Harry Herstad ( Ap )
Who was the chair of Stord in Oct 2015?
Stord Stord is a municipality in Vestland county , Norway . It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland . Stord is sometimes called Norway in miniature since it has such a variety of landscapes : coastline , fjords , forests , agricultural land , and mountain areas . The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leirvik , which is also the largest town in the municipality and the whole region of Sunnhordland . Leirvik was declared a town in 1997 . Other population centres in the municipality include the large village of Sagvåg and the smaller villages of Litlabø and Grov . The municipality is the 316th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway . Stord is the 68th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 18,759 . The municipalitys population density is and its population has increased by 6.8% over the previous 10-year period . General information . The parish of Stordøen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ( see formannskapsdistrikt law ) . In 1863 , the northern district of the municipality ( population : 2,313 ) was separated to become the new municipality of Fitjar . On 15 May 1868 , the southern district of Stordøen located on the mainland ( population : 900 ) was separated to form the new municipality of Valestrand . On 1 January 1898 , the southern part of the island of Huglo ( population : 117 ) was transferred from the neighboring municipality of Fjelberg to Stord . On 1 January 1970 , the small uninhabited part of the island of Stord along the Valvatnavågen that belonged to Bømlo was transferred to Stord municipality . Name . The municipality is named after the large island of Stord ( ) . The name is old and it was ( and still is ) used in Icelandic literature meaning ground or earth . Before 1889 , the name was written Stordøen . Coat of arms . The coat of arms was granted on 19 June 1987 . The arms shows a yellow twig of holly on a red background . The holly was chosen since it is a common tree in the municipality . The designer was Truls Nygaard . Churches . The Church of Norway has two parishes ( ) within the municipality of Stord . It is part of the Sunnhordland prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin . Geography . Stord is located on the southern half of the island of Stord ( the northern part is part of Fitjar Municipality ) . The municipality also includes the islands of Huglo Storstøya , Nautøya , and Føyno . The Hardangerfjorden runs along the southern border of the island municipality , separating it from the municipalities of Kvinnherad , Vindafjord , and Sveio . The Langenuen strait runs along the eastern side , separating it from Tysnes municipality . The Stokksundet and Digernessundet straits runs along the western border , separating it from the municipality of Bømlo . The mountain Mehammarsåto is the highest point in the municipality . History . The battle of Stord was fought on or by this island between the Norwegian king Hakon Haraldsson and the Danish king Harald Bluetooth Gormsson , supported by Hakons brothers sons led by Harald Greycloak Eiriksson . Economy . The 3 largest private employers in Stord municipality are : Kværner , Wärtsilä Norway AS and Leirvik AS . Together these three companies employ more than 3000 people . Kværner Stord , situated south of Leirvik on the peninsula of Eldøyane , is the largest yard in Norway . Aker Stord has built the biggest oil production platforms in the world , Gullfaks C and Troll . Transport . An extensive tunnel and bridge system , the Triangle Link , connected Stord to the mainland on 27 December 2000 and to the neighboring island of Bømlo on 30 April 2001 . The bridges involved are the Bømla Bridge and Stord Bridge and the tunnel is the Bømlafjord Tunnel . The airport in Stord is Stord Airport , Sørstokken , is located northwest of Sagvåg on the Sørstokken peninsula . On 10 October 2006 , Atlantic Airways Flight 670 skidded off the runway at the airport . Four people died . Health Care . Stord Hospital is a local hospital for the municipalities in Sunnhordland , with a total of around 50,000 inhabitants . The hospital has specialist health services in medicine , surgery , X-ray / lab and food / gynecology . Stord District Psychiatric Center ( DPS ) is close by and has specialist health services within mental health care for adults and children / adolescents . Stord ambulance station has premises in the same area and Sunnhordland inter-municipal emergency room is co-located with the hospital . Government . All municipalities in Norway , including Stord , are responsible for primary education ( through 10th grade ) , outpatient health services , senior citizen services , unemployment and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads . The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives , which in turn elect a mayor . The municipality falls under the Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal . Municipal council . The municipal council ( ) of Stord is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four year terms . The party breakdown of the council is as follows : Mayor . The mayors of Stord ( incomplete list ) : - 2017–present : Gaute Straume Epland ( Ap ) - 2015-2017 : Harry Herstad ( Ap ) - 2007-2015 : Liv Kari Eskeland ( H ) - 1991-2007 : Magne Rommetveit ( Ap ) Notable people . - Lars Eskeland ( 1867–1942 ) a Norwegian educator , writer and proponent of Nynorsk - Olaf Lange ( 1875–1965 ) a Norwegian painter who visualised the complexity of the modern urban life with symbolistic paintings ; lived in Stord around 1950 - Olaf Kullmann ( 1892–1942 ) a Norwegian naval officer and then peace activist - Magne Rommetveit ( 1918–2009 ) a Norwegian lexicographer - Ragnar Rommetveit ( 1924–2017 ) a Norwegian psychologist and academic - Ivar Eskeland ( 1927–2005 ) a Norwegian philologist , publisher , translator , biographer , literary critic , newspaper editor , theatre worker and radio personality - Hans J . Røsjorde ( born 1941 ) a politician and County Governor of Oslo and Akershus 2001 to 2011 - Jan Kåre Hystad ( born 1955 ) a Norwegian jazz musician , plays saxophone , clarinet and flute - Rune Belsvik ( born 1956 ) a Norwegian novelist , playwright , short story writer and childrens writer - Magne Rommetveit ( born 1956 ) a politician , Mayor of Stord , 1992–2007 - Ole Jacob Hystad ( born 1960 ) a Norwegian jazz musician , plays tenor saxophone and clarinet - Janove Ottesen ( born 1975 ) a Norwegian musician , sings and plays guitar and barrels - Synnøve Macody Lund ( born 1976 ) a Norwegian journalist , film critic , model and actress - Obtained Enslavement ( formed 1989 in Stord - 2000 ) a black metal band from Stord Sport . - Geirmund Brendesæter ( born 1970 ) a Norwegian former footballer with nearly 300 club caps - Gro Espeseth ( born 1972 ) a former Norwegian footballer , with 105 caps for Norway women - Odd Christian Eiking ( born 1994 ) a Norwegian cyclist - Anders Mol ( born 1997 ) a Norwegian beach volleyball player External links . - Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway