Congratulations to Assistant Town Clerk Deborah Nelson, who just passed her exam to become a Certified Connecticut Town Clerk. Nelson has been assisting Norfolk Town Clerk Linda Perkins while taking the required courses.
Community News
Street Fair Braves Bad Forecast To Deliver Fun
The threat of rain did not deter the Norfolk Library Associates, who raise funds to provide children’s and cultural programming at the library, from celebrating their 50th anniversary last Sunday with a spirited little street fair in Station Place.
The weather forecast was dire, with strong storms predicted for the afternoon. A stiff breeze seemed to presage rain, but the fair went on in the plaza without a mishap and the plaza was filled with booths that offered visitors snacks, face painting, the chance to adopt a stuffed animal, an opportunity to learn juggling, to take a ride behind a tractor or marvel at the massive puppets from the Sova Dance and Puppet Theater that were roaming the street.
The associates began their year-long celebration with a gala last January.
Swim Lesson Schedule To Be Announced Soon
A swimming lesson schedule will be announced soon, according to Josh DeCerbo, administrator of Tobey Pond beach.
Monday he had an instructor work with lifeguards interested in running swim lessons. He anticipates announcing the schedule as early as next week. “We haven’t decided when lessons will begin,” he said, “but it will be sooner than later.”
DeCerbo also wants to do some drills for his lifeguards in concert with the ambulance service. “We would run simulated rescues,” he said. “Pretty standard stuff, but everyone would know how to respond.”
Something Old, Something New at Tobey Pond
Tobey Pond, the town beach, now has a handsome new changing room for swimmers, sponsored by the Lions Club.
It replaces an earlier one removed several years ago because of its deteriorating condition.
“Sandy Evans, a Lions Club member, came to me and asked if I would volunteer to make it,” said fellow Lion Philip Cyr of J&P Building & Remodeling in Norfolk. He agreed and John Funchion said he would pitch in. The club paid for the materials.
“John came up with the [design] concept,” said Cyr, “and I built it on the fly. It probably took me a month and a half, working on it when I could—maybe 15 hours. I used rough-sawn lumber and tried to make it as rustic as possible because it is in the woods.”
Funchion also helped with construction. “It was hard work,” he said. “Phil is a master craftsman, but he let me help. He took my design and tweaked it.”
Interesting touches include door handles and towel hooks made out of tree branches. “It’s all-natural light, so we painted the floor a sky blue to give it brightness as well.”
Something else new at Tobey Pond is also very old.
Long before Norfolk residents splashed happily in its waters, Tobey Pond was home to a rich array of forest and aquatic creatures and remains a sanctuary for wild and aquatic life—a fact recognized by the beach staff this year.
Sensitive to the rights of longtime denizens of the 58-acre pond, the lifeguards responded quickly when on June 2 a snapping turtle—what could be more primordial?—emerged from the glacial pool to lay her eggs on the beach. The staff hastily created a circle of brightly painted stones around the nest and posted a sign advising, “Do Not Disturb Turtle Eggs.
Norfolk is a notably enlightened town and, to its credit, momma turtle, christened Teresa, can look forward to her brood hatching in late August, even though Tobey Pond beach administrator Josh DeCerbo hopes the little turtles will emerge for the Tobey Day celebration in mid-August.
Teresa posed for staff and her picture is available upon request. One thing is certain—she will be a no-show for Tobey Day. Notoriously nonchalant about their families, turtles lay their eggs and leave their offspring to their own devices.
The staff has tipped its hat to other “Tobey Pond Pets,” as well. A whimsical sign near the new changing room describes the creatures who claim the area as their own. Teresa, of course, has a mate, Tom. The staff advises that he is “a big snapping turtle who has lived here his whole life” and “has two children.” (Who counted?)
Not all the area inhabitants are aquatic, however. Larry, the cormorant, is cited “as the lifeguard boss,” while Al, the water snake is reported to have been “born in Norfolk,” but “travels a lot.” Unsurprisingly, there is also the lunch-stealing “Bearnice the Bear,” and Shy Di, the Deer.
So, look closely, folks, when visiting Tobey Pond. You may just meet some Norfolk’s natives, still living as their ancestors did in days of yore.
Maple Avenue’s Rough Ride Now in the Past
The prolonged process of restoring Norfolk roads advanced significantly this week. Guerrera Construction returned to town and put the final course of paving on Maple Avenue and the River Place bridge project resumed.
“Maple Avenue is paved,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska. “There are just a few places to touch up—a couple of minor things to adjust—and some landscaping.”
The work, which was scheduled to begin in spring 2023, was delayed while the town completed remediation of contamination caused by the November 2022 gas spill. Riiska had hoped it would be completed by the first week in June this year, but the construction company was pulled away for a job elsewhere.
Riiska said the final step is administrative as he submits the paperwork for state reimbursement.
The River Place bridge project came to a halt in November 2022 when it was discovered that the footings on one headwall were deficient. It is now hoped repairs will be completed in May 2025. “It’s been a long and arduous task,” Riiska said. “Hopefully, it will move along.”
Norfolk Weather Station Offline
Bad things often come in threes. As if the hot weather were not enough, now the Great Mountain Forest weather station, although still gathering data, has lost its connection to Weather Underground and Norfolk weather aficionados have to rely on stations that may have very different conditions, such as Doolittle, Colebrook, Winsted or even the New Bedford Regional Airport.
