• Norfolk’s Newest Neighborhood Puts Down Roots

    Haystack Woods lauded as a “model for the state” By Joe Kelly Norfolk’s newest neighborhood, the Haystack Woods affordable housing development, has officially come to life. A year ago, the 39-acre location—a former gravel pit off Old Colony Road—was little more than a muddy building site. Now construction of the 10, two- and three-bedroom homes […]

  • Winsted Church Auctions Tiffany Window for $1.25 Million

    Sale highlights women’s role in Tiffany designs By Joe Kelly When medieval architects found ways to build taller cathedrals, the techniques they developed also made possible the enormous stained-glass windows that we so enjoy today, such as at Chartres and Sainte-Chapelle in France and Canterbury Cathedral in England. American-made stained glass is more recent, dating […]

  • A Revolutionary Year

    1776 Norfolk explored in summer exhibition By Andra Moss Communities across the country are looking back with wonder at 1776, the year that 13 British colonies initiated a revolution that, against astonishing odds, led to the birth of an independent republic. In Norfolk, two curators have combed the Norfolk Historical Society’s (NHS) collection for colonial-era […]

  • SUMMER MUSIC: Familiar Quartets, New Composers at Yale Chamber Festival

    By Patricia Platt The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, running from July 3 until Aug. 22, will present an exciting season of classical, innovative and international music. This summer, the Brentano Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, Ying Quartet and the Horszowski Trio are among those who will perform during weekend concerts and serve as artist-in-residence mentors to the […]

  • Botelle Students Move Up

    By Avice Meehan Four sixth graders bid farewell to Botelle Elementary School at a laughter-filled, but occasionally serious, ceremony on June 16 that was attended by family, friends and town officials. First Selectmen Henry Tirrell, a Botelle graduate whose mother and aunt taught at the school for many years, reminded the students that they would […]

  • Norfolk Rail-Trail Project Pedals Forward

    By Jude Mead After more than a decade of planning, permiting and redesign work, Norfolk’s long-await-ed Rails-to-Trails initiative has reached a major milestone, bringing the community closer to the creation of a new multi-use recreational trail along a historic railroad corridor. The project is the North Brook Trail, a planned three-quarter-mile ADA-accessi-ble pathway that will […]

  • LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Budgets, Beetles, Nips and More

    By Avice Meehan State Rep. Maria Horn came prepared to share details about the Connecticut budget (she is co-chair of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee) and the progress that has been made toward paying down the state’s unfunded pension liability, increasing the rainy day fund (now up to $18 billion) and allocating more state funds […]

  • Noteworthy Natives: Coral Honeysuckle

    By Jill Chase Do you go to other people’s gardens and envy all the hummingbirds they have? I did. But then I realized I had completely overlooked one of their favorite plants: The native coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens. It was practically designed for humming-birds. Their long beaks and extra-long tongues are a perfect fit for […]

  • CELESTIAL SPHERE: Honoring an Astronomer and Patriot

    By Matthew Johnson As America celebrates its semi-quincentennial and the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this writer also celebrates the life of David Rittenhouse, an astronomer and political thinker who helped build the nation’s scientific infrastructure and informed its founding documents. The customary astronomical notes will follow at the end […]

  • Norfolk Then

    As we prepare for the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence on July 4, let’s look back 50 years to June 12, 1976, and the American Revolution Bicentennial parade in Norfolk. The parade was the largest parade ever held in Norfolk with almost everyone participating, many dressed in colonial garb. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department […]

  • GoodWorks Shares Plans for Infinity Hall

    Restaurant, more concerts coming to historic venue By Avice Meehan When Dave Rosenfeld walked onto the starlit stage at Infinity Hall, many of the more than 200 people gathered to hear what he had to say, were unsure about what to expect. The co-founder of GoodWorks Entertainment, which acquired the green Victorian gem of a […]

  • A New Tradition Begins for Litchfield County Choral Union

    Generations come together to refresh a century-long legacy By Jude Mead Music from singers young and old filled Battell Chapel on May 22 as the Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU) joined the Torrington High School choir for a collaborative concert aimed at connecting generations of choral musicians. Organizers hope the successful event will become an […]

