Norfolk Then
By Ann Havemeyer It was a busy afternoon at the General Electric plant in 1953. On the banks of the Blackberry River in a building that had been a 19th century stone mill, General Electric opened a branch in 1946 to make starters for fluorescent lights. Twelve Norfolk women were employed at first, but the […]
Be Careful, Very Careful
An expert team from the Glass Source Stained Glass Studio spent nearly six hours in cold mid-January weather care-fully removing a cathedral stained glass window from Battell Chapel at the United Church of Christ before transporting it to their studio in Seymour for restoration. In this photo, Michael Skrtic balances one section of the window […]
Annals of Meteorology
A Look Back at the Weather for 2025 By Russell Russ The year 2025, with an average yearly mean temperature of 46.7 degrees, was 1.7 degrees above normal. Ten of 12 months came in above normal for monthly mean temperature. Four months (March, June, July and September) ranked in the top 10 for warmth. July […]
The Week that Was
First, frigid temperatures forced the relocation of Norfolk’s valiant Post Office staff to Winsted because of scheduled asbestos remediation, leaving box holders temporarily puzzled. Then, the big snow arrived on Jan. 25 and 26. Estimates vary widely: Russell Russ reported the official tally at the Great Mountain Forest weather station as 15.2 inches, but others […]
Norfolk Weather
November and December: Heading into Wintertime By Russell Russ It has been said that November, especially the latter part of the month, can be the predictor for the coming winter. This November had less precipitation than average, but temperatures were very average, so it is difficult to predict much from this November’s conditions. We all […]
Letter to the Editor
A Word of Apology Upon taking the office of First Selectman in Norfolk, I paused roadside tree management by the town due to complaints from landowners about overaggressive tree cutting. While this damage occurred prior to my term, I want to apologize to property owners who may have lost trees, wildlife habitat, and the value […]
Piping in the Storm
Ahead of the major weekend storm, a hardy group of 35 devotees of the Scottish poet Robert Burns gathered in Battell Chapel on Saturday, Jan. 24, for a bit of music, poetry and haggis. Ken Storrs (pictured above) piped in the guests. Andrew Thomson recited the traditional “Address to the Haggis” and word is that […]
Remembering Jerry and DeVere Oakes
Jerry Oakes and his wife of nearly 72 years, Ellen DeVere Bechtold Oakes, passed away 10 days apart in August 2025, both at the age of 94. Born in Indiana and Hoosiers to the core, Jerry and DeVere lived in Norfolk for 21 years before moving to assisted living in Farmington in 2023. Jerry was […]
