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| A Bridge of Support |
| It is hard for anyone who has visited the paradise of the Cycladic Islands during the summer season, when everything works 24 hours around the clock, to imagine the isolation of these islands during the winter months and what it means to be cut off from the mainland and all the choices one has there if in need. Until 2003, someone in need of psychological assistance, for example, was unlikely to easily find support available locally. |
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| Are You Aware? |
| October is “Breast Cancer Awareness” month, during which an international health campaign takes place annually to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure. |
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| Local Heroes of the Spartathlon |
| The supermarathon Athens – Sparta, 246 kms long, has been held every September since 1983. The runners do not stop to rest. The whole world participates, but there was only one Greek woman who ran: Niki Chasapi - A Parianí. |
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| Passing the Flame |
| Four years have passed already since the unforgettable “homecoming” of the Olympic Games to Athens in 2004. This month, China is hosting the Games of the XXIX Olympiad from August 8 to August 24 and earlier this year 32 members of the Music Dance Group of Paros travelled to China to participate in the pre-Olympic events.
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| As the Ancient Greeks Must Have Seen it: Go Sailing! |
| It is still early morning and the meltemi is already blowing quite strongly. Sails still tied down, TO KYMA – our dapper little 19-ft sailing boat – is pushed into the wind and the steep short seas off the southwest coast of Naxos into the bay of Agiasos by the little diesel engine that purrs away down below. |
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| A Rescue Team You Can Rely On |
| Since 2003, there has existed on Paros a small but efficient Rescue Team consisting of volunteers prepared to face almost any emergency situation on the island and in the wider area of the West Cyclades. |
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| Twenty Years of Tradition |
| During 2008, the Folkdance Group of Naoussa, (XON), is celebrating its 20th year of success in performing the traditional dances of the Aegean, and those of Paros in particular. |
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| Frangiskos Velentzas - Benefactor of Paros |
| The existence of the Velentzeio Foundation recently became widely known as a result of the air ambulance project, but the foundation has actually been active for almost half a century, supporting the health services and several other socially beneficial projects for the people of Paros. |
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| The Roots of Carnival |
| It is well known that the Christian religion ‘borrowed’ some of its symbolism and ceremony from Pagan beliefs and this is the case with the tradition that we all know today as Carnival or ‘Apokries’, as we say in Greece. |
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| Christmas on Paros |
| Christmas is a time for families. Many members of the Parian international community left the island to spend the holidays with their loved ones; others brought their families here! And there were plenty of events on the holiday calendar to enjoy. |
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| Wines of Paros |
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Students on last year's EU-funded Parian products seminar learned about wine cultivation and the production methods used at the Agricultural Union (the "Enosi") of Paros. And with Christmas celebrations just around the corner, a brief guide to choosing the best wines from the Enosi to complement your dinner parties over the festive season is included. |
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| Solar Energy: No Bill From the Sun |
| Times are changing. Renewable power has become a reality all over the world, and especially in Greece, since the pioneering law 3468/2006 which provides subsidies to renewable energy producers, mainly from photovoltaic and wind sources. |
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| Introducing Christos Vlachogiannis |
| Following the resignation of Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis in August, the Town Council voted to elect the new Mayor of Paros from the two councillors, teacher Christos Vlachoyannis and dentist Stratis Pavlakis, who put their names forward as candidates. Mr Pavlakis received 6 and Mr Vlachoyannis 8 votes out of the 14 cast. |
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| Le Roi est Mort; Vive le Roi! |
| The recent resignation of Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis to take up a new position in PASOK has been swiftly followed by the appointment of the new Mayor - Christos Vlachogiannis, former President of the Municipal Council. |
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| The Future Face of Paros |
