• Proposed Manor House Expansion Draws Large Crowd

    Many differing views on effect of change in town center By Susan MacEachron Norfolk residents filled the Botelle School Hall of Flags on a very cold evening on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to attend the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) public hearing regarding a modification to the special permit granted in 1996 to the property known as […]

  • From All Angels

    Throughout the month of February, Garet&Co will be returning to Norfolk to present their third annual performance in the Battell Chapel, where each piece will be set in the round.  In this presentation, titled “From All Angles”, the audience will witness the translation of three of the works presented at their fall show.   “Can’t Keep […]

  • Norfolk Then

    Pictured here is the house built in 1898 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Spofford as their summer home. The son of Ainsworth Spofford, Librarian of Congress, Charles Spofford was an electrical engineer, who would be hired in 1902 to manage London’s underground railway system, converting it from steam to electricity. The Spoffords engaged the architect […]

  • Sweets on the Green

    A Decade of Decadent Desserts By Andra Moss How is your naughty versus nice rating? Those needing to influence Santa with an especially impressive treat should grab their stockings and head to the Norfolk Historical Society (NHS) for the 10th Annual Cake Auction on Saturday, Dec. 7.     Now a Norfolk holiday tradition, the event was […]

  • Artist Tom Burr Brings His Torrington Project to an End

    Performances celebrate studio closing By Stephen Melville Norfolk resident and artist Tom Burr organized a day of performances and exhibition at his studio in Torrington on Oct. 26, marking an end to what he has called “The Torrington Project.” For the past three and a half years, Burr has rented a vast—15,000 square foot—former industrial […]

  • New Meanings for a Monument

    Light Shines on the Memorial Green By Joe Kelly On Monday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, a crowd of about 100 gathered for the rededication of Norfolk’s World War 1 memorial, artfully restored under the auspices of the Norfolk Community Association. It was sunny. Temperatures in the low ‘60’s. Another day of no rain. Everyone talked […]

  • Norfolk Then…

    This 1920s postcard shows Memorial Green just after the War Memorial, designed by Alfredo Taylor, was built. It was Taylor’s wife Minna who first proposed that a memorial “heroes grove” be planted on the small lot of land known as the Triangle opposite the Catholic Church. The lot had been left empty with the demolition […]

  • Restored war memorial to be celebrated on veterans day

    plaque now honors all who served By Patricia Platt A World War I monument, designed by Alfredo Taylor and erected on Norfolk’s Memorial Green in 1921, bears the inscription, “for those who gave and those who offered their lives for liberty, the people of Norfolk have built this monument and crowned it with the Liberty […]

  • NLT Tail Ablaze with Runners

    More than 120 runners enjoyed perfect fall weather as they wound their way through picturesque Barbour Woods in the 11th Annual Norfolk Land Trust Trail Race. Some chose to add a challenging loop over Haystack Mountain, while the half-marathoners just kept moving on up—topping out at over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. *photo by June […]

  • Can you spot the Real Curler?

    There was movie magic ice to be made, and the pros of the Norfolk Curling Club were the first to get the call. In October, NCC’s Jon Barbagallo, Lou Barbagallo, Rachel Barbagallo, Mark Walsh, Harvey Chalmers and Phill West were hired by a production company to make curling ice at a Rhode Island hockey rink […]

  • Norfolk Then…

    This 1917 photograph is a timely reminder of the long struggle fought by many dedicated women for basic civil liberties, including the right to own property, hold public office, sit on juries, participate in public assemblies and vote. The group of 25 suffragists—20 women and five men—gathered on the porch following their meeting with Congressman […]

  • The chicken who wanted to be a star and other tales from a norfolk movie set

    By Andra Moss Secrets and small towns don’t often pair well, and Norfolk is a small town. Yet, for eight weeks this summer, a crew of nearly 100 people quietly transformed Tim and Paula Webster’s 1908 Norfolk farmhouse into a film set for a feature-length production, all the while staying under the local radar.  It […]

