Winter Sports special issue

Transcription

(Periodicals postage paid in Seattle, WA)
TIME-DATED MATERIAL — DO NOT DELAY
Opinion
Wi n t e r S ports
The lowdown on
der ingen kamp er, kan der
Olympic events « Hvor
heller ingen seier komme. »
Read more on page 11
– Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
“Frozen” true
to true love
Read more on page 6
Norwegian American Weekly
Vol. 125 No. 5 February 7, 2014
News in brief
International
A court in Sochi has jailed a
Russian environmental activist and Olympic critic for
15 days on the grounds that
he was cursing profanities
in public. The inmate is geologist Yevgeny Vitisjko, associated with the group Environmental Monitoring in
North Caucasus. He has been
one of the sharpest critics of
the environmental damage
the Olympics in Sochi has
caused and will cause. In the
past he has been arrested for
vandalism.
(NRK)
Oil & Gas
Statoil and the Thai exploration and production company PTTEP have signed an
agreement to divide their respective interests in the Kai
Kos Dehseh (KKD) oil sands
project in Alberta, Canada.
Following the transaction,
Statoil will continue as operator and 100% owner for the
Leismer and Corner development projects. PTTEP will
own 100% of the Thornbury,
Hangingstone and South
Leismer areas.
(Statoil)
What’s inside?
News
Business
Sports
Opinion
Taste of Norway
Winter Sports
Travel
Roots and Connections
Obituaries & Religion
Arts & Entertainment
In Your Neighborhood
Norwegian Heritage
Back Page
2–3
4
5
6–7
8
9-12
13
14
15
16
17
18-19
20
$1 = NOK 6.2935
updated 2/3/2014
In comparison
01/03/2014
6.1426
08/03/20135.9392
02/03/20135.4554
Established May 17, 1889 • Formerly Western Viking and Nordisk Tidende
$2.00 per copy
Winter Sports special issue
Get excited for the Winter
Olympics with our coverage!
• eat like an athlete
• travel to Sochi
• meet US and Norwegian stars
• read firsthand accounts of
past Olympics
• learn about the events
• take a trip in the wayback
machine
• play in the snow like a
Norwegian child
• and don’t forget our two
Winter Sports contests!
Photo: Tim Hipps / Wikimedia
The U.S. bobsleigh team sure looks ready for their run at the 2010
Olympics. They won a gold medal in the event, our first in 62 years.
Zaman’s second Athletes to watch
win at Göteborg
Team USA and Team Norway athletes
expected to shine in Sochi’s Winter Games
Norwegian director Hisham Zaman’s
“Letter to the King” to receive the
Dragon Award and SEK 1 million
Denise Leland
There’s more to Team USA
and Team Norway than Shaun
White and crazy curling pants.
The 2014 Winter Olympics in
Sochi, Russia are here, and with
230 athletes on Team USA and 130
for Norway, it might be a bit over-
whelming to decide what events to
watch and who to look for in hopes
of witnessing that gold medal-winning moment. There are many talented hopefuls on both Team USA
and Team Norway that deserve
some focus these winter games.
See > athletes, page 5
PM on gay rights
Photo: Göteborg Film Festival
“Letter to the King” is a hit at the Göteborg Film Festival.
Special Release
Norwegian Film Institute
For the second consecutive
year, Norwegian director Hisham
Zaman left the Göteborg International Film Festival with the
Dragon Award and SEK 1 million: yesterday (Feb. 1) his “Letter to the King” (Brev til kongen)
was named Best Nordic Film, after
“Before Snowfall” (Før snøen faller) won the prize in 2013.
One of the world’s largest film
awards (SEK 1 million, $153,000),
Göteborg’s “Dragon” also went to
Norway three years ago, then collected by Norwegian director Arild
Andresen’s The Orheim Company
(Kompani Orheim). It is the first
See > Dragon, page 16
Solberg will address
Russian human rights
Staff Compilation
Dagbladet
Prime Minister Erna Solberg
confirms that she will take up the
matter of gay rights when she
comes to the Olympic Village in
Sochi, where she gets to meet with
Russian politicians.
“I travel to Sochi to cheer on
See > solberg, page 6
Photo: Christian Fredrik
Wesenberg / Wikimedia Commons
Erna Solberg
2 • February 7, 2014
Nyheter
Brannene i Lærdal og Flatanger kan
koste 350 millioner
Finans Norge anslår at brannene i
Lærdal og Flatanger kommer til å
koste rundt 350 millioner kroner. Brannen i Lærdal anslås til å koste opp mot
200 millioner kroner mens brannen
i Flatanger trolig vil koste rundt 150
millioner. Det er forsikringsselskapene
som til slutt må ta mesteparten av regningen etter brannene, skriver Dagens
Næringsliv. – Dette er anslag bygget
på meldinger til oss fra selskapene,
sier kommunikasjonssjef Stine Neverdal i Finans Norge. I Flatanger ble
63 bygninger nedbrent. I Lærdal ble
nær 30 bygninger lagt i ruiner. – Brannen i Flatanger har omfattet færre bolighus. Fritidshus har ofte mindre verdier, så vi anslår at regningen blir på
mellom 150 og 200 millioner kroner
i hver av brannene, sier seksjonssjef
Geir Trulserud i Finans Norge. I den
siste brannen på Frøya ble ingen bolighus tatt av flammene, men to hytter
skal ha brent ned.
(Aftenposten)
Ulvepar i Rendalen skal felles
Miljødirektoratet har bestemt at et ulvepar som i sommer etablerte seg utenfor forvaltningsområdet for ulv i Rendalen i Hedmark, skal felles. Bakgrunnen for den ekstraordinære fellingen er
uro for at etableringen av en eventuell
ulvefamilie vil kunne øke risikoen for
skade på husdyr og tamrein. – Ulveparet holder til i et område som i nord
grenser mot viktige beiteområder for
sau. Potensialet for skader på sau i
kommende beitesesong er hovedårsaken til at vi nå gir fellingstillatelse
på disse to ulvene, sier direktør Ellen
Hambro i Miljødirektoratet i en pressemelding. Til sammen er det åpnet for
felling av 13 ulver i Norge i perioden
1. oktober til 31. mars. Lisensjegere
har så langt felt tre av dem. Det nasjonale bestandsmålet for ulv er tre årlige
valpekull innenfor forvaltningsområdet for arten i Norge. Våren 2013 ble
det født to helnorske kull i henholdsvis
Østmarkareviret utenfor Oslo og i Julussareviret i Hedmark.
(VG)
Kronprinsparet på Tesla-middag
Kronprinsparet, oljefond-sjef Yngve
Slyngstad og milliardær Christian
Ringnes var blant kjendisene som var
invitert til middag med Tesla-sjef Elon
Musk på hotellet The Thief fredag
kveld (31.1). Tesla-sjef Elon Musk er i
Europa og besøker tre land, der Norge
er ett av dem. Musk kom til landet
fredag. I morgen kommer over tusen
av landets 2100 eiere av en Tesla til
møte i Folketeateret på Youngstorget,
hvor Musk skal holde show og svare
på spørsmål fra bileierne i to timer.
Men noen er viktigere enn andre: Fredag kveld fikk noen få Tesla-eiere og
et knippe andre utvalgte gjester anledning til å møte Musk. Musk bor etter
det VG forstår på luksushotellet The
Thief på Tjuvholmen utenfor Aker
Brygge, hvor gjestene ankom til middag klokken åtte fredag kveld. Teslasjefen selv ankom middagen i en av
sine egne biler.
(VG)
norwegian american weekly
Nyheter fra Norge
Brann forårsaket av skolebarn
Lensmannen på
Frøya bekrefter at
brannen startet på en
skoleutflukt.
Aftenposten
Politiet har avhørt ansatte ved Sistranda
barne- og ungdomsskole på Frøya etter den
voldsomme brannen tidligere denne uka.
– Noen av elevene har vært uforsiktige,
og de har lekt med åpen ild. Det er årsaken
til brannen, sier lensmann Inge Dahlø ved
Frøya lensmannskontor til adressa.no fredag
ettermiddag.
Fem trinn fra skolen, 1. til 5. trinn, samt
syvende klasse, hadde skøytedag på Litjvatnet da noen av elevene begynte å leke med
ild.
– Noen av elevene falt for fristelsen, sier
Dahlø.
Adressa.no har vært i kontakt med en
foresatt til et av barna som var på skøytedagen. Barnet skal ha bekreftet at brannen ved
vannet startet som følge av at noen lekte med
lighter og hårspray på stedet.
– Dette har ikke vi fått bekreftet, sier
Dahlø, som heller ikke ønsker å gå nærmere
inn på hvor gamle de involverte elevene er.
– Det ble sagt veldig tydelig fra på
forhånd om at bruk av ild og åpen flamme
var strengt forbudt. Dagen før ble det lagt
ned bålforbud i kommunen, sa oppvekstsjef
i Frøya kommune, Roger Fredheim, til adressa.no i går.
Skolen hadde også sagt til elevene at det
ikke ville være noe bål på skøytedagen på
grunn av skogbrannfaren.
– Vi har snakket med skolen og en del
kampfly-rapport
Norge ser ingen grunn til å
være bekymret over en amerikansk evalueringsrapport
NRK
I rapporten fra USAs forsvarsdepartement konkluderes det med at F-35-flyets
ytelse fortsatt er umoden og at flyet er svært
avhengig av støtte fra underleverandører og
av midlertidige løsninger som er uakseptable for kampoperasjoner.
Under testingen har det blant annet
kommet fram at overflatematerialene kan
skalle av ved høy temperatur. Det er også
observert sprekkdannelser, og det har vært
flere problemer med programvaren som er
installert i flyet.
Det amerikanske forsvarsdepartementet
fastslår samtidig at testprogrammet er vesentlig forsinket.
Flyets produsent, Lockheed Martin,
mener på sin side at rapporten tegner et bilde
som allerede er utdatert, og at arbeidet med
flyet gradvis har nærmet seg målet i løpet av
de siste månedene.
Ifølge avisen Financial Times forsikrer
Lockheed Martin at flyet skal være kampklart i løpet av neste år. Norge har bestilt
52 F-35-fly. Den første ordinære leveransen
skal etter planen skje i 2017.
English Synopsis: A report from the U.S. Department
of Defense concluded that Norway’s F-35 fighter aircraft has problems with cracking and internal software. Norwegian authorities say they are not too concerned with these findings.
Forsvaret bidrar nå i kampen mot flammene på Frøya.
av de ansatte som var til stede. De forteller
at brannen hadde ikke spredd seg langt da
de oppdaget den, men da var det allerede for
sent, sier lensmannen.
Brannen spredde seg raskt, og flammene
la mellom 10 og 12 kvadratkilometer terreng
i aske. Ansatte ved skolen forsøkte å slukke
brannen, men det var til ingen nytte. Brannvesenet ble varslet med en gang da brannen
ble oppdaget.
Ti til tolv voksne og rundt hundre barn
deltok på skøytedagen som ble raskt avsluttet. De største elevene hjalp de minste av
med skøytene, og i løpet av 25 minutter var
alle elevene tilbake på skolen 1,5 kilometer
unna. Samtidig var brannvesenet på vei inn
i området.
Dahlø ønsker ikke å spekulere i hva som
blir konsekvensene for de involverte.
– De er under kriminell lavalder, men
det er ikke opp til meg å vurdere om det blir
noen straffeforfølgelse. Saken er ikke ferdig
etterforsket, understreker han.
Foto: Thomas Rasmus Skaug / Dagbladet
Lensmannen regner med at saken kan
være ferdig etterforsket i løpet av neste uke.
Da vil saken bli oversendt politijurist, og
vedkommende vil ta en avgjørelse om noen
skal straffeforfølges.
Til tross for at brannen rammet et stort
område, er det foreløpig ikke registrert noen
store materielle skader.
– Så langt har vi ikke funnet noen
brannskadde bygninger i det hele tatt. Ved
hjelp av helikopter har vi sjekket ut to hytter
som sto utsatt til, men de klarte seg.
Brannen ble meldt til ved 11-tiden om
formiddagen ondsdag (jan.29), og spredde
seg svært raskt i det tørre terrenget. Brannmannskapene kjempet i over et døgn for å
få slukket flammene.
Ingen personer kom til skade i brannen.
English Synopsis: The fire that broke out in Frøya on
Jan. 29th was started by children on a school trip playing with fire. Criminal charges are being discussed
though the culprits are underage. There were no injuries or structural damage from the fire.
Ingen englandsbåt
Siddisene har bladd opp, men bergenskapitalen mangler.
Derfor blir det ikke båtrute mellom Stavanger/Bergen og
Newcastle denne sommeren, heller
Aftenbladet
Det har vært mye frem
og tilbake om skjebnen til
englandsbåten etter at den
tradisjonsrike båtruten ble
lagt ned i 2008. I høst kom
det meldinger om at mye så
lyst ut for å få en ny rute på
plass innen sommersesongen
i år.
Arbeidet fortsetter med å
få i gang igjen en båt mellom
Newcastle og Vestlandet.
Foto: Kalle Id / Wikimedia
En av sjefene i NorweEn båt reise ikke mellom Bergen og Newcastle i sommer.
gian Seaways sier at båten
kommer neste år. Styrelederen i samme sels- men båtruten vil neppe rekke sommersesonkap er slett ikke sikker.
gen.
Nå må styreleder i Norwegian Seaways,
Stavanger kan få ferjerute til Newcastle.
Hans Runshaug, konstatere at det ikke blir Målet er at Bergen skal inn på ruten.
båt mellom Vestlandet og Newcastle i som– Vi har viktige investorer med, men det
mer.
er hovedsakelig stavangerkapital. Det er litt
– Det er veldig mye støtte til prosjektet, skuffende at ikke bergensk næringsliv har
og vi har jobbet intenst for å få det til. Mye sett mulighetene. Jeg tror det er avgjørende
positivt har skjedd, men vi er fortsatt bare for prosjektet at vi får med bergenskapitalen,
halvveis i mål med finansieringen, sier han.
sier Runshaug.
Runshaug og de andre som jobber med
English Synopsis: Due to a lack of funding, the boat
å få på plass kapital, anslår at de trenger 100
service between Stavanger, Bergen, and Newcastle
will be cut for the summer. Norwegian Seaways
millioner kroner for å kunne sette i gang. Så
hopes to have the boat up and running by next spring.
langt er 50 millioner av finansieringen sikret,
Norwegian american weekly
February 7, 2014 • 3
News
Falling icicles cause havoc Norway for
seal hunting
Cars and people were
injured by ice avalanches
from thawing Oslo roofs
Norway and Canada will
appeal decision against
import of seal products
Aftenposten
Police had been warning citizens
about the consequences of the sudden mild
weather in Oslo for days. In the course of
barely 20 minutes Monday afternoon it
poured suddenly into a number of reports of
damage to people and vehicles that were hit
by chunks of ice.
In Brugata was a 28-year-old woman
injured when she was hit by a chunk of ice.
The woman was sent to the emergency room
by ambulance. Police said she was bruised
and unconscious. “The woman got a lump
of ice to her head. She was rushed to the
emergency room,” said police officer Kristin
Marøy to Osloby.
The area was cordoned off, as there was
still a great danger that several chunks of ice
could loosen and fall from the roof.
This week in brief
Norway Post / NRK
Photo: Christian Fredrik Wesenberg /
Wikimedia Commons
Erna Solberg
“There has been an excessive amount
of ice that has fallen from the roof today.
We advise all landlords to check the roof,”
Marøy said.
See > icicles, page 6
Both Norway and Canada will appeal
the World Trade Organization’s decision to
stop all import and sale of seal products. The
EU passed a legislation in 2009 that prohibits the import and sale of seal products. The
reason for the ban was that seal hunting was
evaluated as inhumane.
Norway and Canada took the decision to
the World Trade Organization (WTO), where
they argued that the hunt is humane, and that
it is a crucial way to control the ocean’s resources. They also claimed that without seal
hunting, the fish population could be endangered.
See > seals, page 6
Fire danger Swedish criminals
come to Norway to steal
More brush fires could be
in store for Norway’s west
coast as dry weather and
high winds continue
Norway Post / NRK
Following the extensive brush fires in
Trøndelag this week, the Met Office has issued warning of extreme danger of brush
and forest fire along the whole western coast
from Stavanger in the south, to Steinkjer in
the north.
This is due to the high winds and lack
of precipitation over several weeks in the
whole region.
The authorities are concerned, and although a number of fire fighting helicopters
are available, they fear that it would be difficult cover such a large area should new fires
break out.
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil
Protection is therefore considering asking
the EU put two firefighting airplanes on
standby as an extra precaution, should the
need for assistance arise, NRK reports.
Oslo police worried about
trend of Swedish theives
Norway Post / Aftenposten
Criminal Swedish youth gangs go to
Norway to commit burglaries and break-ins,
according to Oslo Police, who are worried
about the recent development.
“We have seen a development the past
years where more and more criminals arrive
in Norway from Sweden, and it looks like
the trend will continue this year as well,”
says police superintendent Geir Ellefsen at
Majorstua Police Station in Oslo.
Four young Swedish citizens were
placed in custody on Monday, charged with
four break-ins in Oslo in only one week.
Three of the four are of Somali descent,
whereas the fourth is of Iraqi descent.
