Fun This Summer and a Slight Disruption

The flag on the green flew proudly this Memorial Day thanks to John Hutchins and Chris Toomey, along with his crew from Toomey Tree Care. Over the winter, the wind took its toll on the flag and flagpole, snapping the flag raising mechanism and making it inoperable.

Our summer season is just around the corner and there are many opportunities to take in a musical performance or a cultural event. There are so many organizations that bring a wide variety performance art to Norfolk, and I encourage all to take advantage of these terrific events. With the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the Yale Summer School of Music and Art, the Weekend in Norfolk events, Friday Nights on the Green, and Robertson Plaza concerts theopportunities are endless and you do not need to leave town.

This past weekend, Ukrainian-American soprano Teryn Kuzma performed Eastern European opera and art songs. Teryn is an accomplished instrumentalist on the 55-stringed Ukrainian bandura (a large harp zither whose origins can be traced back to the 1600s in Ukraine). Although attendance was low, this was an excellent concert. Mark your calendars and take advantage of everything Norfolk has to offer.

On Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join Norfolk based CT-Asia Cultural Society as they teach participants about the history of the Dragon Boat Festival. This day will be filled with crafts, learning, lunch, and a parade by participants to display their crafts. This event will be held at the Hub and, although it is geared towards kids, all are welcome are assured to have a fun time. Register at www.norfolkfoundation.net/hub-events.

The FY 2023-24 budget passed, reducing our mil rate slightly to 27.69. We have many projects in the hopper for this summer so I will apologize now for any disruptions this will cause. Some of the projects we will be working on are the sidewalks from the post office to the Berkshire Country Store and from Robertson Plaza to Route 44, finishing the installation of the oil tank at Botelle School, a new roof at Botelle, and, as time allows, the refurbishment of Maple Avenue. The Maple Avenue project is being directly affected by the continued cleanup from the gas spill. The first order of business to take care of the intersection on Pettibone Lane and Maple Avenue. This is an area that was impacted by the spill and is our priority for this summer.

We will try to keep the disruptions to a minimum.
Take care and stay healthy.