Author: kathrynwboughton@gmail.com

The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department is currently holding a couple of fundraisers. To support the new firehouse project, it is selling “Fire House Ale,” a Kölsch style beer in a limited edition can, in partnership with Norbrook Farm Brewery. The ale can be purchased at Norbrook, 204 Stillman Hill Road, Colebrook, for $16 a four-pack. 

Engraved pint glasses featuring NVFD’s mascot, Roger, are available from firefighters for $10 each. 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, NVFD is also selling 2024 Fighting for a Cure t-shirts. The shirts are available for purchase at the National Iron Bank in limited sizes and colors.  All proceeds benefit the Norfolk Children’s Foundation in memory of Laverne Barbagallo.

—Newsletter Editor

The Board of Finance voted Tuesday night to pay new town clerk Deborah Nelson back pay for the months when she covered for Linda Perkins, who resigned October 1. Perkins had been out of the office for health reasons since May.

First Selectman Matt Riiska said that Nelson was certified to be a town clerk in June and has performed all town clerk functions since Perkins has been out. She was formerly assistant town clerk. 

The difference between her pay scale as assistant and as town clerk amounts to $6,808, Riiska said.

“I think she should be compensated for that amount,” he said. He also stated his desire to make the town clerk job appointed and not elected. That would have to be approved at a town meeting.

Riiska also reported to the board on continuing issues. The major reconstruction of Maple Avenue that was completed this summer cost less than budgeted, he said. The town had $2.6 million in funding available for the work and the final tabulation was $2,506,058. Treasurer Chelsea DeWitt told the board that the STEAP grant of $500,000 to help pay for the work has been received.

The Town has also submitted $750,827 worth of bills to the insurance company representing the trucking firm whose driver caused a disastrous gas spill in 2022. It is not certain when or if  this final claim will be paid.

Riiska also said that the culverts for the temporary replacement bridge on Smith Road would cost $63,000 and the total cost of the project is estimated at $150,000. The sum would have to be taken from the town’s capital reserve account. 

—Newsletter Editor

Edited 10/12/24

Reminder: Thanks to a generous donation, members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department are installing blue number signs on every residence in town.

The firefighters are installing them on trees at the end of driveways or on a pole that the company will supply for the homeowner. Property owners who feel it necessary to move their signs after they are installed are asked to make sure they are visible from the road and from both directions. 

The reflective signs help the fire department, ambulance and police respond quickly to homes in case of an emergency. For further information, email Info@norfolkfire.org. 

—Newsletter Editor

Botelle School’s administrators are seeking to strengthen the school’s connection with the community through videos and pictures of students on social media. They invite residents and families to brainstorm ideas or to get involved in this project by coming to the next Hour with Administrators on Tuesday, October 8. 

Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli and Principal Lauren Valentino will be at the Berkshire Country Store from noon to 1:00 p.m. and at Botelle from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. 

Iacobelli and Valentino hold Hour with Administrator sessions the second Tuesday of every month. 

—Newsletter Editor

The state Department of Transportation’s four-year construction project on Route 44 west of the town village took on a dramatic appearance this week as trees were cut and removed above the deteriorating retaining walls.

The $37 million DOT project includes replacing three dry rubble masonry retaining walls, widening the road and shoulders to create12-foot travel lanes; reconstructing the drainage system in the slope below Center Cemetery, and reconfiguring the steep hillside to stabilize it.

Center Cemetery sits directly above the work area and care will be taken not to disturb the historic burial ground.

The DOT informed First Selectman Matt Riiska Thursday that Route 44 will be reduced to one-lane in the work area beginning the week of Nov. 18. This summer, alternating traffic has been controlled by flaggers during work hours while water lines and utility poles were moved, but temporary lights will now be installed.

Riiska reported that about a half mile of sewer pipe must be laid on the south side of Route 44 and traffic will use the lane closest to the retaining wall while that work is done. “They will move the lane as needed,” he said.

Prior to the lane closure, on October 28, a heavy crane and the beams for the River Place bridge replacement will be moved into place so that work can continue. 

