Community News

Of the 60 bird species listed in Norfolk’s Natural Resource Inventory as having been observed here during the winter months, 10 were seen in City Meadow during the 2023 Great Backyard Bird Count.

The count is part of a global effort to watch and count birds using local volunteers. The findings are then sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird citizen science database. 

“Of course, there are more birds to be seen in spring and summer,” said Shelley Harms, co-president for the Norfolk Land Trust Board of Directors. “But I would think there are more birds using [City Meadow] now than in prior years, now that some of the invasive plants have been cleared out and nest boxes have been put in.”

With only one year’s observations in hand of winter bird populations, she said she does not have sufficient data to prove that. Still, last year’s bird count listed mourning doves, downy woodpeckers, a common raven, black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, European starlings, bluebirds, robins, dark-eyed juncos and song sparrows.

“People from all over the country do the backyard count over three days in February,” said Ayerslea Denny, a passionate bird watcher who leads many bird walks in the area. “Last year, we met at City Meadow, which is the town’s big back yard, but we haven’t done the Backyard Count at the meadow for more than three years [in a row] so we don’t know whether there really is a change. A couple of years ago there was an old Baltimore oriole nest made mostly of plastic. Orioles often return to the same area, but we haven’t found another nest.”

City Meadow “is a great spot” for people as well as birds, Denny said. “I’ve really been pleased with how it turned out. It gives people a place to walk. Yesterday I went down to look, and I thought, ‘Where are all the birds?’ Then I looked up and there was a red-tailed hawk, so that is why none of them were there.”

Denny and Laurie Foulke-Green, another long-time birder, will lead a group of volunteers through City Meadow Saturday, February 17, at 8:30 a.m. as part of this year’s count. Participants should bring their own binoculars and dress warmly, with good shoes for winter walking. After the count, they can enjoy hot beverages at the library.

The local effort is being sponsored by the Norfolk Library and the Green Team from the Church of Christ Congregational. The count will be held weather permitting. 

There is good reason for humans to keep tabs on the bird population. The Connecticut Audubon “State of the Birds” report for 2023, released in December, reports that there are 3 billion fewer birds in the United States than there were in 1970. Much of the avian devastation is caused by birds crashing into windows and by pet cats. 

Last year, Audubon and other environmental groups successfully lobbied for a law requiring non-essential lights in state buildings to be shut off after 11:00 p.m. during periods when birds are migrating. Billions of birds that migrate at night are confused by the lights and crash into windows and are killed. Connecticut, which is the fourth most densely populated state in the U.S., has 37 percent of its land in urban development and conservation groups are encouraging other building owners to join in the Lights Out campaign.

Happily, outside its cities and suburbs, the state is also among the most forested in the nation, ranking 14th for forest cover. About 83 percent of Norfolk’s land remains undeveloped, but only a relatively small portion of it is permanently protected, so habitat like City Meadow is important for protecting bird species. 

Indeed, Norfolk’s Natural Resource Inventory recommends the development and implementation of conservation plans for town-owned open spaces to provide protection of wildlife species. It also recommends sound conservation practices such as mowing hayfields later in the season to allow fledging birds to leave their nests, scheduling tree removal for when it will least affect wildlife and planting natural food sources for wildlife. 

The NRI also recommends protecting lands that provide, or potentially provide, wildlife habitat—including large blocks of mature forest, grasslands, wet meadows, vernal pools and other wetlands.

—Newsletter Editor

Over the past 42 years, the Norfolk Land Trust (NLT) has gathered about 4,000 acres of land under its protective umbrella, preserving large tracts of natural resources for future generations, either through direct ownership or conservation easements. For nearly all of those 42 years, NLT has hoped to preserve 82 acres on Lovers Lane linking its Barbour Woods and Spring Hill preserves. 

This week the NLT will acquire that special parcel, home to headwaters for the Blackberry River, a critical habitat, and more than a dozen rare species, opposite its Barbour Woods preserve. Barbour Woods, a lovely 200-acre haven whose tranquil silence attracts bird watchers, hikers and dog walkers, was given to the NLT in 1998 by Alison Barbour Fox. 

