Community News

With warm weather on the wane and summer projects being ticked off his list, First Selectman Tirrell has turned his attention to other concerns. 

A new swing set has been added to a parcel of town-owned land behind the Norfolk library near the wooden train and will soon be ready for use.

Tirrell said the set replaces swings that were located for there for about 30 years. They were deemed unsafe and were dismantled about two years ago. 

“Now the town crew has finished its major summer work, they were able to pour the footings and as soon as we get some wood chips down underneath the swings to make them safe, they will be ready for use,” he said. Donations paid for the new swings.

There will be other activity in the town center as well. Trees are being planted near the post office to replace one that was removed during sidewalk construction.

“We’re trying to get ready for winter now,” he said. “We’ve got a load of road sand left over from last year that we can use if we have [an early] storm and we are waiting for our first big shipment of salt. We expect delivery of our first new plow truck on December 1 and the other one should be delivered at the end of January.”

The ice sheets have been prepared, and practice has begun as Norfolk Curling Club members get ready for their next season of competition. The Norfolk club will host five bonspiels this winter.

“We just finished the ice last weekend and we had two practice sessions,” club member Jon Barbagallo reported. “All the leagues will be starting later this week, and we will have an official opening Saturday with a dinner and social gathering.” The Curling Club will host a Fall Bingo and Taco Night Saturday from 5:00 to 6:45 p.m. Bingo begins at 7:15 p.m.

Those interested in learning to play will have many opportunities. The popular Learn to Curl sessions begin Sunday, October 25, and interested persons can sign up by visiting the club’s website. Those who simply want to watch are always welcome, Barbagallo added.

Membership numbers are increasing, especially since curling became an Olympic sport. “We took big advantage of last year’s Olympics and held a number of events, which translated to an increase in numbers,” Barbagallo said. “When Team USA does well, so do curling clubs.”

The exaggerated posture of the curler who casts the stone—a deeply bent leg with the other leg extended behind—suggests a sport for younger players, but Barbagallo said anyone, even those in wheelchairs, can use a stick to deliver the stone.

“It certainly helps to be flexible, but we have a robust older membership,” said Barbagallo. “Steve Emt, the best wheelchair curler we had, has now moved west, but he competed in two or three Paralympic Games for Team USA.”

The Norfolk club had its origins back when Ted and Elizabeth Childs started to play on open ice on Tobey and Tamarack ponds in 1953. Within three years, the sport had become so popular a rustic shed was erected to protect the ice, and the club was formally organized.

Seven decades later, the club has grown to 132 members and is now housed in its second clubhouse at 70 Golf Drive with a warm viewing room for visitors, a lounge and two sheets of ice. 

Full membership costs $570 and includes unlimited curling, equipment, instruction, GNCC membership, social events and voting rights. There is a discounted first-year membership of $470, with young adult membership at $280. Junior League membership is $130.

The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department is inviting residents to join in honoring veterans by adding a donation tag to the Veterans’ Tree at the Norfolk Hub or National Iron Bank through November 10. 

The tree is located at the Hub, 2 Station Place, and will remain there through Monday, November 2. It then moves to the bank, 12 John J. Curtiss Road, on Tuesday, November 3. 

Residents can add a tag in honor of a veteran or an active-duty service member to show gratitude to those who have served and continue to serve our country.

All proceeds will be donated to the Torrington Branch of the American Legion Sailors, Soldiers and Marines Fund. The fund provides temporary assistance to wartime veterans and their families in Connecticut.Donations can be made by cash, Venmo or personal check.

Demands on area food pantries are soaring and Norfolk is no exception. Lynn Deasy, executive director of the Norfolk pantry, which is located in Battell Chapel, said demand is up 40 percent since January and grows by about two families each week. Right now, the pantry is serving about 80 families.

“If the trajectory of the economy continues, we could have 100 families by the end of the year,” she said. “The demand is huge and families need more than ever.”

The pantry recently surveyed patrons to see what is needed that is not provided and two things stood out: school supplies for children and cleaning supplies.

“This year we provided backpacks for 35 children,” Deasy said, “but we have previously stayed away from cleaning products because they are so expensive. But if you can’t have clean clothes for your kids, or a clean house, that’s just part of human dignity. That will be a focus for 2027.”

Other items stocked that fall outside the realm of nutrition are personal hygiene products and pet foods. Deasy said the pantry received a $3,000 grant to provide hygiene products and a $5,000 grant to help with pet foods. “For two years now, pet food has been a staple,” she said. Other staples have come back onto the pantry’s shelves due to the generosity of supporters, including coffee and sugar.

With the holiday season approaching, applications are being taken for Thanksgiving baskets through Oct. 29. Applicants can visit the food pantry Tuesday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to sign up for one or call the church office at 860-542-5721. 

Those who wish to donate a bird or other fixings can either donate money or buy a turkey. The food will be distributed November 23.

“We don’t want anyone to bring turkeys to the food pantry until two weeks before the 23rd at the earliest,” Deasy said. “After that, if they can keep them in their homes, that would be great, or they can drop them off at the pantry during open hours.” Those delivering birds during off hours can take them to the church office in Battell Chapel.

Deasy said some of the families are large and need big turkeys, but others are retirees who ask for smaller birds. “No matter what size, we will find the right recipient,” she said.

Click here to donate to the food pantry’s general wish list.

There will be a chill in the air this weekend, but not enough to daunt the riders in the annual Tour de Forest and The Icebox Gravel, cycling events that take participants through some of the most scenic landscapes in the Northeast.

