The Norfolk Community Association Gains Recognition for its Good Works
Around Town.
By Linda Childs

Association memner on July 11, 2008 pictured left to right: Paul Wagner, Susan Keane, Robin Ketchum, Kevin O’Connor, Anne Moses, Elaine Saccone and Linda Childs.

How did the Norfolk directional sign that usually stands on the corner of the Town Green wind up on a float in the 250 th anniversary parade? With many spectators along the parade route questioning the authenticity of its historic hand-painted sign, the Norfolk Community Association (NCA) was rewarded at the end of the parade with the prize for "Best Historic Float." The sign in question was an artful facsimile of the original. It was crafted by NCA
members Bill Kruzshak and Elaine Saccone and surrounded by plantings on loan from association member Nash Pradhan of Ginger Creek Nursery. The imaginative display reflected the association’s mission to preserve Norfolk’s historic character while promoting the beautification of all town properties "for the benefit of the general public.”
The group can trace its origins back to the time of Reverend Joseph Eldridge's
resistance to the Connecticut Western Railroad's 1870's plan to run its track
roughshod through the center of what was then known as the "Park." While most
townsfolk at first were willing to sacrifice the Park, they eventually rallied around
Eldridge who succeeded in getting the railroad rerouted. Volunteers saw to the
maintenance of the Park, and in 1895, the Norfolk Village Improvement
Association was born.
The NVIA’s first big project was the 1911 installation of the bluestone walks
bordering what became known as the Town Green. Soon after, the original
directional sign was commissioned for the junction of Routes 44 and 272. The
NVIA was eventually incorporated as a non-profit and later renamed The Norfolk
Community Association. The association works closely with the Town of Norfolk,
but is supported entirely by membership contributions.

In addition to last year’s replacement of the original bluestone walkways with
more durable granite, NCA architectural projects include the 1961 restoration of
The Little Red Schoolhouse on Ashpohtag Rd. and the carved wooden signs
welcoming travelers to Norfolk on Route 44.
Some of the Association’s landscaping initiatives include installation and
maintenance of the planters surrounding Robertson Plaza as well as those in
front of The Speckled Hen. The group oversees Norfolk's annual clean-up day,
the upkeep of the Veterans Memorial, and recently organized brush clearing
around Buttermilk Falls.

The anniversary day parade on August 2 marched past the most recent NCA
project: historically accurate restoration of the flower beds atop the stone wall on
Maple Street in front of Town Hall to reflect its heyday as the Eldridge
Gymnasium.