A great two weeks in Iceland - Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle

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ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Contents
Page 1
Two weeks in Iceland
Page 2
May 17th Parade
Page 3
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti
Page 4
Scholarships & Princesses
Page 5
Reykjavik Event
Page 6
Iceland’s Independence Day
Page 7
June 17th Photo Collage
Page 8
From the President
Page 9
June 17th Information
Nordic Tenors
Page 10
Obituary
Icecubes...
Page 11
Events
Membership
Consider joining The Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle!
The dues are still reasonable.
The monies help cover the
cost of mailings, as well as,
seed money for events where
we need to cover costs ahead
of time. We ask your help to
reach Icelanders who do not
belong and encourage them
to join. Thanks for your help!
Board meetings are held
montly.
Ads are accepted
Visit the Icelandic Club of
Greater Seattle online at
www.icelandseattle.com.
JULY 2008
A great two weeks in Iceland
Henry Björnsson
In late May and early June I visited Iceland for the first
time. The trip would have been momentous at any
age, but I unaccountably let my first seventy-five years
roll by before I finally made it to the land where my father, Lorraine’s mother, and all our grandparents, were
born. At my age it was probably even more rewarding
than for a younger person. I wish Lorraine could have
been with me; she would have loved it.
My first week was spent in and around Reykjavik,
in connection with the Seattle-Reykjavik Sister City
Program, with a fine group from the Icelandic Club
along with two members of the Seattle City Council (Jan Drago and Tom Rasmussen), plus some other
city officials, and some folks from Snohomish County,
including Ray Stephenson, the mayor of Everett, who
is of 100% Icelandic ancestry. We did some touring
in and around Reykjavik, taking in the Golden Circle
tour to Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þhingvellir on a beautiful
warm, sunny day. Gullfoss and the geysir area were
very. impressive, and Þhingvellir, on that day, was simply
glorious.
On our other days in Reykjavik we had visits to a
number of businesses and tourist attractions, and
meetings with Reykjavik officials, including a lovely dinner with the Mayor of Reykjavik, Ólafur Magnússon,
held at Hofði House, now famous as the site of the
1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit meeting. We also
visited Bessastaðir, the presidential residence, and had
an opportunity to meet and speak with President
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Our time in and around Reykjavik included a trip to
the Blue Lagoon (I didn’t go in the water, but a number of folks did and greatly enjoyed the experience),
a tour of DeCode Genetics and a chance to talk to
some of the scientists and technicians who are world
leaders in genetic research, and tours of Óssur, an Icelandic company which makes many kinds of medical
prostheses sold all over the world; and of Marel Food
Systems, which manufactures equipment for packing
and handling meat and fish, another Icelandic firm
with many international connections and outlets.
We also toured the production studio of the children’s TV program “Lazytown.” I did not know about
this show before our trip, but it is produced in Iceland
and has a huge following of four- to seven-year olds
in many countries. It is the creation of Magnús Scheving, who also stars as the program’s hero, Sportacus
10, described as a “slightly above-average hero” who
shows children the importance of exercise and good
food. The show appears on Nickelodeon channel, although in Seattle it is on the Noggin channel, which is
channel 120 on Comcast.
Our week in Reykjavík was punctuated by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which was centered 20-30 miles
south of the city, and which shook us pretty well at the
hotel. It was the strongest earthquake to hit Iceland in six years.
For my second week in the country I had enrolled in a writing program which Bill Holm holds each
year at Hofsós. Bill owns a cabin
there, which he calls Brimnes, and
which gives its name to Bill’s latest
book “The Windows of Brimnes,”
a remarkable collection of essays
about Iceland and its people and
history, about war and peace, politics, success and failure, and many
other subjects. Bill is a poet, of
course, quite a bit of a philosopher,
and a very fine writer. I heartily
recommend the book to everyone, but especially to anyone with
any connection to Iceland.
Hofsos, as I experienced it in a
Valgeir Þorvaldsson, Bill Holm and Henry Björnsson
(Continued on next page)
2
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
May 17th Parade through the streets of Ballard
Two weeks
(Continued from page 1)
beautiful summer week, is a heavenly place, on
the east side of the Skaga Fjord looking straight
over at Drangey, an island familiar to anyone
who has read “The Saga of Grettir the Strong,”
and where the famous outlaw lived the last
years of his life, and where he was killed. There
are far more horses and sheep around Hofsos
than people, and millions of birds: arctic terns,
skuas, gulls, guillemots, fulmars, puffins, eider
ducks, swans and geese, a frenzy of bird life everywhere. And very few cars or airplanes, and
very little noise of any kind except the sound of
birds and sheep, and sometimes wind. I found
myself slowing down in Hofsos, walking quietly,
stopping to listen and look at the world around
me as I almost never do at home. I’m sure all
of us would benefit from time in Hofsos, and I
envy Bill Holm in having a place there where he
can spend part of every year.
