Sometimes a Chair is More than a Chair

Around the Village Green by Kelly Kandra Hughes Norfolk resident Leslie Battis has seen Adirondack chairs outside of churches for over a year now. Often painted in vibrant rainbow colors representing LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, these chairs started popping up more frequently during the pandemic. Battis wanted to see her church, the Norfolk Church of Christ Congregational (UCC), have their own chairs, too. She thought they would […]

May 1 Declared James Mars Day

A Witness to History Text by Barry WebberPhoto by Torey Fisher A perfect spring day, with just enough bite to remind us that the season had just burst forth in Norfolk, set the stage for a large (in Covid-19 times) gathering to honor a Norfolk son. Students from the Salisbury School and their history teacher […]

Resilience and Perseverance Result in Valedictorian Honors

Reaching for the Stars Text by Janet GokayPhoto by Kim Crone When asked what the secret to her success in school might be, Norfolk student Ellie Crone, who is this year’s Northwestern Regional 7 (NWR7) valedictorian, replied, “I don’t know what my secret is, but I expect a lot of myself and that allowed me […]

In Rememberance

Photo by Doreen Kelly Norfolk’s Memorial Day 51 flag tribute on the Village Green and Memorial Green adds a special incentive for all to pause and reflect on the 51 lives of Norfolk residents lost in service. This is the third year Norfolk has installed this remembrance with the support of the Norfolk Community Association […]

Norfolk’s Mountaintop Views Just Got Clearer

State to provide signage describing scenic Haystack Mountain vistas by Jude Mead Haystack Mountain State Park in Norfolk offers many walking and hiking trails. The most popular is the mildly rigorous trek that follows a trail up the mountain to a stone observation tower with a 360-degree view of mountain ranges, lakes and historical town […]

Leave It to the Beavers

Rails to Trails group outsmarts the dam beavers by Doug McDevitt After a long winter of hard work, families in the communities surrounding Norfolk wanted a respite from their daily routine and Norfolk was the perfect summer getaway, so they boarded the Mountain Express that ran west from Hartford to Canaan. The huge 4-4-0, number […]

A Landmark Returns to Village Green

by Doreen Kelly Norfolk’s town crew members Joe Green and Tom Gorski reinstalled the unique hand- painted directional sign on the Village Green just in time for spring. The Norfolk Community Association funded the project and local artist Madeline Falk did a magnificent restoration over the winter. Luckily, the sign was already down last fall […]

Who’s Up for a Game of Peggy

Botelle Beat Text by Andra MossPhoto by Chris Snyder Botelle 5th and 6th graders spent May 14 in the one-room schoolhouse on Ashpohtag Road as part of the annual—and much anticipated—History Day. After several weeks deep-diving into Colonial American history as part of their social studies class with 5th grade teacher Chris Snyder, the students […]

Live Outdoor Music Returns for a Good Cause

Text by Michael CobbPhoto by Virginia Coleman-Prisco Neighbors happily (distance) gathered on the walkways of downtown Norfolk to enjoy Music on the Meadow, a benefit concert held Saturday, May 15, to support the Botelle 6th grade class trip to Project Oceanology in Groton, Conn. Five acts performed on the new platform over the pond, including Josh DeCerbo […]

NVFD Planning to Build New, Bigger Firehouse

Current building too small for safety and efficiency By Doug McDevitt From a cat in a tree to a perilous rescue in a burning building, our first responders are always on call and ready to respond. It’s common knowledge that when others are running away from danger, there are those who run to it, and […]