• 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • The chicken who wanted to be a star and other tales from a norfolk movie set

    By Andra Moss Secrets and small towns don’t often pair well, and Norfolk is a small town. Yet, for eight weeks this summer, a crew of nearly 100 people quietly transformed Tim and Paula Webster’s 1908 Norfolk farmhouse into a film set for a feature-length production, all the while staying under the local radar.  It […]

Articles

African-American Civil War Soldier Remembered in Winsted

Righting a Historical Wrong By Wiley Wood The African-American community in northwestern Connecticut responded strongly to the call for volunteers during the Civil War, according to local historian Virginia Shultz-Charette, and at least seven black men from Winsted served in the Union Army. Until a few days ago, six of them had their names inscribed […]

Electric Bikes Take Off in Norfolk

By David BeersPhoto by David Beers On the evening of May 20 there were a bunch of cyclists going up hills in town while giggling—part of the ebike workshop at the Norfolk Hub, organized by West Lowe and Berkshire Bike and Board. The bicycles looked a bit different and certainly the cyclists were acting strange. […]

The Thin Red Line of Volunteers

Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance By Doug McDevittPhoto by Bruce Frisch The anticipated knock at the door was greeted with a quick step while the guests were greeted with smiles and the aroma of roast turkey, stuffing and fresh baked pies. Mouths were watering on both sides of the door as family and friends were reunited […]

Acupuncture for Horses? Of course!

Results-based alternative therapies for pets By Kelly Kandra Hughes Mexico, a horse with a big personality, wasn’t too sure about Dr. Andrew Flint, DVM, of Litchfield Hills Mobile Veterinary Clinic, the first time they met. Now, he greets Dr. Flint every time by sticking his head out of his stall and making all sorts of […]

Enriching Talent at Botelle

By Virginia Coleman-PriscoPhoto by Kailyn Nadeau          On Friday, May 3, Botelle Elementary School hosted its fourth annual Talent Show to a large and enthusiastic audience. Botelle parent and talent show producer Kailyn Nadeau pointed out how “great it is to see Norfolk residents who are without kids in the school attend the talent show and […]

Norfolk Farmers Market

A Proud History and a Bright Future By Jude MeadPhoto by Bruce Frisch When the farmers market began to make a slow comeback about 13 years ago on the West Coast and in urban areas, Norfolk’s Economic Development Commission took notice of the trend. They also paid attention to the clean food movement and saw […]

Curtain Rises on a New Act at Infinity Hall

Dan Hincks sells business to GoodWorks Entertainment By Ruth MelvillePhoto by Bruce Frisch After months of uncertainty and rumors in town, it was announced in early April that owner Dan Hincks had sold Infinity Music Hall and Bistro in Norfolk and Hartford to Goodworks Entertainment, a concert promotion company based in Fairfield, Conn.  After extensive […]

Town Sets Lean Budget for Coming Year

Tax rates will rise By Wiley Wood Spring is when the bean counters at Town Hall reveal the budget for the coming year—and its consequences for taxpayers. This year the news is mixed. Town spending will go down in 2019-20, and the overall taxes the town will collect will drop by almost 3 percent. But […]

What Birds Can Be Found in Norfolk?

Volunteers in Connecticut Bird Atlas Project Collect Evidence By Shelley HarmsPhoto by Bruce Frisch: great blue herons nesting It is spring, and birds are raising their families, but which birds are bringing up babies here in Norfolk? The bird atlas project currently underway will reveal which birds are enjoying Norfolk alongside us.  Connecticut’s first atlas […]

Spring Cleaning for a Summer Garden

Small Seeds Need Volunteers to Help Them Grow By Virginia Coleman-PriscoPhoto by Hilary VanWright  On the afternoons of April 10and 11, The Norfolk After School Program (NASP) hosted a Community Garden Clean Up at the Botelle School Community Garden located in the southwest corner of the building.   Led by Botelle’s school nurse and healthy eating advocate, […]

Zinke’s Homegrown Knows a Thing or Two About Food Trends

Keeping the Family Farm Sustainable By Jeremy Withnell Photo by Bruce Frisch Bruce Zinke, owner of Zinke’s Homegrown, a farm and business just next door in Canaan, puts down his gardening shears and states, “You know, I’ve never had a full-time job in my whole life.” It quickly becomes clear that this doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked […]

New Salvage Shed at Transfer Station

Shed will offer opportunity for sharing By Kelly Kandra Hughes As a town of only 1,600 people, Norfolk has become a throw-away society. In 2018, Norfolk residents generated over 1,000 tons of waste. Included in this number is municipal solid waste (i.e., our garbage) from residential, commercial, and industrial sources, as well as bulky waste […]