Orestis Makris was one of the most recognisable theatric performers in the early 20th Century, whose legacy remained throughout the development of Greek theatre.
Orestis Makris was born on September 30, 1899, in Chalkida. He studied music at the Athens Conservatory and at the age of 20 he enlisted in the Greek army.
He first appeared on stage in 1925 as a tenor of Greek operetta and after its decline switched to performing in 1932.
Theatre producer Antonios Vottis assigned him the role of ‘the drunk’ in the renowned theatric play “drunkard”. Vottis had written the play three years ago, yet could not find the right actor to perform.
Recognising Makris’ acting talent and great singing voice, he enlisted his talents for the role. Also performing in “The parrot of 1932”, singing the number ‘Me len bekri’, he became the overnight protagonist of the Greek theatre.
Over time he became familiar with the role of a drunkard, with the theatric actor reportedly being a heavy consumer of alcohol throughout his life. He embodied the same character on the silver screen in 1950, in the film of George Tzavellas “O Methystakas”.
Makris created the stereotypical character of a conservative, grumpy old man, who hides his kind and good-natured heart within. This character type was immortalised in the films “The Grusuzis” (1952), “The Carriage” (1957), “Our Lady the “Mommy” (1958) and “Snow White and the Seven Elderly Men” (1960). According to critic Costas Georgousopoulos, it made him the founder of the neo-realist style of acting.
Due to his incredible contribution to Greek cinema and theatre, he was decorated with the Order of the Phoenix.
Orestis Makris died on 29 January 1975 in Athens and is buried at the First Cemetery in a family grave.
The Waverley Council’s plan was released Tuesday for the operational management of Bondi’s open spaces and beaches over the upcoming busy summer period.
With this summer projected to hit above-average temperatures, thousands are expected to flock to one of Australia’s busiest beaches to beat the heat.
The new plan by the Council will help manage beaches and open spaces in a COVID-safe way and in line with Public Health Orders (PHOs) and health advice. The plan covers Waverley’s beaches, parks and reserves, the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk, picnic tables, BBQs, and outdoor seating areas and outdoor fitness stations and playgrounds.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos. Photo: Waverley Council/Supplied
“Our community and visitors have all worked hard to ensure our community has remained safe during this time of pandemic, and I am very appreciative of their efforts,” Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said.
“This summer will be especially challenging as we expect another very hot summer. However we recognise how important our open spaces and beaches are to people’s health and well being, and our focus will be on how to keep these spaces open.
“Our plan has been drafted taking account of consultation with key internal and external stakeholders including Waverley Council staff, Councillors, local surf clubs, neighbouring councils and NSW Police.
“It is operational in nature and informed by the Public Health Orders (PHOs) and health advice. It is designed to be flexible and subject to change as public health order restrictions, health advice and circumstances and conditions change.”
Masselos says that groups of more than 20 people at Bondi Beach will be given a move-along order by Rangers, with police called to assist if there are refuses to disperse.
“Again, this is not going to be a normal summer and that is why we are continuing to ask people to follow the current PHOs and maintain social distancing in our public places at all times,” the Mayor added.
“Please, if our beaches or parks look busy, come back another time or use that time to visit our local businesses who need your support. Again, this is not going to be a normal summer, we all need to adapt and do our bit by staying safe when visiting our public places.”
The Australian Hellenic Council and the Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia have condemned Azerbaijan cease-fire violations with Armenia as the two countries suffer 95 casualties after the third day of conflict.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan on Tuesday (local time) reported munitions being fired from the other side across their shared border. The incidents signalled a further escalation of the conflict despite urgent appeals from Russia, the United States and others to halt the fighting.
Azerbaijani forces launched a “massive offensive at the Karabakh frontline’s southern and north-eastern sectors,” Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Monday evening.
An Armenian serviceman fires a cannon towards Azerbaijan positions in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Sipan Gyulumyan/Armenian Defense Ministry Press Service/PAN Photo via AP)
Some 200 troops have been wounded, Armenian Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, officials in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh said that 26 more of their troops were killed on Monday evening, bringing the rebels’ total military casualties to 84.
The overall death toll has now reached 95, with 11 civilians killed since violence broke out on Sunday; nine in Azerbaijan and two on the Armenian side.
We condemn the cease-fire violations by Azerbaijan in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and express full solidarity with the…
The Australian Hellenic Council labelled the aggression in the region as “alarming and unacceptable” as they expressed their support for Armenia.
“We condemn the cease-fire violations by Azerbaijan in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and express full solidarity with the Armenian people,” the Council said on Facebook.
The Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia says the strong support from “Turkey’s dictator and human rights violator Erdogan” has allowed Azerbaijani forces to carry out attacks on innocent civilians for days.
