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 […]
Discovery of a New Comet
By Matthew Johnson The discovery of Comet NEOWISE proved to be astonishing, especially to those who hunt for such objects. It surprised astronomers when it passed by the Sun emitting a bright tail as well as a darker dust tail. The comet was discovered March 27 by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-Field InfraredSurvey Explorer. This space […]
Videographer Phylis Bernard Provides Online Records of Norfolk Meetings
Keeping the Community Informed By Colleen GundlachPhoto by Savage Frieze Do you have a question about what was discussed at last month’s virtual selectman’s meeting or what happened when the school board got together to discuss reopening the school? If so, Phylis Bernard is the person to ask. For the past couple of decades she […]
A Field Guide Highlights the History and Beauty of Great Mountain Forest
By Mattie Vandiver Norfolk’s Great Mountain Forest is a natural area full of hiking trails, wildlife, history, forestry and beauty. Those looking to find out more about the riches of GMF will enjoy an informative field guide published in 2016 under the auspices of the Yale Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry. Entitled “A Fieldbook: Great […]
Early Automobilists Find Their Way to Norfolk
By Andra Moss Just when travel seemed so modern—the Mountain Express train barreled along from Hartford to Canaan at speeds up to 37 miles per hour—something new came clanging, hissing and rattling over the hilltops. It was 1900. American automaking was still in its infancy, but change was coming fast (“fast” being a relative term; […]
Wildlife Sightings
Bear on Batell Estate This large, glossy black bear carefully stepping down from the wall of the Battell Estate was photographed by Colebrook resident John Fernandez, who was standing immediately acrosss Route 44 from it in downtown Norfolk on June 22.
A Leisurely Stroll on the Boardwalk
Photo by Jon Barbagallo While cleaning up after drill night at the firehouse, members saw this bear lumber through their back parking lot area into the boardwalk of the city meadow. Chief Matt Ludwig and Assistant Chief Jon Barbagallo kept an eye on the bear as it went to investigate the dumpsters behind Infinity Hall. […]
A Beautiful Piece of Norfolk History in the Woods
The bridge at Campbell Falls By Andra Moss During pre-Revolutionary War days, an early Connecticut entrepreneur, John Campbell, operated a grist-mill alongside a powerful cascade that he may never have imagined would still bear his name three centuries later: Campbell Falls. Today, those falls are part of the Campbell Falls State Park, although some might […]
