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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 […]
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Local Affordable Housing Groups Pioneer New Model
Bundling projects helps meet state minimums By Leila Javitch It’s an exciting spring for affordable homes in Northwest Connecticut. Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity (LCCHO) has fit together a program to build 10 new homes on scattered sites in five northwest towns via partnerships with each town’s volunteer affordable housing group. In Norfolk, the […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Local Affordable Housing Groups Pioneer New Model
Bundling projects helps meet state minimums By Leila Javitch It’s an exciting spring for affordable homes in Northwest Connecticut. Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity (LCCHO) has fit together a program to build 10 new homes on scattered sites in five northwest towns via partnerships with each town’s volunteer affordable housing group. In Norfolk, the […]
Articles
Text Amendment Proposed to Planning & Zoning Regulations
by Susan MacEachron Tracy Hayhurst, farm manager for Husky Meadows Farm, appeared before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Jan. 12 to request clarification of the special permit terms regarding who is allowed to participate in the country retreat, farm-to-table program Husky Meadows Farm is planning. All agreed that the current permit allows up […]
Board of Finance Hears Budget Input, Report on Fiber Optics
by Susan MacEachron At the Board of Finance (BoF) meeting on Jan. 12, chairman Michael Sconyers asked First Selectman Matt Riiska to report on the status of the selectmen’s budget. Riiska reported that the town is on target in most areas of the budget. He noted spending has been over budget on some of the […]
Berkshire Country Café is One of Five New Businesses in North Canaan
By Andra MossPhoto by Peter Chaffetz Norfolk’s own Berkshire Country Store is growing. Owner Ryan Craig has expanded his popular Norfolk location with the addition of the Berkshire Country Cafe on Main Street in North Canaan, serving breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday. But don’t worry, his four-year-old enterprise in Norfolk isn’t going anywhere. In […]
Annual Bird Event Counts on Norfolk Citizen Scientists
Text by Kelly Kandra HughesPhoto by Savage Frieze Over four days every February, people flock to the Internet to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is one of the most prolific citizen science projects in the world, with 268,674 participants from 194 countries in 2020. Started in 1998 by the Cornell […]
Slip-Sliding into Winter Fun, Norfolk Style
Text by Susannah WoodPhoto by Savage Frieze Over the years, winter in the Icebox of Connecticut has been a glorious season for those of us who love skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Although climate change has made winter sport a chancier thing, there are still days when conditions are just right for an afternoon of […]
James Mars, Once Enslaved, to be Honored in Norfolk This Spring
A Witness to History by Rhonan Mokriski On the first day of class this past fall, I bet the juniors and seniors in my American history class that they could not name 10 famous Black Americans who were born before 1950. They quickly and confidently took up the challenge, but after a few painstaking minutes, […]
2021 Brings New Challenge for the Connecticut State Legislature
An interview with State Representative Maria Horn By Jeremy Withnall On Friday, Jan. 15, Norfolk Now interviewed Maria Horn (D), recently re-elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives for District 64, which includes Norfolk as well as much of the far northwestern corner of the state. As she starts her second term in office, we wanted to ask […]
Wiley Wood Steps Down as Editor After 10 Years at Norfolk Now
by Ruth Melville Wiley Wood doesn’t quite remember when he joined the staff at Norfolk Now—turns out it was 2010—but he does remember his first assignment, to write a profile on longtime NN staff photographer Bruce Frisch (who himself retired last year). “I was furious,” Wood said recently. “I thought it would a stupid be […]
Snowy Norfolk a Popular Destination for Skiers, Ski Jumpers in the 1930s
By Andra Moss In February 1934, millions of moviegoers across the country were transported to Norfolk via a Fox Movietone newsreel featuring a ski-jumping meet at the well-known Norfolk Hill. The Nashville Banner announced, “Ski experts at Norfolk, Conn. stage some new thrills when they leap by twos and threes down the steep slide. The […]
Evan Hughes Charitable Trust: A Norfolk Success Story
by Michael Cummings Kelly When Evan Hughes, a longtime Norfolk resident, passed away in 2016, he left behind specific plans for the disposition of his estate. His deep fondness for the town of Norfolk prompted a generous bequest to the community and its residents, including educational scholarships, village beautification projects, individual financial assistance and quality […]
Group Forms to Study Effects of Climate Change in Norfolk
by Mike Cobb I grew up in Norfolk with clear memories of four distinct seasons: muddy, green springs; pleasant, mild summers; cool, colorful falls; and long, frigid winters. But today we have a crazy mix of unpredictable weather. Snow on Mother’s Day last spring, a hot, dry summer with water levels alarmingly low at Tobey […]
Churches Adapt and Uplift at Christmas
by Kelly Kandra Hughes Last spring, many churches in the northwest corner of Connecticut suspended communal worship services in response to the Coronavirus. They had no idea at the time that this decision would include Easter Sunday, the most sacred and well-attended holy day on the Christian calendar. Most churches had returned to in-person worship […]