Our workshop group consisted of six participants, all women except me. One was a wellpublished poet who lives in New York City, who
wrote a wonderful poem about things she saw
and experienced there. Another poet in the
group is an English professor at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.The rest of us are folks who
haven’t published anything, but who enjoy writing and welcome a chance to learn some new
things and perhaps gain from professional criticism of our work. We made a remarkably congenial and compatible group, and the week was
rewarding and fun. We were able to do a number of side trips, including a boat run around
Drangey and the other islands and cliffs in the
fjord, although the weather was too rough and
stormy for us to land on Drangey and climb it,
which had been my hope, and that of others.
We also explored some bird preserves and visited a nearby artists’ colony
One of the highlights of our time at Hofsos
was our visit to Holar, where the Bishop of Holar dramatically guided us through the beautiful and historic church which was in medieval
times one of the two centers of religious power
and influence in Iceland, the other being Skalholt in the south.
Just as the earthquake furnished a dramatic
footnote to the time in Reykjavik, another natural occurrence highlighted our stay at Hofsos.
Historically, Greenland polar bears have arrived
on the northern Icelandic coast periodically,
presenting a threat to people and domestic animals. Two days after our arrival, we learned that
a bear had been sighted just across the Skaga
Fjord, the first to land in Iceland in fifteen years.
Then, the next day, we learned that the police
had found it necessary to shoot the animal because of concerns about the safety of people
in the area. When we left to return to Reykjavik at the end of
the week our bus
went by the place
where it was shot,
between
Saudarkrokur
and
Blonduos. The bus
driver was able to
point out exactly
where the shooting took place.
Remarkably, after I was home in
Seattle, I learned
that another polar bear had come
ashore just two
weeks after the
first one, in the
same general area
of the Skaga Fjord,
Emily Kristjanson
The day was warm. We were 15th in line and
many, many people lined the streets to welcome the parade. We had 3 Icelandic flags
and an American flag. Gunnar Bjarnason led
our group with the Icelandic flag. Our princess, Kelsey Monson and alternate, Christina
Russo rode in the convertible driven by Melissa Olafsson. Four of us handed out candy
along the way. Some of our members were on
the sidelines calling our name which made us
happy to see we were supported. By the time
we got to the end of the parade, we could
hardly stand up. It is a long trek for those of
us in aging years. We hope you who are a
little younger will come out and do this for
us next year. Our presence in the parade is
very helpful for the Icelandic Club and we are
proud to show our support to the Norwegian
community.
and that it was found necessary to shoot that
one, too. The fact that the first bear in fifteen
years was followed by another two weeks later
would seem to raise concerns about a possible
increase in the frequency of bears’ arrivals from
Greenland, and whether such increase might be
associated with climate change.
I feel that I should say something about Icelandic food. During the two weeks I ate very well,
and that included all the wonderful lamb I could
get my hands on. I also had whale, puffin, and
sea bird eggs and lots of fish. They were all delicious. Most of the Icelandic foods I remember
as a child were available, including skyr, hardfisk,
kleinurs, and pannakukurs. Just about everything
but vinarterta, which seems to be more American or Canadian than Icelandic.
These were two beautiful and memorable
weeks, and I want to go back.
3
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti
Anna Hauksdóttir
The first day of summer was celebrated on Saturday, May 20 at the Nordic Heritage Museum.
It was a cold day with snowflakes falling gently.
It looked more like Christmas. In Iceland Sumardagurinn Fyrsti is always celebrated on the
fourth Thursday in May. It is a holiday dedicated
to the children.
At the Nordic Heritage Museum various activities for the children had been organized on six
Christina with her mother, Linda
long tables such as face painting, drawing an Icelandic village, making pop-up cards, giant colorful tissue flowers, pinecone bird feeders , cutting
and coloring, thumbprint pictures.
Tóta Sellars and Margrét Sölvadóttir entertained
the guests by singing Icelandic songs to welcome
the summer. The children were absorbed in the
art projects and proudly showed them off to the
adults. Refreshments were served and the guests
divided their time between socializing and helping the children as needed.
Alexis Ólafssonith grandmother Margrét Sölvadóttir
Some of the adults joined in making the giant
flowers and the pinecone birdfeeders.
Soon after this event at the Museum I was in
Iceland in time to celebrate Sumardagurinn Fyrsti
with old friends. What an experience. Lunch was
served and by each plate was a gaily wrapped
present. Later that day I attended a performance
by the Women´s Choir of the University of Iceland consisting of thirty students and staff. The
choir was directed by Margrét Bóasdóttir,
who is the Cairman of The Association of Icelandic Chamber Musicians and Soloists. Songs
were sung to welcome the
summer.Wherever I went I saw
people hugging and kissing as
they wished each other Gleðilegt Sumar.
