Twins learnsof brother's death on Facebook

Chicago’s new National Hellenic Museum
News in English
A new National Hellenic Museum in Chicago will be ready in 2011 to replace the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center founded in 1983. According to the "Chicago Tribune" newspaper, the museum will house 180 oral histories of Greek-Americans and thousands of artefacts, ranging from ancient Greek pottery to clothing worn by the first Greek migrants to the New World. The US$25-million, three-storey 40,000 square-foot building is located on the northeast corner of Halsted and Van Buren streets.
AHEPA‘s "Journey to Greece" programme
News in English
The "Journey to Greece" programme offered by AHEPA in collaboration with the University of Indianapolis in Athens entered its fifth consecutive year in 2010, with sponsorship by the National Hellenic Society. “Journey to Greece” 2010's first session begins on July 3 and ends on July 16; the second session starts July 10 and ends Aug 6.
World poetry day dedicated to the immortal Nikos Kavvadias
News in English
To mark the centenary of the birth of Nikos Kavvadias - one of the most inspiring Greek poets of the 20th century – the National Book Centre (EKEBI) is dedicating World poetry day this year to his work. EKEBI’s regular poetry campaign organised every year will incorporate illustrated verses by Kavvadias which will be projected throughout the year on screens set up on Athens Metro platforms, as well as in trams.
Constantine Kavafy glorified in Italy
News in English
Milan – Italians have enthusiastically welcomed a very original performance by J.C. Feugnet about Kavafy and Yourcenar, staged at the “Flavio Vespasiano” theatre. The performance – which is touring all of Europe – is a dedication, in dialogue form, to the poetic/literary work of Kavafy and M. Yourcenar, marking the return of English actress Charlotte Rampling to the stage, where she performs with Polydoros Voyatzis. Musician Barbara Gyra joins the thespians on stage, enhancing the performance with her music.
New page in education of expatriate Greeks
News in English
Athens – The Greek Education undersecretary, Evi Christofilopoulou has announced the upgrading of education for expatriate Greeks, with the gradual change of Greek schools into bilingual ones and enhancement of Greek study faculties at foreign universities.

2010

Twins learnsof brother's death on Facebook

Σύνταξη/επιμέλεια από τον/την Θεόφιλος Δουμάνης

When Angela and Maryanne Vourlis woke up Sunday, their 20th birthday, they logged on to Facebook expecting to read well wishes and greetings from friends.

Horrifically, the twins were confronted with the devastating news their brother Bobby, 17, had been killed in a triple-fatal accident. He and two friends died when the car they were in crashed in heavy rain in Sydney's west early Sunday.

"I didn't get it. All these people were writing, 'RIP Chris Naylor' and 'RIP Bobby', and I thought: 'What's going on?'," Angela said.

Desperate for reassurance there was a mistake, she tried over and over to ring her brother.

Online social networking had delivered the mother and daughter the worst possible news.

Heartbreakingly, a police delay in notifying the family meant the boy's mother had to call St Marys police to ask about her son's death - almost six hours after he had been killed. Bobby's uncle Peter Matelis said it beggared belief that police had not contacted the family immediately after the accident.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare to lose a child in a car accident, but to have to hear it on Facebook, then have to chase up the police yourself, is just horrifying," Matelis said. Superintendent Ray Filewood defended the delay Sunday and said that police had difficulty confirming Bobby's identity.

"Once his identity was firmly established, St Marys police contacted Mt Druitt police to send a car to the Vourlis residence," he said. "In the interim, Mrs. Vourlis contacted St Marys police, who confirmed the death of their son."

Bobby was one of three teenagers killed when the Ford Falcon XR6 they were in slammed into a pole on the Great Western Highway at Colyton, near St Marys, at 3.15am. Chris Naylor, 19, from Dean Park, was driving the group of friends home to their houses when he lost control in heavy rain. Naylor and rear-seat passenger Kelsie Coleman, 15, from Bidwill, also died. The other rear-seat passengers - Racheal Graham, 17, of Bidwill, and Laura Daniels, 16, of Oakhurst, were treated at Nepean Hospital for multiple non-life threatening injuries.