Now, the preserve will be augmented by the new parcel across the road, described by NLT co-president Elizabeth Borden as a “beautiful piece of property, filled with old-growth forest, wonderful caves, a spring house and trails that people can enjoy.”

“We only acquire land that has conservation value,” she added.

Borden purchased the property when it went on the market and held it while the NLT arranged financing. “We try to acquire contiguous properties,” she said, “which is important for the wildlife part of conservation.”

Many wild creatures—avian, mammalian and amphibian—are declining in numbers because they require large, uninterrupted tracts of open space and forest. 

The NLT also maintains a series of trails throughout its holdings. “We are very proud of our trail system,” said Borden. “We have more than 22 miles of trails that we maintain on our own properties and on state land.” The trails, which are located throughout the town, and which provide a range of hiking experiences, are frequently used by residents and visitors alike. 

“People sometimes grumble because they think we are taking land off the tax rolls,” Borden said, “but the actual tax reduction is very low because most of it is already classified as forest land [under Connecticut Public Act 490] or is held by a 501(c) 3 and is tax exempt.”

According to the state’s website, Public Act 490 provides an assessment of land classified as either forest, farm, open space or maritime heritage that is only a fraction of the value of residential or commercial assessments, providing a financial incentive for landowners to maintain the land.  

When land is preserved by the land trust through conservation easements, it is protected in perpetuity, but continues to be the property of the landowner and remains on the tax rolls. The NLT assumes stewardship of the land, monitoring it at least once a year. 

“We are accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and our third accreditation is coming up this year,” said Borden. “That is an important thing for land trusts.” 

Every accredited land trust completes a rigorous review process to demonstrate its fiscal accountability, strong organizational leadership, sound transactions and lasting stewardship of the lands it conserves. 

NLT funding for land acquisition and maintenance comes from donations, government grants, and grants from foundations.   

Borden said the NLT “reaches out to the community in all sorts of ways. We have a big presence on social media and are always seeking input.”

This weekend, it holds its annual meeting on Saturday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. at the Norfolk Library. Members will vote on directors for the coming year. Even if you cannot vote, visitors are welcome to enjoy a talk by Carl Safina following the brief business meeting. Safina will speak on “Beyond Words – What Animals Think and Feel.” 

“It will be a very good family afternoon,” Borden said. “It’s a fun, positive organization.”

NLT has also participated in the annual Friday Nights on the Green events, has hosted hikes along its trails and hosted a program last fall for Botelle School children on Dennis Hill.

—Newsletter Editor

When the Planning and Zoning Commission reconvenes its hearing on the proposed firehouse next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, there will be a new Zoning Enforcement Officer helping to guide the commission in its deliberations.

Karl Nilsen has previously worked in New Hartford, Colebrook, Burlington and Canaan, and “is very knowledgeable,” according to First Selectman Matt Riiska. He follows in the footsteps of Michael Halloran, who retired from the position this week. 

Marinell Crippen, who has served as secretary for both the P&Z and the Inland Wetlands Agency, will become office manager, working in Town Hall for two or more afternoons a week, taking charge of clerical work and directing calls to Nilson. Dates the office will be open are still to be decided.

The changes in staffing were suggested by Halloran during the Selectmen’s January meeting, when he said he believed the town’s needs could be served by eight to 10 hours of office help each week, with a ZEO being present in town once or twice a week.

Riiska noted during the meeting that it is becoming harder and harder for small towns to fill positions such as land use administrators, assessors and building inspectors because they do not generate the same amount of business as larger communities. 

“Unfortunately, it’s a situation that will only get worse because there is not enough work to keep them employed full time and the state wants more and more certification,” he observed.

Aquarion Water Company has begun the first stage of work associated with replacement of the retaining wall along Route 44 west of Norfolk. The company is testing the soil quality under the pavement as it prepares to move water lines prior to the extensive work the DOT will do to restore the wall. 

