Town Focuses on Retirement Plan
by Susan MacEachron The Norfolk Retirement Committee held its annual meeting on Feb. 4 and recommended maintaining the current 5 percent contribution of an employee’s salary in its retirement savings plans. The committee oversees the retirement plans for current and former employees of the town, including school administrators and sewer district employees. The town has […]
Board of Finance Reviews Preliminary Town Budget
by Susan MacEachron The Board of Finance meeting on Feb. 9 was devoted to a preliminary review of the Norfolk town budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and to the discussion of three near-term capital projects. The town budget has three components: the town, Botelle School and the payment to Regional 7 school […]
Fiber Optic Committee Reports to Board of Finance
By Susan MacEachron Kim Maxwell, chair of the Fiber Optic Study Committee, told the Board of Finance at a special meeting on Feb. 24 that Norfolk could be the first town in Connecticut to provide broadband access to all. Maxwell said that high speed internet access provided by a fiber optic cable network would be […]
EDC Considers Town Plan for Affordable Housing
by Ruth Melville The Feb. 11 meeting of the Economic Development Commission opened with an odd query: “Does anyone know why Google has recently changed the name of the town to ‘Norfolk Historic District’ on its maps?” Linda Perkins, the town clerk, had asked EDC co-chair Libby Borden if the change was the EDC’s doing. […]
P&Z Commission Defines Farm Stand
by Susan MacEachron Is there a meaningful difference between a farm stand and a roadside stand from a zoning perspective? When does a greenhouse require a zoning permit? What qualifies as a temporary structure and how much regulation is required? The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) wrestled with these questions for the first hour of […]
A New Home for Local Artisans
Owners Lynn Kenny and Sean Sweeney launched The Guilded Artisan shop in its new home at 3 Station Place over Valentine’s Day weekend. Everyone was feeling the love. Kenny says, “A bunch of local people stopped in and welcomed us” and shopped the handcrafted works of 25 local artisans. The coffee and tea bar is […]
Norfolk Farmers Market to Return this Summer
Text by Doug McDevittPhoto by Bruce Frisch Imagine a summer morning, leaves on the trees gently rustling as a warm, soft breeze brushes your face and the heat of the sun spreads across your shoulders. The sounds of lively banter and laughter reach your ears, and music lifts your spirit as you find yourself humming […]
Weekend in Norfolk on Video
In the midst of the pandemic that is keeping visitors from flocking to Norfolk, local residents, Botelle School, the Norfolk Library, the Congregational Church, the Historical Society, the Manor House Inn, the Land Trust and many others stepped up and contributed fun and informative videos that reflect the finest of what our town has to […]
Learning in the Time of Covid
Botelle staff and students have successfully readjusted to in-person classes Text by Virginia Coleman-PriscoPhoto by Chris Snyder Covid-19 isn’t the first pandemic to have an impact on public education in the United States. In the 20th century, Spanish flu, tuberculosis and polio outbreaks caused public schools to shift instructional methods to either “open air” or […]
Scholarships Available to Norfolk Youth
April deadlines for applications to two Norfolk foundations offering financial grants to local students are fast approaching. The Battell Arts Foundation is once again offering scholarships to deserving local young people involved in the arts. Funds can be used for individual lessons, workshops, summer programs, supplies or the purchase or repair of instruments. Applications are […]
