Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.04.1996, Side 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 19. apríl 1996
The Mayor of Bellinghsmn
The History of Sigurd Hjaltalin
by Cecil S. Swanson
Bellingham, Washington
Sigurd ‘Sig’ Hjaltalin was
born in Mountain,
North Dakota on
January 14, 1896. His parents
were Hjörtur and Ellen
Hjaltalín who had emigrated
from Iceland. The family came
to Bellingham in 1913 and he
was married to Wilma Hansen
from Arlington, Washington in
1920. This was following a
hitch in the United States
Navy during WW I.
Early jobs included running
the electric bus from the docks
and the railroad station to the
hotels Leopold and Henry.
Later there were runs to Maple
Falls, Glacier and Mount
Baker Lodge where he served
as manager during the filming
of “The Call OfThe UW’with
Clark Gable, Loretta Young
and Jack Oakie.
Other employers before
being elected to the city coun-
cil included Darigold and
Diehl Motor Company where
he worked as a salesman. He
also for a time operated a
Texaco service station.
Sig Hjaltalin - former mayor
1896 -1982
His years on the council
ran from 1948 to 1951, serving
under mayors Don Satterlee
and Jack Mulhern. He once
saved the city money by con-
vincing the other members of
the council they should not
print copies of the newly pro-
posed city charter because he
was certain it would not pass
a vote. He was right. It did
not.
As mayor he fulfilled all the
duties required of the person
anguage Corner
Can you match these words?
See how many you can put together
of these lcelandic and English words:
HROPA
1.
SHINING
EITTHVAÐ < |2|beautiful
LJÓMANDI * |3Í HANGING
FALLEGUR < |4|S0METHING
LAFANDI < Í5^ SHOUT
Following Is the contlnulng story about three dogs that tell us
If you want to become somethlng, you have to get stronger.
Original Story by Wanda Cág / Retold in lcelandic by Stefán Júlíusson
y_esuijy^| - -. p
Ekfci Neitt Nothíng-At-All
"Þetta kalla ég vel af sér vikiö",
hrópaöi hann. "Nú ertu þó eitth-
vaö. Nú geta allir séö þig eins og
aöra hunda. Og þú hefur þá þessi
Ijómandi fallegu, lafandi eyru. Ég
held aö þau líkist meira aö segja
þakinu á kofanum þínum. Gæfan
fylgi þér. Vertu sæll”. Og krummi
flaug á burt.
“Good work! he cried.
"Now you are something
after all — a really truly
see-able dog! And a most
lovable round-eared puppy
you are, to be sure. Good
luck! Goodbye!” and the
jackdaw flew away.
X + S 'Z + 'Þ ' l + '£ >+'Z ’'S + 'l =3izznd Oi SH3MSNV
Sig and his horse Sun Spot in 1955
in that position: presiding at
council meetings, selecting
department heads, making
recommendations, seeing that
city employees were fulfilling
their duties, presiding at meet-
ings of various boards such as
fire, police pension, water,
public works, recreation com-
mission, auditing committee
and sinking fund commission.
His signature also had to
appear on all city contracts
and franchises, on all ordi-
nances or resolutions before
they could become effective,
on cemetery deeds, on council
meeting minutes and other
official documents.
The Mayor was also the
welcoming host to distin-
guished visitors and to various
groups and conventicns meet-
ing in the city. Cultivating
good relations with other
cities was considered an
important duty.
Mr. Hjaltalin received $200
per month salary and accord-
ing to his own words spent
most of it on out-of-pocket
expenses.
His involvement with
young pecple was so pro-
nounced and so successful it
prompted a writer with the
magazine Western States
Beverage Analyst in May,
1954 to declare Bellingham
virtually free of juvenile delin-
quency! Mayor Hjaltalin had
brought into his office several
of the young people of the city
who had been cited with
drinking and reckless driving
and asked them pointblank
why they kept speeding on
city streets. This was eliminat-
ed when ‘Sig’ with the help of
local businessmen located and
paved a “Drag-strip” where
the young drivers could test
their vehicles without endan-
gering themselves and the
lives of others.
As a followup, miniature
streets with small hand-manu-
factured cars were put to tests
by pre-driving-age youngsters
preparing them for adult dri-
ving conditions.
Mr. Hjaltalin’s interest in
horses was also well known.
He served as “daddy” to a
group of Rainbow Girls inter-
ested in riding. He coached a
4H group of young riders
known as Sig’s Saddle
Tramps, a group is still in exis-
tence. He also worked with
Boy Scouts of the same inter-
est.
He and several others rode
horseback out of Skagit Valley
to eastern Washington and
pioneered the route later
taken by highway 20 over the
Cascade Mountains to
Winthrop and points east.
The writer questions, “How
was all this squeezed into one
man’s lifetime?”
Note the following: presi-
dent of Washington State
Good Roads Association,
president of Association of
Washington Cities, president
of Navy League — Bellingham
Council, Commander of
American Legion Post #7,
president of North Cross State
Highway Association, presi-
dent of Ferndale Riding and
Rodeo Club, member of
Whatcom County Sheriff’s
Posse, president of Whatcom
County Cattlemen’s Assoc-
iation.
He was one of the founders
and promoters of the Peace
Arch Celebration at Blaine,
Washington where the
Americans and Canadians
take turns sponsoring the
event every other year.
People he met always had
trouble pronouncing and/or
spelling his name and
throughout all of his life he
refused to change or Anglicize
it. When he became mayor
and reporters, fellow council-
men and clerks had trouble,
he solved the problem by
telling then to just say
‘yachtlin’ that will be good
enough.
His death came January 19,
1982 at age 86.
LJfycoming E venfs
Every Friday Social & Supper - 6 p.m. at Nordic House, 764 Erin St.
Winnipeg $10. perperson.
□ □ □
April 26- 28 A Path Back: 77th Annual INL Convention - Holiday Inn
Winnipeg Airport W.
D □ D
Wed., May 1 Fun & Games at Nordic House - 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Winnipeg 764 Erin Street
o o a
Sat., May 11 Nordic House Garage Sale -10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Winnipeg 764 Erin Street
□ O □
Wed., May 15 Season Opening - Historic Markerville Creamery & Stephan-
Alberta sson House, Markerville, AB. - 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
. o o o
Sat., May 18 International Museum Day / Dedication of Sculpture by
Alberta Borghildur Oskarsdóttir 'Landneminn' at the Markerville Creamery
□ □ □
Sun., May 26 ICCBC Annual Art Show- at lceland House 2 - 4 p.m. feat-
Vancouver uring lcelandic-Canadian artists.
o o o
May 31/June 2 Námskeið - lcelandic Language Camp at the Parker cabin at
Alberta Sandy Lake. Learn lcelandic while enjoying nature. Family week-
end, ages 5 to 100 & all levels of knowledge welcome. Begins
Fri. evg., continues to Sun. supper. Classes, crafts, campfire,
singing, & lots of fun. Meals provided. Small fee. Sleeping
accom. in cabin or tents. Contact June Parker 459-8624 or
Judith Jonsson 459-2291 to register. Call now! Limited Reg'n.
What’s haooenine in vour area? We want to hear from you before and
after the events... just send us a few lines... or a lot... typed, double spaced
please Qion a 3computer disc. Please enclose a stamped self-
addressed envelope if material and photos are to be returned.
Fax copy to: 284-5686. Send photos and material to:
Lögberg-Heimskríngla, 699 Carter Ave., Wpg., Man., Canada R3M 2C3
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