Many children are confirmed
on this day. For the Lutherans
it is a religious ceremony and
for the Unitarians it is a secular
event.
Every community has programs for the children, such as
plays, singing, art, dance.
The scouts attend church service in Hallgrímskirkja and then
they lead the congregation in
a march downtown to Austurvöllur to listen to speeches and
song.
The National Museum had an exhibit of old
dolls from its collection.
So it went all over Iceland where each community celebrated this children's day. What an
experience.
A big thank you to Adrienne Box for organizing
the art project and to her daughters, Forrest,
Alexandra and Sophia for setting up the tables.
Thanks, also, to Emily Kristjanson, Edda Konráðsdóttir, Margrét Sölvadóttir and Tóta Sellars for
providing the refreshments.
Tóta Sellars, Margrét Sölvadóttir
Edda Konráðsdóttir
Elena Ólafssou, Forrest, Sophia and Alexandra Kasper
4
Scholarships and Bio’s
Megan Jacobsen - My great-grandmother, Agla Jacobsen, was born and raised in Iceland
and I will never forget her passion for Icelandic culture.
She
was
an amazing
woman, and
I am grateful
for her influence in my
life, and her
willingness
to share with
me her love
for her native country. My grandfather was born
in Iceland, and has been able to keep his heritage alive, and I love to hear his stories about
growing up in Iceland. I visited Iceland at the
age of twelve, and loved the experience! It was
wonderful to learn more about where I come
from, and to meet my family that lives there. I
was fascinated with the Icelandic culture and I
will never forget that experience.
I have lived in Seattle my entire life and I love
it here. I am seventeen years old, and I recently
graduated from Kamiak High School with honors. These past four years have been a time of
learning and growth. I have participated on the
girls tennis team, on varsity for three years and
letting for two. While on the team, I also earned
the scholar athlete award three years for having
a 3.7 GPA while on the team. Since I began Kindergarten, I have had a passion for learning and
teaching. I have pursued that dream through
the classes I have taken and the volunteer work
I do. I have spent a lot of time volunteering
with children in the community teaching various classrooms or conducting art and science
classes. I am heading off to Brigham Young University - Idaho in January, and I am planning on
majoring in elementary education. I am looking
forward to starting the next chapter of my life!
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Katie Olason - I am going to be attending
the University of Washington in Seattle in the
fall. I am going to be participating in the Early
Fall Start program
and will be taking
an intensive 5 credit
discovery course a
month before the
fall quarter officially
starts. I plan to major
in Business Management. My grandparents are Steve and
Irene Olason and my
parents are Tom and
Faye Olason.
In high school, I was
a cheerleader for four years, part of the Pep
Club for four years and was President my senior year. I have been a member of the National
Honor Society for three years and served as
the President my senior year.
Erin Leann Reep - Erin is a recent graduate of Mount Vernon High School where she
was very involved in leadership, swimming,
tennis, student
government and
was the president of Family,
Career, Community Leaders of
America (FCCLA). She plans
to attend Washington
State
University and is
considering pursuing a career in
secondary education.
Erin is extremely grateful for this scholarship awarded by the
Icelandic Club. Erin’s great grandparents, Jon
and Gudrun Magnusson, were members of the
Icelandic Club for many years and her grandmother, Florrie Reep is a current member.
Christina Elin Russo - Christina lives in
Tacoma, Washington where she graduated this
year from the
Tacoma School
of the Arts with
an
emphasis
in
Photography. Her photographs have
won
awards
and
received
honorable
mentions in the
Annual Washinton State High
School Photography Competitions. She took
Honors Humanities and is actively involved
in her school community. She has played the
piano for 11 years. Christina plans to continue
studying commercial photography at Seattle
Central Community College next year. Her
part-time jobs include freelance photography
and teaching summer photography classes for
Metro Parks Tacoma. Christina thanks the Icelandic Club for this scholarship.
Our Princesses
My name is Forrest Kristine Kasper, and I am
seventeen years old. I am homeschooled. Homeschooling can mean a lot of different things.
For me it means that I have tutors for some
subjects, small class
situations for others, and I work independently from
home as well. This
works well for me
as I can study all of
the subjects that
are required, but
I can spend more
time on the subjects I find really
interesting.
I love to write, and
Forrest Kristine Kasper
I am fascinated by
anything from the 1930s and 1940s.
Some of my hobbies include playing the piano,
acting, singing, hunting for antiques, water color
painting, writing stories, collecting magazines
from the forties, reading classic literature and
watching old movies. I enjoy working with elderly people. I volunteer at Martha and Mary's
Retirement Home and I also clean house for a
lovely, old lady near my house.
For the last three years I have volunteered at
the Nordic Heritage Museum during Yulefest,
making open faced sandwiches. Last year my
sister Alexandra participated also.
