Blur of 2024, Resolutions for 2025

By Matt Riiska

2024 has been a blur. Many of our planned projects were completed, but too many are still ongoing. We hope that the new national administration coming will have little effect on the many projects we are planning or are currently working on. We will see.

The engineering work on the two bridges in South Norfolk destroyed in the flooding of July 2023 continues, and we are still trying to get approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the state Department of Transportation for a temporary bridge at Smith Road. The amount of information that needs to be collected is amazing. Construction of the bridge at River Place started again this summer after a delay of 18 months. With a planned completion date of April 30, 2025, it will be nice to put this behind us. Bridges seem to be the focus, mainly because of years of neglect, with two more bridges on Mountain Road currently in the planning stages.

Although the gas spill of November 2022 is little discussed these days, it is still a focus for the Selectmen’s office. The cleanup is complete, but the testing will continue for some time. The spill’s impact on Maple Avenue is also behind us and the Maple Avenue reconstruction project has been completed. With that said, the paperwork and our efforts to receive compensation for our work to rebuild Maple Avenue in the spill area will continue.

The new fire house project is moving along. The Fire House Committee is finalizing the design and the committee’s funding sub-committee continues to search for funding opportunities. The committee hopes to bring the project forward so the Selectmen can call a special town meeting in January for approval.

For all the challenges, there were so many things to be positive about in 2024. The number of our neighbors who worked to make positive changes was wonderful. They include the updates to the World War I Memorial led by the Community Associates; the efforts of the new Friends of the Meadow Committee to restart that project; the organization of Friday Nights on the Green; another successful WIN Weekend, the Haystack Book Festival, and programs run by the Norfolk Land Trust Programs, to name just a few. And we cannot forget about the dedicated volunteers of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department and the Lions Club Ambulance Association that keep us safe. We are so fortunate.

Every year I mention New Years’s resolutions. When you sit down to make yours, consider helping make Norfolk an even better community. There is always a spot for you on one of our many committees and organizations.

In closing out the year I would be remiss in not discussing one of my favorite topics, speeding. Please give us all the gift of slowing down. We should not need to install speed bumps to remind you to slow down. And do not just do it in Norfolk, slow down wherever your travels take you and keep everyone safe.

Happy Holidays, take care and be safe.