• Norfolk’s Newest Neighborhood Puts Down Roots

    Haystack Woods lauded as a “model for the state” By Joe Kelly Norfolk’s newest neighborhood, the Haystack Woods affordable housing development, has officially come to life. A year ago, the 39-acre location—a former gravel pit off Old Colony Road—was little more than a muddy building site. Now construction of the 10, two- and three-bedroom homes […]

  • Winsted Church Auctions Tiffany Window for $1.25 Million

    Sale highlights women’s role in Tiffany designs By Joe Kelly When medieval architects found ways to build taller cathedrals, the techniques they developed also made possible the enormous stained-glass windows that we so enjoy today, such as at Chartres and Sainte-Chapelle in France and Canterbury Cathedral in England. American-made stained glass is more recent, dating […]

  • A Revolutionary Year

    1776 Norfolk explored in summer exhibition By Andra Moss Communities across the country are looking back with wonder at 1776, the year that 13 British colonies initiated a revolution that, against astonishing odds, led to the birth of an independent republic. In Norfolk, two curators have combed the Norfolk Historical Society’s (NHS) collection for colonial-era […]

  • SUMMER MUSIC: Familiar Quartets, New Composers at Yale Chamber Festival

    By Patricia Platt The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, running from July 3 until Aug. 22, will present an exciting season of classical, innovative and international music. This summer, the Brentano Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, Ying Quartet and the Horszowski Trio are among those who will perform during weekend concerts and serve as artist-in-residence mentors to the […]

  • Botelle Students Move Up

    By Avice Meehan Four sixth graders bid farewell to Botelle Elementary School at a laughter-filled, but occasionally serious, ceremony on June 16 that was attended by family, friends and town officials. First Selectmen Henry Tirrell, a Botelle graduate whose mother and aunt taught at the school for many years, reminded the students that they would […]

  • Norfolk Rail-Trail Project Pedals Forward

    By Jude Mead After more than a decade of planning, permiting and redesign work, Norfolk’s long-await-ed Rails-to-Trails initiative has reached a major milestone, bringing the community closer to the creation of a new multi-use recreational trail along a historic railroad corridor. The project is the North Brook Trail, a planned three-quarter-mile ADA-accessi-ble pathway that will […]

  • LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Budgets, Beetles, Nips and More

    By Avice Meehan State Rep. Maria Horn came prepared to share details about the Connecticut budget (she is co-chair of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee) and the progress that has been made toward paying down the state’s unfunded pension liability, increasing the rainy day fund (now up to $18 billion) and allocating more state funds […]

  • 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 […]

  • Norfolk Then

    As we prepare for the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence on July 4, let’s look back 50 years to June 12, 1976, and the American Revolution Bicentennial parade in Norfolk. The parade was the largest parade ever held in Norfolk with almost everyone participating, many dressed in colonial garb. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

Articles

Norfolk in the Civil War

As part of researching the current exhibition at the Norfolk Historical Society, “A New Birth of Freedom: Norfolk in the Civil War,” Norfolk town historians have discovered many additional graves of Civil War soldiers who were part of the Connecticut 29th and 54th regiments. According to Barry Webber, executive director of the historical society, “One […]

Keeping Watch

Lifeguards Train for Tobey Pond By Jude Mead Lifeguarding Tobey Pond requires a sense of responsibility, safety and leadership—along with, quick thinking. Josh DeCerbo, Tobey Pond supervisor for the past several years, said the role teaches important life skills and makes a difference in the community because the job of a lifeguard at a beach […]

Botelle Sixth Graders Have Big Plans for the Future

By Avice Meehan More than a few already had middle school homework on their minds, but the nine students who completed sixth grade at Botelle Elementary School on June 11 are looking to make a major mark on the world. Their goals range from working for NASA to playing major league sports, becoming a chef, […]

Historical Society Explores Norfolk’s Civil War Past

By Andra Moss Norfolk had already been a thriving town for over a century when President Abraham Lincoln issued the call on April 15, 1861, for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to defend the Union after the fall of Fort Sumter at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. The men of Norfolk responded—some immediately, others throughout the four […]

A Different Kind of Beaver Dam

By Colleen Gundlach Beavers, the semiaquatic rodents that often change the structure of waterways with their dams, are seldom known to dam up a roadway. In Norfolk, though, one of these little animals was enough to block traffic in both directions at the Route 44 retaining wall project when it took a stand at about […]

Norfolk Land Trust Earns National Accreditation Renewal

The Norfolk Land Trust (NLT) has achieved accreditation for a third 5-year period from the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). “The Norfolk Land Trust has always striven for excellence,” said Libby Borden, the organization’s co-president. “With the LTA ‘Seal of Approval,’ our members, donors, and everyone […]

Norfolk Palooza

Mark Your Calendars to WIN! Throughout the winter and spring, the elves of Norfolk have been hard at work thinking about ways to showcase Norfolk at its summer best and draw visitors to its manifold attractions. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather for the first weekend in August as “Weekend in Norfolk” gets underway […]

Litchfield County Choral Union to Perform July 27

Members of the Litchfield County Choral Union will gather for its 126th anniversary concert in the Music Shed at the Battell-Stoeckel Estate on July 27. This summer’s concert will be a particularly stimulating one with music chosen by music director, Gabriel Löfvall, to bring sunshine into dark times. The concert, entitled “And Still We Sing! […]

Voters Approve New Firehouse

By Avice MeehanVoters at a May 22 special town meeting gave the go-ahead for a new Norfolk firehouse in less time than it took for moderator Richard Byrne to read the resolution authorizing the $9.3 million building.The unanimous vote, with more than 100 in attendance at the Botelle School Hall of Flags at 7 p.m., […]

Reminder: June Is Renewal Month for Town Permits and Licenses

Before packing the car for Tobey Pond or hauling the last of spring cleaning to the transfer station, residents should be sure to update their permit stickers. New 2025-26 permits for the Norfolk Transfer Station must be purchased by July 1 and displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle. They are $100 for the […]

Route 44 Retaining Wall Project Making Progress

Completion expected by September 2026 By Avice MeehanThe Connecticut Department of Transportation has good news for Norfolk residents and travelers who use Route 44: The massive project to replace three retaining walls below and to the east of Norfolk’s historic Center Cemetery has a September 2026 completion date. CDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, who last worked […]

Haystack Woods Breaks Ground in Norfolk