Selectman’s Corner
Pondering the Town’s Financial Future By Matt Riiska It is budget time again, and for the next few months the selectmen and the Board of Finance will be drafting the budget for fiscal year 2025-26. There are many components of the budget, but the main items are the General Government, Botelle School, and Regional 7. […]
Norfolk Remembers: Ed George
Edward R. George, 86, of Norfolk, Conn. and Key West, Fla. passed peacefully away, Dec. 20,2024, at Wolcott Hall, with his wife Mary by his side. He was the beloved husband of Mary (Welch) George. Ed was born on September 17,1938,in Torrington during the Hurricane of ‘38. He was the youngest of six born to […]
The Celestial Sphere
The Days Are Growing Longer By Matthew M. Johnson We have progressed deeper into winter, transitioned into a new White House administration and into a new year since my December/January column for Norfolk Now. And since the Winter Solstice of last December, our days have continued to grow longer if only by a few minutes. […]
Cook for Goodness Sake!
An Apple A Day By Linda Garrettson The best part of writing this food column is finding new inspirations for recipes. There are two months between my issues. Sometimes I get close to the deadline without an epiphany, other times I might have several ideas. For this issue my inspiration came early. The unlikely source […]
Board of Education Hears from Former Consolidation Facilitator
By Avice Meehan Jonathan Costa had one piece of advice for Norfolk as a whole, and specifically for members of the Board of Education and the Board of Selectmen: speed is not your friend. Costa acted as a facilitator in the unsuccessful 2015 effort to bring Botelle Elementary School and the Colebrook Consolidated School into […]
Selectmen Discuss School Consolidation and Town Projects
By Ruth Melville The major topic of discussion at the Board of Selectmen’s first meeting of the year was the possible consolidation of the Botelle and Colebrook elementary schools. A previous plan to consolidate the two schools was rejected by Colebrook voters in 2015. Representing Botelle School at the Jan. 8 meeting were John DeShazo, […]
Cold Night – Brief Meeting for Wetlands Agency
By Susan MacEachron The Inland Wetlands Agency (Wetlands) meeting on Jan. 6 began inauspiciously with agency members standing in the frigid town parking lot, locked out of Town Hall. The only person with a key, Wetlands Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik, was on vacation. First Selectman Matt Riiska responded to a call for his assistance with […]
Board of Assessment Appeals Anticipates Busy Season
By Susan MacEachron Norfolk property owners who want to appeal the recent revaluation of their real estate, vehicle or personal property must file the completed application by 4p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Town Hall. No exceptions are made for applications filed after the deadline and the paperwork must include an original signature of the […]
Bridges Highlight Board of Finance Discussion
By Susan MacEachron At the Jan 14 Board of Finance (BoF) meeting, First Selectman Matt Riiska reported on the budget and the River Place financing. He noted that he also continues to follow-up with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Smith Road temporary bridge. Riiska […]
It’s Only Natural
Identifying Trees in Winter Can Be a Challenge By Jude Mead Identifying trees in winter can be a challenge, especially in places where snow covers the ground and deciduous trees stand bare. According to Dr. Mike Zarfos, the executive director of Great Mountain Forest (GMF), most people rely on looking at the leaves during the […]
