NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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Finnish Heritage House Juhannus Celebration Program

On Saturday June 21st The Finnish Heritage House and the FinnAm Society of Mid-Coast Maine celebrated Juhannus. The featured speaker for the day was Betsy Aalto Hannula of Westminster, Massachusetts, where she is Director, Curator, and past President of the Westminster Historical Society. Her presentation was about The Finnish connections between Central Massachusetts and Mid-Coast Maine. She spoke about both the Wuorinen and Ilves families and how they came from Finland to live in America. She described how unsettled their lives initially were and how they ultimately developed strong connections in both the Fitchburg,Massachusetts area and the Knox County Maine area. Betsy also spoke about the Establishment of the United Cooperative Farmers in Fitchburg and the eventual establishment of a branch operation in Rockland, Maine. Her presentation included numerous detailed PowerPoint slides. It was informative and interesting, and was very much appreciated by those attending. A big THANK YOU to Betsy. By: Fred Webel

There is still time!

There are plenty of tickets left for the handmade Rag Rug donated by Tooty Wilson

To be raffled off during our Finn Fling celebration Sept. 20, 2014.

Tickets are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. They are on sale at FHH, open Sat. 9:00 am to 12 noon and Wed. 9:00 am to

1:00 pm

Finnish Heritage House Officers President: Jacqueline Harjula Vice – President: Gary Aho Clerk/Secretary: Jacqueline Laffely Treasurer: Edna Montgomery Newsletter Editor: Reggie Montgomery Trustees Fred Webel (January 2015) Elsie Brown (January 2015) Steve Gifford (January 2016) Anne Little (January 2016)

Kirsti Fish (January 2016) Building Committee Chairman: Neil Harjula

Finnish Heritage House P.O. Box 293

South Thomaston, ME 04858 Send articles to regimon@roadrunner.com

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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2014 Finn Fling Schedule Saturday - September 20th - 9:00 to 2:00

9:00 to 12:00 - Kahvi ja pulla available at Finnish Heritage House - Register for Door Prizes - Purchase tickets for

the Rag Rug Raffle - Complete the 6th Annual Finn Trivia Quiz - Shop at the FHH Tori and Food Sale - View this

summer’s exhibit “Kosti Ruohomaa and Maine: A Special Relationship”.

9:00 to 10:00 - Jura Hall - View the DVD entitled “People of Sointula” - Finnish immigrants in the early 1900s

establish a community on an island off the west coast of Canada based on their own utopian ideals of equality,

justice and love.

10:00 to 11:00 - Jura Hall - View the DVD - “The 1913 Massacre” - This film reconstructs the tragic events at the

Italian Hall in the copper mining town of Calumet, Michigan on Christmas Eve 1913 when someone called out

“Fire, Fire” creating a panic during a Christmas party resulting in the deaths of 74 people.

12:00 to 1:00 - Jura Hall - Lunch Buffet - ($3.00 for adults, Children under 12 Free)

1:00 to 1:30 - Jura Hall - Finnish Heritage House and Finn-Am Society will conduct brief business meetings -

Drawings for Door Prizes and Rag Rug Raffle - Announcements - Finn Trivia Quiz Due.

1:30 to 2:00 - Jura Hall - Speaker regarding the Thomaston “History In the Streets” project - Followed by a

concert by our kantele ensemble “Suomalaiset Jouset”.

Finland Trip On July 11 Kirsti Fish, Anne Little, and Jackie

Laffely boarded Jet Blue Airlines in Portland, Maine to begin the first leg of their trip to Ivalo, which is in the north of Finland. From there we flew to JFK Airport, boarded Finnair, and then on to Helsinki and Ivalo. I always had a desire to visit the homeland of my mother's parents and now it is becoming a reality. How lucky am I? Our bus driver and tour guide were waiting at the airport to greet us and take us to our hotel where we would spend the first two nights of our trip. Later we would visit and have dinner at a reindeer farm and be entertained by Yoik singing. Very nice. The next day (Sunday) we travelled east to Nellin, a Skolt Sami village close to the Russian border. A local guide greeted us and told us about the life and customs of the Skolt Sami. The next stop was in Inari, where we visited the Sami Museum Siida (winter village of the Sami) The exhibit follows the influence of the four seasons on Sami culture, work, social systems, folk art, and religion. Then we returned to Ivalo for the night. As we drove along you could not help noticing the reindeer. They were everywhere and it seems as if we were invading their land. I loved watching them.

