The goat stands proudly outside Iceland’s sole IKEA branch

The Icelandic branch of IKEA in Garðabær has just installed its Gävle goat, which is under the watchful eye of surveillance cameras after last year’s goat was burnt down. The goat was subject to the same fate as its brothers around the world, which seem to be traditionally set on fire.

“We have 24-hour surveillance and video cameras directed at the goat. We also have people on stand-by with fire extinguishers in case something happens,” said Þórarinn Ævarsson, head of IKEA in Iceland, who seems determined for the worst not to happen this year. “But of course we hope that it will get the chance to stay standing.”

Þórarinn boasts that the goat is considerably larger than the one erected outside the store last year, which was 4.5 metres tall compared with this year’s 6.2 m. The goat weighs just over two tonnes, and was made in Iceland from Icelandic straw. Þórarinn is confident the goat can withstand Icelandic weather conditions and other harsh treatment.

Avid fans of the goat are able to follow its fate on its Facebook page (Icelandic).

Source: Morgunblaðið
Image: IKEA

Labels: Christmas, Garðabær, IKEA

“Naturally, we are talking about shit,” says Ingimar Ingimarsson, member of the executive committee for Hafnarfjörður. The community has been trying to get Garðarbær to pay for the use of the Hafnarfjörður sewage system for the past five years, but to no avail.

A retail park which belongs to Garðabær situated on the foothills of Hafnarfjörður, has been using the system, placing it under considerable strain according to Ingimar. IKEA is amongst those stores in the park connected to the Hafnarfjörður system.

It was at long last agreed at a Garðabær council meeting that the mayor of Garðabær should discuss the issue of paying off past costs for using the system with the mayor of Hafnarfjörður, and come to an agreement on continued cooperation.

Asked whether the matter should be in the hands of civil servants, rather than the mayors themselves, Ingimar said that the civil servant route had already been tried out.

The costs which are being discussed total about 20 million krónur, “if they are fully paid”, adds Ingimar. Exactly how much the citizens of Garðabær ought to pay towards the 4 billion krónur sewage system is widely disputed.

Ingimar says that in addition to this, Garðabær council has billed companies in the area for using the system, without Hafnarfjörður council being aware.

“We have had this item on the agenda many times,” says Ingimar, meaning to say that the committee members have become extremely irritated by this issue, having brought it up repeatedly with the Garðarbær committee.

“At the end of the day, Garðabær residents are going to the the toilet at the expense of those who live in Hafnarfjörður,” Ingimar said about this long-lasting bone of contention between the communities. The dispute continues.

Source: visir.is
Image: lakelife

Labels: Garðabær, Hafnarfjörður, Politics