I have been to Iceland twice with my Amma,
Anna Hauksdottir. I also attended the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Icelanders settling in
Utah, which took place in Spanish Fork. I hope
to visit Iceland ,and Utah, soon.
Amanda Kristjanson
Christina Elin Russo
5
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Seattle Reykjavik Sister City Association Holds a Successful
formed in Seattle, some students and many U.S. to encourage healthy living. The Seattle
Event in Reykjavik
who worked in Seattle at various times. We City Council members are quite interested
introduced them to the par ticipants of the in a project with LazyTown. LazyTown has
meeting and provided a fur ther link between gone to various cities in the U.S. with maraour two cities.
The SRSCA
and our cosponsor
of
the evening,
the
United
States
E m b a s s y,
also wanted
to introduce
Washington wines to
the
people
of
Iceland.
Ste. Michelle
Winery donated wines
for this wine
tasting event.
Cargolux and
Tom Rasmeessen, Seattle City Council, Olafur Magnússon, Mayor of
Bluebird airReykjavik, Jan Drago, Seattle City Council.
lines flew the
wines to Iceland. Willard Larson and the Seattle Sister thon races and has put on children’s races
City Association also helped to sponsor the and enter tainment, to get them interested
evening. Sixty to seventy people attended in exercising. It would be great to include
our wine tasting reception. It that with our Seattle Marathon. Next, we
was a huge success and great fun had a relaxing time at the Blue Lagoon.
to connect with all those familiar
That evening, the mayor of Reykjavik, Olafaces.
fur Magnusson, invited us to Hofdi House
The next day began with a for a fabulous dinner reception. The mayor
breakfast meeting at Hotel Saga, is Jon Marvin Jonsson’s cousin and that made
at which the American Embassy it also a special evening for the major’s remgave the par ticipants an over- iniscing about his time in Seattle with Jon
view of Iceland and the contin- Marvin and his family. The city of Seattle
ued relationship with the United presented the city of Reykjavik with a beauStates. Our first stop that day tiful blown glass plate by Seattle ar tist Marwas at a geothermal plant, Hell- vin Oliver. Also present at the dinner were
isheidi. Everyone was impressed US Ambassador, Carol Van Voorst, and her
with the facility and many hoped Deputy Chief of Mission, Neil Klopfenstein.
to receive more information It was a beautiful evening and the par ticias an educational tool for us in pants felt very welcomed by the mayor.
rethinking our own energy isThe last day of the meeting continued with
sues. We then drove the Golden a trip to Marel, a food (fish/meat/vegetable)
Circle, i.e. Geysir, Gullfoss and processing machine company. Finnur OddsThingvellir. We had wonderful son of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce
weather to show off these sites and the Trade Councel of Iceland, made a
and everyone enjoyed the day.
very interesting presentation to our group
The following day was spent vis- and then we were given a nice lunch. Our
iting various businesses. We went next destination was DeCode, the DNA reto Össur, a prosthetics company search group. We were then honored to
and LazyTown, an Icelandic chilHrefna Milner, President of Iceland, ‘Olafur Raynar Grímsdren’s TV program shown in the
The Seattle Reykjavik Sister City Association (SRSCA) held a Trade Mission in
Reykjavik, which began on May 24th. The
mission organizers, Arnfridur Sigurdardottir,
Hrefna Milner and Margaret Hlastala, were
delighted to bring to Iceland the attendees,
who were from the Seattle City Council,
Snohomish City Council, the Everett Mayor,
the Trade Commissioner and other business people. The Greater Seattle Chamber
of Commerce and the Trade Development
Alliance of Greater Seattle, are organizations that hold international study missions
around the world and came to Reykjavik to
educate themselves on various businesses
and aspects of Iceland’s economy, traditions
and the history and beauty of Iceland. They
came away from the event with great appreciation of Iceland and its culture and many
ideas of economic and cultural exchanges
between our two cities.
The opening night of the Mission, began
with a reception given by the Seattle Reykjavik Sister City Association and the US Embassy. It was held at the Vinbarinn. Invited
were many Icelanders who have lived or
visited Seattle: some were ar tists who per-
son, Margaret Hlastala and Arnfríður Sigurdardóttir.
(Continued on page 8)
6
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
June 17th - From the President
I want to add my apologies, as well. I also
want to THANK Margret and Tota Sellars
for their hard work. They spent many hours
on the phone, in their cars, putting flyers together, contacting the band, finding housing
for the band, planning a menu the Icelanders
and friends would enjoy plus setting up the
auditorium to welcome all of you. It is no
small task but they wanted this event to be
special.
Thank you, also, to Gunnar and Rosa Johannesson for housing the band. When Margret
asked them, they immediately responded
with a “yes”.
“Charles the Clown” kept the children entertained for 45 minutes. We started out
with 5 children and ended up with about 1215 along with some parents and grandparents. It was exciting to hear the giggles and
screams when he pulled out scarves or let
the balloons loose.
The new princess, Amanda Kristjanson and
the two alternates, Forrest Kasper and Christina Russo were introduced by Tota Sellars.
The Scholarships were presented by Sibbie
Kristjanson to: Megan Jacobsen, Katherine
Olason, Erin Reep and Christina Russo.
Margrét Sölvadóttir welcomed the guests. Brynjar Halldorsson lead in the singing of Iceland’s
National Anthem. Gunnar Bjarnason carried
the Icelandic flag to the stage, followed by Jon
Marvin Jonsson, who escorted the Fjallkona
and her daughter, Melissa and opened with
a few remarks about Icelandic heritage. The
Fjallkona, Ragna Kennedy and daughter, Melissa, were introduced. Ragna read a poem in
Icelandic and Melissa read the translation in
English. I believe this is the first time we have
had a mother-daughter share the stage and it
was impressive.
We were pleasantly surprised to have a 17
yr old from Iceland, Gudjon Vidar Stefansson,
who played his guitar and sang for us. Also,
Biggi Gunn who sang for us.
Jurica Kegic, a friend of the Bergvinsson’s
read for us his poem, “The Lucky”.
Following the dinner, we were entertained
by the wonderful music of “AIR”: Geir Olafsson, the singer ; Vilhjalmur Gudjonsson on guitar and Hilmar Sverrisson on keyboard. Many
people, young and old, danced and danced!!
Thanks also go to Chris Raines, our bar tender ; Jessica Kristjanson, our all around helper ;
Carrie and Anna Heiser, who “manned” the
bar ticket sales AND the shirts and shopping
bag table; Linda Bjarnason, reservation table;
Becky Johnson, membership table; the CREW
that stayed after to do clean-up; and last but
not least, THE KITCHEN CREW – Haukur
Hauksson, Solvi Olafsson, Michelle Olafsson,
Dancing to the music of AIR.
Emily Kristjanson dancing with grandson.
(Continued on page 8)
Fjallkona, Ragna Kennedy
7
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Melissa and Fjallkona Ragna Kennedy
Charles, the clown.
Melissa, Jon Marvin Jonsson, Fjallkona Ragna Kennedy and Gunnar Bjarnaon, the flag bearer.
8
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Running out of food, - a few words from the Chairman
I want to tell you all how happy I am with
the 17th of June event. It truly was wonderful
to have so many Icelanders participating. But
I am also devastated to have run out of food.
I truly hope that this will teach us all that the
board needs to know in advance that you are
coming so that this will not happen again.
On Friday, when we did the grocery shopping for the food, we had 52 people on our
list. 52 people had sent in their checks and
we thought if we were lucky we would get
perhaps 20 more. We never thought in our
wildest dreams that 50 additional people
would show up at the door. That is the reason not enough food was prepared. We try
as much as we can to at least break even and
to not waste the little money the Club has,
on food that will be thrown away. To get 100
people to come to the celebration of our
Independence Day celebration is wonderful
and tells us that the Icelandic Club of Greater
Seattle is growing and that Icelanders want to
have a strong community. I am sure we will
continue to grow and improve as we move
into the future
Even though people were hungry, they sang,
danced and enjoyed themselves. I am sure
that no one who prepaid , would have wanted the many *walk ins* to be turned away.
We are a family and we love to get together.
Let us do a lot of it, but let us do it right the
next time.
I thank you all for coming and helping to
make it a great day..
Margrét Sölvadóttir
Leifur Eiriksson's Celebration
The Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle is once
again preparing for our annual celebration of
the anniversary of Leifur Eiriksson's Voyage to
North America. This year we have scheduled
the event on Sunday evening, the 12th of October 2008, onboard the historic steamship
the S.S. Virginia V, moored at the south end
of Lake Union in Seattle near the Center for
Wooden Boats.
We are most honored to announce the
Icelandic Male Chorus of Greater Seattle will
join the celebration this year and lead the singing of the Icelandic National anthem as well
as regale us with a song or two from their
repertoire.
The ship opens for boarding at 3:30 PM
for a social hour featuring our custom brewed
Viking ale and scrumptious appetizers from
Ray's Boathouse restaurant.
The ship leaves the dock at 4:30pm for a
two and a half hour cruise out to Lake Washington and back as we begin presentation of
Nordic flags and singing of the national anthems. We will dine on a Nordic smorgasbord
of fishcakes and meatballs before returning
back to the dock by 7 pm. Tickets will be available throught the office of the Virginia V by
40 + Years Experience
Sibble Kristjanson
206-719-1380
Emily Kristjanson
206-713-0716
Ted Sturlaugson
206-229-3647
calling 206-624-9119.
Mark Your Calendar! The date for brewing the Viking ale has been set for Friday evening, the 19th of September at Gallagher's in
June 17th
(Continued from page 6)
Tota Sellars and Margret Solvadottir.