. (Monday) We began our southerly journey from Ivalo to Sodankyla to visit the Alariesto Gallery. Andreas Alariesto was a self-taught artist who captured in his paintings the old Sami way of life and culture. We continued on towards the popular ski resort of Levi, in the town of Sirkka. This is one of Finland's most popular ski resorts. Also included in the tour is a gondola lift to the top of Levi fell and later, lunch on a river cruise. (Tuesday) Leaving Sirkka we head towards Rovaniemi and stop at the former Marttiini knife factory. It is now a store where you can purchase some of these famous knives. Other great places for shopping are the Arctic Circle Shops where there are many Finnish products for sale. I think this is the home of the real Santa Claus. (Wed.) We travel south to Suomassalmi and stop at the Raate Museum which provides information about the 1938 Finnish-Russian Winter War. As we travelled down Raate Museum Road we were informed that this is the area where some fierce battles occured during the Winter and Continuation War. Nearby we viewed a large field of stones, each stone representing a soldier, Finnish and Russian who died during the war. Continued on page 3.

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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Finland Trip Continued

Nearby we viewed a large field of stones, each stone representing a soldier, Finnish and Russian who died during the war. After this visit we continued to Kajaani where we would view statues of famous Finns, these being Urho Kekkonen, Elias Lönnrot, Eino Leino, and the Jaegers. Then Lunch. After which we continue to our overnight at the Vuokatti birch cabins. Each cabin is equipped with a furnished kitchen, living area, bedrooms, and privite sauna. Also a grilling area for cooking makkara (sausage). (Thursday) Our next stop is an indoor ski tunnel and a tour of the sports training facilities. On to Valtimo for lunch. Before lunch everyone had a hands on experience on baking karjalan piirakkas. Actually they were very good. The next stop was in Kuopio which is in the Kallavesi Lake District. An elevator ride to the viewing level of the Puijo Tower gives one a beautiful view of the area. (Friday) On the way towards Ylistaro we make a stop at the Ahtari Zoo. This was the first natural wildlife park in Finland and protects endangered species. This was a great stop. As we continued on we spent the remainder of the day with Anita's cousin and family. They had a wonderful lunch and activities planned for us including a Finnish baseball game. It is played a little differently than American baseball but just as much fun. (Saturday) Our first stop was at the Virrat Heritage Village with its craft area. Then, a boat trip from Ruovesi to Tampere where our bus driver was waiting for us. We also had a nice lunch on the boat. (Sunday) We left Tampere with a destination of Turku. A stop was made at the Nuutajarvi glass village en route. It was very interesting to watch beautiful pieces of art being created. Sightseeing with our guide Rafu was very interesting as he is from Turku and is very familiar with the area. The evening was free for us to do with as we pleased. (Monday) Our first stop after breakfast was at the Turku Migration Institute for an informational session. They discussed how the Institute can be of assistance to anyone wishing to check their genealogy. Our next stop was a guided tour featuring the work of Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946). Her work is seeing an upswing in popularity. We continued next to Hanko. This was the major point of emigrant departure from Finland between 1881 and 1931.

(Tuesday) Our next stop was in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, where we visited the Urho Kekkonen Museum. This was the official residence of the former President until his death in 1986. Then, we continued to Sebelius Park to view the famous monument consisting of 24 tons of steel tubes. It was created by Eila Hiltunen and dedicated to the memory of Jean Sibelius. Our next stop was a guided tour of Helsinki Music Center. The concert hall has been highly praised by conductors and musicians for the excellent acoustics. (Wed) Today we visited Porvoo Old Town, a scenic area with cobblestone streets, winding alleys and brightly colored houses. The red warehouses along the river were once used to store traded goods. A very scenic area! On the way back to Helsinki we visited the Ateneum, Finland's National Gallery, to view paintings by some of Finland's famous artists. We also had the opportunity to view the Tove Jansson 100th anniversary exhibit. He is the author of the popular children's series about the Moomins. Another stop today was the Temppeliaukio Church (also known as the Rock Church) built in 1969. The interior of this underground church was blasted from a massive block of granite in a residential square. (Thursday) Today was a free day in Helsinki. That evening we got together for our farewell dinner. We took a short boat ride to Uunisaari, an island restaurant where we had a lovely view of Helsinki. We had a fantastic dinner and then shared our thoughts about the tour. Many happy memories and a few happy tears. (Friday) The morning was free for packing and if needed a few last minute purchases and then off to the airport for our return trip home. I had such a good time. The food was delicious as were our accommodations. Our fellow travelers were such fun to travel with as were the bus driver and Rafu, our tour guide. Thank you to Anita and Jack Smiley for planning this wonderful trip. Jackie Laffely, Kiirsti Fish and Anne Little pictured below.