| On the 16th June, the Municipality of Paros and the Federation of Parian Societies co-organised a presentation with the general theme of “Residential development and the protection of the environment and appearance of Paros” at the Nireas Cultural Centre in Naoussa. |
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| The Eco House |
| A remarkable building project is under way in Isterni where Athenian publisher (of the Kedros publishing house), Vangelis Papathanasopoulos, is using the very latest in eco-technology to build his home on the island. |
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| ITB Berlin |
| The Municipality of Paros was represented at the exhibition area of the Cyclades Islands at the ITB Tourism Exhibition in Berlin from 7-11th March 2007 with the slogan “Greece – explore your senses”. |
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| Art Appreciation |
| IPAC – the International Paros Art Circle – held a series of round table discussions at the Apothiki Gallery last spring on the theme of “Art Appreciation”. The talks were a great success and, as a result, a second series is planned for 2007. |
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| Paros Unplugged! |
| With the support of the EU Programme ISTOS, the Municipality of Paros has developed a wireless communications system that, as a first step, will serve the areas of Paroikia and Naoussa. |
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| Paros Traffic & Our “Chief” |
| In the meetings that foreign residents of the island had earlier this year with Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis, one of the major areas of concern expressed by participants was the subject of driving and traffic safety on Paros. In addition to answering some of the specific points raised, the Mayor suggested that we talk to Michail Bozikis, Paros’s Chief of Police . |
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| Election Results |
| In the local elections held on October 15th, Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis and his party “Enotita gia to Mellon” (Unity for the Future) achieved a clear victory with 67.66% of the vote for Paros, while Iannis Levendakis was elected as President of the Antiparos Community with 50.06% of the vote. Dimitris Bailos was re-elected Prefect of the Cyclades and Grigoria Protolati was again appointed Eparchos. |
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| The Elections |
| Beate Beyer explains the voting process for local elections to be held on the 15th. The two candidates for Mayor, Yiannis Rangoussis and Louis Kondos, present their candidate lists for the municipal and local village councils. |
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| October Elections |
| Local elections on Sunday, 15th October 2006 will be held to elect the new Mayor and Council for the next 4-year period (2007-2010) for the Municipality of Paros and the Community of Antiparos. Candidates for Paros are Yiannis Rangoussis and Louis Kondos, and for Antiparos, Barbara Maneta and Iannis Levendakis. |
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| Beloved Son of Paros |
| Our great Greek singer from Paros, Yannis Parios, will, for the first time on his native island, be giving two concerts entitled “All Blue” at 9pm on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th August at the Municipal Athletic Ground, Paroikia. |
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| Tour of Paros |
| On July 1st Len Rooks will start three weeks of riding 175 km a day on his bike, making 3,639 km total, the same distance as the “Tour de France” |
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| “The New Symposium” |
| After an inspiring week full of intense discussions and sharing of ideas on the theme “The Commons” (what we hold in common) for the participants, the Symposium came to an end with an evening performance on a warm and pleasant early summer’s night at the Paros Municipal Library on Monday, 22nd May. |
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| The Mayor’s Report |
| Over 1,000 citizens were present at the conference hall of the Pandrossos Hotel on March 26th to hear the Mayor’s “logodosia”, that is his assessment of the development plans and projects accomplished by the municipal authority during their three-and-a-quarter years in office. |
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| Carnival "Kefi" |
| The traditional annual carnival (Apokries) was celebrated all over the island during the period leading up to the start of Lent on Clean Monday, March 6th. |
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| Municipal News |
| Press releases last month include news about a programme for the unemployed on the island, Paros’s participation in the Gourmet Media World Festival and the move of municipal services KEP and DEYAP to a more convenient location. |
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| Good News from the Health Centre |
| Dr Polyzoides, President of the Health Centre, announces a generous donation by the Municipality for the purchase of a cardiac ultrasound and a mammography machine for the Paros Health Centre. |