Sewer lines and overhead wires will also have to be moved. 

A state spokeswoman said Thursday that relocation of infrastructure could result in one-lane traffic while the work is underway. 

Because of the relatively narrow passage along that section of road, with a steep hill on the north side and homes and businesses on the south, it is expected that subsequent phases of the project will be intensive and will take as many as five years to complete.

“Everyone is hoping for four years,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska, “but there is a lot of work to be done in that area. It’s going to be a very disruptive project.”

The state spokeswoman said that the mafia blocks that currently stabilize the bulging stone retaining wall behind them will be removed and the hillside will be trimmed back, slightly widening the road and making it safer. “But there is not a lot of room there,” she said, observing that there is a cemetery on top of the hill. 

She said no contracts have been let yet and that the contractor that is selected will control the construction schedule.

Further complicating life in that section of town is the stalled work on River Place Bridge, which has been under construction since March 2022. The project hit a snag when it was discovered that the north headwall was not stable. The bridge has been redesigned but Riiska was informed last fall that it would take another year to complete the work.

“I’ve talked to them and asked them when they will get started on that,” he said. “It’s been going on forever.”

On a much happier note, he reported that the reconstruction of Maple Avenue steamed ahead through the winter months, making up for the months-long delay caused by remediation of the gas spill. He said he hopes the installation of the new drainage system will be complete by the end of the month.

“We might have to hold back a bit before we put in the sidewalks, depending on how wet the spring is,” he said. “If it is a dry spring, they will jump right in and form the sidewalks. Then they will have to remove the asphalt on the road, get the roadbed stabilized and put down the binder paving before doing the curbing. We hope to have things buttoned up by the end of May or in early June.”

He added that a benefit of working during the winter has been reduced disruption of traffic during the slower winter months and less dust getting into people’s homes.

America is a land of plenty, and it produces plenty of waste.

What to do with the mountains of garbage generated by American households is a pressing issue for Connecticut municipalities, especially with the final dissolution of MIRA (the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority) scheduled to take place no later than July 1, 2026.

MIRA, which once had a trash-to-energy burn plant in Hartford, receives and processes solid municipal wastes from 23 Connecticut towns. When its aging burn plant closed in 2022, refuse was (and is) loaded on trucks and shipped over the state’s borders to landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The matter weighs on member towns in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, where a committee has been formed to formulate a plan. “We’re working on a plan for after the fact,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska, a member of the committee. “Part of it is becoming part of a regional authority that would cover many of the Northwest Corner towns.”

Riiska said Norfolk produces about 750 tons of solid waste annually, another 300 tons of bulky waste and 165 tons of recyclables. “When I became first selectman in 2017, we were paying $72 a ton for solid waste disposal,” he said. “Next year, we will have to plan on paying $131 per ton, so it has gone up considerably.”

He said it is hoped that a regional authority can continue to use the Torrington hub. “We’re looking at that as a way station for the stuff to be taken out of state,” he said. “There are no landfills in Connecticut. Why are we dumping our trash on Ohio and Pennsylvania? It’s just like driving down the road and throwing your garbage out of the window.”

He said the state “desperately needs” a trash-to-energy generation plant. “I was under the impression that they had a group looking into it,” he said, “but I found out last week that they are not.”

“This is not going away—at all” he continued. “Anyone who thinks we can recycle our way out of this is very naïve.”

He said Norfolk is proactive about recycling trash, offering residents the opportunity to sustainably discard textiles, electronics, tires, metal, paper and single-stream plastic, metal and glass containers. “We don’t do a bad job in Norfolk, but some of the larger cities and towns won’t have the same response,” he said.

Other countries, even some American states, have tried alternate methods to encourage recycling. “One way is pay-to-throw,” he explained. “You buy biodegradable trash bags from the town. It’s the only bag you can use, and you can only put so much in them. It makes people think before they throw something away.”