Norwegian police think that this is only
one of several gangs who travel from the
suburbs outside Stockholm and Gothenburg
Increasing opposition to EU membership
The opposition to a Norwegian membership of the EU is increasing. More
than seven out of ten say no to the
European Union, according to a fresh
survey made by Sentio. Only 19 per
cent of those asked are in favor of Norwegian membership of the EU. This is
shown by the poll made for the newspapers Klassekampen and Nationen.
(Norway Post / NRK)
More funds for African stabilizing
force
The Norwegian Government has allocated NOK six million to support
the African Union’s stabilizing force
in the Central African Republic. “I am
very concerned about the situation in
the Central African Republic. A robust
international stabilizing effort is important in order to protect the civilian
population, and secure the humanitarian effort,” Foreign Minister Brende
says. The African Union’s stabilizing
operation (MISCA), today consists
of a military force of around 5300, as
well as police and civilian personnel.
“Norway wishes to support AU’s ability to handle conflicts in its own region.
The economic support for MISCA is
therefore an important contribution,”
Brende says. Norway has earlier increased its humanitarian support to the
Central African Republic. Last year
the nation received NOK 58.3 million
in humanitarian aid from Norway.
(Norway Post / NRK)
Defense Minister: Norway’s defense
not as good as we would want
Police make an arrest.
Photo: The Norway Post
in Sweden to commit robberies and breakins in Norway.
Most of the Swedish citizens that have
been caught have minority backgrounds, and
are well-known to the Swedish police.
Last year, there were 620 burglaries
in Norwegian homes, a decrease from the
record-year 2009 when 1,737 serious burglaries were reported. The police think that
a targeted effort is the reason for the decline.
Minister of Defense Ine Marie Eriksen
Søreide sees several flaws in today’s
military defense, and wants more
openness around the things that are
not working. “Our defense is of great
quality,” was one of Søreide’s first
statements when she spoke at the Oslo
Military Society on Monday night.
But she also pointed out that Norway’s
defense needs to get better. Søreide
thinks that national security assignments abroad have taken priority over
tasks at home in Norway.
(Norway Post / VG)
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Norwegian American Weekly (USPS 679-840) (ISSN 1942-1389) is published weekly except the last two weeks of July, the first two weeks of August and the last week of
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Business
Business News & Notes
Telenor signs Mayanmar license
The Norwegian telecom provider Telenor
Group has signed an agreement with the
Union Government of Myanmar for a
nationwide telecommunications license.
Telenor says it aims to provide mobile
communications to people across Myanmar,
and will launch services within eight months
after the license is awarded.
“This is the start of an exciting journey
in Myanmar’s development, which Telenor
will support through the delivery of worldclass mobile services, responsible business
practices and high standards that we live
by in all of our markets,” said Jon Fredrik
Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor
Group.
With a population of around 60 million,
of which less than 10 percent have access
to mobile services, Myanmar represents
a strong business opportunity for Telenor
in Asia. There was record interest for the
license award process in Myanmar with
more than 91 companies expressing interest
to participate. Headquartered in Norway,
Telenor Group is one of the world’s major
mobile operators with 161 million mobile
subscriptions in its consolidated operations
Exchange Rates
(Feb. 3, 2014)
Norsk Kr.
Dansk Kr. Svensk Kr. Canadian $
Euro
6.2935
5.5234
6.5532
1.1098
0.7401
per Q3 2013, revenues in 2012 of NOK 102
billion, and a workforce of nearly 34,000.
(NRK)
SAS asks passengers to remain patient
“The turnaround program for SAS is not
complete,” says CEO and President of SAS,
Rickard Gustafson. “The crisis is behind us,
but there is a lot of work to do.” It has been
just over a year since SAS was close to declaring bankruptcy. However, a lot of work
remains before the airline is back on top.
For the first time in five years, SAS
delivered a positive result last year. During
the past year the company has sold several
assets, including the airline Widerøe. Gustafson also thanked the staff, who agreed to
smaller pay-checks and pension plans in order to save the company.
SAS is more prone to competition from
low-cost companies than other airlines because they fly short-haul routes where they
face tough competition from airlines such as
Ryanair and Norwegian. That is why SAS
faced bigger problems than many other airlines did, Gustafson explains.
(NRK)
NOK
DiaGenic
Hexagon Composites
AGR Group
EMS Seven Seas
Sevaag Bolig
2.40
26.6
4.89
3.78
18.8
Change
7.62%
5.98%
4.94%
4.71%
4.44%
Name
NOK
Voss Veksel og Landmandsbank1,964
Royal Caribbean Cruises 302.4
Frontline
25.3
AKVA Group
13.4
36.23
Storebrand Change
-9.91%
-4.15%
-3.80%
-3.60%
-2.89%
For detailed information about the Oslo Børs, visit www.dn.no.
Certified Public Accountants
221 First Avenue West Suite 400
Seattle, Washington 98119
Amid questions over whether Olympic
expenses are worthwhile, the Lillehammer’s
example proves communities can benefit
John Erik Stacy
Losers
Name
Games were good
for Lillehammer
Photo: Torstein Frogner / Wikimedia
The Vikinsgskipet was built for Olympic speed skating, but now hosts all sorts of events.
Oslo Børs: Week at a Glance
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In the winter of 1994, Norwegians
flocked to Lillehammer with smiles on their
faces and backpacks on their backs. They
populated the trails and event halls and were
overflowing with joy for the Gold and Silver
harvested by Dæhli, Alsgård and many more.
Those that couldn’t be there were glued to
their television sets – if you went into a bank,
even the teller behind the glass could be expected to have a little TV between you and
the transaction.
Most folks didn’t give a hoot about how
many Kroner were dumped into the event because this was it! OL in our own backyard!
The weather cooperated to give clear blue
skis on crisp white snow and, at the event
closing, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch stated that he thought this had been the
best winter Olympics ever.
But in the lead-up to the event, folks
were a little less certain. There was a lot of
stuff to figure out and build. There was the
“Vikingskipet” hall to house speed skating
events, Lysbakken ski-jumps, the Bobsled
run at Hunderfossen, the alpine racing Olympiabakken at Kvitfjell, plus, plus. This was
some big-time exposure, not to be met with
half measures either. The Vikingskipet alone
is a fabulous building, looking like a widebeam Viking ship turned hull-up against the
rain (officially the venue is the Hamar Olympic Hall).
So how does it look 20 years later?
Do the venues built for “OL-nittennittifire i
Lillehammer” still look like they were worth
the price? And have folks in Lillehammer,
Hamar, and the greater area touched by the
Olympics managed to profit from the investments made 20 years ago?
CNN recently addressed this in an article as “food for thought” in relation to
investments now being made in Sochi. The
overall picture they paint is that, no, OL did
not make Lillehammer rich. Predictions that
foreign and domestic tourism to the area
would greatly increase did not come true.
Rather, in the period after the games, many
hotels in the region went belly up.
But readers of the Weekly are likely to
recognize that attracting tourist to Norway –
in spite of all the wonders there to be found –
is a hard sell. Travel in Norway is expensive.
The “Big Mac Index,” a measure of the relative cost of goods to consumers, shows that
prices in Norway are about double those in
the US. So it may be a stretch to suggest that
the OL vision had failed to deliver, or that
the preconditions in Sochi are even similar
(Russia is low on the Big Mac scale). Also
consider that, although not wildly profitable,
infrastructure created for the OL 1994 is still
in use. The financial footing of alpine skiing
centers Hafjell and Kvitfjell is “fragile” according to CNN, but where in the world do
you find a ski resort that is a “solid” business? The fundamentals for Hafjell and
Kvitfell seem squarely in place: great slopes
within easy travel distance from large populations of ski-crazy folks earning Norwegian
wages.
The case can be made then, that Lillehammer – and all of Norway – has had longterm benefit from Olympic “exuberance,”
irrational as it might be. The legacy of these
investments are enduring. For example, Oslo
continues to use the facilities created or improved for the 1952 Olympics, including the
athlete housing repurposed to become student dormitories at Sogn, the iconic Bislett
stadium and (my favorite) “Korketrekkern”
bobsled run now used for fun sledding by
locals. Norwegian policy – its “distriktspolitikk” – has an explicit goal of making rural
life a viable option for its citizens. The facilities created in 1994 do continue to employ
people and draw customers. In addition, they
are part of the reason to stay in the area: what
teenager do you know that wouldn’t be excited to try the “hjullbob” (wheeled bobsled)
at the Hunderfossen amusement park?
Sochi is likely to enjoy long-term, post
OL benefits similar to those accrued by the
people of Lillehammer and Oslo. Investment
in The Games will not produce windfall profits. But the facelift is worth the effort. The
games have already made Sochi a household
name and a likely travel destination. Norwegians, like their Viking ancestors, are particularly well traveled and willing to explore.
Perhaps “Sotsji OL” will usher in Black Sea
resorts like Sochi as an enduring part of the
Scandinavian travel portfolio
sports
Olympic athletes to watch
Team USA and Team Norway athletes to keep your eye on in Sochi
From page 1
Team USA
Shani Davis – speed skating
The biggest star in U.S. speedskaing,
four-time Olympic medalist Shani Davis
is ready to shine in Sochi. Shani holds the
world record in both the 1,000 meter and
1,500 meter races. Yeah, that’s a big deal. A
continuously dominant force on the ice, Davis is the winningest U.S. male speedskater
with over 50 World Cup victories. Look for
Davis as a strong gold contender in the 1,000
meter at these winter games.
Ted Ligety – Alpine skiing
Yes, you’ve heard the name, but don’t
neglect the pure talent of Ted Ligety. While
he left the Vancouver games without a medal, Ligety has gone on to win three gold medals at the Alpine world championships. In his
World Cup career, his first 19 wins came in
giant slalom, as did 32 of his total 39 podium
finishes. Needless to say, definitely watch
Ligety in giant slalom, where his is the clear
frontrunner for gold.
Ashley Wagner – figure skating
Missing out on one of the two open spots
for the Vancouver figure skating team, Ashley Wagner is now holding the third spot for
the team in Sochi. But do not underestimate
this 22-year-old skater. She is the back-toback U.S. champion for 2012 and 2013, the
first American to do so since Michelle Kwan.
Even though Wagner did not make the podium at the 2013 world championships, she
is mastering a triple-triple combination that
would give her good contention for the podium in Sochi.
Mikaela Shiffrin – slalom
The next big thing and phenomenon
in women’s slalom is Mikaela Shiffrin. At
only 18-years-old, Shiffrin is the the sixthyoungest woman in the world to win a World
Cup title. Holding six podium finishes and
four wins in slalom and giant slalom at the
World Cup, Shiffrin is ready to take the stage
in Sochi. As a medal favorite in slalom, and
maybe even a frontrunner for gold, keep
your eyes on this young star.
Hannah Kearney – mogul skiing
Gold medal winner at the Vancouver
Olympics, Hanna Kearney is a stand-out for
mogul skiing. In the 2011 and 2012 seasons,
Kearney became the most decorated World
Cup skier in history with 16 consecutive
wins in moguls and dual moguls. Let’s break
down the rest of her success: in her first 98
World Cup races she made the podium 55
times with 37 of them being victories. Kearney has the skill, talent, and experience
to shine again at the games in Sochi. If she
takes gold in moguls again, she will become
the first freestyle multiple gold medalist in
Olympic history.
Team Norway
Aksel Lund Svindal – Alpine skiing
Aksel Svindal is probably the most notable Norwegian competitor for the winter
games. With four consecutive world championship titles, including super-G and downhill, and his three Olympic medals, Svindal
has a very good chance of making it big in
Sochi. At his last Olympic appearance in
Vancouver, Svindal took gold in super-G,
silver in downhill, and bronze in giant slalom. He is certainly a force to be reckoned
with and this 31-year-old won’t be holding
back in Sochi as he will be competing in all
four Alpine racing events.
Petter Northug – cross-country skiing
You might have seen Petter Northug in
the news for both his skiing talent but also
his outspoken confidence, with statements
along the lines of him, “being faster than everybody else.” It might be hard to contest a
comment like that when he earned two golds,
a silver, and a bronze medal at the Vancouver
games in 2010. Since then he has gone on to
take two gold medals and a silver in 2013 at
the World Championships. Look closely at
his race in the 50-kilometers where Northug
is particularly strong.
Marit Bjørgen – cross-country skiing
Some say the “Iron Lady” is the greatest cross-country skier of all time but what is
certain is Marit Bjørgen’s record for success.
At the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games,
33-year-old Bjørgen won five medals. Based
on her success (four gold medals and one silver) at the 2013 World Championships in Val
di Fiemme, Italy, Bjørgen was elected Queen
of Nordic Skiing 2012-13. Who even knew
you could be Queen of skiing? Not surprising that an awesome Norwegian like Bjørgen
would hold that title. You can be fairly confident that she will be a strong contender for
the podium yet again.
Silje Norendal – slopestyle snowboarding
A crowd favorite in Norway, Silje Norendal is a young star to keep your eyes on.
She recently won big at Winter X Games Aspen with a gold medal in slopestyle, to match
her gold medal at 2013 Winter X Games
Tignes in December. At only 20-years-old,
Norendal holds a lot of potential for growth
and constant success in the years to come.
For Sochi, be on the look-out for this rookie
to make a strong introduction to the world of
competitive snowboarding.
Stale Sandbech– slopestyle snowboarding
Another sn owboarding rookie from
Norway, 20-year-old Stale has jumped on
the scene with his recent win over Shaun
White (and Norwegian Torstein Horgmo) at
the 2014 Copper Grand Prix. Sandbech has
finished on top of the very competitive Norwegian team and hold high hopes for hitting
that podium for slopestyle in Sochi.
According to the official Sochi 2014 website,
each National Olympic Committee will finalize their list of athletes by February 5.
Alpine skiing: Slalom win for
Kristoffersen
Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen (19) won the
World Cup slalom race at Schladming, Austria Tuesday evening, Jan. 28, ahead of several Olympic slalom favorites. The Norwegian
was second after the first round, and won the
final ahead of Marcel Hirscher and Felix Neureuther after a perfect second run. It was the
first World Cup victory of his career. It was
also the first slalom WC victory for a Norwegian since 2004.
(Norway Post / NRK)
< athletes
This list of both American and Norwegian athletes will hopefully narrow down the
playing field and highlight a few of the many
athletes to pay attention to this Olympics.
Sports News
& Notes
Chess: Carlsen extends lead in Zürich
Photo: Christian Jansky / Wikimedia
Aksel Lund Svindal won silver at the Vancouver
Olympic. It was the 100th Winter Olympics silver
medal for Norway, the most for any country.
Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen of
Norway won the fourth match in the Zürich
Chess Challenge on Sunday, Feb. 2, when
he defeated Fabiano Caruana of Italy. The
victory also brought Carlsen up to a total of
2882.6 rating points, a new world record.
Carlsen now leads the Swiss tournament
with seven points, one point ahead of Levon
Aronian.
(Norway Post / NRK)
Boxing: Brækhus wins
Norwegian boxer Cecilia Brækhus retains all
three titles after defeating French challenger
Myriam Lamare in a fight in Denmark Saturday evening, Feb. 1. The Norwegian WBA,
WBC and WBO Welterweight Champion led
the match from the beginning.
(Norway Post / NRK / Aftenposten)
Olympics: Horgmo out with collarbone
fracture
Photo: Silje Norendal / Facebook
Siljefor
Norendal
competed
Ad
February
2014in her first snowboard-
ing competition when she was six years old. Can
she win an Olympic gold?
Slopestyle snowboarder Torstein Horgmo fell
Monday morning, Feb. 2, in training, and will
miss the Olympic Games. Horgmo was the
Big Air winner at last year’s X Games. He
was taken to a hospital in Sochi, where doctors confirmed he had fractured his collarbone.
The break will take about four weeks to heal..
“Falling is part of our sport, but the timing is
awfully bad.” Horgmo said. “Now I just want
to have a fast recovery and get back on the
board and have fun again.”
(NRK)
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opinion
< solberg
On the EDGE
From page 1
the Norwegian athletes. I will, if we get to
political meetings, address our concerns
about the overall human rights situation in
Russia. This includes the situation of lesbians and gays in Russia. These are themes we
always take up for meetings with Russian
authorities. We are deeply concerned about
the new laws against so-called gay “propaganda,” not least because it seems to legitimize a hateful mood against gays in parts of
the Russian population,” the Prime Minister
told Dagbladet.
Solberg has shown that she is not afraid
to seek government leaders during international events to voice their opinions on political issues. During the memorial service
for Nelson Mandela in South Africa on 10
December, she addressed herself to Congo’s
President Joseph Kabila to discuss Joshua
French’s case. The Prime Minister’s Office
also strives to achieve political meetings during the Olympics.
Solberg tells Dagbladet that she has
contact with both Russian and international
organizations working on human rights in
Russia. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, she will meet
with human rights organizations in his office.
The Prime Minister will be in Sochi
from 13 to 16 February, along with a number
of other government representatives. Their
schedule has yet to be fully established.
In a survey conducted by Ipsos MMI
for Dagbladet, 48 percent of the population
said that they believe it is right for Solberg to
go to Sochi. One in five believes she should
remain home as leaders in some other countries have chosen to do.
< icicles
From page 3
In Sophie’s gate a car was crushed when
it was hit by icicles falling from a roof. There
are no reports of injuries. Cars were removed
from the area by a towing company. The
police have tried to get hold of car owners
with no luck.
