Community News

Botelle students’ performance in math not only outstripped the statewide average for its non-high-needs students, as measured by the Smarter Balanced Assessment of Academic Progress, but also reflected a significantly higher percentage of all students who met or exceeded growth rate targets.

Smarter Balanced testing looks at two areas of achievement, performance and the students’ rate of growth. Statewide, 63.1 percent of all students met or exceeded the performance standards. 

When Botelle’s high-needs students are factored into the 2024-25 performance results, the school achieved a 57 percent rate. More than half of the students at the school are considered to have high needs, defined as those with a disability, who are English as a Second Language learners, or are eligible for free- or reduced-price meals.

Last year, Botelle was recognized as a School of Distinction for the growth its students achieved and this year the results were even better. The testing showed that 74 percent of Botelle School students met or exceeded growth standards on the math portion of the assessment compared to a 60 percent average statewide, school principal Lauren Valentino recently told the Board of Education.

“I don’t think that growth was accidental,” Valentino said after the meeting. “We made an outstanding amount of growth from the previous year. Overall, we are below the state average, but if the students’ skills are growing, they are going to close the gap.”

An additional six students out of the 55 pupils attending the school were “very close to meeting the benchmark,” said school Superintendent Kevin Case. “Our goal now is to move them into the ‘meets standard’ band.”

“A high percentage of the students were right on cusp of meeting performance standards,” agreed Valentino, “and we expect their performance will continue to rise. If they had each answered one or two questions differently, we would have been at an overall performance rate of 71 percent.”

Case said the school staff is excited about the improving math scores. “Last year we put a laser-like focus on math, working with students in small groups or individually based on their needs. We gave specific feedback [about their work] and collaboratively set goals. It proved to be a great increase due to the teachers and students working hard.”

Botelle’s English/language arts assessment remained flat, however, with no upward trend. Reading scores have typically been higher than math in Connecticut schools and Case said the staff will now take part in professional development through ReadConn, a free state Department of Education professional learning series for K-3 teachers.

The Smarter Balanced Assessments performance results are useful, but the Botelle staff particularly focuses on the growth of the individual in a tiny school where small changes can easily sway percentages. “We look carefully at the goals for each student’s growth,” Case said. “Many of our students exceeded those goals. For Lauren and me, that is what is important. Hypothetically, when you have four sixth graders, three with special needs, and one has bad day on the day of the test, you can imagine the test results will not be an accurate reflection.” 

The bridge on Ashpohtag Road damaged in an accident earlier this month will be fully repaired today (Friday). “It looks fantastic,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska. Even more fantastic is the price tag—fully paid for through insurance held by the employer of the driver who struck it.

The Fire House Committee approved final bids totaling $9.3 million for a new firehouse Wednesday night. There will be approximately another million dollars in soft costs—insurance, contingency funds and the like, some of which may not be used.

“We’re very close to our maximum,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska, referring to the $10.4 million spending cap approved by a town meeting. “But we are working with our vendors to trim off at least another $300,000. We’ll be making choices along the way and [our construction manager] has already told the subcontractors to expect that. Then, we have to do our part to ensure that everything is on track and that no money is wasted anywhere.”

He said going out to bid yet again would probably only result in higher prices and predicted that contracts will be signed and funding in place for a late November groundbreaking.

Riiska is preparing to leave office after the November 4 elections but has promised to continue to work on the firehouse project to ease the burden on the incoming administration.

Botelle School will again host its traditional Veterans Day assembly and luncheon on November 11 at 10:30 a.m., honoring all veterans. 

Richard Byrne, a U.S. Navy veteran who volunteers at the school, has updated the list of local vets and invitations have been sent out, but any veteran who has not received an invitation is asked to contact the school at 860-542-5286. 

The Norfolk Conservation Commission is continuing its battle against invasive plants by providing Uprooter weed wrenches that residents can borrow from the Norfolk Hub. There are two sizes available: 52 inches tall, weighing 15 pounds, and 24 inches tall, weighing eight pounds.

They are simple to use with metal jaws that clamp onto the trunk of a shrub and allow the user to leverage the plant and its roots out of the ground.

The Planning and Zoning Commission has delayed action on an application to remediate work done by Benjamin Shiff, principal of Love Simply, LLC, at 24 Greenwoods Road West, next to Infinity Hall.

Shiff, who owns both that building and the former pizza shop at 32 Greenwoods Road West, was cited in 2023 for changing the exterior of the building without getting a special permit. Efforts by land use officials since then to bring the building into compliance have been unsuccessful.

Shiff was represented at the P&Z’s Tuesday night meeting by Jack Hollihan of Canaan, who described himself as Shiff’s friend and landlord. He previously said he is trying to help Shiff resolve the zoning violation and the fines that have been levied.

The P&Z members closely questioned Hollihan about the plans to replace the windows removed and boarded up by Shiff. Shiff is proposing to use 12-over-12-pane windows in keeping with the style of the turn-of-the-last-century building, but commission members did not like his plan to leave the lower-level windows on the south side boarded up and to cover them with clapboard. 

Members eventually moved and seconded approval of the plan, but with the lower-level  windows to be restored. Before a vote could be taken, however, discussion turned to the continuing violation and the fines that continue to accrue. 

Commission chairman Christopher Schaut said the fines and the restoration are separate issues, but members questioned what would happen if they approved the restoration plan and then the work not completed. They also wondered whether they could force completion of the work in a timely fashion.

“It begs the question of whether we should vote on this,” said vice chairman Ned Barron. “I want to vote on this, but this is a loose thread.”

In the end, the commission asked Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik to seek a legal opinion about the issue, and it set a special meeting for Thursday, October 23, at 6:30 p.m.

The town has removed many hazardous trees this year. Unfortunately, while cutting down one on Lovers Lane in July, a member of the Public Works Department suffered a broken ankle and OSHA has directed the town to take a six-week course in safety training.

“It was purely an accident,” said First Selectman Matt Riiska. “The tree kicked back, and a branch hit his ankle. But Connecticut OSHA investigated and found that we need to do safety training.”

The Training and Technical Assistance Center at UConn is conducting the classes at the town’s garage during working hours. Riiska has set up a chainsaw safety and stormwater cleanup class for November 6, with one on work zone safety on Nov. 24.

Winsted and New Hartford want to participate in the classes and will pay $100 for each of their workers who attend. Riiska has also invited other towns in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to join in. Each class costs the town about $2,000.

“We can’t look at it as a reprimand,” Riiska said. “We just have to bite the bullet to keep meeting all the criteria.” 

The town previously had classes for flagging and snow plowing, but three out of the five current town workers were hired since the classes were offered, making it necessary to offer them again to keep the crew apprised of safety procedures.

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.