Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Paraskevi “Voula” Harakas Copses Voula Harakas Copses passed away peacefully on March 24 Voula was born on Christmas Day of 1932 in Karyes As the oldest child and only daughter of Fotini Diamadouros and Konstantine N Her family lived through the burning of parts of their village during the WWII occupation of Greece and they endured the impoverished conditions of its unsteady aftermath and service that stayed with her all her life “Saint Voula,” amongst friends and family Voula’s family immigrated to America Although she completed high school in Tripoli she rose to the challenge of attending and graduating from Greenville High School while simultaneously learning English Not only did she learn the English language but recently shared with her children that she also played on the GHS girls basketball team She took a job at Thompson Handkerchief in Accounting which was fitting for her as the daughter of a tailor and which fostered her lifelong interest in sewing Voula was reintroduced to her future husband at a Greek wedding Pano (Pete) Copses was also born in Karyes but had immigrated with his brother Bill Copses to Toronto Pete and Voula married in 1957 and eventually settled in Spartanburg They soon partnered with the Stathakis family to open the Sugar ‘n Spice Voula contributed her talents as a Greek pastry chef and as a math whiz keeping the books for decades at “The Spice.” Voula is survived by her husband of 68 years as well as Voula’s closest friend and sister-in-law Voula was a devoted “Yiayia” to her three grandchildren Parras Black (Ray) perfectly represented by her legendary loukoumades and pastries and nephews in Greece and America as well as the many adoptive friends-turned-family whom she welcomed into her home for countless meals over the years “Thea Voula” was a tireless hostess never blinking at the idea of inviting 40-50 people for Christmas or Easter celebrations She showed her love so tangibly by preparing her “tiropites,” her garden-grown “vlita” greens Anyone sitting at her table understood Voula’s culinary artistry “Kali orexi” (Bon Appetit!) was her love language and her pursuit of excellence Voula’s talents and heart for service extended seamlessly into her church family She was a devout and faithful member of St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Spartanburg since 1961 serving on the Ladies Philoptochos Society including holding the position of Treasurer She was also very active in the many successful Greek Festivals she was active in the Karyes Adelphotis Society Visitation for friends and family will be at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm with a Trisagion prayer service at 7:30 pm Funeral service will be at 12 O’clock noon SC 29303 followed by interment at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens Our family wants to thank all the caregivers from Spartanburg Regional Hospice and Summit Hills Memory Care who were with us until her last breath Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Memorial Fund Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors — A local vegan and vegetarian staple is set to move its location to the North Winton Village neighborhood later this year Voula’s Greek Sweets has been at its location on Monroe Avenue for 14 years. The business announced on Facebook that its new space will have its own parking lot There’s no date yet for when Voula’s will move but the owner says it will remain at the Monroe Avenue location at least through August there will be new menu items and the restaurant will be only a mile away from its new coffee shop “Thanks always for your continued support Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Richard Reingold at rreingold@whec.com or 585-546-1701 On the occasion of the dour anniversary “To Vima” on Monday published several testimonies of eyewitnesses of the Marfin attack The protest follows the government’s announcement that AI will be used in courts for automatic translation of legal documents, interpretation and transcription of foreign witness testimonies, and voice-to-text recording of oral court proceedings Later reaction by PM, as the incident comes a few days after masked suspects beat an individual and interrupted an event at the Athens Law School This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2024 at 6:14 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Voula Zargos was last seen dropping a relative off at Middlebrook School​ in Wilton on Dec (Wilton Police Department)SILVER ALERT CANCELLED: The missing person has been located and is safe CT — The Wilton Police Department is asking for the public's assistance with a search for a missing Bridgeport resident She was last seen dropping a relative off at Middlebrook School in Wilton on Dec Traffic surveillance data indicates the car was in Croton-on-Hudson Police urge anyone with more information to contact them at 203-834-6260 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A woman was found dead on Saturday morning outside a remote cave near the cemetery in Voula The area was cordoned off by police and firefighters to retrieve the body Authorities are investigating all possible circumstances surrounding her death and are gathering statements related to the case No further information is available at this time Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox We are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Voula 2025Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Cathedral136 Sorauren Avenue Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates Update: Wilton police have called off the Silver Alert for Voula Zargos after she was found safely Authorities did not disclose where she was found or why she had been gone for multiple days Voula Zargos was reported missing on Monday Her car was last spotted in Croton-on-Hudson Original: Authorities are urgently searching for a missing 77-year-old Connecticut woman who was last seen in Fairfield County before her vehicle turned up miles away in New York described as 5-foot 3-inches tall and weighing 180 pounds disappeared after dropping off a family member at Middlebrook