There is still time! - Finnish Heritage House

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
Finnish Heritage House Juhannus
Celebration Program
On Saturday June 21st The Finnish Heritage
House and the FinnAm Society of Mid-Coast Maine
celebrated Juhannus. The featured speaker for the
day was Betsy Aalto Hannula of Westminster,
Massachusetts, where she is Director, Curator, and
past President of the Westminster Historical
Society.
Her presentation was about The Finnish
connections between Central Massachusetts and
Mid-Coast Maine. She spoke about both the
Wuorinen and Ilves families and how they came
from Finland to live in America. She described how
unsettled their lives initially were and how they
ultimately developed strong connections in both
the Fitchburg,Massachusetts area and the Knox
County Maine area. Betsy also spoke about the
Establishment of the United Cooperative Farmers in
Fitchburg and the eventual establishment of a
branch operation in Rockland, Maine.
Her presentation included numerous detailed
PowerPoint slides. It was informative and
interesting, and was very much appreciated by
those attending. A big THANK YOU to Betsy.
By: Fred Webel
There is still time!
There are plenty of tickets left for the handmade
Rag Rug donated by Tooty Wilson
To be raffled off during our Finn Fling celebration
Sept. 20, 2014.
Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. They are on sale at
FHH, open Sat. 9:00 am to 12 noon and Wed. 9:00 am to
1:00 pm
Finnish Heritage House
Officers
President: Jacqueline Harjula
Vice – President: Gary Aho
Clerk/Secretary: Jacqueline Laffely
Treasurer: Edna Montgomery
Newsletter Editor: Reggie Montgomery
Trustees
Fred Webel (January 2015)
Elsie Brown (January 2015)
Steve Gifford (January 2016)
Anne Little (January 2016)
Kirsti Fish (January 2016)
Building Committee
Chairman: Neil Harjula
Finnish Heritage House
P.O. Box 293
South Thomaston, ME 04858
Send articles to [email protected]
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NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
2014 Finn Fling Schedule
Saturday - September 20th - 9:00 to 2:00
9:00 to 12:00 - Kahvi ja pulla available at Finnish Heritage House - Register for Door Prizes - Purchase tickets for
the Rag Rug Raffle - Complete the 6th Annual Finn Trivia Quiz - Shop at the FHH Tori and Food Sale - View this
summer’s exhibit “Kosti Ruohomaa and Maine: A Special Relationship”.
9:00 to 10:00 - Jura Hall - View the DVD entitled “People of Sointula” - Finnish immigrants in the early 1900s
establish a community on an island off the west coast of Canada based on their own utopian ideals of equality,
justice and love.
10:00 to 11:00 - Jura Hall - View the DVD - “The 1913 Massacre” - This film reconstructs the tragic events at the
Italian Hall in the copper mining town of Calumet, Michigan on Christmas Eve 1913 when someone called out
“Fire, Fire” creating a panic during a Christmas party resulting in the deaths of 74 people.
12:00 to 1:00 - Jura Hall - Lunch Buffet - ($3.00 for adults, Children under 12 Free)
1:00 to 1:30 - Jura Hall - Finnish Heritage House and Finn-Am Society will conduct brief business meetings Drawings for Door Prizes and Rag Rug Raffle - Announcements - Finn Trivia Quiz Due.
1:30 to 2:00 - Jura Hall - Speaker regarding the Thomaston “History In the Streets” project - Followed by a
concert by our kantele ensemble “Suomalaiset Jouset”.
Finland Trip
On July 11 Kirsti Fish, Anne Little, and Jackie
Laffely boarded Jet Blue Airlines in Portland, Maine
to begin the first leg of their trip to Ivalo, which is in
the north of Finland. From there we flew to JFK
Airport, boarded Finnair, and then on to Helsinki
and Ivalo. I always had a desire to visit the
homeland of my mother's parents and now it is
becoming a reality. How lucky am I?
Our bus driver and tour guide were waiting at the
airport to greet us and take us to our hotel where
we would spend the first two nights of our trip.
Later we would visit and have dinner at a reindeer
farm and be entertained by Yoik singing. Very nice.
The next day (Sunday) we travelled east to Nellin, a
Skolt Sami village close to the Russian border. A
local guide greeted us and told us about the life and
customs of the Skolt Sami. The next stop was in
Inari, where we visited the Sami Museum Siida
(winter village of the Sami) The exhibit follows the
influence of the four seasons on Sami culture, work,
social systems, folk art, and religion. Then we
returned to Ivalo for the night. As we drove along
you could not help noticing the reindeer. They were
everywhere and it seems as if we were invading
their land. I loved watching them.
