Community News

Botelle School Superintendent Kevin Case told the Board of Finance Tuesday night that he is getting projected school enrollments for the next decade and is seeking to engage the community by finding 15 to 20 townspeople to help revamp the school’s mission statement. Case and other educators at Botelle will develop strategies from there.

He asked that one finance board member be part of the focus group, which is expected to meet from February through April.

Case and other educators at Botelle will develop strategies from the new mission statement. The concept of consolidation is still on the table, but no conversations are currently taking place on the subject, Case said. He invited Board of Finance members to attend the school board meetings. 

The 2025-26 school year is progressing as planned, he told the finance members, adding that he and the Board of Education are already developing next year’s budget. 

The Foundation for Norfolk Living (FNL) has planned an open house for Saturday, October 25, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Haystack Woods affordable housing development off Old Colony Road. The event will be held rain or shine.

The open house will give prospective buyers and area residents a first-hand opportunity to tour the energy-efficient two- and three-bedroom homes, which are nearing completion.

Haystack Woods will be ready for occupancy by early 2026. Visitors will see homes with fully installed exterior walls, windows and roofs, as well as internal framing. The shared carports are also largely complete. 

The homes are designed to be “net-zero,” and homeowners can expect to have no additional energy costs thanks to energy-efficient construction and a system of solar panels and batteries installed in shared carports.

The foundation is accepting applications. Detailed information about the process and the community can be found on the organization’s website, norfolkliving.org.

The homes at Haystack Woods are available to first-time homebuyers who earn less than the Litchfield County’s area median income and are priced from $159,000 to $261,000. For example, a three-person household with a combined income of up to $83,300 would be eligible. 

Interested applicants can contact Lindsay Larson [LindsayL@thehousingcollective.org] at the Litchfield County Housing Collective with specific questions about eligibility. Questions about the houses themselves can be directed to the FNL [norfolkliving@gmail.com].

To reach Haystack Woods, approach from the intersection of Old Colony Road (currently a one-way street) and North Street/Route 272, turn onto Haystack Woods Road and drive to the top of the hill. 

Townspeople agreed to increase the amount approved to build a new firehouse from $9.3 million to $10.4 million and authorized a borrowing increase from $3.5 million to $4 million during a short town meeting Monday night. The vote was unanimous and there was loud applause when moderator Richard Byrne announced the motion was carried. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska said the town has a number of funding avenues going forward, including a $2.5 million grant from the state, $500,000 in Congressional funds, an expected $3.1 million from a local capital campaign, and $500,000 from town funds. The state will release its substantial grant in three phases as work is completed.

Riiska said some of these monies would be used to get the project started, perhaps as early as November. The town would seek a bond anticipation note to meet expenses as the project progresses. 

No decision has been made about the amount that will be taken out in the bond anticipation note. It is hoped that interest rates when the project is finally bonded will not exceed 4.25 percent and that the town can stretch the debt over 25 years.

Riiska will retire as first selectmen in November, and the town has been advised not to initiate borrowing until after the new Board of Selectmen is seated.

Asked if the project will increase taxation next year, Riiska said any increase is more probable in fiscal year 2027-28. 

The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department has received $188,570 worth of self-contained breathing apparatus (SBCA) and other equipment through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant administered by FEMA.

The 18 SCBA units are lighter than the aging ones currently used by the Norfolk firefighters. An additional18 spare air bottles, one RIT-Pak—a specialized kit designed to assist in the rescue of downed or injured firefighters—and “accountability” software that allows incident commanders to track and manage personnel and resources at fires were also acquired through the grant. 

The company worked with the Winsted Fire Department to secure a larger grant, which totaled $535,000 for the two companies. Winsted received 35 SCBA units, spare air bottles, a RIT-Pak and accountability software. 

The equipment arrived at the end of September and will be in use soon.

The bridge wall on Ashpohtag Road that was struck by a vehicle last week and knocked off its footing should be repaired within two weeks. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska said that the insurance company representing Mountainside recovery center in Canaan, whose driver was responsible for the accident, has agreed to pay $73,200 for the repair work.  