It takes a village to put on an event and we
invite YOU to participate in whatever event
you are interested in. We always need more
help.
We have the picnic in August, the Scandinavian Festival at the Puyallup Fair Grounds the
first week-end in October (where we can use
a few more to take a shift), the Leifur Eirikson
Day cruise and the Jolaball in December. Can
you help with any of these? You can call me
or a member of the Board. My phone # is:
206-713-0716.
Thank you, again, for supporting your Icelandic Club.
Emily Kristjanson
Scandinavian
Hour
Saturday Mornings
9 - 10 a.m.
KKNW 1150 AM
Fax #: 206-784-3227
Edmonds. Tasting and bottling is scheduled for
Friday evening, the 3rd of October. For more
information contact Haukur at 425-743-8830
or Laura at 206-272-9703.
with your hosts
Ron Olson &
Doug Warne
The clown with a captive audience.
Interested in Icelandic lessons ?
Contact Margrét Sölvadóttir
at 206.789.0699 or 206.250.5481
Email: [email protected]
9
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
How was June 17th selected as Iceland’s day of independence?
Jon Marvin Jonsson, Consul General for
Iceland in Seattle, spoke at the Seattle Icelandic Club’s June 17th event at the Nordic
Heritage Museum on the history of Iceland’s
Declaration of Endependence in 1944 and
why June 17th was selected as Iceland’s day
of Independence.
The following are the historical factual notes
that jon Marvin prepared for his presentation:
June 17, 1944 - Iceland, was occupied by
English and American soldiers as a result of
WWII. Iceland declared it’s independence
on Jun 17th. Denmark was occupied by Germany, there was nothing Denmark could do
about it! Iceland’s Independence from Denmark was not an overnight event. It started
with Jon Sigurdsson, born June 17, 1811.
1840 - Jon Sigurdsson became a leader of a
movement among Icelanders for Iceland’s independence and for their restoration of the
Althing. Site of Iceland’s Parliament from 980
to 1800.
1845 - Denmark allowed Iceland to re-establish the Althing but only as a cunsultive assembly without the right of legislation.
1847 - Jon Sigurdsson became a member
of the Althing and elected President of the
Althing.
1851 - Althing approved a Constitution;
Sólarlag.
Með selgið gullhár gengur sól
að gleðibeð með dag á armi
og dregur gljúpan gullinkjól
af glæstum, hvelfdum móðurbarmi,
og breiðir hann við rekkjurönd
og roðnar, er á beð hún stígur,
og brosi kveður lög og lönd
og ljúft í Ægis faðm svo hnígur.
Höf. Hannes Hafstein
however, Denmark refused to sanction the
Constitution.
1873 - Jon Sigurdsson called a meeting of
the members of Althing at Thingvellir. Althing
had met there from 980 to 1800.
Althing passed a resolution that Iceland
would never recognize the authority of the
Danish Parliament and would not cease to
demand it’s own right to make it’s own laws.
1870 - Jon Sigurdsson died.
1907 - The Kind of Denmark made a trip to
Iceland to:
1 - Improve the relations between Iceland
and Denmark; and
2 - To overcome the movement of Icelanders for a separation.
But Icelanders continued in their desire for
the dissolution of all Government ties with
Denmark.
1944 - When Denmark was occupied by
Germany, Iceland declared its complete independence from Denmark.
Why was June 17th chose as the day to declare Independence; because it was the birth
day of Jon sigurdsson.
So on June 17th we celebrate Iceland’s Independence Day.
The Nordic Tenors
Lars Bo Ravnbak, Mats Calven, and Cecilia
Hjortsberg accompanied by Knud Rasmussen
on the piano and violin. We enjoyed liquid
refreshments as well as crackers, cheese and
grapes before the performance, then, more
liquid and a fruit salad, bread, spreads and
wonderful company at the reception. The
house was full!!
If you missed this program, you missed a
GREAT musical experience. Many people
pay big money to hear these singers at Opera houses around the world. We only paid
$20 and enjoyed two plus hours of wonderful music and true entertainment. The group
consisted of: Magnus Gislason, his wife Randi,
Successful Event
(Continued from page 5)
be at a reception given by President Ólafur
Ragnar Grimsson at Bessastadir. The president
gave a very gracious greeting and showed us
around the property. We were all thrilled to
be there.
Great praise was received from the participants of the meeting and we were told by
many of their great impression of Iceland and
its people.
Sunset.
The sun with long and lustrous hair
is led by day to joyful rest,
and robes of golden gossamer
she gathers to her rounded breast,
unfolds it by her bedside, and
blushing she prepares for sleep,
and smiles farewell to sea and land
and softly sinks in to the deep.
Þýðandi: Baldur Gunnarsson.
In middle Us. Ambassador, Carol VanVoorst and some of the other attendees.
