• 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

Spirit Ballooning in Canaan Takes Passengers on an Unforgettable Ride

  By Chris Sinclair In the minds of most people, hot air balloons exist only on postcards and in children’s books, and going up in a one seems about as likely as saddling up a unicorn and going for a ride. As it turns out, going up in a hot air balloon is a far […]

Annual Literary Festival at NCCC Celebrates National Poetry Month

By Tom Hodgkin   April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. —T. S. Eliot Echoing T. S. Eliot’s claims, April may be the cruelest month—the month of promising rain and sudden snow, of spring warmth and winter cold, of hopeful […]

New Wind Farm on Norfolk Land Under Discussion

Balancing economic, esthetic and environmental concerns   By Wiley Wood Discussions are reportedly underway between a Norfolk landowner and BNE Energy, Inc., a company that built two wind turbines in Colebrook, to erect as many as four more turbines along Route 44. At their recent monthly meeting, the Northwestern Connecticut Sportsmen’s Association heard a presentation […]

Six New Rental Apartments Near Completion in Downtown Norfolk

Some will be rented at below-market rates   By Wiley Wood The imposing two-story Victorian on the corner of Shepard Road and Route 44 dates to 1860, but with its new roof, new porches front and back, and new color scheme—muted gray with white trim—it looks freshly built. “It has good bones,” says Lou Barbagallo, […]

From Sea to Shining Sea – And Back Again

Mother and son team up for cross-country adventure   By Colleen Gundlach Many people dream of jumping in the car and driving across the country, but few take the leap and actually do it. Kate Wilcox and her 21-year-old son Larry are the exception. Last October they packed a tent, some provisions and their dog, […]

Local Documentary Wants to Put a Human Face on the Opioid Epidemic

Film presents a personal understanding of addiction and recovery   By Ruth Melville Anyone who pays attention to the news knows that the country is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. The state of Connecticut has been hard hit, and the northwest corner is not immune. According to a recent report, “Beneath the Surface: […]

Wellness Classes in Battell Chapel Promote Mental and Physical Health

Exercising with Friends   By David Beers Part one of this article, in the March issue of Norfolk Now, highlighted the Chapel fitness classes that are relaxing and rejuvenating. Now it is time to focus on the more vigorous exercise classes. Each class is $15 per class with a $5 discount if paid in advance. […]

Brian Ohler and Maria Horn to Vie for State House

It’s still seven months until the November elections, but northwest corner residents already have choices to make. In the 64th district race, incumbent State Representative Brian Ohler has been challenged for his seat by Salisbury resident Maria Horn, who announced her candidacy at Geer Village in March. Horn, a Democrat, says she “grew up in […]

Monday Night Is Game Night at the Country Store

By Ruth Melville Tired of sitting around the living room with family members all absorbed in their smart phones or tablets? Ryan Craig at the Berkshire Country Store has a suggestion to liven up your Monday nights: board games! “I noticed with my own family,” Craig says, “that we’re so busy all the time, rushing […]

Ripper Rides Again at Historical Society

The Anderson family rides the Ripper, a homemade toboggan, at an exhibit showcasing winter in Norfolk, currently on view at the Norfolk Historical Society.

New Group Formed to Discuss Ideas for Downtown

Riiska convenes stakeholders   By Wiley Wood Norfolk’s downtown is going through something of a renaissance. The Berkshire Country Store recently celebrated its first anniversary, construction trucks are parked outside the Norfolk Hub in advance of its April opening, and other businesses around Station Place have been lifted by the increase in foot traffic these […]

Norfolk Country Club’s Golf Course Is Acclaimed

New book salutes best nine-hole courses in the country   By Ruth Melville A recently published book declares the Norfolk Country Club’s nine-hole golf course to be one of the finest such courses in the country. “The Finest Nines: The Best Nine-Hole Golf Courses in North America,” by Middletown writer Anthony Pioppi, ranks the NCC […]