Author: kathrynwboughton@gmail.com

The Raise the Steeple committee has announced that the Church of Christ has been offered a $200,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). This is the largest of the grants that SHPO offers.

The church has raised more than $575,000 in its campaign to put restore and replace the steeple, which currently sits on a specially made scaffold beside the venerable church. In addition to renovating the steeple, the church plans to repair the clock face and chimes.

The original estimate for the repairs and refurbishment of the clock has doubled but generous donations put the church in a good position to complete the work.

The Steeple Committee will present details about the grant to the congregation at an all-church meeting after an attorney reviews the contract. For more information about the Steeple Restoration Project click here.

In the meantime, the Granville Dawgs will present “Rock Around the Clock,” at Battell Chapel, Saturday, January 14, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. There will be a musical tour through time and a chance to learn a dance from each decade from the 1950s through the ’90s. A $20 suggested donation raises funds for the steeple’s restoration.

Four firefighters flew to Luverne, Minn., this week to bring home the town’s new tanker truck, which replaces a 23-year-old vehicle with a leaking tank. The men inspected the new truck at the Midwest Fire factory, before three of them drove 1,400 miles back to Norfolk, taking shifts at the wheel to stay ahead of the massive winter storm sweeping across the country.

They arrived at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday after 22 hours on the road.

The $328,000 tanker was paid for with a combination of fire department funds and town ARPA dollars. The previous tanker has been turned over to the Department of Public Works to be converted to a plow truck.

NORFOLK—Town officials are talking to Frontier about the future of fiber optics in the town.

Frontier has offered to cover 70 to 80 percent of Norfolk. First Selectman Matt Riiska said, however, that much depends on bringing service to remote sections of town.

“They are going to do so much, but their position is they can’t string wire everywhere on rural roads. They are making an offer that for ‘x’ amount, they’ll make sure everyone is covered. Our position is, if we put any money in at all, everyone needs to be covered. We can’t expect some taxpayers to pay for others.”

The improved service would be for Internet only and is not 5G. 

“There are still a lot of questions,” Riiska said, “and there will be a lot more discussions over the next three months or so.”

Norfolk will be merry and bright Saturday evening following the annual carol sing in the great room at Norfolk Library and the tree lighting on the Village Green. The carol sing, with seasonal refreshments, begins at 5:00 p.m. For those who choose not to sing, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department will be passing out cups of hot coco and munchkins free to all on the Green, starting at 5:45 p.m. At 6:00 o’clock sharp, Santa arrives on his fire engine sleigh-of-lights, passing out candy canes to children then lighting the Towns tree. Hope to see everyone there!

The “Raise the Steeple” committee has announced that the community’s support and generous donations have allowed the steeple restoration project to move forward. More than $575,000 has been raised, some of which has been spent to lower the steeple to the ground for repairs (approximately $100,000) and about $35,000 on the engineering work. In addition to renovating the steeple, the Church of Christ plans to repair the clock face and chimes. The original estimate for repairs and refurbishment of the clock doubled but because of the generous community support, the church is in a good position to complete the work.

Soon architectural and engineering plans will be completed and the project will go out to bid. Once quotes are received, future expenditures will become clearer. Even with uncertain building costs, the Committee is confident that the work will be done with the support of the community.

“We do want to thank all who have contributed so much to this effort. We are lucky to be part of our community that cares so much for our church and its place in Norfolk,” committee members said. “We truly appreciate donations of all sizes. Every donation helps brings us closer to our goal of raising the steeple.”

Click here to visit “steeple campaign” on (norfolkucc.org) to learn more.

With winter on the horizon the Clothes Closet at Battell Chapel is looking for donations of cool/cold weather items. Please do not donate shoes with heels. It is helpful if sets of sheets are clipped together with a label of the size. In addition, the need for food donations continues at the Food Pantry. Two-percent milk is particularly needed.

The Norfolk NET Food Pantry continues to need more food to share with those in need. Persons wishing to donate half-gallons of 2 percent milk can do so during Food Pantry hours, Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Battell Chapel. Those are the hours when it can be quickly refrigerated. Non-perishable food items can be left in the blue bin at the back of the building, Particularly needed is ground coffee, kids’ snacks and juice boxes and cookies. Also needed are cereal, pasta and sauce, soups, canned fruit and juices, canned meats, peanut butter, rice, protein bars, and macaroni and cheese. Toilet paper, pater towels and personal care items are also appreciated.

Need a ride? Transportation in Northwest Connecticut can be difficult if you don’t drive, but there are three options available for public transport to doctor’s appointments, shopping and picking up prescriptions. The Norfolk van runs Monday, Thursday and Friday, with Friday designated for shopping in Torrington; call 860-542-5829. Geer Village Dial-a-Ride is available weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; call 860-824-7067. Finally, Northwestern CT Transit operates Wednesday for rides in Norfolk or to Torrington and Winsted; call 860-489-2535. Its RITS Program is available for local doctor’s appointments and longer distances, such as Hartford Hospital, UConn Medical, Yale-New Haven and the Greater Waterbury area. At least 24 hours advance notice is required for the Norfolk van and Geer, and 48 hours for Northwestern CT Transit.

Geer does not charge for rides; it is funded by grants and donations. Northwestern CT Transit charges $2.00 for a one-way ride ($4.00 round trip); RITS has a suggested donation. Norfolk asks for a $2.00 donation for round trips within the Norfolk/Canaan/Winsted/Torrington area and charges a $5.00 fee outside that area.

The ever-popular Farmers Market, held at Town Hall, 19 Maple Ave. continues Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., though October 4.