Ya'ssoo Greek Festival, 1974

Wed, 11/27/2024 - 10:43am

When: 1974

This recording was conducted in 1974 as part of the I Remember When television series produced by the Ann Arbor Public Library.

Transcript

• [00:00:21] TED TROST: Greek festival. We're talking to Mr. Frank Minikes, who has been very active in these festivals in times past. This is where the wine is being served, is that right?
• [00:02:00] FRANK MINIKES: Yes right. This is the first bar.
• [00:02:05] TED TROST: There's a second one?
• [00:02:06] FRANK MINIKES: The second one is on the back, so they put me out in front.
• [00:02:10] TED TROST: Well, I noticed that you are selling Ouzo among some of the other wines. Is that a Greek wine?
• [00:02:16] FRANK MINIKES: Well, that's a liquor. That isn't a wine. That's a liquor.
• [00:02:19] TED TROST: It's a liquor.
• [00:02:20] FRANK MINIKES: Yeah.
• [00:02:21] TED TROST: Well, tell me about how it's made.
• [00:02:24] FRANK MINIKES: Well, that's made out of the pulps of the grapes.
• [00:02:30] TED TROST: I see.
• [00:02:30] FRANK MINIKES: After they squeeze the grapes out, get the pulps and boil it, and distill it, to do and hear the snaps or anything.
• [00:02:41] TED TROST: So good. Well, you say there have been other Greek festivals? You were telling me that earlier?
• [00:02:46] FRANK MINIKES: Yeah. It's all over the United States from all over the big communities they go for it. For the last start, about four years ago.
• [00:02:55] TED TROST: Well, now, you seem to be enjoying yourself today. Are you?
• [00:02:57] FRANK MINIKES: I'm happy doing anything else.
• [00:03:00] TED TROST: You really are. Wow, that's good.
• [00:03:02] FRANK MINIKES: Well, I like to see the people, I've been in restaurant business all my life since I came to this country.
• [00:03:10] TED TROST: Do you have a restaurant here in Ann Arbor?
• [00:03:11] FRANK MINIKES: I have a restaurant.
• [00:03:12] TED TROST: Sure. I've been there before. Sometimes I go to a restaurant that's down a little further on Main Street. big heavy set fellow there.
• [00:03:22] FRANK MINIKES: That's my friend, Malos.
• [00:03:26] TED TROST: Yes, I know.
• [00:03:27] FRANK MINIKES: Malos.
• [00:03:28] TED TROST: Right. Do you have a lot of Greek food at home?
• [00:03:35] FRANK MINIKES: No. Not very much anymore, because, my wife is born here. She's born over here. She likes the Greek stuff, but she usually don't go into high spice. That's what the Greek food is. That's the difference between the Greek food and American or German food. That's just more heavily spiced.
• [00:03:58] TED TROST: Well, I was wondering you've probably eaten all those cakes that we're going to take a look at a little later.
• [00:04:03] FRANK MINIKES: I don't go very much for cakes, not nowadays. They're used to it. When I was younger, I would always go by the street stuff.
• [00:04:11] TED TROST: Now, you got to watch.
• [00:04:12] FRANK MINIKES: I [inaudible 00:04:12] be careful.
• [00:04:13] TED TROST: But good luck to you. You've been a wonderful person to introduce us to this festival today.
• [00:04:18] FRANK MINIKES: Thank you very much.
• [00:04:19] TED TROST: Hope to talk to you again.
• [00:04:21] FRANK MINIKES: Thank you. It was very nice to talk to you.
• [00:05:10] TED TROST: Plenty to choose from.
• [00:05:12] MS. COLLINS: They're all good.
• [00:05:14] TED TROST: I know. Now. What is this?
• [00:05:16] MS. COLLINS: This is baklava..
• [00:05:21] TED TROST: What's that made from?
• [00:05:22] MS. COLLINS: Walnut, butter, and there's the peanuts.
• [00:05:25] TED TROST: That sounds wonderful. I'm going to take one of those.
• [00:05:29] MS. COLLINS: Nothing but the best.
• [00:05:30] TED TROST: Nothing but the best. What's your name?
• [00:05:32] MS. COLLINS: Miss Collin. Peter Collins.
• [00:05:33] TED TROST: You've been working here before?
• [00:05:35] MS. COLLINS: For a whole month.
• [00:05:36] TED TROST: For a whole month.
• [00:05:37] MS. COLLINS: Making all this.
• [00:05:39] TED TROST: All by hand?
• [00:05:41] MS. COLLINS: Everything was downstairs at the church.
• [00:05:43] TED TROST: Well, I'm going to try to sample everything, but I don't know if I'm going to have room for it.
• [00:05:47] MS. COLLINS: Well, try and wait.
• [00:05:49] TED TROST: Well, thank you.
• [00:05:51] PATRICIA MENIOTES: Same baklava. But they make different ingredients. Well you use [inaudible 00:05:56] and almonds.
• [00:05:58] TED TROST: Almonds. Well, I'm going to try one of those.
• [00:06:00] PATRICIA MENIOTES: [inaudible 00:06:00].
• [00:06:05] TED TROST: Sure. Let me have one of those then.
• [00:06:08] PATRICIA MENIOTES: Hey, thank you.
• [00:06:09] TED TROST: What's your name?
• [00:06:10] PATRICIA MENIOTES: It's Miss Patricia Meniotes from Jackson, Michigan.
• [00:06:14] TED TROST: Well, you're really getting people together from all over Michigan.