10
Obituary
RON OLSEN
Ronald Lee Olsen, born 17 July 1938, passed
away 29 April in Norway at the age of 69.
Ron, the co-host of Seattle's long-running
radio program "The Scandinavian Hour," was
visiting families and friends in Flekeefjord, near
Norway’s southern tip, with his brother John
when they were involved in a car accident. As
he was being released from the hospital, Ron
suffered a heart attack.
Under the 48-year guidance of Ron and co-host
Doug Warne, "The Scandinavian Hour" was a
radio link to Seattle's Nordic community. The
show, which over the years appeared on half a
dozen stations, combined music from Iceland,
Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland with
announcements of local events sponsored by
Scandinavian fraternal, social, civic and music
organizations, as well as advertisements, read
by the hosts, from local businesses.
On Christmas Eve and Day, Ron and Doug did
special shows with music and holiday greetings
from Scandinavian clubs and organizations.
While ethnic radio programs, including those
serving the Scandinavian community, have
come and gone through the years, "I don't
think there's another one around the country
that has done the things they've been able to
accomplish for that length of time," said Olaf
Kvamme, who wrote a history of Scandinavian
radio for the Nordic Heritage Museum Journal.
"This wasn't a retirement hobby," Olaf added.
"They've been doing this from the time they
entered college. It's been a labor of love."
Doug Warne and Ron weren't the original hosts of "The Scandinavian Hour." Doug
took over the show in 1959 from Svein Gilje.
He recruited Ron because of his six record
collection of Scandinavian music, and, with a
short gap in the 1960s, the two continued
ever since. On his trips back to Scandinavia,
Ron would add to his collection of records
and watched it grow. "I've been to his house
and he had thousands of records," said friend
Duane Esperum.
I have been listening to Ron and Doug every
Saturday (except when I was climbing Mt.
Rainier) since I moved here from Houston,
Texas, 21 years ago. I remember when they
broadcast from KBLE 1050 from 8:30 to 10:30
on Saturday mornings (and wondered why
a two-hour show was called “The Scandinavian Hour”). Most recently it's been heard on
KKNW-AM/1150 at 9 a.m. Saturday.
"It's been just a pleasure to work with Ron; he
always had a smile on," said Erik Krema, operations manager at KKNW-AM. "He was just
a genuinely nice person" with a dedication to
the radio program that showed in the work he
put into it, including selecting the music.
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
Music was ingrained in Olsen at an early age.
He recalled running around the Christmas
tree and singing Christmas songs with his family. "He loved singing and Norwegian music.
He was very personal and bigger than life. He
touched a lot of people. He made a big impact
on the whole community," said Duane.
Ron, a Ballard native and a resident of the
Lake Serene area of Lynnwood, worked at
Boeing and then Renton's planning, building,
public works and water department for 37
years, eventually becoming head of the utility systems division, working on water-utility
engineering projects including obtaining water
rights and aquifer-protection and water-quality
programs. He retired in 1998 and worked as a
consultant for RH2 Engineering.
Active in the community, Ron and his brother
helped develop the water system in Norway
Park in Skagit County. His other community
involvement included: the Leif Erikson Lodge;
Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle where he
was a past president and secretary; Norwe-
gian Commercial Club; and president of the
West Coast Norwegian Singers Association.
"He had the ability to turn everyone into a
special friend. Everyone liked Ron. He was laid
back, but got more done than ten people,"
said Doug.
I met Ron and Doug when they appeared at
the IKEA restaurant, and they interviewed me
a little and broadcast the interview on their
next show. That was when Leif-Eirík, now seven years old, was still crawling.
Ron is survived by his wife, Linda; his brother,
John Olsen, and sister, Linda Hoel; and children
Jennifer Marquis and Gregory Olsen, as well as
two granddaughters, Maya and Livia.
In his own words: “If I should die tomorrow,
don’t be sad. I have no regrets. I have had
such a good life.” In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to either the
Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle or the
American Diabetes Association.
Paul Hansen
Icecubes…
cally high petrol prices in Iceland by blocking
traffic on the main thoroughfares in Reykjavík
for several days in April. The price for a liter
of regular gas is now hovering around 150
kronur….
Two polar bears found their way to Iceland in June. They both came ashore in Skagafjörður. Both animals were believed to
have come in on icedrifts. Authorities came
to the conclusion that it would be safest to
put them both down and one will be stuffed
and put in a museum in Blönduós….
And….Baugur, the parent company of
Bonus stores, has moved its headquarters
abroad because its chairman, Jón Ásgeir
Jóhannesson, was convicted and sentenced
to probation for various bookkeeping infractions and tax fraud and could, by law, not
act as CEO of the company while he serves
out his sentence. He chose therefore to sell
all their real estate holdings and move away
from Iceland….
Bits and pieces from Icelandic
newspapers..
