• Work to Resume on Route 44 and New Firehouse

    Warmer temps ensure concrete quality By Avice Meehan Two significant Norfolk projects that were put on hold because of below-zero temperatures this winter are expected to resume by mid-March: Reconstruction of two retaining walls along Route 44 and the construction of a new firehouse for the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department. Engineers for the state Department […]

  • Richard Byrne Retires as Active Firefighter

    After 58 years, veteran status By Joseph Kelly He was a young Navy veteran, about to be married and ready to start a family in his hometown when, in February 1968, his older brother convinced him to join the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). For Richard Byrne it was the start of an association that […]

  • Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus Will Benefit Local Food Banks

    Three Grammy nominees to perform at Infinity Hall By Colleen Gundlach On April 11, Infinity Hall will be the setting for Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus, a concert that will benefit Stock the Shelves, an outreach of United Way of Northwestern Connecticut. The Rock ‘n Roll House Party Circus will feature three Grammy nominees […]

  • Rom-Com Curling Film Released With Olympics

    To get the ice just right, filmmakers tapped Norfolk expertise By Joseph Kelly The underdogs who battle the odds—the washed-up boxer, the outclassed football team, the aging baseball slugger with one last homerun in him—are all Hollywood standbys. Ronald Reagan may be remembered as much for “win one for the Gipper” as he is for […]

  • How Botelle (Carefully) Uses AI for Learning

    By Avice Meehan For more than three decades, children visited the fictional town of Frog Creek, Penn., home to two children named Jack and Annie. With the help of a magic tree house, the pair are whisked away to distant places where they have adventures, solve problems and, perhaps, learn a thing or two. Like […]

  • Choral Singing Meets Bluegrass

    LCCU welcomes all ages to sing new styles By Andra Moss The Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU) is entering its 127th concert year with decidedly youthful energy. Under the direction of Music Director Dr. Gabriel Löfvall, the LCCU will convene a youth choral festival in Norfolk in late spring; offer a series of choral seminars […]

  • Winter Weekend In Norfolk

    It was a cold and blustery weekend, but that didn’t stop the hardy from coming out on Feb. 21 and 22 for Winter WIN, the weekend for enjoying all things Norfolk in the winter season. The photos below show a story of a town that came together to strut its stuff for the world to […]

  • From Freeze to Flow: Extreme Temps and the Maple Syrup Season

    Reaching that ideal mix of natural conditions By Jude Mead The extreme cold and heavy snowfall this season has raised some concern among maple syrup producers. Reports of loud, cracking noises in wooded areas have set the stage for a phenomenon called “frost cracking.” During these periods of intense cold, the water and sap inside […]

  • Sit Right Back and You’ll Hear a Tale

    With Jude Mead at the guitar and with great enthusiasm, members of the Isabella Eldridge Club defied a threatened winter storm and entered Battell Chapel on Feb. 10 for a memorable performance of an episode of “Gilligan’s Island,” a daft 1960s television comedy. Despite the best efforts of the Professor (played by Marinell Crippen, left) […]

  • Cook For Goodness Sake

    America The Melting Pot By Linda Garrettson In celebration of the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, it seems appropriate to dedicate my food column this year to America, who we are, and what we eat. Get ready for some history lessons, and perhaps surprises that might enlighten you to what we call American […]

  • Be Careful, Very Careful

    An expert team from the Glass Source Stained Glass Studio spent nearly six hours in cold mid-January weather care-fully removing a cathedral stained glass window from Battell Chapel at the United Church of Christ before transporting it to their studio in Seymour for restoration. In this photo, Michael Skrtic balances one section of the window […]

  • The Week that Was

    First, frigid temperatures forced the relocation of Norfolk’s valiant Post Office staff to Winsted because of scheduled asbestos remediation, leaving box holders temporarily puzzled. Then, the big snow arrived on Jan. 25 and 26. Estimates vary widely: Russell Russ reported the official tally at the Great Mountain Forest weather station as 15.2 inches, but others […]

Articles

KidsPlay Children’s Museum: A Children’s Wonderland to Learn and Play

  By Dijana Vajushi As soon as you enter the KidsPlay Children’s Museum at 61 Main Street in Torrington, you can’t help but feel as though you’ve just entered a children’s wonderland. The museum operates over 11,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on exhibits where children ages one to 10 can practice pre-academic skills, build curiosity […]

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 […]