The Bergen Walk of Fame has become a topic of contention between the seven mountains. The trouble started when multi-billionaire and Eastland-born John Fredriksen got his own star on the pavement in Nøstegaten in central Bergen on Sunday 21 July. The fact that a wealthy resident abroad has found a place among Bergen and some international cultural figures has caused major protests. Soccer legend Helge Jordal tapes over his own star in protest. Skodesplayer Helge Jordal tapes over his name in protest. The tape is now gone. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / news Former news profile Ole Torp went out of his way in Bergensavisen to honor “rich tax refugees”. Now SV announces that they will take the matter up in the city council. Eira Garrido (SV) will take the matter to the city council. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / news – I think the Walk of Fame now appears random in who actually deserves to be awarded a star, says city council member Eira Garrido (SV). City development councilor Christine Kahrs (H) also believes that more people should be involved in deciding who should be honoured. – Maybe there can be a vote to let “Bergens Beste”, and maybe some statutes can be drawn up to ensure that we get a decent selection, says Kahrs. City development council Christine Kahrs (H) proposes voting. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / news Initiator Roger Iversen says he is open to making the process more democratic, preferably through the local press. He himself lays down the Norwegian-made stones in Nøstegaten. – The aim is to pay tribute to role models. Can’t find written permission: – Unfortunate But how did Iversen actually get permission to put down stone tiles with names on public pavements? Kahrs says the municipality has nothing to do with the project, other than that they stand up at unveiling ceremonies. – We assumed that Iversen has applied and is following the laws and regulations, says Kahrs. It is the county council that owns county roads. But at the county they can’t find any documentation that a permit has been granted. – We have not approved it. We have nothing in writing about this. It is unfortunate. We have regulations for granting permission for advertising, digging and measures on roads, says Geir Sverre Andreassen, road management engineer in Vestland county municipality. Could have been verbal permission Initiativtakar Iversen has informed news that he was in contact with what was then called Grøn etat in Bergen municipality. Roger Iversen is behind the foundation Bergen Vel and Bergen Walk of Fame. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / Matilde Sunde Solsvik – When we asked Grøn etat about it, they said that as long as we don’t damage anything and put down the slabs in the same way – so it’s easy to realize that if we were to change it – there was no problem, at least that time, says Iversen. He says to BT that the agreement was verbal, and that he does not remember who he spoke to. – As municipal employees and politicians from across the spectrum attended the party, I assumed that everything was in order, says Iversen to the newspaper. The municipality cannot find any documentation in its archive of any agreement or licence. – We have not been able to find out that there is any agreement, says Arvid Heggestad, head of department in what is now called the City Environment Agency, to news. None of the people he has come into contact with in the agency know whether verbal permission was given when the municipality had a Green Agency. In addition, the head of Grøn’s agency at the time has retired. – It is strange to give permission on a verbal basis if you are going to make physical interventions on a public road. It is even more strange that it is not a municipal road either, but a county road. It is road owners who decide on their own road, in the same way as you decide in your own garden, says Heggestad. Roger Iversen on his Walk of Fame. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / Matilde Sunde Solsvik Notifies internal review The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is not aware of any agreement on the project either. – Individuals, private companies or house owners cannot freely decorate, cut down or change a public street, says Frode Tufteland, construction manager at the Norwegian Road Administration. The county informs news that they have the right to entrust the operation and maintenance of pavements to the municipality, but neither they nor the municipality know whether this has been done in this case. The municipality left the matter to the county to continue. – Then perhaps you should formalize it, if you want to continue with it, says Heggestad. The county council announces an internal review of how they will handle the matter, when employees return from holiday. – We can see this as a form of advertising. It is not allowed to settle on a public road without permission from the road owner to do so. With this type of decoration, there are many things to consider, such as universal design and whether the stones become slippery when it rains, says Andreassen. – Does it matter to the county council how the selection of names for the stones is done? – Given that we say we can have it here, I think there must be a set of regulations and someone must manage it, says Andreassen. He adds: – We may have allowed it to continue, but perhaps it needs to be searched before more is done. This must come in orderly forms, he says. – Stupid with discord. Those who arranged the forms should be more involved in creating, believes SV’s Eira Garrido. She is critical of the fact that it is a small selection of people who decide who is honored in the public space. – Few people get their name either on streets or squares. Something so rare should have democratic roots, she says. Roger Iversen thinks it’s stupid to have discord. – It is freedom of speech. It’s important to be able to say what you think, but personally I think it’s sad, says Iversen. Almost 70 names are enshrined in the Bergen Walk of Fame until now. Photo: Matilde Sunde Solsvik / news He refers to an earlier collaboration where Bergensavisen collected proposals from the people of Bergen and held a vote on who should be honored. – It would have been fantastic, because then we wouldn’t have to deal with it altogether. Then we just take the cost, says Iversen. At the same time, he doesn’t want to take his hands off the wheel completely. – Sometimes you have to make the final choice yourself, especially when it concerns the elderly. When voting in the newspaper, many young people only vote for the younger ones. Then it is incredibly important to decide that this will now get a star, says Iversen. Published 26/07/2024, at 15.13 Updated 26.07.2024, at 15.20
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The dispute between a Walk of Fame star and a billionaire becomes a political issue in Bergen – news Vestland