School in Wilton on Monday evening around 5:30 p.m license plate readers detected Zargos's green 2012 Honda CRV Police have issued a Silver Alert to get the public involved in the search for her The Wilton Police Department asks anyone with information on Zargos' whereabouts or disappearance to contact investigators at 203-834-6260 Zargos’s family is urging community members to remain vigilant area are particularly encouraged to check their properties A 28-year-old construction worker lost his life after being electrocuted in a workplace accident on Wednesday morning in Voula a crane truck unloading construction materials at an apartment building under construction came into contact with live power lines The crane operator was transported unconscious to the “Asklipieio” Hospital of Voula in a private vehicle despite doctors’ resuscitation efforts (CPR) Greece’s electricity distribution network operator A preliminary investigation into the accident is ongoing Seven workers who were present at the scene have been brought in for questioning while the police are also looking for the contractor A construction worker was left unconscious after being electrocuted on Wednesday morning in Voula The worker was transported to the hospital unconscious by a private vehicle four workers and the construction site supervisor will be questioned regarding the incident She passed away peacefully at the Granite VNA & Hospice of Concord to the late Eleftherios and Olga (Tsaknakas) She graduated from Manchester Central High School in 1950 Voula was noted for her vivacious smile that won her the title of “Miss Sweeny Post” in 1952 She began her working career as a head bookkeeper at Eastern States Plywood and Georgia-Pacific.  She proudly retired after 20 years of service with Deans Carpet as the Office Manager in 1998 She especially loved taking care of her grandchildren  never missing their sports or special events and spending time with all of her family George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Manchester NH Voula is survived by her high school sweet heart and husband of 68 years Ralph Paglierani of Hooksett; her beloved three children; Lynne Morancy and her husband Tom  and Steven Paglierani and his wife Kelly; five grandchildren that proudly called her “Mimi” Michael Morancy and his wife Christina and his stepson Brock Mia and Kaden Paglierani and her step granddaughter Haley Riccio-Gray and her husband Zane.  She leaves behind several nieces She was predeceased by her brother Soterios “Dyna” Zekopoulos and his wife “Vasiliki “Bessie” and two sisters Helen Poulios her husband Stanley A calling hour will take place on Friday, March 31st from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at St. George Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St., Manchester NH with a funeral service to follow at 11:00 AM. Burial will take place at Pine Grove Cemetery, 450 Calef Rd, Manchester, NH. Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium, in Manchester will be assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a message of condolence, see the obituary at www.phaneuf.net.  The song “north star” acknowledges the intertwinement of our lives and with others in moments we share completely and movement we can only share partially: “I’m trying hard not to wake you up / I’m brushing my teeth / the door creaks in the morning / my gums just keep on bleeding” we find ourselves where we need to be – and hopefully they do too “we don’t have to worry / he’s not in our lives anymore” Independent and fueled by love and dedication Donate to fuel us figuratively and literally Mention "☕️" or "coffee" and $5 of your donation will go to a random staff member to keep them energized MYNORTHWEST HISTORY 8:15 AM | Updated: 8:27 am Detail from the 1958 dining room mural by artist Gene Buck BY FELIKS BANEL An old-school diner along the north side of the Ship Canal is still going strong with a distinctive recipe of tasty breakfasts and lunches and a surprisingly devoted national fan base It’s also got a fair amount of local history on the menu which is another great reason to pay a visit to Voula’s Voula’s was founded on Sept She came to Seattle in the 1970s and worked in a few restaurants That’s why she bought what was then called the Offshore Café The café does have something of a national following now but what’s most intriguing about Voula’s is how old-school it still is at its heart it wasn’t that long ago that it was really old school Voula’s started serving breakfast every day at 6 a.m In order to be ready to serve guests at that hour and an employee would have to be at the restaurant by 5 a.m and prepare the other fresh ingredients required to serve all kinds of variations of eggs All Over the Map: Long-lost photo found of mysterious shipwreck passenger That other employee there early every morning in those years was a retired schoolteacher from Alaska named Frances who everyone called “Grandma.”  It was Grandma who helped solve a long-ago problem that came about when a big construction project was underway nearby about 30 years ago began showing up at Voula’s every weekday morning not long after 5 a.m They saw the lights on and could see Voula But it took an hour for the big grill to warm up and Grandma were busy trying to get everything ready that’s when Grandma came up with a solution that involved making a big pot of coffee at 5 a.m and laying in a daily supply of donuts from the old Langendorf Bakery and they’d start demanding stuff,” Nikos told KIRO Newsradio and sit down and wait till Mom has the grill hot And so it was like … just wait till everything’s hot then we’ll take care of you,” Nikos continued They even had a sign explaining the pre-6 a.m A certain radio historian recalled seeing that sign before the pandemic but never actually being up early enough to join in the early morning ritual The history of hungry workers patronizing a restaurant at that location predates the Vlahos family The building was originally a cabinetmaker’s shop run by a guy named Wayne Moore Sikey Vlahos said Moore decided to expand the shop’s footprint and the nature of the business at that location Rose’s was