The Berkshire Rambler
Crane Paper Company: Seven Generations of Making Money By Michael Kelly High quality paper has been an intrinsic part of the lives of the Crane family of Dalton, Mass. for almost 250 years. Stephen Crane started the business, making 100 percent cotton paper at the Liberty Mill in Milton, Mass., which Paul Revere printed […]
Torrington Yarn Bomb Brings Color, Art and Whimsy to the City
By Julie Scharnberg I read an article about yarn bombing that appeared in Yankee Magazine about four years ago and passed it around to some knitters, thinking, Who wouldn’t want to do this? How fun! Yarn bombing is a form of temporary street art where brightly colored yarn in any form—knitted, crocheted, woven, […]
Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art Students Hear from Mentors and Peers
Learning by Example By Ruth Melville Since its inception 67 years ago, the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art has presented a series of artists’ lectures as an integral component of its program. For the past years 17 years, the art school, which is based in the Art Barn on the Ellen Battell […]
Norfolk Summer Style
Action-Packed Relaxation with Kids in Mind By Holly Leibrock Summer is finally here and no one understands a “Norfolk Summer” better than the town’s children. Tobey Pond is the town’s centerpiece throughout the dog days of summer. Officially opened on June 6, Tobey Pond provides a great place to swim, fish or picnic. […]
Land Trust Opens New Trail
Pine Mountain Hike Is Accessible for All Ages By David Beers In 2013, the Norfolk Land Trust purchased 311 acres of forestland north of the Mad River from the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. Over the past three years, Land Trust volunteers have been developing an extensive trail system on the property that connects with […]
Norfolk Celebrates Norfolk
Weekend in Norfolk will highlight the town’s best By Colleen Gundlach When everyone involved reaches his or her goal and everyone profits in some way, it is colloquially called a win-win situation. Win is just what Norfolk is poised to do in a few weeks when residents and visitors alike benefit as Weekend in […]
It’s Only Natural—July 2016
Old Field Pines on the Norfolk Downs By Hans M. Carlson Many people have a perception of the precolonial New England forest as dominated by white pine. This is in part due to many early chroniclers using the name “pine” as a catchall for conifers—hemlock, fir, spruce. It also has to do with the […]
Through the Garden Gate
July, Berry Season By Leslie Watkins July is the beginning of the great berry harvest, keeping both people and birds busy as can be. Blueberries, red raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries all begin to ripen now, providing us with delectable and nutritious berries for pies, tarts, sauces and pancakes—if the berries make it back to […]
Scandal and Bribery Tainted State Senate Election of 1856
A Look into Norfolk’s Past By Ryan Bachman With 2016 an election year, news stories alleging shady political deals and corruption abound, but stories such as these are nothing new. In 1856, Norfolk was the scene of a political scandal that shocked citizens all over Litchfield County. That spring, tensions over social issues like […]
Thoughts Along the Chattleton Road at Great Mountain Forest
By Hans M. Carlson The road at Great Mountain Forest’s (GMF) west gate is a new spur off an older thoroughfare. Jean’s Trail is the intersection, and from there the old Chattleton Road once ran down behind where Rustling Winds Stables is now. It still goes south to Meekertown in the other direction, but […]