The events are planned for Saturday, October 17, starting the Norfolk Curling Club at 70 Golf Drive. The Icebox Gravel is a 30-mile ride over mostly gravel roads. The Tour-de-Forest is a 13-mile ride with an even mix of gravel and paved roads. All roads are very rural, scenic and, for the most part, very lightly traveled. 

Half of the Tour-de-Forest is on a private gravel road with no cars allowed. Bikes with extremely thin tires are not encouraged. A hybrid or mountain bike is best. Free refreshments (both before and after) and a cash bar will be available at the curling club after the ride. 

Registration starts at 8 a.m. Both races start at 9:30 am. Registration is $50 for adults, $25 for teens, and 12 and younger can participate without charge. All proceeds support Norfolk Rails to Trails and Great Mountain Forest.

Registration closes at 11:50 p.m. Friday, October 16. []

The Economic Development Commission will launch a Conversation Series with a program about the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation on Thursday, October 22, at 5:00 p.m. at the Norfolk Library.

The series is designed to support businesses and nonprofits in Norfolk. Following this kick-off event, and in response to feedback the commission got from its survey last year, a series of workshops on technology for small businesses, marketing and communications, finance and the like will be offered. As people sign in on the 22nd, they will be asked to fill out a form to indicate what topics are of interest to them.

The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has strengthened communities through philanthropy and leadership since 1987. Today, BTCF manages more than 650 funds and awards more than $18 million dollars annually in grants and scholarships that support nonprofit organizations in Berkshire County, northwest Litchfield County, Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County.

BTCF’s president (and Norfolk neighbor) Kara Mikulich, vce president of programs, Maeve O’Dea and community engagement officer Aileen Meehan will present an overview of what the foundation does, how it works, and how to seek funding. 

RSVP here.

The Berkshire Country Store, located at 6 Station Place, will close its doors for the last time Sunday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m. Owner Ryan Craig had originally said the store, which has served the town for a decade, would close at the end of the month, but he pushed the date forward due to unexpected staffing shortages.

He announced a sale of 40 percent off apparel, 25 percent off groceries and discounts on other items as well.

Should Weekend in Norfolk have food trucks in the summer? How can Sidewalk Sunday be improved? What other events would you like to see? Everyone is invited to an open meeting on Friday, November 6, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hub to give the WIN committee your feedback and suggestions for future WIN weekends.

Botelle Superintendent Kevin Case reported to the Board of Finance Tuesday night that the school closed out the 2025-26 fiscal year with an unaudited $60,146 surplus. At its September 1 meeting, the Board of Education voted to put 2 percent of its total budget—or $50,904 of the surplus—into its non-lapsing fund, as permitted by state statute.

The remaining $9,242 will be returned to the town’s general fund. Case said the non-lapsing fund can be used for future educational needs and reminded the finance board that last year the Board of Education tapped it for about $40,000 to repair the elevator.

He said negotiations with the teachers’ union wrapped up after only two sessions with agreement on a three-year package that will see salaries rise by 13.5 percent—4.1 percent in the first year, 4.47 percent in the second year and 4.93 percent in year three. This level of increase is consistent with other districts throughout the state and is the same as neighboring Colebrook.

“Of course, insurance goes hand in hand with salaries,” Case said. “Norfolk is one of the few districts that does not pay a portion of the teachers’ deductible, which saves a lot of money. Most boards of education give teachers half of the deductible. And the cost share the teachers pay is very high—25.5 percent of their insurance with the board contributing the remainder. It will go to 26 percent in years two and three.”

He said teachers’ salaries will increase incrementally: $27,000 in year one of the contract, $31,000 in year two and $35,000 in the third year 

Board of Finance Chairman Michael Sconyers said it is “hard to find an area of disagreement” with the package. “There is no windfall [for the teachers] in this,” he said.

Others board members noted that the 4 percent annual increases are just above cost of living. 

Case concluded by sharing the school’s new mission statement, which was hammered out after three conversations held by the school board with members of the community. It states, “Botelle School nurtures and educates children through compassionate guidance and meaningful learning experiences. Striving for excellence, we foster a culture of curiosity and belonging that empowers students to become creative, engaged and responsible contributing members of their community and the wider world.”

“We used those discussions to revise our statement,” he said, adding that every word in the statement matters.

Enrollment at Botelle is slightly higher than last year at 58 or 59 students. “We did have some twins move in, but we had a couple of families move out of town,” Case reported. 

It’s a scary season in Norfolk each October and this year there will be more scarecrows than usual adding their own particular flavor to the landscape. 

Local artist Erika Crofut and a band of student volunteers from the after-school Corner Club took advantage of a brilliant fall day Wednesday to create a parade of scarecrows leading from behind the library down to Station Place.

It starts with a blowsy, bosomy scarecrow in a navy taffeta dress kicking up her heels and directing pedestrians down the path past a unicorn and other whimsically clad figures. The students were invited to paint the scarecrows’ faces and, in the case of the buxom woman at the head of the trail, to paint her nails.

This year, the Norfolk Hub has invited families, individuals, businesses, nonprofits, organizations, and community groups to create one-of-a-kind scarecrows for City Meadow. 

Scarecrows will be displayed throughout City Meadow Saturday, October 17, through Sunday, November 1, creating a town-wide fall display. 

There will be a community gathering at City Meadow on October 17 from noon to 3:00 p.m. to celebrate the opening of Scarecrow Meadow with pumpkin painting for children, live local music, light refreshments and a chance to visit with representatives of local and community groups.

Visitors will be invited to stroll through City Meadow and vote for their favorites.