“It went offline yesterday at 5:00 p.m. and I’m not sure why,” said Russell Russ, who manages the station. “I’m investigating, but it might take a while. Unfortunately, the station is 15 years old and it might be worn out [and] getting a new one might be complicated.”
Russ is planning to talk with GMF’s fundraising group and hopes he’ll have something back online soon. What’s next?
Maple Avenue Work Paused
Work on Maple Avenue has temporarily ground to a halt because Guerrera Construction has been called away to work at the Danbury Airport. “We’re a little delayed because I guess an airport takes precedence when you are talking to the FAA,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska.
He had hoped to have the work completed in the first weeks of June.
Riiska expects work to resume in two weeks when there will be some final cleanup to do and a top coat of paving will be put down. Final landscaping will be delayed until the weather is more seasonable.
Riiska has been in contact with the state about replacement of two South Norfolk bridges swept away in last July’s flash flood. The Smith Road bridge final design will be completed by July 2025 with work expected to be done by spring 2026.
“When they are finished with that, they will start on the Old Goshen Road bridge,” he said. It is hoped that bridge will be complete by fall 2026.
The state has held the town harmless in reconstruction of the bridges, assuming all costs for engineering and replacement. Riiska said there is no plan to install a temporary replacement for the Smith Road bridge because of the cost.
“We just don’t have the funds for that,” he said, citing a figure for the temporary structure of just under $500,000. “The state doesn’t want anything to do with it.”
On River Place, Riiska has been promised that bridge work on will start by next week after a 20-month hiatus. “They said they would start Friday, but I will believe it if I see it next week,” he said. “It’s been a long, arduous process of coming to an agreement on pricing and timing.”
The project was stopped in November 2022 when it was discovered that one headwall was not sitting on a firm foundation.
Finally, Riiska said he is negotiating with the state DOT to mill and pave Route 44 in west Norfolk where the road has been disturbed by infrastructure changes being made this summer. “I’m trying to talk them into milling and paving so it is not so bumpy for cars and plowing during the winter,” he said.
Will a Llama Be in the Library?
The Norfolk Library Associates will continue its 50th anniversary celebration Sunday, June 23, with a Street Fair at Station Place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. A DJ will play music on Robertson Plaza and there will be a photo booth, hayrides for kids, large puppets, a llama, crafts and much more. All activities are free.
Because of the flurry of activity expected, attendees should leave their dogs at home.
The weatherman predicts a better than even chance of rain and, if it is indeed inclement, the event will be moved to the library, 9 Greenwoods Road.
Norbrook Brewery has created 50 cases of a special lager, “To Beer or Not to Beer,” and is donating proceeds from its sales to the associates to aid its mission of bringing education, enlightenment and entertainment to the community. Pre-ordered cases will be available for pick up at the library during the Street Fair. To order, call 860-309-9473.
The library was originally gifted to the town in 1888 by Isabella Eldridge, who maintained it as a cultural center for the town. After her death and the disruptions of the Great Depression and World II, lavish entertainments became a thing of the past until 1974 when library trustees Tibby Robinson and Martha Walcott decided to restore it to its rightful place as the centerpiece of the community. The library associates formed in June 1974.
Currently, most of the programs and special events at the library are funded by monies generated through the associates.
Community Association To Unveil New Sculpture
The Norfolk Community Association will unveil the second sculpture in its proposed Norfolk Sculpture Trail, Friday, June 28, at 6:00 p.m. on the Village Green.
For the new addition the Community Association selected a lotus blossom, a collaborative work by Norfolk sculptor Elizabeth Knowles and Eric David Laxman of Valley Cottage, N.Y. Both artists will be on hand at the dedication and will discuss the genesis of the work.
The group unveiled its first sculpture, the Owl of Good Fortune by Jon Riedeman, last September on Robertson Plaza.
“We usually start speaking to the artists two years in advance and they submit a sketch that we use for fundraising,” said Doreen Kelly, who co-chairs the Community Association with Barry Webber. “But in this case, it was an existing work that member Walter Godlewski knew about.”
She explained that Knowles “was the creative force behind the design” and that it was executed by Laxman. It has previously been displayed in Manhattan.
Unlike the cast bronze owl, “this piece uses modern materials and is kind of a whimsical and magical piece,” according to Kelly. “They chose a lotus because we were just coming out of Covid and the lotus is a symbol of renewal.”
The association hopes to install one new piece each year to create a sculpture trail through the town’s center. “The whole purpose of the trail is to create connectivity between the different sections of town because it is largely divided by Route 44,” Kelly explained.
Eventually, there will be a map to guide walkers, but for the moment each new sculpture will be placed in a location that enhances it. “We want to be very sensitive to the beauty of Norfolk as it is,” Kelly said. “We don’t want to create anything that looks like too much. We’ll know when there is enough.”
Money for the projects comes from fundraising drives held once or twice a year. “We get a nice response from that and then we reach out to local grant-giving organizations that know the work we do,” Kelly explained.
The Community Association wants the money to stay in Norfolk and local artists are commissioned to create the pieces.
Pet Parade Postponed
The pet parade scheduled for tonight (Friday, 8/14) has been postponed due to bad weather. Watch for a new time to be announced.