the original setting for Voula’s Built it like a restaurant and had an office space on the other side,” Sikey Vlahos told KIRO Newsradio a gal took over the place and started the restaurant “The reason why it was called Rose’s is because it’s right off of Pasadena Place,” Sikey said naming the not-very street-like street where Voula’s now stands “Rose’s on Pasadena,” in honor of the home of the Rose Bowl The name “Rose’s” is still visible on the miniature version of the Voula’s building seen on a fascinating and very colorful mural on the wall in the main dining room and man-about-town who Sikey Vlahos said was one of the early customers at Rose’s on Pasadena which retains its vibrant colors nearly seven decades on imagines the Ship Canal Bridge about five years before it was actually built while showing the names of several businesses in that neighborhood that were there 65 years ago There are also countless whimsical nods to the neighborhood and other hidden visual delights which could keep the right person occupied for a good half-hour Wayne Moore sold the Vlahos family the building a long time ago and that neighborhood – which is sort of in between the University District and Wallingford – has changed a lot since the sign out front said Rose’s back in the 1950s Routes of racism: Civic decision-making and highways at Wing Luke Museum Nikos Vlahos says the area has also changed a lot since his mom founded Voula’s in the 1980s “You had basically all the boat workers down the street You had a bunch of live-aboard [boat] people You can see the difference in the customer wardrobes whereas now it’s slacks and khakis,” Nikos continued this was basically all dirt parking lots around us so it’s kind of nice to just see buildings and streets,” he said Population density is a good thing for Voula’s The disappearance of that dirt and the rise of all those buildings – the kind of change that gets some Seattleites all riled up these days – is actually a good thing for a business like Voula’s The density coming to the U-District and all along Pacific Avenue between that neighborhood and Fremont means more potential slacked or khakied customers for Voula’s the family is not at the mercy of a landlord eager to cash in and build something new Publicity is also good for Voula’s – especially, said Sikey Vlahos, from a certain bleach-blonde spikey-haired cable TV star named Guy Fieri “We were very fortunate to be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ in 2007 “We got to become really good friends with him and continue to be so,” Sikey said crediting Fieri with creating a new revenue stream for Voula’s “And that catapulted us to a different nationwide stage We’ve done almost 20 [episodes] since then along with a steady stream of locals for going on 40 years Voula’s has also had about 15 years – not counting the pandemic – of a bonus stream of customers visiting from all over North America to sample their famous “Greek Hobo” and other breakfast and lunch delights That kind of fame also means the occasional celebrity and special openings beyond their typical morning and afternoon hours Celebrities have caught wind of Voula’s Like the time when Canadian rapper Drake – the “you used to call me on my cellphone” guy – showed up “[He] came in with his entourage one afternoon,” Sikey said [but] my brother was very familiar with him.” “I opened the door and I knew right away who it was,” Nikos added and we were summoned to open the restaurant” for what was Is this VIP service at Voula’s available to anyone why not consider Voula’s as a location for an upcoming video From their big smiles and the easy laughs as they share stories brothers Nikos and Sikey are clearly enjoying themselves She wasn’t there the day KIRO Newsradio visited and is still close with many of their longtime customers Long-lost photo found of mysterious shipwreck passenger There’s so much news lately of longtime Seattle area establishments closing down for one reason or another so the news from Voula’s – that there is no news – is refreshing they’ve got at least a couple more decades to go in the Voula’s business down under the Ship Canal Bridge on Pasadena Place “We owe everything to our loyal customers,” Sikey said pointing to the past 39 years as well as to the more recent struggles of the pandemic and the outpouring of customer support was huge You can hear Feliks every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle’s Morning News, read more from him here, and subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast here. If you have a story idea or a question about Northwest history, please email Feliks here Follow @https://twitter.com/feliksbanel Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Danielle Collins faces a challenging case at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital Her patient has an aggressive tumour that has doubled in size in two months and without surgery its spread is likely to be fatal Removing it means taking away a part of each of the organs - making this is the most radical surgery that Danielle would consider performing.Her patient is 75-year-old Joan who had an operation to remove a tumour from her bowel 18 months ago Danielle must cut around the tumour mass and also the tube that drains urine from the kidney to the bladder Danielle will work with Consultant Urological Surgeon Voula will attempt to bridge the gap between the bladder and the ureter using an ingenious technique.Consultant Vascular Surgeon Orwa Falah is taking on a case so high risk that 1 in 10 patients don’t survive It’s the complete replacement of the body’s largest artery which supplies all the critical abdominal organs.His patient a condition affecting fewer than 6 in 100,000 people Her aorta has expanded so much that it could burst at any moment Isabel knows only too well the seriousness of her condition Her husband David died after his aorta ruptured five years ago.To try to prolong Isabel’s life Orwa will replace the aorta in three sections he will expose the aorta with an incision from the shoulder blade He must protect critical blood vessels supplying the spinal column since injury to them could result in paralysis