Joint Justice Initiative members. Photo: Supplied
“The repeated Turkish aggression in the world and the denial of responsibility for the genocides of the Armenians, the Assyrians and the Greeks, has led to the continuous humanitarian catastrophes that the world has seen.”
“We call on the Australian Government to condemn these acts and to demand a response from Turkey and to defend human rights.”
The worst violence in the region since 2016 has raised the prospect of a new war in an area that has been simmering for decades.
Turkey fuelling fire
Tensions were increased on Monday when Armenia claimed an F-16 fighter jet belonging to Azerbaijan’s close ally Turkey had shot down one of its warplanes over Armenian airspace, killing the pilot.
Armenia provided no evidence of the incident. Turkey and Azerbaijan called the claim “absolutely untrue”.
According to the German press, Turkey will soon be sending Syrian fighters to help Azerbaijan in their conflict against Armenia. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) claims, “there are increasing indications that Turkey is also providing military assistance to Azerbaijan.”
The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been running its own affairs with support from Armenia.(ABC News: Jarrod Fankhauser)
The claims were supported by the Armenian ambassador to Russia, who said Turkey had sent around 4,000 fighters from the territory of northern Syria to Azerbaijan.
Two Syrian fighters also told Reuters that Ankara was sending fighters from rebel groups it had allied with in northern Syria to support Azerbaijan.
Turkey has denied all Syrian fighter deployment reports, saying the allegations were part of Armenia’s efforts to create a “black” Turkey.
World number six Stefanos Tsitsipas clawed his way back from two sets down to beat little-known Jaume Munar 4-6 2-6 6-1 6-4 6-4 and survive a French Open first round scare on Tuesday.
Tsitsipas, a losing finalist in Hamburg on Sunday, looked to be cruising through the first set after breaking the Spanish clay court specialist at the start to go 3-1 up.
But his lead eroded as did his concentration and Munar countered the Greek’s power with some superb baseline winners to race back and win the first set 6-4.
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – September 29, 2020 Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts during his first round match against Spain’s Jaume Munar REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Fifth-seed Tsitsipas, who lost in his first game at the Italian Open earlier this month, started crumbling under pressure, littering the court with dozens of unforced errors.
Trailing by two sets Tsitsipas buckled down, cutting back his mistakes and playing on his opponent’s weaker backhand.
He pulled a set back when Munar pushed a backhand into the net and kept up the pressure to level.
The pair traded blows in the fifth before Tsitsipas bagged a key break when Munar sent a forehand long.
The 22-year-old then finished off the contest with his first match point to win the battle after three hours and 12 minutes, another forehand error by the Spaniard handing him victory.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed gratitude on Tuesday saying relations between the United States and Greece are “at an all time high and getting stronger.”
Speaking from the Souda Bay military base on the island of Crete, on the second day of a five-day regional tour, Pompeo encouraged Greece to pursue talks with Turkey over the East Med standoff.
“Today I’m in Crete to showcase one of America’s strongest military relationships throughout all of Europe,” Pompeo said. “We, the Americans, look to Greece as a true pillar for stability and prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean, and we’re incredibly proud to support its leadership.”
Greece has been looking to the U.S. and the European Union for support in its dispute with neighboring Turkey, which it accuses of encroaching on its sovereign rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan visit the Jewish Museum in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, Pool)
Last month Turkey sent a research vessel, accompanied by warships, to prospect for energy resources in an area Greece claims is on its own continental shelf and where it claims exclusive economic rights. Athens sent warships of its own to the area, and put its armed forces on alert. The dispute has led to fears of open conflict.
EU leaders are to discuss potentially imposing sanctions on Turkey for its actions later this week.
But tension has eased somewhat recently, with Athens and Ankara announcing they will restart an ongoing process of exploratory talks. Technical discussions on a military level have also been taking place at NATO for the avoidance of a military accident, such as the collision in August of warships from the two sides, which reportedly caused minor damage to a Turkish frigate and no injuries on either side.
“We strongly support dialogue between NATO allies Greece and Turkey and encourage them to resume discussion of these issues as soon as possible,” Pompeo said in brief statements after meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to officers during his visit with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the Naval Support Activity base at Souda, Crete, Greece September 29, 2020. Aris Messinis/Pool via REUTERS
“I spoke with (NATO) Secretary-General (Jens) Stoltenberg just two days ago on the progress being made at NATO. And we hope that these talks can continue in a serious way.”
Amid the tension with Turkey, Greece has announced major arms purchases, including fighter jets from France, as well as warships, helicopters and weapons systems.
“In the Mediterranean, there should be no waves caused by threats and rivalry. It is a sea of strategic importance, also for the United States,” Mitsotakis said.
