• Early Morning Fire Guts Norfolk Barn

    Forty firefighters respond from five towns By Avice Meehan Adair Mali often sleeps with earplugs but dispensed with them on the night of Aug. 18, tired after a night at Tanglewood with her husband, Antonio Guindon, and another couple. Thank goodness she did. At about 4:20 a.m. Mali awoke to a “loud crackling noise” and […]

  • Litchfield County Choral Union Closes 2026 Season

    Celebrating America’s 250th birthday By Jude Mead The Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU) brought its 2026 summer season to a stirring close on Sunday, Aug. 2, with “From Roots to Promise: Singing America at 250,” an ambitious program that celebrated the country’s musical traditions while looking toward its future. The concert featured the LCCU anthem […]

  • Haystack Book Festival Returns to Norfolk

    Nationally recognized authors offer conversation and insights By Ann DeCerbo Book lovers, curious minds and anyone who enjoys a lively conversation about ideas have plenty to look forward to next month when the Haystack Book Festival returns to Norfolk Oct. 2–4 with events at Infinity Hall, the Norfolk Library and Great Mountain Forest. A program […]

  • Fire and Circus Arts on the Green

    By Jude Mead Matica Circus, a professional performing group based in Harwinton, Conn., brought an unforgettable combination of fire, acrobatics and circus arts to the Norfolk Village Green for the grand finale of the season of the Friday Nights on the Green summer concert series. The high-energy performance captivated the crowd with dramatic fire spinning, […]

  • Botelle Ushers in a New Year

    The first day of school dawned cool and cloudy, but no one seemed to notice. Students arrived at Botelle Elementary School on Aug. 26 via bus, car and firetruck (complete with siren). Some students, like Daphne Rutolo who walked her older sister to the bus, will have to wait for the start of the pre-Kindergarten […]

  • A New Year, New Pathways

    Northwestern Regional 7 expands opportunities for students By Virginia Coleman-Prisco As students and staff return to Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 (NWR7) middle and high schools for the 2026-27 school year, district leaders say the focus will be on strengthening student opportunities, preparing young people for an evolving workforce and building an even stronger […]

  • When Is a Check Really in the Mail?

    By Joseph Kelly The United States Postal Service (USPS), longtime target of many complaints and butt of numerous jokes, may seem an unlikely source of metaphysical speculation. But this year the USPS added a new wrinkle to an age-old question: When can it truly and truthfully be said that “a check is in the mail?” […]

  • Steady as She Goes

    Crews working on Norfolk’s new firehouse hoisted the “final” truss in place on Saturday, Aug. 29, as members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department, town officials and representatives of Newfield Construction watched from the sidelines. The truss, signed by key players in the major project, marks a symbolic milestone toward completion of the building. NVFD […]

  • Caring for Forests: Ethan Tapper’s Message of Stewardship

    By Jude Mead Ethan Tapper recently spoke at the Church of Christ Congregational on the green about his work as a forester, author and advocate for the natural world. The evening centered on his 2024 book, “How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World,” which explores how forests function and […]

  • IT’ S ONLY NATURAL: Putting the Brakes on Bittersweet: a September Strategy

    by Susannah Wood Over the last couple of years, Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) has increasingly taken hold on Norfolk’s roadsides. Anyone who has driven back and forth to New York City over the years has seen how, unchecked, the vines can envelope trees, girdle and kill them, and leave behind a wrecked woodland. A member […]

  • Woodman Spare that Tree—Or Don’t

    The somewhat lopsided Japanese Zelkova tree that once stood near the entrance to Nor-folk’s Post Office on Station Place is no more. Likely planted some 30 years ago during Ar-thur Rosenblatt’s tenure as first selectman, the hardy tree fell victim to progress and the need to replace the adjacent sidewalk. The planned removal of the […]

  • Norfolk Then…

    In the early 20th century, the Mountain Road bridge over Norfolk Brook had a rustic-style guard rail bordering the road and sidewalk. Characterized by the use of twigs, branches, and bark, the rustic style had been used in formal English gardens in the 1700’s and in this country was very popular in the second half […]