. (Monday) We began our southerly journey from
Ivalo to Sodankyla to visit the Alariesto Gallery.
Andreas Alariesto was a self-taught artist who
captured in his paintings the old Sami way of life
and culture. We continued on towards the popular
ski resort of Levi, in the town of Sirkka. This is one
of Finland's most popular ski resorts. Also
included in the tour is a gondola lift to the top of
Levi fell and later, lunch on a river cruise.
(Tuesday) Leaving Sirkka we head towards
Rovaniemi and stop at the former Marttiini knife
factory. It is now a store where you can purchase
some of these famous knives. Other great places
for shopping are the Arctic Circle Shops where
there are many Finnish products for sale. I think
this is the home of the real Santa Claus. (Wed.) We
travel south to Suomassalmi and stop at the Raate
Museum which provides information about the
1938 Finnish-Russian Winter War. As we travelled
down Raate Museum Road we were informed that
this is the area where some fierce battles occured
during the Winter and Continuation War. Nearby
we viewed a large field of stones, each stone
representing a soldier, Finnish and Russian who
died during the war.
Continued on page 3.
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NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
Finland Trip
(Tuesday) Our next stop was in Helsinki, the capital
city of Finland, where we visited the Urho Kekkonen
Museum. This was the official residence of the
former President until his death in 1986. Then, we
continued to Sebelius Park to view the famous
monument consisting of 24 tons of steel tubes. It
was created by Eila Hiltunen and dedicated to the
memory of Jean Sibelius. Our next stop was a guided
tour of Helsinki Music Center. The concert hall has
been highly praised by conductors and musicians
for the excellent acoustics. (Wed) Today we visited
Porvoo Old Town, a scenic area with cobblestone
streets, winding alleys and brightly colored houses.
The red warehouses along the river were once used
to store traded goods. A very scenic area! On the
way back to Helsinki we visited the Ateneum,
Finland's National Gallery, to view paintings by
some of Finland's famous artists. We also had the
opportunity to view the Tove Jansson 100th
anniversary exhibit. He is the author of the popular
children's series about the Moomins. Another stop
today was the Temppeliaukio Church (also known
as the Rock Church) built in 1969. The interior of
this underground church was blasted from a
massive block of granite in a residential square.
(Thursday) Today was a free day in Helsinki. That
evening we got together for our farewell dinner. We
took a short boat ride to Uunisaari, an island
restaurant where we had a lovely view of Helsinki.
We had a fantastic dinner and then shared our
thoughts about the tour. Many happy memories and
a few happy tears. (Friday) The morning was free
for packing and if needed a few last minute
purchases and then off to the airport for our return
trip home. I had such a good time. The food was
delicious as were our accommodations. Our fellow
travelers were such fun to travel with as were the
bus driver and Rafu, our tour guide. Thank you to
Anita and Jack Smiley for planning this wonderful
trip.
Continued
Nearby we viewed a large field of stones, each stone
representing a soldier, Finnish and Russian who died
during the war. After this visit we continued to
Kajaani where we would view statues of famous
Finns, these being Urho Kekkonen, Elias Lönnrot,
Eino Leino, and the Jaegers. Then Lunch. After which
we continue to our overnight at the Vuokatti birch
cabins. Each cabin is equipped with a furnished
kitchen, living area, bedrooms, and privite sauna.
Also a grilling area for cooking makkara
(sausage). (Thursday) Our next stop is an indoor ski
tunnel and a tour of the sports training facilities. On
to Valtimo for lunch. Before lunch everyone had a
hands on experience on baking karjalan piirakkas.
Actually they were very good. The next stop was in
Kuopio which is in the Kallavesi Lake District. An
elevator ride to the viewing level of the Puijo Tower
gives one a beautiful view of the area. (Friday) On the
way towards Ylistaro we make a stop at the Ahtari
Zoo. This was the first natural wildlife park in
Finland and protects endangered species. This was a
great stop. As we continued on we spent the
remainder of the day with Anita's cousin and
family. They had a wonderful lunch and activities
planned for us including a Finnish baseball game. It is
played a little differently than American baseball but
just as much fun. (Saturday) Our first stop was at the
Virrat Heritage Village with its craft area. Then, a boat
trip from Ruovesi to Tampere where our bus driver
was waiting for us. We also had a nice lunch on the
boat. (Sunday) We left Tampere with a destination
of Turku. A stop was made at the Nuutajarvi glass
village en route. It was very interesting to watch
beautiful pieces of art being created. Sightseeing with
our guide Rafu was very interesting as he is from
Turku and is very familiar with the area. The evening
was free for us to do with as we pleased. (Monday)
Our first stop after breakfast was at the Turku
Migration Institute for an informational session. They
discussed how the Institute can be of assistance to
anyone wishing to check their genealogy. Our next
stop was a guided tour featuring the work of Helene
Schjerfbeck (1862-1946). Her work is seeing an
upswing in popularity. We continued next to Hanko.
