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Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon

Dorothy Louise Taliaferro "Del" Martin (May 5, 1921 – August 27, 2008) and Phyllis Ann Lyon (November 10, 1924 – April 9, 2020) were an American lesbian couple based in San Francisco who were known as feminist and gay-rights activists.

Martin and Lyon met in 1950, became lovers in 1952, and moved in together on Valentine's Day 1953 in an apartment on Castro Street in San Francisco. They had been together for three years when they cofounded the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) in San Francisco in 1955. This became the first social and political organization for lesbians in the United States and soon had a national reach. They both acted as president and until 1963 successively as editor of The Ladder magazine, which they also founded. They were involved in the DOB until they joined the National Organization for Women (NOW), the first known lesbian couple to do so.

Both women worked to form the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) at Glide Memorial Methodist Church in northern California to persuade ministers to accept homosexuals into churches. The couple used their influence to decriminalize homosexuality in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They became politically active in San Francisco's first gay political organization, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club. This group influenced then-mayor Dianne Feinstein to sponsor a citywide bill to outlaw employment discrimination for gays and lesbians. Both women remained politically active, later serving in the White House Conference on Aging in 1995.

They were married on February 12, 2004, in the first same-sex wedding to take place in San Francisco after Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered the city clerk to begin providing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. That marriage was voided by the California Supreme Court on August 12, 2004.

After the California Supreme Court's decision in In re Marriage Cases legalized same-sex marriage in California, the couple married again on June 16, 2008. Theirs was the first same-sex wedding to take place in San Francisco. Two months later on August 27, 2008, Martin died in San Francisco from complications of an arm bone fracture. Lyon died years later on April 9, 2020.

Del Martin
Del Martin was born as Dorothy Louise Taliaferro on May 5, 1921, in San Francisco. She was the first salutatorian to graduate from George Washington High School. She was educated at the University of California, Berkeley and at San Francisco State College, where she studied journalism. She earned a Doctor of Arts degree from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. She was married for four years to James Martin and retained his name after their divorce. She had one daughter, Kendra Mon. Martin died on August 27, 2008, at UCSF Hospice in San Francisco, from complications of an arm bone fracture. She was 87 years old. Her wife, Phyllis, was at her side. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom ordered that the flags at City Hall be flown at half-staff in her honor.

In 1977, Martin became an associate of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication among women and connect the public with forms of women-based media.

Martin was also one of the founders of the Lesbian Mothers Union.

Phyllis Lyon
Phyllis Lyon was born on November 10, 1924, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She held a degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, earned in 1946. During the 1940s, she worked as a reporter for the Chico Enterprise-Record, and during the 1950s, she worked as part of the editorial staff of two Seattle magazines.

On June 26, 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled gay marriage legal, the 90-year-old Lyon "laughed and laughed when told the news. 'Well how about that?' she said. 'For goodness' sakes.'" She died on April 9, 2020, at the age of 95.

Background/marriage
Martin and Lyon met in Seattle in 1950 when they began working for the same magazine. They became lovers in 1952 and entered into a partnership in 1953 when they moved to San Francisco together. Many years later, Lyon and Martin recalled how they learned to live together in 1953. "We really only had problems our first year together. Del would leave her shoes in the middle of the room, and I'd throw them out the window", said Lyon, to which Martin responded, "You'd have an argument with me and try to storm out the door. I had to teach you to fight back."

On February 12, 2004, Martin and Lyon were issued a marriage license by the City and County of San Francisco after mayor Gavin Newsom ordered that marriage licenses be given to same-sex couples who requested them.

The license, along with those of several thousand other same-sex couples, was voided by the California Supreme Court on August 12, 2004. "Del is 83 years old and I am 79. After being together for more than 50 years, it is a terrible blow to have the rights and protections of marriage taken away from us. At our age, we do not have the luxury of time."

However, they were married again on June 16, 2008, after the California Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal. Once again they were the first couple married in San Francisco, in fact the only couple married that day by the mayor.

Daughters of Bilitis
In 1955, Martin and Lyon and six other lesbian women formed the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first national lesbian organization in the United States. Lyon was the first editor of DOB's newsletter, The Ladder, beginning in 1956. Martin took over editorship of the newsletter from 1960 to 1962. She was succeeded by other editors until the newsletter ended its connection with the Daughters of Bilitis in 1970.

Within five years of its origin, the Daughters of Bilitis had chapters around the country, including Chicago, New York, New Orleans, San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, Denver, Cleveland and Philadelphia. There were 500 subscribers to The Ladder but far more readers, as copies were circulated among women who were reluctant to put their names to a subscription list. For their pioneering work on The Ladder, Martin and Lyon were among the first inductees into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame, which was established in 2005 by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. Lyon and Martin remained involved in the DOB until the late 1960s. The Daughters of Bilitis, which had taken a conservative approach to helping lesbians deal with society, disbanded in 1970 due to the rise of more radical activism.

National Organization for Women
Martin and Lyon were active in the National Organization for Women (NOW) since 1967. Del Martin was the first open lesbian elected to the board of directors of NOW. In 1970, she signaled in an essay the split of lesbian feminists from the male-dominated gay rights movement, characterizing the leaders of that movement as "hollow men of self-proclaimed privilege. They neither speak for us nor to us." Lyon and Martin worked to combat the homophobia they perceived in NOW, and encouraged the National Board of Directors of NOW's 1971 resolution that lesbian issues were feminist issues.

San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women
In 1977 "Del" Martin was the first openly gay woman to be appointed to the SFCOSW by then Mayor George R. Moscone. Martin joined forces with other minority SFCOSW Commissioners, such as Kathleen Hardiman Arnold (now Kathleen Rand Reed), and Ella Hill Hutch, the first Black woman to be elected to the Board of Supervisors, to focus on the nexus of gay women's rights and racial and ethnic discrimination. In their later work with a health clinic, Martin and Lyon focused, for instance, on the specific health and issues affecting Black and Latina gay women. Martin was ahead of her time in understanding the cultural aspects of gay health.

Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club
Lyon and Martin were both active in San Francisco's first gay political organization, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, named after San Francisco-born author Alice B. Toklas.

Lyon-Martin Health Services
Lyon-Martin Health Services was founded in 1979 by a group of medical providers and health activists as a clinic for lesbians who lacked access to non-judgmental and affordable health care. Named after Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, the clinic soon became a model for culturally-sensitive community-based health care. Since 1993, Lyon-Martin also has provided case management and primary healthcare in programs specifically designed for very low-income and uninsured women with HIV, as well as services for transgender people.

Senior activists

In 1989, Martin and Lyon joined Old Lesbians Organizing for Change. In 1995 they were named delegates to the White House Conference on Aging, Martin by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Lyon by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, both from California.

Documentary films
In 2003 filmmaker JEB (Joan E. Biren) released a documentary film on the couple, No Secret Anymore: The Times of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, available from Frameline.

The 1993 documentary Last Call at Maud's also featured Martin and Lyon.

Honors
In 2014, Martin was one of the inaugural honorees in the Rainbow Honor Walk, a walk of fame in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood noting LGBTQ people who have "made significant contributions in their fields."

In June 2019, Martin was one of the inaugural fifty American "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" inducted and listed on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument in New York City's Stonewall Inn.

The Monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history. The wall's unveiling was timed to take place during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

In June 2020, Lyon was added to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor.

Popular culture
Rosie O'Donnell plays Martin and Maddie Corman plays Lyon in the miniseries about LGBT rights called When We Rise.

Season 3, episode 7 of the podcast Making Gay History is about Martin and Lyon.