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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Recipe Box

Mustikkapiirakka (Finnish Blueberry Pie)

150g soft butter - 1/3 cup

150g caster sugar - 1/3 cup

1 egg, beaten

200g plain flour – 7 oz. or 1 scant cup

1 tspn baking powder

400g blueberries – 1 lb.

250ml sour cream 9 oz.

50g caster sugar – ¼ cup

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 200° C.

Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Mix in the egg thoroughly then sift the flour and

baking powder into the bow. Mix together until

a smooth batter forms.

Spread the batter over the bottom and up the

sides of a greased 10″ flan dish. Bake for 10

mins. in the oven then remove.

Tip the blueberries onto the pie base and spread

out.

Whisk together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and

vanilla essence until just combined. Pour over

the blueberries.

Bake for 30 minutes then turn off the

oven. Leave the pie in the cooling oven until

the surface firms up (10 mins was fine for me).

Cool and serve with ice cream or cream or on its own.

(Serves 10-ish)

Swinging at Sovittiaja Park Rutland, Massachusetts

August 22-23, 2014 Traveling kantele players Celia Jones, Ethel

Powell, Jackie Laffely, Irene Vaino, Anne Little, Irene Rochwarg, Jackie Harjula and Theresa Heiland finished their whirlwind tour of the picturesque region of central Massachusetts where the most hospitable Finns laid out such a “royal welcome mat” this past weekend! Our dedicated musicians have doubled their concert/workshop performances by including a 2-hour Finnish dance session on Sovittiaja Park’s original dance floor built back in 1929. With Bernie Nowak on accordion, Nancy Nowak on Baritone horn and Celia Jones , fiddling away with over 44 Finnish dance tunes, fancy footwork was delightfully demonstrated when tempos changed from polkas, waltzes, hambos, tangos and schottishes!

Toe tapping tunes performed by our talented kantele players spanned over 250 years of traditional Finnish melodies. The concert started with the Kalevala melody ”Welcome” in Finnish and English; then featured the music of the first female kantele performer in Finland from back in the 1800s, along with her Americanized descendant, Wilho Saari of Naselle, Washington. Such haunting melodies have found a permanent place as Suomalaiset Jouset’s favorites!

The versatility of our 11-string kanteles have allowed other famous melodies of Sibelius, Beethoven and Bach to be nimbly plucked while the audience hummed along with each tune! The evening performance chimed in church-bell arpeggios for our three Finnish “town tunes” before we excited the audience with three waltzes, four schottisches and five polkas. As a special “coda ending” before Finnish pulla and coffee were served, we all sang and played ” Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, In the Garden, We also Deserve Honor and Maamme.”

We were paired up with four host families who took our fatigued kantele players home from our successful concert and dance sessions! But, nothing like delicious Finnish foods to sustain and restore our enthusiastic teaching of Finland’s national folk instrument. By the next morning our kantele group had been asked back to Finn Park dance hall to dedicate a restored Finnish farmhouse and inspired a 2015 Finnish wedding at Sovittaja Park! Never underestimate the power of “live music” played by dedicated musicians in New England, eh?! By: Celia Jones

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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CHECK YOUR MAILING

LABEL!

HAS YOUR MEMBERSHIP

EXPIRED?

Your name will be removed if you are

more than two years overdue.

Members and students of Suomalaiset Jouset and some

friends at Sovittiaja Park, Rutland, Massachusetts.

Finn Funn Weekend 2014

East Hill Farm in Troy, NH, is again hosting this

exciting weekend filled with Finnish music,

dancing, food, and friendship. The weekend is

rapidly approaching, and Kirsti Fish has graciously

agreed to assist the planning committee with the

popular raffle held each year as part of this event.

She would appreciate any donations of raffle prizes

given by members of FHH. So far, she only has

five items, and needs quite a few more. Please

remember our Finnish generosity and help her out

by calling her at 207-594-5032. NOTE: A poster

with more details about the cost and registration

deadline for the weekend is posted on the bulletin

board outside FHH.

