• Work to Resume on Route 44 and New Firehouse

    Warmer temps ensure concrete quality By Avice Meehan Two significant Norfolk projects that were put on hold because of below-zero temperatures this winter are expected to resume by mid-March: Reconstruction of two retaining walls along Route 44 and the construction of a new firehouse for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department. Engineers for the state Department […]

  • Richard Byrne Retires as Active Firefighter

    After 58 years, veteran status By Joseph Kelly He was a young Navy veteran, about to be married and ready to start a family in his hometown when, in February 1968, his older brother convinced him to join the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). For Richard Byrne it was the start of an association that […]

  • Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus Will Benefit Local Food Banks

    Three Grammy nominees to perform at Infinity Hall By Colleen Gundlach On April 11, Infinity Hall will be the setting for Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus, a concert that will benefit Stock the Shelves, an outreach of United Way of Northwestern Connecticut. The Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus will feature three Grammy nominees […]

  • Rom-Com Curling Film Released With Olympics

    To get the ice just right, filmmakers tapped Norfolk expertise By Joseph Kelly The underdogs who battle the odds—the washed-up boxer, the outclassed football team, the aging baseball slugger with one last homerun in him—are all Hollywood standbys. Ronald Reagan may be remembered as much for “win one for the Gipper” as he is for […]

  • How Botelle (Carefully) Uses AI for Learning

    By Avice Meehan For more than three decades, children visited the fictional town of Frog Creek, Penn., home to two children named Jack and Annie. With the help of a magic tree house, the pair are whisked away to distant places where they have adventures, solve problems and, perhaps, learn a thing or two. Like […]

  • Choral Singing Meets Bluegrass

    LCCU welcomes all ages to sing new styles By Andra Moss The Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU) is entering its 127th concert year with decidedly youthful energy. Under the direction of Music Director Dr. Gabriel Löfvall, the LCCU will convene a youth choral festival in Norfolk in late spring; offer a series of choral seminars […]

  • Winter Weekend In Norfolk

    It was a cold and blustery weekend, but that didn’t stop the hardy from coming out on Feb. 21 and 22 for Winter WIN, the weekend for enjoying all things Norfolk in the winter season. The photos below show a story of a town that came together to strut its stuff for the world to […]

  • From Freeze to Flow: Extreme Temps and the Maple Syrup Season

    Reaching that ideal mix of natural conditions By Jude Mead The extreme cold and heavy snowfall this season has raised some concern among maple syrup producers. Reports of loud, cracking noises in wooded areas have set the stage for a phenomenon called “frost cracking.” During these periods of intense cold, the water and sap inside […]

  • Sit Right Back and You’ll Hear a Tale

    With Jude Mead at the guitar and with great enthusiasm, members of the Isabella Eldridge Club defied a threatened winter storm and entered Battell Chapel on Feb. 10 for a memorable performance of an episode of “Gilligan’s Island,” a daft 1960s television comedy. Despite the best efforts of the Professor (played by Marinell Crippen, left) […]

  • Cook For Goodness Sake

    America The Melting Pot By Linda Garrettson In celebration of the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, it seems appropriate to dedicate my food column this year to America, who we are, and what we eat. Get ready for some history lessons, and perhaps surprises that might enlighten you to what we call American […]

  • Be Careful, Very Careful

    An expert team from the Glass Source Stained Glass Studio spent nearly six hours in cold mid-January weather care-fully removing a cathedral stained glass window from Battell Chapel at the United Church of Christ before transporting it to their studio in Seymour for restoration. In this photo, Michael Skrtic balances one section of the window […]

  • The Week that Was

    First, frigid temperatures forced the relocation of Norfolk’s valiant Post Office staff to Winsted because of scheduled asbestos remediation, leaving box holders temporarily puzzled. Then, the big snow arrived on Jan. 25 and 26. Estimates vary widely: Russell Russ reported the official tally at the Great Mountain Forest weather station as 15.2 inches, but others […]

Articles

Norfolk Land Trust Acquires 235 Acres in South Norfolk

Strategic connector of multi-town forest expanse protected by David Beers Back in 2004, Norfolk Land Trust founder Colin Tait, had a vision to create a continuous corridor of protected forest from Route 8 in Winsted to Route 7 in Canaan. That vision just became ever more real with the recent acquisition of the 235 acres […]

Is the Fashion Industry Committing Hydrocide?