Shannon Purser plays Martin and Heather Matarazzo plays Lyon in the HBO Max series Equal, formally announced on August 24, 2020.

Archival sources
The extensive records of Lyon and Martin's professional and activist pursuits, including the administrative files of the Daughters of Bilitis, are preserved at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco. The collection is fully processed and is available for use by researchers. The Online Archive of California (a project of the California Digital Library) offers the complete finding aid.

title: Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon


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Baked beans

Baked beans are a dish traditionally containing white common beans that are parboiled and then baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but are cooked through a steam process.

Baked beans occurred in Native American cuisine, and are made from beans indigenous to the Americas. It is thought that the dish was adopted and adapted by English colonists in New England in the 17th century and, through cookbooks published in the 19th century, spread to other regions of the United States and into Canada. However, the connection to Native American cuisine may be apocryphal, as legumes such as broad beans and lentils prepared in various sauces had been established in European cuisine long before the Middle Ages. Today, in the New England region of the United States, a variety of indigenous legumes are used in restaurants or in the home, such as Jacob's cattle, soldier beans, yellow-eyed beans, and navy beans (also known as native beans).

Originally, Native Americans sweetened baked beans with maple syrup, a tradition some recipes still follow, but some English colonists used brown sugar beginning in the 17th century. In the 18th century, the convention of using American-made molasses as a sweetening agent became increasingly popular to avoid British taxes on sugar. Boston baked beans use a sauce prepared with molasses and salt pork, a dish whose popularity has given Boston the nickname "Beantown".

Today, baked beans are served throughout the United States alongside barbecue foods and at picnics. Beans in a brown sugar, sugar, or corn syrup sauce (with or without tomatoes) are widely available throughout the United States. Bush Brothers are the largest producer. After the American Revolutionary War, Independence Day celebrations often included baked beans.

Canned baked beans are used as a convenience food; most are made from haricot beans in sauce. They may be eaten hot or cold, and straight from the can, as they are fully cooked. H. J. Heinz began producing canned baked beans in 1886. In the early 20th century, canned baked beans gained international popularity, particularly in the United Kingdom, where they have become a common part of an English full breakfast.

Origins and history in the Americas
According to chef and food historian Walter Staib of Philadelphia's City Tavern, baked beans had their roots as a Native peoples dish in the Americas long before the dish became known to Western culture. In the northeast of America various Native American peoples, including the Iroquois, the Narragansett and the Penobscot, mixed beans, maple sugar, and bear fat in earthenware pots which they placed in pits called "bean holes" which were lined in hot rocks to cook slowly over a long period of time.

British colonists in New England were the first westerners to adopt the dish from the Native peoples, and were quick to embrace it largely because the dish was reminiscent of pease pudding and because the dish used ingredients native to the New World. They substituted molasses or sugar for the maple syrup, bacon or ham for the bear fat, and simmered their beans for hours in pots over the fire instead of underground. Each colony in America had its own regional variations of the dish, with navy or white pea beans used in Massachusetts, Jacob's Cattle and soldier beans used in Maine, and yellow-eyed beans in Vermont. This variation likely resulted from the colonists receiving the dish from different Native peoples who used different native beans.

While some historians have theorized that baked beans had originated from the cassoulet or bean stew tradition in Southern France, this is unlikely as the beans used to make baked beans are all native to North America and were introduced to Europe around 1528. However, it is likely that English colonists used their knowledge of cassoulet cooking to modify the cooking technique of the beans from the traditional Native American version, by soaking the bean overnight and simmering the beans over a fire before baking it in earthen pots in order to decrease the cooking time.

A dish which was a clear precursor to baked beans, entitled "beans and bacon", was known in medieval England. The addition of onion and mustard to some baked beans recipes published in New England in the 19th century was likely based on traditional cassoulet recipes from Staffordshire, England, which utilized mustard, beans, and leeks. These ingredients are still often added to baked beans today. Nineteenth-century cookbooks published in New England, spread to other portions of the United States and Canada, which familiarized other people with the dish.

While many recipes today are stewed, traditionally dried beans were soaked overnight, simmered until tender (parboiled), and then slow-baked in a ceramic or cast-iron beanpot. Originally baked beans were sweetened with maple syrup by Native Americans, a tradition some recipes still follow, but some English colonists modified the sweetening agent to brown sugar beginning in the 17th century. In the 18th century the convention of using American made molasses as a sweetening agent became increasingly popular in order to avoid British taxes on sugar. The molasses style of baked beans has become closely associated with the city of Boston and is often referred to as Boston baked beans.

Today in the New England region, baked beans are flavored either with maple syrup (Northern New England), or with molasses (Boston), and are traditionally cooked with salt pork in a beanpot in a brick oven for six to eight hours. In the absence of a brick oven, the beans were cooked in a beanpot nestled in a bed of embers placed near the outer edges of a hearth, about a foot away from the fire. Today, baked beans can be made in a slow cooker or in a modern oven using a traditional beanpot, Dutch oven, or casserole dish. Regardless of cooking method, the results of the dish, commonly described as having a savory-sweet flavor and a brownish- or reddish-tinted white bean, are the same.

A tradition in Maine of "bean hole" cooking may have originated with the native Penobscot people and was later practiced in logging camps. A fire would be made in a stone-lined pit and allowed to burn down to hot coals, and then a pot with 11 pounds of seasoned beans would be placed in the ashes, covered over with dirt, and left to cook overnight or longer. These beans were a staple of Maine's logging camps, served at every meal.

While baked beans was initially a New England region cuisine, the dish has become a popular item throughout the United States; and is now a staple item served most frequently along various types of barbecue and at picnics. This is due in part to the ease of handling, as they can be served hot or cold, directly from the can, making them handy for outdoor eating. The tomato-based sweet sauce also complements many types of barbecue. The already-cooked beans may also be baked in a casserole dish topped with slices of raw bacon, which is baked until the bacon is cooked. Additional seasonings are sometimes used, such as additional brown sugar or mustard to make the sauce more tangy.

Commercial production and international consumption
Canned beans, often containing pork, were among the first convenience foods, and were exported and popularised by U.S. companies internationally in the early 20th century. The American Food and Drug Administration stated in 1996: "It has for years been recognized by consumers generally that the designation 'beans with pork,' or 'pork and beans' is the common or usual name for an article of commerce that contains very little pork." The included pork is typically a piece of salt pork that adds fat to the dish.

The first mass-produced commercial canning of baked beans in the United States began in 1895 by the Pennsylvania-based H. J. Heinz Company. Heinz was also the first company to sell baked beans outside of the United States, beginning with sales limited solely to Fortnum & Mason in 1886, when the item was considered a luxury. They began selling baked beans throughout the UK in 1901, and baked beans became a standard part of the English full breakfast soon after. Heinz removed pork from the product during the Second World War rationing.

Originally, Heinz Baked Beans were prepared in the traditional United States manner for sales in Ireland and Great Britain. Over time, the recipe was altered to a less sweet tomato sauce without maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar to appeal to the tastes of the United Kingdom. This is the version of baked beans most commonly eaten outside of the United States. Baked beans are commonly eaten on toast ("beans on toast") or as part of a full breakfast. Heinz Baked Beans remains the best-selling brand in the UK. The Baked Bean Museum of Excellence in Port Talbot, Wales, was dedicated to baked beans.