Iceland felt a 6.1 Richter scale earthquake
on May 29th. There was much damage but
no fatalities or serious injuries. The epicenter
was near Selfoss and Hveragerði and even
though it was a relatively shallow earthquake
it was felt in Reykjavik. 22 homes were
deemed inhabitable and a nearly 10 mile
long tear/crack opened up. This earthquake
caused considerably more damage than the
one in June of 2000. Icelanders have decided
since the earthquake that this was not The
Big Southland Quake that everyone has been
(and still is) waiting for….watch a talk show
host experience the quake on YouTube. He
is clearly shaken! http://uk.youtube.com/
watch?v=QvsIfm-37mc.....
Icelandic truck drivers joined their brethren in Europe in protesting the astronomiLong time Icelandic Club Member,Thorunn Sellars, was featured in last month’s bio’s, but her
photo was omitted.
Thorunn ( Tota ) Sellars.
I was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland.
I spent two years in Copenhagen, Denmark
attending beauty college. Upon graduation
I returned to Iceland and opened a beauty
shop in Keflavik airport. In 1961 I immigrated to the USA and worked as a hairdresser.
In 1965 I married James Sellars (now deceased.) I retired in 2006 and now reside in
Lynnwood.
11
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
From the president:
Thank you for the wonderful response
to the letters that Becky Johnson has
been sending out regarding the membership. She has spent many hours
working on the lists from the past to
find out where our former and current
members are and updating the addresses and phone numbers. If you make a
move, it is helpful to have you notify us
of your new address and phone numbers. It costs us to have that updated by
the post office. Thanks to Becky for her
hard work.
We have more events coming up and
invite you to join us. We have a wonderful crew of people who have ‘stepped
up’ and taken leadership on the activities
we have planned. We can always use
more help.
If you have any questions or concerns,
please feel free to call one of us. We are
always planning new events that might
be of interest to all.
Last, we really need to include the entire Icelandic Community in our events
so please come ‘on board’. We know
you will find an activity that is of interest
to you and you can make it better!!
Icelandic Cooking Classes
Sign up and learn how to make traditional
Icelandic delicious dishes, creative cakes, & yummy treats!
Cost: $25 a person.
Contact: Edda Konradsdottir at
(425)355-1210 (home) and (206)930-5188 (cell).
Ad Size:
2 x 3 1/2”
(Business Card size)
$100.00 per year
Events
JULY 12TH & 13TH – TIVOLI at the
Nordic Museum. We will have a booth
and will need Icelandic treats. Kathi Olason is in charge so please call her if you
can bake and/or work in the booth. Her
number is: (206) 363-3351.
JULY 26 – 12-3pm - The Icelandic
community at Blaine, WA will have a gathering at the Peace Arch Park and we are
invited to participate. Due to gas prices,
you are encouraged to ride with someone
and share in the cost of gas. For more information, contact Emily at (206) 713-0716
AUGUST 24 – 12-4pm - Picnic at
Lynndale Park in Lynnwood. You are invited to bring a salad or dessert to share.
Hot dogs, coffee and pop will be available
for sale There will be crafts for the children. Lots of visiting.
SEPTEMBER 14 – 11:00 AM - ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT at Jackson
Park. For more information, contact Sibbie
Kristjanson (206) 719-1380. A flyer will go
out in August.
OCTOBER 12TH – Leifur Eirikson
Day Cruise – More info later
DECEMBER – JOLABALL – Date and
time will be announced later.
Membership Application
Your membership gives you the New Geysir, other event mailings, símaskrá,
discounts to events as well as support to The Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle.
Member Renewal
New Member
Name:
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Newsletter Only:
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Address:
Phone:
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Memorial donations go to scholarships
$30
$40
$15
$25
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$10
Send your Membership Dues to:
The Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle
P.O. Box 70102
Seattle, Wa 98127
Icelandic Club of Greater Seattle
P.O. Box 70102
Seattle, WA 98127
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE WA
PERMIT NO. 1852
The New Geysir is sponsored by
Icelandic Club Board
OFFICERS
President
Emily Kristjanson
Vice President
Margaret Hlastala
Recording Secretary
Baird Bardarson
Membership Secretary
Becky Johnson
Treasurer
Linda Bjarnason
BOARD MEMBERS
Paul Hansen
Laura Hansen
Margrét Sölvadóttir
Willard Larson
Pétur Guðmundsson
Þórunn Sellars
Michael Hlastala
Sibbie Kristjanson
Kathi Olason
Geir T. Jonsson
New
Geysir
ICELANDIC CLUB OF GREATER SEATTLE
JULY 2008
New Geysir Staff
Editor
Anna Hauksdóttir
21088 88th Place West
Edmonds, WA 98026
425.776.9518
Layout / Design
The Journal Newspapers
4610 200th St., Ste. F
Lynnwood, WA 98036
425.775.2400
Submission Deadline for the next Newsletter is October 1, 2008