the dry summer season, with strong winds and temperatures frequently exceeding 30 degrees.

Two years ago, 102 people died in the coastal resort of Mati near Athens in Greece’s worst fire disaster.

READ MORE: Mycenae Excavations: Cambridge Digital Library opens archives.

Thousands flock to Greek War of Independence Playmobil recreation

The Greek Herald
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Thousands flock to Greek War of Independence Playmobil recreation

Thousands of people flocked to the National Historical Museum in Athens over the past six months to witness the 1821 Greek War of Independence come to life in the form of plastic Playmobil figurines and accessories within dioramas.

Laskarina Bouboulina, Theodoros Kolokotronis and Markos Botsaris were only a few of the personalities and scenes depicted in more than 20 fascinating Playmobil dioramas and 3D scenery exhibited there. 

Photo: National Historical Museum

The exhibition was the result of the museum’s collaboration with Playmobil collectors, who own commemorative pieces not commercially available, and is supported by Playmobil Hellas. 

Head of the National Historical Museum Efthymia Papaspyrou said that “(historic) events do not change but the time that passes changes the way we view and project them. They are represented in art with a fresh and more creative outlook, utilising modern methods that make them more accessible and attractive.”

Photo: National Historical Museum

It is a “complex and difficult dream” said Irene Efremidis, marketing director of Playmobil Hellas, who emphasised that “the purpose for which Playmobil was created will have been achieved, if this exhibition helps even slightly some of the visitors to connect with their history, take a brief look at the past, and become a little more interested in what happened 200 years ago.”

Visitors had the opportunity to search for specific heroes, play entertaining board games, and even virtually launch a naval attacks against a Turkish two-decker ship.

The exhibition was part of the National Historical Museum’s program of events in celebration of the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. 

Sourced By: AMNA-MPA

Greek Cup In Doubt As Third Olympiakos Player Gets Covid-19

The Greek Herald
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Greek Cup In Doubt As Third Olympiakos Player Gets Covid-19

Sunday’s scheduled Greek Cup final between Olympiakos and AEK Athens is set to be postponed after a third Olympiakos player tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, Greek media reported.

No official decision has been taken yet by the Greek federation but it seems highly unlikely that the match will be held as the Olympiakos squad must be placed in quarantine for the next 48 hours, according to health protocol rules.

Argentine midfielder Maximiliano Lovera tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday and will be in quarantine for the next 15 days while Portuguese defender Ruben Semedo and Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis were already self-isolating.

The Olympiakos team must be tested again for the virus on Sunday and Monday before being allowed to resume training.

The federation must now reschedule the match sometime next month, after the Greek national team’s Nations League games on September 3 and 6 but before the start of the new league season on September 12.

Sourced By: AFP

Greek Revolution anniversary committee calls on public to submit proposals for activities

The Greek Herald
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0
Greek Revolution anniversary committee calls on public to submit proposals for activities

Is there something specific you wanted to see at next year’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution? Was there a specific performance or dancing group you think should be presented?

The National Committee of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution (1821-2021) have called on the public to submit proposals for activities or events for next years celebration.

READ MORE: Official logo released to mark 200th anniversary of Greek Revolution in Australia

The National Committee is in charge of organising nation-wide activities and events on behalf of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia and other relevant bodies, Greek Associations and Organisations in honour of the 200th anniversary of the ‘National Rebirth of Greece’, as well as the coordination of related activities and events throughout Australia.

READ MORE: National Committee announced for 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution

Before the official program is announced at the end of October of this year, the Committee are working to prepare the final touches to make sure the celebration is to be remembered for the next 200 years. They, therefore, invite all interested parties to express their interest and submit their proposals for activities and events.

Responsible coordinators for each state and region are actively working to make sure the event is prepared with efficiency, with the full list of coordinators and representatives to be seen: HERE.

People are invited to contact the Secretary of the National Committee, Dr Vasilis Adrahtas by Monday 12 October on goaanationalcommittee2021@gmail.com or mobile: 0431 262 823.

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