Orwa will enter the Golden Hour – the amount of time to reconnect the vital branch arteries that supply the liver kidneys and bowel.The popular medical documentary series is in Scotland for the first time offering a compelling insight into the innovative surgeries taking place in Edinburgh and the Lothians Made by Dragonfly Film and Television Productions for BBC Two the series was commissioned by BBC Factual and BBC Scotland Hides preview environment warning banner on preview pages Select a theme and theme mode and click "Load theme" to load in your theme combination a former 4th-grade teacher at Rhame Elementary School in East Rockaway photographed in front of the school in East Rockaway July 15 has been removed from her class and assigned routine desk work East Rockaway school officials have pulled a top-rated teacher out of her fourth-grade class for the 2014-15 academic year and assigned her to write lesson guides after an investigation cleared her of district allegations that she helped students answer questions on state tests Local officials last fall accused the teacher of boosting students' scores by coaching them on English and math tests given in spring 2012 A state-appointed arbitrator last month dismissed the charges as "not credible" and cited gaps in the district's investigation and supporters now contend the district is punishing her anyway in part because her students consistently score well above district averages highlighting differences between teachers in their performance ratings under the state's new job-evaluation system They also point to the case as exposing flaws in the district's disciplinary and hiring practices Coyle was rated "highly effective," the top designation under the evaluation system described her assignment to nonteaching duties as emotionally devastating "It's a shock to my very being," Coyle said I feel like I'm almost experiencing a death of my career." Get the latest updates on how education is changing in your district By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy is an example of consequences from the emphasis on standardized testing and the evaluation system which is linked to pupils' test results 20 percent of evaluations for classroom teachers in grades four through eight are based on annual improvement in students' state test scores Elementary-age children were called in to testify before state arbitrator Ruth Moscovitch during the four months she investigated the district's accusations adults spoke in support of and against both the teacher and the district's actions concluded that students had confused assistance that Coyle gave during practice tests with actual test sessions when the teacher did not help with answers The arbitrator also noted that the teacher's annual evaluations by East Rockaway administrators had been "uniformly positive." and earns $115,000 annually -- was removed from her class at Rhame Avenue Elementary School on April 29 while the arbitration hearings were underway She was replaced by a teacher who for two consecutive years was rated "developing," which is deemed less than effective according to district records obtained by Newsday A district letter told the parents of students in Coyle's class that the new teacher was "extremely competent." Parents told Newsday that Coyle was strict but inspiring and some questioned her removal from the classroom "I think she's a very good teacher," said Ben Temple His two children -- one going into sixth grade the other into eighth grade -- were in Coyle's classes previously but we need more teachers like that -- tough love," Temple said "I think the district should lighten up and give her some room." a recently retired teacher who spoke on Coyle's behalf at last month's board meeting Newsday obtained details from state and district documents provided by Vincent White the attorney representing Coyle in her effort to regain her classroom job The teacher union represented her as she successfully fought district charges of misconduct and insubordination East Rockaway school superintendent Lisa Ruiz declined last week to discuss the reasons for Coyle's reassignment that the district's investigation is continuing and she also addressed the issue of Coyle's replacement "I don't want to comment on her specific rating but I know her to be very competent," the superintendent said noted that fourth-graders took more than 60 practice tests from January 2012 through April 2012 The arbitrator also noted that the elementary school's principal had endorsed the practice sessions Moscovitch declined to comment on the case The arbitrator's 36-page decision stated that East Rockaway launched its investigation in April 2013 after one of Coyle's fellow teachers overheard two fifth-graders talking about state tests held in spring 2012 whose conversation was recorded by that teacher on his cellphone recounted how Coyle had helped them answer test questions concluded that Coyle had acted improperly and called for a "3020a hearing" -- a legal procedure named after a section of state education law that provides for disciplinary action of tenured teachers Moscovitch conducted six hearings from February to May The arbitrator's report ultimately cited several reasons for dismissing East Rockaway's charges including the fact that students generally said desks were bunched together on the days when Coyle helped them with tests Desks were arranged that way during practice tests leading the arbitrator to conclude that students had confused the former with the latter given the fact that the district's investigation took place more than a year after the alleged misconduct occurred wrote that "it is not credible that the alleged misconduct occurred during the real testing." Ruiz informed Coyle by letter that she would continue in a nonteaching assignment during the 2014-15 school year helping to write lesson guides in the district's curriculum office The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Copyright ©2025 Newsday. All rights reserved. Send help right to the people and causes you care about Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee you need to hit this old-school favorite — and if you’ve