Another possibility is to have community containers for organic kitchen waste that would be then be picked up by commercial composting services. Such services are used at the Salisbury/Sharon transfer site and in Falls Village. “But we don’t have a lot of restaurants or private schools,” he observed, saying the volume of material would be less in Norfolk. 

“If we didn’t have such a bad bear issue, we could put a composting bin at the transfer station, but we would need a lot of DEEP permitting.”

The town Economic Development Commission is pushing forward with its effort to identify priorities for future development in the center of town.

In a letter distributed this week, Co-Chairs Elizabeth Borden and Michael Selleck invited residents to participate in the planning process. They noted that the EDC has a mandate from the town Plan of Conservation and Development to encourage economic development and to attract more young people to town. 

“Achieving these goals will require far more than any commission or committee can accomplish,” they wrote. “It will take all of us to support new and existing businesses in town and to welcome young…and make sure they have what they need to thrive.”

The EDC met with townspeople and business owners last month to discuss the issue and review a list of suggestions submitted earlier. A working meeting will be held February 29 at the Norfolk Hub to strategize about how best to accomplish the defined goals.

In the meantime, the EDC is asking residents to make additional suggestions by describing what they want to see in Norfolk. Ideas should be submitted by February 15 by clicking here. Residents can send as many ideas as they wish.

Those who want to be a part of the process should contact Borden (Libbygp@aol.com) or Selleck (mks2548@gmail.com).

The Norfolk Library was swinging last Saturday night as the Library Associates celebrated their 50th anniversary. Despite a spate of nasty weather, residents flooded into the library to visit, enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks and listen to music of the past five decades.

On the walls were images of the town captured by turn-of-the-last-century photographer Marie Kendall, whose work constituted the first art exhibit sponsored by the associates in 1977.

State Representative Maria Horn presented a congratulatory citation and Library Director Ann Havemeyer offered a history of the work done by the associates over the decades.

Havemeyer lauded the group as the agency that brought the library back to life as a cultural center it was intended to be when Isabella Eldridge built it for the town in 1888. It was Eldridge’s wish, according to Havemeyer, that the building be more than a library, but also a place for concerts and lectures. “And during her lifetime, she made sure it was,” Havemeyer said.

Havemeyer invited the audience to vicariously go back to 1890 to hear a lecture on the history of Italian art given by Professor Arthur Frothingham of Columbia University. Conjuring up the scene, she said, “As you enter the building, you pass a miniature gondola sitting in a tank of water. The main hall is decorated with floral garlands in the colors of Italy, interspersed with Roman shawls, aprons, rugs and mats. A large photograph of the Colosseum is placed at one end of the hall, draped with Italian flags. The audience is treated to red, green and white Italian ices shaped like guitars and mandolins by Maresi Confectioners of New York, while a group of Italian musicians play their mandolins.” 

“This,” she said, “was the sort of unique and elegant entertainment Isabella produced.” When space became limiting, Eldridge added the Great Hall in 1911.

After Eldridge’s death, America descended into the Great Depression and the Second World War II and for 55 years the days of lavish entertainment became a distant memory, then, in 1974, the library trustees decided it was time to resurrect the library as a cultural center. Trustees Tibby Robinson and Martha Walcott took the lead. Walcott, an accomplished musician, thought the Great Hall would be perfect for concerts. She gave the library her Steinway baby grand piano, still in use today. Together, the women made phone calls soliciting help and a group of 10 women had their first organizational meeting in June 1974.

There was little money, barely enough to give concert musicians an honorarium—certainly not enough to purchase chairs to seat the audience. So, they decided to have a book sale, the first one taking place in 1976. The sale raised $650. The book sale grew dramatically over the decades until today it is eagerly anticipated by booklovers near and far and brings in thousands of dollars each year.

The associates’ first art exhibit was held a year later, and they have since hosted more than 250 artists. A carol sing on the weekend following Thanksgiving has been held for 45 years and fireside gatherings, held in the Great Hall, continue today. 

