Going to School but Staying Home

By Wiley WoodPhoto by Ann DeCerbo When Virginia Coleman-Prisco told her school-age children that spring break was over, one of them piped up, “Does that mean we can go back to school?” The answer, of course, was no, school would still be online. Going to Botelle School these days means sitting down at an internet-connected […]

Photographer Bruce Frisch Steps Down from Norfolk Now

Paper’s staff photographer was also its technical consultant Text by Wiley WoodPhoto by Savage Frieze Norfolk Now has always had excellent photographs. In fact, it stands out from the town papers in the surrounding area—at least in its editors’ opinion—for the high quality of its pictures. And that high quality was due in very large […]

Coronavirus: How We Got Here

Text by Richard KessinPhotos Courtesy of the CDC The March 12 issue of Nature has two dense scientific articles on the discovery of SARS-CoV-2. Though most of the data were already available, the narrative, all in one place, is gripping. The first article describes a 41-year-old man who was seen in The Central Hospital of […]

Local Resident Pursues a College Education Abroad

Text by Allysia RuggieroPhoto by Savage Frieze Many Norfolk residents have had the opportunity to pursue higher education and follow a winding path toward their futures. For 23-year-old Kaelin Hester, a Norfolk native, higher education has led to astonishing experiences and travel. She is currently completing an anthropology degree completely in Spanish at the oldest […]

Social Distancing at the Ball Field

While their children tossed a ball around the Norfolk ball field, Ben Nadeau, Kailyn Nadeau, Stacey Dillard, Virginia Coleman-Prisco, and Sara Heller practice some social distancing on a chilly March afternoon.

A Chance to Coil, Slab, or Sculpt Clay

Photo by Kelly Kandra Hughes Clay Play in the Botelle School art room was one of the many activities offered at this year’s Winter Weekend In Norfolk. Here, Kholey Chausse and Alexis Chausse (foreground) learn the basics of working with clay from Botelle art teacher, Shana Bazelmans. An anonymous donor, wanting to perform a good […]

Design of Replacement Bridge on Mountain Road Raises Controversy

Text and Photo by Wiley Wood When the stone bridge on Mountain Road was declared in poor condition by the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), First Selectman Matt Riiska resolved that the replacement bridge would be exactly the same, down to the stone parapets and the embedded planters at either end. No stretch of road […]

Maple Syrup Makers Experience Unusually Early Sap Season

Text by Jude MeadPhoto by Winter Mead The Farmer’s Almanac, a periodical that has provided long-range weather predictions since 1818, was right again. It predicted above normal temperatures in our area this winter, and most maple syrup producers agree that it was spot on. Many producers took advantage of the warm weather. I was one […]

Tree Cutting at Haystack Mountain State Park

Text and Photo by David Beers A century ago, the Stoeckel family’s generosity provided to the state both the land and the tower that now make Haystack Mountain State Park the icon of Norfolk. Back then, most of the forest on the lower slopes of the mountain was young saplings. That fledgling forest is now […]

Making a Safe Space for Lakota Children in South Dakota

Text by Tina OlsenPhoto by Erick Olsen In the summer of 2021, a group from Norfolk’s Church of Christ UCC will travel to the Cheyenne River Reservation to spend a week with the Lakota Sioux tribe in South Dakota. From June 20 to 26, participants will work with the organization Simply Smiles to serve the […]