He predicted that the work might take a week or a little more if the weather cooperates. The same cut stone used in the original wall will be reset.

This week was Fire Prevention Week and during it Norfolk Fire Marshal Keith Byrne urged residents to practice fire safety in their homes. His page on this website offers practical tips that can help keep homes safe.

First, the Litchfield County Fire Marshals Association has a video with recommendations for preventing kitchen fires. Among other tips, it cautions that kitchen fires most often stem from unattended stovetop cooking and urge cooks to turn off burners if they must leave the kitchen for any reason.

Lithium-ion batteries represent a growing home hazard. They are prone to create fires that grow quickly and are hard to put out. If one occurs, the home occupants should leave the building and call 911 from outside.

When buying a device charged with a lithium battery, look for the stamp of a nationally recognized testing lab to ensure it meets safety standards. Always use the cables that came with the device to charge it and follow instructions from the manufacturer. Unplug the device when it is fully charged and charge large devices such as electric bikes, scooters and power tools outside.

To dispose of the batteries, tape the positive (+) side of the used battery with clear packing tape, electrical tape or duct tape and put it in a clear plastic bag. Visit call2recycle.org to find the nearest drop-off location. Do not put it in the trash or normal recycling receptacles.

Smoke alarms can save lives, but only if they work properly. Test all alarms monthly by pushing their test buttons. Install them in every bedroom, in hallways and on each level of the house, including the basement. For best protection, they should be interconnected. 

Look for alarms with new enhanced sensing technology, as these alarms detect fires faster and help reduce false alarms often caused by cooking. When the smoke alarm sounds, leave the building before calling 911.

On Tuesday, November 11th, there will be a Veterans Day Breakfast at Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 at 8:00 a.m. followed by a program to honor and thank those who have served. Read more.

The major gas spill that took place in November 2022 continues to absorb town leaders’ time and energy. First Selectmen Matt Riiska is seeking an additional $752,000 in insurance compensation for expenses on Maple Avenue resulting from the spill.

He recently submitted all the required documentation to the insurance company representing Soundview Transportation, the company responsible for the spill. 

The state reached a settlement with Soundview in March 2025, fining it $350,000 and requiring it to pay for ongoing remediation and cleanup. The spill, which sent 8,200 gallons of gas cascading over the landscape and through the town’s storm water system, is said to be the largest in Connecticut’s history.

The town had already planned to reconstruct Maple Avenue but had not yet voted on improvements at the time of the spill. Riiska has segregated invoices from the construction firm, which did both the cleanup and the municipal upgrade of the road, that he contends relate specifically to the spill. 

He has also included costs such as the tax abatements given to property owners on Route 44, which has resulted in a loss of income to the town.

Route 44 may be closed overnight on Friday, Oct. 10, as the State DOT paves the section of road currently used for through traffic in the area where it is constructing a retaining wall west of the village center.

It is unclear at this point whether traffic will be directed over the gravel lane on the north where work is underway, or whether the whole road will be closed and traffic will be directed over Old Colony Road for one night while the milling and paving is underway. 

Traffic has been diverted to the southern lane for more than a year and the pavement has deteriorated dramatically under the constant wear, making travel rough and winter maintenance difficult.

Residents are reminded that a town meeting will be held at Botelle School Monday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. to vote on additional funding to build a new firehouse.

While final figures are still being developed, townspeople will be asked to approve a maximum amount of $10.4 million for building with the amount to be borrowing at a maximum at $4 million.

Members of the Fire House Committee are confident that the final cost for the building will be less than the $10.4 million requested, but the sum provides a buffer against any contingency. Similarly, it is expected that the $4 million authorization for borrowing will be more than is needed.

First Selectman Matt Riiska said the bond counsel he consulted this week recommended that the town take out a bond anticipation loan to use during construction. The town would borrow against the sum to pay bills incurred during construction, with formal bonding to be completed at the end of the project.

He said there is no way of knowing what interest rates will be in 18 months when the bond is finalized. It is hoped that the town can pay back the money over a period of 25 years.