This was the major point of emigrant departure from
Finland between 1881 and 1931.
Jackie Laffely, Kiirsti Fish and Anne Little pictured below.
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NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
Swinging at Sovittiaja Park
Rutland, Massachusetts
August 22-23, 2014
Recipe Box
Mustikkapiirakka (Finnish Blueberry Pie)
Traveling kantele players Celia Jones, Ethel
Powell, Jackie Laffely, Irene Vaino, Anne Little, Irene
Rochwarg, Jackie Harjula and Theresa Heiland
finished their whirlwind tour of the picturesque region
of central Massachusetts where the most hospitable
Finns laid out such a “royal welcome mat” this past
weekend! Our dedicated musicians have doubled their
concert/workshop performances by including a 2-hour
Finnish dance session on Sovittiaja Park’s original
dance floor built back in 1929. With Bernie Nowak on
accordion, Nancy Nowak on Baritone horn and Celia
Jones , fiddling away with over 44 Finnish dance
tunes, fancy footwork was delightfully demonstrated
when tempos changed from polkas, waltzes, hambos,
tangos and schottishes!
Toe tapping tunes performed by our talented
kantele players spanned over 250 years of traditional
Finnish melodies. The concert started with the
Kalevala melody ”Welcome” in Finnish and English;
then featured the music of the first female kantele
performer in Finland from back in the 1800s, along
with her Americanized descendant, Wilho Saari of
Naselle, Washington. Such haunting melodies have
found a permanent place as Suomalaiset Jouset’s
favorites!
The versatility of our 11-string kanteles have
allowed other famous melodies of Sibelius, Beethoven
and Bach to be nimbly plucked while the audience
hummed along with each tune! The evening
performance chimed in church-bell arpeggios for our
three Finnish “town tunes” before we excited the
audience with three waltzes, four schottisches and five
polkas. As a special “coda ending” before Finnish pulla
and coffee were served, we all sang and played
” Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, In the Garden, We also
Deserve Honor and Maamme.”
We were paired up with four host
families who took our fatigued kantele players home
from our successful concert and dance sessions! But,
nothing like delicious Finnish foods to sustain and
restore our enthusiastic teaching of Finland’s national
folk instrument. By the next morning our kantele group
had been asked back to Finn Park dance hall to
dedicate a restored Finnish farmhouse and inspired a
2015 Finnish wedding at Sovittaja Park! Never
underestimate the power of “live music” played by
dedicated musicians in New England, eh?!
150g soft butter - 1/3 cup
150g caster sugar - 1/3 cup
1 egg, beaten
200g plain flour – 7 oz. or 1 scant cup
1 tspn baking powder
400g blueberries – 1 lb.
250ml sour cream 9 oz.
50g caster sugar – ¼ cup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
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Preheat the oven to 200° C.
Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Mix in the egg thoroughly then sift the flour and
baking powder into the bow. Mix together until
a smooth batter forms.
Spread the batter over the bottom and up the
sides of a greased 10″ flan dish. Bake for 10
mins. in the oven then remove.
Tip the blueberries onto the pie base and spread
out.
Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and
vanilla essence until just combined. Pour over
the blueberries.
Bake for 30 minutes then turn off the
oven. Leave the pie in the cooling oven until
the surface firms up (10 mins was fine for me).
Cool and serve with ice cream or cream or on its own.
(Serves 10-ish)
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By: Celia Jones
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NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
Suomalaiset Jouset performs in
Rockport
Each year, local Masonic groups honor the
widows of Masonic members by hosting a
luncheon for them, with entertainment. Our
kantele group was pleased to be invited to join the
Rockport group for a delicious lunch prior to our
performance. We sang, played our kanteles,
displayed some Finnish items (rugs, takanas,
ryijys, pottery, linens, jewelry, china, birchbark
shoes, and much more) and demonstrated the
dance steps to the traditional Finnish folk song
“Raatikoon”. Irene Vanio and Jackie Harjula
danced while “Finnish Strings” played. The
audience was delighted to have our group perform
for them.
Members and students of Suomalaiset Jouset and some
friends at Sovittiaja Park, Rutland, Massachusetts.