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| Municipal Works in Progress |
| Some significant projects are currently underway to improve and upgrade facilities and infrastructure in the islands. |
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| The Archilochos Conference |
| After much and careful preparation, the International Conference on Archilochos, “Archilochos and His Age”, which took place on Paros 7-9 October, was a big and enduring success. |
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| Archilochos and His Age |
| As most readers already know, 2005 was designated the “Year of Archilochos” by the Paros Municipality and this month the island is hosting an important conference – the “Second International Conference on the Archaeology of Paros and the Cyclades” from 7-9 October at the Archilochos Hall in Paroikia. |
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| Five Years On… |
| Five years have passed already since the tragic sinking of the Express Samina in Paroikia Harbour on the night of 26th September 2000. |
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| The Great Festival of the Virgin Mary |
| On Monday, 15th August, Paros celebrates the great festival of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary ("Koimoisis tis Theotokou" or "falling asleep of the Virgin Mary") at the Church of the Ekatontapyliani in Paroikia. |
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| Who is the Eparchos? |
| Grigoria Protolati is completing her third year as Eparchos of Paros and Antiparos. She is head of the Eparcheio, the local authority elected by the people to represent the subprefecture of Paros and Antiparos at the district council of the Nomarchy (Prefecture) of the Cyclades. |
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| Blood - The Gift of Life |
| Angelica Eder interviews Maria Nafpliotou about the history of blood donation on Paros. This month blood donation will take place between the 3rd and 5th of June in Paroikia, Marpissa and Antiparos. |
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| Recycling on Paros |
| A recycling project in all Paros schools was launched on 28th February of this year, organized and funded by the Municipality of Paros. |
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| Air-Ambulance Update |
| Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis held a press conference at the Town Hall on March 15th in order to inform local journalists about current actions regarding the air-ambulance. |
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| Alkyoni - The Aegean Wildlife Hospital |
| In June 2000 the Alkyoni, the first Wildlife Hospital in Greece that was specially designed and constructed for this purpose, opened its gates. For director Mario Fournaris, who had been running the operation in his own house and back yard since 1995, a vision had come true. |
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| Life Management - The Tao's Way |
| In a beautiful setting between Ambelas and Santa Maria with a stunning view across the channel to Naxos, the Tao's Centre opened its doors to the public last December. Offering a range of activities designed to reduce stress and give participants the chance to unwind and relax, Tao's calls itself a "life management centre" - a place where one can learn to balance one's physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs to create harmony and serenity in daily life. |
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| A New Era in Healthcare |
| Many changes are under way at our local Health Centre (Kentro Ygeias) in Paroikia since John (Apostolos) Polyzoides was appointed the new Chief Executive of Medical Services for Paros and Antiparos. |
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| Paros - Pistoia |
| An historic meeting took place between the Mayor of Paros and the Mayor (Sindaco) of Pistoia, in Tuscany, Italy on October 7th. Accompanied by John Pack of the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts and local architect Petros Metaxas, Mayor Yiannis Rangoussis travelled to Pistoia to meet with Mayor Renzo Berti to exchange and explore ideas for cultural tourism. |
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| Archilochos, Our Great Poet |
| A brief introduction to Archilochos by Jeffrey Carson on the occasion of the preliminary symposium to prepare for 2005 - the "Year of Archilochos" and a conference on this subject next autumn. |
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| Olympic Games, Welcome Home! |
| For four hectic years, Athens has been taken apart, cleaned up, rebuilt, planted and replanted with the result that the city is now a true shining example of a 'successful make-over'. With thousands of volunteers standing on every corner - Athens was ready for the world |
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| Pass the Flame, Unite the World! |
| Lit by the rays of the sun, the sacred flame began its historic 2004 journey in Olympia and, after travelling around the world and through each of the 54 prefectures in Greece it will arrive at the Athens Olympic Stadium on August 13th to signal the start of the 2004 Games.
