ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΗ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΕΙ
By Nick Stamatakis
If the measure of a successful leader in our community is “they are all the same,” then Andriotis was as “successful” in self-serving, corruption, and arrogance as the late Galatoulas (did you notice that nobody mentions his name anymore?), Karloutsos and the rest.
But if Andriotis – as his false praises say – accomplished something in regards to the School of Saint Demetrios of Astoria, the only Greek American high school in the country, then those who so undeservedly praise him have to acknowledge at least these FACTS:
- The school was established by an enlightened educator, Demosthenes Triantafyllou, whom Andriotis “thanked” by kicking him out at the height of Triantafyllou’s success in 1982 – just a few years after the school was established. Had Andriotis not been the corrupt manipulator he was, suffering simultaneously from a vast inferiority complex, Triantafyllou would have founded a Greek university in New York. I know because I have seen and briefly wrote about his plans and proposals.
- But even if we, for the sake of argument, accept that he accomplished something with the School, this accomplishment was all erased when, in 2019, he refused to permit two exceptional students to re-enroll in the school – the children of one of his political opponents!! The fact that he, a person who supposedly cared about “paideia”, resorted to attacking children will stain his memory forever and there is no way for the so-called “journalists” (who always praised him for their selfish reasons but NEVER reported his countless wrongdoings) to correct it. There is no excuse or forgiveness for such a heinous act by someone who supposedly “cared” for the school and its students.
- These same “journalists” published articles recently, as Andriotis came close to departing this vain world, trying to rewrite his legacy by reporting about Andriotis’s donations to Nisyros, his home island. They ignored the harm and pain he inflicted on teachers, parents, students, Parish Council members, and the St. Demetrios Clergy. Andriotis enriched himself at the expense of the Community, and he felt no need to pay reparations for the harm he caused. (In parenthesis, we were – and are – hoping that he would leave a significant part of his inheritance to the School: this would be an excellent way to wash his heavily blemished past.)
- Case in point: Andriotis was the main reason the Parish was delayed in constructing the building across the street from the Church (when construction costs were $1.5 million), but now the Community is forced to incur $8 million to complete the building. This is the price of Andriotis’s hubris.
Andriotis’s figure, even from the grave, will forever personify the worst aspects of Hellenism, the worst traits of our ethnicity, in the same ways that Galatoulas’s memory does – and this is why nobody wants to remember him. And in the same way that Karloutsos’ memory will embody what is not right with our church and community in time.
PS. If you want to know the truth, enter Andriotis’ name in English or Greek in Helleniscope’s search button.
PS2. Instead of flowers, the deceased’s family requested donations to the “Tuition Assistance Program,” a fund created by Andriotis and controlled only by Andriotis himself. To the best of our knowledge, for the past 3-4 years, no money came from this fund for tuition assistance. Instead, the school itself paid any “tuition assistance.” Even when AB Elpidophoros shamelessly asked for “tuition assistance” for his niece, the school ended up providing it.
September 5, 2023, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
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Ανάξιοι έπαινοι και ψέματα ΔΕΝ τιμούν τη μνήμη του Ανδριώτη
Του Νίκου Σταματάκη
Αν το μέτρο ενός επιτυχημένου ηγέτη στην κοινότητά μας είναι το «όλοι ίδιοι είναι», τότε ο Ανδριώτης ήταν το ίδιο «επιτυχημένος» στην αuτοεξυπηρέτηση, τη διαφθορά και την αλαζονεία του όπως ο αείμνηστος Γαλάτουλας (προσέξατε ότι κανείς δεν αναφέρει το όνομά του πια;), ο Καρλούτσος και οι υπόλοιποι.
Αν όμως ο Ανδριώτης – όπως λένε οι ψεύτικοι έπαινοι του – πέτυχε κάτι σε σχέση με το Σχολείο του Αγίου Δημητρίου της Αστόρια, το μοναδικό ελληνοαμερικανικό λύκειο στην Αμερική, τότε όσοι τον επαινούν τόσο άδικα πρέπει να αναγνωρίσουν τουλάχιστον τα παρακάτω ΓΕΓΟΝΟΤΑ:
- Το σχολείο ιδρύθηκε από έναν φωτισμένο παιδαγωγό, τον Δημοσθένη Τριανταφύλλου, τον οποίο ο Ανδριώτης «ευχαρίστησε» διώχνοντάς τον στο απόγειο της επιτυχίας του Τριανταφύλλου το 1982 – λίγα μόλις χρόνια μετά την ίδρυση του σχολείου. Αν ο Ανδριώτης δεν ήταν ο διεφθαρμένος χαρακτήρας που ήταν, που έπασχε ταυτόχρονα από ένα τεράστιο σύμπλεγμα κατωτερότητας, ο Τριανταφύλλου θα είχε ιδρύσει ένα ελληνικό πανεπιστήμιο στη Νέα Υόρκη. Το ξέρω γιατί έχω δει και έγραψα εν συντομία τα σχέδια και τις προτάσεις του.
