Third Time’s the Charm

It took a diver working for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) three tries—plus the help of a trapper—to clear a flood-control pipe that manages water flow from Wood Creek. The result, on Aug. 4, was perceptible to everyone living around or traveling on North Street near the entrance to Haystack Mountain State Park. “The pong is impressive. Mostly decaying vegetation with a pleasing aroma of death,” was how one resident described the malodorous odor.

The pronounced aroma prompted Brian Hutchins of the Norfolk Sewer District to post an unusual serious “Waste Water Wednesday” alert on Facebook after the volume of calls prompted the sewer district to check manholes and assess how well the system was functioning. “Hello everybody! This is a serious edition of Waste-water Wednesday for once. I know… it’s a little strange for me too, Hutchins wrote. A conversation with First Selectman Henry Tirrell cleared the air, so speak, and solved the mystery.

DEEP detected elevated water levels in Wood Creek in early January but had to wait until the weather warmed before investigating, according to Skip Kearns, operations manager for DEEP’s Division of Dam Safety. Twice divers removed debris and improved water flow only to have the beavers plug it back up within two to three days. As a result, DEEP called in a contractor who works for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to trap enough of the local beaver population to give the mitigation efforts a chance. Water flows have since returned to normal.

The earthen dam, built in 1971, creates a reservoir that covers about seven acres and collects water from a drainage area of about seven miles, according to data from the National Inventory of Dams maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As to the smell, Kearns said DEEP biologists were unable to provide definitive answers, but some combination of decayed vegetation and beaver waste may be responsible.

Stepping into the Light

With collecting letters of support as an important first step, Marie Civco of the Norfolk’s United Church of Christ has made substantial progress toward submitting a formal grant proposal for restoring the large stained glass windows in the meeting house. Civco has 11 in hand, including endorsements from state Sen. Paul Honig, state Rep. Maria Horn and Norfolk’s Board of Selectmen.

The $200,000 challenge grant application is due by Oct. 31 to the State Historic Preservation Office, which also helped fund the $750,000 cost of restoring the iconic steeple. Civco said the program is highly competitive. Awards will be announced in January and, if the Norfolk application is successful, fundraising will then begin. Restoration of the stained glass windows in Battell Chapel was completed earlier this year.

Land Trust on Loon Meadow

The Norfolk Land Trust (NLT) has begun the process of acquiring a nearly 180-acre property on Loon Meadow Drive owned by an entity called AEB Realty, Inc., controlled by Albert Betteridge III. The land trust already owns an 80-acre easement on the land, part of which was subject to substantial logging over the last several years. Libby Borden, co-president of the NLT, said the purchase price is $800,000. “It’s just a lovely piece of land,” said Borden. The Conservation Commission, at its July meeting, endorsed the NLT’s application for state funding to acquire the property at its July meeting.

Little Free Library

For those who may have over-indulged at the annual Norfolk Library Book sale, relief is at hand. A Little Free Library has popped up on the Town Hall porch and there’s plenty of room to spare. The Minnesota-based non-profit behind the movement to blanket the nation with tiny libraries reports that 98 percent of those surveyed believe there neighborhood feels like a friendlier space when there are books to share