Also in Wessels gate, a car was hit by
a lump of ice – the police have announced
no injuries. In Bentsebrugata has also fallen
from the roof, but there are no reports of
injuries.
Police and fire departments are
concentrating efforts to remove ice in
the downtown core from the roofs of the
traditional townhouses.
“We have a good partnership with the
fire service and Environment Department
and make barricades. But we cannot get
everywhere cleaned up at the same time and
must prioritize where the situation is most
serious,” says Ola Krokan.
“We encourage property owners to clean
roofs for ice or foreign objects,” he added.
< seals
From page 3
However, the WTO concluded in November last year that EU’s decision still
stands. Norway and Canada have now decided to appeal the verdict, but a new date
for the proceedings has not yet been set.
The EU ban exempts seal products resulting from Inuit or other aboriginal hunts,
along with those carried out solely to manage seal populations and protect fish stocks.
About 900,000 seals are hunted worldwide each year, according to the European
Commission. Canada, Norway, Greenland
and Namibia all conduct commercial hunts.
An opinion column about current issues in Norway
and the United States
Join the conversation!
“Frozen” and “The Snow Queen” share the same heart
Michi Trota
Chicago, Ill.
It’s almost a given that a Disney film
garners a nomination for Best Animated
Feature every year at the Oscars, but this
year’s nominee, Frozen, is still a milestone for the company. In much the same
way as The Little Mermaid is remembered as the start of the Disney Renaissance 1989, it looks as if Frozen marks
another point of evolution for the company. Not only is the film the first Disney
animated feature with a woman in the director’s chair (the film is co-directed by
Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck), the story
itself takes one of Disney’s biggest commercial successes, the Disney Fairy Tale
Princess, and successfully flips many, if
not all, of the conventions often associated with those stories on their heads.
Frozen is largely able to do this because of the alterations the film made to
the original inspiration: Hans Christian
Anderson’s “The Snow Queen,” alterations that I was initially skeptical about
because they seemed to remove what
made the story so special in the first place.
While “The Snow Queen” is a fairly standard quest and rescue story, unlike most
of the fairy tales I read and loved (and I
read a lot of fairy tales), it was the boy
who’s in need of rescuing, not the girl.
“The Snow Queen” is one of Anderson’s most well-known and longest
stories. Young Gerda leaves the safety
and familiarity of her village to rescue
her best friend, Kai, who has fallen under a spell causing him to see ugliness in
everything and been taken by the Snow
Queen to her distant kingdom of ice.
Gerda is clever, brave and fiercely independent, qualities that earn her allies and
assistance as she searches alone for Kai
in a dangerous world. She escapes the
enchantments of a witch, outwits a band
of robbers, befriends a reindeer, earns the
respect of two wise women, and saves
Kai from a frozen heart not through violence or confrontation, but through love
and friendship.
By contrast, Frozen recasts Anderson’s fairy tale as one in which the Snow
Queen and the heroine are beloved sisters,
not enemies. Elsa, Queen of Arendelle,
accidentally curses her kingdom with an
unnatural winter and it’s up to her sister,
Princess Anna, with the help of friends
she makes along the way, to save both her
and their kingdom. Despite this massive
change to the story, Frozen still manages
to impart the same lessons as the original,
although it takes a different route to get
there. In retrospect, the changes Frozen
made to “The Snow Queen” aren’t as
drastic as they initially sounded, because
Anderson’s story isn’t really about Gerda
defeating the Snow Queen so much as it
is about Gerda’s courage and the power
of love triumphing over fear and despair.
Frozen also centers its story around these
core precepts, but is arguably an even
more empowering story.
“The Snow Queen,” for all that it
Photo: Frozen / Facebook
Elsa may be the “Snow Queen” in Disney’s “Frozen,” but she’s no wicked witch.
portrays a heroine who does the saving instead of being saved, still follows a common
fairy tale trope in which the villain is a seductress who lures away the good-hearted
heroine’s true love. By reimagining the Snow
Queen and Gerda as sisters, Frozen refocuses the narrative around a caring relationship
between two women, rather than an adversarial one. An emphasis on love and loyalty
still anchors the story, but Frozen convincingly posits that romantic love isn’t the only
form of “true love,” and happy endings don’t
always involve a wedding. It even manages
to tweak the idea that relationships based on
“love at first sight” always end well.
Frozen still pulls recognizable elements
from “The Snow Queen” – there’s a reindeer,
albeit not a talking one, and his best friend,
the solitary ice trader Kristoph, whose
grumpy, mistrustful nature carries echoes of
the little robber girl Gerda befriends in “The
Snow Queen.” The roles of the wise old Lapp
and Finn women are played by Kristoph’s
adoptive family of friendly trolls. Olaf, the
snowman brought to life by Elsa’s magic, is
reminiscent of how Gerda was often assisted
in her quest by Nature. The kingdom of Arendelle, sitting at the mouth of a fjord and
bordered by snowcapped mountains, evokes
the fairy tale feel of Scandinavian castles.
This being a Disney fairy tale, there’s
still a handsome prince, but Anna’s whirlwind romance with Prince Hans takes a
backseat to her quest to save her sister and
her kingdom. And rather than being celebrated, Anna’s abrupt engagement to Prince
Hans causes Elsa to lose control of her powers in public and is flatly ridiculed by Kristoph. No one except Anna seems to find
“love at first sight” an acceptable reason to
make a life commitment. At first glance, it
seems like Anna’s complete trust in Hans
is well-founded. He’s attentive, supportive,
finishes her sentences and rules the citizens
of Arendelle responsibly and with kindness
while Anna is off in the mountains searching
for Elsa. The reveal of Hans’s true nature is
a direct reference to the distorting shards of
the troll mirror in “The Snow Queen” that,
once lodged in a victim’s eye, causes them to
find ugliness and evil in even the most beautiful people.
It’s refreshing to see how Anna and Elsa
aren’t in competition for anything – not for
their parents’ love and attention, the throne
or even a love interest. All Anna wants
is to not be lonely anymore and for the
closeness she and Elsa once shared to
be rekindled. All Elsa wants is to protect
Anna and control her powers. Their conflict is centered squarely around Elsa’s
fear of her powers and Anna’s desire
for love and affection, both of which
stem from their isolation from the outside world and each other. While Elsa’s
inadvertent winter curse is triggered by
an argument between her and Anna, and
Anna’s life becomes imperiled because
of Elsa’s powers, it’s Elsa’s lack of confidence in herself and fear of losing control, not malice, anger or hatred, that puts
others in danger. It’s telling that the first
time Elsa is freed of the expectations and
responsibilities she’s labored under all
her life and finds joy in using her powers,
she attains full control and creates something breathtakingly beautiful, rather
than destructive.
After a lifetime of Disney Princesses
whose happy ending depended on defeating an evil witch and a trip down the
wedding aisle, Frozen proves that fairy
tales can take a more nuanced approach
to relationships – romantic or otherwise
– and still be just as fantastical and enjoyable. It’s not “The Snow Queen” as
Anderson told it, but Frozen shares the
same heart. As in Anderson’s story, the
true evil in Frozen is the absence of love,
fear of the unknown and an ugly heart
hidden behind a beautiful face. And it’s
only through an act of true love that Anna
is able to save her sister, the kingdom,
and herself.
Michi Trota is a freelance writer/editor
and speaker who blogs
about geek culture at
www.geekmelange.
com. She’s on the
Board of Organizers
for the Chicago Nerd
Social Club and Communications Manager for the Chicago Full Moon Jams, a fire
performance and drum event that draws
hundreds of spectators during the summer months. In her spare time, she’s a fire
dancer, community organizer, ravenous
bookworm and avid cook. She lives with
her husband and two cats in Chicago.
The opinions expressed by opinion writers featured in “On the Edge” are not necessarily those of Norwegian American Weekly, and our publication of those views is not
an endorsement of them. Comments, suggestions, and complaints about the opinions expressed by the paper’s editorials should be directed to the editor.
opinion
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Managing Editor
Emily C. Skaftun
Han Ola og Han Per
Dear Editor,
David from Eden Prairie MN (letter,
Jan. 24 issue) asked for the return of the
translations for Han Ola og Han Per.
I used to read them in the 1950s at my
grandparent’s house. The Peter J. Rosendahl
strips originally appeared in the Decorah
Posten, there were no translations. In fact,
there was almost no English in any articles
in the DP!
The translations were done by Einar
Haugen and Joan Buckley in 1984. Two
collections were published in book format,
and that’s the source of the translations.
One (“Han Ola og Han Per”) was published
by the University of Oslo (Universitetsforlaget-1984) and the other (“More Han Ola
og Han Per”) by the University of Iowa
Press1988. (It may have been published
jointly; I’m not certain of that.)
Readers should understand that what
the characters say is a mish-mash of English
and old country Norwegian, and should be
read out loud to get the Nor-english substitutions.
I too noticed the lack of the translations
recently, and assumed there was a copyright
question that caused you to drop them.
It was fun to read them at my grandparent’s house, and I still enjoy them. Think of
the Three Stooges in North Dakota!
Sincerely,
Steve
Austin Texas
Dear Editor
In regard to Han Ola og Han Per in january 24. 2014 issue.
The translation to English goes like this:
—Here, I found a horse shoe, now you
will see we’ll have good luck.
—Oh you are a fool Ola.
—Help! Help !
—Fork over yer cash and make it snappy!
—Ja sure it shal be snappy all right!
I’m a 100% norwegian and maybe a
translater too.
Wish the new editor the same—sorry—
but good luck (lykke til).
Sincerely,
Arvid
Fridley, Minn.
wanted the fame and notoriety, period!
To me, Norway has been seriously tarnished by this action!
Dear Steve, David, Arvid, et al,
Supposedly we have a book with the
translations, with many an unscanned strip.
However, like so many things, it’s gone missing. We do have a few scanned in and ready
to print, but they’ve been run so many times
already that, for variety, we switched to the
Norwegian ones.
Arvid, thank you for the translation of
the Jan. 24 strip! I knew there were people
out there who could help us poor non-Norwegian speakers.
As it turns out, there’s also a person like
that right here in the office. Our very own
John Erik Stacy has volunteered to translate
Han Ola og Han Per for us, and we’ve got
the first one below for everyone’s bilingual
pleasure.
We hope you enjoy them!
Sincerely,
Editor
Snowden Peace Prize
Dear Editor,
Since I was old enough to have a view,
I have always held Norway in the highest regard in how the leaders run their country and
provide excellent opportunities and care for
their people. In the international arena they
have been consistent drivers for peaceful
resolutions of conflicts and the country provides the most generous percentage of GDP
for foreign aid.
Now, there must be a shift in the sanity
or extreme naivite of two members of parliament to recommend Ed Snowden for the
Nobel Peace Prize! Ed Snowden is perhaps
the most damaging spy against the United
States, causing many losses of lives and providing enormous amounts of secure data to
US and Norway’s enemies.
If Ed Snowden felt that the work of the
NSA was illegal, he should have contacted
his Congressman or one of the Senators from
his state and conveyed his concerns. Those
members of congress would have brought
the concern to the appropriate Congress
Committee. Mr. Snowden is an egotist who
Han Ola og Han Per
Sincerely,
Thor
Fishkill, N.Y.
Dear Thor,
It’s certainly an interesting question!
I’m afraid I’m not well-read enough on the
subject to offer an intelligent opinion.
What do you think, readers?
Sincerely,
Editor
Searching for Dahls
Dear Editor,
I received information from the Norwegian American Genealogical Center in Madison, Wis. that you have a periodical that has
issues in “letters to editor” that subscribers
request information that would help their genealogical searches.
I’m searching for history of my DAHL
family. My grandfather was Ole Knute
Dahl born in Valder, Norway 1844. Came
to America in 1882 with nine brothers and
sisters and settled in Benson, Minnesota. He
was married to Helda Hanson. My grandfather Ole K. had five daughters and one son
born in Benson, Minn.
Thank you for taking your time to help
me search. Searching for any of my first
cousins.
Sincerely,
Nancy Dahl
Ypsilanti, Mich.
Dear Nancy,
As you can see, helping people find their
families isn’t our primary focus at Norwegian
American Weekly, but I hope that by posting
your information you get some leads!
Nancy, please email me at naw@norway.com, so that if any of our readers respond to this I can forward it to you.
Sincerely,
Editor
with new translations by John Erik Stacy
How do you
do! Is mister
Olson home?
If I am not mistaken
this is where my
onkel Ole Olson lives.
We have to stop in
then. I’m sure he’ll
be surprised.
I haven’t seen onkel
Ole since I went
before the priest.
It will be fun
to talk again.
emily@norway.com
Copy Editor
Harry Svenkerud
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Subscriptions
John Erik Stacy
john.erik.stacy@norway.com
Intern / Nyheter fra Norge
Denise Leland
denise@norway.com
Contributors
Larrie Wanberg
Grand Forks, N.D.
Melinda Bargreen
Everett, Wash.
Carla Danziger
McLean, Va.w
Erling Dugan
Ventura, Calif.
Gary G. Erickson
Sunburg, Minn.
Rasmus FalckOslo, Norway
Marit Fosse
Geneva, Switzerland
Judith Gabriel Vinje
Burbank, Calif.
Shelby Gilje
Seattle, Wash.
Line Grundstad Hanke
Seattle, Wash.
Heidi Håvan Grosch
Sparbu, Norway
Victoria Hofmo
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Leslee Lane HoyumRockford, Minn.
Else Hvistendahl
New York, N.Y.
Inger-Torill Kirkeby
Miami, Fla.
Scott Larsen
New Westminster, B.C.
Thor A. Larsen
Fishkill, N.Y.
Roy JorgensenHopewell Junction, N.Y
Jerry Larson
Zimmerman, Minn.
Solveig M. Lee
Seattle, Wash.
Richard Londgren
Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Donald V. Mehus
New York, N.Y.
Berit T. Mesarick
Williamsburg, Va.
David Moe
Sun City, Calif.
Ken Nordan
Batavia, Ill.
Irene Berman
Bloomfield, Conn.
Sada Reed
Woodbury, Minn.
Rolf Kristian Stang
New York, N.Y.
Daytona Strong
Seattle, Wash.
Patricia BarryHopewell Junction, N.Y.
Mark Treleaven-Jones
Wales, U.K
Sunny Gandara
Beacon, N.Y.
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Taste of Norway
Food for athletes
Eat like the athletes do with these three easy
recipes that are high in nutrition and flavor
Liz Argall
Seattle, Wash.
‘Tis a season of extraordinary athleticism and endurance. Inspired by the games?
Want to step out on the ice? Check out that
local team? Now is a great time to give yourself permission to go for it. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the struggles, and as you push
yourself in new directions make sure you
eat! And by eat I don’t mean grab a powerbar
and an energy drink (though both have saved
me from homicide charges).
Eat sustainably, enjoy food that gives
you the nourishment you need to keep pushing yourself. Find simple recipes that you
can put together when you’re feeling nervous, when every bone in your body is tired,
when you just want to sink into a hot bath
and you’re trying to be strong and have an
ice bath instead!
Dense & Delightful Peach Muffins
Days when I have a muffin instead of
an energy bar are generally better days.
I often use bread flour or grind my own
wheat groats in the blender (make sure your
blender’s built for such activity before you
try, and only blend as much as you need.
Flour made in the blender gets too hot to keep
well). Bread flour has more protein in it and
will make the muffins chewier. Home ground
flour will make whole wheat flour from the
store look like a flimsy thing. This recipe is
also delicious with white all-purpose flour.
Defrosted frozen peaches chopped
into chunks (if they are not defrosted
it will still work, but your muffins will
be even denser!... but still delicious)
2 eggs
¾ cup of sugar (or more or less, I
adjust this amount depending on how
much I need sweet at the time and
how bitter my peaches are)
½ cup butter OR coconut oil
½ cup of yogurt (if your yogurt is particularly thick add a splash of milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease muffin pan with butter/line with baking cups
In one bowl combine eggs, sugar, yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and butter/coconut
oil (the wet bowl).
In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt (the dry bowl).
Pour the wet bowl into the dry bowl. Stir with a sturdy spatula four times round the bowl
in a way that mixes all the ingredients. Add the peaches. Stir again until most, but not all of
the flour is incorporated (over stirring will make the muffins even denser and if you’re using
coconut oil and heavy flour it will already be pretty heavy).
Spoon out the mixture into the muffin pan, evenly distributing it.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
After you’ve pulled out the muffin tray let it sit for a few minutes and then transfer the
muffins to a cooling rack.
Eat within several days.
Optional: Pretend they are cupcakes and add frosting, because you can!
Photo: Studio Dreyer-Hensley A/S / Tine Mediebank
Peach muffins make any day better, whether you’re hitting the slopes, going for gold, or staying in
with a cup of coffee.
Salmon Parpadelle
& out the door in five
I love the simplicity of this recipe and
it is something I can reliably eat – even when
I’m nervous before a game.
Trader Joes Lemon Pepper Parpadelle
(or a good dried Fettuccine)
Several handfuls of snowpeas
Olive oil/butter
Smoked Salmon (to taste, I go lighter
on the salmon before practice, heavier
on the salmon after practice)
Pecorino Romano (or any tasty hard
cheese)
Capers (optional)
Cook parpadelle as per instructions on the package. One minute before the parpadelle
is finished add snowpeas. By the time your water comes back to a boil everything will be
cooked.
