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THE SWEDISH CLUB NEWS The Swedish Club of Houston Preserving Swedish Heritage on the Texas Gulf Coast Since 1986 May/June 2008 Volume XXI-No. 3 President's Column and the check-in table was manned by Diana Rodionov. by Margaret St.Clair Another highlight of the evening was the performance by award-winning Swedish singer Theresa Andersson. Once again it is that She entertained us with her unique singing and playing time of year when style and included some Swedish songs in her activities and the weather repertoire. All in all, it was a very special evening, begin to shift in perhaps one of the best Kräfskivor in recent memory!! preparation for summer. Now in closing, I wish you all a great summer. If Schools are in their final your travels take you to Sweden, plan to be in weeks and Houston’s Barkeryd, Småland, on Sunday, August 3 rd . That is humidity is on the rise. In Sweden, perhaps it is a bit when The Swedish Club’s Lucia, Jenny Panahi, will too early to think of school being out, but the weather represent the Club at Barkeryd’s Texas/Swedish is certainly changing. Trees are beginning to bud and Festival. This year is significant because Jenny is the the early spring flowers are set to bloom. For Swedes 20 th Lucia we’ve sent to Barkeryd, and the parish is this is cause for celebration, and celebrate they do with commemorating this fact by inviting all former Lucias Valborgsmässoafton ! On the evening of April 30, from The Swedish Club to attend. The festival will large bonfires are lit throughout Sweden. Celebrants indeed be a special one and you won’t want to miss it. enjoy eating, drinking and singing songs about See you May 3 rd at Bonfire! springtime and the end of winter. For The Swedish Club here in Houston, we Margaret celebrate the holiday in our own unique way—kind of welcoming spring and summer at the same time! We hope you will join us for our Swedish Bonfire and Texas Barbecue at the beautiful Winstrom Ranch near Welcome Spring with a Swedish rd Brenham on Saturday afternoon, May 3 . Our gracious Bonfire and Texas Barbecue hosts are Swedish Club members Drs. Bill Riley and Margit Winstrom. For several years they have had us Valborgsmässoafton as their guests, and we are most grateful for their Saturday, May 3, 2008, 3:00 p.m. hospitality. If you have never been, you must go. It is Join in the fun at this FREE event at Dr. Margit an event not to be missed. So come, with your family, Winstrom's ranch, 3383 Peters Lane, Brenham. for a fun-filled relaxing day in the country. There are (See page 2 for directions.) Festivities include games, fine food and fellowship, a hayride and finally games, a hayride, a bonfire at sunset and traditional the bonfire and singing. It’s a great time for young and singing to welcome Spring. old alike. And best of all, it is FREE! Just be sure to RSVP with Pelle Fisk, so we know how many folks to What to bring: expect. < Food to grill for yourself (hot dogs, I hope you didn’t miss our last event—Kräftskiva hamburger, steak) (Swedish Crayfish Party) . Held at The Monument < Beverage, and Inn, 79 guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of < Side dish to share Swedish-style crayfish, fried chicken, fish and all the trimmings. Many thanks go to Chairman John This event is free, but Event Chair Pelle Fisk Stavinoha and his assistants, David Bash and Mark asks that you let him know by Thursday, May 1, Swanson, for organizing a fantastic evening. And that you are coming, either on the SCH website, tusen tack (thousand thanks) to new Club member www.swedishclub.org , or by calling him at 281- Christopher Westerlund for his enthusiastic 348-2584. participation in snapsvisor ( skåling songs)!! Decorations were expertly placed by Dina Jo Colburn BITS & PIECES Recently-elected SCH Board member Greetings Magnus Åkerlind has had to resign his From the position, due to changes within the company he Consulate . works for. Magnus and his wife, Heidi, relocated 2909 Hillcroft St., Suite 515 to Stockholm in mid-April. Best wishes, Magnus Houston, TX 77057 and Heidi! We will miss you! 713-953-1417 Alternative rock stars 311 are teaming up with hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg and Ha en trevlig sommar ! newcomers Fiction Plane for the 2008 Unity Tour, Have a nice summer! bringing a healthy mix of rock and rap to The Photo: Göran Assner; Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park on www.imagebank.sweden.se Wednesday, July 30, 2008. Peter and Adam Raspler, sons of SCH member and former president Mona Raspler , manage 311 through their business, Raspler Management. For