Norfolk’s Regional School Assessment to Drop
By Avice Meehan Norfolk’s Board of Finance and other residents had a first-hand opportunity to dive into the details of the proposed Northwestern Regional 7 budget for 2025-26 during March 26 workshop presentation held in the Botelle Elementary School cafeteria. The proposed budget for the regional middle and high school is $22,629,264, an overall increase […]
Norfolk’s February Weather
Winter-like, but Lacking Snowfall By Russell Russ February is one of Norfolk’s solid-bet winter months and this February was mostly true to form. Temperatures and total precipitation were near normal. What was lacking was snowfall. While there was wintry precipitation during numerous days and snow on the ground every day of the month, it just […]
The Celestial Sphere
April Brings a Micro Moon, Return of the Morning Star By Matthew Johnson The derivation of the name April is uncertain. It may stem from the Latin Aprilis which possibly is related to the verb aperire, meaning to open, reflecting on the blossoming of nature. In Norfolk, April begins with the sun rising at 6:26 […]
The Manor House and a Tiny House- Two Public Hearings at P&Z
By Susan MacEachron The application by the owners of the Manor House to build a day spa generated a significant number of letters and emails to the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z). P&Z decided that the Feb. 11 continuation of the public hearing would be limited to reading all such correspondence into the record with […]
Budget, Road Projects, School Topics for Selectmen
By Ruth Melville The 2025/26 budget season is here, and at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Board of Selectmen First Selectman Matt Riiska reported that about half the departmental budgets have been received, along with several requests from outside organizations that the town supports. The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen,March 5, will […]
Design Changes Bring Firehouses Budget to $8.3 Million
Federal support no longer assured By Joe Kelly Instead of a metal roof, Norfolk’s new firehouse will likely be topped by asphalt shingles. The hose-drying tower won’t be so towering. Stone veneer siding along the base will disappear. Firetrucks will enter and exit through traditional (and less expensive) over-head doors. Carpeting? Furniture? It will be […]
Connecticut Still Counting on Federal Funds for Norfolk Projects
The long game of infrastructure funding By Avice Meehan The nuts and bolts of how the federal government reimburses the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT) for road and bridge projects around Litchfield might seem an arcane topic. It might interest a first selectman or the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, but that’s usually all. Yet […]
Norfolk’s January Weather
Seasonal Weather for the New Year By Russell Russ In recent years, it has seemed that winter did not get going until January or even February. This year has been more like the winters of old, when they started by December. This December was not overly wintery, but it was more like winter than autumn. […]
The Celestial Sphere
A Total Eclipse, a Partial Eclipse and the Return of Spring By Matthew Johnson Since the December winter solstice, the frigid weather has continued in the Norfolk Icebox. But the earth’s orbit is carrying us toward the warmer and longer days where we will reach the point in our orbit termed the vernal, or spring […]
A Look Back at Norfolk’s 2024 Weather
By Russell Russ With an average yearly mean temperature of 48.6 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal, 2024 was Norfolk’s warmest year (by a hair) over the last 93 years. The second warmest was 2012 with 48.5, followed by 1998 and 2023 coming in as tied for third warmest. The coldest year was 1940 at 41.9 […]