Currently, most of the programs and events at the library are funded by monies generated through the leadership and enthusiasm of the associates, including adult and children’s musical and literary programs, the library newsletter, additions to the audio-visual inventory of the library and other events or purchases not covered by the library’s annual budget.

In 1987, library director Louise Schimmel suggested that the all-women group consider the addition of men. Havemeyer noted wryly that such a radical move would not be made in a hurry. It would be another 17 years before men joined the group in 2004. The first man was David Davis, who was at the party Saturday.

The associates made significant contributions to the Preserve the Past for the Present capital campaign to restore the library and its red tile roof in 2015 and to the renovation of the Children’s Room in 2018.

A number of special programs are planned this year in celebration of the group’s anniversary. 

The Library Associates meet monthly and always welcome new members. For more information click here.

—Newsletter Editor

During January, Mental Health Awareness Month, Botelle Elementary School children have been exploring techniques that support students’ emotional well-being.

The school uses the RULER approach, an acronym that reminds them of the skills needed to Recognize, Understand, Label, Express and Regulate emotions. These skills increase emotional intelligence.

Principal Lauren Valentino notes that emotions affect learning and behavior and this idea is the foundation of the RULER approach. Teachers and school-based mental health professionals teach strategies to develop these skills. As students mature, they learn sophisticated words such as serene, disheartened, livid and ecstatic to help them accurately identify their emotions. 

They also use RULER tools: the Charter, Mood Meter and Meta-Moment. These strategies, tools and vocabulary, taught throughout all grades, develop greater ability to identify feelings and how to deal with them. Northwestern Regional School #7 also uses the RULER approach with its students.

Botelle’s School Charter, created collaboratively with students, families and staff, identifies the way students deserve to feel when at school. It reads, “At Botelle School we deserve to feel… Happy, Safe, Welcomed, Confident, Excited and Loved!” The charter is posted on signs throughout the building. Botelle graduate Liam Carrigan recently completed his capstone project at Northwestern by making a wooden plaque with the school charter etched on it. It now hangs outside the main office.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, students are learning strategies to practice mindfulness. Being mindful can help them feel the emotions listed in the school charter. Students learn to take a Meta-Moment to help them respond instead of reacting when gripped by a strong emotions. They learn to Sense (notice a change in the body or mind); Pause (wait and breathe to think more clearly); See Your Best Self (imagine your best self in the situation), and Strategize and Act (think of a strategy and try it).

Students will also attend an assembly with Crystal Sheehan from Be Well Community Yoga in North Canaan. She will lead students and staff in an immersive, whole body listening mediation designed to nurture the mind and body. This meditation, called a sound bath, is used to teach and practice mindfulness using singing bowls, rain sticks, gongs, percussions and chimes. In February, they will return to do yoga lessons with each class. 

Another community member from neighboring Colebrook, Peg Nelligan, is visiting Botelle with her therapy dog, Bonnie. Nelligan is a retired Northwestern educator and will bring Bonnie to Botelle weekly. “Bonnie and Peg will definitely help our students and staff feel excited and loved,” said Valentino.

The school’s theme this year is Celebrating All – Creating Community. “Let’s take a mindful moment to celebrate the community we are so fortunate to be a part of. Thank you for supporting our students in feeling Happy, Safe, Welcomed, Confident, Excited and Loved inside and outside of school,” Valentino concluded.

—Newsletter Editor

First Selectman Matt Riiska has been conferring with the state DOT about upcoming bridge projects. Riiska said work is being slated for 2025 on the second of two Mountain Road bridges, this one over Spaulding Brook just east of the intersection with Westside Road. 

Under a new payment formula, the federal government will pay 80 percent of the cost through its federal bridge program and the state the 20 percent that would formerly have been the town’s portion.

The existing bridge was constructed in 1955 and is a 21-foot-long, two-lane bridge in poor condition, according to a DOT presentation. Average daily traffic flow along the road is only 200 vehicles.