Strain parpadelle. Stir in olive oil or butter to prevent the parpadelle from sticking together.
Put pasta on a plate and add smoked salmon, shaved cheese and capers to taste. I always
shave my hard cheeses with a potato peeler. It creates a nicely textured curl and is easier to
wash up.
Chia Seed Enhanced Yogurt
Feel free to play fast and loose with
these measurements. Chia seeds are packed
with protein and other goodies, but they can
have an odd texture by themselves. Fortunately they are delicious in yogurt.
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
¼ cup milk
Combine. Let it sit for at least three hours. It will be even better after two days.
Depending on your yogurt you may need to add extra milk when you check on it, the
chia seeds will swell and thicken your mixture.
Serve with a tablespoon of jam and top with your favorite granola. I particularly like
Udi’s Gluten Free Granola. If your yogurt is too bitter add a dollop of maple syrup.
It will keep for as long as your yogurt stays delicious.
Photo: Stu Spivack / Flickr
This smoked salmon parpadelle is a quick, easy meal that’s full of protein yet easy on the stomach.
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Winter sports
Winter Olympics: made for Norwegians
Norway dominates winter sports, crushing
much larger countries in the race for medals
Scott Larsen
New Westminster, B.C.
Just like the old Michelob beer commercial with the pitch-line, “Weekends were
made for Michelob,” the same could be said
about the Winter Olympics and the Norwegians.
According to the website Olympic.it/
English/medal/id_winter, it is not a huge
country like the United States or even the
former USSR that has won the most medals
at the winter Olympics.
This distinction belongs to Norway.
Norway leads all other countries in the
Winter Olympics medal count with 303 total medals – 107 gold, 106 silver, and 90
bronze. The U.S. comes in second with 253
(87 Gold, 95 silver, and 71 bronze) while
the former USSR came in third with 194 (78
gold, 57 silver, and 59 bronze).
This is quite remarkable for a country
with just over five million (2012) or only 4.2
million in 1990! The U.S. with 313.9 million
(2012) or 248.7 million in 1990 couldn’t beat
Norway, and the former Soviet Union, which
dissolved in 1991, with 290.9 million (1990)
couldn’t either, despite state-sponsored athletic training. Today, Russia’s population is
around 143.5 million (2012).
According to sports.yahoo.com, Norway is strongest in three events: crosscountry skiing, Nordic combined, and speed
skating. Only the Netherlands and the U.S.
claim more medals in speed skating. Austria,
Liechtenstein, and Norway are the only nations that have won more medals during the
Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics.
Norway and five other nations – Austria,
Canada, Italy, Japan and Switzerland – according to sports.ca.msn.com, come in third
place for countries hosting the most Winter
Olympics, with two each. Norway hosted the
1952 games in Oslo and the 1994 games held
in Lillehammer. The host country that has
held the most winter games is the U.S. with
four – Lake Placid in 1932, Squaw Valley
in 1960, Lake Placid in 1980 and Salt Lake
City in 2002. France is second place with
Photo: Bjoertvedt / Wikimedia
Therese Johaug, Norway, leads women’s 30 km at the 17 km turn in the World Ski Championship
2011, Oslo. Norwegians lead the world in winter sports like cross-coutry skiing, usually winning the
most medals in the Winter Olympics.
three games held in that country in 1924,
1968 and 1992.
With the ever-increasing costs of developing and hosting the Winter Olympics, host
cities of the past may be asked to host games
again. If this comes true then Norway may
have a good chance in hosting the games in
the near future.
Three contributors reflect on their experiences at Lillehammer, Montreal, and Vancouver
Notes from Olympics past and present
Lillehammer before “Lillyhammer”
Victoria Hofmo
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Did you know that the town of Lillehammer was seen
on TV sets worldwide almost 20 years before former mafia
boss Frank “The Fixer” relocated to this Norwegian town?
In 1994, Lillehammer was a quiet charming hamlet hosting
the Winter Olympics, and I got to attend.
I have to confess that I only went to one Olympic event,
ice dancing. Yes, I know that some Norwegians do not consider that a sport. However, it was wonderful and I got to see
the inventive English couple Torvill and Dean in their last
Olympic run.
But it wasn’t so much the games that had drawn me. I
wanted to be part of the Lillehammer Olympic experience:
to walk the streets and get a sense of the place and how it
was being impacted for good or bad; to be part of the excitement and soak up the details of all the planning and design.
Small wooden open huts were set up in nooks and crannies. One sold fine linen packaged in a beautiful sliding box.
I especially loved the Sami encampment, where indengenous
Norwegians wore their blue and red intricately trimmed costumes. I got to learn about how this little-known tribe lives.
I bought two small silk paintings from them; one of a winter
forest and the other of the Northern lights. To this day they
are lovingly displayed in my living room each winter.
In 1994, the weather was cold. But the ice-sheeted
sidewalks did not trouble the locals. Salting wasn’t a consideration. In fact, by the agility of pedestrians to nonchalantly walk down the street, heads held high, without falling
on their ... um ... lower backs (as I had done the instant I
stepped out of a quaint wooden cabin built for the occasion,
after finishing a lovely warming lunch of aquavit, smoked
trout, and rommegrot, served in a front of a fire) that I could
differentiate between locals and foreigners. Those who did
not suffer from even minor slippage were Norwegians and
all others were foreigners.
After discovering their agility I deduced one more distinctive characteristic, a svelt silhoutte derived from lightweight fabrics created for those who live in such climes.
See > lillehammer, page 12
Scandinavians expect to be A normal guy at the Olympics
conspicuous contenders in Erik Johansen
Northfield, Minn.
Russia’s Winter Olympics
Do “normal” people ever get to actually go watch the
At the Scandinavian Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
we’re “warming up” for the Winter Olympics—along with
the contradiction of our unusually warm winter in Southern
California. Well, this year’s Olympics will be in Southern
Olympics? And would they want to? In my experience, yes.
Regular folks were all over the 2010 winter games. Especially Canadians and Americans, since – no surprise – travel
was not a big barrier. But also many folks who had to save
up for it traveled from far and wide. Ole and Kari Normann,
in particular, were there in droves. And loved it.
The Norskies were mostly in Whistler, close to the Nordic ski venues. For Norwegian fans, this is the meat of the
games – where Norway takes home gold. Sure, they would
love to see their speed skaters and curling team, but the real
stuff is cross-country, skijumping, and “skiskyting” (biathlon). Figure skaters are nice to watch, but not since Sonja
Henie has Norway had bragging rights there (Henie brought
home gold in ‘28, ‘32 and ’36, can be thought of as a founder
of the sport, and is probably the biggest star in figure skating ever). Hockey, also not so much for Norwegians (leave
that one to the Swedes). So the events with limited seating
and high ticket prices are those that Norwegians are least interested in. Nordic ski events, by contrast, allow essentially
unlimited space for fans to ring cowbells and shout support.
By the laws of supply and demand, ticket prices for these
outdoor events faced downward pressure. On the day of, you
could get into almost any of the big deal events – such as the
men’s 50 km classic to see Petter Northug confidently pole
past Alex Teichman like a cat toying with a mouse in the last
10 meters of the course – for a (relatively) few Loonies.
In short, if you didn’t mind standing outdoors (and Norwegians are used to this) the 2010 Olympic Games were
easily accessible to people of modest means. The CrossCountry trails at the Olympic Park in Whistler were the perfect experience for fans. The lay of the land formed an amphitheater that allowed viewing for tens of thousands. The
course made optimal use of this viewing area by including
sections that showcased all the skills of a skier: steep downhill into a curve; the long climb on switchbacks; the final
double-pole challenge to the finish line. There was also a
See > montreal, page 20
See > whistler, page 12
Richard Londgren
Scandinavian Center at CLU
Photo: Karin Londgren
Danish-American Kate Hansen from Southern California
will be in the Olympics luge competition at Sochi. She
originally practiced as a youngster on a skateboard, on
her back with feet forward to steer.
10 • February 7, 2014
winter sports
Women’s ski jumping ready to soar
Among new Olympic events like
freeskiing, snowboarding, team figureskating, and luge relay, women’s ski
jumping readies to lift off at Sochi
John Erik Stacy
Girls and women have been ski-jumping since – well – since the invention of skis,
probably. But until recently women were
only seen as “exhibition” jumpers in premier
competitions. At major events, women took
the first few runs to break in the tracks. But
only guys got points and medals. Hm.
This means that women have been
jumping “unofficially” for a while. Where
did they come from? Well, people in the
know can tell you that women have been a
significant part of Nordic jumping at the junior and local level for quite a while.
This 2014 games will be the first to include women ski-jumpers. Norway and the
U.S. will each send three women to Sochi:
Line Jahr (30, Vikersund), Maren Lundby
(19, Kolbu), and Helena Olsson Smeby (30,
Trondheim); Sarah Hendrickson (19), Jessica
Jerome (27), and Lindsey Van (29, Park City,
Utah). Of these athletes, American Sarah
Hendrickson has the best record by far, with
13 FIS World Cup victories and 22 podiums
total. The Norwegian team will be missing
one of its best jumpers, Anette Sagen, due to
an injury she suffered (she fainted on a flight
from Hawaii and hurt her shoulder).
Women had to fight to be accepted as
legitimate jumpers. Only as recently as 2009
were women included to compete at World
Cup level events. The decision to establish a
women’s category came down from the International Ski Federation (FIS) a full three
years earlier. At the time, FIS submitted a
proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create a women’s event for
the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, but this
was rejected on the grounds that female skijumping competitions had yet to be established at an international level. Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic
Committee stated that women’s ski jumping
would not appear in the Vancouver Olympics
because, “we do not want the medals to be
diluted and watered down,” apparently implying that the talent pool was too variable to
make the competition meaningful.
Women jumpers disagreed and filed suit
against the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) pointing out that excluding females is against Canadian law. By June 2009
Canadian judges ruled against the women on
the grounds that the issue was a matter for
IOC and not VANOC (although they conceded that the women were being discriminated
against under the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms). However, by 2011 the IOC
decided to stop trying to mumble its way out
A Piece of Norway in America
Photo: Mht54321 / Wikimedia
Jessica Jerome in flight at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Park City, UT. Along with Lindssey Van
and Sarah Hendrickson, she’ll compete in the first Olympic women’s ski jumping event.
of it and accepted women’s ski jumping into
the official Olympic program for the 2014
Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Lindsey Van had been involved in the
legal wrangling that brought the issue to a
head. When the decision was announced she
commented, “People expected me to be ecstatic, but I’d been after this for so long, it
just didn’t sink in at first.” It was a long time
in coming.
There are – obviously - well-seasoned
female competitors in the winter sports nations of the world. Although the number of
women jumpers in the FIS roster are only
about one tenth of the men, this situation is
largely a product of their more recent inclusion among world competitors.
There is clearly no reason why Nordic
jumping should exclude women. To cite
danger and injuries in ski-jumping as an
argument for keeping the ladies out would
also – to be consistent – have to be applied to
downhill racing, luge, and other potentially
high impact sports that have allowed women
for decades. As for how women perform on
the jump, they are generally lighter than men
and therefore have an advantage while soaring, but a disadvantage for gaining speed in
the approach. Currently, men hold all the
records, but they should watch their backs!
Winter sports contest(s)
Have you answered this
week’s question yet?
contest #1:
Norwegian American Weekly and
Helly Hansen are hosting a contest
during the Winter Olympic Games in
Sochi. The questions (one per week
while the Games are on) are asked in
our weekly newsletter, with the answer
somewhere in that week’s paper or
on the blog. Everyone who answers
all three questions correctly will be entered into a drawing (held Feb. 24) to
win gear from Helly Hansen.
Photo courtesy of Scandinavian Heritage Association
Sondre Norheim Statue
Minot, N.D.
Sondre Norheim, father of modern skiing, is immortalized with a statue in the
Scandinavian Heritage Park. The legendary Norwegian skier played a crucial role
as skiing during the late 19th century changed from utility into a sport. Friends in
Skien, Minot’s sister city in Norway, raised half of the funds for the statue which
was also sponsored by Norsk Hostfest Association. A duplicate statue of Norheim was
unveiled on January 16, 1988 in Morgedal, Norheim’s birthplace in Norway.
You must be a newsletter subscriber
to be eligible to enter, but it’s not too
late! Sign up for the newsletter by
texting NAW to 22828 or by enrolling
on on our website (on the right-hand
sidebar):
blog.norway.com
Sign up now!
We’ll include both questions next
week for new newsletter subscribers.
Photo: Fredrik Schenholm / Visitnorway.com
contest #2:
All new subscribers and renewals to
the print edition of Norwegian American Weekly during the Winter Games
will be entered into a second drawing
for a $250 Helly Hansen gift card!
1-year subscriptions are only $59.
Sign up now by:
calling 800-305-0217,
emailing subscribe@norway.com,
enrolling at blog.norway.com/subscribe,
or mailing in the form in this paper.
Why not enter both contests?
Share your favorite piece of Norway in America!
Email naw@norway.com
Subcriptions and renewals must be received by 4:00 p.m.
PST, Feb. 21. Year-long subscriptions only. Answers to the
questions must be received by midnight, Feb. 23.
February 7, 2014 • 11
Winter sports
Your guide to the Games
Alpine Skiing Biathlon
Freestyle skiing comprises many events. The
mogul event is a descent
down a bumpy slope
with jumps. In the aerials event athletes complete two special jumps.
In the cross event
athletes race down a
course with turns and
obstacles. In halfpipe
athletes perform various
tricks — somersaults,
flips, grabs, and twists
— on a halfpipe slope.
In ski slopestyle athletes
perform on a slope with
various types of obstacles (rails, quarterpipes, and jumps).
Alpine skiing evens involve sking fast down a
course of flags or gates
that the skier must go
around. The length of
the course and tightness
of the gates vary.
Freestyle skiing
Ice Hockey
Womens' Skiathlon 7.5K Classic + 7.5K Free, 2:00 p.m.
Team Ice Dance Short Dance; Women's Moguls, Women's USA-‐FIN, 12:00 p.m. Women's Short 6:00 p.m. & Women's CAN-‐SUI, 5:00 p.m.
Program; Pairs Free 10:00 p.m.
Skating, 6:30 p.m.
Men's Sunday, Downhill, Feb. 9
11:00 a.m.
Women's 7.5K Sprint, 6:30 p.m.
Men's Skiathlon 15K Classic + 15K Free, 2:00 p.m.
Team Men's Free Skating; Women's Free Skating; Ice Dance Free Dance, 7:00 p.m.
Women's Super Men's 12.5K Monday, Combined, Pursuit, 7:00 Feb. 10
11:00 a.m. & p.m.
3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Men's & Women's Free Sprint, 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Women's 10K Pursuit, 7:00 p.m.
Women's Wednesday, Downhill, Feb. 12
11:00 a.m.
Luge
Nordic Combined Short Track
Skeleton
Women's SWE-‐JPN, 12:00 p.m. Men's, Women's RUS-‐GER, 5:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
Round Robin: Men's, 9:00 a.m. Women's, 2:00 p.m. Men's, 7:00 p.m.
Men's Moguls, Women's USA-‐SUI, 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. & Women's FIN-‐CAN, 7:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
Women's, 6:45 p.m.
Round Robin: Women's, 9:00 a.m. Men's, Pairs Short 2:00 p.m. Program, 7:00 p.m.
Women's, 7:00 p.m.
Women's Slopestyle, Women's GER-‐SWE, 2:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. & Women's RUS-‐JPN, 7:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
Women's, 6:30 p.m.
Round Robin: Men's, 9:00 a.m. Pairs Free Skating, Women's, 7:45 p.m.
2:00 p.m. Men's, 7:00 p.m.
Women's SUI-‐FIN, 12:00 p.m. Women's CAN-‐USA, 4:30 p.m. Men's CZE-‐SWE, 9:00 p.m. Men's LAT-‐SUI, 9:00 p.m.
Round Robin: Men's FIN-‐AUT, 12:00 p.m. Women's, Women's JPN-‐Ger, 12:00 p.m. Women's 10K Men's Slopestyle, Team 9:00 a.m. Men's, Men's Short Men's RUS-‐SLO, 4:30 p.m. Men's Relay, Classic, 10:15 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. SVK-‐USA, 4:30 p.m. Men's CAN-‐
Program, 7:00 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
Women's, NOR, 9:00 p.m. Women's SWE-‐
7:00 p.m.
RUS, 9:00 p.m.
Men's Super Friday, Combined, 11:00 a.m. & Feb. 14
3:30 p.m.
Women's 15K Individual, 6:00 p.m.
Round Robin: Men's CZE-‐LAT, 12:00 p.m. Men's, 9:00 a.m. Men's 15K Women's Aerials, Men's SWE-‐SUI, 4:30 p.m. Men's Men's Free Skating, Classic, Women's, 5:45 p.m. & CAN-‐AUT, 9:00 p.m. Men's NOR-‐
7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
FIN, 9:00 p.m.
Men's, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15
Round Robin: Women's, Women's 4x5K 9:00 a.m. Men's, Relay, 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
Women's, 7:00 p.m.
Women's Super G, 11:00 a.m.
