• 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

Norfolk’s Trash Dilemma

Sate decision leaves towns scrambling for options By Joe Kelly Norfolk prides itself on being pristine—“unspoiled” is the descriptor used on the town’s website. But that doesn’t stop the town from producing plenty of trash. Residents deposit 750 to 800 tons of household waste at the transfer station on Route 44 every year—more than 900 […]

VIEW FROM THE GREEN

Building a Budget By Avice Meehan For the past month, Norfolk’s three selectmen have been meeting for two hours at time to hash out the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The special meetings—officially posted and open to the public—offer a window into the decisions large and small that shape the town’s spending priorities. The meetings […]

Earth Day Abundance Comes to Norfolk

By Avice Meehan With its abundance of natural resources and environmentally-oriented residents, Norfolk will provide numerous opportunities to appreciate the natural world both before, during and after the official observance of Earth Day on April 22. Think native shrubs, making tea for the garden, a walk among spring ephemerals and a playful opportunity to transform […]

NOTES FROM A FRENCH KITCHEN

Spring Stirs Green Market Memories By Marie-Christine Perry Growing up as I did in a family of nine, with seven food-loving children and a mother who was a delightful cook, meal preparation was joyful, sometimes simple and sometimes complex—particularly when a new recipe was tried. It all started with gathering ingredients. Whether at home—which in […]

A Fresh Take at Kelly’s Kitchen

By Andra Moss Hungry Norfolk residents looking for a ready-made meal and a scenic drive can find both when heading to Kelly’s Kitchen Take 2 at 320 Colebrook River Road in Colebrook. The cozy take-away spot is a reboot by Kelly and Bob McCarthy of their Winsted eatery, Kelly’s Kitchen, which they closed in 2019. […]

Expansion at Norbrook Farm Brewery Offers Rustic Elegance

Norfolk memories preserved in plain sight By Colleen Gundlach Norbrook Farm Brewery has long been noted for its welcoming atmosphere, specialty brews and unmatched outdoor amenities. But anyone who hasn’t been to Norbrook recently has a pleasant surprise in store. The brewery, located on the Norfolk/Colebrook town line, has expanded its footprint to include a […]

Moana Sails into Norfolk

An intrepid group of students drawn from Norfolk and Colebrook are busy rehearsing for this year’s school musical “Moana Jr.” at Botelle Elementary School. Organized by the Botelle PTO, performances will be held in the Hall of Flags on Friday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. Based on the […]

SELECTMAN’S CORNER

A Busy Norfolk Spring Has Arrived By Henry Tirrell Spring is officially here and so are the construction crews. The wall project along Route 44 has resumed activities, with temperatures providing better conditions for concrete. Excavation has begun at the site of the new firehouse to prepare for concrete foundation construction. In addition to those […]

School Budget, Truck Replacements Occupy Finance Board

By Susan MacEachron and Avice Meehan The Board of Finance held two meetings in March. On March 10, members heard presentations from the Botelle School Board of Education (BOE), the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) and First Selectman Henry Tirrell. At a March 24 special meeting, Tirrell shared the draft town budget, sought BOF approval […]

Mountain Road Detour Set for April 6

Motorists, cyclists, runners and walkers who enjoy the view of Norfolk’s iconic snake fence on Mountain Road will soon need to find an alternate path to Westside Road or destinations accessed from further along Mountain Road, among them the Curling Club and the Norfolk Country Club. Starting in early April, crews from Dayton Construction will […]

Baffling Budget Move Needed

By Avice Meehan Norfolk voters will likely see an unusual item on the agenda for this year’s annual town meeting in May: A request to appropriate $58,366 for Botelle Elementary School for the current fiscal year. The action will ensure that Norfolk remains in compliance with a nearly 40-year-old state statute that sets out minimum […]

NORFOLK WEATHER

February 2026: Cold and Snowy By Russell Russ The strong winter of 2025-26 continued through February. Deep freeze conditions are defined by periods when the daily high temperature does not exceed 32 degrees for 10 consecutive days. Norfolk was under those conditions for 18 consecutive days between Jan. 23 and Feb. 9. A high of […]