River Place bridge was supposed to have been finished in November 2022, but the project stalled when it was discovered that one headwall foundation was unsound, and the project was redesigned. Work is now expected to end next spring.

—Newsletter Editor

After a long absence, Town Clerk Linda Perkins has submitted her resignation effective Oct. 1. Assistant Town Clerk Deborah Nelson has filled the position during Perkins’ absence and will continue to serve.

First Selectman Matt Riiska told his board Wednesday that, per state statute, he has appointed Nelson as interim town clerk “for the time being.” He wants to make the office an appointed, rather than an elective, position. The issue will be taken to a town meeting soon, possibly right after this November’s national election. 

Selectman Henry Tirrell asked about the need for an assistant town clerk and Riiska said one would be needed “sooner rather than later.”

Making the town clerk an appointed position would follow a trend seen in many communities where different administrative positions have become more technical and demanding. The town clerk must be certified by the state and up to date on the ever-changing regulations, Riiska told his board. Nelson passed the state exams and became certified this past July.

If Norfolk votes to appoint the town clerk, it will be the fifth town hall office to be so staffed. Currently, the assessor, tax collector, zoning enforcement officer and building inspector are appointed.

Like the town clerk, the town treasurer is also elected, but Riiska prophesied that in the future all positions will be appointed. He asserted that while the town may still elect boards of selectmen, it will probably eventually have a town manager. “Things are getting much more sophisticated,” he said, “and you have to get the right people who can do the jobs needed.”

—Newsletter Editor

The Fire House Building Committee is in a holding pattern until First Selectman Matt Riiska, who heads the committee, returns from vacation next week.

The committee met Monday, but no decisions were made. It is waiting for the architectural firm Silver Petrucelli to submit complete fire house plans so it can make informed decisions on reductions in features. A list of more than a dozen items has been suggested to reduce the estimated $9.3 million price tag for the building.

Member Matt Ludwig said the committee will also wait for Riiska’s return before deciding between two companies—Newfield Construction and Downes Construction—who have bid to provide construction management services. Downes has already provided the cost estimate.

“We’ll know more next week and have a better idea how to proceed,” said Ludwig.

—Newsletter Editor

The Haystack Book Festival begins October 4, again bringing a variety of conversations between writers and thinkers exploring ideas in literature, life and the arts. 

This year, one theme explores the horse in history and culture, with Sarah Maslin Nir presenting a special program for middle school students about her book series, “Once Upon a Horse,” and then appearing in a conversation with David Chaffetz, author of “Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires,” both on Sunday, October 6.

The authors’ books look at human associations with horses from dramatically different perspectives. Chaffetz tells the story of how the horse shaped civilization, while Nir focuses on the emotional connection modern humans share with the animals.

Chaffetz, an Asian history researcher, realized the profound historical association between the peoples of the steppes and horses when, just before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, he and his friend, Willard (Wiley) Wood of Norfolk, set out on horseback to explore the traditional life of the Afghan people.

“My goal was to study the traditional ways of life—the nomads, the poetry, the things that had survived from a much earlier period,” he related.

What he found was an impoverished society whose former wealth and power was built 0n the horse. Chaffetz wondered why, with such a glorious past, they had become extremely poor. “I reflected on my travels in Central Asia and the Middle East and the commonality of culture that they share. There was some kind of gear box in Central Asia that connected them, and that gear box was the horse. But the minute we had cars, horses went from being important to being a hobby and Central Asia became a backwater.” 

The transition of the horse from vehicle of conquest to a pet came with consequences. “There are challenges for the urban horse owner,” Chaffetz said. Nir is one of those urban dwellers. She did not have a horse as a child but nurtured her passion through reading and working to pay for riding lessons. Today, she’s a competitive show jumper with five horses. She writes about horses as an antidote for the psychological wear and tear of her investigative reporting. 

Nir and Chaffetz are only part of the eight Haystack offerings. For a full account click here. 

