The KhroniclesThe Bilingual Community Newspaper |
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'Η Δίγλωσση Τοπική Εφημερίδα ΣαςΤα Χρονικά |
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| ISSUE NO. 53 | SEPTEMBER 2010 | WWW.KO-GO.GR | ||
The KhroniclesThe Bilingual Community Newspaper |
|
'Η Δίγλωσση Τοπική Εφημερίδα ΣαςΤα Χρονικά |
||
| ISSUE NO. 53 | SEPTEMBER 2010 | WWW.KO-GO.GR | ||
 The Khronicles on Facebook 
The Khronicles A division of Ko-Go Επιχειρήσεις Box 332 Publisher: Sofia Klidi Editor: Lou Duro Associate Editors: Tony & Christine Bowes Web Editor John McLaren Sales: Maria Aretaki Contributors/ Renie Spykerman, Petra Karreman, Maria Daskalaki, John McLaren, Bob Bayes, Father Dimitris Mihouthis, Father Leonidas Hatzakis, Vasiliki Alexaki-Hronaki, Niki Yiamalaki, Nikolaos Papadakis, Spyros Hatzakis, Panagiota Giannopoulou, Evi Karvounaki, Maria Aretaki Translations: Ada Vamvoukaki Photographer: Sami Moudavaris Layout & Design: George Drakakis Printed By: G Detorakis
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Legally filed charges, fines and formal documents to
tear down many beachfront businesses, all signed by the Public Properties
Agency of the State, are the basis surrounding the waterfront problem.
The problem came to a head recently when an
association of local businessmen formally filed charges with the Health
Ministry against these illegal structures. They said they do not fulfil any
sanitary or urban regulations, but, due to their location, enjoy enormous
economic profits at the expense of the majority of other businessmen in the
region. They have also filed charges against the municipality
for granting them licenses, against the director of the public properties
agency for letting them build on public seashore and against the During the last couple of months, public prosecutor
Nikos Markakis, together with representatives from local government and from
the public properties agency and police officers, have determined that an
excess of 35 local businesses, among them several hotels, have trespassed on
the seashore. These businesses were formally written-up for illegalities,
were served with papers to take down these structures and were issued fines
and some with jail sentences. Last month when the agency sent bulldozers to
physically take down the illegal structures, they were faced with verbal
attacks, as well as some of the businessmen using their cars as barricades
to block the heavy equipment. The situation became particularly tense when
one of the illegal owners, threatened to torch himself, claiming that if the
structures come down it will be “taking food from my children’s mouths.” |
Finally, Mr. Markakis, together with Gouves Mayor
Yiorgos Nikolakakis, agreed to give a final extension until October 15,
providing that all illegal owners would sign a document promising to take
all illegal platforms down by that time. Mayor Nikolakakis, who made it
clear he was in favour of “absolute legality,” undertook the collection of
all signatures. He said: “the extension was granted for social as well as
humanitarian reasons…too many innocent people would lose their jobs during
the season.” While most owners of the illegal structures are mute as to what they will
do, some are quite outspoken. “When October 15 comes I will not take down the fence and
umbrellas from across the road,” said Renate Listl of Porto Tavern. “All I
want to do is to be legal and I hope that the Demos will do something
positive about the problem, making it more attractive to help the local
economy and the tourists. All the tourists want to do is to sit by the sea
and not inside a taverna.” Several environmental leaders have jumped into the foray, with one,
requesting anonymity for fear of reprisals, labeling the Gouves situation as
a “crime against the environment, as well as the State.” “It’s a disgrace to have our beautiful seafronts marred by these illegal
structures,” she stated. “And, it’s not only the small businesses that are
to blame, but it’s the large hotels, too.” Meanwhile, the heavy equipment stand poised for action and the entire
community remains tense as the October 15 deadline nears, with some equating
the situation with the famed Gunfight at the OK Corral. |
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