Lögberg-Heimskringla - 29.04.1994, Blaðsíða 1

[ Lögberg )
neimsKringia
The lcelandic Weekly
Logberg Stofnaö 14. janúar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnaö 9. september 1886
Inside this week:
lcelandic classes in public schools......2
Þorrablót in Toronto.....................3
INL President's Report...................4
L-H gives status report..................4
Larry Johnson, Sr. Citizen of the Year ....6
108. Árgangur Föstudagur 29. apríl 1994
108th Year ' Publications Mail Registration No. 1667 Friday, 29 April 1994
Númer 15
Number 15
lcelandic
News
Grand Cherokee in
lcelandic Nature:
■ The representative of the Chrysler Corp-
oration in England intends to bring a group of
50 journalists and photographers to lceland
this summer to test-drive and photograph the
luxury jeep Grand Cherokee. The pictures will
be used to introduce and market the jeep in
England. Chrysler sent a representative to
lceland just before Easter, along with a pho-
tographer and jpurnalist from Car Magazine.
They brought with them a Grand Cherokee
Jeep for testing and photographing in the
lcelandic landscape. The jeep was driven, for
example, into the interior and along the south
coast of lceland, where they experienced vari-
ous road and weather conditions. The outcome
of this experiment was that the lcelandic land-
scape was considered so colossal and pic-
turesque that they plan to bring more cars to
lceland this summer along with many journal-
ists and photographers. According to Gunnar
Rafn Birgisson, a department manager of the
tourist bureau Samvinnuferðir-landsýn, this will
be a very good promotion for lceland.
The lceland Horse:
■ Attempts to market the lceland Horse in the
USA have been successful so far. Recently 20
horses were transported by air across the ocean
and farmers are now gathering more for anoth-
er load. This is the first serious attempt to mar-
ket them in the USA. The horses are táken to a
designated area close to Washington DC, while
preparation is under way to set up a training
station in the area, and transport the horses
from there to their destination. Their reception
has been even better than expected, and
Americans pay a higher price for live horses
than Europeans do.
Interest in lcelandic
Technology:
■ The engineering company "Héðinn" has
received inquiries from the city of Barcelona
regarding the building of a certain fountain on a
square in Barcelona similar to the one located
at the Restaurant "Perlan" in Reykjavík. Last
year one of Barcelona's city officials was invited
to Reykjavík in connection with establishment of
a direct flight between Reykjavík and Barcelona.
This city official was much impressed with the
fountain at the Restaurant Perlan. Plans for a
new suburb being developed in the city of
Barcelona include a square with a pond anc
fountain. This city official remembered the foun'
tain at the restaurant and made a motion to
have a fountain similar to the lcelandic one
placed in the pond. This was well received and
considered a tourist attraction which would be
good for both Barcelona and Reykjavík. This is
now going through a feasibility study.
OUNNUR ISFELD
y
Honorary lcelandic National League Memberships were presented to:
Kristin Stefansson, Hjalti and Pauline Johnson, Don Gislason and Helga Howardson.
The Icelandic Nat-
ional League held its
75th annual conven-
tion in Selkirk last week-
end. The location and the
timing were set to coincide
with the lOOth anniversary
of the holding of a
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti cele-
bration in Selkirk and
President Jack Bjornson
and the other members of
the Brúin chapter in
Selkirk did a first-class job
of organizing a complicat-
ed event.
There were almost 100
delegates from across
Canada and the United
States and other people
showed up over the
course of the weekend to
take part in the various
individual events. INL
President Helgi Austman,
whose official presenta-
tion is reprinted in this
issue of Lögberg-
Heimskringla, ran a tight
show, informative, well-
organized and useful in its
focus on the future of
both the INL and the
Icelandic community in
North America at large.
Workshops on a variety
of issues, from bringing in
the children to expanding
membership to communi-
cating with the community
in general drew good partic-
ipation and sparked some
interesting debate.
The social events were
well-attended and particu-
Dilla Narfason of
Gimli has been
appointed Fjallkona
of the Icelandic Festival
held in Gimli each year. The
announcement was made at
the 75th annual meeting of
the Icelandic National
League held in Selkirk, and
was greeted with warm and
widespread approval.
Dilla has made a great
contribution to the Iceland-
ic community in North
America, particularly in its
heartland of Gimli and the
lnterlake district of Mani-
toba. She is a frequent con-
tributor to Lögberg-Heims-
kringla, offering both contri-
butions and advice.
There are many Fjall-
konas appointed through-
out the Icelandic communi-
larly enjoyable, as people of
Icelandic descent from all
across North America
mixed and mingled and
argued about the things that
concern them. Deadline
pressures of Lögberg-
Heimskringla prevent us
ty in North America each
year and each has her own
special role to play. The
Fjallkona of íslendinga-
dagurinn in Gimli, however,
is perhaps primus inter
pares, the first among
equals, just as the celebra-
tion in Gimli is the premier
from giving you full cover-
age of the conference in this
issue, but watch for a com-
plete story next week, as
well as the reports from the
various organizations and
chapters that were in atten-
dance.
event of Western Icelandic
community each year.
Dilla Narfason is exactly
fitted to play this important
role. Lögberg-Heimskringla
joins everyone in congratu-
lating her, and in thanking
her for agreeing to take on
the task.
Dilla Narfason named Fjallkona