—Newsletter Editor

Norfolk’s town bus has started running again after the town’s only driver became ill. Those without vehicles, or who are unable to drive because of physical challenges, were marooned without access to the town’s service, which provides rides for doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, social programs and for other errands.

Barbara Gomez, who with Tara Yard, schedules transportation out of the selectmen’s office, said the van is in high demand. “We restrict it to those without cars or those who have challenges,” she said. “We just can’t pick up everyone. We have quite a few people who use it all the time. Some people have things they do every week, and I hate to change those times.” 

But Selectman Sandy Evans, who oversees the program, said having only one driver makes it difficult. “If she wants to take a vacation or is ill, we have to cancel the service,” she said. “We are looking for another driver, but the hours and the days are sporadic, so it’s hard to find someone to put up with that.”

When staff is in place, rides can be booked on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays in Norfolk and points such as Canaan, Winsted and Torrington. Voluntary donations are accepted. If a rider needs to go farther afield, to UConn Medical Center in Farmington, for instance, there is a $5 fee. The town budgets more than $27,000 a year to fund the service.

Gomez said the wheelchair-accessible bus is too large for the town’s needs. “We might have an outing or two a year, but it carries 12 people, and we never fill it.” 

At 10 years old, the vehicle is also getting close to its useful life span, but Evans said there is no active plan to replace it. “It’s had some issues and was down for a while for repairs. We have casually discussed replacing it,” she said, “but with everything that is going on, I don’t think this is the time.”

The bus was purchased through a grant from the Evan Hughes Memorial Foundation, which funds scholarships, operations and medical assistance. Evans said that grants would be available to help with purchase a new vehicle but would not cover the entire cost.

Rides are also available one day a week, on Wednesday, through the Northwest Connecticut Transit District, which operates a Dial-a-Ride curb-to-curb service in 14 small towns. Based in Torrington, NWCT will transport Norfolk riders locally as well as to Torrington and Winsted. It is commonly used by the elderly and disabled who do not have their own transportation to get to appointments or to go shopping, but is available to all ages.

Michael Criss, chairman of NWCT’s Board of Directors, said the senior population is becoming an ever-larger demographic, placing heavier demands on a transportation system that is already taxed. He is trying to increase the amount of service offered, but said a lack of drivers is a chronic problem throughout the transportation industry.

“It’s a huge problem,” he said. “It’s state-wide. We’ve increased our pay rates to $20 to $25 an hour and we will pay for training, but the commercial lines pay more and offer more hours.” He added that since the Covid pandemic it has been difficult to lure applicants.

The RITS service, which offers transport to medical appointments at a greater distance does not have a sufficient number of vehicles for the demand and rides are already booked through the end of the year. “It was set up as a trial,” Criss said, “and there has been unexpectedly high demand. It is a program that needs a lot of work.” 

He said vehicles for the program are channeled from the state DOT through the Northwest Hills Council of Government, which decides where they will be assigned.

Geer Village in Canaan also provides transportation services, but no longer takes part in the NWCT RITS District program. “It dropped out a couple of years ago,” Criss said. 

In Norfolk, fully 58 percent of the population is currently aged 45 years or older, with those over 65 representing nearly 28 percent. If the current population trend continues, as it is expected to do, the pressure on public transportation will surely increase.

—Newsletter Editor

First Selectman Matt Riiska met this week with representatives of Cardinal Engineering and a contractor to talk about what can be done to push forward construction of a temporary bridge at Smith Road.

He is still compiling information to forward to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in attempt to get clearance to build the structure. The bridge would allow South Norfolk residents direct access to Route 272 more than 14 months after flash floods swept away spans on Old Goshen Road and Smith Road. It would also allow emergency responders direct access from 272 to the families on Smith Road and on the south end of Old Goshen Road.

Cardinal has done a sketch for the agencies of what the temporary span would look like. Riiska hopes to have the information ready by Monday. Meanwhile, he has met with both state senator Lisa Seminara and state representative Maria Horn, seeking their backing in moving the temporary bridge forward. 

—Newsletter Editor