• Early Morning Fire Guts Norfolk Barn

    Forty firefighters respond from five towns By Avice Meehan Adair Mali often sleeps with earplugs but dispensed with them on the night of Aug. 18, tired after a night at Tanglewood with her husband, Antonio Guindon, and another couple. Thank goodness she did. At about 4:20 a.m. Mali awoke to a “loud crackling noise” and […]

  • Litchfield County Choral Union Closes 2026 Season

    Celebrating America’s 250th birthday By Jude Mead The Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU) brought its 2026 summer season to a stirring close on Sunday, Aug. 2, with “From Roots to Promise: Singing America at 250,” an ambitious program that celebrated the country’s musical traditions while looking toward its future. The concert featured the LCCU anthem […]

  • Haystack Book Festival Returns to Norfolk

    Nationally recognized authors offer conversation and insights By Ann DeCerbo Book lovers, curious minds and anyone who enjoys a lively conversation about ideas have plenty to look forward to next month when the Haystack Book Festival returns to Norfolk Oct. 2–4 with events at Infinity Hall, the Norfolk Library and Great Mountain Forest. A program […]

  • Fire and Circus Arts on the Green

    By Jude Mead Matica Circus, a professional performing group based in Harwinton, Conn., brought an unforgettable combination of fire, acrobatics and circus arts to the Norfolk Village Green for the grand finale of the season of the Friday Nights on the Green summer concert series. The high-energy performance captivated the crowd with dramatic fire spinning, […]

  • Botelle Ushers in a New Year

    The first day of school dawned cool and cloudy, but no one seemed to notice. Students arrived at Botelle Elementary School on Aug. 26 via bus, car and firetruck (complete with siren). Some students, like Daphne Rutolo who walked her older sister to the bus, will have to wait for the start of the pre-Kindergarten […]

  • A New Year, New Pathways

    Northwestern Regional 7 expands opportunities for students By Virginia Coleman-Prisco As students and staff return to Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 (NWR7) middle and high schools for the 2026-27 school year, district leaders say the focus will be on strengthening student opportunities, preparing young people for an evolving workforce and building an even stronger […]

  • When Is a Check Really in the Mail?

    By Joseph Kelly The United States Postal Service (USPS), longtime target of many complaints and butt of numerous jokes, may seem an unlikely source of metaphysical speculation. But this year the USPS added a new wrinkle to an age-old question: When can it truly and truthfully be said that “a check is in the mail?” […]

  • Steady as She Goes

    Crews working on Norfolk’s new firehouse hoisted the “final” truss in place on Saturday, Aug. 29, as members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department, town officials and representatives of Newfield Construction watched from the sidelines. The truss, signed by key players in the major project, marks a symbolic milestone toward completion of the building. NVFD […]

  • Caring for Forests: Ethan Tapper’s Message of Stewardship

    By Jude Mead Ethan Tapper recently spoke at the Church of Christ Congregational on the green about his work as a forester, author and advocate for the natural world. The evening centered on his 2024 book, “How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World,” which explores how forests function and […]

  • IT’ S ONLY NATURAL: Putting the Brakes on Bittersweet: a September Strategy

    by Susannah Wood Over the last couple of years, Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) has increasingly taken hold on Norfolk’s roadsides. Anyone who has driven back and forth to New York City over the years has seen how, unchecked, the vines can envelope trees, girdle and kill them, and leave behind a wrecked woodland. A member […]

  • Woodman Spare that Tree—Or Don’t

    The somewhat lopsided Japanese Zelkova tree that once stood near the entrance to Nor-folk’s Post Office on Station Place is no more. Likely planted some 30 years ago during Ar-thur Rosenblatt’s tenure as first selectman, the hardy tree fell victim to progress and the need to replace the adjacent sidewalk. The planned removal of the […]

  • Norfolk Then…

    In the early 20th century, the Mountain Road bridge over Norfolk Brook had a rustic-style guard rail bordering the road and sidewalk. Characterized by the use of twigs, branches, and bark, the rustic style had been used in formal English gardens in the 1700’s and in this country was very popular in the second half […]

