Aging in Place
By Colleen Gundlach

A recent milestone birthday has caused me to reminisce about my decades in Norfolk and the swift passage of time. Over the years, I have traveled some. Whenever I have left home for treks to other environs, I am always eager to return to the quiet and familiarity of the house that my husband built with his own hands from native lumber so many years ago.  Norfolk has been my launch pad and my home port for more than thirty years.  I have, in effect, aged in place.
When I moved to Norfolk, my street looked different than it does now.  Two new houses have popped up over the years, and these neighbors have been very welcome assets to the community.   The home of my in-laws, a short walk away, is now owned by part-time residents.  Black bears are a common sight these days and the blood-curdling shrieks of coyotes in the night frequently cause shivers.
My children grew up with George Bottum as their bus driver, a man of few words who knew how to keep a rambunctious group of school children in line with just a look.  They were educated by such wonderful and caring Botelle educators as Barbara Billings,  Elaine Russ, Bobbie Clark and Dot Deloy.  Our older son’s first job (at age 12) was bagging groceries at the Apple House with the Coles family, while our younger son camped and fished throughout the woodlands surrounding our home. We all spent a lot of time at Norfolk Pizza with Dale Colella and her family.  Halloween night was never complete without the Botelle PTO Halloween party, followed by a spooky excursion to see the dozens of amazing jack o’ lanterns on Darryl Russ’ s lawn on West Side Road.   In addition, Larry Leifert’s hayrides and trips to the Christmas tree field made our holidays very special.  And they still do.
Town Hall has seen its share of changes over the years as well.  In the early 1980’s, the first-floor Great Hall, with its dark wooden walls, held many a heated budget hearing led by Paul Hosch, the very capable Board of Finance Chairman and Sue Dyer, his assistant.  Now Sue, after holding the chairmanship herself for many years, occupies the first selectman’s office in the very same, though internally unrecognizable, building.
When I was a member of the Norfolk Board of Education and then the Regional 7 board many years ago, I had the honor of serving with numerous dedicated people, including Barbara Mulville, John Thew, Bill Brodnitzki, and Barbara Tracey.  These dedicated public servants mentored me, and other new board members at the time, and taught me what it means to be part of the greater community.
The world in general has changed.  Newtown and 9/11 have revised our outlook.  Our children and grandchildren may never know the total freedom from fear we may have all enjoyed in the past.  But the sense of community here in Norfolk has not changed.  We are a diverse community, in lifestyle, in politics and in religion.  We are a town where, despite our differences, we watch out for, and care for, each other.  In Norfolk we can age in place, and welcome the opportunity to do so.