• [00:06:17] PATRICIA MENIOTES: Yeah because we are members of the church.
• [00:06:17] TED TROST: Well, I'm learning to think Greek, that's what I'm supposed to do. Thanks again. That's called what again?
• [00:06:25] MARY ALEXANDER: Walnut cake.
• [00:06:27] TED TROST: Sure.
• [00:06:28] MARY ALEXANDER: This is INAUDIBLE. It melts in your mouth.
• [00:06:31] TED TROST: All of this is going to be like that. What is your name?
• [00:06:34] MARY ALEXANDER: Miss Alexander. Mary Alexander.
• [00:06:36] TED TROST: You're from Ann Arbor.
• [00:06:37] MARY ALEXANDER: No, I'm from Jackson.
• [00:06:38] TED TROST: From Jackson. Well, good to see you, and thanks a lot. There's some more. That looks like birthday cake, but it isn't. It is birthday cake? It's like it. Well, I'll take one of those, sure. Thank you.
• [00:06:59] ANNA: This is like the birthday cake they have in Greece. They make a very [inaudible 00:07:02].
• [00:07:02] TED TROST: A birthday is a big celebration, I bet in Greece.
• [00:07:06] ANNA: No, really, they have the name day.
• [00:07:08] TED TROST: A name day. Then this cake is sometimes used then?
• [00:07:11] ANNA: They use it on the birthday cakes and the name days, too.
• [00:07:15] TED TROST: I see.
• [00:07:17] ANNA: We celebrate like St. Nico day, or St. George's name day or St. Anthony, everybody's name is at the cake.
• [00:07:26] TED TROST: Well, it's good you have lots of celebrations. What's your name?
• [00:07:29] ANNA: Anna [inaudible 00:07:30].
• [00:07:30] TED TROST: Good to see, talk with you. I guess this is where I have to pay the turbanacle act.
• [00:07:37] ANNA: [inaudible 00:07:37].
• [00:07:39] TED TROST: Maybe I'll have to try that the next time around. I guess so. I hope I can pay for it all, everybody.
• [00:08:02] ANNA: We'll be right with you. Thank you, sir.
• [00:08:06] TED TROST: Well, thank you. I guess you've got an important responsibility. Make sure you get every cent.
• [00:08:11] ANNA: For St. Nicholas.
• [00:08:12] TED TROST: That's fine. Right.
• [00:08:33] TED TROST: Friends we're talking now with Mr. Andrew Kokenakes, who's one of the oldest members of St. Nicholas Church, and is going to tell us a little bit about the founding of the congregation. You have been a member of the church for a long time?
• [00:08:49] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Yes. Particularly right.
• [00:08:51] TED TROST: Since 1929?
• [00:08:53] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Yes.
• [00:08:53] TED TROST: Tell me, what have been some of the difficulties you've had in building the church?
• [00:09:00] ANDREW KOKENAKES: We had a hard time, we built it up. It was depression that time we started build up in 1935. We depression, we pick up some money, we started build up.
• [00:09:10] TED TROST: Is that right?
• [00:09:11] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Yes, depression time.
• [00:09:13] TED TROST: Did the people help build it or did you go out and get someone to build?
• [00:09:18] ANDREW KOKENAKES: We had a contractor. We collect the money, we pay him.
• [00:09:23] TED TROST: I bet you've seen a number of Greek people come over here to Ann Arbor.
• [00:09:27] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Oh, yes, a lot.
• [00:09:28] TED TROST: About how large is the church now?
• [00:09:31] ANDREW KOKENAKES: How many members are there?
• [00:09:33] UNKNOWN: About 500 members.
• [00:09:37] ANDREW KOKENAKES: That day it was about 60.
• [00:09:39] UNKNOWN: Sixty.
• [00:09:40] TED TROST: About 60 when you first came. You've served as president of the church, haven't you?
• [00:09:44] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Yes.
• [00:09:45] TED TROST: What were some of the problems you had to face then or was?
• [00:09:47] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Had a hard time.
• [00:09:48] TED TROST: You had a hard time?
• [00:09:50] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Hard. Collect money, give money.
• [00:09:54] TED TROST: It must make you feel very happy to see way things are today?
• [00:09:57] ANDREW KOKENAKES: That's right. You said it.
• [00:09:59] TED TROST: Would you say things are better today than they used to be, as far as the church is concerned?
• [00:10:03] ANDREW KOKENAKES: Of course. Better because a lot of people here, kids here, go to school, we've got a Greek school down there, learn Greek and everything.
• [00:10:11] TED TROST: Well, that's really marvelous. You'd say it's been worthwhile all this time with the church, right?
• [00:10:16] ANDREW KOKENAKES: All the while, right.
• [00:10:17] TED TROST: Awfully nice talking with you, and God bless you.
• [00:34:55] UNKNOWN: Next round of applause for the Hellenic Society for the Performing Arts. [APPLAUSE] Let's bring them back to do atomic ball. [MUSIC] [NOISE] [APPLAUSE] Next round of applause for the society for the performing art. Thank you. Bye-bye.