Bus Tours of Norfolk Show Visitors the Town’s Hidden Treasures

Tiffany Windows Attract Tourists   By Ruth Melville Norfolk residents have always been proud of their town, and there is a growing feeling that it would be nice if other people knew more about the town’s rich artistic and architectural history. New efforts like the WIN weekend are designed in part with this in mind, […]

Representative Brian Ohler Looks Back on His First Session in Hartford

Budget woes overshadow other issues   By Susannah Wood State Representative Brian Ohler had already arrived at the Berkshire Country Store and was deep in conversation with Ryan Craig when I walked in five minutes ahead of our scheduled appointment Against the background noise of coffee traffic and orders for late breakfasts, we settled into […]

Norfolk Elects Riiska in a Landslide

By Wiley Wood In a municipal election that drew 53 percent of Norfolk’s voters to the polls, Matthew Riiska (D) was elected first selectman over William Reudgen (R) by a commanding lead. At the polling station, where the results were announced shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m., Reudgen congratulated Riiska in front of […]

Northwest Connect Hopes to Build Regional Fiber-Optic Network by 2021

Dropped cell phone calls and slow downloads would be distant memories   By Ruth Melville If the efforts of a local advocacy group called Northwest Connect are successful, we may see a fiber-optic network installed in the Northwest Corner by 2021. Northwest Connect was formed by a group of citizens and elected officials, most notably […]

Great Mountain Forest Makes Long-Term Deal to Sell Carbon Credits

Planning for the Future   By Tom Vorenberg Early one morning last month a young man and his girlfriend, visiting Norfolk from a western state, hiked up the logging road from the Great Mountain Forest (GMF) east gate. They wanted to get to the pond known as Old Man Mac to watch the sunrise. It […]

First Selectman Candidates Square Off at Infinity Hall

  By Wiley Wood In a conversation that touched on a familiar range of topics—taxes, education, infrastructure—the two candidates for Norfolk first selectman spoke in front of a crowd off about 85 townspeople on a recent Saturday morning at Infinity Hall. Both candidates are longtime residents of Norfolk, and both have run for first selectman […]

Steeple of Congregational Church Needs Urgent Repair

Congregation will look to community for help in restoration   By Wiley Wood From the vantage of one of the wooded ridgetops around town, there is often no indication of where Norfolk lies other than the spire of the Congregational Church, a white shaft rising out of the trees to mark the village green. But […]

Retirement Party Honors First Selectman Dyer

Counting the achievements of nearly two decades   By Wiley Wood The tables and chairs were pushed back in the dining room at the Wood Creek Bar and Grill on a recent Sunday, and a broad cross-section of Norfolk residents were gathered around a banquet table to honor First Selectman Sue Dyer, who will step […]

Norfolk Food Pantry Is Open to All, All Year Round

  By Chris Sinclair As the cornstalks mysteriously migrate from the now flattened fields into people’s front yards, and eggnog begins appearing on the supermarket shelves in a startling array of novelty flavors, it is important to recall that the harvest cornucopia is not overflowing for everyone. While Norfolk is a beautiful and comfortable home […]

Artisans Guild Flourishing in Revived Downtown

  By Ruth Melville When the Artisans Guild decided to close its doors in January 2008, after 17 years in operation, it was a sad day for craft lovers and gift buyers in Norfolk. But now, almost 10 years later, the Artisans Guild is not just back in business but thriving, under the ownership of […]