• 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

The Norfolk Sewer District: Past, Present and Future

Text By Ruth MelvillePhoto Courtesy of the Norfolk Sewer District The Norfolk Sewer District is 125 years old, and thanks to the recent relining project, it is ready to continue processing the town’s sewage safely and efficiently for many years to come. On Nov. 19, Bill Hester, superintendent and chief plant operator of the Norfolk […]

Raising Sheep in New England Is Tough but Rewarding

Text By Jude MeadPhoto By Christain Stovall Raising sheep can be a rewarding experience. Some people raise them as pets because of their gentle personalities, but for the more serious shepherd, sheep provide a livelihood as well. For Christian Stovall, of Hidden Mountain Farm in New Marlboro, Mass., the main purpose for starting his sheep […]

Norfolk NET Joining Forces With UR Community Cares

Neighbors Helping Neighbors By Kelly Kandra Hughes When Norfolk NET began in 2017 as a grassroots organization to alleviate poverty in Norfolk, the organizers believed that fostering relationships would be a key for success. Since that time, they’ve launched several initiatives, such as the Gifting Board at the Hub, Norfstroms at the transfer station, community […]

Smoke and Water Arch Above Royal Arcanum Building

Norfolk’s firefighters train for the unthinkable Text By Brian HutchinsPhotos By David Beers On the morning of Sunday, Oct. 16, downtown Norfolk became the scene of an elaborate firefighting drill. To onlookers, it appeared that the Royal Arcanum Building was on fire—smoke poured out of an upper window as first responders wrangled multiple hoses into […]

The Mountain Road Bridge Project Is Finally Complete

In-depth negotiations maintain the beauty of the landscape By Leila Javitch At long last, the Mountain Road bridge is finished and motorists, bikers and walkers can enjoy the extraordinary views along the road, such as the hay field with the Virginia split rail fence and the Perkins house with its long driveway lined with glorious […]

Wild Turkey Restoration Has Been Successful in Norfolk

It’s Only Natural By Jude Mead Travel any road in Norfolk and you are certain to see a flock of turkeys. The eastern wild turkey is a large, majestic bird with adult males weighing anywhere between 15 and 25 pounds, and adult females weighing between eight and 12 pounds. They look similar in their appearance, […]

The Norfolk Transfer Station Is a Very Busy Place

Keeping everything flowing smoothly at the transfer station By David Beers Who is someone you see about once a week? He is reliably available for your weekly visit. While somewhat unassuming, he is quite approachable and eager to help. Your spouse, your mom, your dad, your kids – perhaps. Another possible answer is Jim Powelzyk […]

Cyclists Get a Big Assist From New North Canaan E-Bike Shop

Out and About By Andra Moss For most bicyclists in Norfolk, starting a ride from home involves hitting a sizeable hill sooner or later—or sooner and later, given the daunting topography of the Northwest Corner. How is it then, that so many riders of the non-millennial vintage have recently been spotted happily climbing Lovers Lane […]

The Future of Healthcare in the Northwest Corner

Rural providers struggle with staffing and competition By Avice Meehan Healthcare in Connecticut continues to evolve – too quickly for some, too slowly for others – as providers consolidate or programs are eliminated. Statewide, the story is about the ongoing consolidation of hospitals and medical practices into three big networks: Hartford Healthcare, Yale-New Haven Health, […]

Rural Poverty Is Alive and Well in the Northwest Corner

In Our Own Back Yard By Elizabeth Bailey “The number of people who are clearly in distress as the result of the pandemic, and now rising inflation, is the most I have seen in my nineteen years in Norfolk,” says Erick Olsen, pastor of the Church of Christ Congregational.  “It is easy for those of […]

Battell Arts Foundation Publishes First Journal

It happened to me when I was in first grade. I was 6 years old. Now I’m 8. It has been two terrible years. – Lexi LaForge, grade 3 As we all know, in 2020 the coronavirus Covid-19 made its appearance on the world stage. Within weeks, it had profoundly changed the course of human […]

Correction to Print Article: Constitutional: Amendment Question is Two-Pronged

Norfolk Now regrets that its fron-tpage article on the proposed amendment to permit early voting suggested that a yes vote would allow new procedures that would diminish the security of the voting process.  There is only one question at issue: whether or not Connecticut should permit in-person voting prior to the actual election day.  Authorization […]