SELECTMAN’S CORNER: Gorgeous Weather, Fantastic October!
By Henry Tirrell
Our town crew has been working on several smaller projects, including reinstalling the swings by the playground train below the Norfolk Library. This was made possible through generous private donations to the town from Hartley Corp., the Norfolk Children’s Foundation and Christina Vanderlip. A heartfelt thanks to them! The kids are certainly going to enjoy having those back. After a busy summer and start to fall, our crews are also beginning preparations for the upcoming winter season.
Town Hall has been busy with early voting on top of our standard day-to-day business. Special thanks to everyone who has worked the polls this summer and fall. Holding these elections requires a significant time commitment from dedicated individuals.
A year from now, we will be holding municipal elections. Soon enough, we will be looking to ensure that all of our local boards and commissions are filled with either elected or appointed officials. If you have the time, please consider exploring areas where you might be interested in serving, and reach out to someone involved to learn more.
As for some of the major projects in town, here are a few updates. The Mountain Road Bridge over Spaulding Brook is getting its final finishing touches and should be open soon. The rails have been installed, and crews have been busy laying asphalt.
Just west of that bridge, there is a culvert for Tobey Pond Brook that needs replacement. While we are planning to fully replace it in the future, we are currently working to get clarity from state and federal departments regarding temporary repairs, with the primary goal of keeping the road open. While we hope to share positive updates soon, we may have to consider closing it as winter approaches. If a closure becomes necessary, the detour will be via Sunset Ridge.
At the wall project, the state Department of Transportation expects to have Route 44 restored to two-way traffic with the temporary traffic signal removed near the wall project in about a month or so. Additional finishing work will continue in the spring, but the bulk of the project is nearly complete.
Construction at the new firehouse is progressing rapidly. Similar to the Route 44 project, work will continue through the spring, but our goal is to have the building in service and the department fully moved in around the end of January.
I hope this great weather continues for as long as possible. Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful November.