Community News

A new plumber should be selected by July 10 for construction of the new fire house. 

The first contract was awarded to low-bidder Performance Plumbing, which abruptly announced in late May that it had closed up shop, disrupting the construction schedule.

“Just the day before our meeting last Thursday, [project manager] Newfield Construction got confirmation that Travelers was going out to bid,” First Selectman Henry Tirrell reported. “We hope to have a new contractor by the end of the first week in July.”

As holder of the payment and performance bond, Travelers will be on the hook for any difference in the contract and for costs caused by the delay.

Tirrell said the snafu set back the completion date for the facility by two to four weeks. 

Newfield’s Brian Grant told the Fire House Committee that normally, when there is an issue, it is evident early on. “But the issue with the plumbers was out of the blue and was not like anything Newfield seen had seen before,” Tirrell reported. “The bottom just dropped out.”

There was discussion at the meeting about whether enough due diligence had been done on the plumbing bids. Pressed to bring the escalating cost of the fire house down to an amount acceptable to the town, the committee had selected the lowest bidder “because that’s where you save money,” Tirrell said. 

“Travelers basically insured their ability to follow through,” he concluded. “Should they have done more to look into this company for a $400,000 contract? It was a big company, and no one saw it coming.”

Norfolk is a rural community challenged by limited commercial real estate in its downtown. The Economic Development Commission, seeking ways to stimulate business in the center, is seeking community leaders, key decision makers, anchor institutions, merchants and property owners who want to play an active role in strengthening and energizing the downtown.

The Town will host a workshop, “Building Interest in Main Street,” at the Hub, 2 Station Place, on Wednesday, July 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The interactive workshop will explain why Main Streets matter, highlight the benefits of a managed Main Street approach, and engage community leaders in discussion on strengthening the downtown and exploring the next steps to be taken.

For more information, contact the selectmen’s office at 860-542-5829.

The big green slide located on the grounds of Botelle School is again in need of repairs. The 60-foot slide, a favorite with the town’s children, has been replaced once and will have been repaired twice since 2019.

The town crew did final landscaping around the slide only last April.

“The parts are in and we hope to have it repaired soon,” said First Selectman Henry Tirrell.  “It had developed cracks at the top, so the supplier is going to add extra support to the top piece and extra rings to the structure as it goes down to prevent more problems in the future.”

The original slide, which was in place for about 20 years, was vandalized by teenagers in 2019. Attempts were made to repair it, but it was soon discovered that the wooden supports were rotted and needed to be replaced as well.

Replacement became controversial in town, with some residents objecting to the $80,000 price tag. Money was eventually taken from ARPA funding and private donations, but it was not until 2023 that the slide was replaced and opened to young children. 

Almost immediately, the replacement failed due to cracked flanges and improper footings, rendering it unsafe. It lay abandoned as efforts were made to get the supplier, Creative Recreation, to make an adjustment. After long negotiations, the slide was restored at no cost to the town. Creative Recreation is responsible for the current repairs as well.

Tirrell attributed the current breakdown “more to improper design” than to inappropriate use of the structure. He predicted that after repair the slide will need regular maintenance.

America celebrates individuality and two events planned for the town’s 250th anniversary celebration of the nation’s birth on Friday July 3 will encourage just that. 

A pie-baking contest will be held at 5:00 p.m. that evening on the Village Green, offering culinary aficionados a chance to show off their baking skills, while a bike parade at 5:30 p.m. is an opportunity for kids of all ages to demonstrate the power of their imagination by decorating their bikes, scooters or wagons in a patriotic theme.

The bikes will be ridden in a community-wide parade through town. Participants should meet at Town Hall at 5:30 p.m., with the parade starting to roll at 5:45. Riders will travel together to the Norfolk Green to kick off the evening’s celebration. 

Everyone is welcome to participate. Registration is encouraged but not required. Click here to sign up. Bakers should register here.

Edited 6/25/26, to change “Bake Sale” to “Baking Contest.”

Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks when Norfolk celebrates the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding on Friday, July 3, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

The community will enjoy a special Friday Night on the Green featuring a parade, live music, demonstrations, family-friendly activities, a pie baking contest, a community BBQ and an ice cream truck. 

The sponsors are looking for assistance with activities, setting up and cleaning up. The event is co-sponsored by The Norfolk Hub, Norfolk Historical Society and the Town of Norfolk. Click here to volunteer.