Rehabilitation of the bridge is not an option, according to the DOT. The new bridge would be a clear span rather than culverts and would provide wildlife crossings underneath it.

In addition to the Mountain Road project, the state will replace two South Norfolk bridges swept away in last summer’s flash flood. While the town will be held harmless of any cost for their replacement, the timeline remains with the state.

“There will be a lot going on in 2025,” said Riiska, explaining that he has also been meeting with representatives of Aquarion Water Company and the DOT to talk about replacement of the retaining walls along Route 44 west of the town center. “It is going to be a long project taking years,” he said. 

Sewer, water and power lines will have to be moved during the work. 

One-way traffic will be controlled by lights during the process. Riiska said he had told the DOT that traffic cannot be diverted on to Old Colony or Ashpohtag roads.

—Newsletter Editor

A revised edition of the Norfolk Conservation Commission’s Natural Resource Inventory has been completed and is available for sale at Town Hall, the National Iron Bank and the Norfolk Library at a price of $30. It is also available for free online.

The NRI offers fascinating insight into the geology, weather, soils, aquatics, plants and wildlife in Norfolk. It also includes information about open space and historical resources.

“It covers the town pretty comprehensively,” said Conservation Commission member John Anderson, one of the authors. “The inventory attempts to convey how many different resources we have and why they are important.”

The NRI is richly illustrated. “The photography is fantastic,” said Anderson. “We are blessed with many great photographers. [The late] Bruce Frisch contributed lot of photos and we dedicated this updated issue to him.”

Appendices include numerous lists. “One thing I am really pleased with is that the Inventory is unique to Norfolk. Some [town] inventories list species that are ‘likely to occur’ but we say these are ones that have been observed. If it is not on the list, we haven’t seen it yet,” Anderson said. 

“There is not much difference in the animals that were seen since the last one,” he added. “Most were already here, but we do have more specific information on bats. In the previous edition, one species wasn’t listed and others were possibilities, but with no absolute proof. Now, most of those bats have been discovered. Yes, we do have those, plus one additional species.” Happily, the endangered Little Brown Bat still makes the list.

“We also added Damsel Flies, Dragon Flies and some bees and moths,” he reported.

The number of bird species have increased, but other animals, such as the Northern Flying Squirrel “haven’t been seen for a long time.”

The inventory was compiled through collaboration with many other organizations, including the Agriculture Experiment Station and UConn. “There is climate data in the weather chapter gathered from both Great Mountain and Aton forests, the soils have updated because soil types change, and we have expanded the plant list.”

In the middle of the Inventory is a chapter on recommendations for other town agencies to pursue. “Some recommendations have been modified but many are the same. In many ways, that is the most important part. The rest is a reference list, but the recommendation section is what do you do about it. What difference it will make. There are so many recommendations, we knew there would be some push-back, but we all believe it important to put the recommendations in there.”

He said many of the recommendations would be handled by different town bodies in the normal course of business. But the Conservation Commission also works with groups on such things as invasive plants removal, replacing them with native species, and a stream continuity project, which promotes properly sized culverts so flooding does not occur. 

“We have a list of all the culverts in town and they have been evaluated by Housatonic Valley Association,” he said. “We know which ones are okay and which ones are not good for wildlife.”

The first edition, published in 2009 was created over three years by a subcommittee of the Inland Wetlands Agency. Just before it was finished, the Conservation Commission was formed and the subcommittee was appointed to it.

“A lot of what we do in Conservation is to try to find ways to educate,” Anderson explained. “We put on programs and hope to have a few meetings early this year about the NRI. It’s hard because it involves [scheduling with] other groups like the town administration, P&Z, the IWA, etc.”

The Natural Resource Inventory should be revised every 10 years. “We were a little late,” Anderson says, “but it was a bigger project than we thought it would be. We had to have it reformatted and that alone took a while. There are a lot of moving parts—we already have an errata page.”

—Newsletter Editor