Health
In 2002, manufacturers of canned baked beans were allowed to advertise the product as contributing to the recommended daily consumption of five to six vegetables per person. This concession was criticised by heart specialists, who pointed to the high levels of sugar and salt in the product. However, it has been proven that consumption of baked beans does indeed lower total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, even in normo-cholesterolaemic individuals.  Some manufacturers produce a "healthy" version of the product with reduced levels of sugar and salt.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Baked beans


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Værøy

Værøy is an island municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sørland on the main island of Værøya. The other village in Værøy is Nordland. Most of the residents live in the Sørland area surrounding the main harbor. The old Værøy Lighthouse sits at the end of that harbor.

The 19 km2 municipality is the 351st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Værøy is the 347th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of only 688. The municipality's population density is 36.5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 8.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Værøy was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1928, the southern district of Værøy (population: 731) was separated to become the new Røst Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Værøya (Veðrøy) since the first Værøy Church was built there. The first element is the word which means "weather" (here referring to harsh weather and the exposed and unsheltered position of the island). The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Værø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Værøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 October 1988. The official blazon is "Azure, a puffin argent armed gules" (I blått en sølv lundefugl). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a puffin. The puffin has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is also "armed gules" which means that the beak and feet are colored red. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea. The churge is a puffin to represent the fact that they nest in large numbers in the area and historically, they held great importance for the island municipality, both for meat and down feathers. The arms were designed by John Digernes.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Værøy. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography

The island municipality is made up of many islands, the two largest islands being Værøya and Mosken. It is located at the end of the Lofoten archipelago. The Norwegian Sea lies to the northwest and the Vestfjorden lies to the southeast. The Moskenstraumen maelstrom lies to the north between Værøya and Moskenesøya.

Climate
The weather in Værøy can be very changeable. Sunshine, rain, wind, and mist may interchange rapidly. The winter climate is mild and the temperature seldom drops much below 0 C even in mid-winter. This makes conditions for stockfish exceptionally good.

Røst and Værøy are among the most northern locations in the world where there is no meteorological winter because the average temperature generally stays above freezing all year. The winter temperatures in southern Lofoten represent the highest temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude. However, the winter weather is rather windy.

The polar night occurs from 13 to 29 December and the midnight sun occurs from 28 May to 15 July.

Værøy has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) with short, cool summers and long, but not very cold, winters. The all-time low of -9.5 C since recording started in 2005 is extremely mild for a location north of the Arctic Circle, and even milder than the record low for Madrid, Spain or Jacksonville, Florida.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Værøy is made up of 13 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Værøy (incomplete list):
 * 1967-1971: Willy Arne Wold (Sp)
 * 1975-1979: Willy Arne Wold (Sp)
 * 19??-2003: Asmund Berg (Ap)
 * 2003-2015: Harald Adolfsen (H)
 * 2015-2019: Dagfinn Arntsen (KrF)
 * 2019–present: Susann Berg Kristiansen (LL)

Transportation
Helicopter transport is available from Bodø at the Værøy Heliport in Sørland. There was airplane service at Værøy Airport, but it was discontinued after the Værøy accident in 1990 in which five people died. The airport was determined to be in a bad position, due to the location next to a mountain and the frequent presence of strong and unpredictable winds, which made takeoffs and landings dangerous. Ferry service is also available from Bodø, Moskenes, and Røst.

Tourist attractions

 * Sportfishing for cod, coalfish, and halibut is practiced here.
 * Turstien is a floodlit track which was opened in 1999. The surface is suitable for bikers, prams, and wheelchairs.
 * Breivika is situated on the road between Sørland and Nordland, and is the location of the Skarsursanden beach. From the main road there is a signposted path going up Breivikdalen.
 * Heia has views of the island. It can be reached via a step path called Bjørka, or by following the tarred road up Rømdalen. About halfway there is an old eagle trapping site.
 * Eagle trapping is a tradition peculiar to the Værøy islanders. They caught eagles with their bare hands. Ancient sites can still be seen, at Rømdalen, for instance.
 * Gjerdeheia forms a vast and completely flat plateau on top. It can be reached from Breiviksdalen by turning left at the end of the valley or following the path going up Rømdalen and turning right before passing Hornet.
 * Nordlandsnupen is Værøy's highest mountain. One must reach it by walking up Breiviksdalen and turning right at the end of the valley.
 * Mollbakken in Nordland consists of smoothly ground round stones. Here, many burial sites from the Viking Age have been found.
 * Old Værøy Church in Nordland is the oldest church in Lofoten, built around 1740. The altarpiece dates back to about 1714 and features alabaster figures made in England in 1430.
 * Nordlandshagen - the Garden of Nordland - is a popular area for the outdoor life. The midnight sun can be seen here from 30 May to 13 July.
 * Mostad is located in the south. The mountainside more or less hangs right over the old, abandoned village of Mostad. This is where the puffin dog originated. Often people will walk from Nordlandshagen.
 * Norwegian Lundehund or Puffin dog is one of Norway's seven breeds of dogs, and the rarest one. It has an extra toe, is small, and very agile. Puffin dogs were used solely for the puffin hunt and because the hunt was of such great importance to the islanders, this race of dogs managed to survive in Værøy.
 * Sanden is a beach with a 400 m tall wall of rock towers over the spot, making it incredibly warm on fine summer days. Access is only by boat.

In literature

 * The island of "Vurrgh" in Edgar Allan Poe's story A Descent into the Maelström (1841) is Værøy.

Notable people

 * Willy Arne Wold (1929 in Værøy – 1996), a Norwegian politician who was twice Mayor of Værøy in 1960s & 1970s
 * Bernhard-Jens Eggesbø (born 1931 in Værøy), a Norwegian military officer and civil servant who worked for NATO
 * Guri Ingebrigtsen (1952 in Værøy – 2020), a Norwegian politician who was Mayor of Vestvågøy from 1999 to 2007

title: Værøy


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Flakstad

Flakstad is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of the island group Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ramberg. Other villages include Fredvang, Napp, Nusfjord, and Vareid.

The municipality is located in the Lofoten Islands and comprises the entire island of Flakstadøya and the northern part of the island of Moskenesøya. The European route E10 highway runs across the whole municipality.

The 178 km2 municipality is the 311th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Flakstad is the 318th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,220. The municipality's population density is 7.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 11.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Flakstad was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1916, the southern part of the municipality (population: 1,306) was separated to form the new Moskenes Municipality. This left Flakstad with 1,667 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Flakstad (population: 2,067) was merged into the neighboring municipality of Moskenes (population: 2,001), creating a new, larger municipality of Moskenes. This merger, however, only lasted for twelve years. On 1 January 1976, the merger was undone with Moskenes (population: 1,705) and Flakstad (population: 2,007) becoming separate municipalities once again.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Flakstad farm (Flakstaðir or Flatarstaðir) since the first Flakstad Church was built there. The first element of the name is uncertain. It may come from the word flak which may have meant "reckless". Another option is that it derived from the word flag which meant "rock wall", possibly referring to the large cliff near the church site. The last element is the plural form of which means "homestead", "abode", or "farm".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 14 July 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, a mooring bollard argent" (I blått en sølv tørnbolt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a mooring bollard which is a type of fixed device used for tying a hawser line from a boat to the dock. The mooring bollard has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea and the mooring bollard was chosen to represent the municipality's seafaring history. The arms were designed by Jorunn Thomassen and Jarle Henriksen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Flakstad. It is part of the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Economy
The municipality's economy is dominated by fishing. The fishing fleet mainly consists of small boats. There are also several fish farm in Flakstad. There is some agriculture in Flakstad, but mostly cattle and sheep farming rather than growing crops.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Flakstad is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Flakstad (incomplete list):

 * 1986-1987: Alf Ivar Samuelsen (Ap)
 * 2003-2005: Alf Ivar Samuelsen (Ap)
 * 2005-2007: Ann-Helen Fjeldstad Jusnes (Ap)
 * 2007-2015: Stein Iversen (Sp)
 * 2015-2019: Hans Fredrik Sørdal (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Trond Kroken (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Einar Benjaminsen (LL)

Geography
Located near the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago, Flakstad comprises all of the island of Flakstadøya and the northern part of the island of Moskenesøya. The islands are connected by the Fredvang Bridges and the Kåkern Bridge. The large lake Solbjørnvatnet lies on the northern part of Moskenesøya in Flakstad.