Botelle School sixth-graders Abigail Bennett, James Collado, Mason Russo and Nathaniel Schneider all advanced to middle school at Northwestern Regional School District #7 during graduation ceremonies held Tuesday.

All four students received awards reflecting their varying strengths. Abigail received the Scholarship Award; Mason, the Achievement Award; Nathaniel, the Michael J. Mulville Award, and James, the Barbara A. Mulville Award.

The Achievement Award is presented to a student who has shown improvement through hard work and determination, and the Scholarship Award recognizes academic excellence.

The Michael J. Mulville Award is given to a student who exemplifies outstanding citizenship, sportsmanship and character, while the Barbara A. Mulville Award goes to a student who exhibits outstanding responsibility, character and integrity.

Both the Democrats and Republicans are seeking poll workers for the upcoming political primaries. The primaries themselves will be held Tuesday, August 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and there are plenty of other opportunities to fill the paid slots during early voting.

Early voting [ will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on August 3, 5, 7 and 8, 9, and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on August 4 and 6. Various duties are available and all dates need to be staffed. Anyone who is interested may contact Paul Madore at  demregistrar@norfolkct.org or Ron Bombero at repubregistrar@norfolkct.org.

The Foundation for Norfolk Living (FNL) will host a ribbon-cutting celebration and house tour for Haystack Woods, its newly constructed affordable housing complex, on Monday, June 22, at 11:00 a.m. 

Because parking is limited at the site off Old Colony Road, the town will provide transportation for those interested in attending. Two trips will be provided in a 12-seat van, starting at 10:45 a.m., according to Administrative Assistant Barbara Gomez. Carpooling is encouraged for those not taking the offer of transportation.

Three of the 10 newly completed Net Zero affordable homes will be open for tours from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Light refreshments will be served.

Construction of the units is now complete. Seven of the homes have been sold or are under contract, and three, three-bedroom homes remain available for first-time homebuyers earning under 80 percent of the area median income.

These state-of-the-art net-zero homes feature concrete walls, high-performing insulation, shared solar carports and photovoltaic panels—estimated to save homeowners roughly $5,000 in energy costs annually. 

Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until homes are all sold. Applications forms can be found and submitted at norfolkliving.org.

Late word has been received that Infinity Hall’s Bistro has opened and that Tobey Pond will offer special weekend hours on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tobey Pond is slated to begin regular beach hours on June 17, following the end of the school year.

Another sign of the end of winter’s hibernation and the advent of summer activity, is the reopening of the Infinity Hall Bistro. It will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. to provide evening dining in downtown Norfolk.

Not to be outdone, Berkshire Country Store will be open until 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays until Labor Day. It is open Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Sundays, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Thursday evening the Rails to Trails Committee pondered how to proceed with construction of the North Brook Trail now that it has awarded a $774,406 contract to Yield Industries. 

The difficulty lies in Yield President Craig Bothroyd’s desire to begin working in August, and the state’s tardiness in announcing whether the town will receive a second grant for the work. 

The town received a $399,000 state grant in 2023, but that project was delayed by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which decided that the permit application should come from the state and not the town. The town finally received its general permit in March.

But in the three years that had elapsed, prices had increased and busy beavers had raised the water level so much the boardwalk had to be raised and extended by 100 feet. The committee is seeking an additional state grant of $226,000 to meet increased costs but has yet to hear whether its application has been successful.

Rails to Trails Chairman Robert Gilchrest told committee members that he met with Bothroyd to discuss construction and the current financial shortfall. He said Bothroyd had crunched the numbers and believed that the $399,000 grant would allow construction of the parking lot near Center Cemetery, the trail up to the boardwalk, the boardwalk itself,and clearing a path after that point.

What would be left would be construction of the trail as far as Ashpohtag Road, a concrete crossing for a driveway and gates that would prevent motorized vehicle access to the trail except for state or emergency vehicles.

The state grant would fund 80 percent of the work in the first phase with the town providing 20 percent. Gilchrest originally thought the town could meet the 20 percent obligation through in-kind services and committee secretary Matt Riiska suggested that materials removed by the road crew during road work could be used as fill to help meet this obligation.

But Gilchrest said the contractor is responsible should any portion of the project fail and Bothroyd is reluctant to use sub-par materials. He suggested a fundraising campaign to fill in the financing gap. 

While the town waits for word from the state about the second grant, money will have to be borrowed to pay Yield. A town meeting may be called in late July to authorize a line of credit to pay the contractor before state funds are reimbursed.