1966 Technical activities of the Team
(with photos from locals made by Summer Camper Piet Rijken, for more click here)
1966 Monthly reports: A summary of main topics, events, visitors, etc.
1966 Jan / Feb
Mr. Prineas, civil engineer in Athens, is going to approve the reinforced concrete calculations for the old people’s home in Potamos. Team’s bulldozer finally reached Agia Pelagia; in September it had started bulldozering the new road to the coast from Mr. Koksma’s place at Agia Anastasia. An artesian well drilling at Livadi is not successful, another will be started. Second surveying for airstrip at Amoutses, Frilingianika, Mr. Vironas Dapontes from Chora placed several weather instruments. In Holland Mr. Koksma had several meetings concerning possibilities for a carob sugar industry and lectures were held at several Dutch towns to procure funds for various projects at Kythira. In Germany no financial support could be found for the rural school in Mylopotamos. In Geneva several WCC officials were met, among others Mr. Kijlstra from Holland, Mr. Ken Baker and Mr. Spentza. Mid February Mr. and Mrs. Koksma returned to Kythera accompanied by 3 other technical students, Anton Obdam, Lex Pannekoek and Jan Stappers, from the Technical College Arnhem, Holland.
1966 Feb Proposal Development Planning: present and future
1966 March
Financial support to repair the Mitata road (in concrete 3,5 m width and length 1.300 m) is slowly being received. At Livadi the first concrete road pavement is being laid. Mr. Prineas, civil engineer in Athens, was handed the reinforced concrete calculations for the old people’s home in Potamos, but the Team’s design is not set up in the way the Building Authorities can approve these calculations and Mr. Prineas will take care of this. The old people’s home committee hopes for a public tender in three months time. Mr. John Hall, American, who wants to develop a touristic centre at Elafonissos, visited Kythera and asked the Team to make an investigation at Elafonissos for the water economy and reforestation. To do this Jean Bingen went for 3 days to this small island. Being in Neapolis the president was handed some seeds from CARE and he would like to know if he could be given some tree lets as well, a similar request also came from Skala. At Amoutses an area of 1800 m length was surveyed to suit small planes. Road construction in Livadi is continued thanks to a large donation from Australia. Setting out for concreting the parking place at Myrtidia. Drafting of application forms to be sent to the Dutch government to procure funds for the Mylopotamos rural school. Some sketches were made for Mr. Vironas Dapontes for his tourist development projects.
>> more island photos in color in 1966
1966 April
The baptism of the son, first child, of the president of Livadi and that his village Livadi is promised by ecumenical youth of the town Vlaardingen, Holland, to help installing plastic water pipes that will be donated by the Dutch factory Wavin. Members of the Lefkas Group visited the Kythera Team. Members (4) of the Kythera Team went for an 8-day Easter holiday to the Peloponnese. At Livadi on a hilltop the first excavation for the water cistern was done by the bulldozer. In Potamos the bell towers for the church are still under construction. The Team’s small one-axe tractor finds work all over the island. In several villages, stable building is continued. On request of the Bishop a survey for a pipeline from the artesian well (1000 m3) in Logothetianika to the hospital in Potamos (needs 10 m3 per day) has started. The tree nursery at Agios Theodoros however cannot yet make use of this water, first the hospital plans must be completed. Plans for a technical school at Potamos are rejected. Although still people move out of Kythera, more and more houses and new rural roads are being built.
1966 May
Although bulldozer and air compressor are many times out of order they have added tremendously to the development of the island. It is nearly always exceedingly difficult to get the required spare parts. A Dutch couple, Mr. and Mrs. Schotveld, visited Kythera to learn especially about the agricultural development here as they are being sent to an island in Indonesia to start an agricultural training station. Mr. Panagasis, civil engineer from the Nomarchy, visited the island to investigate the existing and available water supply in the villages and was also shown the Team’s plans for some villages. A survey in Vroulea was started for Mr. Dapontes. In Mylopotamos a trace out was done for the water supply from the well to the centre of the village. In Athens a visit was paid to the Dutch ambassador and to many governmental offices. With Miss Dr. Maria de Groot many offices were visited for the Mitata road project, see special report November 1965 about the devastating autumn rains. A severe miscommunication with the Greek WCC Committee in Athens was straightened, but if this will be of any help? Mr. M. Michailidis here will take over the responsibilities of Mr. Athanasiadis. The work on the extension of the hospital at Potamos has come to an end.
