General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The tradition of serving free Thanksgiving meals began in 1977 for Greek immigrants Theo and Stacy Skartsiaris at their eponymous restaurant Theo and Stacy’s in downtown Kalamazoo, according to their website. The family business soon grew to three locations in Michigan. Though Theo Skartsiaris passed away in 1994, his wife Stacy, 72, and the rest of the family who joined the business keep up the tradition.
She said, “We don’t ask any questions. It’s not necessary to be homeless. A lot of times people around the holidays, they’re very lonely, and they like to be around other people,” mlive.com reported.
Her late husband saw a man eating out of the garbage and was inspired to start the tradition for Thanksgiving. “We’re blessed we can do it,” Mrs. Skartsiaris said, mlive.com reported, adding that the “family hosts the meal to give back to the community that has supported the restaurant throughout the year.”
Over 800 pounds of food including turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, gravy, and stuffing were cooked for the meal, according to mlive.com.
Many have attended the meal annually for years, including Margaret Branson, who has been through “hard times and good times, but no matter what Skartsiaris has welcomed her,” mlive.com reported, adding that with tears in her eyes, she said, “I’m grateful today. I’m grateful that God has given me a breath to breathe this morning. I am grateful to be so blessed.”
Skartsiaris’ daughters, Betty Peristeridis and Joanna French, are also co-owners of Theo and Stacy’s downtown and Peristeridis greeted the people as they entered and offered hats, gloves, and scarves, to those on their way out of the restaurant as well, mlive.com reported.
When an anonymous donor offered a financial contribution to Skartsiaris to help pay for the Thanksgiving meal, she told them she would not use the money to buy food, but for “over 500 gloves, hats, and scarves for children and adults,” mlive.com reported, adding that Skartsiaris “never accepts donations for the meal because the food is her family’s gift to the community.”
“I never pay attention to how much it costs. It is what it is. Everything is not about money,” she said, mlive.com reported.
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst.
NICOSIA - A meeting between the ministers of energy for Cyprus and Israel - George Papanastasiou and Eli Cohen - led to an agreement that the countries would make an underwater electric cable link a top priority, linking them to Europe.
LONDON (AP) — The British Museum on Thursday appointed National Portrait Gallery chief Nicholas Cullinan as its new director, as the 265-year-old institution grapples with the apparent theft of hundreds of artifacts and growing international scrutiny of its collection.
ATHENS - The European Union needs to get involved in the case of the two-year jail sentence given ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri who was elected Mayor of the seaside town of Himare and said the trial was a farce to get him and protect Prime Minister Edi Rama’s business friends.
Brace yourself for what could be another scorching summer in Greece as scientists are anxious that a warm winter - the warmest January recorded - and climate change will continue to bring weather anomalies.