Norfolk’s November/December 2023 Weather

Yet another delayed start to winter By Russell Russ  November and December typically mean the beginning of winter in Norfolk, but as has been the case for the last few years, the final two months of 2023 showed only a few glimpses of winter. November was cooler than normal and just a little below normal […]

Solar Flares and the Solar Sycle

The Celestial Sphere By Matthew Johnson In the final hours of Dec. 31, 2023, the sun produced a X5.0 solar flare (R3 Strong Radio Blackout), the largest flare observed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center since 2017. There was also a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) related to this event. This […]

Notes from a French Kitchen

Enjoy Citrus Flavors in Winter By Marie-Christine Perry Winter is here, and although I do not have in Norfolk the Meyer lemon trees of my Northern California yard, I still  stock my pantry with countless citrusy delights that we will enjoy through spring, summer and fall.  Citrus fruits have a way of waking up the […]

A Look Back at Norfolk’s 2023 Weather

By Russell Russ With an average yearly mean temperature of 48.4 degrees, 3.4 degrees above normal, 2023 was tied with 1998 as Norfolk’s second warmest year over the last 92 years. Eight of 12 months came in as warmer than normal, and six months were ranked in the top 10 for warmth. Most notably, January […]

Financial Woes Discussed at Board of Finance Meeting

By Susan MacEachron The budget deficit facing the town from the July flooding clean-up, ongoing costs from the gas spill, and recent trouble with the Botelle School boilers were discussed at the Board of Finance (BoF) meeting on Nov. 14. First Selectman Matt Riiska said he is working with the state to get Local Capital […]

Agenda at Selectmen’s Meeting Includes Storm Damage, Road Work, Firehouse

By Ruth Melville At its Nov. 1 meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted to extend Joe Stannard’s term on the Historic District Commission to Nov. 30, 2028. First Selectman Matt Riiska reported that Michael Halloran is retiring as Norfolk’s zoning enforcement officer. Colebrook’s zoning enforcement officer has expressed an interest in the position. Riiska said […]

P&Z Discuss Re-Subdivision and The Firehouse

By Susan MacEachron Two Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearings were held on Nov. 14. The re-subdivision of a lot on Sunset Ridge Road was approved. P&Z heard from the architect and engineer about the design of the proposed new firehouse. The firehouse public hearing was continued to the Dec. 12 meeting. See article […]

Winter Solstice Occurs Dec. 21

The Celestial Sphere By Mathew Johnson The word “solstice” comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to not move). Thus “Winter solstice” means “Sun stands still in Winter.” During the Earth’s revolution around the sun, two solstices occur, the summer one in June and the winter one in December. This year, the winter solstice […]

Cook! For Goodness Sake!

A Peace Meal for the New Year By Linda Garrettson I think it was Einstein who said that true intelligence is the ability to see the similarities not the differences. If so, what could be a better metaphor for smarts than a good meal of regional foods shared among regional people, despite religious, cultural, or […]

Norfolk’s October 2023 Weather

Warm Autumn Weather By Russell Russ October this year was a pleasant weather month. Temperatures were well above average and there were few days with any precipitation. There were just two days with frost at most Norfolk locations (Oct. 24 and 31) and there was no snowfall during the month. October firmly held onto autumn […]