• 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

Norfolk Gets First New Selectman in 10 Years

Josh DeCerbo is now on Board By Bob Bumcrot For the first time in a decade the Norfolk Board of Selectmen has a new member. In the November 5 election, Josh DeCerbo was chosen to replace retiring Selectman James J. Stotler, Sr. Raised in Wallingford, Conn., DeCerbo came to Norfolk about ten years ago. “I’ve […]

Big Challenges from Aging Town Infrastructure

Nine million dollars of work clouds Norfolk’s future By Kurt Steele Like many aging towns across America, Norfolk struggles to keep its infrastructure operational and up-to-date. The town’s public roadways, sewer system, and fire and EMS buildings need regular maintenance as well as periodic rebuilding. “There is nothing simple about repairing and improving our 43 […]

Snow Guns at Region’s Four Ski Areas are Working Overtime

Mohawk gets the jump on the other three by opening Nov. 29 By Lloyd Garrison After two winters of dreary weather that crimped attendance, the region’s four ski areas are brimming with confidence that this year will be different. For the first time in recent memory, weather forecasters are predicting an exceptionally long string of […]

Building Bridges Between Local Volunteer Groups

Nonprofits and Volunteer Commissions Play an Important Role in Town Life By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo The Coalition for Sound Growth [CSG] was formed 11 years ago out of a need to provide a thorough, scientific study on the potential environmental impact of the proposed Yale Farm Golf Course. The group went on to spearhead the […]

Town Meeting On November 14, 2013

By Wiley Wood The Town of Norfolk has scheduled a Special Town Meeting at Town Hall on November 14 at 7 p.m., open to all citizens qualified to vote. Two issues will be voted on. The first concerns the reorganization of the regional planning commissions, a move mandated by the state to streamline state government. […]

Town Election Yields New Selectman

Voter Turnout At 26 Percent By Wiley Wood The results of Norfolk’s municipal elections were released by Town Clerk Linda Perkins on Wednesday, November 6. The town has a new selectman, Josh DeCerbo, who ran unopposed for the Republican seat made vacant by the departure of longtime selectman James Stotler. Sue Dyer will continue as […]

Plans For New Firehouse Shelved

Board of Finance To Seek Pension Bond Instead By Wiley Wood Reversing its endorsement of a new firehouse, the Board of Finance agreed at its October 8 meeting to delay plans to fund the facility for at least two to three years. Instead it will focus efforts on removing the town’s unfunded pension liability from […]

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 […]