The Olive Harvest in Greece

The president of the Macmillan Group in Springfield, Massachusetts, Demetrios Panteleakis manages a real estate portfolio with investments that total $100 million. An individual of Greek heritage, he regularly returns to his ancestral home and olive groves, which his family has maintained in province of Laconia for centuries. Demetrios Panteleakis particularly enjoys visiting the family farm during the annual olive harvest.

The olive harvest has long been an important part of part of Greece’s unique culture and heritage. In fact, Greece is the only nation in the European Union that gives civil servants special leave during the olive harvest.

Although some regions of Greece begin the harvest as early as October, most harvests take place in November just as olives begin to ripen, turning from green to a purplish black. As unique as the Greek soil that produces these olives, the harvest requires exceptional efforts on behalf of both farmers, who pick their olives by hand, and millers, who produce olive oil around the clock.

The Olive Harvest in Greece

Western New England College graduate, Demetrios Panteleakis is the president of the MacMillan Group in Springfield, Massachusetts. Each year, Demetrios Panteleakis travels to his family farm in Greece for the annual olive harvest. 

Olive groves exist throughout Greece, and while the harvest season starts as early as the end of October, it isn't until late November that the best olives are picked. Nevertheless, the harvest season continues through mid-January.

The wild olive tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean, and fossilized olive trees have been dated between 50-60,000 years old. The Greeks were the first people to cultivate the trees, and they have been an integral part of Greek culture since the Stone Age.

The olive tree is always growing, and during droughts, the trees must be watered to ensure that it will bear fruit. The trees also require careful pruning to stimulate the growth of the flowering branches and to keep the tree close enough to the ground for easier fruit picking.

The beauty of the landscape and the majesty of the trees make harvesting the olives such a joy that the olive harvest has become eco-tourism. Olive lovers from around the world come to Greece each year to enjoy the ancient tradition of picking this delicious fruit.

NFHS Introduces New Rules for High School Wrestling for 2017-18 Season

Demetrios Panteleakis has been the president of the Macmillan Group, Inc., in Springfield, Massachusetts since 2016. In his spare time, Demetrios Panteleakis coaches high school wrestling. 

During its April 2-4, 2017 meeting, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Board of Directors approved all 11-rule changes advised by the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. These new rules will go into effect for the 2017-18 season.

Perhaps the most controversial change was allowing the substitution of a two-piece uniform in place of the traditional wrestling singlet. The new uniform will consist of compression shorts with an inseam of at least four inches and not extend below the knee. The compression shirt will reach the elbow, and the shirts tail must go at least three inches below the waist.

The committee also adopted a new rule to limit injuries. Wrestlers will no longer be allowed to engage in any activity to stimulate weight loss after failing to make weight on the first attempt: This rule includes dehydration, cutting hair, and altering clothes.

Places to Visit on the Mani Peninsula in Greece

A graduate of Western New England University School of Law, Demetrios Panteleakis serves as president of Macmillan Group, a real estate company that covers Western New England, the Berkshires, and Northern Connecticut. Outside of work, Demetrios Panteleakis enjoys traveling to the Mani Peninsula in Greece to visit his family’s home. 

Located in Laconia, the Mani is known for being wild and rugged. Left to govern itself throughout the Roman Empire and one of only regions not conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The region features a number of interesting sites, including:

-Areopoli. City that sparked the Greek Revolution for Independence from the Ottomans which liberated all of Greece and the Balkans. 

- The caves of Diros. Inhabited until the 4th century BCE, the Diros caves are near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. Visitors can view the many stalactites and stalagmites on a guided 30-minute boat tour of the caves. 

- Cape Tenaro. Mentioned in The Iliad by Homer, Cape Tenaro has been a prominent location in Southern Europe for several thousand years. Attractions in the area include the ruins of Tainaron, an ancient Roman city, and a ruined church constructed on the foundation of Poseidon's Temple.

- Pikoulakis Tower House Museum. Created inside a restored tower, the museum showcases Byzantine art from Mani churches, including a marble templon dating back to the 12th century from the Church of Agios Ioannis in nearby Mina.