• 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 […]

  • great blue heron rookeries

    working together to provide sustainable breeding habitats By Jude Mead Great Blue Herons are a familiar sight in Norfolk and are one of the largest of all North American herons, standing up to four feet tall with a wingspan of close to six feet. They are most noticeable in flight as they soar across the […]

  • Norfolk Then…

    Tennis at Town Hall? The building we know as Town Hall was originally the Eldridge Gymnasium, built in 1892. Located within easy walking distance of hotels and boarding houses in Norfolk at the turn of the last century, the Gymnasium was a popular gathering place for both residents and visitors. People played croquet on the lawn […]

  • Looking Back Over the Years

    The End of an Era for Norfolk Now By Colleen Gundlach After 10 years and over 30 issues, Ruth Melville has put on her Norfolk Now editor’s hat for the last time. In June, the paper marked the end of an era with the publication of Ruth’s final issue as one of the executive editors […]

Articles

Botelle PTO Regroups After Theft

Former Treasurer Issued Warrant By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo A warrant was issued on October 22 for the arrest of Vanessa Millard, the former treasurer of Botelle School’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), who allegedly stole roughly $13,000 from the organization over the past year. Connecticut state police called Millard’s home to ask for her surrender shortly […]

Selectman Jim Stotler Steps Down After Long Career Of Service To Norfolk

Stotler’s Name On Every Town Ballot For Past 26 Years By Colleen Gundlach Retirement doesn’t come easy to Jim Stotler. When his career at the Connecticut Department of Transportation ended in 1997, Stotler embraced a new career and more volunteer work. There is no sign that things will be any different now that he is […]

It’s a Tough Life For Beekeepers

By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo Honeybees are not native to North America, but records show that colonies of the adept honey makers were shipped to Connecticut from England as early as 1644. Beekeeping in our neck of the woods is as old a tradition as we have, and one testament to our Yankee resolve, as beekeeping […]

Aija Moves Into Hardware Store Building Across Street

By Janet Gokay Why did the chicken cross the road? We put this question to Bella Erder, owner of Aija, the gift, jewelry and accessory store currently on the second floor of the Royal Arcanum Building downtown. On Nov. 1 she will be moving across the street to 6 Station Place, which has laid vacant […]

On Call With The Norfolk Ambulance

By Christopher Little Small as Norfolk is, residents in urgent need of help can count on a dedicated response from trained EMTs and drivers, all volunteers of the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance. The editors have asked Deputy Chief Christopher Little to describe his experiences. Names and details have been changed. As in police work, an […]

Norfolk 2023! Event Draws Strong Community Support

By Wiley Wood When the doors of Infinity Hall opened at 9:30 a.m. on October 5, the staff of Norfolk Now wondered a little nervously why anyone would give up a perfectly good Saturday morning to wrangle about Norfolk’s future. In fact, just over 150 residents of Norfolk attended, and their reasons appeared to cover […]

Missing Funds Investigated At Botelle PTO

No money in PTO account for children’s programs By Shelley Harms Members of the Botelle Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization were shocked to discover in September that nearly all the money was missing from the PTO bank account. Only about $1,000 remained of what should have been at least a $12,000 balance, with bills of […]

November 5 Is Election Day

Register, Get Your Absentee Ballot This Month The candidates have been chosen for this year’s municipal elections on November 5. Norfolk is fortunate to have so many citizens willing to take on these important public service roles. Coming out to vote is one way to show your support for them. Registering to vote is quick […]

It’s Time To Think About Your Health (Coverage)

A new health exchange wants to help the uninsured By Veronica Burns It is estimated that there are 344,000 individuals in the state of Connecticut who either do not have any health insurance or are underinsured. That should start to change on October 1, when open enrollment begins as part of the implementation of the […]

Northwestern Regional Robotics Team Gears Up For 3rd Season

By Megan Llewellyn Each member of the Northwestern Robotics Gearheads, NRG, started 2013 with one goal in mind: to build a robot capable of shooting Frisbees and climbing pyramids. To accomplish their goal, NRG spent six intense weeks designing, building, wiring, and programming a robot. The result was an eighty pound robot capable of shooting […]

Church of Christ Celebrates Erick Olsen’s Tenth Anniversary as Pastor

By Sally Quale The Church of Christ Congregational in Norfolk held its regular 10 a.m. service on Sunday, September 15 in the Battell Chapel, as opposed to the usual Church chancel, to mark the opening day of Sunday School classes for the year. Unbeknownst to Pastor Erick Olsen, however, this arrangement also facilitated a surprise […]

The Joint Chiefs to Play Ambulance Benefit at Infinity Hall

By Grant Mudge The Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance (NLCA) is pleased to have The Joint Chiefs of Salisbury, CT, play a benefit concert at Infinity Hall on Wednesday October 9 at 8 p.m. Known for their “tight harmonies and loose attitude,” The Joint Chiefs play a delightful mix of homespun music and country folk. The […]