Some Residents Surprised by Higher Tax Assessments of Older Vehicles
Is your old car a “classic?” by Jeremy Withnall They say that the only sure things are death and taxes. In the Icebox of Connecticut, we could probably add snow to that list. When winter storms pack more wallop and we get a few more inches than the forecasters predicted, the hardy folk of the […]
Warm Heads, Warm Hearts
Thanks to the generosity of John Thew and the nimble fingers of the Norfolk Library knitters, there will be more warm heads this winter. Last month the knitters heard about a project, called Warm Heads, Warm Hearts, being organized by Amanda Barcenas, who owns Prado de Lana, a sheep farm and yarn shop in Stockbridge. […]
Norfolk Library Reopens Its Doors with Precautions
Providing opportunities for education, entertainment and reading Text by Mattie VandiverPhoto by Christopher Little On June 29, the Norfolk Library was able to open up to the public once again after being closed because of Covid-19 for three months. The library began by offering curbside service. It is now fully open, with slightly limited hours, […]
Keeping the Trick-or-Treating on Halloween in Norfolk
Covid changes the experience but not the fun by Kelly Kandra Hughes Last year on Halloween, Cecily Mermann, who lives on Emerson Street, sat on her front porch with her dog, Dodger, and greeted the multitude of trick-or-treaters making their way through the village of Norfolk. She enjoyed seeing the costumes, giving out handfuls of […]
First Plane Lands in Norfolk, 1928, in View of Haystack Mountain
by Andra Moss This photograph, published in the May 13, 1928, Hartford Courant captures the sight of the first airplane to ever land in Norfolk. The flight and landing apparently took place nearly two months earlier, on March 27, with the plane managing to set down without incident on the property of the Stoeckel estate. The caption […]
Tropical Storm Isaias Tests Norfolk’s Resilience
Local emergency crews worked overtime in Eversource’s absence by Colleen GundlachPhotographs by Jonathan Barbagallo It was a storm to remember, and one that brought out the very best of the people of Norfolk. In the midst of incredible frustration, there was a spirit among the townspeople of working together to get through the inconvenient and […]
The Gilson Movie Palace Reopens with Safety Protocols and Classic Films
By Clinton SosnaPhoto by Clinton Sosna “I’m a survivor. That’s what I do.” That’s what Alen Nero, the owner of the Gilson Cafe and Cinema in Winsted, tells customers and fans. Amid the uncertainty of these times, the Gilson reopened in mid-August with a weekend screening of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The dinner theater carefully […]
Familiar and Ever So Slightly Askew
by Stephen MelvillePhotos by Savage Frieze In a pandemic summer that has greatly reduced the customary prominence of art and music in Norfolk, one bright spot briefly emerged this past month when Betsy Gill hosted a show of sculpture and installation by artist Sophie Eisner, daughter of longtime Berkshire residents Gil Eisner and Kate Wenner. […]
Shop Fresh, Shop Local
Farm stands replace farmers markets this summer Text by Ruth MelvillePhoto by Savage Freize While it was disappointing that Norfolk Farmers Market decided that it couldn’t safely open this summer, local farmers kept growing vegetables, raising cows and milking goats. You can still get vegetables, meats, and herbs and flowers from many of the market […]
Back to Schools
A tour of Norfolk’s one-room schoolhouses By Andra Moss It’s September and that means that school, whatever form it takes, is back in session. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, most American students attended a one-room schoolhouse within walking distance of their homes. In 1919 there were 190,000 one-room schools scattered throughout the American […]
