Board of Finance Reviews Preliminary Town Budget
by Susan MacEachron The Board of Finance meeting on Feb. 9 was devoted to a preliminary review of the Norfolk town budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and to the discussion of three near-term capital projects. The town budget has three components: the town, Botelle School and the payment to Regional 7 school […]
Fiber Optic Committee Reports to Board of Finance
By Susan MacEachron Kim Maxwell, chair of the Fiber Optic Study Committee, told the Board of Finance at a special meeting on Feb. 24 that Norfolk could be the first town in Connecticut to provide broadband access to all. Maxwell said that high speed internet access provided by a fiber optic cable network would be […]
EDC Considers Town Plan for Affordable Housing
by Ruth Melville The Feb. 11 meeting of the Economic Development Commission opened with an odd query: “Does anyone know why Google has recently changed the name of the town to ‘Norfolk Historic District’ on its maps?” Linda Perkins, the town clerk, had asked EDC co-chair Libby Borden if the change was the EDC’s doing. […]
P&Z Commission Defines Farm Stand
by Susan MacEachron Is there a meaningful difference between a farm stand and a roadside stand from a zoning perspective? When does a greenhouse require a zoning permit? What qualifies as a temporary structure and how much regulation is required? The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) wrestled with these questions for the first hour of […]
A New Home for Local Artisans
Owners Lynn Kenny and Sean Sweeney launched The Guilded Artisan shop in its new home at 3 Station Place over Valentine’s Day weekend. Everyone was feeling the love. Kenny says, “A bunch of local people stopped in and welcomed us” and shopped the handcrafted works of 25 local artisans. The coffee and tea bar is […]
Scholarships Available to Norfolk Youth
April deadlines for applications to two Norfolk foundations offering financial grants to local students are fast approaching. The Battell Arts Foundation is once again offering scholarships to deserving local young people involved in the arts. Funds can be used for individual lessons, workshops, summer programs, supplies or the purchase or repair of instruments. Applications are […]
2020 Was Not Normal, and Neither Was the Weather
By Russell Russ Normal was not the norm for anything in 2020, and it definitely was not the norm for the weather. There were arguably four main weather themes that highlighted the year. The first was the lack of snowfall during the January through March winter months. After just three months into the year, Norfolk […]
Text Amendment Proposed to Planning & Zoning Regulations
by Susan MacEachron Tracy Hayhurst, farm manager for Husky Meadows Farm, appeared before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Jan. 12 to request clarification of the special permit terms regarding who is allowed to participate in the country retreat, farm-to-table program Husky Meadows Farm is planning. All agreed that the current permit allows up […]
Board of Finance Hears Budget Input, Report on Fiber Optics
by Susan MacEachron At the Board of Finance (BoF) meeting on Jan. 12, chairman Michael Sconyers asked First Selectman Matt Riiska to report on the status of the selectmen’s budget. Riiska reported that the town is on target in most areas of the budget. He noted spending has been over budget on some of the […]
Vaccine Rollout Underway in Connecticut
Should be available to general public by this summer by Colleen Gundlach Since the first Covid-19 vaccine was approved in December, people have been eager to sign up to receive their doses. According to The Washington Post, as of Jan. 22 at least 16.2 million people have been vaccinated against Covid. The process that has […]