Articles

Remembering John Barry: Veteran and Volunteer

John Michael Barry, 83, of The Villages, Fla., died peacefully on Jan. 1, at the Moffitt Cancer Center, after a brief period of illness, in the presence of his loving family. John was born on June 4, 1942, in Winsted and raised in Norfolk, where he developed the values of faith, service, hard work, and […]

Generations of Service in Norfolkart

By Avice Meehan Something that was equal parts mundane and remarkable occurred on a Sunday afternoon in November in the large, second-floor meeting room in Norfolk Town Hall. A majority of those elected to town office came together to take the oath of office administered by Town Clerk Debbie Nelson. Cider and doughnuts followed, with […]

Connecticut State Northwestern Celebrates 60 Years

Norfolk connections continue to grow By Virginia Coleman-Prisco This year, Connecticut State Community College Northwestern marks a significant milestone: 60 years of serving as the primary institution of higher education for the state’s Northwest Corner. Many know it as Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NWCC), but as of 2023 it has been the Northwestern Campus of […]

Why Do Electricity Rates Go Up?

Study cites range of factors, no easy solutions By Joe Kelly The normally staid, quiescent, if not completely somnolescent subject of electricity rates and their regulation has lately become a hot topic. It figured in this fall’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, including active discussion over the role that AI data centers play […]

Botelle Beat

Botelle Young Authors Take a Magic Tree House Adventure By Lauren Valentino This fall, Botelle’s third- and fourth-grade students completed an extraordinary writing project that brought the magic of literature to life. As part of their first English Language Arts unit, students studied Mary Pope Osborne’s beloved “Magic Tree House” series—with close attention to the […]

Swap Shop Success

By Andra Moss A year and a half has sped by since volunteers Susan Sloan and Kathy Connolly opened the Norfolk Swap Shop in a shipping container on the grounds of the Norfolk Transfer Station. Their constant thoughtful attention has made it a pleasant stop for dropping off gently used items and browsing for lucky […]

Heard Around Town

Personal Connections to an Icon, an Iconic EventWhen John X. Fernandez steps to the microphone to introduce the documentary film “Dolores” at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Norfolk Library, his words will carry special power. That’s because the iconic labor leader and activist, Dolores Fernandez Huerta, is also the 95-year-old matriarch of his […]

Food Pantry Shifts Focus

Demand brings a limit to hours, communities served By Elizabeth Bailey The Norfolk Food Pantry began as just that – a room stocked with cans of vegetables and jars of peanut butter donated by residents for anyone in need of help. Canned goods were there for the taking and no one tallied up the cost […]

Backyard Bird Chronicles

Sandhill Cranes Have a Tough Summer By Susannah Wood For more than 10 years, North Norfolk residents Marie and Stan Civco have recorded the coming and going of the Sandhill cranes that nest in nearby wetlands and spend much of each day feeding and hanging out in their yard or across the road at Drew […]

Norfolk Election Preview

Most Candidates Running without Opposition By Avice Meehan Candidates for roles that will influence Norfolk’s future are running for election this year: Board of Selectman, Planning & Zoning Commission, and the boards of education and finance. Only the Board of Education has a contest because there are five people running for four seats. Norfolk Now […]

Matt Riiska Takes a Bow

First Selectman Matt Riiska was recognized for eight years of service with a Sept. 6 program on the Village Green and a commendation from state Rep. Maria Horn (D) (left) and state Sen. Paul Honig (D) (at rear). The evening, organized by the Democratic Town Committee, included hot dogs, chips and homemade desserts, in addition […]

New Firehouse Vote Set for Oct. 6

The Board of Selectmen have called a special town meeting for Monday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Botelle School Hall of Flags to increase the appropriation and borrowing limits for the town’s proposed new firehouse. Voters will be asked to approve a $10.4 million appropriation—up from the $9.3 million approved earlier in the […]