Men's 1500m, Women's 500m, Women's 3000m relay, 1:45 p.m.
Men's Individual Doubles, NH, 1:30 p.m. 6:15 p.m. Men's individual 10K, 4:30 p.m.
Men's 20K Individual, 6:00 p.m.
Women's 500m, Men's 1000m, Women's, Men's 5000 relay, 11:30 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Men's SVK-‐SLO, 12:00 p.m. Women's Quarterfinals, 12:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Men's USA-‐RUS, 4:30 p.m. Men's SUI-‐CZE, 9:00 p.m. Men's SWE-‐LAT, 9:00 p.m.
Round Robin: Women's, 9:00 a.m. Men's, Ice Dance Free 2:00 p.m. Dance, 7:00 p.m.
Women's, 7:00 p.m.
Men's Aerials, Women's Semifinals, 5:45 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
The Breakers: Mens & Women's, 9:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., & 7:00 p.m.
Men's Qualification Playoffs, Men's Individual Men's Halfpipe, 12:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., & LH, 1:30 p.m. 5:45 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. (x2) Men's Individual Women's Classification Games, 9:30 p.m.
10K, 4:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.
Women's & Men's Giant Mixed Men's Team Wednesday, Slalom, Women's, Relay, Sprint Classic, Feb. 19
11:00 a.m. & 8:15 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
Women's Semifinals, Women's Short 2:00 p.m. Program, 7:00 p.m.
Men's Semifinals, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20
Women's Bronze Medal, 12:30 p.m. Women's Free Women's Gold Skating, 7:00 p.m.
Medal, 5:30 p.m.
Men's Ski Cross, 11:45 a.m. & Women's Bronze Medal, 1:30 p.m. Women's 4:00 p.m. Halfpipe, 6:30 p.m. Women's Gold Medal, 9:00 p.m.
& 9:30 p.m.
Women's Women's Friday, Slalom, 4x6K Relay, Feb. 21
4:45 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
Men's Bronze Medal, 12:30 p.m. Men's Gold Medal, 5:30 p.m.
Women's Ski Cross, Men's Semifinals, 11:45 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
Men's Men's Women's 30K Slalom, 4x7.5K Four-‐Man, Mass Start p.m.
4:45 p.m. & Relay, 8:30 Free, 1:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Men's 50K Four-‐Man, Mass Start 1:30 p.m. Free, 11:00 a.m.
Men's 1500m, 5:30 p.m.
In curling the objective is to get the 19.96
kg stone closer to the
Women's center of the house than
Snowboard Women's Cross, 1500m, any stone of the opposi11:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.
tion.
1:15 p.m.
Men's Snowboard Men's Team Cross, LH, 9:15 p.m.
11:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Women's 1000m, Men's 500m, Women's 3000m relay, 1:30 p.m.
Men's 10000m, 5:00 p.m.
Men's & Women's Women's Parallel Giant 5000m, Slalom, 5:30 p.m.
9:15 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Men's Quarterfinals, 12:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., & 9:00 p.m. (x2)
Gala Exhibition, 8:30 p.m.
Speed Skating
Women's 1000m, 6:00 p.m.
Women's 1500m, Men's Men's, Men's 1000m, Individual LH, 6:45 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
Men's AUT-‐NOR, 12:00 p.m. Women's Classification Game, 12:00 p.m. Men's RUS-‐SVK, 4:30 p.m. Men's SLO-‐USA, 4:30 p.m. Men's FIN-‐CAN, 9:00 p.m. Women's Classification Game, 9:00 p.m.
Women's, 7:15 p.m.
Snowboard
Men's Men's & Individual LH Women's, Qualification, 4:30 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
Round Robin: Men's 15K Men's 4X10K Men's, 9:00 a.m. Two-‐Man, Sunday, Men's Super Ice Dance Short Mass, Relay, Women's, G, 11:00 a.m.
8:15 p.m.
Feb. 16
Dance, 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
Men's, 7:00 p.m.
Women's Two-‐Man, 12.5K Mass, 6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Ski Jumping
Snowboarding comprises many events. In
the halfpipe competition
Men's Men's perform
Individual NH Slopestyle, Men's 5000m, snowboarders
Qualification, 9:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
acrobatic
aerial
tricks.
12:45 p.m.
8:30 p.m.
In the parallel slalom
Women's and giant slalom events
Men's Women's Slopestyle, Individual NH, 3000m, (new), two athletes en10:30 a.m. & 9:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m.
gage in a head-to-head
competition on parallel
courses. The cross event
Men's 500m, 5:00 p.m.
takes place on a course
made up of various moMen's guls, obstacles, banks,
Halfpipe, Women's Women's Individual NH, 2:00 p.m., 500m, and jumps. Slopestyle
7:00 p.m., & 4:45 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
athletes perform on a
9:30 p.m.
slope featuring variWomen's ous forms of obstacles
Halfpipe, Men's 1000m, 2:00 p.m., (rails, quarterpipes,
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m., & and jumps).
9:30 p.m.
Men's, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 13
Saturday, Feb. 22
Nordic Combined includes ski jumping and
a 10 km cross-country
ski race. There are only
men’s events this year.
Figure Skating
Men's 10K Sprint, 6:30 p.m.
Women's Tuesday, Giant S lalom, 11:00 a.m. & Feb. 18
2:30 p.m.
In mass start cross
country races, all the
skiers begin at once and
vie to cross the finish
line first. In skiathlon
the skiers must change
gear in the middle.
Curling
Saturday, Feb. 8
Monday, Feb. 17
Biathlon combines
cross-country skiing
with rifle shooting. In
Pursuit competitions
lower-ranking athletes
must catch the leaders.
Bobsleigh Cross-‐Country
Friday, Feb. 7
Men's Team LH, 12:00 p.m. Men's Team 4x5K, 3:00 p.m.
Men's 500m, Women's 1000m, Men's 5000m relay, 8:30 p.m.
Women's & Men's Team Pursuit, 5:30 p.m.
Men's & Women's & Women's Men's Team Parallel Slalom, Pursuit, 9:15 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m.
Men's Bronze Medal, 7:00 p.m.
Men's Gold Medal, 4:00 p.m.
All times are in Sochi local time, which is nine hours ahead of EST and 12 hours ahead of PST.
Check your local TV listings to see what coverage you can watch. All images are from Winter Games Sochi 2014 / Facebook.
Single figure skating
and mixed pairs both
consist of a short program including 7 compulsory elements and a
free program. Compulsory moves include lifts,
spirals, throws and synchronized jumps. In Ice
Dancing dancers must
express the character of
the music.
Ice hockey is a competition between two teams
attempting to hit the
puck into their opponent’s goal using sticks,
while preventing the
puck from entering their
own goal.
Luge is considered
to be one of the most
dangerous Olympic winter sports. It involves
sliding at high speeds
on single or two-person
sleds on a special track
of artificially frozen ice.
Skeleton involves a descent on a special track
with artificially frozen
ice in a sled. Each
athlete completes a total
of four runs.
Four events make up the
Olympic ski jumpingprogram: men’s and
women’s individual
normal hill competition,
men’s individual large
hill competition, and
men’s team competition.
In the individual speed
skating events, skaters
race in pairs on separate tracks. In the team
pursuit races, men skate
8 laps, and women skate
6. Two teams of three
members each take part
in each race, starting
all at once from different sides of the track.
Bobsleigh involves
high-speed mountain
descent on special artificially made ice tracks
on controlled sledges
(bobs).
Short track is a type of
speed skating in which
the athletes compete to
cover a 111.12 meter
oval ice track as quickly
as possible.
12 • February 7, 2014
winter sports
Norwegian 101
Language practice with Heidi Håvan Grosch
Norwegian Olympic Primer
Just in case (bare i tilfelle) you are watching (du ser på) the
Sochi (Sotsji) Winter Olympics (olympiske vinterleker/OL) this February (i februar), and happen to hear (og tilfeldigvis hører) a Norwegian commentator (kommentator) giving a report (en rapport),
here are a few Olympic related words (noen OL-relaterte ord) worth
knowing (verdt å vite).
It is no secret (det er ingen hemmelighet) that Norwegians shine
in winter sports (vinterleker), often taking home more than their
share (mer enn sin andel) of gold (gull) and silver (sølv) medals
(medaljer).
Of the 118 Norwegians participating in the games (av de 118
nordmenn som deltar i OL), some will compete (konkurrere) in freestyle skiing (freestyle), the luge (aking), ski jumping (skihopping),
snowboarding (snøbrett), speed skating (hurtigløp på skøyter), bobsled racing (bobsleigh), skeleton (skeleton), alpine skiing (alpint),
and men’s ice hockey (ishockey). As expected (som forventet), Norwegian favorites (norske favoritter) Marit Bjørgen and Petter Northug (cross-country skiing/langrenn), and Emil Svendsen (biathlon/
skiskyting) hope to add to (håper å legge til) Norway’s stockpile of
gold (gull), silver (sølv), and bronze (bronse) medals (medaljer).
But the most news worthy event (mest nyheter verdt å skrive
om) for Norway (for Norge) in the 2014 Sochi Olympics (OL), apart
from (borsett fra) the men’s curling (curling) team and their pants
(bukser), is in ice skating (kunstløp). For the first time in fifty years
(for første gang på femti år), Norway has a contender (en utfordrer)
for the gold, Anne Line Gjersem. Perhaps (kanskje) she will be the
next (hun vil bli den neste) Sonja Henie, a Norwegian from Oslo
famous (kjent) for winning (for å vine) more (flere) Olympic medals
(1928, 1932, and 1936) and World titles (VM titler) than any other
(enn noen andre) ladies figure skater (kvinnelig kunstløper), as well
as having a film career (filmkarriere).
It’s also good to know about (det er også godt å vite om) the
Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation
of Sports (Norges Idrettsforbund/NIF/www.idrett.no – they have
an English site). They organize (organiserer) all Norwegian sports
activities (alle norske idrettsaktiviteter) and make certain everyone
“plays fair” (spille etter reglene). Search (søk på) Olympics (OL)
on their home page (hjemmeside) for the complete list (en komplett
liste) of Norway’s contestants (Norges deltakere) this year.
< lillehammer
From page 9
They strode gracefully in contrast to the
marshmallow-shaped who tottered down
the icy streets. Ice and awkward bulk – not
a good combination and a dead giveaway.
Perhaps the Norwegian-born are more agile
and graceful than the rest of us, but I also
learned that they had a little secret: ice cleats,
supposedly for the older folk, but I think for
others as well, at least at that time.
I also learned that as patriotic as you
are it is not very safe or friendly to have the
two longest Norwegian flags you own sticking out from either side of your largest, most
overstuffed rucksack, especially when you
decide to turn abruptly to speak with your
companions in lilting Norwegian. It’s also
where I learned how much more aware and
sensitive us New Yorkers are of personal
space. In a New York subway you will get a
glaring look if you so much as brush another’s skin without an “excuse me.” In Norway
you could practically poke out someone’s
eye without a smidge of awareness.
Norwegians were focused on how the
sleepy town of Lillehammer could host this
massive competition efficiently and without
negatively impacting its built and natural
environment. Providing housing for contestants in the Olympic Village is compulsory
for all cities that wish to host these games.
Lillehammer did so brilliantly; there was no
detectable controversy due to superfluous
construction, as often happens. Instead the
village was built with typical Norwegian understatement: a tasteful combination of form
and function that could easily be integrated
into the town after the hordes departed. After the games many of the buildings became
part of Norway’s social fabric. Some buildings were sold and moved to other parts of
the country, as had been planned, while the
former Service Center was re-purposed for
multple uses, serving as a church, nursery
school, cafeteria, and senior center.
Another construction project involved
The Lillehammer Art Museum, which had its
1963 building remodeled and an expansion
added. The result was modern in form, but
not brutal. It was painstakingly designed to
be incorporated into its surroundings. Lilllehammer sidestepped the usual negative residue Olympic venues face, i.e will the new
construction required for the games be of
any use when the games are over.
But did these games have any lasting mpact outside of Norway? I believe so.
The most important and lasting impact that
the 1994 Olympics had on the Norwegians
was the birth (dare I say it) of a nationalistic
pride. The popularity of Norwegian culture
and folk traditons exploded. Just before I
went to the Olympics, I remember showing
a Norwegian friend some handmade items I
Photo: Erik Johansen
Fans of Mikko Kokslien at the 2010 Olympics. Kokslien competed in Nordic Combined, and
will again compete for Norway in Sochi.
< whistler
really big big-screen TV on the hill across
from the viewing stands. Here the camera
men kept up with the leader’s facial expressions and more.
But you didn’t need the TV to see Marit
Bjørgen up-close. There was plenty of space
along the trail to lean into the rope and see
them all in real life. And part of what makes
it fun for the spectator is to be able to chase
out along the trails to see the contestants at
different points on the course. The Olympic
Park has bridges and shortcuts that allowed
us to see the pack come through and then jog
to the next point to see them again. We met
ski-wax technicians, relatives of contestants
and interesting folks from everywhere. All
(or most) of the above apply for the biathlon and skijumping events. Except, perhaps
the skijumping did suffer some wind issues
that led to a restart in Nordic Combined. The
restart juggled the results and Norway did
not do so well. On the other hand, the USA
walked away with Silver and Gold!
It did cost quite a bit to stay in Whistler,
and our original plans were to return to the
US after only after two nights. But we met
up with friends and found out that they had
rented a house in Squamish and were willing
to let us couch surf. This made it even more
fun, as we now had a pack of folks sharing experiences of a lifetime. In addition to
the competitions we also got to experience
Whistler as an Olympic village – even if we
had to drive in from Squamish. There was
the Norwegian House, complete with waffles and NRK piped in on the widescreen.
Can’t quite remember if I was invited or just
barged in, but I got those waffles for free.
There are ways to be part of an Olympic
event, even if you don’t have a private jet.
In addition to folks like me who somehow
got swept up in the hoopla, there is the army
of Olympic volunteers who not only get to
be there but take part in making the games
work. In all, I never imagined that a happening of such international prestige would
actually be so open to normal participants.
It did cost us to take the plunge, but it was
well worth it.
had bought from the Eger Home Christmas
Fair on Staten Island. She said that they were
so old-fashioned and that young Norwegians
did not go for those. So I was thankfully surprised to see stores strung from Oslo to Lillehammer and beyond featuring traditional
Norwegian sweaters, hats, and mittens, and
a re-emergence of vintage-style knitted Norwegian suits for women with long skirts and
fitted jackets. These were being bought up by
the visitors. But I also saw a resurrection of
bunads starring knickers sans tapered jackets, proudly worn by Norwegian men.
To be frank, true Norwegian culture is
not found in jazz or rap or hip-hop. Their
traditional architecture is not articulated in
steel and glass skyscapers. The essence of
Norwegian culture is most truly found in
their folk and tradiitonal arts and crafts: their
handiwork in found textiles: wool, linen,
beading, and embroidery and their ability to
manipulate hard wood into boats, homes and
art. I believe it was the unavoidable notoriety
of Lillehammer during these Olympics that
made Norwegians realize how rich their folk
traditons and culture are. Once the world
embraced the local traditions, they couldn’t
get enough.
I don’t think the emergence of Norwegian cultural pride would have worked if it
had come from within. It’s not in their nature. I experienced this firsthand when disembraking in the Olso airport on my way
to the Olympics. TV sets were blaring the
Olympic games throughout. Norway had
just won another gold when one of the airport staff started cheering. He looked at me
embarrassed and apologized. I told him not
to to be embarassed. Winning is something
to be proud of. To me his embarrassment
and shame for being proud of his country’s
achievement depicted the dark side of janteloven and why the outsider had to be the first
to applaud Norwegian culture.
The 1994 Olympics catapulted Norway
onto the world stage. I believe it was also an
impetus for Norway’s prominent place in the
world today. The world became fascinated
and charmed by many Norwegian traditions,
allowing Norway to stop hiding and even
begin to share their rich culture with gusto.
Today, Norwegian folk designs are ubiquitous in winter clothing; snowflakes, reindeer,
and other tradional Norsk patterns prevail
world-wide. And the Norwegian archtectural
firm Snohetta, that completed the expansion
of Lillehammer’s Art Museum in time for
the 1994 Olympics now has an office in New
York. This firm was also chosen to create the
Alexandria library in Egypt, the museum at
Ground Zero and is in the process of redesiginng Times Square.
And for better or worse, the small town
of Lillehammer has been hurled once again
onto the world stage as the title and site of
the popular TV series, “Lilyhammer.”
From page 9
February 7, 2014 • 13
travel
Visit Russia’s Black Sea Pearl: Sochi
It’s too late to make it to this year’s Winter Games, but the unofficial “Summer Capital” of Russia’s mountainous
coastline, endless shingle beaches, sunny days, and bustling nightlife entice travelers year-round
Denise Leland
So you probably won’t make it to Sochi in time for the Winter Olympics, but that
shouldn’t stop you from visiting on your
own time--the area is better known as a summer resort anyway. This brief guide will
walk you through some of the things to look
for and expect if you decide to take a trip
to the Russian city of Sochi, home to some
343,000 residents.
Safety First
The U.S. Department of State warns
U.S. citizens planning on visiting Sochi during the Olympics to “remain attentive regarding their personal security at all times.”