Vestvågøy Municipality lies to the northeast on the island of Vestvågøya, the Vestfjorden lies to the southeast, the Moskenes Municipality lies to the southwest on the island of Moskenesøya, and the Norwegian Sea lies to the northwest.

Notable people

 * Fredrik Arentz Krog (1844 in Flakstad – 1923) a Norwegian barrister
 * Gina Krog (1847 in Flakstad – 1916) a Norwegian suffragist, teacher, liberal politician and editor
 * Birger Eriksen (1875 in Flakstad – 1958) a Norwegian officer, commander of Oscarsborg Fortress in WWII
 * Sigurd Lund Hamran (1902 in Flakstad – 1977) a politician, Mayor and deputy Mayor of Moskenes between 1937 & 1961
 * Alf Ivar Samuelsen (1942 in Flakstad – 2014) a Norwegian politician and Mayor of in Flakstad

title: Flakstad


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Vestvågøy

Vestvågøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leknes. Some of the villages in the municipality include Ballstad, Borg, Bøstad, Gravdal, Knutstad, Stamsund, and Tangstad. With over 11,300 inhabitants, Vestvågøy is the most populous municipality in all of the Lofoten and Vesterålen regions in Nordland county.

The Lofotr museum in Borg shows a reconstructed Iron Age Viking chieftain's residence, with a house measuring 80 m, built of stone and turf.

The 424 km2 municipality is the 232nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vestvågøy is the 99th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,551. The municipality's population density is 28.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 6.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Vestvågøy was created on 1 January 1963 when the four municipalities on the island of Vestvågøya were merged into one municipality for the whole island. The old municipalities on the island were Borge (population: 4,056), Buksnes (population: 4,416), Hol (population: 3,154), and Valberg (population: 662). Initially, Vestvågøy had 12,288 residents. The borders have not changed since.

Name
The municipality is named after the island of Vestvågøya. The Old Norse name of the island was Lófót (see Lofoten), but when Lofoten became the name of the whole archipelago, the island became known as Vestvågøy. The first element of the name is the prefix which means "west". The middle element derives from the word which means "bay" or "inlet". The last element is the definite form of the word which means "the island". Thus it means "the west bay island".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 September 1984. The official blazon is "Azure, two stockfish addorsed" (I blått to opprette og motstilte sølv tørrfisker). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two dried codfish (also known as stockfish. The fish have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. This was chosen since the municipality is one of the main Norwegian exporters of (dried) cod or stockfish and has been since the Middle Ages. The arms were designed by Kjell Kvivesen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vestvågøy. It is part of the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
Vestvågøy municipality is among the most scenic in Norway. It encompassed the whole island of Vestvågøya with the Norwegian Sea to the north and the Vestfjorden to the south. The island has rugged cliffs and peaks facing the southeastern coast. Towards the northwest, however, the land is flat, with extensive farmlands. Most people are found in the town of Leknes and in its "twin town" Gravdal, where Nordland Hospital is located. Along the southeastern coast, one finds picturesque fishing villages like Ballstad and Stamsund, where the Hurtigruten (coastal ferry) stops.

The coastline is dominated by high mountains, such as the 671 m tall Skottinden, and on the west coast also sandy white beaches. Uttakleiv the most romantic beach in Europe, according to the British newspaper The Times, and the neighbouring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet as the best beach in Norway.

In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 until July 17, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 until January 4. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as Uttakleiv and Eggum.

Climate
There is an official weather station at Leknes Airport. Vestvågøy has the rare cold-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csc). Autumn and winter is much wetter than spring and summer. The driest month (July) get less than one fifth of the precipitation in the wettest month (December), fitting the mediterranean category with only 38 mm of rain, under the 40 mm required for such a classification.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vestvågøy is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors of Vestvågøy:

 * 1963-1963: Alsing Wik (H)
 * 1964–1967: Walter Tjønndal (Ap)
 * 1968–1969: Boy Rist (H)
 * 1970–1971: Karl Leirfall (Sp)
 * 1972–1973: Eivind Bolle (Ap)
 * 1974–1975: Johannes Sundrønning (Ap)
 * 1976–1977: Petter Limstrand (Sp)
 * 1978–1981: Johannes Sundrønning (Ap)
 * 1982–1983: Petter Limstrand (Sp)
 * 1984–1987: Søren Fredrik Voie (H)
 * 1988–1991: Karl Sverre Klevstad (KrF)
 * 1992–1999: Frank Rist (Sp)
 * 1999–2007: Guri Ingebrigtsen (Ap)
 * 2007–2015: Jonny Finstad (H)
 * 2015–2023: Remi Solberg (Ap)
 * 2023–present: Jonny Finstad (H)

Transportation
Leknes is the municipal and administrative centre and is situated in the geographical middle of Lofoten, approximately 68 km west of Svolvær and 65 km east of Å. Leknes is the trading and shopping centre of Lofoten, only rivaled by Svolvær. Leknes Airport is for smaller aircraft, with 7 daily scheduled flights to Bodø and some daily flights to Svolvær and Røst with Widerøe airlines. There is a small bus terminal which serves as a hub with bus links to the rest of Lofoten. The Leknes Havn (harbor) is one of Norway's most important and visited harbors for cruise ships. Hurtigruten has been an important means of communication for a century. It docks in Stamsund twice every night, one heading south towards Bodø the other heading north towards Svolvær.

The European route E10 highway crosses the municipality (and island) with the Sundklakkstraumen Bridge connecting to Vågan in the north and the Nappstraumen Tunnel connecting to Flakstad in the south.

Twin towns – Sister cities
Vestvågøy is twinned with:

 * 🇮🇸 Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur, Iceland

Notable people

 * Hartvig Jentoft (1693 in Borge – 1739), a Norwegian tradesman and sailor
 * Karl Uchermann (1855 in Borge – 1940), a Norwegian painter of dogs and altarpieces
 * Mikael Heggelund Foslie (1855 in Borge – 1909), a botanist and algaeologist
 * Jens R. Nilssen (1880 in Valberg – 1964), a Norwegian illustrator, comics creator, and cartoonist
 * Edvarda Lie (1910–1963), a painter, drawer, and illustrator who was brought up in Vestvågøy
 * Boy Rist (1912 in Gravdal – 1972), a naval officer and member of the Norwegian resistance in WWII
 * Harald Sverdrup (1923 in Gravdal – 1992), a Norwegian poet and children's writer
 * Kari Wærness (born 1939 in Leknes), a Norwegian sociologist
 * Søren Fredrik Voie (born 1949 in Vestvågøy), a politician who was Mayor of Vestvågøy from 1983-1987
 * Guri Ingebrigtsen (1952–2020), a Norwegian politician who was Mayor of Vestvågøy from 1999 to 2007
 * Rahim Aga Khan (born 1971), son of Prince Karim Aga Khan who bought a house in Unstad in 2019

title: Vestvågøy


text:
Vågan

Vågan is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Svolvær. Some of the villages in Vågan include Digermulen, Gimsøysand, Gravermarka, Henningsvær, Hopen, Kabelvåg, Kleppstad, Laupstad, Liland, Skrova, Straumnes, and Sydalen.