been around Welcome to the first in a series celebrating Seattle’s classic restaurants Shiny new restaurants are opening in Seattle at an unprecedented rate, but we tend to only pay attention to our classic greats when it’s too late (hello and goodbye, Bakeman’s) community-centered and timelessly tasty is what we’re after in this series and Voula’s Offshore Cafe is an excellent place to start Voula’s Offshore Cafe: 658 N.E. Northlake Way, Seattle; 206-634-0183, voulasoffshore.com; Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-3 p.m. THE FOOD NETWORK’S Guy Fieri loves it; so does Dale Chihuly, whose glassblowing studio is just a stone’s throw away. Tucked among the boatyards of north Lake Union, Voula’s Offshore Cafe has been making delicious diner classics for more than three decades — omelets and Benedicts A regular old club sandwich here is a total beauty its huge quarters barely held together by toothpicks; the Greek Hobo scramble threatens to overtake its platter A hand-dipped chocolate shake comes with more rich teeth-hurtingly cold goodness in a tin cup is so popular that they go through about 10 gallons a week.) It was just the Offshore Cafe until Voula Vlahos took the place over in 1984 after coming to the United States from Greece; her husband had found work as a tailor at Nordstrom and she was concerned about paying for college for their sons Nikos and Sikey though you’ll certainly still see Voula from time to time but that regulars from the very beginning still come in tidy curtains and framed photos of customers’ boats lend a shipshape feel and a seat on a swivel stool at the shiny faux-wood counter gives a view of the magic happening That copper bowl is used for whisking omelets; the hum of the grill hood soothes frayed nerves Especially once a big plate of excellent food is in front of you Voula’s is a place that makes you feel like everything’s all right but if you show up before official opening time you can come on in and pour yourself a cup of coffee Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser A version of this article was originally published in July 2021 — it has been updated to reflect Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur There is a scene in a documentary about Ange Postecoglou’s life where Postecoglou takes his parents Dimitris (Jim) and Voula to Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum The museum had produced an exhibition titled “Through a Child’s Eyes” which centred on 12 prominent Greek migrants who moved to Australia as children in the 1960s and 70s One of the people in focus was their footballer son As a series of Postecoglou’s childhood photos are projected onto the wall he wryly asks his elderly mother if she can identify the boy sheepishly grinning across the collage who glows with an expression of unbridled happiness and pride There was something understatedly powerful about the moment a reckoning with history coming full circle the fulfilment of the immigrant dream of providing your family with a better life of offering your children their best chance to reach for the stars The documentary was made to celebrate Postecoglou’s life as the manager who won Australia their first-ever Asia Cup in 2015, and it stresses just how radically he, a first-generation immigrant, permanently changed football in that country. Firstly with his record-breaking Brisbane Roar side and then the national team That modernisation and success was the product of immigration But Postecoglou’s achievements did not happen in isolation have time and again been the engine of progress during football’s journey in Australia with their former captain and manager Postecoglou a continuation of their lineage They were named Oceania’s club of the century by the International Football Federation of History and Statistics were renowned as the country’s “glamorous” entertainers and were once managed by one of football’s greatest ever players in Ferenc Puskas — but now they do not even play in the top-flight A-League but his family emigrated to Australia by boat in 1970 when he was five Dimitris had lost his business in the wake of the 1967 fascist coup and they following a tradition of Greek emigration to that corner of south east Australia Melbourne’s Greek population stands at more than 173,000 making it the largest Greek diaspora of any city outside the motherland and Cyprus The first recorded Greek-Australians were pirates sent to Antipodes (Australia’s British-colonial name) in the early 19th century after sentencing by the British naval courts Free Greeks began to emigrate there of their own volition soon after Greeks continued to emigrate to Australia well into the 20th century and these early communities established a flourishing diaspora that included restaurants South Melbourne Hellas were founded in 1959, with its origin an amalgamation of three clubs; South Melbourne United, Hellenic and Yarra Park. Hellenic, as implied by the name, were Greek-backed, with the merger the idea of that club’s president Theo Marmaras. There was another figure involved in its founding, however: Georgios Samaras — grandfather of the future Celtic forward of the same name Roy Hay is an Australian football historian and author of A History Of Football In Australia: A Game Of Two Halves “South Melbourne set themselves to be the Greek club in Melbourne and unite the different groups of Greeks who arrived here,” Hay tells The Athletic “You have to look below the national level to understand most migrant clubs but within there were all sorts of regional A bombardment of xenophobia was directed towards football as the sport of immigrants while cricket and Australian rules football were the country’s traditional sports South Melbourne’s ground within the city’s lush Albert Park was met by an aggressive backlash despite cricket and Aussie Rules having their own enclosed spaces inside Albert Park “There has always been an anti-immigrant strain in Australian society,” says Hay “with each batch of newcomers being the target Yet it seems the majority of Australians are still descendants of immigrants To understand this you have to look at what was happening in the wider Australian