Local news Pub .118

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF ISTIAIAS – AIDIPSOU

The Finance Committee of Istiaias – Aidipsou region will be meeting from now on, every Tuesday at 13:30. This change is due to a large volume of work and it came as a proposal from Vice Mayor and Chairman of the Committee, Gianni Kotzia. Already within this week, two meetings of this committee were held, one on Tuesday and another on Thursday, specifically for the year end activity reports. Most of the topics discussed, concerned litigation of the municipality with citizens and handing these cases over to lawyers. One of these cases, deals with the road to Kanatadika for which a group of store owners refused to pay the municipality tax. Other cases concern the waste disposal sites and the court ordered financial obligation of Artemisiou Municipality for floral purchases to the amount of approximately 3,000 euros. There are also two court ordered financial obligation for asphalt road paving amounting to 250,000 euros for one, and 30,000 euros for the other. For these two cases, Mr. Petsis indicated that there are some questions about their legitimacy since they are not listed on the year end report for the municipality. Mr. Petsis objected to giving maintenance contracts for

all transport equipment (cars, trucks, etc) without bidding. However, it was necessary to give this maintenance contract without bidding because the only person involved did not give a letter of guarantee and other necessary documents. The price of the contract was determined from historical costs which Mr. Petsis characterized as not valid, saying, “this is the kind of data I am afraid of”. In this meeting, there was also a citizen who complained for not getting paid for the expropriation of his land by the municipality for 18 years. In similar cases, like his, payment was made, to other parties within the first year. The committee gave an order to the finance department to resolve the issue on an urgent basis. There was also a discussion for the procedures of how to handle the beaches before the tourist season begins. The committee members were briefed on the subject and it was decided specific proposals to be given after the summer season.

Symbol of resistance of Saint Anna [Mpolovinaina]

Dream of life for the residents of region of Saint Anna was the fact that heroic [Mpolovinainas] was honored on 22nd of July. [Mpolovinaina] was sacrificed as many women of those times did, in order to protect rebels of the Greek Revolution that they were hidden in the caves in the Gorge of [Nilea]. It has been historically recorded and also in the memory of the residents that [Mpolovinaina], 188 years ago, as she was leading to the den of the rebels transporting foods and other goods  Turkish Soldiers realised her presence. In order not to betray the hiding place of the rebels and together the children that were hiding there, she jumped from a rock and her name since then belongs to immortality. In this rock that is named after her, took place the event in which assisted the local society with the electeds of Municipality. The following persons honored Mpolovinaina’s memory apart from the residents of the village, the descendants of [Mpolovinaina], the Mayor [Anestis] [Psarros], the Chairman of [D].[S] Christos [Tzachristos], the vice-mayors Nikos [Moustakas], Yannis [Stergiou] and Yannis [Kantzouras] and the chairman of the Beneficial Enterprise of the Municipality  Antonis [Baret].

Bridge of friendship between Greeks and Turks

Last Wednesday, 27th of July, thirty three Turks from [Kemermpourgkaz] of Istamboul visited Neos Pyrgos . These people were invited by the residents of Neos Pyrgos, on the occasion of their acquaintance and in order to travel back in time. They live in the earth that their grandfathers and greatgrandfathers lived in the region of Pyrgos of Istamboul, today known as [Kemermpourgkaz]. In that village some Greek houses have been saved, while is also saved  a church that has been changed into a wearhouse. The old greek school accomodates the local Police Department. Pyrgos was a purely Greek-speaking village that in the beginnings of 19th century had more than 4000 residents. Greeks abandonded the village, after the exchange of populations in August 1924 , following the orders of the Treaty of Lausanne. They reached Thessaloniki by boats, but when they saw thousands of refugees in the jetty, they did not get down, but rather continued up to the next harbour that was in northern Evoia. As stressed to us, Aggelos Psaltis, member of Administrative Council of Association of the residents of Neos Pyrgos, “in the local files is reported that were recorded 250 families, that means over 1000 individuals ”. A parallel history had the ancestors of current called – visitors from the clans’ territories that today belong to Turkey. Those lived in northern Greece and Thessalonica but also in other regions of western Balkans and were established in Pyrgos of Istamboul. As [Nerima] [Ounalt]stated, President of Women Department of Association of Turkish people of [Roumeli], (as [Rouimeli] was reported the administrative region of Ottoman Empire that included the Balkans). The grand mother and her grandfather been born in the villages of [Karatzobas] in the prefecture Pella. When they reached Pyrgos with the rest of Muslims that were exchanged with the Greeks, they found the fields cultivated and full with tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and other vegetables and they had at least  something to eat. In current (Kemermpourgkaz) we point out that exists, a cafeteria that operates for at least 100 years, its Greek owner was [Sokratis] [Papazoglou], when he established at Pyrgos he started a new cafeteria which is owned today to his grandson, Yannis. Among others they were present the vicar of Neos Pyrgos, Archimandrite p. (Titos) (Geronikolos), the Vice-mayor (Georgios) (Moulas) and all  the Administrative councils of the two Associations. We have to stress that the priest – (Titos) has organised a lot of excursions in the clan territories and many of the visitors remembered his presence at the visits in Istamboul. Characteristically they narrated us, that they remember the priest memorized the deads in the place that the old cemetery used to be and that nowadays is full of buildings. Afterwards the visitors together with the residents of Neos Pyrgos they walked by the seashore of the village up to Scala and from there they went to the church of the village, where they saw the holy heirlooms that brought with them the refugees from Istamboul.

The assessments of municipalities (Istiaia) – (Aidipsos) – (Artemisio) were voted

Discussion on the approval of the assessments was attempted onTuesday at the assembly of the Committee, but it was postponed while the members of committee did not take in time the elements in their hands and moreover they were unsigned. In the meeting of Thursday, (Petsis) and (Bamis) they voted for the assessment of (Istiaia) and (Aidipsos) but they voted against the assessment of the Municipality of (Artemisio) because they considered it as unacceptable. They asked for research, because beyond the bad accountant picture of assessment, they were warrants of payment that were published without financier return.

(Istiaia):  the tradesmen react for the debits.

The matter of debit of showcases has been enormously discussed (i.e. the cost of use of pavement for demonstration of products), which was increased from 200% until 260% depending on the area of the city.The tradesmen expect new circle of discussions and renegotiation. Complete opposition of perception emerges between the Vice-mayor Yannis (Kotzias) and the professionals of (Istiaia), with regard to the use of the pavements. While the first one argues in favour of the increase, saying that the use of pavements as showrooms, contributes to the ugly picture of the city, the professionals declare that “the pavement sells and that there’s no other option. The Vice Mayor and Chairman of the financial committee declares that he will renegotiate because the law that defines the price has not been taken into account.