Telemark International Bulletin Issue 02/12
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Telemark International Bulletin Issue 02/12 Telemark delegation meets with Minot State University (ND) representatives. Photo: TFK Mid-West/USA 2012 project and Tysvar Group. by Dawn Syvertsen, Telemark County Council The main themes of the project have been: 1) The com - mon Norwegian background, cultural heritage, 2) Primary 29 persons representing industry, business, health, and higher education cooperation, 3) Establishment of tourism, education, regional development, and politics business and tourism contacts for reciprocal benefits, composed the Telemark delegation led by Telemark’s 4) Profiling Telemark skiing in the 2018 Winter Olympics County Mayor Terje Riis Johansen to attend the Norsk and developing upon the links to Sondre Norheim in Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota and participate in busi - Minot and Telemark. ness development meetings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2 scholarships at USD 5,000 were made available to Telemark County Council took the initiative to the American students who would like to study in Telemark. project ‘Mid-West/USA 2012’ which is a cooperation The first scholarship was awarded to Abbie Naze of project between Skien municipality, Innovation Norway Minot, ND. Abbie will study at Telemark University Telemark, Norsk Skieventyr Morgedal, Telemark Uni- College in Bø starting in the winter 2013. versity College, Telemark Tourism Board, the American Many valuable contacts were made during this visit Chamber of Commerce in Oslo, Growth in Grenland, and with plans of follow up meetings in Telemark in 2013 the Norwegian Ski Federation Telemark with our partners from our cooperation partners in North Dakota. A project in the USA who are the City of Minot (ND), Norsk Høst- evaluation meeting will be held in December to decide the fest, Minot State University, Minot Area Development path ahead with this initiative. Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Like Telemark Heritage on facebook: Minneapolis, the Norwegian Consulate in Minneapolis http://www.facebook.com/pages/Telemark-Heritage- Genealogy/209922240551?ref=ts In this issue: International Project Development Activities .... 2 Public Health Program of Telemark .................... 9 Business Development ............................................ 10 Regional Cooperation ............................................ 11 Telemark and Hubei Provinces Friendship Agreement .................................................................. 13 Regional Meeting Places .......................................... 14 International Arenas ................................................ 15 Telemark Mayor Terje Riis Johansen explaining to American Education / Schools .................................................. 18 school children how to make traditional Telemark skiis at the Team International .................................................... 24 Norsk Høstfest (Minot, ND). Photo: Dawn Syvertsen P P h h o o t t o o : : M J ø o r r n t e S n t e K e n r o g h International Project Development Interreg IVB Activities Waterways for Growth (WfG) Interreg IVC www.waterwaysforgrowth.eu Water//Ways Forward www.waterways-forward.eu The Waterways for Growth Final Conference took place on September 27 th in Edinburgh, Scotland with a visit to the Falkirk Wheel, and the Helix site. The Helix involves the transformation of under-used land between Falkirk and Grangemouth, together with an extension of the Forth & Clyde Canal, to create an urban green space supporting tourism, recreation, business growth and community regeneration. This is one of many partner projects carried out during the last 3 years which contribute to promoting the waterways agenda in the North Sea Region. Represen- tatives from the Dream Mile project in Nome Municipali- ty, Tokke Municipality and Langesund Shanty Festival participated from Telemark. Waterways Forward partners visit Porsgrunn. Photo: Dawn Syvertsen Water//Ways Forward project partners visited Telemark from September 5-7 and spent time touring the Telemark Canal. The delegation of 40 people from 16 European countries received a guided evening tour of the new Maritime Museum and Science Center due to open in 2013 and were also guided around Porsgrunn, an impor - tant harbor town in the Grenland area since the late 16 th century. The delegation experienced ‘The Dream Mile’ cultural heritage attractions in Ulefoss and sailed on the The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. Photo: WfG Telemark Canal and through the locks at Ulefoss and heard a historical account of the Canal in Skien. The Water//Ways Forward project was completed in November 2012 with a final conference and exhibition held in Paris. The project’s final report and policy recom - mendations are submitted to EU authorities and can be viewed on the project’s website. Link to 3 creative animation films about the project with focus on European inland waterways. (Topics: Smart Growth, Sustainable Growth and Inclusive Growth) http://www.waterways-forward.eu/news/watch-the-wf-ani - mations-here/ Stay informed! The Water//Ways Forward project also has a blog ( http://waterwaysforward.wordpress.com ), LinkedIn Dream Mile representatives visit Bingley Five-Rise Locks in the group, and Twitter account (@Waterwaysforward). UK. Photo: Kirsti Arvesen Nesheim 2 P P h h o o t t o o : : J J ø a r n n M S e t e l a e n n d www.telemark.no/international Telemarkspadler’n international kayak race participants at Notodden on the Telemark Canal. Photo: Telemarkspadler’n An 11 person delegation from the Dream Mile project enjoying the waterway, and during the last years an of Nome Municipality visited our WfG Canal and River initiative on water based activities such as canoeing and Trust partners in the UK from September 10-12. The kayaking have become more and more popular amongst Dream Mile delegation visited the Bingley Five Rise and our visitors. UNESCO World Heritage Saltaire site. The group learned Kayak paddling has an increasing popularity in about the Canal and River Trust partners’ usage of: signs Norway, but still the numbers are far from those of our with QR-coding and FC-chips, connections between paths neighbors in Denmark or Sweden and not to mention the of interest, interpretation plans, guides and volunteers, Netherlands. During the last years, the local paddling and cycle paths. The delegation came away with some community has grown. Kayak rental has been profession - great ideas which they plan to integrate into the Dream alized and events have been revitalized in order to boost Mile project at Ulefoss. this development. On September 22nd, central Telemark once again invit - ed paddlers to the international kayak race ‘Telemarks- Telemarkspadler’n 2012: padler’n’. A steady growth during the last three years An international kayak race on resulted in 123 paddlers who started in the race. This year, the historic Telemark Canal on demand from the international paddlers, we had an www.telemarkspadlern.no ambitious 46 km course and it proved to be a real chal - by Tine Raisbaek, Telemarkspadler’n lenge. Still the 23 km was the most popular, and thanks to local subsea industry at Notodden, we could borrow the Boat traffic on the Telemark Canal has decreased during perfect starting facilities. The 10 km course attracts still the previous decades, and the most common way to more locals, beginners and those who paddle just for the experience the waterway is from land. On board one of experience. the Telemark Canal boats is another popular means of More than 15% were international paddlers who visited 3 P P h h o o t t o o : : M M o o r r t t e e n n K K r r o o g g h h tive to experience the Telemark Canal in an active way is still our main focus and we would like to discuss this further with other international contacts. On Sunday, we made our way up the Bandak Canal to paddle downstream towards Ulefoss. We started at Vrang- foss lock which is the largest lock with an impressive 5 lock chambers. This tour enabled the paddlers to experi - ence the historic Telemark canal and be guided through eight locks in the Telemark Canal. With a total of 42 kayaks, we managed to gather the biggest group known to have passed the locks in kayaks at the same time, and it was definitely a beautiful sight. We would like to welcome even more international paddlers to our next Telemarkspadler’n International Kayak Race to be held on September 21, 2013 to experi - ence the Telemark Canal. Interreg IVB LOWCAP (Low Carbon Regions in the North Sea) www.lowcap.eu Excerpt from LOWCAP newsletter, 03/07/12 LOWCAP was recently very successfully showcased at the All Energy Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland on May Telemarkspadler’n kayakers in Vrangfoss lock at Ulefoss in the 23-24. The All-Energy Exhibition and Conference is the Telemark Canal. Photo: Telemarkspadler’n UK’s largest renewable energy event and this year’s event focused on energy efficiency and carbon reduction. All Telemark because of the race. Most were Danish this year, Energy provides a platform for knowledge exchange, the most likely a result of our activities in Denmark, and the sourcing of new partners and suppliers, networking and easy access they have to travel to Telemark via ferry. 2 keeping up-to-date with changes within the renewables persons from Poland participated which is promising for and energy sector. More information is to be found at the years to come. More than 50 paddlers stayed for the www.all-energy.co.uk. after kayak party. Norwegian Bjørn Heidenstrøm paddled stand up kayak Photo: Colourbox almost 4000 km through Europe