They also highly suggest that these travelers
enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) where they will be provided
with safety precautions and security information that will aid and educate tourists on
the risks of traveling in the Russian Federation during this time. Definitely check with
the U.S. Department of State website (travel.
state.gov) and its resources before you decide to travel.
Photos: (above) DmitryVorona /
Wkimedia, (left) Reachrich / Wikimedia
Above: Sochi is often called the unofficial ‘Summer Capital’ of Russia, or the Black Sea Pearl.
This is the country’s biggest and busiest summer
sea resort, attracting more than four million
visitors annually with its amazing mountainous
coastline, endless shingle beaches, warm sunny
days, and bustling nightlife. From May to September Sochi’s population at least doubles with
tourists, including celebrities and political elite
of the country.
Left: Sochi’s train station is a good example of
its grand architecture.
Summer in Sochi
With the nickname “Summer Capital of
Russia,” you can’t help but be a bit intrigued
by what Sochi has to offer in the warmer
months. Each year Sochi attracts over four
million tourists with its population doubling
during the summer months of May to September. With a coast full of mountains and
limitless beaches, Sochi brings a beauty and
a lively atmosphere that makes for a great
vacation. With its subtropical summer climate welcoming you into the warm Black
Sea waters, swimming is one of the main
summer highlights in Sochi. Sounds pretty
nice right about now, doesn’t it?
Districts
While Sochi runs 105km along the
Black Sea coastline, covering a total area
of 2,175 miles, the city is more easily understood by breaking it up into the main
districts. First there is Central Sochi District
where most of the population lives. This will
be the area where you will find most of the
hotels, shopping, and attractions of the city,
thus this is where the tourists flock and take
over in the summer.
Next there is the Lazarevskoye District,
the largest and longest of the Sochi districts
with a 40-mile coastline. This district is
much less urbanized and much more spread
out than other parts of the city. Here you can
see atractions like the Chudo Krasotka Waterfall (Miracle Beauty Waterfall), one of 33
waterfall attractions in the area. Surrounded
by the ancient Colchis forest, you can dip
into the waterfall oasis and absorb the calming beauty of the Soloniki area.
The next main district is the Khosta
District, known for major attractions like the
Akhun mountain. Take a trip to the top of
the mountain where you can visit the 100foot observation tower and look out onto the
breathtaking city of Sochi, the Black Sea,
and the Caucasus Mountain Range.
The fourth and final district is Alder
District, home to Sochi’s main transport
hub, including Sochi International District,
the train terminal, and the only open border
crossing to Abkhazia. Alder District is also
the host for the 2014 Olympic venues, causing major changes to how this district used
to look and operate. So if you want to visit
the Olympic attractions in the future, Alder
District is where you will want to go.
Attractions
The Lazarevskoe District is home to
many of the Byznatine structures and remains, including the Loo temple. Atop a hill
off of the sea, this temple was built around
the 10-12 centuries and eventually was converted to a fortress somewhere in the 15-16
centuries. An even older site, the Godlik
fortress (built in the 4-5 centuries) lies in
the Lazarevskoe District as well. Definitely
check out these areas for your dose of Historical monuments.
There are also quite a few museums to
visit when you are in Sochi’s Central District. The Sochi Art Museum displays the
largest art collection on the Black Sea coast,
varying in style from antique to contemporary.
The newest museum in Sochi is the Museum of Sochi Sport Honour, built in 2010 to
welcome the Olympic movement on its way
to the city. This museum shows a collection
on Olympic history, as well as Sochi’s participation in hosting. I can only imagine the
Muesum of Sochi Sport Honour will continue to grow and expand with exciting exhibits and attractions as the city experiences
its Olympic hosting these next two months.
If you are looking for something that
might be more fun for the whole family,
check out the Sochi Discovery World Aquarium. This is the largest salt water aquarium
in all of Russia, as well as one of the largest in Europe. The facility claims over 4,000
species of fish and 29 separate aquariums.
Tickets are about 500 RUB (about 14 USD).
Currency
If you plan on going to Sochi, make sure
you have the proper currency! The Russian
ruble (RUB) is at an approximate exchange
rate of 35 RUB to 1 USD. Currency exchange is relatively easy to do while in Rus-
sia, but I always like to have my currency
sorted out with my bank in the U.S. prior to
traveling.
Flights
Obviously, it is extremely difficult to get
flights to Sochi anytime soon. But if you plan
far enough ahead, you can grab a flight…for
a pretty penny. Looking at available flights
for the month of February, round trip tickets
from JKF in New York are anywhere from
about $3,000 - $4,500 and a travel time (including layovers) of about 19 hours. Looking out as far ahead as May of this year, you
can find flights closer to the $2,000 price
range. Play your cards right and you can find
flights for this summer around $1,000. If you
are thinking about making a summer trip to
Sochi, I would start planning now.
Russ Oberg, CLTC, CLU
Independent Insurance Broker
Long-Term Health Care Insurance
Should you consider it?
Call me for honest straightforward advice.
(206)362-5913
www.obergltc.com
5650 24th Ave NW, Ste 603 Seattle, WA 98107-4155
14 • February 7, 2014
Roots & Connections
A monthly feature to share
with kids and grandkids
Barneblad
Brought to you by
Heidi Håvan Grosch
Make Your Own Winter Olympic Fun:
Games Norwegian children play in the snow
Do you have a rhyme to figure
In Norway, a common rhyme to
out who is out or who is “it” when use is this one. These types of rhymes
you play a game? I don’t think they are called Ellingar in Norwegian and
have those for the Olympics, but it don’t translate well to English.
would be kind of fun.
Who is next on the ski jump?
Elle melle deg fortelle
Whose turn is it to skate? Which bobskipet går, ut i år.
sled team will go first?
Rygg i rand, to i spann.
Snipp, snapp snute
Eenie, meenie, meinie, moe
du er ute.
Catch a tiger by the toe
If he hollers
My friend Jorid works in a barnelet him go
hage (day care). I asked her for some
Eenie, meenie, meinie, moe
fun winter games children play in
Norway so that you can have your
own Winter Olympic competitions…
if you have snow!
Skihopp med flasker
(Ski jump with bottles*
Make a ski jump out of snow part way down a hill. One at a time (or many
at once), throw empty plastic bottles down as “jumpers” and see which one
goes the farthest, hops the longest etc…
Olaf Enger
Coeur d’Alene ID
Ragna Aas LichtwarckSvolvær Norway
Louise Corneliusen
Salol MN
George Solheim
Drake CO
7. februar
Jens E Satnes
Independence MO
Sigurd Fyllingslid Stanghelle Norway
Theodor Rangen
Buhl ID
Stengrim Olsen Ontario Can
Ruth Helling
Seattle WA
Dagrun Lee Howe Minneapolis MN
Evelyn Naevestad Spectacular NY
Ebba Jentoft
Tuscon AZ
John Pettersen
Beaver Lodge AB
Canada
8. februar
Otto Oliversen
Madison WI
Johanna Owen
Seattle WA
Orville Noss
Eau Claire WI
9. februar
Lawrence Anderson Tacoma WA
Magna Garstad Edmtn Albta Can
Mrs Alfred Smemo
Eau Claire WI
Asta Sleveland
Redmond WA
Liv Hallin Med Hat Alberta Can
Allen Mark Herset
Kalispell MT
Donald V. Mehus
New York NY
Olav Jentoft Tucson AZ/Haugesund N
Laila Berg
10. februar
Portland OR
11. februar
Einar Brekken
Biri Norway
Astrid Sørdahl
Anaheim CA
Anna Solberg Cloud
Seattle WA
Elaine Christianson
Sidney MT
Barbara Larsen
Mauston WI
12. februar
Fritz Scholberg
Minneapolis MN
Bobbie Gosnell
Pawnee OK
Pat Ponnay
Eureka CA
13. februar
Sigurd Rognebakke Milwaukee WI
Edith Strom Hall Federal Way WA
Kalmer Berg
Freeport ME
Kari Hammon
Seattle WA
Martin Ellefson
LaFarge WI
Labial Zither Jacobean
Hilands Ranch CO
Laura Hanson
Seattle WA
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Snøsura eller snøsisten (Snow tag)
Make a large circle with 4 or 8 “slices” or sections in the snow, so that it looks
like a large pizza. The goal is to try and catch each other. You must follow only
the tramped down snow paths. If you stand in the center of the circle you
can’t be tagged.
Skomakeren (the shoe maker*
This is a game that has been played a bag”…). Just use your imagination.
for many generations of Norwegian
children.
5. When the buyer has all they want,
the shopkeeper asks for a certain
1. Make a path in the snow that looks amount of money. The buyer looks in
all his or her pockets but has nothlike a spiral.
ing. “I am sorry, but I don’t have any
2. Every child playing the game makes money,” they say, running out of the
a set of footprints in the inner circle circle along the spiral path. The shop(the shoe store). These are the shoes keeper chases the buyer, trying to
catch them before they make it out
“for sale.”
of the circle.
3. The shopkeeper stands in the inner circle and the children come one This is really fun to play if there is a
by one to “buy” shoes, trying them lot of fresh snow because you can fall
on by putting their feet into the dif- and not get hurt!
ferent sets of footprints.
4. The shopkeeper asks
questions like what
kind of shoe they
want to buy (summer shoes, winter shoes, sandals). Perhaps
some “shoes”
are too small,
perhaps some
are too large,
but finally the
buyer finds a pair
that “fits.” The
shopkeeper can ask
other questions (i.e. “do
you want shoe polish or
LYKKE TIL! (Good luck!)
norwegian american weekly obituaries & Religion
In Loving Memory
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Mervin Harold Finstad
March 11, 1941 – , January 19, 2014
Mervin Harold Finstad, 72, resident
of Folsom, CA, passed away at Mercy San
Juan Medical Center on Sunday, January 19,
2014. He battled complications of kidney
failure for nearly the past year.
He and his twin sister, Marie, were born
in Manyberries, Alberta, Canada on March
11, 1941 to Oscar and Margit Finstad (Sandvold).
Merv attended Pendant D’Oreille Elementary in Manyberries and Highschool at
Camrose Lutheran College near Edmonton,
Alberta. He received a Bachelor’s Degree
in Education from Northern MT College in
Havre and a Master’s Degree in Education
from MT State University in Bozeman.
He was married to Sheila Dawn Havemann on August 21, 1965. They had two
children together, Kelli Renee in 1970 and
Kristi Marie in 1971.
Merv and Sheila taught school in several rural northern MT schools, including
Shelby, Conrad, Devon, Heart Butte and
Kremlin. He served as an Elementary School
Principal in Conrad, MT; Helena, MT; Noorvik, AK and Old Harbor, AK before retiring
in 1995.
In Helena, he served as President of the
MT Principal’s Association, Lion’s Club and
Sons of Norway. During his time in Helena, he played an instrumental part in get-
February 7, 2014 • 15
ting Spring Meadow Lake implemented and
worked closely with the Helena Community
Concerts (now ‘Live at the Civic’). Over the
years, he acted parts in several productions
with Grand Street Theater and sang with the
Symphony Chorale. He loved to garden and
golfed many a round over the years.
Merv had a zest for life and a big heart
for people. There are few who met him who
ever forgot him. His jovial laugh, big smile
and generosity will be missed by so many.
Over the past 15 years, Merv called many
places home and many acquaintances “family”. He resided in Spokane, WA; Kimberley,
British Columbia; Hilo, HI; Hamilton, MT;
San Diego, CA and made his final stop in
Folsom, CA to be near Kelli and her family.
He is survived by: Daughter, Kelli and
Scott Williams; Grandchildren, Lauren and
Daniel Williams (his “babies”); Former wife,
Sheila Reisch of Medford, Oregon; Sister,
Marie Pearson and Ken Schacher of Alberta,
Canada; Brother, Kenneth and Joann Finstad
of Cutbank, MT; Brother, Norman and Barbara Finstad of Alberta, Canada; Numerous
nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is preceded in death by: Parents,
Oscar and Margit Finstad; Brother, Leonard
Finstad and beloved daughter, Kristi Marie
Finstad (1997).
Pastor Larson’s Corner
Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years
in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he
published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose,
preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com
No excuses
This has been a good year for cross
country skiing in Minnesota. We have
beautiful groomed trails a few miles from
our home, and I try to get out four or fivetimes a week.
Years ago I discovered that in order
to be consistent in my skiing regimen I
could not allow any excuses to keep me
from skiing. If I waited for the perfect day
to go skiing, I may have never gone out.
There are literally hundreds of excuses for
not making the effort it takes to get out on
the trails, and I know most of them - it’s
too cold, it’s too warm, it’s too icy, I’m too
tired, it will be better tomorrow, or I just
don’t have the time. On several occasions
already this winter I have had to force
myself to go skiing. Without exception,
I have been rewarded with a wonderful
hour of skiing.
Unfortunately we are all better at
making excuses than we are at doing the
Community Connections
G rat u l erer m e d Dagen !
Happy birthday /
engagement / etc!
Phyllis Halvorson
May 20, 1917 – December 30, 2013
Phyllis
O’leah
(Heskin/Kringlie)
Halvorson, our loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend,
passed peacefully into eternal life on December 30, 2013 at the age of 96 at home
with family by her side.
Born May 20, 1917 in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada, Phyllis Heskin was the
youngest of a family of eight. Her father
Peter Heskin farmed wheat on a section of
land near Kamsack after emigrating from
Bruflat, Valdres, Norway; her mother O’leah
(Byfuglien) was also from Bruflat. She was
the youngest of five children. When her
mother died shortly after she was born, Phyllis was sent to Portland, ND to live with an
aunt, Matea, and Simon Kringlie and their
five children, where she lived until finishing
college - spending summers with her birth
family in Norquay, SK.
She graduated from Mayville State
Teachers College in 1937 and taught elementary education for the next 40 years
in North Dakota; and at Roosevelt and Jefferson Elementary in Spokane. She loved
teaching, was very creative in her teaching
methods, and continued to tutor after retirement. She would often meet former students
who were well into their adult years who
remembered her fondly. Phyllis also volunteered for many years at the MAC, focusing
mainly on teaching local history to school
children through the museum’s travelling
Trunk Shows.
Phyllis met her husband Roald, while at
college, and raised four children together in
a loving Christian home. The family moved
west in 1958 to be closer to Roald’s family
in Seattle, but preferred the dryer climate of
Spokane. They were married 69 years.
Phyllis had many talents. She sang
beautifully from an early age, and participated in operettas and musical plays throughout her school years. Phyllis was also very
active in church attending Our Savior’s, St.
Marks, and Central Lutheran Churches over
the years – singing in and directing choirs,
as a member of Rebekah Circle, and preparing lefsa and other Christmas desserts for the
church bazaars. She enjoyed cross-stitching,
knitting and reading, and loved her Norwegian heritage, but her main pleasure came
from family, making holiday gatherings,
birthday and event celebrations always a delightful and heartwarming experience. Phyllis was a fabulous cook and baked amazing
desserts, especially the Norwegian recipes
which she has passed down to her children
and grandchildren.
Phyllis’s passing was preceded by her
husband Roald; son Brad; her five siblings
and one grandson Tanner Halvorson (age 5).
She is survived by children Rod (Diane) of
Bellevue, Stephanie (Jerry) Gates, and Jacqui Halvorson of Spokane; grandchildren
Ryan Halvorson (Mikie and their three children – Trace, Hayden and Rylan), Chelsea
Halvorson (Bellevue); Russ Gates (Helena),
Courtney Gates (San Diego), Heather Gates
(Seattle); and Corbet Abrahamson (Spokane); and numerous nieces and nephews.
things we should. I wonder what it would
take for us to be “no excuses” people? Is
it even possible to give up making excuses
for ourselves when we fail to do the right
thing? Perhaps not completely.
I do believe, however, that we can
all improve in this area. Just being aware
of the tendency we all have of making
excuses can help us minimize our use of
them. When I think of other areas of my
life where I have let excuses hold me back,
I can come up with many. I think of the
many times I have failed to say “thank
you,” failed to act because I was afraid, or
chose the easy way instead of what was
hard.
I know that I am missing out on important things in this life with all my excuses. My skiing experience has proven
that to me. Now it’s time to try and carry
that important “no excuses” lesson into
other areas of my life.
Your name and
special message
here!
For more information, call
us at (800) 305-0217 or email
naw@norway.com.
SOlie
Funeral Home
and Crematory
Honoring • Caring • Serving
3301 Colby Ave. Everett, WA 98201 (425) 252-5159
MULLAVEY, PROUT, GRENLEY & FOE
attorneys and counselors at law
Advice regarding maritime and civil claims, disputes,
commercial transactions and estate planning.
2501 NW 65th St, P.O. Box 70567 Seattle, WA 98107
Telephone: (206) 789-2511 Fax: (206) 789-4484
16 • February 7, 2014
Arts & entertainment
Music Review:
“Extended Circle”
emphatically jazz
< DRAGON
From page 1
time the award has been presented to the
same filmmaker twice.
“Letter to the King is a film that takes us
to a subculture that is not very well-known.
It tells us about people stuck in some kind of
no man’s land. It is a film that is compassionate and honest in its presentation of human
existence. To tell a story with multiple characters is a difficult task, and we appreciate
the way all the pieces are put together,” said
the jury of “Chad” director Mahamat-Saleh
Haroun, Icelandic producer Agnes Johansen,
Norwegian producer Kalle Løchen, Swedish
director Anna Odell, Finnish actress Maria
Sid and Danish cinematographer Erik Molberg Hansen.