society when there was a backlash against multiculturalism under the (John) Howard Liberal government (between 1996 and 2007).” They won promotion to the highest league possible at the time To survive and compete in this tougher league they recruited players from Panathinaikos and Kalamata in Greece — as well as a Scotsman named Tommy Anderson “Clubs tended to have a mixture of Scots and English in defence and a forward line from the national group in attack,” Hay says “Though the fans and the leaders off the field were from the recent migrant groups.” They won four state titles between 1962 and 1966 before changing approach to rely on local youth rather than foreign imports These two decades saw hardship and even sterner resilience But this toxic environment only strengthened the solidarity between those who loved South Melbourne and football “The migrants suffered,” said Michael Mandalis, who played for the club at this time, speaking to Australian sports journalist Joe Gorman about the adversity for a 2014 article in The Guardian “They went to factories where they were called w*gs and d*gos; so the weekend when you played for South Melbourne Hellas I survived to win five premierships with Hellas But my biggest achievement was to put a smile on the face of the w*gs to put a smile on the face of those workers.” Although there were cup competitions that saw teams from Australia’s different states compete against each other there was no nationwide league until the formation of the National Soccer League (NSL) in 1977 The early years of the NSL were a struggle for South Melbourne They had tried to transition to a new generation and had offloaded the spine of the team which facilitated those 1970s title wins and the 1980s — bar a 1984 title win — were relatively barren too Postecoglou became a prominent member of the side and eventually their captain almost recklessly attacking football — a philosophy their overlapping left-back Postecoglou would take to heart Puskas introduced South Melbourne specifically and Australian football generally to a possession-focused 4-3-3 Postecoglou’s favoured formation to this day but the apprentice would not inherit the master’s attitude towards sports science; Puskas hated fitness drills and loved red meat Francis Awaritefe was born in London and played for Wimbledon early in his career He moved to Australia in 1989 to play for a number of clubs Although Awaritefe arrived at South Melbourne after Puskas and before Postecoglou was named their manager, he emphasises their reputation as the league’s entertainers: “They wanted to play adventurous, attacking football and were renowned for it as their brand. We saw that when Ferenc Puskas was there. It was like the glamour club, I guess the Manchester United or Celtic in its comparison.” but he spoke Greek well after previously managing Panathinaikos and AEK Athens and Postecoglou was often his translator for the rest of his team as well as his on-field lieutenant “I’d often pick him up from his house and drive him to the ground,” Postecoglou told Gorman in 2014 “I spent a lot of time chatting about football with him — people talk a lot about me being an attacking coach He was so much more open than the previous coaches who were so regimented and structured.” South Melbourne won the 1990 NSL Cup and 1991 national championship beating rivals Melbourne Knights on penalties in the final Awaritefe spent three seasons each at Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne He felt the sense of diasporic community of each club “very strongly” and coming to Australia I hadn’t encountered that also the South Americans — a melting pot of immigrants who all coalesced around the one big interest that they all had Having come from disparate areas around the world the one thing that brought them altogether in Australia was football I would not have recognised the difference between a Croatian or Serbian; or the difference between a Greek and a Macedonian It’s fascinating to learn that football was an important means for immigrants here to settle and to assimilate and grow into life in Australia their ways and behaviours outside of football A lot of my friends today are from that background Essential to this feeling of community was the ground Middle Park sculpted a reputation as having a cauldron-like atmosphere where each generation of Greek immigrants would cheer their team on amid the scent of souvlaki being sold to punters and the crunch underfoot of discarded Greek-style roasted pumpkin seeds called pasatempos Hay says that “there were very few places where migrants could gather to meet and mingle with fellow migrants in the 1950s and 1960s so the soccer clubs became a bridge for migrants to cross as they came to terms with the new society in which they found themselves it was the place where he could feel at home and meet his friends and others and be understood and welcomed.” “It was brilliant,” Awaritefe — who Hay describes as “a wonderful example of someone imbibing the Puskas/Postecoglou philosophy” — says “I remember they used to have a couple of people playing the trumpets especially at the big games against Melbourne Croatia or the Greek derby against Heidelberg United… huge games that attracted a lot of people Lean years followed the 1991 championship, including five preliminary final (semi-final) defeats and an NSL-wide movement to funnel the immigrant roots of many of their clubs into the background. Like many immigrant clubs, South Melbourne Hellas had a change of name and branding, becoming South Melbourne Lakers — attracting threats of legal action from NBA franchise Los Angeles Lakers in the process Attempts to make these clubs attractive for fans beyond their immigrant origins was criticised as an erasure of their identities “There has always been a bit of a tension in the South Melbourne club between those who think the club should be more Greek than it is and those who think it should embrace a wider community more,” adds Hay The Lakers rebranding barely lasted two years before the club became South Melbourne Soccer Club the sense of community that was inherent to South Melbourne sustained itself as Awaritefe