more information, visit www.theshowgrounds.com . From Småland to Big Land Texas * Why did the first Swedish immigrants come to Texas? * What did they experience when they arrived? * What hardships did they face? Valborgsmässoafton * How did they handle the Texas climate? Saturday, May 3 • 3:00 p.m. 3383 Peters Lane, Brenham Plan a visit to the Williamson County Historical Museum in Georgetown, Texas, for answers to these questions and more with the exhibit, "From Småland, Directions: Sweden, to Big Land Texas." The exhibit, which < US 290W towards Austin opened in late January 2008, will run for one year and < Turn left onto O’Malley Rd. (The turn off 290 will include a component traveling educational trunk comes up fast and is easy to miss. When 290W for area schools. Jim and Jean Quist Sellstrom, and 36N make the split with a sharp 270 degree parents of former SCH member Liz Cadwallader, right turn, drive 2.0 miles further on 290W, contributed many of the clothes and old tools for the then make the left onto O’Malley Rd. Watch exhibit. for the balloons on the sign.) After the exhibit’s run is over, WCHM will < Turn left onto CR-29/Lange Lake Rd. develop a companion traveling exhibit available for audiences all over Texas. < Turn right onto CR-25/Old Mill Creek Rd. The Williamson County Historical Museum is < Turn left onto CR-2/Beckerman Rd. located at 716 S. Austin Avenue, Georgetown, TX, < Turn right onto Peters Ln. and stop at 3383 and is open Wednesday-Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.; < Drive through the gate and up to parking area Friday, 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - by the ranch 6:00 p.m. (or anytime by appointment). For more information, see www.wchm-tx.org or call 512-943-1670. Swedish Club News Page 2 May/June 2008 www.swedishclub.org Volume XXI • No. 3 News from Sweden World's oldest tree (from Swedish Council of America's found in Sweden March and April 2008 eUPDATEs) Swedish scientists þ The Associated Press reports that this has been from Umeå University a record warm winter in Northern Europe. say they have discovered According to the Swedish Meteorological and a tree that is nearly Hydrological Institute, record high temperatures 10,000 years old, making were set in twelve locations in Sweden. it the oldest living tree ever discovered on the þ Minister for Enterprise and Energy, and Deputy planet. The ancient Prime Minister of Sweden Maud Olofsson recently spruce was found among visited the United States to talk about Swedish a cluster of around 20 energy and climate politics. She introduced spruces believed to be Sweden's new initiative for sustainable urban living, more than 8,000 years old SymbioCity , at the Washington International at an altitude of 910 m Renewable Energy Conference. (2,985 ft.) on Fulu This 9,550-year-old spruce Mountain in Dalarna has been discovered in þ According to the SymbioCity web site, since the province. It would have Dalarna, Sweden. A 70's, the dependence on oil for heating and taken root just after the favorable climate has electricity production in Sweden has gone down by last ice age. produced an upright trunk The visible portion of since the beginning of the 90%. 1940s. Photo: Leif Kullman the 13-foot-tall spruce þ On April 2, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden tree is comparatively new, but four "generations" of Michael Wood presented 48 Swedish energy and wood pieces around the spruce have the same environment technology companies to American genetic makeup as the tree above them. Carbon venture capital companies in Boston. Mr. Wood has dating done at a laboratory in Miami, Florida, of the chosen to focus on one big mission during his time old tree fragments showed that the root system has as Ambassador in Sweden, "one big thing"—to been growing for 9,550 years. match Swedish energy technology with both Leif Kullman, professor of physical geography governmental and private American venture capital. at Umeå University, said the spruce's stems or Green Diplomacy was the headline that The Wall trunks had a life span of around 600 years but, as Street Journal used in a recent article about soon as one died, a cloned stem could emerge from Ambassador Wood. the root system. The clones take root each winter as snow pushes low-lying branches of the mother tree þ Pernod Ricard bought V & S Group , owners of down to ground level, Kullman added. Absolut Vodka, for $8.3 billion. V & S Group was Previously, a bristlecone pine named put on the market last year as Sweden moved to "Methuselah," located in California's White privatize state-run businesses to pay off debt.