A Revolutionary Year
1776 Norfolk explored in summer exhibition By Andra Moss Communities across the country are looking back with wonder at 1776, the year that 13 British colonies initiated a revolution that, against astonishing odds, led to the birth of an independent republic. In Norfolk, two curators have combed the Norfolk Historical Society’s (NHS) collection for colonial-era […]
SUMMER MUSIC: Familiar Quartets, New Composers at Yale Chamber Festival
By Patricia Platt The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, running from July 3 until Aug. 22, will present an exciting season of classical, innovative and international music. This summer, the Brentano Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, Ying Quartet and the Horszowski Trio are among those who will perform during weekend concerts and serve as artist-in-residence mentors to the […]
Botelle Students Move Up
By Avice Meehan Four sixth graders bid farewell to Botelle Elementary School at a laughter-filled, but occasionally serious, ceremony on June 16 that was attended by family, friends and town officials. First Selectmen Henry Tirrell, a Botelle graduate whose mother and aunt taught at the school for many years, reminded the students that they would […]
Norfolk Rail-Trail Project Pedals Forward
By Jude Mead After more than a decade of planning, permiting and redesign work, Norfolk’s long-await-ed Rails-to-Trails initiative has reached a major milestone, bringing the community closer to the creation of a new multi-use recreational trail along a historic railroad corridor. The project is the North Brook Trail, a planned three-quarter-mile ADA-accessi-ble pathway that will […]
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Budgets, Beetles, Nips and More
By Avice Meehan State Rep. Maria Horn came prepared to share details about the Connecticut budget (she is co-chair of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee) and the progress that has been made toward paying down the state’s unfunded pension liability, increasing the rainy day fund (now up to $18 billion) and allocating more state funds […]
Noteworthy Natives: Coral Honeysuckle
By Jill Chase Do you go to other people’s gardens and envy all the hummingbirds they have? I did. But then I realized I had completely overlooked one of their favorite plants: The native coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens. It was practically designed for humming-birds. Their long beaks and extra-long tongues are a perfect fit for […]
Will You Join Me?
Sarah Nolen captivated audiences at the Norfolk Library with her engaging puppet performance, although young Hiwa, visiting from New York, appeared nonplussed from his perch on the stage. Nolen delighted both children and adults during the Greenwoods Puppet Festival last month. Through her creativity, storytelling and skillful puppetry, Nolen transformed the stage into a lively […]
CELESTIAL SPHERE: Honoring an Astronomer and Patriot
By Matthew Johnson As America celebrates its semi-quincentennial and the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this writer also celebrates the life of David Rittenhouse, an astronomer and political thinker who helped build the nation’s scientific infrastructure and informed its founding documents. The customary astronomical notes will follow at the end […]
COOK FOR GOODNESS SAKE! Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with Food
By Linda Garrettson Meeting in Philadelphia 250 years ago, American patriots took the bold step of announcing their separation from the British Crown by signing the Declaration of Independence. Connecticut’s Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams and Oliver Wolcott were among those who pledged “to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” […]
Norfolk Then
As we prepare for the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence on July 4, let’s look back 50 years to June 12, 1976, and the American Revolution Bicentennial parade in Norfolk. The parade was the largest parade ever held in Norfolk with almost everyone participating, many dressed in colonial garb. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department […]
