Lögberg-Heimskringla - 22.06.1990, Page 4

4 • Lögberg - Heimskríngla • Föstudagur 22. jCinl 1990
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Hekla Club has
Samkoma
The Hekla Club, the Icelandic Cultural
organization of Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Minnesota held its annual “Samkoma” at
the American-Swedish Institute in Min-
neapolis on May 4,1990. The Hekla Club
is made up of women of Icelandic descent
and others interested in the Icelandic
culture. Once a year in the spring they
sponsor a special evening when the Ice-
landic-American community can come
together and this year 126 people were in
attendance.
The event began with a social time
when old friends could meet and new
acquaintances deepened. This was fol-
lowed by a buffet dinner prepared by a
Swedish Institute guild featuring some
Icelandic items such as Hangikjöt, pota-
toes and peas in white sauce, Pönnukökur
and Harðfiskur, as well as other
Scandinavian food.
The program for the evening began
with a welcome by Hekla President, Patri-
cia Allred, which was followed by the
“News from Iceland” given by Vice-Presi-
dent NinaThorlacius Pratt. Honorary Ice-
landic Consul, Jon Bjornson, greeted the
audience and noted that a birthday tele-
gram had been sent to President Vigdís
from the Hekla club. He then introduced
Dr. Carol Pazandak from the University of
Minnesota, also a Hekla club member,
who was the recipient of the Order of the
Falcon, Iceland’s highest award.
Hekla Secretary Mary Ann Cope an-
nounced the debut of “The Hekla Singers”
consisting of Hekla members: Gulla
Bjomson, Helga Brogger, Iva Magnuson,
Nina Platt, Julie Douglas, Barbara
Gudmundson, Sally Simundson, Vera
Younger, Patricia Allred, and Margret
Arnar, who accompanied the group on the
piano as they sang two Icelandic songs.
The featured speaker was Mr. Jakob
Jakobsson, Director of the Marine Re-
search Institute of Iceland and President of
the Intemational Council for the Explora-
tion of the Sea. Earlier he shared a vide-
otape on the Eider Duck, which was re-
ferred to by Mr. Jakobsson in his talk,
noting the misunderstandings prevalent
about Iceland and the enviorament. He
shared with his Minnesota audience
many interesting thoughts on his topic
“Those who left and those who stayed”.
Mr. Jakobsson’s daughter, Sólveig, is
living in St Paul while her husband, Jón
J óhannes Jónsson is completing his Ph .D.
and doing research in human genetics at
the University of Minnesota. Mr.
Jakobsson has been filling out his family
history and made contact with many rela-
tives in North America, primarily from
North Dakota. So the evening was also the
scene of a family reunion as he was joined
by some relatives and newly discovered
“cousins”.
The program ended with the singing of
several Icelandic folk songs by a group of
Icelandic students doing graduate work at
the University, and their spouses. They
were led by pórólfur Guðnason on guitar
and included: Sara Hafsteinsdóttir, Helga
Jónsdóttir, Amór Guðmundsson, Sólveig
Jakobsdóttir, Sigríður Jóhannesdóttir
and Skarphéðinn Steinarsson. “The Hekla
Singers” joined them and with the
audience sang “Hvað er svo glatt sem
góðra vina fundur” in conclusion. A
Longtime wheat board official decides to retire
by Laura Rance '
The assistant chief commissioner of
the Canadian Wheat Board says he retires
later this year confident the board has a
secure future as a marketing agency for
farmers.
“It’s more relevant to today than ever
before,” said Larry Kristjanson in an inter-
view last week. “While worldwide politd-
cally things seem to be coming apart,
whether it’s in the Soviet Union with their
republics or Meech Lake in Canada, - eco-
nomically the reverse is happening, power
is getting concentrated fár more in the
hands of a few.
“We as Canadian farmers have to make
sure that we work together in a big cohe-
sive unit, rather than get fragmented and
swallowed by the five big intemational
grain multinationals.”
In a move that surprised industry offi-
cials, the economist who has devoted the
past 31 years to marketing westera grain,
announced last week he is retiring from
the board Aug. 1. He tums 60 later this
year.
Kristjanson, who has gained a reputa-
tion as a frank supporter of central desk
marketing, said he is upbeat about the
board’s future.
“In terms of looking ahead, canola
marketing for example, it’s so logical to
have a central selling system whether it’s
the board or a separate board to capitalize
on market opportunities.”
He said the political environment the
board operates under today is no more
difficult than in the past, but at the same
time he waraed that farmers jeopardize the
board’s future by asking it to participate in
political debates over issues such as free
trade.
“People wantustogetinvolved inpublic
debates all the time. That I’ve avoided and
I think we should continue to avoid,”
Kristjanson said. “It’s frankly difficult
sometimes to keep quiet, but I think ifs in
the producers’ interest that we not get up
on the soapbox.
“If we get into publicly stating that the
govemment was wrong on an issue, any
goverament is going to say, ‘let’s get rid of
this organization’.”
Kristjanson said he personally dis-
agreed with the federal government’s
decision to remove oats from the board’s
jurisdiction in 1989, but he also believes
the issue has been blown out ofproportion:
“The important thing is to look ahead and
talk about the things you can do and im-
prove.”
Kristjanson joined the board asdirector
of statistics and economics in 1959. He
became executive assistant to the board in
1962, acommissioner in 1965 and assistant
chief commissioner in 1975.
He counts among his career highlights
being part of the negotiating team that
opened up the Chinese market during the
early 1960s, long before the country was
recognized by westem govemments. As
well, Kristjanson helped negotiate long-
term wheat agreements with the Soviet
Union during the early 1970s.
Kristjanson plans to move back to his
home town of Gimli, Man., to spend more
time with his fámily and work on his cot-
tage.
Courtesy ofthe Westem Producer
good time was had by all.
Submitted by Patricia Allred
Einar Arnason’s
anecdotes
• An old Icelandic pioneer at Gimli
came into the store and ordered two pounds
of coffee. “One pound for me, and one
pound for my wife.” Anything else asked
the clerk? “Yes, two pounds of loaf sugar”
came the reply. Do you want them in two
bags? “No!” came the reply, we count those.
• Thelcelandicfarmerwasspending
the day helping his Ukrainian neighbour.
At noon they came h ome for lunch and the
fármer’s wife had a nice meal prepared for
them. The Icelander particularly liked the
cucumbers and asked, “How do you pre-
pare them?” I peel and slice them came the
reply and then soak them in salt water.
“How does your wife prepare them?” She
boils them, and they are not so good”.
• The guest lay on the living room
sofa about to fall asleep. He heard the
farmer’s wife say, “Did you tum the hens,
dear”. “Of coiu-se”, replied the farmer.This
troubled the guest during the night, what
could be meant by the tuming of the hens.
Next moming at breakfast in the kitchen
he noticed an open flour barrel on which
the hens roosted during the night.
• OldDanlayonhisdeathbed.when
I paid him a last visit in the Gimli Hospital.
His eyes were closed and the breathing
very light. I waited and after a long time he
opened his eyes and said, “Who is it?”
Einar, I replied. After a long pause he said,
“Now one is beginning to be lost in the
forest”. He said no more, I got up and said,
“So long friend.” Life left him that night.
Dan was intelligent, even on his deathbed
he came up with an original and clever
observation.
• Some of these stories were related
by the late Eddie Gislason of Arborg.
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