The 479 km2 municipality is the 210th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vågan is the 116th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,736. The municipality's population density is 21.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 5.7% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Vågan was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1856, the northwestern part of Vågan Municipality (population: 987) was separated to form the new Gimsøy Municipality. On 1 July 1918, the town of Svolvær (population: 2,429) was separated to form its own municipality. This left Vågan with 3,399 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Gimsøy (population: 1,551), Svolvær (population: 3,952), and Vågan (population: 4,820) were merged to form the new, larger municipality of Vågan.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vågan farm (Vágar) since the first Vågan Church was built there. The name is the plural form of which means "bay" or "inlet". The island of Austvågøya (Vágøy) was named after this important site too (which later led the neighboring island to be named Vestvågøya). On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms. Prior to this change, the name was spelled Vaagan with the digraph "aa", and after this reform, the name was spelled Vågan, using the letter å instead.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 March 1973. The official blazon is "Azure, a cod embowed argent" (På blå bunn en vertikalstillet fremadbøyd sølv torsk). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a cod. The cod has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the code were chosen because fishing is the main source of income for the municipality. The arms were designed by Hallvard Traetteberg, basing them off the old arms for the town of Svolvær which was merged into Vågan in 1964.

Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vågan. It is part of the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The main population centres are the town of Svolvær and the villages of Kabelvåg and Henningsvær, located on the largest island, Austvågøya (although Svolvær and Henningsvær are partly located on smaller islands adjacent to the main island). All three have a picturesque situation under the rugged Lofoten mountains, facing the rough body of water called Vestfjorden. Vågan municipality includes over half of Austvågøya island, all of the islands of Gimsøya, Skrova, Stormolla, Litlmolla, numerous other tiny islets, plus the southwestern tip of the island of Hinnøya. The Moholmen Lighthouse and Skrova Lighthouse are both located in the Vestfjorden. Two notable mountains in the municipality are Higravstinden and Svolværgeita. Other mountains include Fløyfjellet, Trakta, and Vågakallen.

Climate
Skrova near Svolvær has a temperate climate (marine west coast) in the 1991-2020 period.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vågan is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Vågan:

 * 1838-1839: Bjørn Ursin Rist
 * 1840-1843: S.L. Hansen
 * 1844-1846: Jens Hasselberg
 * 1846-1850: Georg Ludvig Størmer
 * 1850-1852: W.C. Schmidt
 * 1852-1856: Marcus Normann
 * 1857-1860: Johan Peter Bordewich
 * 1861-1864: Peder Rohde Simonsen
 * 1864-1868: Christoffer Ellingsen
 * 1868-1872: John Steen
 * 1873-1876: Christoffer Ellingsen
 * 1877-1880: Christian Eger
 * 1881-1888: Andreas M. Hansen (V)
 * 1889-1894: Ole Johan Kaarbø (H)
 * 1895-1898: Martin Kvam
 * 1899-1904: Peder Schønning
 * 1905-1910: Erik Lund (H)
 * 1911-1913: Jonas Pedersen (V)
 * 1914-1914: Anton K. Meyer (V)
 * 1915-1919: Eyvind Borgen (H)
 * 1920-1922: Hilmar Christensen
 * 1923-1925: Emil Henriksen (V)
 * 1926-1931: B. Knaplund
 * 1932-1942: Julius Høy (V)
 * 1942-1944: David Eilertsen (NS)
 * 1944-1945: Henrik Grønhaug (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Halvdan Fjelldal (V)
 * 1945-1955: Birger Benjaminsen (Ap)
 * 1956-1965: Egil Wiik (V)
 * 1966-1967: Torleif Reinholdtsen (Ap)
 * 1968-1975: Egil Schumacher (Ap)
 * 1976-1977: Thor Wikan (H)
 * 1978-1979: Egil Reiertsen (Ap)
 * 1980-1983: Thor Wikan (H)
 * 1983–1995: Steinar Molvik (Ap)
 * 1995-1999: Harald E. Hansen (Sp)
 * 1999–2011: Hugo Bjørnstad (Ap)
 * 2011–2019: Eivind Holst (H)
 * 2019–2023: Frank Johnsen (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Vidar Thom Benjaminsen (H)

History and economy
Kabelvåg is the oldest fishing village in Lofoten, where King Øystein built the first fishing shacks in the early 12th century. The Lofoten Cathedral, built in 1898, seats 1,200 people, and used to be filled to the last seat during the Lofoten fishing in the winter.

Henningsvær has a picturesque situation on several islands, and is today more important for fishing. Svolvær is the municipal centre, and has an impressive number of artists' studios and galleries. In addition to the cod fisheries, salmon fish farming and tourism are economically important in Vågan.

Transportation
The islands that make up Vågan are connected by several different bridges. The European route E10 highway connects the neighboring municipality of Vestvågøy to Vågan (Gimsøya island) by the Sundklakkstraumen Bridge. Gimsøya island connects to Austvågøya island by the Gimsøystraumen Bridge. The islands of Henningsvær are connected to Austvågøya by the Henningsvær Bridges. The rest of the small islands are only accessible by boats and ferries. In the town of Svolvær, the Svinøy Bridge connects the main part of town to the island of Svinøya. Svolvær Airport, Helle is located just east of the town of Svolvær.

Sister cities

 * 🇮🇹 Ancona, Italy

Notable people

 * Eystein I of Norway (ca.1088–1123), King of Norway, 1103 to 1123, who founded the settlement of Vågan
 * Paul Egede (1708 in Kabelvåg – 1789), a Dano-Norwegian theologian, scholar, and Lutheran missionionary to the Kalaallit people in Greenland
 * Niels Rasch Egede (1710 in Vågan – 1782), a Danish-Norwegian merchant and Lutheran missionary in Greenland
 * Gunnar Berg (1863 on Svinøya – 1893), a painter who painted the everyday life of local fishermen in Lofoten
 * Martin Hoff Ekroll (1865 in Skroven – 1916), a merchant, mountaineer, and Arctic explorer
 * Erna Schøyen (born 1887 in Kabelvåg – 1968), a Norwegian actress
 * Gisken Wildenvey (1892 at Austvågøy – 1985), a novelist and author of short stories
 * Soffi Schønning (1895 in Kabelvåg – 1994), a Norwegian operatic soprano
 * Ellen Einan (1931 in Svolvær – 2013), a Norwegian poet and illustrator
 * Dagfinn Bakke (1933–2019 in Svolvær), a Norwegian painter, illustrator, and printmaker
 * Hans Christian Alsvik (1936 in Svolvær – 2011), a Norwegian television presenter
 * Jack Berntsen (1940–2010), a philologist, songwriter, and folk singer; lived in Svolvær from 1968
 * Inger Johanne Grytting (born 1949 in Svolvær), an artist, lives and works in New York City
 * Maryon Eilertsen (1950 in Svolvær – 2015), a Norwegian actress and theatre director
 * Kari Bremnes (born 1956 in Svolvær), a Norwegian singer and songwriter
 * Marit Andreassen (born 1966 in Svolvær), a Norwegian actress
 * Maria Strømme (born 1970 in Svolvær) a physicist and academic who lives and works in Sweden

Sport

 * Terje Hanssen (born 1948 in Kabelvåg), a former biathlete who competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics
 * Ørjan Løvdal (born 1962 in Svolvær), a Norwegian ice hockey player and coach
 * Cato André Hansen (born 1972 in Strauman), a football coach and former player with 234 caps for FK Bodø/Glimt
 * Stig Johansen (born 1972 in Kabelvåg), a former footballer with 305 club caps and 3 for Norway

title: Vågan


text:
Hadsel

Hadsel is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stokmarknes. Other villages in Hadsel include Fiskebøl, Gjerstad, Grønning, Grytting, Hanøyvika, Hennes, Kaljord, Melbu, Sanden, and Sandnes.