- Αλλά ακόμα κι αν, λόγου χάριν, δεχθούμε ότι πέτυχε κάτι με το Σχολείο, αυτό το επίτευγμα διαγράφηκε όταν, το 2019, αρνήθηκε να επιτρέψει σε δύο εξαιρετικούς μαθητές του Αγ.Δημητρίου να επανεγγραφούν στο σχολείο, επειδή ήταν παιδιά ενός πολιτικού του αντιπάλου!! Το γεγονός ότι ένας άνθρωπος που δήθεν νοιαζόταν για την «παιδεία», κατέληξε να επιτίθεται σε παιδιά, θα λερώσει τη μνήμη του για πάντα και δεν υπάρχει τρόπος να το διορθώσουν οι δήθεν «δημοσιογράφοι» (που πάντα τον επαινούσαν για δικούς τους λόγους αλλά ΠΟΤΕ δεν ανέφεραν τα αμέτρητα λάθη και τις ατιμίες του). Δεν υπάρχει καμία δικαιολογία – ούτε φυσικά συγχώρεση – για μια τέτοια αποτρόπαια πράξη από κάποιον που υποτίθεται ότι «νοιαζόταν» για το σχολείο και τους μαθητές του.
- Αυτοί οι ίδιοι «δημοσιογράφοι» δημοσίευσαν άρθρα καθώς ο Ανδριώτης ετοιμαζόταν να φύγει από τον μάταιο τούτο κόσμο, προσπαθώντας να ξαναγράψουν την κληρονομιά του και κάνοντας αναφορές για τις δωρεές του Ανδριώτη στη Νίσυρο, το νησί που γεννήθηκε. Αγνόησαν τη ζημιά και τον πόνο που προκάλεσε σε δασκάλους, γονείς, μαθητές, μέλη του Ενοριακού Συμβουλίου και τον Κλήρο του Αγίου Δημητρίου. Ο Ανδριώτης πλούτισε σε βάρος της Κοινότητας και δεν ένιωσε ποτέ ανάγκη να πληρώσει αποζημιώσεις για το κακό που προκάλεσε. (Σε παρένθεση, ελπίζαμε – και ελπίζουμε – ότι θα άφηνε ένα σημαντικό μέρος της περιουσίας του στη Σχολή: αυτός θα ήταν ένας εξαιρετικός τρόπος για να ξεπλύνει το βαριά κηλιδωμένο παρελθόν του.)
- Παράδειγμα: Ο Ανδριώτης ήταν ο κύριος λόγος που η Ενορία καθυστέρησε να κατασκευάσει το κτίριο απέναντι από την Εκκλησία (όταν το κόστος κατασκευής ήταν $1,5 εκατομμύριο), αλλά τώρα η Κοινότητα αναγκάζεται να πληρώσει $8 εκατομμύρια για να ολοκληρώσει το κτίριο. Αυτό είναι το τίμημα της αλαζονείας του Ανδριώτη.
Η φιγούρα του Ανδριώτη, ακόμα και από τον τάφο, θα προσωποποιεί για πάντα τις χειρότερες πτυχές του ελληνισμού, τα χειρότερα γνωρίσματα της εθνότητάς μας, με τον ίδιο τρόπο που το κάνει η μνήμη του Γαλάτουλα – και γι’ αυτό κανείς δεν θέλει να τον θυμάται. Και με τον ίδιο τρόπο που η μνήμη του Καρλούτσου θα ενσαρκώσει σε κάποια χρόνια όλα όσα δεν είναι σωστό με την εκκλησία και την κοινότητά μας.
ΥΓ. Αν θέλετε να μάθετε όλη την αλήθεια, γράψτε το όνομα του Ανδριώτη στα αγγλικά ή στα ελληνικά στο κουμπί αναζήτησης του Helleniscope.
