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Cypriot-American Society to Honor U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe |
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UHAC recently announced plans to host a VIP reception honoring Sen. Snowe (R-ME) and Amb. Evriviades in Chicago immediately preceeding a 2006 Banquet of the Cypriot-American Society where the two will again be honored. With the upcoming retirement of Sen. Paul Sarbanes, Sen. Snowe "will be the only Greek-American in the U.S. Senate," according to long-time UHAC leader Andrew Athens. "We cannot afford to lose her. Olympia will be our only voice in the Senate to advocate against the ongoing human rights violations against Cyprus and the Ecumnical Patriarchate as well as to strengthen the United States' relationship with Greece. It is our duty to insure her re-election," Athens has stated in recent UHAC correspondence, underscoring the significance of her upcoming recognition by UHAC and the Cypriot-American Society. Although Sen. Snowe has a long record of outstanding service to the voters of the State of Maine, her legislative career is replete with many "firsts." She was the first Greek-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She was also the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress when she became a member at age 31, and only the second woman to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate. Recently, she became the first Republican woman to secure a full-term seat on the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Snowe is a member of the Senate Leadership as the Counsel to the Majority Leader. She is also the Chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. In addition, she serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Snowe is married to former U.S. Congressman and Maine Governor John McKernan. Despite her lengthy list of accomplishments in representing Maine voters in Augusta, the capital of the Pine Tree State, and in Washington, she has been an invaluable supporter of Hellenic and Orthodox issues for the last 11 years in the Senate and, prior to that, for 16 years in the House of Representatives. Senator Snowe's father, George Bouchles, emigrated from Mytilene, Greece and her mother, Georgia Goranites, was a second-generation Greek-American whose parents had come from Sparta. Her life story is one of remarkable success in overcoming great challenges. She was orphaned at a young age and sent to St. Basil's Academy, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's home for children in need. As a young adult, her husband, Peter Snowe was tragically killed in a car accident. She was elected to his seat in the Maine House of Representatives. Despite such adversity, Senator Snowe has always found a way to succeed with grace, warmth and charm. |
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(Posted February 2006) For more information about Sen. Snowe, visit her official website at the URL http://snowe.senate.gov. There are several fine articles and releases about her work as a representative in the News and Issues section of the HCS archives at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/archivesnewsandissues.html. HCS encourages readers to view other articles and releases in our permanent, extensive archives at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/contents.html. |
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2000 © Hellenic Communication Service, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. http://www.HellenicComServe.com |
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