Norfolk environmental program highlights the need for sustainable fashion by Kelly Kandra Huhges Earth Day may be celebrated every year on April 22, but every day is a great day to consider how personal choice impacts the Earth. A recent joint program of the Norfolk Church of Christ and the Norfolk Library virtually welcomed documentary […]

Norfolk Ambulance to Initiate Administrative Support Groups

Friends needed to keep friends safe By Andra Moss When emergency strikes in Norfolk, a cadre of volunteers comes running. Usually, first on the scene of a medical emergency is the Norfolk Ambulance crew, an all-volunteer corps that provides community protection 365 days a year. Ambulance volunteers have proven their dedication to the community for […]

Board of Selectman April Meeting

By Ruth Melville Because of the Covid pandemic, the Cemetery Committee, which oversees Norfolk’s three municipal cemeteries—Grantville, Pond Town and South Norfolk—hasn’t met in over two years. At their April 6 meeting, the Board of Selectmen (BoS) appointed Linda Perkins to replace on the committee Pete Mulville, who died last July. Also on the committee […]

Botelle Students Swim into “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” to Waves of Applause

By Kelly Kandra Hughes The Botelle Elementary School PTO had one goal in mind when they decided to stage a production of The Little Mermaid Jr. the first weekend in April – to provide positive experiences for the children. As an audience member opening night, I can unequivocally attest they not only met their goal, […]

Living with History at the Wilcox Tavern

This Old Norfolk House This is Part 2 of this history. Part 1 can be found here: https://nornow.org/2022/04/12/the-wilcox-tavern-house/ By Michael Selleck The era of the Wilcox Tavern had come to an end with the death of the widow Wilcox in 1815. Her children were all established in their own lives and her son was ready […]

Honoring Our Military Heroes

Two names to be added to memorial remembrances this year By Brian Hutchins Have you noticed that the plaques of the World War I monument at Memorial Green have been missing? The Norfolk Veterans Affairs Office, with help from all veterans in town, are adding a name to the memorial plaque this year, and also […]

Farmers Market Makes Plans for the Future

New generation of market planners needed for continuity Text by Jude MeadPhoto by Lisa Auclair As the weather warms and gardens get planted, thoughts naturally turn to the Norfolk Farmers Market. For the past 16 springs, the community has looked forward to the excitement of opening day, knowing the season will bring plenty of fresh […]

Well-Known Norfolk Author Publishes Her First Memoir

Text by Patricia PlattPhoto courtesy of Courtney Maum Norfolk’s acclaimed author, Courtney Maum, will launch her first memoir, The Year of the Horses, at the Norfolk Library on May 3, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. During the event, she and author Elisa Altman will explore how Maum’s love of horseback riding helped her regain physical and […]

Grassroots Group Continues Opposition to New Asphalt Plant in Canaan

Organization has new name and new funding By John Coston Residents fighting a proposed asphalt plant in East Canaan have a new name, a broader mission and a dedicated funding source.  The Blackberry River Valley Protection Alliance, Inc., (BRVPA) is the new name for Stop the Asphalt Plant (STAP). With a wider focus and newfound […]

Meet Jen Pfaltz: The New Manager of the Norfolk Hub

A Fresh Face in Station Place Text by Patricia PlattPhoto by Kelly Kandra Hughes After four years in operation, the Hub has a new manager, Jen Pfaltz. “When the Hub first opened, no one knew just what it would become,” said Dawn Whalen, the executive director of the Norfolk Foundation. “Since then the Hub has […]

The Norfolk Community Art Space Is Coming Back at Botelle School

Art for Everyone By Virginia Coleman-Prisco Trends come and go, but art endures. When Botelle School needed some upgrades in the 1990s, Norfolk community members decided to work together on a project that would benefit all of Norfolk, not just Botelle students. And so they created the Norfolk Community Art Space. According to former PTO […]