• Berkshire Store to Close, Another to Open

    By Avice Meehan Ryan Craig, who has operated the Berkshire Country Store for a decade, has announced that he will shutter the business on Oct. 31. The news was shared in a Facebook post on Sept. 23, prompting hundreds of comments and many mournful visits to the eatery and convenience store on Station Place. Craig, […]

  • Norfolk Scholar Marinates on Medieval Cookbook

    By Avice Meehan Anyone with a tattered copy of the “Moosewood Cookbook,” the bible of vegetarian cooking published some 50 years ago, understands that cookbooks are about more than recipes. They can signal political and cultural beliefs, social aspirations and more. So consider the significance of a cookbook published more than 600 years ago. It […]

  • Digital Navigators Set a Course for Norfolk Library

    Help offered for range of tech needs By Ann Havemeyer On Mondays, beginning in October, there will be a new face at the Norfolk Library. Jennifer Lutris is the new part-time “digital navigator,” one of two navigators shared among the seven Northwest Corner libraries (Norfolk, Canaan, Falls Village, Salisbury, Sharon, Cornwall and Kent). A digital […]

  • Norfolk’s WWII Combat Cameraman

    Daughter’s film on Walter Rosenblum shows the faces of war By Patricia Platt Longtime Norfolk resident Nina Rosenblum presented her award-winning documentary “They Fight With Cameras” to a full house at the Norfolk Library on Saturday, Sept. 26. The film tells the story of her father, decorated U.S. Army Signal Corps combat cameraman Walter Rosenblum. […]

  • Aging in Place

    Historic Church Ceiling Needs a Refresh By Avice Meehan After more than 200 years of good and faithful service to the congregation of Norfolk’s United Church of Christ, the soaring barrel vault ceiling of the Meeting House requires a major overhaul. The wood lathe and plaster ceiling, likely installed in 1813, has developed serious fault […]

  • A Wall That’s Also a Bridge to the Past

    By Andra Moss The rustic stone wall is a Connecticut icon. Historians estimate that most of the roughly 100,000 miles of stone walls that criss-cross the state were built between 1750 and 1850 by settlers clearing their fields. One Norfolk resident has recently added 65 feet of historic stone wall to the tally, but its […]

  • Engineer Gives Tobey Dam “Poor” Rating

    Owners will assess the 115-year-old structure By Avice Meehan Time and nature have taken their toll on a 1911 dam and spillway located at the western edge of Tobey Pond. The structures, which have withstood many significant weather events, received a “poor” rating in a recent inspection report required by the state Department of Energy […]

  • The Mindful Moments of Miranda Lee

    Interview by Jude Mead For the past four years, Miranda Lee has shared her yoga skills and yoga teaching tools with the broader community through Find That Pause, a free Saturday morning mindfulness program that began at the Norfolk Library and has since grown into a multi-library and hospital wellness program. For Lee, mindfulness isn’t […]

  • Botelle Beat

    Student Leadership From Bell to Bell By Lauren Valentino As principal of Botelle School, one of my greatest joys is watching our students grow into thoughtful, responsible and active leaders. Families, community members and visitors to our school often notice the dedication of our fantastic teachers and staff, but what they might not realize is […]

  • Signed, Sealed and Delivered

    Having left her mark indelibly on the Norfolk Post Office, Kathy Bascetta retired on Sept. 30 after 23 years with the Postal Service. A visit to the post office–the center point for most of the Norfolk community—will not be quite the same without her. Let neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night […]

  • There’s Much More Than Water in There

    Elementary school students from Norfolk, Barkhamsted, Colebrook and Hartland gathered on Sept. 25 at the Riverton Fair Grounds to learn about the history of the Farmington River and its role in shaping the regional environment. Here, Botelle students, including Daphne Rutolo, learned about the many insects and other creatures that call the river home.

  • Following the Fall Migration—One Birder’s View

    By Jude Mead Every fall, the skies become highways for millions of migrating birds, many of them traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach their wintering grounds. From tiny warblers and sparrows to hawks, geese and nighthawks, birds rely on a remarkable combination of instinct, environmental cues and, in some species, experience to […]

Articles

SELECTMAN’S CORNER: Dunk a Selectman on July 3?

By Henry Tirrell Another busy summer is upon us. Tobey Pond is open, we have a new place for dinner in town, Friday Nights on the Green are in full swing. The season promises a number of other fantastic activities around town, but don’t forget that it’s also the season for new stickers to access […]

EYE ON TOWN GOVERNMENT

Bridges and More By Avice Meehan The Board of Selectmen moved quickly through the agenda for the June 3 meeting, completing its work in 32 minutes. First Selectman Henry Tirrell and Selectman Leo F. Colwell Jr. were in attendance. The big news came from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) which has informed the town […]

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 […]

COOK FOR GOODNESS SAKE! Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with Food

By Linda Garrettson Meeting in Philadelphia 250 years ago, American patriots took the bold step of announcing their separation from the British Crown by signing the Declaration of Independence. Connecticut’s Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams and Oliver Wolcott were among those who pledged “to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” […]

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 […]

HEARD AROUND TOWN

Poll Workers Needed Paul Madore, the new Democratic registrar of voters, took the opportunity of a visit with Town Clerk Debbie Nelson to put out a call for help to staff the upcoming primary. The pay isn’t bad (in the neighborhood of $20 an hour) but the demand is great and the hours long. The […]

Owner Alan Nero ends 41-year run

Winsted’s Gilson Theater Closes By Joseph Kelly The message posted on the marquee of the Gilson Movie House & Café in Winsted by its owner Alan Nero summed everything up in a few words: “Here’s to 41 years. Thank you & good night.” Nero operated the quirky movie house/ café for more than four decades, […]

Liz Bucar Will Discuss Her New Book at Norfolk Library

By Emily Gardiner Herzog A homeowner in Norfolk for nearly ten years, Liz Bucar lives primarily in Brookline, Mass., where she is a professor of religion at Northeastern University. With her partner, Alexis Zubrow, she raised daughter Zoe, who will head to college in the fall. She has also led a student walk along 150 […]

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 […]

Community Volunteers Help Keep Chamber Music Tradition Thriving

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival seeks volunteer ushers and reception assistants for summer season By Jennifer Pfaltz As the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival prepares for its summer season, organizers are once again inviting members of the local community to become part of the festival experience by volunteering as concert ushers or assisting with post-concert receptions. In […]

What Botelle Stands For

A hardy group of volunteers, town officials and educators have been meeting since April for a series of community conversations about Botelle Elementary School and to share thoughts about the future. Guided by Deene Morris, above, the conversations culminated with a two-hour workshop on May 20 that generated the framework of a new and more […]