“It is also a key region for global stability. I was pleased to see that Mr. Pompeo shares our positions, understanding that tension between two members of NATO ultimately is not in anyone’s interest,” he added.
The two did not take any questions from the media after their brief remarks.
At the age of 57, Mark Koussas is more active than most. When he’s not going for walks with his lovely wife Faye, he’s surfing the waves at the local beach.
Flash back to the early 1980’s, and you could find Mark not only playing for Sydney Olympic in the then-National Soccer League, but he also made two international appearances for the Socceroos and was awarded the Adidas Golden Boot after scoring four goals in the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
It’s for these reasons that many will be shocked to learn that just last week, Mark underwent a triple heart bypass on three arteries which doctors told him were 90 percent blocked.
He was diagnosed with heart disease – a condition which affects the normal functioning of the heart and represents one in five of all deaths in Australia.
Mark also played for the Pontian Eagles FC. He’s on the left in the middle row.
Mark during the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship. Photos: Andrew Paschalidis.
In fact, The Heart Foundation also states that 46 percent more men are hospitalised due to the disease than women. This is a statistic which Mark never believed he would relate to until one day when he was on a walk and he began to feel a burning sensation in his chest.
“Mark had a back operation about ten weeks ago and didn’t do any physical activity until recently, when he thought he’d start going for walks again. That’s when he noticed he was getting a reflux sensation in his chest,” Faye Koussas, Mark’s wife, tells The Greek Herald.
“But then three weeks ago, we went for a gentle walk to the local park and he had to come back within five minutes. This time he felt heaviness in his armpits and his chest pain was worse.”
It was at this moment that Faye says Mark ‘realised the warning signs’ of heart disease and ‘acted very quickly.’
“Mark went to the cardiologist to get an ultrasound for his heart and the cardiologist told him his heart looked good, but he needed to do an angiogram as well,” Faye says.
Mark and his wife Faye are very active. It was during one of their walks that Mark experienced a burning sensation near his heart.
“He did the angiogram and the cardiologist realised Mark’s arteries were more than 90 percent blocked. So they decided to do a triple bypass. It all happened really fast and he didn’t get a chance to think about it.”
The surgery went well even if it was intrusive. Mark had to undergo three grafts from his left arm, right leg and groin. But unfortunately, in post-surgery recovery, Mark contracted a bladder infection from the catheter removal.
“Within 24 hours, he just went downhill. He had contracted a bladder infection which had gone into his bloodstream. His haemoglobin was low and it couldn’t fight the infection. So they decided to do a blood transfusion until eventually, his condition improved,” Faye explains.
Whilst this was a scary turn of events, Faye says Mark still considers himself lucky because his heart hasn’t been damaged.
“Everyone’s telling us that he’ll feel like a new person after this. We’ll be surfing by Christmas!” Faye jokes.
Mark, who’s still recovering from his ordeal and found it difficult to talk during the interview, laughs quietly in the background and adds some serious words of advice.
“I was the last person to think that I would’ve experienced something like this given I’ve been fairly fit all my life,” Mark tells The Greek Herald.
“So if you notice anything that’s not normal, don’t wait for the next day or a week later. Get it sorted out straight away. I’m fortunate I had a strong heart and it managed to put up with some of the damage, but I didn’t know for how much longer it would.
“Time’s not on your side when things start going wrong so get tested sooner rather than later.”
A powerful message on World Heart Day today from a very active and otherwise healthy man, who many would say is the last person they’d expect to undergo a triple bypass.
People arriving in Australia could be allowed to quarantine at home under a proposal health experts are considering.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee is considering whether people coming from “safe” countries could isolate at home.
“I think home quarantine can play a role in the future and it’s something that is being considered by the AHPPC, particularly as we move beyond the phase we’re in now,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
“We do look… to have our borders open up at some point to safe locations, whether it be New Zealand or parts of the Pacific, or places like South Korea or Japan, or countries that have had a much higher rate of success, then there are opportunities to look at those alternative methods.”
Two weeks hotel quarantine is mandatory for overseas arrivals and some domestic travellers entering states and territories with closed borders.
The ACT is an exception, with people allowed to spend their stints at home.
Mr Morrison noted “many” countries allow at-home quarantine for people coming in from lower-risk areas, citing Denmark and Greece as examples.
Hong Kong and Japan are also considering relaxing their travel restrictions for numerous lower-risk countries, including Australia.
“When it comes in, that will obviously be determined principally by the health advice that can provide a green light to those sorts of options,” Mr Morrison said.
“But I’m hopeful it’s something we can move to.”
In the early stages of the pandemic, people arriving in Australia quarantined at home until hotel systems were established.
Mr Morrison said the Chinese-Australian community following home quarantine rules was “vital” to the nation’s success in managing the first virus wave.
