Raivaaja Foundation

Helsinki-Vantaa airport will soon be the first airport in the world to track passengers from the parking lot to the time they board their flight, using signals from their cellphones.

Airport officials say this will help them prevent bottlenecks. It will also allow the shops and restaurants at the airport to send them offers.

“We’re looking at great paybacks from this investment,” said Heikki Koski, vice president in charge of new services at Finavia, operator of the airport in an interview with Bloomberg News. “We can manage the airport better, we can predict where bottlenecks might come and analyze everything more thoroughly.”

The system will work only when a mobile phone has its Wi-Fi access on, whether a passenger is aware of the tracking system or not. It is meant only to track a passenger’s movement, and not gather any other data about the individual

Privacy advocates, however, are skeptical.

“The fact that my movements are tracked is a scarier thought than someone knowing which websites I visit,” said Antti Tikkanen, director of security response at software maker F-Secure Oyj. “I have a hard time believing location tracking is only left at statistics when the same technology makes so many other things possible.”

The tracking system is being provided by Walkbase Oy, based in Espoo. About 150 white boxes will be set up around the airport to pick up the signals from the mobile phones. Passengers can opt in via an application to receive information about flights and businesses. The initial tracking system is already in place.

The next step will be to install the capability to send messages.

Martin Laine

I’m searching Hugo and Vieno (maiden name Lehtinen) Salm’s (Salmi, Salminen) descendants.

Hugo and Vieno probably lived in Bronx, NYC.

Hugo was born 21st May, 1900, in Finland (in Kymi maybe)

and died in March, 1986, last residence 10452, Bronx, NYC.

Vieno Wilhelmiina was born 16th November, 1908, in Helsinki, Finland and

passed away 20th December, 1996, in Bronx, NYC.

Vieno arrived in U.S. 26th August, 1931. Vieno and Hugo had a daughter, Carol,

maybe still living.

Vieno’s mother was Mimmi Nurmi (maiden name Lehtinen),

married to Otto Nurmi. They mainly lived in Westerly, RI.

I would be grateful for any information.

Markku Keisala

Tammistonkatu 19 A 25

FI-01520 Vantaa Finland

Ted Kennedy at Saima Park 1961

Above is a photograph of Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy taken at Saima Park, Fitchburg (MA), in June 1961.  It was taken at that year’s summer festival of the Fitchburg Council of Cooperatives.  The Council was made up of three co-operatives founded by Finnish immigrants in the early 1900s: United Co-operative Society of Fitchburg, Workers’ Credit Union and United Co-operative Farmers. Workers’ Credit Union is the only one that continues to exist today.  In 2014 it will be celebrating its 100^th anniversary.

This photograph is from the archives of the Raivaaja Foundation Inc. It originally came from the photo collection of the former United Co-operative Society of Fitchburg. The Society had a good budget for PR in its heyday.  Many photographs were taken for use in the “Co-op Times,” the Society’s member newsletter.

The photo shows Kennedy speaking from the old program platform that used to be at Saima Park.  It was eventually torn down and replaced by a new platform for the 1970 appearance of Finland’s President Urho Kekkonen.

submitted by J. Ratila

Aion osallistua FinnFestiin 2013 ja samalla tapaan myös amerikansukulaisiani.

Olen kirjoittanut inkerinsuomalaisista. Kävin jopa Siperiassa tapaamassa sinne vainojen aikana siirrettyjä ja sinne jääneitä inkeriläisiä.

Nyt minua kiinnostaisi matkallani tavata Neuvosto-Venäjälle 1920-30-luvulla muuttaneiden omaisia ja läheisiä ja haastatella heitä. Heitähän tuli mm. Venäjän Karjalaan raskeine työkaluineen ja tavaroineen. Heidän panoksensa Karjalan tuon aikaiseen kehitykseen on arvioitu huomattavaksi.
Mutta niinhän siinä kävi, että he joutuivat Stalinin vainojen tuhoamiksi niin muutkin suomalaiset ja muut vähemmistäkansojen edustajat.
Olisin tavattoman kiitollinen avustasi. Jos pari sellaista henkilöä löytyisi niin heidän kauttaan sitten voisi löytyä useampi. Olemme mieheni kanssa keskutelleet myös käymisestä Kanadan puolella. Myöskin kandalaisia meni Neuvostoliittoon samaan aikaan amerikannsuomalaisten kanssa.
Eihän enää tuon ajan ihmisiä paljon enää ole elämässäkään. Toivoisin. että löytyisi kuitenkin heidän läheisiään.

Kiitollisena avustasi
Ystävällisin terveisin

Tyyne Martikainen
tyyne.martikainen@kolumbus.fi
045 127 0129

Hello Ms. Cauthen,

I live in Imatra, Finland. I was born in 1958 and my family moved to Fitchburg, Mass. in 1961. My parents who are both deceased, used to tell me the story about Robert Kennedy visiting some park during some campaign. I was on my father’s arms, he was standing in the crowd behind a rope and waiting to see Bobby Kennedy. He came towards us, and stopped in front of my father and took me, a 3-year-old girl, on his arms to say hello to us. We also got a pin from him, I remember it being of blue and white color. Unfortunately it has been gone for a long time.

This park is probably Whalom Park. First I though it could have been Saima Park, but then I realized that it may not be so.

I would like to ask if anyone has any photos of this event? Or if anyone just remembers it? I would like to know the exact date or at least month and year.

Best regards from Imatra, Finland to my childhood’s home town Fitchburg

The Raivaaja Web log is now live

You may leave your comments, suggestions or posts here.