Articles

Upcoming Musical Events on Robertson Plaza

The completion this spring of the expansion of Robertson Plaza in downtown Norfolk has created a unique new space to draw visitors to the town’s commercial center. Sited above and offering easy access to City Meadow, the plaza now has substantial space for events, as well as seating, tables and an unobstructed view of Haystack […]

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Ushers in New Musical Programs in a Renovated Facility 

2023 Season Begins By Patricia Platt The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, running from July 7 until Aug. 19, offers exciting changes to its facility and programming this season. Nearing completion is a $10 million renovation of the Music Shed, which includes air-conditioning, a remodeled entry, new restrooms, a small store and a new green room. […]

Norfolk Salutes its Volunteers

Spotlight on Weekend in Norfolk Ruth Melville I’ll always be glad to have had a part in putting together the first Weekend in Norfolk in 2016, along with Sue Frisch and Holly Gill. The original idea came from Sue, and she was—and still is—the driving force behind the now biannual all-town festival. A crucial part […]

Weekend in Norfolk Is Back for Its Eighth Summer

Celebrating Art, Culture and Nature in Norfolk By Ruth Melville On Aug. 4, 5 and 6, Weekend in Norfolk (WIN) is back in town for its eighth annual summer, with a mixture of old and new events. Some of the old favorites coming back this year are a tour of the stained class windows at […]

Gas Spill Cleanup: Final Phase with Silver Lining?

Remediation and monitoring could end in 2024 By Joe Kelly The arrival of spring and a successful completion of legal negotiations with nearby property owners havecleared the way for what may be the final phase of the cleanup of last November’s gas spill.As the ground thawed in April and May, and agreements were reached to […]

It Must Be Summer – The Farmers Market is OpenI

By MaryJo Tomaselli The Norfolk Farmers Market will kick off its 17 th season on Saturday, June 3, on thetown hall lawn at 19 Maple Avenue. The market’s focus remains the same: To supportlocal farmers and artisans and to provide them with an outlet to sell their goods to thecommunity.This year the market committee has […]

Little Guild Animal Shelter Plans Major Renovation of Their Building

Capital campaign launching at the Great Country Mutt Show in June By Ruth Melville For over 60 years, the Little Guild has been taking in homeless cats and dogs and helpingthem find their “forever homes.” Located for 30 of those years in a 3,000-square-footbuilding in West Cornwall, the shelter is now planning a major renovation […]

Church’s Fellowship and Growth Team Eager to Help

Serving the Community By Jude MeadNavigating life post-pandemic has been a struggle for many, including Norfolk’s Church of Christ Congregational. Just before Covid-19 struck, the church had restructured its committees into what are now known as teams. Since the pandemic, church members have been searching for ways to better help serve the community. One group, […]

Grant-Funded Mental Health Professional to Join Botelle Staff

By Virginia Coleman-Prisco An $8.7 million U.S. Department of Education grant has been awarded to EdAdvance with thepurpose of increasing school-based mental health services over the next five years to 30 K-12schools in northwestern Connecticut. EdAdvance is one of Connecticut’s six RegionalEducational Service Centers (RESCs), and its mission is to promote the success of school […]

Norfolk Salutes its Volunteers

Spotlight on Norfolk Volunteer Ambulance Bill Brodnitzki We moved to Norfolk in 1971, and about a year after moving into town, my neighbor called over to me. “Bill can you go on an ambulance call?” I went! Things were different then. We referred to those days as “load and go.” No training was required, and […]

Coming Soon: The Great Barrington Triplex II

Community has come together to purchase a piece of history By Patricia PlattEarly in 1995, Richard Stanley bought a lumber yard in Great Barrington and built the Triplex Theater on its site. It quickly became a beloved community gathering place where, for 28 years, locals of all ages remember eating popcorn and watching Hollywood, independent […]

Benefit Concert for Humanitarian Aid

Teryn Kuzma, an accomplished vocalist and instrumentalist, held a benefit concert for humanitarian aid at Norfolk’s Botelle Chapel. She performed contemporary works, and uncommon Eastern European opera and art song. Kuzma accompanied herself on the 55-stringed Ukrainian bandura, a large harp-zither whose origins can be traced back to the 1600s in Ukraine.