“I am thankful and feel privileged to be
acknowledged one more time by my Nordic
colleagues. This film is low-budget, and both
artistically and financially my most risky
project so far. Three years of hard work has
made me believe I should continue my work
with film as a way of narrative,” Zaman explained.
Released domestically last month (January 17) by Storytelling Media, “Letter to the
King” follows five immigrants’ encounters
with Norway outside the refugee camp.
They have been permitted to leave snowy
no-man’s land and travel to Oslo – they welcome the change, but they have different
goals, and they will soon be confronted by
their destinies.
Their stories of happiness, humiliation,
love and revenge are described in a letter,
written by 80-year-old Mirza, who wants to
personally deliver it to the King of Norway.
At the 37th Göteborg festival, which
ended February 3, Norwegian director Mona
Friis Bertheussen’s documentary “Twin Sisters” (Tvillingsøstrene) received the Audience Award for Best Feature-Length Film.
Written and produced by Bertheussen, it portrays two babies found in a cardboard box
in a Chinese village and adopted into different corners of the world – one to a small
town in Norway, the other to a big city in the
US. Eight years later they meet in Norway.
“Twin Sisters” also took the Audience Prize
at the recent Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival.
“Lilyhammer”
Appeal of Norway’s Winter Olympics on TV
attracts relocated gangster in Netflix series
Richard Londgren
Photo: Hans Fredrik Asbjørnsen / www.tordg.no
Tord Gustavsen framed by his piano. His new release, “Extended Circle” incorporates tunes inspired
by chorales and spirituals, but never forgets its jazz roots.
Melinda Bargreen
Everett, Wash.
Pianist/composer Tord Gustavsen’s
sixth album for ECM is a jazz-based collaboration with saxophonist Tore Brunborg, bassist Mats Eilertsen, and drummer Jarle Vespestad. The quartet employs tunes inspired
by chorales and spirituals, but this is emphatically jazz, and not a dreamy New Age take
on ancient songs. In fact, the group’s take
on the traditional Norwegian folksong “Eg
Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg” is accompanied by
such an aggressive drum track that it’s not
until the last run-through of the tune that you
fully discern the melody.
The album, recorded in the summer of
2013, features one track, “Entrance,” jointly
composed by all four musicians in improvisatory performances. Most of the songs,
however, are Gustavsen’s – anchored by his
contemplative, questing piano lines, underlain by Vespestad’s drums and Eilertsen’s
bass, and fortified by the melodic input from
Brunborg’s sax.
Gustavsen is perhaps at his best in two
tracks in the album’s last half: “Devotion”
and “The Embrace,” which have a choral
feel (“Devotion” was based on a commis-
sioned work for the Nidaros Cathedral Choir
in Trondheim) but a jazz-based interpretation.
The Tord Gustavsen Quartet is on an international tour in the coming weeks, starting in New York (St. Peter’s Church) on
February 21, and going on to San Diego,
CA (the Athenaeum, February 23), Portland,
OR (Portland Jazz Festival/Mission Theater,
February 25), and San Francisco, CA (SF
Jazz, February 26). “Extended Circle” was
released in the U.S. this Tuesday, February 4.
For details, news, and sound samples, check
out http://www.tordgustavsen.com.
Scandinavian Center at CLU
Bizarre? Or Blizzard?
Both, in this ongoing Netflix series
“Lilyhammer.”
When a powerful Mafia boss, former
gangster Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano, had
to choose a place for his witness protection
relocation, he remembered how appealing Norway was as he watched the Winter
Olympics at Lillehammer.
So off he went—to learn what the word
“cold” means. And the ice and snow not revealed on the TV beauty of Norway.
As the tough guy toughs it out in his new
home in a small town in Norway, he learns to
cope. After he puts on enough layers.
Then, drawing on the “skills” he learned
in New York, he applies some pressure to
correct what he considers episodes of unde-
sirable behavior in the Northland.
But his next-door neighbor, the chief of
police, grows suspicious of this supposedly
Norwegian-American immigrant Giovanni
Henriksen. But the “immigrant”’s countertactics turn that threat around.
Despite the crude behavior and language in the show, we found it funny and
intriguing.
Well, as a Swedish-American, I should
just speak for myself. My Norwegian-American wife Anita wasn’t doubling over with
laughter.
I guess Netflix can’t win ’em all with
their bizarre gambit in producing movies.
So draw your own conclusions. Remember though, the main character is from
the Mafia!
Melinda Bargreen is a
Seattle-based writer and
composer whose career
at The Seattle Times began in 1977. Her choral
works include the “Norwegian Folksong Suite.”
Melinda contributes to
many publications and is the author of Seattle
Opera’s forthcoming 50-year history book.
She holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the UW,
and a doctorate in English from the University
of California, Irvine.
The Scandinavian Hour
Celebrating over 50 years on the air!
KKNW – 1150 AM
Saturdays 9 – 10 a.m. PST
Streaming live on the internet at:
www.1150kknw.com
Photo: Thediscobunny / Wikimedia
Star Steven Van Zandt and others at the prescreening of “Lilyhammer” 2 in 2013.
norwegian american weekly In your neighborhood
What’s going on in your neighborhood?
Alaska
Lutefisk and Lefse Dinner
Feb. 9
Peterburg, Alaska
Fedrelandet Lodge 2-023s Lutefisk and Lefse
dinner in Peterburg, Alaska, prepared and
served by the men of the lodge. Free to
members and guests. Come to the island
for the best Red Snapper Lute in the world!
Dinner includes warm, just off the grill potato lefse for one and all. Celebrating Leif’s
Day. Encouraging everyone to wear blue and
chant “Lef came first.” Sons of Norway Hall
23 S Sing Lee Alley, Petersburg AK. (907) 7724453 (Always the week after the Super Bowl
and they roll about 700 sheets of lefse!)
Arizona
Leif Ericksson in America
Feb. 16, 2:00 p.m.
Tucson, Ariz.
Our Phoenix friend, Howard Barikmo, will
share information on, “What’s the latest in
the hunt for the trail of Leif Eriksson and other Norse in North America?” Dove of Peace
Lutheran Church, 665 W. Roller Coaster Road.
www.norse-tucson.org/events.html
Arizona Scandinavian Springfest
Mar. 1
Mesa, Ariz.
Spring is festival time in Scandinavia. Join
folks from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to celebrate Scandinavian
customs, music, and crafts while enjoying
Scandinavian foods. The festival will take
place at Desert Ridge High School. For more
information, call 480-854-3128. Admission is
$3, children 12 and under free.
California
Lutefisk Dinner
Feb. 15, 4:30 p.m.
Palm Desert, Calif.
Solskinn Lodge will be hosting its Lutefisk
(and meatball) dinner for both members and
non-members. The social begins at 4:30 p.m.
with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Tickets will not be
available at the door so to make your reservations, call Debera Ellingboe at 760-699-7436.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members.
Viking Story Teller
Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Palm Desert, Calif.
True Thomas will be telling stories of Thor,
Odin, and the gang at the Sons of Norway
Solkskinn Lodge Social (Hope Lutheran
Church). Lunch will be Frito pie. Children are
free, adults are $3.00
florida
Norwegian Church Services
Feb. 9, 3:00 p.m.
Cape Coral, Fla.
Four times a year, Sjømannskirken Scandinavian Church and Center in Davie, Florida
sends a pastor to Messiah Lutheran Church
to preach to the local Norwegian community.
Although the service is conducted entirely
in Norwegian, the congregants are provided
with both a written English translation and
Norwegian version of the service. Following
the service, coffee and homemade sweets
are provided as well as plenty of conversations in Norwegian. Messiah Lutheran
Church, 2691 N.E. Pine Island Rd.
Norwegian Surf & Turf and “The Bat” book
discussion
Feb. 23, 3:00 p.m.
Sarasota, Fla.
At Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 Beneva Rd.
Everyone is welcome! Cost $10 per person.
Please let Skip know that you are coming by
calling 701-720-3179. You can obtain the Jo
February 7, 2014 • 17
Nesbø book at the Library, or at www.jonesbo.
com, or order it on your Kindle or at Amazon.
com.
illinois
Scandinavian Park 11th Annual Dinner Dance &
Fund Raiser
March 1
Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Scandinavian Park, Inc. NFP will present their
11th annual dinner dance and fund raiser for
Vasa Park, South Elgin, IL. Dance music provided
by Dave Kyrk Trio. Cash drawing and raffle table
with prizes donated by Scandinavian organizations and businesses. Donation $45.00 per person. Social Hour 6:30 p.m., dinner 7:30 p.m.
Avalon Banquets, 1905 E. Higgins Rd., Elk Grove
Village, IL 60067. For reservations and information call (630) 837-0443 or send reservations
with check payable to Scandinavian Park, Inc.
NFP to Judy Seifert, 1215 Telluride Court, Bartlett,
IL 60103. www.vasaparkil.com
Akavit Tasting
Feb. 13
Chicago, Ill.
Back by popular demand! Nordic Chambers in
Chicago has not done one of these Akavit Tasting
Events in many years. It was a fun event in the
past and we look forward to another fun event
this time as well. All the Chambers will supply
their own “special brand.” Location: 70 W. Madison St; 2nd Floor Mezzanine lobby.
iowa
“Favorite Things”
Jan. 23 – April 17
Decorah, Iowa
Vesterheim’s collections include some remarkable pieces that are not recently on display. The
popular picks in “Favorite Things” were selected
by museum staff and visitors. Many of the objects
were chosen for their beauty, but many were also
chosen for their fantastic history or quirky story.
For more information check Vesterheim’s website at vesterheim.org or call (563) 382-9681
Minnesota
Hardanger Fiddle Program at Vonheim meeting
Feb. 16, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Minneapolis, Minn.
The program features Amanda Underwood, the
CEO / Artistic Director of Fedje Family Productions, whose mission is to Preserve Scandinavian
Folk Music and Dance in the Twin Cities. The
Hardanger Fiddle will be featured with a performance and lecture. Amanda is a member of
the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America and
mentor to those who attend their conferences.
Come to hear and learn about this very distinctly
Norwegian type of music. The meeting room is
downstairs in the Paulson Hall. Snacks provided.
Free will donations. www.vonheim108.org
Nordic Lights Film Festival – Twin Cities
Feb. 28- March 6
Minneapolis, Minn.
The purpose of the Nordic Lights Film Festival –
Twin Cities is to highlight contemporary cinematic
treasures of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
and Sweden, and to support Minnesota’s historic
Scandinavian ties while giving a modern look into
new sides of Nordic cultures. The Festival will include a variety of feature-length and short films
centered around the theme of “fire and ice.” To
see the full schedule and find more information,
visit http://nordiclightsfilmfestival.org/.
NEW YORK
Film Screening: The Act of Killing
Feb. 12, 7:00 p.m.
New York, N.Y.
Scandinavia House will be screening the Oscarnominated film, “The Act of Killing.” Tickets will
be $10 or $7 for ASF members. The documentary,
a collaboration from Denmark, Norway, and UK,
examines a country where death squad leaders
Check http://blog.norway.com/events-calendar for complete listings
Calendar of Events
are celebrated as heroes and the filmmakers challenge them to reenact their real-life mass-killings
in the style of the American movies they love. The
hallucinatory result is a cinematic fever dream,
an unsettling journey deep into the imaginations
of mass-murderers and the shockingly banal regime of corruption and impunity they inhabit.
orchestras around the world. This concert
features the lively Trumpet Concerto by Arutiunian, plus orchestral music by Sibelius and
Stravinsky. Tickets are $12 to $39, and free
Teen Tickets are available with purchase of
any Adult ticket. www.WhatcomSymphony.
com
Fastelavn Celebration
Feb. 23, 2:00-6:00 p.m.
New York, N.Y.
On Sunday, February 23rd the Scandinavian
East Coast Museum will be holding their Annual
Fastelavn Celebration (Danish Mardi Gras) at
the Danish Athletic Club, located at 735 – 65th
Street. All are invited to come and celebrate this
wonderful tradition. Decorate branches for the
return of spring, hit the barrel to rid yourself of
bad luck and eat delicious Fastelavn buns to increase your good luck. Games, and prize for best
costume. (Costumes are optional.) Music by Ellen
Lindstrom. All inclusive price: $30.00 for adults,
$17.00 for 7 – 17 and $12.00 for 6 and under. For
reservations call Victoria at 718-748-5950 or Reidun at 718-748-7844.
Scandinavian Dance Classes
Feb. 17 – Mar. 24
Tacoma, Wash.
PLU employee and fiddle player Leslie Foley
has teamed up with Bob Hamilton to teach
schottis, polska, mazurka, and circle mixers
from Sweden and Norway. Two of the dances
that will be taught are called “emergency polka,” which can be used with a variety of folk
accordion and fiddle songs. Beginners will be
welcome and encouraged, while intermediate dancers will be refined and polished. The
classes will be every Monday night at 7 pm for
six weeks starting February 17th. Classes take
place at the Christ Knudtzen Hall West (room
214 of the Anderson UC Building). Cost will
be $15 for students, $20 for SCC members, or
$30 per couple.
Film Screening: The Almost Man/Mer eller mindre mann
Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m.
New York, NY
Scandinavia House will screen “The Almost
Man”/ Mer eller mindre mann on Feb. 27. Tickets
are $10 or $7 for ASF members. The film comes
from Norwegian director Martin Lund comedically telling a tale of one man’s long road toward
maturity and how hard it can be for some to face
the prospect of growing up.
North Carolina
Norsk Carolina Monthly Meeting
Feb. 15, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Charlotte, N.C.
Norsk Carolina Montly Meeting we will have a
presentation by a member and enjoy a snack. Everyone is welcome! www.norskcarolina.org
texas
Nidaros Cathedral Boys Choir
Feb. 15, 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Dallas, Texas
The Nidaros Cathedral Boys Choir, the oldest boys
choir in Norway, comes to Dallas for two free
concerts at Central Lutheran Church on February 15th. Recently, the Boys Choir has performed
at the coronation of His Majesty King Harald the
Fifth of Norway, for all of the European royal
families, and on concert tours throughout the
United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Spain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Russia and Japan, and at the Vatican. www.
norwegiansocietyoftexas.org/2014/01/nidaros/
Washington
Sami exhibit at Scandinavian Cultural Center
opens Feb. 6
Tacoma, Wash.
The SCC’s new exhibit is called “‘Us Local People’:
Sami Vuoinna and Resilience.” The exhibit tells
the story of how Scandinavia’s Indigenous Sami
people have endured land theft, racism, and attempts to eradicate their culture and language,
not only resisting and surviving, but in fact building a vibrant, strong society of their own. The exhibit will open on Feb. 6, as part of PLU’s second
annual celebration of Sami National Day.
Trumpet Sensation Tine Thing Helseth
Feb. 9, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Bellingham, Wash.
The Whatcom Symphony presents Norwegian
trumpet sensation Tine Thing Helseth at the historic Mount Baker Theatre. Called a “superstar of
tomorrow” by the BBC, Tine made her Carnegie
Hall debut in 2011, and has since performed with
Wisconsin
Destination Stoughton-Norse Afternoon of
Fun
Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m.
Stoughton, Wis.
The internationally known Stoughton High
School Norwegian Dancers will present their
annual “Norse Afternoon of Fun” at the
Stoughton High School gymnasium, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Stoughton, Wis. This lively group
of dancers presents a program which includes
humorous dances, gymnastics and audience
participation dances. The program appeals to
all ages. Bring the children and grandparents.
The admission for adults is $5.00 in advance
or $6.00 at the door. Admission for children
under 14 is $1.00.
Vennelag Installation and Speaker
Feb. 16, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Mt. Horeb, Wis.
Vennelag, 5-513, Mt. Horeb, WI will hold its
Installation of Officers and monthly meeting
on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 16, 2014. Following the installation, local author, Audrey Rue
will present her book, “Remembering the
Mulberry Tree.” Please bring childhood pictures of yourself to share following the presentation. A hot sandwich luncheon will be
served following the presentation. Everyone
is welcome to attend. If you are not a lodge
member, please bring a dish to pass for the
luncheon. Mange takk!
Torsk Supper
Feb. 22, 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Our Buffet Includes: Boiled Cod Fish, Norwegian Meat Balls, Boiled Potatoes, Vegetable,
Pickled Beets, Cranberry Sauce, Flat Bread,
Dessert and Coffee. Adults: $13.00 ($12.28
plus $.72 tax), Children age 4-11: $5.00 ($4.72
plus $.28 tax) Prices subject to change. We
now gladly accept Torsk Dinner reservations
for parties of eight or larger for dinner seating
at 4:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. (reserved space is
limited). Call 414.321.2637 Mondays between
10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Thursdays between
2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. or on the morning of
the Torsk Dinner between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00
a.m. Open seating is on a first come first serve
basis. www.norwayhouse-milw.org
Send your event to naw@norway.com or call (206) 784-4617
to be added to the Norwegian American Weekly!
Event listings are free, but space is limited. Please contact us at least one month prior to event.