Articles

Fire Risk Remains High Across Region

Rain, now do not dampen drought By Avice Meehan Weather watchers like Russell Russ, property manager for Great Mountain Forest, greeted the late November rain storm with a sigh of relief. Yet like other experts, he warned that fire risk remains high across heavily forested Litchfield County and neighboring Berkshire County, where the Butternut Fire […]

School Honors: Botelle Named School of Distinction

By Avice Meehan Botelle Elementary School has been named a school of distinction for the 2023-24 academic year for showing great improvement across a range of standards measured by Connecticut’s Department of Education (DOE). Principal Lauren Valentino shared the news at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Board of Education and, in a lighthearted moment, […]

Elementary Conversations

Colebrook, Norfolk Selectmen Seek Collaboration By Avice Meehan The Colebrook and Norfolk Boards of Selectmen held a joint meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14, to “restart the conversation” about how the two communities could find ways to collaborate as elementary school enrollments decline. Originally planned for Colebrook Town Hall, the session was moved to the adjacent […]

Fergus Goes for a Ride

By Andra Moss A community dog parade might seem the ideal sniffing ground for a wannabe dog thief, but it is also a setting filled with folks prepared to spring into action to find a furry friend.  Such was the case during the annual Halloween dog parade on Oct. 26. Norfolk resident Phee Rosnick left […]

Holiday Happenings for a Festive December

Norfolk Now’s Patricia Platt has ranged far and wide to find a true cornucopia of holiday related happenings across Litchfield and Berkshire counties. Her discoveries range from performances of the “Nutcracker” by the Nutmeg Ballet in Torrington to Christmas fairs to strolls through the grounds of the Mount in Lenox, Mass. Enjoy! Litchfield CountyThe Colebrook […]

Botelle Beat

Student build on Strong Traditions By Lauren Valentino, Principal November is a month rich with tradition at Botelle School. For over two decades, Botelle students, staff and PTO have welcomed local veterans and their families to the annual Veterans Day Assembly, celebrated with song and ceremony. This tradition started in 2003 thanks to music teacher […]

Music in the Stacks

The Norfolk Library celebrates a 30-year legacy of Irish Music By Bina Thomson Norfolk residents can always rely on the library’s annual St. Patrick’s Day concert to meet their need for Irish music. They’ll be given another such chance when famed Irish fiddler Gerry O’Connor performs in the Great Hall at the end of November. […]

The haystack book festival at six: intimate and quirky

By Joe Kelly While Norfolk has long been a well-known destination for art and music, in recent years it’s also become a place to celebrate writing and literature—with much credit for that going to the annual Haystack Book Festival, which celebrated its sixth year this October. For the festival weekend, Haystack pairs writers with other […]

Behind the numbers

Botelle Test Scores slow to recover after the pandemic By Avice Meehan When the Norfolk Board of Education meets in mid-November, Botelle Elementary School Principal Lauren Valentino will provide an update about student progress and the start of the new academic year. One metric that will be discussed is something called the Smarter Balanced Assessment. […]

Town and Gown, Norfolk Style

By Avice Meehan It takes less than five minutes to travel the distance between Town Hall on Maple Avenue and Botelle Elementary School on Route 44, yet the gulf between these two pillars of Norfolk life is substantial. First Selectman Matt Riiska has become a vocal proponent of restarting conversations with the Town of Colebrook […]

SMooth transition at Town Clerk’s office

Nelson steps in as Perkins retires By Avice Meehan After serving as a quiet understudy to Linda Perkins, Norfolk’s long-time town clerk, Deborah Nelson officially stepped into the role on Oct. 8 when she was sworn in to succeed Perkins. It is yet another chapter in a life that has encompassed careers as a paralegal, […]

SHELTER Art Show

By Bina Thomson Shelter is a concept on which Jennifer Almquist meditates often. She asks questions like “What does true shelter look like?” and “What is it like to not have it?” Her attempts to answer these questions have led her to curate an art show in the Royal Arcanum Building in Norfolk, titled SHELTER.  […]