Mr Morrison was also asked whether he took any responsibility for giving states a short period of time to get the hotel quarantine program up and running in March.
“It was actually the states and territories that were most urgent in moving forward and they made the recommendation to move so quickly to establish hotel quarantine and we supported that,” he said.
“That was a genuine decision then by the National Cabinet at the initiation of the states and territories to move as quickly as they did.
“I welcomed the fact that they were so keen to move so quickly and get those quarantine arrangements in place.”
Mr Morrison said Victoria’s hotel quarantine bungle was a “great shame” for the state, noting their experience was “quite different” to the rest of the country.
More than 70 students from the Greek School of Canberra, aged from five to sixteen, along with their teachers, had the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the Embassy of Greece over two days last week and meet with the Ambassador of Greece to Australia, Georges Papakostas.
“The Ambassador, His Excellency Georges Papacostas, was kind enough to host the kids, for a tour of the embassy premises and gift them with a book about Greece as well as a map of the country. He also challenged the kids to locate on the map the part of Greece that their families originate from.
“The Ambassador and the teachers gave the students a historical insight on the artefacts in the Embassy, from the head of Poseidon to a model of an ancient Greek battle ship – which was a favourite among the kids. We then discussed about the Greek flag and the story behind it and Mr Papacostas spoke about the beautiful sites of Greece.
“It was a great two days and the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra as well as the parents of the Greek School, greatly appreciate the Ambassador’s time and effort. A special thanks goes to Gizmos Cafe, that provided all the dinners for the kids – they heard of what we were doing and were all too happy to support,” Principal of the Greek School and President of The Greek Orthodox Community of Canberra, John Loukadellis, told The Greek Herald.
“The Embassy is a large building and home to numerous replicas of archaeological artefacts. As the ‘OXI Day’ 80thAnniversary is fast approaching, we thought this visit would be a great opportunity for the kids to further connect with their history and culture,” Greek School of Canberra Lead Teacher, Anastasia Constantine, said.
“The younger ones were impressed by the duplicate of a ‘triiris’ and the older ones with the help of the Ambassador -who made sure to spend time with each and one of the kids- enjoyed locating their ancestral towns on the map.
“We are grateful for the support of the parents and the wider Community. We are all united with the common goal to pass on the Greek spirit and the love for our language, culture and religion to our younger Greeks,” concluded Ms Constantine.
Over the weekend, Manningham police in Victoria worked together with members of the St Haralambos Greek Orthodox Parish in Templestowe to respond to an emergency incident involving a member of the local Greek community.
According to a statement on Facebook by Manningham Police, police were called to a home in Doncaster on Friday evening to assist paramedics tend to an elderly Greek person.
Following the resolution of the incident, Manningham police contacted Father Elias Kentrotis at St Haralambos to assist in providing welfare support and pastoral care to the family and patient.
Manningham police were proud to work with members of the St Haralambos Greek Orthodox Parish in Templestowe over the…
On Monday morning, police attended St Haralambos to thank Father Kentrotis for his assistance.
“While there, police discussed how they could assist with other church initiatives such as the Church Youth Group,” the Facebook statement reads.
“This was a fantastic example of emergency services working with the community, and we’re looking forward to working with St Haralambos in the future.”
In a press release The Greek Herald received today by The Capital Group, it has been announced that the Order of AHEPA NSW Inc has entered voluntary administration. This is sad state of affairs for all involved and ultimately, both parties will be impacted negatively and this is nothing more than a cost to the Greek Australian community.
Greek Community Association, The Order of AHEPA NSW Inc has appointed Michael Hird and Alan Walker of Cor Cordis as Administrators to recover approximately $3.5 million owed to creditors.
The amount owed relates primarily to legal and consulting fees connected to longstanding internal corporate governance issues and a proposal to redevelop the Bexley Bowling Club.
The Bexley Bowling Club proposal sharply divided members of the Association and exacerbated historical differences amongst members concerning membership and constitutional issues.
The Supreme Court of NSW has dealt with the Associations governance issues on no less than three occasions in recent times with the NSW Court of Appeal finally determining the issues on 26 August 2020.
Draft orders were made by the NSW Court of Appeal and have yet to be finalised.
Cor Cordis Director, Michael Hird, said the aim of the Administration was to maximise the return to creditors and to preserve, as much as possible, the Association’s assets.
He will also assist the Association to implement changes that may be ordered by the NSW Court of Appeal that may enable the Association to return their efforts to the admirable objectives of their charter.
“Our intention is to reach an amicable, fair and productive outcome for the Association which has a rich history having been first established in Australia in 1934.”
The next report to creditors is planned to be finalised on 8 October 2020, with a second meeting to follow. Creditors will be advised in due course.
