• 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

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 […]

Conservation Commission and Public Works Team Up Against Invasives

Knotweed, mugwort are priorities By Avice Meehan As a member of Norfolk’s Conservation Commission, Becky Eaton finds herself thinking a great deal about 21st-century road and property maintenance and building relationships with folks like Troy LaMere, the town’s public works supervisor. The motivation is clear: invasive plants like bittersweet kill trees and create roadside hazards […]

Community in Action

Scoville Piece to Join Norfolk Sculpture Trail By Andra Moss Norfolk’s public art collection—made possible through donations from local art supporters to the Norfolk Community Association—is growing. According to Doreen Kelly and Barry Webber, co-presidents of the Norfolk Community Association (NCA), the latest addition to the town’s outdoor sculpture trail, planned to connect Norfolk’s monuments […]

High or Low Tech?

New Strategies Considered for Speed Control in Norfolk By Avice Meehan First Selectman Matt Riiska often ends his monthly Norfolk Now column by asking people to slow down and observe the speed limit. But what exactly is the speed limit on town roads?“It is 25 miles an hour all through the town, on all town […]

Ten Years of Weekend in Norfolk

This year is the 10th annual Weekend in Norfolk (WIN) and it’s bigger and better than ever. From Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 3, Norfolk opens its doors all over town to host a great variety of activities such as live music, art shows, open houses, hiking trails, bocce, fly-fishing lessons and the best […]

Norfolk in the Civil War

As part of researching the current exhibition at the Norfolk Historical Society, “A New Birth of Freedom: Norfolk in the Civil War,” Norfolk town historians have discovered many additional graves of Civil War soldiers who were part of the Connecticut 29th and 54th regiments. According to Barry Webber, executive director of the historical society, “One […]

Keeping Watch

Lifeguards Train for Tobey Pond By Jude Mead Lifeguarding Tobey Pond requires a sense of responsibility, safety and leadership—along with, quick thinking. Josh DeCerbo, Tobey Pond supervisor for the past several years, said the role teaches important life skills and makes a difference in the community because the job of a lifeguard at a beach […]

Botelle Sixth Graders Have Big Plans for the Future

By Avice Meehan More than a few already had middle school homework on their minds, but the nine students who completed sixth grade at Botelle Elementary School on June 11 are looking to make a major mark on the world. Their goals range from working for NASA to playing major league sports, becoming a chef, […]

Historical Society Explores Norfolk’s Civil War Past

By Andra Moss Norfolk had already been a thriving town for over a century when President Abraham Lincoln issued the call on April 15, 1861, for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to defend the Union after the fall of Fort Sumter at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. The men of Norfolk responded—some immediately, others throughout the four […]