It is not common to witness the commencement of a journalistic achievement, to experience both the thrill of the forecast of success, and soon, appreciation for the venture from the Community and the response from the readership.

The former publisher/editor and current consultant Antonis H. Diamataris, at a time when there were no websites, estimated that the new generations of Greek-Americans preferred English in any news publication they would subscribe to. And this – he thought – surely includes the news from their ancestral homeland.

There was already a News Letter in English folded into the weekend Ethnikos Kirix. It was a kind of forerunner of what was to come. Next to Mr. Diamataris were two of his close associates, Theodoros Kalmoukos and Harilaos Daskalothanassis. They embraced the venture and gave it their best.

Personally, I was a younger staffer at the newspaper, with fewer years of experience, but also with the very serious task of informing the Greek Omogenia at that time. I did not take part in the project except with individual articles, however, I witnessed the project progress over time, continually improving – and that made me happy. It kept generations of Greek-Americans excited and united around a printed newspaper they could better understand and which helped them feel a connection to their ancestral homeland.

The realization and 25-year duration of the English-language edition of The National Herald proves that it was an inspired decision.

I wish it the best to continue for decades, something I am sure will be the case as Ms. Vanessa Diamataris took over the English edition’s steering wheel from her father – and I look forward to enjoying it from afar, deep into old age, from the comfort of my sofa. Because the English-speaking National Herald is a very good habit for everyone – like one’s morning coffee.