18 • February 7, 2014
norwegian heritage
Norwegian Language Corner
NORWEGIAN FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES AND TROLLS
With 18 classic folk tales, fairy tales and trolls from Norway in Norwegian and English,
“Tuss og Troll” is now serialized in the Norwegian American Weekly’s Norwegian Language Corner. The stories are
from the collections of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, and retold by Øyvind Dybvad, Gard Espeland, Velle
Espeland, Johannes Farestveit and Nana Rise-Lynum. “Tuss og Troll” was edited, designed and published by Deb Nelson
Gourley of Astri My Astri publishing. Copyright © Norsk Barneblad.
Dei tre mostrene
del 2
Om morgonen då ho vakna, låg alt
linet på bordet, så jamt og fint spunni at
aldri hadde nokon sett finare garn. Dronninga vart strålande glad for det garnet ho
hadde fått, og frå den dagen heldt ho endå
meir av gjenta enn før. Men dei andre
ternene vart berre meir ovundsjuke
Så fann dei på å seia til dronninga at
gjenta hadde sagt seg god til å veva det
garnet ho hadde spunni, på eit døger.
— Har du sagt det, så skal du gjera
det, sa dronninga, — men du kan no få litt
lengre tid enn berre eit døger. Gjenta torde
ikkje seia nei no heller.
Ho bad berre om eit kammers for seg
sjølv, så fekk ho vel freista. Der sat ho då
og gret att og visste ikkje kva ho skulle
gjera. Men så kom det inn ei gamal kjerring og spurde: — Kva er det som vantar
deg, barnet mitt?
Gjenta kvidde seg lenge, men til sist
sa ho kvifor ho gret.
— Det er råd med det, svara kjerringa. — Vil du berre kalla meg moster
på heidersdagen din, så skal eg veva åt
deg. Så kan du gå og leggja deg til å sova.
Gjenta let seg ikkje beda to gonger, men
gjekk bort og la seg.
Då ho vakna, låg tyrullen på bordet,
så nett og tett voven som noko kunne
verta. Ho tok rullen og gjekk ned til dronninga med, og ho vart vel glad over det
fine tyet ho hadde fått. Ho heldt endå meir
av gjenta enn før, men dei andre vart meir
og meir ovundsjuke.
Til sist fortalde dei dronninga at no
hadde gjenta sagt seg god til å sy opp
vevrullen til skjorter på eit døger. Ja, så
gjekk det liksom før, gjenta torde ikkje
seia at ho ikkje kunne sy. Ho vart sett opp
på eit kammers for seg sjølv, og der sat ho
og gret og bar seg.
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The three aunts
part 2
In the morning when she woke up, all
the yarn lay on the table, so even and finely spun that nobody had ever seen a finer
yarn. The queen was so incredibly happy
with the yarn she had received, so from
that day forth she liked the girl even more
than before. But now the other maids became even more jealous.
So they decided to tell the queen that
the girl had told them she could weave
the yarn she had spun, in four and twenty
hours.
“Have you said it, then you shall do
it,” said the queen, “but you can have a
little longer than just one day.” The girl
did not dare say no to her, this time either.
She asked only for a chamber for herself, so she could at least try. There she sat
and wept once more and just did not know
what she should do. But then in came another old woman and asked: “What ails
you, my child?”
The girl sobbed for a long time, but
finally she told her why she was weeping.
“It can be done,” replied the old
woman. “If you just call me auntie on
your feast day, then I’ll weave for you.
Now you can go to sleep.” The girl did
not wait to be asked twice before she went
to bed.
When she woke up, the roll of cloth
lay on the table, as neat and tightly woven
as anything could be. She took the roll
and went down to the queen, and she was
very happy with the beautiful cloth she
had received. She liked the girl now even
more than before, but the others became
more and more jealous.
Finally, they told the queen that she
had now said that she could sew the fabric
into shirts in four and twenty hours. Aye,
it went just as before, the girl did not dare
say that she could not sew. She was set up
in a chamber by herself, and there she sat
and wept and sighed.
Translated into English by Alexander Knud Huntrods and Odd-Steinar Dybvad Raneng
Price: $29.95 with FREE shipping in the U.S.A. • www.astrimyastri.com
From the winter sports wayback machine
Emily C. Skaftun
Above is the front page of the sports
section from Seattle’s Post-Intelligencer on
Monday, March 3, 1941. Norwegian immigrant Torger Torkle, at the National Ski
Jumping Championship, broke his own U.S.
record by 15 feet, sailing an unexpected 288
feet to an uneasy but safe landing.
Torkle’s first U.S. jump was taken mere
hours after arriving in the coutntry, on borrowed skis. He handily won in the class he
was placed in, and outjumped everyone in
the class “above” his.
In 1942, Torkle joined the U.S. Army,
and four years to the day after this article
was printed, he died leading his men into action reducing a German stronghold at Monte
Terracia in the Apennines. He still held the
record at the time of his death.
Below, I can’t resist printing this stunning piece of journalism about the historic ski
jump, also from the front page of the sports
section. The text of “Otto Lang Thrilled,” as
reported by Otto Lang, begins as follows:
“It was well worth anyone’s Sunday afternoon, the short trip to the Snoqualmie Ski
Bowl. It was certainly worth my hurried trip
from Sun Valley to see the nation’s outstanding ski jumpers battle for the crown. One
doesn’t witness such a spectacle often.
The Olympian Hill of truly gigantic proportions proved itself to be a championship
hill, ranking with the best there is in the New
and Old World, the inrun fast and gradual,
the curve of the flight true and the landing
easy enough, even far beyond the critical
point.”
It’s worth noting that when this article
was written, the world record jump was already well over 300 feet. Not since 1915 has
the world record jump been set on an American hill.
The current world record for longest
jump is 809 feet, more then three times as
far as the jump that thrilled Otto Lang. Johan
Remen Evensen, a Norwegian, set the record
at Vikersundbakken in Vikersund, Norway
in 2011. Evensen announced his retirement
in 2012, so he will not be defending his record at these Olympic Games.
norwegian american weekly norwegian heritage
Stories from the
Heart of America
“The Father of Modern Skiing” by Larrie Wanberg
February 7, 2014• 19
“Report From #24”
Resistance fighter’s account of World War II
attacks is a page-turning tale of intrigue
Bill Asplund
Wenatchee, Wash.
Unlike a James Bond story, “Report
from #24,” originally published in 1965, is
true to every word. Here is a book demonstrating incredible courage, daring and determination resisting Nazi occupation at great
risk of life to Norwegian Underground members.
Our story begins early Sunday morning, April 8, 1940 with the Nazi invasion of
peaceful Norway. Many young courageous
Norwegian men and women were unwilling
to accept Nazi-German occupation. Underground resistance was formed, with Gunnar
Sonsteby as being one of the famous leaders
in the Milorg.
Gunnar was known as agent No. 24, a
master saboteur, raider of Nazi military installations, and also a member of the famous
Oslo gang within the Milorg.
This is a book you can read a chapter
of every evening before going to sleep—then
dream you are one of Sonsteby’s members in
the Oslo gang.
In Chapter 19, for example, Sonsteby
tells the story of how they blew up a large
warehouse near Korsvoll, that normally
housed area transit buses but now contained
25 Messerschmidt aircraft and 150 aircraft
engines. This was a great prize for Sonsteby
and his Oslo gang. The Germans used both
German soldiers and Norwegian civilians to
guard this warehouse. When Sonsteby and
his men invaded the warehouse at 1:30 a.m.,
they overpowered the Norwegian guard.
Once inside, they were surprised to find a
group of Norwegian chore-women cleaning transit buses. Sonsteby convinced these
women that he and his men were there to
paint slogans on these buses. The chorewomen believed him.
After Sonsteby’s men had placed three
hundred pounds of explosives within stratigic areas of the buses and aircraft, his
men set the charges and left the building.
Sonsteby wanted no Norwegian citizen to
get hurt, so he stayed behind momentary,
When I was a teenager, I knew
pioneers that were the age then that I
am now, who knew Sondre Norheim,
the “Father of Modern Skiing” from
Morgedal, Norway, when he homesteaded in Dakota Territory in 1884,
five years before North Dakota became a state.
A neighbor of Sondre, Olaf Nelson in his nineties, told of taking crosscountry skiing lessons as a youth from
Sondre, along the banks of the Mouse
River in north central North Dakota.
Photo: Larrie Wanberg
County records document Sondre
A wreath-laying ceremony at Norheim’s grave.
homesteading in McHenry County
south of Towner with his wife Rannei
Photo courtesy of Goodreads.com
Åmundsdotter and five of their six children. tions out of Towner for 45 years. He was
He died on his homestead on March 9, 1897. the minister at Norway Lutheran Church in
informing these women that they had about
Sondre was born with the name Au- McHenry County for many years and helped
five minutes to escape sudden death. Nazi
verson on a tenant farm in Morgedal. When discover the unmarked gravesite in the cemguards overheard this commotion and came
married, he and his wife became “cotter” etery where Sondre was buried.
to investigate as the women bolted from the
farmers on the “Norheim” farm, and they
The story began when Sondre’s grandbuilding. Sonsteby retreated by retracing his
took the farm name, as was common in those daughter in Oregon started a genealogy
steps through the building and then rode his
days.
search for his gravesite through a letter that
bicycle into the dark of night. As he was ridIn the mountains of Morgedal, Sondre ended up in my dad’s hands.
ing his bike, he heard the German guards
as a young man dazzled at competitions in
He conferred with Olaf Nelson, the cemyell, “Halt,” but it was too late.
the growing recreational sport of skiing in etery caretaker, who, now in his senior years,
The ground shook with a tremendous
his surrounding terrain. He was inventive, remembered Sondre from childhood.
explosion, destroying the warehouse and its
crafting the shape of skis, designing modern
There were several unmarked graves
contents.
bindings, innovating new styles of turns, and in the Norway Lutheran cemetery but they
Sonsteby was the only Norwegian
becoming an undisputed champion, as ski- narrowed it down to two sites. They couldn’t
awarded the Norwegian War Cross with two
ing emerged as a National and later Olympic know for certain which one was Sondre’s.
bars—the highest award given by Norway
winter sport.
After a three-day soaking rain, my Dad
during WWII. After the war, Sonsteby was
His dream, as a father of a family of went to the town’s machine shop, got a long
appointed Chief of the Royal Bodyguard.
eight (two died) on a tenant farm, was to own section of rebar (used to reinforce concrete)
Why watch television when one has an
land. His sense of adventure late in life al- and sharpened one end of the rod. He then
opportunity to read Sonsteby’s book, “Relowed him to give up the mountains he loved drove out to meet Olaf at the cemetery and
port from No. 24”?
to homestead on the plains of Dakota Terri- they would solve the question.
tory, where Indians still roamed freely.
At the first unmarked site, they pushed
“Report from #24” was re-published by BarHe helped build the first log Norway the rebar into the soft soil until it hit a metal
ricade Books in 1999. It’s available from
Lutheran Church, which later was rebuilt in casket. At the second site, they did the same,
Vesterheim (store.vesterheim.org) for $15.
native brick and is now on the National Reg- and at the depth of burial, the rebar went
istry of Historic Places. He was buried in the into empty space... as Sondre was buried in
Norway Lutheran cemetery, but records of a wooden casket. Once known, the gravesite
his actual gravesite were lost.
was dedicated as a memorial.
My father told me that he heard Sondre
I visit Norway Church most every year
described as a kind, quiet person, to the point to attend a wreath-laying ceremony and anOur Facebook page has over 2000 likes! Are you
of being reserved, fitting in with the immi- nual Memorial Service in conjunction with
6.NAW.Langeland.22Jan2013_Layout 1 1/22/14 2:01 PM Page 1
grant culture of the prairies. He seemed to Høstfest. The Counsel General of Norway is
one of them? facebook.com/naweekly
be just like his neighbors, except there was there, with a delegation of Norwegians from
always a pair of skis at his outside door.
Telemark that fills a bus.
I also heard stories bordering on folkWhen I sit in the back pew at the Melore that Sondre carried the mail on skis 150 morial Service, my mind drifts back in time, 1888 book now available in English!
miles to Montana one winter of heavy snow. as if I were a teenager, as if my dad were
Norwegians in America, Some Records
Another was that passing Indians thought he preaching, as if the pews were filled with the
of the Norwegian Emigration to America
was a ghost as he occasionally floated and faces of people that I once knew sitting there.
Written by Knud Langeland
danced over snow at a faster speed than a
At the ceremony by his gravesite, I mar• Bilingual English and Norwegian text
warrior could run.
vel at the expanse of the countryside and
• 5-1/2″ x 7-1/2″, hardcover, 240 pgs
• = $24.95 with FREE shipping in USA
He died in local obscurity on March wonder for a moment if Sondre’s living here
9th 1897 at age 71. He was buried first on with his family was, perhaps, his greatest
Autobiographical, tells of life in Norway before
his homestead and a year later, reburied in challenge as a champion.
1843 and early immigrant life in America. Social
and political portrait including the Norwegian imthe church cemetery when his wife sold the
migrant press. Foreword, biography and back
farmstead. News of his death rippled through Note: This story was made into a 4-minute
cover review written by Odd S. Lovoll.
the media in Norway at the time. However, video that was shown at the 4th Annual InterCall, send a check or order from website
the exact site of his grave was lost from re- national Conference on Digital Storytelling
[Note: book is not part of the Ulvestad 3-vol-set]
cords.
in Lillehammer, Norway in February 2011.
Made in America!
The story of how his gravesite was lo- The film is posted on www.DakotaHeritageAstri My Astri Publishing
www.astrimyastri.com
cated unfolds from my father, who was a Institute.com titled “An Unmarked Grave”
Deb Nelson Gourley
Phone: 563-568-6229
602 3rd Ave SW, Waukon, IA 52172
gourleydeb@gmail.com
country pastor serving four rural congrega- or on hostfest.com/sondrenorheim/
Be our friend on Facebook!
20 • February 7, 2014
back page
Photo of the Week
Photo: Nancy Pi-Sunyer
“The photo below was taken at the 61st Ole Bull Music Festival in Galeton, Pennsylvania in
October, 2013. Our Tyro violinist makes music with our Ole Bull Violin Scholarship winner,
Tom Grisanti, from Mansfield State University. The young lady took up violin last year since
she felt there should be a violinist at the Ole Bull Music Festival. She did a wonderful job!
For additional information please check our website at SpunkyNorwegianFoundation.com
Want to be featured in our Photo of the Week?
Email naw@norway.com or mail your photo with photo credit and a caption.
Be our friend on
Facebook!
< montreal
From page 9
Russia. I don’t know if it will be warm there.
Here’s the “slap shot”—we Scandinavian Americans do feel a special ownership.
After all, Russia was named for the Swedish Viking Rus. And we honor noted skier
Snowshoe Thompson with a brass plaque
on the wall in the Scandinavian Center. And
our Scandinavian American Cultural & Historical Foundation has honored NorwegianAmerican Sondre Norheim as the “father of
modern skiing.
Now, back to the “face-off.” For our
weekly Brown-Bag Lunch Feb. 12 in the
Scandinavian Center at California Lutheran
University, we will show--and cheer--the
Disney movie “Ice” as a reminder about
the amazing American hockey team that
defeated the Russians in the 1980 Winter
Olympics. Several Scandinavian-Americans
played on the USA team, of course.
Personally, our family does have a marginal connection with the Olympics--through
the Norwegian relatives of my wife, Anita
Hillesland Londgren. One female relative
in Norway got close, but wiped out with injury in Olympics downhill tryouts. Another
female relative did make the Summer Olympics—as a sharpshooter.
At the Scandinavian Center, we have
also featured films about Sonia Henie, Norwegian ice skater and Olympian who competed at a young age. Then, speaking of
young age, a current luge contender, DanishAmerican Kate Hansen of Southern California recently appeared at a reception in our
area. Our daughter Karin Londgren met her
and learned how Kate turned her childhood
of California skateboarding into a World
Championship in luge at age 21. Karin mentioned Kate’s friendly nature, as visible in
the photo taken by Karin.
I grew up in Minnesota, and my two
brothers and I did occasionally ski down a
slight slope near us. But we gladly turned to
our favored sport in high school—basketball
in the warmth of the gym. I personally liked
following the Summer Olympics in newspapers and magazines—way before the games
were on TV.
Now the Swedish distance-runner
Gunder Haag shows up in one of my current
novels, “Oregon Glacier.” This story features
a fictional distance-runner from the University of Oregon. Unfortunately, runner Sandy
Sandstrom had failed by a whisker to make
the cut for the American Olympics track
team. But he continued on as a track coach
and as a professor of sports medicine. And
as an occasional skier. For one birthday, his
fiancée honored Sandy with a framed photo
including the Swedish star Haag of the ‘40s.
But the most important Olympics experience for Anita and me came in 1976, when
we got the chance to attend one day of the
Montreal games. On that day we saw Bruce
Jenner win the decathlon for the United
States.
In my book “Communication by Objectives,” I report about Hitler’s propaganda,
with his hope to convey Teutonic superiority during the Games in Berlin in 1936. In a
conspicuous upset, American Black athletes
defeated the touted Nazi track stars.
Of course, conflicts and contentions
have continued in various ways since—and
probably before, too.
Want to learn more about my reflections? look up my eight books on Amazon
Kindle and in paperback versions on Amazon’s CreateSpace. Summaries of my books
appear on these sites.
P.S. Wow! Watch for the strikingly colorful attire of the Norwegian Olympics team.
the
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Winter Sports special issue

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