Sunday's edition of the News-Press carried a front-page story about Solvang's annual Danish Days celebration.
Matt Bloise, the News-Press correspondent whose by-line appears on the article writes: "The sleepy town of Solvang has awakened to the merriment of Danish Days, its annual celebration of everything Dutch and then some."
Everything "Dutch?" As far as I know, the Dutch are in Holland, the Danes are in Denmark.
That wasn't just a one-time fluke, a few sentences further into the story Bloise writes: "Although the town is unmistakably American, sentiments for its pioneer past remain strong, and once a year it is transformed into a bustling mecca of the history and traditions of the Netherlands and their influence on the world."
The "Netherlands?" In the words of Ronald Reagan, "There you go again." Somebody buy this guy a geography lesson! Or maybe the cops need to write him up for unlawfully mixing his Danes and his Dutch.
Until one or the other happens, "Skoal brother!"
By the way, let's get this straight. Danish = Denmark. Dutch = Holland or the Netherlands. In Copenhagen, if you walk into a coffee shop they serve you abelskivers. In Amsterdam if you walk into a coffee shop they serve you "space cakes." Any questions?
This is probably as fit as an occasion as any to note the departure of News-Press business writer Steve Sinovic, who has left to take a job in the San Diego area. His final day at the News-Press was last Thursday.
It is not known if he could have prevented the Dutch from claiming Denmark had he stuck around.
© 2010 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com