The municipality is the southernmost municipality in the Vesterålen region. It is spread over several main islands: Hadseløya, Børøya, Hinnøya, Langøya, and Austvågøya. About 70% of the population live on Hadseløya island. Hadseløya island is connected to Langøya by the Hadsel Bridge and Børøy Bridge. Also, the Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen, is located nearby. It is the busiest small aircraft airport in Norway, serving 100,000 passengers annually (1997).

The 567 km2 municipality is the 192nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hadsel is the 130th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,184. The municipality's population density is 14.9 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.7% over the previous 10-year period.

The municipality is surrounded by several other municipalities: Sortland lies to the north, Bø to the west, Vågan to the south, and Lødingen to the east.

Part of the municipality is called Innlandet [the inland], consisting of the villages Kaljord, Hennes, Kvitnes, Kvantoelv and Fiskfjord.

Economy: In Spring 2022, a company started mining of cryptocurrency at the company's facility in Stokmarknes; later that year the municipality decideded to cancel the business permit, and informed the company; as of Q1 2023, the business can continue its operation; an estimate has been made about how much electrical power the facility uses: around 40% of the power consumed (in the municipality), from the electric grid.

History
Hadsel was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The northern district of Hadsel was separated in 1841 to form the new Sortland Municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, the Indre Eidsfjord district of Hadsel (population: 1,360) was transferred to Sortland municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hadsel farm (Hǫfðasegl) since the first Hadsel Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of which means "high and steep cliff" or "head". The last element is which means "sail". (A cliff near the farm has been compared in form to a sail.)

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 March 1976. The official blazon is "Azure, four annulets Or, two and two" (I blått fire gull ringer - 2,2). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is four rings (two over two). The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of sea for this island municipality. The four rings represent the four main islands of that make up Hadsel: Hadseløya, Austvågøya, Hinnøya, and Langøya. The arms were designed by Øystein Bottolfsen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Hadsel. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality is located upon four main islands in the Vesterålen archipelago: Hinnøya, Langøya, Hadseløya, and Austvågøya, plus the small islands of Børøya and Brottøya. The mountain Higravstinden on the border with Vågan is one of the tallest mountains in the region.

Climate
Hadsel has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). The warmest temperature recorded is 29 °C in July 2014. The coldest temperature recorded is -14.4 °C in March 2019. Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen in Hadsel has recorded temperature since June 1972. Data for extremes available since 2004, there might be warmer or colder temperatures recorded before 2004.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hadsel is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors of Hadsel (incomplete list):

 * 1872–1878: Sofus Arctander
 * (unknown period): Carl Martin Ellingsen
 * 1919-1928: K. L. Leknes (V)
 * 1928-1931: Håvard Hanssen
 * 1934-1937: O. Fjellstad (Ap)
 * 1945-1945: Olav Dahl
 * 1959-1967: Edmund Fjærvoll (KrF)
 * 1968-1971: Bjarne Bendiksen (Ap)
 * 1972-1972: Egil Karlsen (V)
 * 1972-1973: Trygve Pettersen (Ap)
 * 1974-1975: Elnar Bårdsen (Ap)
 * 1975-1979: John Kristiansen (H)
 * 1979-1985: Dag Jostein Fjærvoll (KrF)
 * 1985-1987: Ingegjerd Solum (Ap)
 * 1987-1999: Hugo Olsen (Ap)
 * 1999-2003: Ørjan Robertsen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Reidar Johnsen (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Kjell-Børge Freiberg (FrP)
 * 2015-2019: Siv Dagny Aasvik (Ap)
 * 2019–2020: Kurt Eirik Jenssen (Sp)
 * 2020-2023: Aina Johanne Nilsen (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Kjell-Børge Freiberg (H)

Notable people

 * Øyvinn Øi (1901 in Hadsel – 1940), a Norwegian military officer killed at the outbreak of WWII
 * Asbjørn Herteig (1919 in Hadsel – 2006), an archeologist who was the first curator at the Bryggen Museum
 * Maren-Sofie Røstvig (1920 in Melbu – 2014), a Norwegian literary historian
 * Henry Valen (1924 in Hadsel – 2007), a Norwegian political scientist and academic
 * Lars Andreas Larssen (1935 in Melbu – 2014), a Norwegian stage, film, and television actor
 * Oddbjørn Knutsen (1953 in Hadsel – 2019), a Norwegian political scientist and academic
 * Kjell-Børge Freiberg (born 1971 In Hadsel), a Norwegian politician, government minister, and mayor of Hadsel from 2007 to 2015

title: Hadsel


text:
Bø

Bø may refer to the following:

Norway
Of places in Norway, Bø most commonly refers to:

 * Bø, Telemark, a municipality in Telemark county in Southern Norway, population 5,977. Home of the main campus of the University of South-Eastern Norway and the Bø Sommarland water park.
 * Bø, Nordland, a municipality in Nordland county in Northern Norway, population 2,569

It may also refer to:
 * Bø, Andøy, a village in Andøy Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø, Drangedal, a village in Drangedal Municipality in Telemark county
 * Bø, Hordaland, a former municipality in Hordaland county (also called Hordabø)
 * Bø, Nordland (village), a village in Bø Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø, Sortland, a village in Sortland Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø, Steigen, a village in Steigen Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø, Telemark (village), a village in Bø Municipality in Telemark county
 * Bø, Troms, a village in Skånland Municipality in Troms county
 * Bø, Vestvågøy, a village in Vestvågøy Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø Station, a railway station in Bø Municipality in Telemark county
 * Bø Church (Hyllestad), a church in Hyllestad Municipality in Vestland county
 * Bø Church (Nordland), a church in Bø Municipality in Nordland county
 * Bø Church (Telemark), a church in Bø Municipality in Telemark county
 * Old Bø Church, a historic church in Bø Municipality in Telemark county

People

 * Alisha Bø, a Norwegian actress
 * Egil á Bø, a Faroese football defender who plays for EB/Streymur and the Faroe Islands national football team
 * Finn Bø, a Norwegian songwriter, revue writer, playwright, journalist, and theatre critic
 * Johannes Thingnes Bø, a Norwegian biathlete
 * Tarjei Bø, a Norwegian professional biathlete

title: Bø


text:
Bø, Nordland

Bø is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Vesterålen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Straume (grocery and gasoline stations). In addition to this, Bø municipality consists of several other villages including Steine and Vinje (grocery, liquor store, swimming pool, movie theater and additional service infrastructure), Gimstad, Fjærvoll, Straumsjøen, Skårvågen, Søberg, Malnes/ Eidet (grocery and hardware store), Guvåg, Hovden, Klakksjorda, Nykvåg, Utskor, Ringstad and Vågen. The area named Bø in Bø municipality is the place where Bø Church (built 1824) is located.

The Litløy Lighthouse is located on the tiny island of Litløya off the coast of Bø.

