• 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

Inlands Wetlands Bridges the Gaps

By Susan MacEachron The reconstruction of the two bridges in south Norfolk, and an emergency driveway repair were addressed at the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting on May 4. David McKay, an engineer from Garg Consulting Services, Inc., attended the meeting and briefly reviewed plans for the bridges on Old Goshen Road and Smith Road which […]

Speeding, Online Permitting Occupy Selectmen

By Avice Meehan Early May seems a long time ago, but the subjects addressed by the Board of Selectman at the May 6 meeting will remain topical for many months to come—first and foremost being the epidemic of speeding through Norfolk’s town center. Enabling online filing of building and other permits was also discussed as […]

A Centennial Celebration of Long-Term Forest Research

Aton Forest has a long history in Norfolk By Carol Goodstein Along with a growing population of moose, black bear and red fox, Norfolk’s roughly 1,500 residents have plenty of room to roam. Great Mountain Forest, The Norfolk Land Trust, state-owned lands and public parks welcome hikers, bikers, skiers, strollers and even, to a limited […]

Sunscreen Safety for Tobey Pond

Protecting our beloved swimming area by Linda Garrettson All my life I’ve had a love affair with water. It began at age four, much to the concern of my parents, as they watched me jump off a diving board into an Olympic pool. My love with water extended to less scrutinized swims at the Jersey […]

IT’ S ONLY NATURAL      

Protecting Norfolk’s Waters Starts in Our Own Backyards by Jude Mead Norfolk’s quiet brooks and winding streams may appear insignificant, but scientists say these small waterways play a critical role in protecting the health of the town’s rivers, lakes, and drinking water systems. What begins as a narrow stream flowing through the woods is often […]

Through the Looking Glass

The cathedral stained-glass window removed from Battell Chapel in January made its return on a cold May afternoon following complex repairs and restoration undertaken by the Glass Source Stained Glass Studio. The window, which had undergone prior repairs, now awaits a protective glass covering that will be installed by Sullivan Glass. The fundraising committee leading […]

NOTES FROM A FRENCH KITCHEN

Rhubarb Heralds the Spring By Marie-Christine Perry The first edible in my garden is usually rhubarb, followed quickly by asparagus, both valued in my kitchen—fresh and preserved! Beyond the celebrated strawberry rhubarb pie, I like rhubarb in many guises: in compote, jam, chutney and cake, but also in unexpected savory dishes, where its acidity is […]

Inside the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art

A season of student and community activity By Patricia Platt For over 80 years, the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Trust has endowed Yale University’s summer music and art programs in Norfolk. The renowned Yale Norfolk School of Art opens the 2026 summer season on May 23, before the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival begins, and shares its […]

Education With a Wink: Norfolk Sewer’s Posts Find Their Audience

Crew crafts cinematic wastewater must-reads By the Norfolk Sewer District Every town has its traditions. Some have parades. Some have festivals. Here in Norfolk, we have … wastewater updates on Facebook. This is not a typo or glitch. This is a fully committed, once-a-week situation. If you’ve ever opened the Norfolk Sewer District Facebook page […]

A Gathering

Poetry and Prose Bloom on the Porch By Nels White In 2015, a group from the United Church of Christ and the Norfolk community started getting together regularly to practice their writing skills and to share their inspirations. They called themselves the “Writer’s Group.” The late Eve Thew was an originator of the group, and […]

Passing the Torch

Volunteers Key to Festival Connections By Jen Pfaltz Volunteers at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival will see a new face in a key role this season. After seven years as the Norfolk Local Coordinator of Volunteers, Tom Hodgkin is stepping aside and passing the torch to your correspondent, Jen Pfaltz. During his tenure, Hodgkin focused […]

March First Responder Data

Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance