• 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

West Lowe to Perform as Mark Twain at the Norfolk Library

Script made up of original Twain writings By Michael Cobb West Lowe is reviving his one-man show as Mark Twain for a Feb. 13 performance at the Norfolk Library. For those who have never seen Lowe as Twain, the actor embodies the writer by wearing period clothing and makeup, something he’s been doing for nearly […]

A New Kind of Recycling

Fire Department Gets New Truck, Gives Old One to Public Works Department By Ruth Melville The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department has recently purchased a new 2023 Ford F-350 brush truck, with a 225-gallon water tank and a 6-gallon fire-fighting foam cell. This smaller truck is good for handling brush fires and accessing difficult to reach […]

The Guilded Artisan Has Closed

By Jude Mead As The Guilded Artisan closed its doors last month, owner Sean Sweeney reflected on the past years. “My vision for the guild was to support our incredibly talented artist community while providing a place for the people of Norfolk, as well as others, to enjoy the artist’s talents and our beautiful town. […]

Hundreds Attend Service for Avery Nelson, 23

Fatal Christmas Day crash on Smith Hill in Salisbury By Joe Kelly In even the smallest town, you may not get to know all your neighbors. But if you’ve lived in Norfolk at any time in the last 20 years, had school-age children or simply went for a swim at Tobey Pond, there’s a good […]

Let’s Go Caroling Together

It’s the holiday season, and time for an old-fashioned carol sing. Everyone is invited – all ages, singers, musicians and even those who sing off key. This is the gathering to celebrate down home, small town holiday season. Come to the Church of Christ Congregational for a horse-drawn hayride around Norfolk for caroling on Sunday, […]

The Changing Scene on Ashpohtag Road

How a dream house became a sober house By Joe Kelly People often buy homes that turn out to be too small.  But the opposite scenario—getting stuck with a house that’s too big—can be even more problematic. It’s never fun trying to unload a property that’s bleeding you dry with taxes, utilities and a jumbo […]

Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance Demonstrates a Typical Callout

What to Do in an Emergency By Ruth Melville Most Norfolk residents know that if they need emergency medical help, they can rely on the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance (NLCA.) This all-volunteer service is available all day, every day, and there is never a bill to pay. But what can you do to help the […]

Shop Local: Holiday Pop-Up Opens in Arcanum

By Andra Moss “It is,” says Bella Erder, “a bit like going full circle.”  Erder is referring to her return to a retail space in the Royal Arcanum Building, where she has opened a holiday pop-up version of her shop, Aija (pronounced Asia). “My first retail presence in Norfolk was a store and art gallery […]

Norfolk Salutes Its Volunteers

Ron Zanobi Back in July 1969, I joined the U.S. Navy as a Petty Officer 3rd Class and served at several bases in the United States, the Island of San Salvador and in Viet Nam.  Oddly enough, on the day I left for boot camp; my father’s parting words were, “Don’t volunteer. If they want […]

The Spell is Broken in 2023

State and Church Absolve 12 People Accused of Witchcraft in Colonial Era By Patricia Platt It has been over 370 years since Connecticut conducted the first witch trials in New England, but their shadow still reaches into 2023. Between 1647 and 1663, at least 34 people were accused of witchcraft in the Connecticut and New […]

Celebrating All- Encouraging Creativity

Botelle School’s Community Quilt Brings School and Town Together By Ruth Melville Botelle School has chosen “Celebrating All and Creating Community” as its theme for this academic year. Each month the school plans to organize a special project, involving both the school and the town, to honor this theme. Principal Lauren Valentino says the goal […]

Helping the Enviorment

Two Town Buildings Install Heat Pumps to Reduce Oil Consumption By Bina Thomson Norfolk has worked hard to establish itself as a champion of the environment, and two key town non-profits are continuing that work. The Norfolk Library and the Church of Christ on the green have installed heat pumps as a way to reduce […]