Celebration Marks Greek Independence Anniversary
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and Assemblymember Michael Gianaris, with elected officials and members of the community, celebrated Greek Independence Day at the Hellenic Cultural Center 27-09 Crescent St., Astoria last Friday, March 23, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Students at the William Spyropoulos School at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Shrine Church, Flushing, performed traditional Greek dances as part of the festivities.

"[This] event commemorates Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821, it celebrates the contributions of Greek Americans to Queens and our great city and it recognizes members of the Greek American community who have had a significant impact," Marshall said.

The Honorable Catherine Boura, Consul General of Greece, the Honorable Martha Mavrommatis, Consul General of Cyprus, and Eleni (Lina) Paxos, Miss Greek Independence 2007 were scheduled to be on hand Friday as Marshall and Gianaris hosted traditional Greek folk dances and poetry readings.

Individuals scheduled to be honored for their outstanding contributions were Anastasios Koularmanis, an educator and current principal of St. Demetrios Greek-American School of Astoria; Jordan Kokkoris, a native of Astoria who is the founder and owner of an insurance company in Astoria and president of the Kibotos Foundation; James Evangelou, a lifelong resident of Astoria who is chief of the Career Criminal Major Crime Bureau in the office of the Queens District Attorney, and Irene Stathatos-Vasilakos, a successful businesswoman and community leader who serves on several boards, including that of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.

(L. to r.): Assemblymember Michael Gianaris, Borough President Helen Marshall and City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. joined in celebrating Greek Independence Day on Friday, March 23.