STAVANGER, Norway — Residents of the small Norwegian town of Rjukan have finally seen the light.
Tucked in between steep mountains, the town is normally shrouded in shadow for almost six months a year, with residents having to catch a cable car to the top of a nearby precipice to get a fix of midday vitamin D.
But on Wednesday faint rays from the winter sun for the first time reached the town’s market square, thanks to three 183-square-foot (17-square-meter) mirrors placed on a mountain.
Cheering families, some on sun loungers, drinking cocktails and waving Norwegian flags, donned shades as the sun crept from behind a cloud to hit the mirrors and reflect down onto the faces of delighted children below.
TV footage of the event showed the center of the crowded square light up a touch, but not as if hit by direct sunlight. Still, residents said the effect was noticeable.
“Before when it was a fine day, you would see that the sky was blue and you knew that the sun was shining. But you couldn’t quite see it. It was very frustrating,” said Karin Roe, from the local tourist office. “This feels warm. When there is no time to get to the top of the mountains on weekdays, it will be lovely to come out for an hour and feel this warmth on my face.”
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The Progressive Democrat 
Cool post. I like it. Good job, bluebird. What else have you got? Posted to Facebook. 🙂
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I love this article. I’m so jealous of this endeavor. I’m nostalgic for some good old American cooperation to get something big done.
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Me too, sister. But those days aren’t gone. You can only hate America and at the same time call yourself a “patriot” for so long before the people figure out that you’re full of shit.
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I delight in someone elses achievements. This light idea not only lets the sun shine, but boosts the morale of the people there who suffer from depression without enough sunlight. The connections to the man who founded the city, the remote control being in Germany, and the years of planning an hoping for a light in the darkness.
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Wonderful story about this community. I can picture the families all having a sun party. They changed their health and life in such a creative way. Technology can be wonderful.
I wish people in the US knew about the green technology available today. It is time for a national upgrade.
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