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| House of Literature |
| The Municipality of Paros have launched a joint project with the European Translation Centre (EKEMEL) in Athens to create a "House of Literature" in the former Xenia Hotel in Lefkes. |
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| Apothiki Art Centre |
| A major new cultural project will be unveiled to the public at the official opening on Saturday, 22nd May at 8pm. |
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| Hosanna! Pascha! |
| Easter is by far the most important celebration on the Greek Orthodox calendar and it is an especially exciting time to be present in Greece and to have the chance to share in the traditions that have been handed down for generations in this country. |
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| Our Mayor - One Year On |
| A year has passed already since Yiannis Rangoussis took office. He talks about his experience so far as well as the years leading up to his appointment as Mayor of Paros. |
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| An Evening of Greek Song |
| On the evening of November 1st, Andonis Prekas and Maroulia Kontou gave a concert of Greek art song at the Hall of the Archilochos Society. |
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| It’s All Greek to Me! |
| Paros currently has a total of five local Greek papers. This month, Elsa Sarri has taken some recent editions and summarized them for us. We want your feedback on this format and whether it meets your needs and interests. |
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| Major TV Channel Opens Studio on Paros |
| The ERT3 "Studio Paros" will initially broadcast programmes and documentaries on Paros's daily life and cultural events and on sites of historic interest on the island. It will then gradually increase its scope to include other Aegean islands and the Peleponnese. |
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| Parallel Worlds |
| The name of a recent NET TV documentary "Parallel Worlds" seems to capture the essence of the inspirational work being done by marine biologist and oceanographer Peter Nicolaides and his partner, environmentalist Kerstin Lingk. |
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| Some Enchanted Evening |
| Saturday, the 19th of July, 2003 was an evening to remember here on Paros. It was not just the opening of Gop Moulls’ sculpture exhibit at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts, but also a chance to see rock and folk star of the 1960’s, Donovan Leitch (usually known simply as ‘Donovan’), perform. |
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| Children Are Our Future |
| As we slowly begin to become aware of the damage we are doing on a daily basis to our environment and struggle to change our habits to lessen the toll on nature, a handful of conscientious educators on Paros are striving to ensure that the next generation will never take our island’s precious resources for granted. |
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| Fine Arts, Fine Words |
| The first official meeting of the new legalized institution of IPAC, the International Paros Art Circle, was held on Thursday, 22nd May at the Pandrossos Hotel in Paroikia. Many of the 21 founding member artists were present, together with Paros’ Mayor, Giannis Rangoussis. |
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| Faros - Paros Expedition |
| Arriving on Paros on May 4th (weather permitting) is a very special expedition from the island of Hvar in Croatia. Modern Stari Grad (ancient Faros) on Hvar is the oldest town in Croatia and was founded and colonised by Greeks from Paros in 385/4 BC. |
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| Earth Day |
| At a time when our world is shaken by the horror of war in Iraq, we take a look at the efforts of another “coalition of the willing” - the Earth Day Network - which includes more than 5,000 organizations in 184 countries. |
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| State of Emergency |
| Following some of the most devastating storms in 100 years, with torrential rain on Monday 17th February causing catastrophic flooding, a state of emergency was declared in eight of the Cycladic islands. |
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| Nea Dimotiki Arhi |
| Our new Mayor and Municipal Council took office on 1st January 2003. We discuss with Giannis Rangoussis some of the suggestions and ideas put forward by the foreign community as to how we can better understand the issues that affect our daily lives on Paros. |
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| Halloween Dinner Dance |
| For the third year running, the International Women’s Organization of Paros organized the now well-known Halloween Party on 31st October. As well as raising money for an important local cause, this is a chance for us to dress up and have some fun. |
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| A New Mayor for Paros |
| The elections are finally over and Giannis Rangoussis is voted in as our new Mayor to take office on 1st January 2003. A breakdown of the votes and a short message from our new Mayor. |
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| And Then There Were Three ... |
| Information about the Municipal Elections which will take place on 13th October and a message from each of the three candidates (one has withdrawn) to the foreign community. |
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| October Municipal Elections |
| Although foreign EU citizens have the right to vote in the municipal elections to be held in October, very few have registered to do so. What can we do at Paros Life and what can the elected Mayor do to help you be better informed so that you can have a say in how things are run on Paros? |
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| Hellenic Stars in Parian Skies |
| Hellenic Star Airways have launched a new regular air service between Paros and Athens and it needs our support if it is to continue. |
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| Paros Volunteer Team |
| Since the end of June the Paros Volunteer Team have begun a regular morning "shift" to cover the busiest hours at our Health Centre. |
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| Where Does All The Garbage Go? |
| Trudy Petridi investigates this critical question and finds out about how the citizens of Naoussa are taking specific action to protect their environment. |
