Cold Nights and Warmer Days Herald a New Maple Syrup Season

Text by Jude MeadPhoto by Danesha Mead Maple syrup season is here again. This year will be a little different, with Covid-19 guidelines that still need to be followed. In years past, visitors were welcomed to the sugar houses. This year there will be more safety measures in place and visitors discouraged from coming. But […]

Experiencing the Many Stories of Village Life in Rwanda

Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer Text and Photos by Kerong Kelly I received my Peace Corps assignment in the spring of 2018. The application, interviews and security clearances had dragged on for months, but now here it was: I would be a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda focusing on child and maternal health. I […]

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 […]

Norfolk Farmers Market to Return this Summer

Text by Doug McDevittPhoto by Bruce Frisch Imagine a summer morning, leaves on the trees gently rustling as a warm, soft breeze brushes your face and the heat of the sun spreads across your shoulders. The sounds of lively banter and laughter reach your ears, and music lifts your spirit as you find yourself humming […]

Learning in the Time of Covid

Botelle staff and students have successfully readjusted to in-person classes Text by Virginia Coleman-PriscoPhoto by Chris Snyder Covid-19 isn’t the first pandemic to have an impact on public education in the United States. In the 20th century, Spanish flu, tuberculosis and polio outbreaks caused public schools to shift instructional methods to either “open air” or […]

A Land of Fire and Ice … And Marshmallows

The weather on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21, was very cold but beautifully sunny—perfect for skaters, curlers and hockey players to get out on the ice at the town skating rink. As part of WIN Weekend, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department not only prepared the ice but also provided a bonfire, hot cider and the fixings […]

How to Remove the Congregational Church’s Steeple — Very Carefully

Repairs to the clock tower and belfry can begin Text by Ruth Melville After years of planning, consultation and crossed fingers, the steeple on the top of Norfolk’s Church of Christ Congregational was successfully removed last December, enabling the much-needed repair of the tower and steeple. In 2015, during routine work on the clock tower, […]

Annual Bird Event Counts on Norfolk Citizen Scientists

Text by Kelly Kandra HughesPhoto by Savage Frieze Over four days every February, people flock to the Internet to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is one of the most prolific citizen science projects in the world, with 268,674 participants from 194 countries in 2020. Started in 1998 by the Cornell […]

Slip-Sliding into Winter Fun, Norfolk Style

Text by Susannah WoodPhoto by Savage Frieze Over the years, winter in the Icebox of Connecticut has been a glorious season for those of us who love skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Although climate change has made winter sport a chancier thing, there are still days when conditions are just right for an afternoon of […]

Keep on Singing – High-Tech Covid Style

Text by David BeersPhoto by Liz Allyn Three or more weeknights every week, two to four singers get together in the Battell Chapel for fellowship and a chance to do what they love to do–sing. The chapel windows are open and the singers are properly distanced from one another. They all sing facing the same […]