• 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

Preparing the Next Generation of Curlers

Botelle students learn Norfolk’s trademark game By David Beers Students in grades three through six at Botelle School have been curling at each of their gym classes for all of February and early March. After some initial instruction in curling rules, vocabulary, scoring and history of the sport, red and blue four-person teams were formed […]

Infinity Hall Reaches Two Milestones

The 1,000th concert in Norfolk performed March 14 By Bob Bumcrot Two milestones were reached in March for Infinity Music Hall and Bistro, often referred to as IMH for short. The first, on the 14th, celebrated the 1,000th concert performed on the Norfolk stage. “I’m both proud and grateful,” said IMH owner Dan Hincks. “It’s […]

Champion Norfolk Girls

For the first time in the history of Botelle School, the Northwestern League Girls B Division championship trophy was brought home to Norfolk.   A dedicated group of fourth and sixth grade girls defeated Salisbury Central School on March 10, wrapping up three days of tournament play at the Cornwall Consolidated School.  This win tops off […]

Norfolk Land Trust Pursues Elite Status with Land Trust Alliance

Decision taken to seek national accreditation By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo The Norfolk Land Trust (NLT) is seeking hard-to-win accreditation from the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a program of the Land Trust Alliance. According to a recent press release, NLT welcomes the accreditation process as an opportunity to review and fine tune its practices and […]

Norfolk Vintage Vehicles to Vie for Top Honors

By Colleen Gundlach On July 14, a first-time ever event will be held in Norfolk that will have residents reminiscing and harking back to the days of their youth. The First Annual Classic Community Classic Car Show will be sponsored by the ArtsWave Committee of the Norfolk Economic Development Commission (EDC), and promises nostalgic moments […]

Norfolk Now Introduces Interactive Web site

Readers may comment on articles and access the site on Smart Phones and iPads By Matt Papanek Whether or not you have used Norfolk Now’s Web site, or even realized there was one, it is now in the process of a major makeover that will match the printed paper aesthetically while offering easy access to […]

More Than a Librarian

Chris Keyes Embraces Life, One Chapter At a Time By Rosanna Trestman Over the past four years, patrons of the Norfolk Library have come to know Chris Keyes, at least in his visible role as head of circulation. But behind the fellow checking out books is a man of many hats, including a chef’s toque, […]

Salisbury VNA To Offer Community Service Help Line

Answering the tough questions By Colleen Gundlach According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 1 million people have knee or hip replacements each year, and untold numbers of Americans will contract influenza. In addition, there are almost 80 million members of the baby boomer generation contributing to the aging of this country’s population. […]

Once China, Now Salisbury

Lisa Carter Appointed Principal of Salisbury Central School By Sally Quale Each morning about 6 a.m., Lisa Carter drives west out of Norfolk on Route 44 to Lakeville to begin her day as the new principal of the Salisbury Central School. Despite her initial anxiety, when the Board of Education offered her the opportunity to […]

Two Child Care Centers Serve Norfolk

From Famine to Feast By Colleen Gundlach After surviving several months with no organized day care programs in town, Norfolk parents will now have the choice of two licensed options operated by Norfolk natives. One is a home-based early childhood care option in South Norfolk, and the other, a center-based model on Laurel Way. Donna […]

Trying For Another Award Winning Robot

The “Gearheads” from Regional #7 Gear Up For Competition By Joshua DeCerbo Emboldened by their success in last year’s Connecticut Regional Robotics Competition, a team of over 30 students from Northwest Regional School #7 have designed and built a totally new frisbee-throwing robot for this year’s event that opens at the Hartford Convention Center on March […]

Coming Soon: Low-cost Loans for Local Businesses

Coalition for Sound Growth launches new venture with National Iron Bank By Lloyd Garrison The non-profit Coalition for Sound Growth is poised to provide modest capital infusions to aspiring entrepreneurs in Norfolk who lack the credit to get a loan that they could afford to repay. “What makes Norfolk viable,” says coalition President Vint Lawrence, […]