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| Win a Greek Language Course |
| Do you often find yourself wishing that you could communicate more effectively in the Greek language? Paros Life offers its readers the chance to win a Greek Language Course from DIKEMES (The International Center for Hellenic & Mediterranean Studies) worth 650 Euro. |
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| Celebrate Carnival !!! |
| All over Greece, the three-week Apokries leading up to Lent is a time for fun and celebration. |
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| Waterfalls & Waterworks |
| When the snow melted and the rains came this winter, one result was a beautiful cascade of water from the hills, but it's sad to see the water we will need so badly in the summer running into the sea. |
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| In the Deep Midwinter ... |
| Following two or three days of minor snow flurries, Parians awoke one morning last month to find the island fantastically transformed into a winter wonderland! |
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| Eureka ! |
| The most important things we need to know about the introduction of the Euro on 1st January 2002. |
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| Paros Health Centre |
| Silvia Lubitz-Skaramagkas tells the story of how the Hospital of the Holy Ghost in Hagen-Haspe, Germany, has donated many valuable items to the Paros Health Centre - all because of the idea of Silvia's friend Christiane. |
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| Secrets of the Deep |
| Trudy Petridi braves the elements to get a closer look at the work of the team diving from the crane over the wreck of the Express Samina. |
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| Remembering the Express Samina |
| The 26th of this month will mark the first anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Express Samina in Paros Harbour. A Mass will be held at the Ekatontapiliani Church, followed by the unveiling of a memorial to the dead by the Mayor and a simple ceremony at the Town Hall to honour local fishermen.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away across the Atlantic Ocean, in the U.S. city of Seattle, two young women are planning a very special pilgrimage. |
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| Agricultural Cooperative Opens Visitors' Centre |
| The Enosi Agrotikon Synetairismon, or Agricultural Cooperative of Paros, has been producing good wine and good olive oil for decades. This summer, the Enosis Winery has opened a new Visitors' Center. |
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| Insistence on Beauty |
| "To marvel is the beginning of knowledge and when we cease to marvel we are in danger of ceasing to know." This ancient Greek quotation will be familiar to anyone who has ever received an email from John Pack, Director of the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts in Paroikia. |
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| Water Warning |
| As we are all very much aware, there was very little rainfall during the winter months, a fact which rather obviously leads to the conclusion that there will be even more severe water shortages this summer than last. |
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| Eleftherios Venizelos Airport |
| For most people the name of the new Athens airport is such a mouthful that they prefer to call it simply 'Spata Airport' referring to the area in which it is located in the eastern outskirts of Athens. |
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| Paros Voluntary Lifeboat Service |
| Prompted by the Express Samina tragedy on 26th September 2000, members of our local community have taken on the project of improving safety at sea by forming a volunteer sea rescue service. |
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| Association of Friends of the Health Centre |
| Support our local Health Centre and join the Association. Details on how and why you should subscribe to ensure the best possible quality of medical services are available to us all on Paros. |
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| Halloween High Jinks! |
| Organised by the Paros International Women's Group, our Halloween Party on 31st October was a tremendous success! Around one hundred people attended and we raised over 400,000 drachmas for our Paros Health Centre. |
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| "Navagio" (Shipwreck) |
| Navagio - a word that has become all too familiar to us over the past few weeks as the repercussions of the Samina Express disaster at the end of September continue to affect the island. |
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| Samina Express Tragedy |
| This issue of “The Foreigner” goes to press in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy of the sinking of the Samina Express which hit the “Portes” rocks on the way into Paros Harbour on the night of 26th September. |
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| Water, Water Everywhere... |
| ... nor any drop to drink! So runs the tale of Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, and so might we empathise when confronted with water surrounding us in all directions and yet a shortage of it in our taps! |
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| Paros Burning |
| Fires raged throughout Greece during the month of July and, amongst them, the largest fire in Paros’ history |
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| Mega Paros ! |
| The foreign community on Paros receives media and international attention. |
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| Delos to Paros Marathon Swim |
| The Friends of the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles are pleased to announce a fund-raising marathon swim in support of the return of the Parthenon Marbles |
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| Our Marine Environment |
| Oceanographer/Biologist Peter Nicolaides describes the critical importance of the posidonia sea-grass to our eco-system |
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| Aegean Wildlife |
| On a secluded, sparsely-vegetated plateau in the broad valley of Kamares sits the new home of the Aegean Wildlife Hospital. |
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