Vassara - Road

After much activity, especially of the organization of the Vassarians in Athens, named “Dionysos,” but also with many objections, much misery and whining, and after some money had been collected from the contributions of compatriots, a contract, finally, was agreed upon for the construction of a public road, that of Vassaras/Crossroad of Sellasia, with the contractor N. Valaouras of Athens. It was May 2 nd , 1922 when in front of the school, where the starting point for the highway was, and with all the village people being gathered, a blessing was celebrated, with the abbot, Gerasimos Petrakes, of the monastery of The Holy Forty Martyrs officiating, and the reverend parish priest, Demetres Mamounas (papa-Demetres).

At the end of the blessing, the abbot spoke as did the mayor of the town, George Malames, both of whom, after they had praised the value of the work, urged the townspeople, but also the Vassarians everywhere, to offer anything the could, financially or even personally, to the speedy completion of this work, without any complaints about possible damages which they may suffer due to the laying of the road through their fields or their vineyards, because it was for the sake of a undertaking, which would serve all and for which all would be proud. Last of all spoke the doctor, Georgios Zacharopoulos, who with descriptive wording expounded on the benefits of transportation, and adding that May 2 nd 1922 would become a historic day for Vassaras, as a day of progress, civilization and prosperity.

After the speeches, everyone, with pickaxes, shovels and picks in their hands, with the clergy leading, and under the direction of the contractor, N. Valaouras, rushed down into the plain, clear the path for the road, which went through Mpousoulas, advanced to St. Tryphon, crossed ten meters(approximately 33 feet) to the left of the well, up to the kiln of Elias Stavropoulos, cutting down vine stock from the vineyard, new plantings, olive trees and whatever else was in the path of the highway. The people worked as if they were partying, as if they enjoyed what they were doing. It was an undeterred enthusiasm. The eldest would compete with the youngest. They wanted to finish as soon as possible, so they could enjoy the highway before they passed away.

Along with the dirt, the rocks, the branches, the Vassarians threw away, with their shovels, their pickaxes, their pruning shears and their hands, the backwardness, the nagging, the false pride and all the evil shortcomings, and opened the great highway of Vassaras toward progress and toward civilization.