Articles

Education With a Wink: Norfolk Sewer’s Posts Find Their Audience

Crew crafts cinematic wastewater must-reads By the Norfolk Sewer District Every town has its traditions. Some have parades. Some have festivals. Here in Norfolk, we have … wastewater updates on Facebook. This is not a typo or glitch. This is a fully committed, once-a-week situation. If you’ve ever opened the Norfolk Sewer District Facebook page […]

A Gathering

Poetry and Prose Bloom on the Porch By Nels White In 2015, a group from the United Church of Christ and the Norfolk community started getting together regularly to practice their writing skills and to share their inspirations. They called themselves the “Writer’s Group.” The late Eve Thew was an originator of the group, and […]

Passing the Torch

Volunteers Key to Festival Connections By Jen Pfaltz Volunteers at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival will see a new face in a key role this season. After seven years as the Norfolk Local Coordinator of Volunteers, Tom Hodgkin is stepping aside and passing the torch to your correspondent, Jen Pfaltz. During his tenure, Hodgkin focused […]

March First Responder Data

Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance

Norfolk’s Trash Dilemma

Sate decision leaves towns scrambling for options By Joe Kelly Norfolk prides itself on being pristine—“unspoiled” is the descriptor used on the town’s website. But that doesn’t stop the town from producing plenty of trash. Residents deposit 750 to 800 tons of household waste at the transfer station on Route 44 every year—more than 900 […]

VIEW FROM THE GREEN

Building a Budget By Avice Meehan For the past month, Norfolk’s three selectmen have been meeting for two hours at time to hash out the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The special meetings—officially posted and open to the public—offer a window into the decisions large and small that shape the town’s spending priorities. The meetings […]

Earth Day Abundance Comes to Norfolk

By Avice Meehan With its abundance of natural resources and environmentally-oriented residents, Norfolk will provide numerous opportunities to appreciate the natural world both before, during and after the official observance of Earth Day on April 22. Think native shrubs, making tea for the garden, a walk among spring ephemerals and a playful opportunity to transform […]

NOTES FROM A FRENCH KITCHEN

Spring Stirs Green Market Memories By Marie-Christine Perry Growing up as I did in a family of nine, with seven food-loving children and a mother who was a delightful cook, meal preparation was joyful, sometimes simple and sometimes complex—particularly when a new recipe was tried. It all started with gathering ingredients. Whether at home—which in […]

A Fresh Take at Kelly’s Kitchen

By Andra Moss Hungry Norfolk residents looking for a ready-made meal and a scenic drive can find both when heading to Kelly’s Kitchen Take 2 at 320 Colebrook River Road in Colebrook. The cozy take-away spot is a reboot by Kelly and Bob McCarthy of their Winsted eatery, Kelly’s Kitchen, which they closed in 2019. […]

Expansion at Norbrook Farm Brewery Offers Rustic Elegance

Norfolk memories preserved in plain sight By Colleen Gundlach Norbrook Farm Brewery has long been noted for its welcoming atmosphere, specialty brews and unmatched outdoor amenities. But anyone who hasn’t been to Norbrook recently has a pleasant surprise in store. The brewery, located on the Norfolk/Colebrook town line, has expanded its footprint to include a […]

Moana Sails into Norfolk

An intrepid group of students drawn from Norfolk and Colebrook are busy rehearsing for this year’s school musical “Moana Jr.” at Botelle Elementary School. Organized by the Botelle PTO, performances will be held in the Hall of Flags on Friday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. Based on the […]

SELECTMAN’S CORNER

A Busy Norfolk Spring Has Arrived By Henry Tirrell Spring is officially here and so are the construction crews. The wall project along Route 44 has resumed activities, with temperatures providing better conditions for concrete. Excavation has begun at the site of the new firehouse to prepare for concrete foundation construction. In addition to those […]