Finn Funn Weekend 2014
East Hill Farm in Troy, NH, is again hosting this
exciting weekend filled with Finnish music,
dancing, food, and friendship. The weekend is
rapidly approaching, and Kirsti Fish has graciously
agreed to assist the planning committee with the
popular raffle held each year as part of this event.
She would appreciate any donations of raffle prizes
given by members of FHH. So far, she only has
five items, and needs quite a few more. Please
remember our Finnish generosity and help her out
by calling her at 207-594-5032. NOTE: A poster
with more details about the cost and registration
deadline for the weekend is posted on the bulletin
board outside FHH.
CHECK YOUR MAILING
LABEL!
HAS YOUR MEMBERSHIP
EXPIRED?
Irene Vaino and Jackie Harjula dancing to a
Finnish tune at the Rockport Masonic Hall.
Your name will be removed if you are
more than two years overdue.
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NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
SIBELIUS CONCERT IN 2015
Did you know that 2015 is the 150th Anniversary of
the birth of the famous Finnish composer, Jean
Sibelius? (1865 to 1957) His music played an
important role in the formation of the Finnish national
identity. He composed seven symphonies and a
multitude of other works, including the well-known
“Finlandia”, songs for voice and piano, music for
thirteen plays, and an opera. To honor this talented
Finn, FHH is presenting a concert of Sibelius music
by Craig Randal Johnson on May 15, 2015.
Craig Johnson, a conductor, bassist, and concert
pianist, was honored by Finlandia Foundation
National as the 1999 Performer of the Year. Based in
Minneapolis, he has performed throughout the United
States and in several European countries. He
conducted the premiere of the recent production of
“Rockland, the Opera”, about the murder of two
Finnish immigrants in 1906 in the mining town of
Rockland, Michigan. We are excited about this
opportunity to welcome Mr. Johnson as he presents
this program in honor of Jean Sibelius.
Craig Randal Johnson
FINNFACTS
More details about the location and time will be
included in future newsletters.
Did you know that…
…Finland has:
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Jean Sibelius
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5.4 million people (17 people per sq
km, 2nd least densely populated
country)
3.3 million saunas
180,000 islands
188,000 lakes (accounts for 10% of the
total area)
489,000 summer cottages
35 national parks
5.2 million mobile phones (Nokia is a
Finnish brand)
NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014
The Sibelius Monument (Finnish: Sibeliusmonumentti) is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean
Sibelius (1865–1957). The monument is located at the
Sibelius Park (Finnish: Sibeliuspuisto) in the district of
Töölö in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.
Cards and Notes of Cheer
Since our last newsletter, three of our FHH members
have spent time in the hospital, and we are delighted
to have them return to our meetings. Dorothy
Jackson had two stints put in to relieve the 90 % and
95 % blockages. Ron Silverman is doing well after
having some health issues resolved. You can’t keep
a good man down! Kauko Wilson is home and
recuperating from surgery. We wish him a speedy
recovery. Also, Sally Anderson is at Quarry Hill and
enjoys cards and notes. Her address is:
The monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen and
unveiled on September 7, 1967. Originally it sparked a
lively debate about the merits and flaws of abstract art,
for which reason an effigy of Sibelius was included in
the work. It consists of series of more than 600 hollow
steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The
purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the
music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tonnes (24
long tons; 26 short tons) and measures 8.5 × 10.5 × 6.5
metres.
Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill,
30 Community Drive,
A smaller version of the monument is located at the
UNESCO headquarters in Paris. A work with a similar
concept, also designed by Hiltunen, is located at the
grounds of the United Nations headquarters in New
York City.
Camden, ME 04843.
Joke Corner
Toivo’s Birthday
It was a tradition in Toivo’s family that when a male
family member celebrated his 70th birthday he was
expected to walk across the lake in front of the Saari
summer cottage as his father and grandfather before
him had done. Toivo, accompanied by his good
friend Jalo, rowed out on the lake on his birthday and
about 50 feet from shore he jumped overboard to
begin his trek across the lake and immediately sank
like a stone. Only a quick response from his good
friend Jalo saved Toivo from the ice cold depths of
Lake Inari. As he sat on the shore coughing up lake
water and struggling to catch his breath his mother
asked what prompted him to attempt such a stupid
act. He explained that he was only following the
family tradition by walking across the lake on his
70th birthday as his father and grandfather had done
before him.....yes they did walk across the lake, but
their birthdays were in February you idiot!
Submitted by: Steve Gifford
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Jean Sibelius statue in Helsinki, Finland