The 247 km2 municipality is the 288th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bø is the 248th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,584. The municipality's population density is 11 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Bø was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1866, a small area of the neighboring Øksnes Municipality (population: 40) was transferred to Bø. On 1 January 1964, the Kråkberget village and the peninsula north of Kråkberget (population: 271) was transferred from the neighboring municipality of Øksnes to Bø.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bø farm (Bœr) since the first Bø Church was built there. The name is identical to the word which means "farm" or "farmstead". It is a cognate with the Dutch language word which means "farmer".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 August 1987. The official blazon is "Sable, a demi-boat argent with a mast and a square sail" (I svart en halv sølv båt med mast og råseil). This means the arms have a black field (background) and the charge is a half-boat with a mast and a square sail. The boat has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. This was chosen to represent the importance of fishing in Bø, but also reminiscent of some old legends/fairy tales in the region that include a "half boat". (The sea ghost draugr travelled in a half boat.) The arms were designed by Rolf Tidemann.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Bø. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Population
The municipality has sustained a steady decline in population since the 1950s when 6,122 people lived in Bø. The 2001 census showed that the population had declined to 3,156, while the fourth quarter population estimate for 2007 showed the population at 2866. The bureau of statistics projects a continued population decline.

The municipality has 73 gårdsnummer in the cadastre. The largest and densest population center is the Vinje, Skagen, and Steine area in the southwestern part of the municipality, which is designated as the village of "Bø" by Statistics Norway.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Taxation
In 2020, the municipality announced a reduction in its wealth tax, creating a tax shelter unique in Norway, in order to encourage population growth. The state charges a 0.85% wealth tax on an individual's global assets above 1.5 million Norwegian kroner. Of this, 0.15% goes to the state, and the remaining 0.7% goes to the individual's municipality of residence. Bø announced that after January 2021, it would reduce its stake to just from 0.7% to 0.2%, and thus reducing the tax collected from 0.85% to 0.35%.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bø is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Bø (incomplete list):
 * 1863-1864: John Røst Olsen
 * 1881-1888: John Røst Olsen
 * 1889-1910: William Martinussen (V)
 * 1917-1934: William Martinussen (V)
 * 1945-1945: Jens Steffensen (Ap)
 * 1984-1985: Torbjørn Oluf Andersen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Viggo Johnsen (Sp)
 * 2007–present: Sture Pedersen (H)

Geography
The municipality of Bø lies on the island of Langøya and many small surrounding islets including Litløya and Gaukværøy. The Norwegian County Road 820 is the only road that connects Bø to the rest of Norway via the 1612 m long Ryggedal Tunnel, connecting Bø to the neighboring municipalities of Øksnes and Sortland.

Climate
Bø has a subpolar oceanic climate, and is close to a temperate oceanic climate. Bø is the northernmost location in the world with all monthly means above 0 °C. The current weather station is on the south coast of the island. An earlier weather station was located more inland on the island in a flat marshy area, and had recorded up to 30. °C in July and down to -20 °C in February.

Man from the Sea
Looking out to sea from a rise above Vinje in the village of Bø stands the 'Man from the Sea', a 4.3 m high figure of a man made from cast iron. The man is holding a crystal in his hands like a sacrifice to the sea. In the winter light, the crystal turns blue. The man stands with his back to the village of Bø, and looks out over the craggy archipelago towards the distinctive silhouette of Gaukværøya island.

Notable people

 * Regine Normann (1867 in Bø – 1939), a Norwegian school teacher, novelist, and story writer
 * Ketil Vea (1932 in Bø – 2015), a Norwegian composer and pedagogue
 * Grethe Gynnild Johnsen (born 1959 in Bø), a Norwegian journalist and director of all regional offices for NRK
 * Bjørn Dæhlie (born 1967), a champion skier, intends to move to Bø for tax reasons

title: Bø, Nordland


text:
Øksnes

Øksnes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the northwestern part of the large island of Langøya, which is a part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Myre. Other villages in Øksnes include Alsvåg, Barkestad, Breidstrand, Nyksund, Strengelvåg, and Stø.

The 320 km2 municipality is the 257th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Øksnes is the 193rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,533. The municipality's population density is 14.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Øksnes was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1866, a small area of southern Øksnes (population: 40) was transferred to the neighboring Bø Municipality. On 1 July 1919, the northeastern part of Øksnes along the Gavlfjorden (population: 1,085) was separated to form the new Langenes Municipality. This left Øksnes with 2,296 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Krakberget area and the part of Øksnes on the peninsula north of Krakberget (population: 271) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Bø Municipality. On the same date the municipality of Langenes was merged with Øksnes. Prior to the merger, Øksnes had 3,112 residents and Langenes had 2,037 residents.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Øksnes farm (Yxnes) since the first Øksnes Church was built there. The first element is probably an old name of Skogsøya island (Yxn). The old name of the island was identical with the word which means "oxen". The mountains of the island have maybe been compared with a group of oxen. The last element is which means "headland".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 22 August 1986. The official blazon is "Or two hooks addorsed sable" (I gull to adosserte svarte angler). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is two black fishing hooks. The design was chosen to symbolize a municipality which is dependent on fishing and sailing. The hooks were based on the bone hooks that were used for fishing in this area prior to 17th century. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Øksnes. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
Øksnes municipality encompasses the northwestern part of the island of Langøya in the Vesterålen archipelago. It also includes many small islands around there including the islands of Anden, Dyrøya, Nærøya, Skogsøya, and Tindsøya. The Gavlfjorden flows along the northeastern part of the boundary with Andøy Municipality on the other side. The southeastern part of Øksnes borders Sortland Municipality and the southwestern part borders Bø Municipality (both municipalities are also located on Langøya island). The rest of the municipality borders the Norwegian Sea.

The municipality is quite rugged with the exception of the area east of Myre which is very flat and marshy. The large lake Alsvågvatnet lies near this flat area, just east of the village of Alsvåg. This flat area lies just to the north of the large mountain Snøkolla. The Anda Lighthouse is located on the tiny island of Anden.

Important Bird Area
An area of about 6000 ha at the north-eastern end of the island, comprising coastal lagoons, fens, transition mires, springs and mudflats, including the Grunnfjorden nature reserve and Grunnfjorden Ramsar site as well as other wetlands, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (BLI) because it supports populations of pink-footed and barnacle geese on passage migration.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Øksnes is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Øksnes (incomplete list):
 * 1967-1973: Finn Knutsen (Ap)
 * 1991-1999: Finn Knutsen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Per-Ole Larsen (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: John H. Danielsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Jørn Martinussen (H)
 * 2015-2019: Karianne Bråthen (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: John H. Danielsen (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Elisabeth Sørdahl (H)

Notable people

 * Oskar J. W. Hansen (1892 in Langenes – 1971), a naturalized American sculptor who worked at the Hoover Dam
 * Lydolf Lind Meløy (1908 in Meløya – 1999), a Norwegian educator, trade unionist, and politician
 * Finn Knutsen (born 1932 in Langenes), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Øksnes
 * Ove Kristian Sundberg (1932 in Øksnes – 2019), a church musician, musicologist, and historian of ideas
 * Maria Solheim (born 1982 in Alsvåg), a Norwegian singer-songwriter

title: Øksnes


text:
Sortland

or is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sortland. Other population centres in Sortland include Bø, Holand, Holmstad, Liland, Sigerfjord, Strand, and Vik. The Norwegian Coast Guard has its northern base in Sortland, called Kystvaktskvadron Nord.

