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Norfolk

Key Services
Animal Control 860-921-1372
Assessor (Mon.-Fri., 9-noon) 860-542-5287
Building Official (Mon., Tues. & Thurs., 2-4) 860-542-6986
Litchfield Hills Probate District #24 860-283-4874 or www.litchfieldprobate.org
Norfolk Sewer District 860-542-5647
First Selectman (Mon.-Thu., 9-4:30; Fri., 9-noon) 860-542-5829
Tax Collector (Mon., Wed. & Fri., 9-noon) 860-542-5140
Town Clerk (Mon.-Thurs., 8:30-noon &1-4; Fri., 8:30-noon) 860-542-5679
Transfer Station 860-542-5963
Zoning Officer (Mon., 9-noon, Tues., 9-noon & 1-4) 860-542-6804

Public Safety and Emergency Services
For emergencies 911
Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department & Ambulance 860-542-5021
Resident State Trooper 860-542-5249
State Police Troop B, North Canaan 860-626-1820
Sanitarian (Torrington Area Health District) 860-489-0436 or www.tahd.org
Sharon Hospital 860-364-4000

Other Services
Norfolk Historical Society 860-542-5761
Norfolk Senior Housing Corp. (Meadowbrook) 860-542-5470
Norfolk Land Trust 860-542-3997
Norfolk Library 860-542-5075

Schools and Colleges
Botelle Elementary School (Grades K-6) 860-542-5286
Explorations Charter School, Winsted 860-738-9070
Northwestern Connecticut Community College, Winsted 860-738-6300
Northwestern Regional (Grades 7-12), Winsted 860-379-8525
Oliver Wolcott Technical School, Torrington 860-496-5300
Yale Summer School of Music and Art, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
     June - August 860-542-3000
     September - May 203-432-1966

Religious Organizations
Beth El Synagogue, Torrington 860-482-8263
Church of Christ, Congregational 860-542-5721
Immaculate Conception, Catholic 860-542-5442

Elected Officers
First Selectman Matthew T. Riiska 860-542-5829
Representatives in Connecticut General Assembly
     Sen. Kevin Witkos (8th District) 800-842-1421
     Rep. Brian Ohler (64th District) 800-842-1423
Representative in Congress
     Rep. Elizabeth Esty (5th District) New Britain 860-223-8412 Washington 202-225-4476
United States Senators
     Richard Blumenthal Hartford 860-258-6940 Washington 202-224-2823
     Chris Murphy Hartford 860-549-8463 Washington 202-224-4041
Governor Dannel P. Malloy 800-406-1527 

Lakeville Journal

Latest News

Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

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The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

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education

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

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David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

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film

Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

Provided

As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.

The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.

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A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

CAMERON (1922-1995) is on view at Kent Fine Art in Pine Plains through Nov. 14.

Provided

Where can one find the work of an artist associated with occult rituals, surrealist visions and the underground California art scene? In a beautifully renovated former carriage house in Pine Plains, of course.

Unexpected discoveries are, after all, part of what Doug Walla has spent his career making possible. The longtime New York City art dealer and founder of Kent Fine Art, has brought the work of Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel, known simply as Cameron, to his new gallery space. The exhibition, on view through Nov. 14, introduces visitors to an artist whose life and work moved between mysticism, poetry, film and the avant-garde.

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