highlights: “The culture of the club and the people who ran it George Vasilopoulos (who was in post from 1989 to 2002) “I was there for three seasons but the mates I made there We’ve had this lifelong friendship; even a few years after I left and was with a different club Postecoglou’s appointment as manager in 1996 began South Melbourne’s resurgence and all the while his penchant for assertive attacking football was beginning to manifest who played with Postecoglou in the future manager’s final year before retirement stresses his gravitas and self-belief and his decency “Ange is a brilliant human being,” he says “My time with him at South Melbourne and even subsequently after a lot of the boys at that team we were all very close in terms of all the clubs I played for in Australia They won two consecutive championships under Postecoglou in 1997-98 and 1998-99 were crowned Oceania champions in 1999 after defeating Fijian club Nadi 5-1 and represented Oceania at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in early 2000 Nicholas Maikousis is South Melbourne’s current president and has been close with Postecoglou for decades He has fond memories of that Club World Cup in Brazil and an awe-inspiring match-up with Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning Manchester United “South Melbourne were semi-professional at the time and played against Manchester United in their absolute prime,” he tells The Athletic. “It was a great performance, given the opposition (they lost 2-0, in Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium). A real David and Goliath story. Remember, of course, that Man U had walked away from the FA Cup (that season) to participate I saw a young Ange sit alongside the great Sir Alex Ange conducted himself with professionalism as he always does but afterwards he asked me whether we had filmed or taken any pictures South Melbourne lost their three group games to United Brazilians Vasco de Gama and Mexican side Necaxa and only scored one goal; but as the only amateur side at the competition they impressively held their own against all three as the first Oceania side to play against teams from Europe and the Americas competitively well-loved by all those around him,” Maikousis says “He always demonstrated leadership qualities Team of the Century player and member of our Hall of Fame Very loyal to his club and the people close to him the club was by far the biggest and most successful club in Australia the club and its supporters always demanded success During Ange’s formative years at South Melbourne the club was not only expected to win but to win playing beautiful football The NSL was replaced by the A-League in 2004 and with Melbourne only authorised one licence and with the club in poor shape financially — entering voluntary administration — they did not apply for that licence They remained semi-professional and returned to playing state-level football although in 2009 a reform process began to rebuild South Melbourne into a club modern enough for an A-League licence “The A-League has now split off organisationally from Football Australia and that relationship is still in the evolving stage If the Australian Professional League can eventually organise promotion and relegation on the basis of on-field performance there might be an opportunity in the future but that is some way down the track as the economics don’t support a second division.” she says: “Congratulations to my child who made it here Postecoglou had the opportunity to reach for the stars because of his parents Jim the cabinet-maker and Voula the factory worker It was their conviction, compassion and tirelessness that meant Postecoglou, a first-generation immigrant, could one day mastermind Australia’s greatest footballing achievement in the 2015 Asia Cup win But South Melbourne and Middle Park hold a special place with him too the way only a hub for a tightly-knit community can “It went beyond football,” Tottenham’s new manager once said (Photos: South Melbourne/Design: Sam Richardson) The owner of a beloved Greek taverna on Monroe Avenue is reopening a dozen days after a devastating personal tragedy Voula Katsetos-Stratton decided Wednesday that it was time to go back to work at Voula's Greek Sweets after her husband was struck and killed by a car in the early morning of Oct "Matt was a really big part of this place," said Katsetos-Stratton but I have had the amazing support and love of staff He would be pissed if I didn't (go back to work)." who grew up in Brighton and studied art at Nazareth College opened her dream business in February 2012 making the traditional Old World pastries and savory dishes she grew up with in her Greek family who had been together for nine years and married for five years artistic yet cozy cafe filled with knickknacks After working a full week telecommuting and commuting to his regular job at Osmose Utilities Services in East Syracuse and he was really good at it," said Katsetos-Stratton she will feature her late husband's original brunch dish three sunny-side-up eggs with feta cheese and oregano on Greek flatbread and refers to the cluster of islands near the Greek village where Katsetos-Stratton's family is from "Matt and I would drive past them on our way to the beach when we visited in 2010," she recalled Katsetos-Stratton described the evening before the tragedy as "just a regular Saturday night hanging out with friends." The couple had walked from their East Avenue apartment as they often did on the weekends to an East End gallery and then parted to spend time with their respective group of friends believing her husband was at a friend's house she and a close friend went looking for him and called area hospitals a police officer knocked on her door with the terrible news Police have said Stratton was hit by a car on Alexander Street while apparently crossing the street Katsetos-Stratton declined to comment on all the particulars of the accident but she did say her husband died instantly "I was very proud to have been his wife," Katsetos-Stratton said Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Clouds of thick smoke build over Greek capital’s southern suburbs