In 1997, the municipal council declared "town status" for the urban area of Sortland. Sortland is the largest town and commercial centre in Vesterålen. The town of Sortland is located close to the Sortland Bridge which crosses the Sortlandsundet strait and connects the two large islands of Langøya and Hinnøya by road. Since a lot of houses in the town are painted blue, Sortland is sometimes referred to as "the blue city".

The 722 km2 municipality is the 159th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sortland is the 109th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,561. The municipality's population density is 15.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.8% over the previous 10-year period. In January 2012, the number of citizens in Sortland reached 10,000 for the first time.

General information
The municipality of Sortland was established in 1841 when it was separated from the large Hadsel Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, the Holm area (population: 65) along the Gavlfjorden was transferred from Langenes Municipality to Sortland. Also on that date, the area around the inner and western part of the Eidsfjorden (population: 1,360) was transferred from Hadsel Municipality to Sortland.

On 1 January 2000, the area surrounding the Godfjorden was transferred from Kvæfjord Municipality (and Troms county) to Sortland (and Nordland county).

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Sortland farm (Svortuland) since the first Sortland Church was built there. The first element is Svort which is the genitive case of the local river name Svorta. The river name is derived from which means "black" or "dark". The last element is which means "land" or "farm".

On 2 May 2017, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Suortá. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Suortá when it is spelled alone, but it is Suorttá suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Sortland municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 15 March 1985. The official blazon is "Azure, a castle with three towers without crenelation Or" (I blått en gull borg med tre tårn uten krenelering). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a castle with a gate and three towers without crenelation. The castle has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of sea and the castle is an updated version of an old coat of arms for Sortland. The castle gate symbolizes Sortland as the gateway to the Vesterålen region and that it is the commercial centre of the region as well. The arms were designed by Kurt Myrland.

The old coat of arms was in use from the 1950s until 1985 when the new arms were granted. The arms showed a castle (very similar to the one in the current arms) in a stylized landscape, including waves and sun rays. The arms included a golden border with three black-white-black piles issuing from both flanks of the white castle. Also, there were four red sun rays issuing from behind the castle (four piles issuant from chief and flanks conjoined in heart), and in the base there were waves of red, black, and white. In the white chief inscribed the word "Sortland". A mural crown with four embattlements was on the top.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sortland. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality of Sortland is located on the islands of Langøya and Hinnøya in the Vesterålen archipelago. The municipality surrounds the inner part of the Eidsfjorden and the Sortlandssundet strait. There are several bridges in the municipality including Djupfjordstraumen Bridge, Kvalsaukan Bridge, and Sortland Bridge. The Sortland Bridge is located just north of the town of Sortland. One of the main roads through the municipality is Norwegian County Road 82. The mountain Møysalen and part of Møysalen National Park are located in southern Sortland.

Midnight Sun and Aurora Borealis
The midnight sun occurs from 23 May to 23 July. Great places to observe the midnight sun includes the Sortland Bridge, Ramnflauget, Godfjorden, Holm, and Skytterhaugen in the Vestmarka residential area. Because of Sortland's high latitude, there is no real darkness between late April and mid-August.

Polar night occurs in Sortland from 30 November to 12 January when the sun remains below the horizon and is not visible at all. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration in Northern Norway, known as "Soldagen" (lit. Day of the sun) which is commonly celebrated with children getting the day off from school. The polar night does not mean that it becomes totally dark, typically daylight is visible for a few hours around noon.

Sortland and the Vesterålen region are perfect for observing the spectacular Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) phenomenon. The aurora borealis trails its multi coloured banner across the sky and the moon lights the scene making it a breathtaking experience. Pictures taken here have been presented in National Geographic Magazine.

Climate
Sortland has a subpolar oceanic climate. The weather station (Sortland-Kleiva) has been recording since January 1956. The record high of 31 C was set on 29 July 2018. The record low -13.5 C was set in January 2016 (extremes available since 2004). The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C) in spring is 7 May and average date for first freeze in autumn is 14 October giving a frost-free season of 159 days (1981-2010 average).

Earlier weather station

Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Midtre Hålogaland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sortland is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Sortland:

 * 1841-1841: Abel Ellingsen
 * 1842-1843: Jørgen Ottesen
 * 1844-1852: Abel Ellingsen
 * 1853-1856: C.H. Schanche
 * 1857-1868: Abel Ellingsen
 * 1869-1870: Laurits Ottesen
 * 1871-1874: Anton Holst
 * 1875-1876: Kristoffer Johnsen
 * 1877-1880: Laurits Ottesen
 * 1881-1882: E. Dietrichen
 * 1883-1884: Laurits Ottesen
 * 1885-1892: H. Knudsen
 * 1893-1894: H.M. Stoltz
 * 1895-1896: Jens N.A. Ellingsen
 * 1897-1901: H. Knudsen
 * 1902-1904: H.M. Stoltz
 * 1905-1907: H. Knudsen
 * 1908-1910: H.M. Stoltz
 * 1911-1913: Georg Ellingsen
 * 1914-1916: Olaf Holm
 * 1917-1919: J.D. Hammer
 * 1920-1922: Bernhard J. Steiro
 * 1923-1925: Dag Ellingsen
 * 1926-1926: Per Lunde
 * 1927-1928: Andreas Thomassen
 * 1929-1931: Anton J. Myhre
 * 1932-1934: Ottar Lunde
 * 1935-1936: Halvdan Bygdnes
 * 1937-1940: P.C. Reinsnes (Ap)
 * 1946-1959: P.C. Reinsnes (Ap)
 * 1960-1962: Ottar Wik
 * 1963-1975: P.C. Reinsnes (Ap)
 * 1976-1979: Thormod Olsen (H)
 * 1980-1981: Terje Johanssen
 * 1982-1987: Anton Pettersen
 * 1988-1994: Hill-Marta Solberg (Ap)
 * 1994-1995: Ronald Steen
 * 1995-2003: Ingolf Markussen (H)
 * 2003-2011: Svein Roar Jacobsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Grete Ellingsen (H)
 * 2015-2019: Tove Mette Bjørkmo (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Karl-Erling Nordlund (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Grete Ellingsen (H)

Music and culture
Sortland has been regarded as one of the best music communities in Norway, and the local band Madrugada has been one of the best ones in the nation. Sortland Jazz Festival is an event organized by Sortland Jazz and Music Club, which takes place every autumn. Some of the world's leading jazz musicians have been participating.

Shopping
Sortland is the largest commercial centre in Vesterålen with several indoors shopping centers and many small businesses. The retail turnover per inhabitant in Sortland is greater than in any other town in North Norway. Sortland is one of the few North Norwegian towns that have grown annually since the 1970s.

Notable residents

 * Knut Hamsun (1859–1952) the Nobel Prize–winning author wrote his novel Den Sidste Glæde (The Last Joy) in Sortland Hotel in 1911/12
 * Petter Carl Reinsnes (1904 in Reinsnes – 1976) politician, long-time Mayor of Sortland
 * Hill-Marta Solberg (born 1951 in Sortland) politician and County Governor of Nordland
 * Lars Saabye Christensen (born 1953) a Norwegian/Danish author, lived in Sortland
 * Olav Christopher Jenssen (born 1954 in Sortland) a Norwegian artist and academic
 * Oddmund Finnseth (born 1957 in Sortland) a jazz musician, composer and music teacher
 * Sivert Høyem (born 1976 in Kleiva) singer with the rock band Madrugada
 * Krister Wemberg (born 1992 in Sortland) a footballer with over 200 club caps
 * Ingrid Skjoldvær (born 1993) a Norwegian environmentalist with Nature and Youth

title: Sortland