ΥΓ2. Αντί για λουλούδια, η οικογένεια του εκλιπόντος ζήτησε δωρεές στο «Πρόγραμμα Βοήθειας Διδάκτρων» (Tuition assistance), ένα ταμείο που δημιουργήθηκε από τον Ανδριώτη και ελέγχεται μόνο από τον ίδιο τον Ανδριώτη. Εξ όσων γνωρίζουμε, τα τελευταία 3-4 χρόνια δεν δόθηκαν χρήματα από αυτό το ταμείο για βοήθεια στα δίδακτρα κάποιου μαθητή. Αντίθετα, το ίδιο το σχολείο πλήρωνε οποιαδήποτε «βοήθεια για τα δίδακτρα». Ακόμα και όταν ο Αρχ. Ελπιδοφόρος ξεδιάντροπα ζήτησε «βοήθεια για τα δίδακτρα» για την ανιψιά του, το σχολείο κατέληξε να τη δώσει ως “εκπτωση”.
September 5, 2023, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
All of humanity is depraved. Hope in Christ. We are polluted.
“ PS2. Instead of flowers, the deceased’s family requested donations to the “Tuition Assistance Program,” a fund created by Andriotis and controlled only by Andriotis himself. To the best of our knowledge, for the past 3-4 years, no money came from this fund for tuition assistance. Instead, the school itself paid any “tuition assistance.”
In 2000, the community of St. Demetrios honored him with the Odysseus Award in recognition of his valuable services to it and, especially, to its school system.
The message that Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos of Blessed memory had sent at that time for the event’s commemorative journal is typical. He wrote: “My dears, this message is not written [merely] for the Journal. Indeed, it is written with a happy pen, which jumps with joy for Nikos Andriotis. A vibrant, very lively man. He [doesn’t get much sleep. He is always awake, and always dreaming. He doesn’t need the night to give him dreams. Nisyros the dream-maker gives them to him. Astoria fills the dark sky of his impatience with golden stars. That’s why he doesn’t walk –he runs. He sees the river before him always, and the sea. He does not believe in the ‘cliff in front and stream in back.’ When the stream doesn’t go his way, he moves it. He doesn’t like standing water. He constantly stirs things up – with grand designs. He is ambitious, but what he considers his glory is a successful endeavor, the moving of mountains that block his way. He is impetuous like the wild wind. When his struggles [are over], only then does he calm down. As you can see I am not praising him, I am describing him – as he himself would. But he has no choice. If he didn’t [work] he would explode… Only, when I call him ‘president of presidents’ does he quiet down, perhaps, because I am summarizing him with this title. He was indeed a president, always on top of the scaffolding, climbing towards action, mobilizing and finishing the project. What is my message? I want you to always keep him at the forefront of creative work. As he is: With all his enthusiasms and his outbursts. That is why I am honoring him today with you. He deserves. Nika, Niko! – Win Niko!”
The year the parish honored him with the Odysseus Award Andriotis donated $100,000 to establish the Nick A. Andriotis Assistance Fund for children with financial needs.
Andriotis also supervised the building of the GREEK CULTURAL CENTER of GOA in Crescent str in Astoria and while inspecting it he slipped, hit his head and was hospitalized for many days.As its director he made sure ,worthy performances came to it.He also supported Cosmos greek radio that broadcasts on weekends.
The building across of St Demetrios had problems with the elevator, had delays and that ‘s why it went over budget. It is beautiful and when it opens it will be an asset to the Greek community of Astoria.
Last month the mayor of Nissyros declared Nick Andriotis GREAT BENEFACTOR OF NISSYROS for his 2 million € donation for the completion of the renowned SPA of Nissyros with its healing springs from the island’s volcano
The fact that the mafioso Andriotis is praised by those who had financial interest to praise him – including Iakovos (yes he too had interest to praise him) doesn’t change that:
– he acted like the mafioso that he was all the 45 yrs that he “served”, sorry the wort here is “milked” the parish.
– Only he could handle counting the cash from the candles.
– he sold the Tambakis building in Wantagh at the same price it had at the time of the donation, 4 yrs later in a hot market after Alma did a few hundred thousands of renovations!
– before that he had sold another property (st rafael) when he shouldn’t have.
– he kicked out not only Triantsfyllou but tens of others who could have offerred a lot to the parish. Basically whoever had a better education than his 6th grade he was kicked out by him.
– Topping it all off was kicking out the kids of his opponent.
-he depended on blind people like you who closed their eyes in fro t of his crimes.
My grandmother used to say “good riddance to bad trash.”
He stole millions and “donated” back a fraction. Δοξάστε τον!
They should seriously consider taking his name off the building at St Catherine in Astoria.