Suomalaiset Jouset performs in

Rockport

Each year, local Masonic groups honor the

widows of Masonic members by hosting a

luncheon for them, with entertainment. Our

kantele group was pleased to be invited to join the

Rockport group for a delicious lunch prior to our

performance. We sang, played our kanteles,

displayed some Finnish items (rugs, takanas,

ryijys, pottery, linens, jewelry, china, birchbark

shoes, and much more) and demonstrated the

dance steps to the traditional Finnish folk song

“Raatikoon”. Irene Vanio and Jackie Harjula

danced while “Finnish Strings” played. The

audience was delighted to have our group perform

for them.

Irene Vaino and Jackie Harjula dancing to a Finnish tune at the Rockport Masonic Hall.

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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SIBELIUS CONCERT IN 2015 Did you know that 2015 is the 150

th Anniversary of

the birth of the famous Finnish composer, Jean

Sibelius? (1865 to 1957) His music played an

important role in the formation of the Finnish national

identity. He composed seven symphonies and a

multitude of other works, including the well-known

“Finlandia”, songs for voice and piano, music for

thirteen plays, and an opera. To honor this talented

Finn, FHH is presenting a concert of Sibelius music

by Craig Randal Johnson on May 15, 2015.

Craig Johnson, a conductor, bassist, and concert

pianist, was honored by Finlandia Foundation

National as the 1999 Performer of the Year. Based in

Minneapolis, he has performed throughout the United

States and in several European countries. He

conducted the premiere of the recent production of

“Rockland, the Opera”, about the murder of two

Finnish immigrants in 1906 in the mining town of

Rockland, Michigan. We are excited about this

opportunity to welcome Mr. Johnson as he presents

this program in honor of Jean Sibelius.

More details about the location and time will be

included in future newsletters.

Jean Sibelius

Craig Randal Johnson

FINNFACTS

Did you know that…

…Finland has:

5.4 million people (17 people per sq km, 2nd least densely populated country)

3.3 million saunas 180,000 islands 188,000 lakes (accounts for 10% of the

total area) 489,000 summer cottages 35 national parks 5.2 million mobile phones (Nokia is a

Finnish brand)

NEWSLETTER OF THE FINNISH HERITAGE HOUSE NO. 43 ~ Autumn 2014

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The Sibelius Monument (Finnish: Sibelius-

monumentti) is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean

Sibelius (1865–1957). The monument is located at the

Sibelius Park (Finnish: Sibeliuspuisto) in the district of

Töölö in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.

The monument was designed by Eila Hiltunen and

unveiled on September 7, 1967. Originally it sparked a

lively debate about the merits and flaws of abstract art,

for which reason an effigy of Sibelius was included in

the work. It consists of series of more than 600 hollow

steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The

purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the

music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tonnes (24

long tons; 26 short tons) and measures 8.5 × 10.5 × 6.5

metres.

A smaller version of the monument is located at the

UNESCO headquarters in Paris. A work with a similar

concept, also designed by Hiltunen, is located at the

grounds of the United Nations headquarters in New

York City.

Jean Sibelius statue in Helsinki, Finland

Cards and Notes of Cheer

Since our last newsletter, three of our FHH members

have spent time in the hospital, and we are delighted

to have them return to our meetings. Dorothy

Jackson had two stints put in to relieve the 90 % and

95 % blockages. Ron Silverman is doing well after

having some health issues resolved. You can’t keep

a good man down! Kauko Wilson is home and

recuperating from surgery. We wish him a speedy

recovery. Also, Sally Anderson is at Quarry Hill and

enjoys cards and notes. Her address is:

Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill,

30 Community Drive,

Camden, ME 04843.

Joke Corner Toivo’s Birthday

It was a tradition in Toivo’s family that when a male

family member celebrated his 70th birthday he was

expected to walk across the lake in front of the Saari

summer cottage as his father and grandfather before

him had done. Toivo, accompanied by his good

friend Jalo, rowed out on the lake on his birthday and

about 50 feet from shore he jumped overboard to

begin his trek across the lake and immediately sank

like a stone. Only a quick response from his good

friend Jalo saved Toivo from the ice cold depths of

Lake Inari. As he sat on the shore coughing up lake

water and struggling to catch his breath his mother

asked what prompted him to attempt such a stupid

act. He explained that he was only following the

family tradition by walking across the lake on his

70th birthday as his father and grandfather had done

before him.....yes they did walk across the lake, but

their birthdays were in February you idiot!

Submitted by: Steve Gifford