as more than 100 firefighters fight blaze A wildfire on the outskirts of the Greek capital Athens is threatening homes and infrastructure, with some residents being evacuated by the authorities. The blaze has spread across the slopes of Mount Hymettus, which overlooks Athens, sending clouds of thick smoke drifting over the city’s southern suburbs. Strong winds have helped fan the fire. There is concern about damage to power lines, and traffic has been diverted away from the area. Residents have been evacuated from some parts of the Voula and Glyfada regions, about 12.4 miles (20km) from the city centre. More than 100 firefighters aided by six firefighting aircraft and four helicopters fought the blaze that started after midday in the city’s suburb of Glyfada, the fire brigade said. Read moreAccording to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini a local official Giannis Konstantatos said: “The situation is dire and the wind does not help the fire is moving towards Panorama and now the mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni has asked for an evacuation “The fire started from an area of ​​Ano Glyfada where unfortunately no cleaning [of dried branches] has been done We are fighting along with the fire brigade and the volunteers to prevent it from reaching homes A fire brigade official told the Reuters news agency: “The winds are very intense we have damage in a few houses and some cars .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Stephen Stirling | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comAlexandra Pais/New Jersey Local News ServiceVoula Begley inside Voula's World in Monroe last week.MONROE — In its 26 years in Monroe Voula's World has gone through a transformation What began as a popular Victorian boutique shop became a Christmas ornament mainstay and for the last decade has served as a kind of religious sanctuary for customers spurred by Begley’s own spiritual awakening and after more than a quarter of a century Begley says her store will likely shutter its doors in the coming months But while many of her supporters are heartbroken Begley sees it as a new beginning and will be hosting a celebration of her time in Monroe at her store on Dec “It’s difficult to lose what you worked for I’m very much tied to the experiences I’ve had here,” Begley said this week Voula’s World is tucked away in a non-descript wooden house near the Spotswood/Monroe border Voula’s World is ornately decorated -- rose petals line the floors and the walls are stacked with Victorian and religious gifts which put space between shrines to various Christian saints Begley has erected came to the United States from Greece when she was 16 but didn’t begin work towards what eventually became Voula’s World until her late 20s Victorian-style gifts such as fabric roses and made Voula’s World into a Monroe staple during the 1980s and 1990s selling her wares to the likes of onetime New Brunwsick resident and actress Mel Harris and Princeton University graduate Queen Noor of Jordan “God blessed my hands and I began creating,” she said Thousands of children attended her Christmas celebration over the years where they visited Santa’s Workshop in Begley’s backyard -- an event that received annual accolades from local elected officials Begley said she began experiencing visions and believes she is in constant contact with God and saints of the Christian faith It was a seminal moment for Begley that led her to transition her store into a spiritual shop where she sells religious-themed gifts But her customers say Voula’s World is much more Denise Loua of Princeton and Kathryn Flatley of Old Bridge say Voula’s World has been a sanctuary for them one where Begley has counseled them through several challenging moments in their lives you stay a while and you leave feeling refreshed.” Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides announced that a fire which had broken out in the Attica suburb of Ano Voula and threatened homes in the area has now been contained and has no active fronts still burning on Sunday morning “We faced a very difficult fire due to the difficult weather conditions and the contoured landscape all those involved – in the field and in coordination – through the coordinated efforts of all the forces of civil defense and the fire brigade succeeded in containing yesterday’s very difficult fire within six to seven hours,” Stylianides said that this was the start of what promised to be a “hard summer” ahead based on the meteorological forecasts for the Eastern Mediterranean region which was considered a climate crisis “hotspot.” “We are still at the start and the aim is to mitigate the repercussions of all the new phenomena arising from the climate crisis,” he added He thanked the fire fighters and others involved for their “heroic efforts” during Saturday’s fire noting that this broke out in three separate locations and that the difficulty of this should not be underestimated Deputy Climate Crisis Minister Evangelos Tournas also emphasized the difficulties of the operation and highlighted the fact that no one was killed or injured in a densely populated urban area which presented challenges in terms of its town planning He noted that the fire had started in three different locations and reached the forest on the outskirts of residential areas so that some homes sustained damage in spite of the fire brigade’s efforts while strong forces remain on hand to put out any flames that may rekindle Fire fighting planes and helicopters were continuing to douse the burnt areas from above in order to fully extinguish any smoldering embers that might reignite The fire started in the Ano Glyfada area on Saturday afternoon and was quickly spread by strong winds to Ano Voula while two more fires broke out in Vari and Kouvara A total of 61 fires broke out throughout the country with 17 fire-fighting aircraft available to fight the fires in Ano Voula The fire fighting forces supervising the Ano Voula and Vari areas are expected to be withdrawn from Sunday afternoon while those at Kouvara have already left as it is now fully extinguished opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.