Artisans Guild Flourishing in Revived Downtown

  By Ruth Melville When the Artisans Guild decided to close its doors in January 2008, after 17 years in operation, it was a sad day for craft lovers and gift buyers in Norfolk. But now, almost 10 years later, the Artisans Guild is not just back in business but thriving, under the ownership of […]

New Engine 90 Reporting for Duty

The Norfolk Now photographer was on the alert with his camera at the ready when he heard the siren announcing the arrival of the new fire truck. Getting to the station minutes after the truck arrived, he was in time to see the dust of the three-day drive from Iowa being hosed off. Within a […]

Sam Messer’s Animated Film at Wadsworth Atheneum

Sam Messer’s animated film “Denis the Pirate” is now showing at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. Messer is well known in Norfolk as the director of the Yale Summer School of Art and for the drawing classes he offers in the summer. The story of “Denis the Pirate” began over twenty years ago when the […]

Snafu Stops Work at City Meadow

Town encroaches on private property   By Wiley Wood Construction on the City Meadow project was going according to plan. It was the first week of September, and a crew from SumCo Eco-Contracting, under contract from the town, was building a gravel path down the hillside below Haystack Pizza. The riprap imported by them extended […]

At closing time, in a little-known part of the forest…

BH Upcycled Designs Gives New Life to Old Clothing

  By Ruth Melville We all know there’s too much waste in the modern world. The days of “make do and mend” are largely gone, and new clothing is available so cheaply that most people prefer to throw an old shirt out and buy a new one. But Norfolk Farmers Market vendor MaryLynne Boisvert takes […]

Blackberry Street Saved From Buckling

Road crews worked all of September to repair Blackberry Street, building a new retaining wall to shore up the slumping hillside. “The guard rails were tilting and the road was sliding into Donna Wheeler’s yard,” said First Selectman Sue Dyer. Money was budgeted and set aside for the work several years ago, but delays intervened. […]

Trouble Comes Disguised as a Beautiful Ornamental!

  By John Anderson As mid fall approaches, the leaves of many plants senesce and change color. White ash trees are some of the first woody plants to drop their leaves, followed by the glorious colors of maples, birches, blueberries and spicebush. But amongst them are invaders, which can outnumber and choke out the natural […]

Innovation in the Service of Convenience

Store allows night-time access to key card holders   By Christopher Sinclair It is difficult to envision a 7-Eleven, Cumberland Farms, or other 24-hour store popping up in Norfolk’s downtown center. One senses that large, flashing neon signs and the designs of Alfredo Taylor would make for rather peculiar neighbors. That being the case, Ryan […]

Give Your Pet’s Toilette a Boost

By Susannah Wood Rover getting a bit whiffy? Tired of your aching back as you wrestle him in the bathtub? Pet Valu at the Winsted Stop and Shop plaza has the answer for you. For $10 plus tax you can take your pet to their do-it-yourself dog wash stations and soap up your Labradoodle, Bergamasco […]