1966 June
Two summer camps from Vlaardingen, a town in Holland, the first as of June 16 and the second as of July 7, will come to Livadi and lodging had to be found at various houses. Mrs. Lambrini Karavousanou at Kato Livadi took care for their evening meals. These ecumenical youths, in 1965 and 1966, had collected in all possible ways a lot of money to do work and buy equipment for the future water supply system. The youngsters were to dig by hand 60 cm deep trenches for the pipelines and to construct the reinforced concrete floor for the water tank. The pipes were to be laid as much as possible in the fields. The first boat-load plastic pipes from Wavin, Holland, had arrived in Kapsali and was transported via Kalamos (!) to Livadi. Also, in Mylopotamos for the rural school, lodging was required for two summer camps. In Avlemona a survey was made for a town planning. At Agia Anastasia 250 kg gypsum was excavated and taken to a laboratory in Athens for investigation. Mr. Michaelidis, the new executive secretary visited the Team for the first time. On request of the General Diaconal Office of the Re-reformed Churches of Holland, Mr. Schotveld, a graduate of the Agricultural University of Wageningen, Holland, who with his wife in May visited the Kythera-Team for two weeks, made a review of his findings of the development work at Kythera. The director of the technical service of the Prefecture of Piraeus foresees a prolonged cooperation with the Team. Forester Yannis Zerlendes has married by the end of the month and Mrs. Koksma was their “koumbara”!
1966 July
At Livadi the summer camp finished the concrete floor for the water tank and a first length of pipes was installed. At Kato Livadi also the population dug quite a length of pipe trenches as was done by people in Skoulianika and Travasarianika. These villages could maybe become part of the overall island water system.
The1st summer work camp for Mylopotamos and the 2nd for Livadi arrived with the same boat on July 26, one embarking in Agia Pelagia and the other in Kapsali. The 1st camp from Livadi left Kythera with this same boat. The 2nd camp for Mylopotamos at the end of the month however arrived one day earlier and thus causing some lodging problems! The three technical students left Kythera the end of the month. A lot of donations were received for the repair of the Mitata road. Mr. Koksma writes about the basic requirements for a development team after he had the opportunity to show from the results of the development work at Kythera to Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Doxiadis, Mrs. Doxiadis and Mr. Psomopoulos. Mr. Georgios Kakouris, Nomarch of Piraeus who visited Kythera to learn the wishes of the population, was shown about the Team’s work and informed about their plans for the near future.
1966 Aug
More than one hundred Dutch young people worked at Kythera in Mylopotamos (school) and Livadi (water supply)! These works have reached a 25% completion mark! The interaction of islanders and youth from abroad. Jean Bingen, civil engineer, left the Team after 14 months. For his work at Livadi the municipality declared him by written statement 1st worker of the water supply of the village. At Livadi the artesian well drilling found water. The 3rd Kythera agricultural fair in Fratsia was held at the end of the month (25/26/27). Reconstruction of destroyed road Mitata – Viaradika. New church at Diakofti for which Mr. Viaropoulos sponsored the foundation. New team member, Miss Ir. Ida Blok, graduate from Wageningen University, Holland, is expected to arrive for agricultural matters.
1966 Aug / Sept
A special report in Dutch: an empty office, all team members have gone home! How the water supply project at Livadi was adopted by youngsters in Holland. Continuation of this project ensured by Province of Piraeus. Successful artesian well drilling in Livadi. Status Mylopotamos school. Special thanks to ….
1966 Sept
A lot of work was required in the experimental garden. 25% More girls (38) this year for the rural school in Mylopotamos, but the owner of the building took back one of the two classrooms! The Athens Committee seems not to agree with the project of building a new school! Plans for a museum in Chora sent to the architect of the State Office for Archaeology. Mr. Vironas Dapontes is working on the touristic development of the island.
1966 Oct
New team member Tom Klinkhamer starts in Potamos helping with reforestation. The two team houses in Chora are wanted back by their owners. The working of Bishop’s assessment island committee. If this committee agrees on a certain project, it is forwarded to the Ecumenical Committee for Social Projects in Greece for their approval. Olive picking from 40 trees in the experimental garden as of 1963 showed following increasing result: from 680 – 870 – 910 to 1100 kg. The Avlemona water cistern was finished. It is olive picking period, and it is extremely hard to find anybody to work for the tree planting project. Bishop’s island committee is taking over the care for the bulldozer and the air compressor.
1966 Nov
Not all teachers see the need for the planting of trees. Victims of serious accidents during olive picking time must go to Athens for treatment. After working in the tree nursery at Agios Theodoros Tom Klinkhamer went to Livadi, but due to heavy rain fall he is not able to really work to finish the water supply. For various reasons not everybody at the island liked the reforestation. At Kythira only in October thru December tree lets should be planted according directives and financial support of the directorate at Athens. But this is the olive picking period and workers hardly can be found. Fortunately, the Team in the past years knew from their experimental garden that even up to April new trees could be planted and so they (forester and Team) got the money and the permission to plant in the first months of the year. Constant meetings and planning for the central and local water supply systems.
1966 Dec
Visit to Athens. Plans for the overall island water supply system approved by the Prefecture of Piraeus. Last official signature to start the construction of the old people’s home in Potamos has been given. The Team must pay for the transportation of tree lets and labourers for tree planting as the Government does not. Some surprises were made and handed to hospital patients on First Christmas day. Team member Tom Klinkhamer left Kythera the 28th this month. Overview of last year 1966 work projects and or results on water economy, reforestation, making of rural roads, stable building, industry, old people’s home, Mylopotamos school, information on modern agricultural approach, technical advises, promotion of touristic development.
Kapsali and Chora in 1966. Click on a photo to enlarge
