Norfolk’s Sweetest Season on Tap
Upwards of 85 people braved cold, misty weather on Sunday, March 22, for the pleasure of being wrapped in woodsmoke and maple-scented steam steam—an annual ritual at the Great Mountain Forest and other Norfolk sugar houses. Based on decidedly anecdotal observations, many were first timers. Property manager Russell Russ and forester Kate Regan-Loomis provided useful […]
Linda Anne Soltis Perkins
Linda Anne Soltis Perkins, devoted educator, public servant and deeply-rooted member of the Norfolk community, passed away on Feb. 28, 2026, at the age of 79. Born on Dec. 17, 1946, in Philadelphia, Linda’s bond with Norfolk began in her earliest years. As a young child she spent treasured summers here visiting her aunt and […]
William Stewart Patrick
William Stewart Patrick, 83, of Norfolk, peacefully left this earth on Sunday, March 15. The only “wonderful” child of Hugh Stewart Patrick and Caroline Edith Walke Patrick, “Bill” was born in Salem, Mass., on Oct. 6, 1942. He grew up in nearby Lynnfield and moved to Connecticut as a teenager. Bill graduated from North Haven […]
Greening of Norfolk
Spicebush: A Four-Season Gem By Jill Chase As a gardener, bee keeper and amateur naturalist, I am always looking for those magical plants that check all the boxes. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is just such a plant. This undervalued shrub has much to offer. Spicebush starts the show early with a subtle display of bright green-yellow […]
BOOK TALK
Agility for the Win By Avice Meehan As Liz Tran worked on her first book, a conversation with a good friend made her realize that she needed to start over. If that wasn’t challenging enough, Tran found herself working inside a canvas camping tent during a hot Norfolk summer—just so that she could have decent […]
Norfolk Then…
Travel by railroad was still the best way to get from one place to another in the early 20th century, so a washout on the line was serious business. But paired with a photograph of laundry hanging out to dry, this play on words made for a popular postcard message. The postcard dates from the […]
Work to Resume on Route 44 and New Firehouse
Warmer temps ensure concrete quality By Avice Meehan Two significant Norfolk projects that were put on hold because of below-zero temperatures this winter are expected to resume by mid-March: Reconstruction of two retaining walls along Route 44 and the construction of a new firehouse for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department. Engineers for the state Department […]
Richard Byrne Retires as Active Firefighter
After 58 years, veteran status By Joseph Kelly He was a young Navy veteran, about to be married and ready to start a family in his hometown when, in February 1968, his older brother convinced him to join the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). For Richard Byrne it was the start of an association that […]
Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus Will Benefit Local Food Banks
Three Grammy nominees to perform at Infinity Hall By Colleen Gundlach On April 11, Infinity Hall will be the setting for Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus, a concert that will benefit Stock the Shelves, an outreach of United Way of Northwestern Connecticut. The Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus will feature three Grammy nominees […]
Rom-Com Curling Film Released With Olympics
To get the ice just right, filmmakers tapped Norfolk expertise By Joseph Kelly The underdogs who battle the odds—the washed-up boxer, the outclassed football team, the aging baseball slugger with one last homerun in him—are all Hollywood standbys. Ronald Reagan may be remembered as much for “win one for the Gipper” as he is for […]
