New Britain ‘Pop Up’ Rally Protests ICE Abuses, Killings in Maine and Texas
By John McNamara – nbpoliticus.com NEW BRITAIN – Thumbs up and honking of horns from motorists were frequent on Saturday afternoon, July 25th, at the corner of Corbin Avenue and West Main Street at a “pop up” protest organized by Indivisible Greater New Britain. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero were killed during Immigration […]
Soccer Forward Fest: New Britain Hosts Community Day on World Cup Weekend
By John McNamara – nbpoliticus.com New Britain’s Osgood Park was host to a “Soccer Forward Fest” on July 17th at the start of World Cup Finals Weekend “to celebrate the power of soccer to bring people together.” The event brought youth and young adult players, coaches, families and soccer fans together from Greater Hartford. The Community Day […]
Education Funding, Traffic/Safety Issues Raised at Mayor’s Ward 4 Meeting
Mayor Bobby Sanchez took his first-year listening tour to Ward 4 on June 27 where residents shared concerns on speeding, traffic enforcement, public safety and support for schools in a wide-ranging, two-hour discussion. The meeting held at Saint Francis Church Hall drew more than 30 persons with the mayor and other officials. Joining Sanchez were […]
City Updates Purchasing and Bid Policy for First Time in 11 Years
NEW BRITAIN COMMON COUNCIL UPDATES Municipal bidding procedures for the purchase of supplies and contractual services have been revised “for greater consistency and efficiency” for the first time in more than 11 years. The Common Council amended Chapter VIII of the ordinances at its June 10th meeting, increasing the threshold for competitive bidding from $7,500 to $25,000, The […]
Water Is Life: Citizen Opposition Nixes Another Threat to Wetlands and Watershed
Withdrawn Plan for Truck Stop Near Batterson Pond Echoes Past Fights Over New Britain Watershed by John McNamara http://nbpoliticus.com Residents of Farmington and New Britain rose up as one voice in recent weeks to oppose the plan of Noble Gas Real Estate Holdings to build a diesel-gas refueling facility and warehouse on about six acres […]
Batterson Park Reopens: Nature Awaits This Summer
By John McNamara – nbpoliticus.com FARMINGTON – Batterson Park, closed and unused for more than a decade, will be open to all visitors this summer as a place for picnicking, short hikes, birding, bald eagle watching, kayaking, fishing, splash padding or just communing with nature on the New Britain-Farmington line. Officials from Farmington, Hartford and […]
New Pavements Scheduled for 23 Streets This Summer
Roadwork Begins June 22 Using State Local Capital Improvement Funds from NBpoliticus.com NEW BRITAIN – All or portions of 23 streets in the city have been selected for the 2026 re-paving program this summer by the Department of Public Works. The work will be performed by contractors retained by the city and is scheduled to […]
Farmington Commission Hears Public Opposition to Travel Center Near Batterson Park and Slater Rd. Neighborhood
A Fourth Hearing Will Be Held on June 3 By John McNamara NBpoliticus.com FARMINGTON – The Inland Wetlands and Environment Commission heard residents from Farmington and New Britain on May 20th strongly oppose an application to build a Travel Center and a gas/diesel fueling station on the town line near Interstate 84 off ramps. In response […]
NB News Briefs: Dems discuss Absentee Vote Law…Council Hikes Fines for Blight, Code Violations…School District Recognizes Faculty, Staff at Awards Night
by John McNamara – NBpoliticus.com State Representative Matt Blumenthal on “No Excuse” Absentee Voting: “We Have Finally Caught Up with the Rest of Nation” State Rep. Matt Blumenthal (D-147), Co-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections (GAE), says Connecticut’s newly adopted election law allowing “no excuse” absentee voting and other provisions will promote more participation in […]
Council to Review Budget with Department Heads; May 15 is Deadline for Elderly Tax Relief
The Common Council will hold three meetings (May 5,6,7) to review the Mayor’s proposed budget for the July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027. City departments under the jurisdiction of the Planning, Zoning and Housing Committee (PZH) will be reviewed Tuesday, May 5. The Administration, Finance, Law and Public Services Committee (AFLPS) will continue the review on […]
Resource Fair Creates Access to Community Services for Spanish Speakers
by John McNamara Access to community and social services in a city as diverse as New Britain increases when language and cultural barriers decrease and awareness of those services spreads by word of mouth among residents who may need them most. Last winter first-term Alderwoman Jessica Vargas (D-1) hosted a constituent meeting in her ward […]
New Holmes Elementary Nears Completion
By John McNamara Renovations and expansion of the Stanley H. Holmes Elementary School on Stanley Street will be completed in the coming weeks. Members of the School Building Committee toured the K-5 school on April 22 with Kamil Musical , Newfield Construction’s project manager, and School District staff members. The Holmes School was built in 1956 and is undergoing […]
Common Council Update: City Upgrades Cyber Security, Recognizes Earth Day & OKs Road Paving Funds
Common Council OKs New Cybersecurity System The Common Council appropriated funds for new cybersecurity services at its April 8th meeting in the wake of a January “ransomware” attack on the city’s information technology operations. Approved was a three-year agreement with Cowbell MDR (Managed Detection and Response) for information technology (IT) systems at City Hall as part of […]
10th Annual Public Library Fundraiser Will Mark Growth, Expanded Community Engagement
by John McNamara Sponsors and attendees at the New Britain Public Library’s (NBPL) 10th Annual Fundraiser on Friday, April 10th will enjoy food, music and camaraderie with NBPL patrons, staff and volunteers right next to the book stacks and reading areas this year. The event will be held at the High Street main library to showcase recent […]
100% Democracy Author to Speak at New Britain LWV Forum on April 20th
Making The Case for “Universal Voting” and Voter Access Miles Rapoport, a former Secretary of the State and co-author of 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting, and Evelyn Mantilla, former legislator and longtime Latina advocate, will lead a discussion on democracy and election reforms on Monday, April 20th, at New Britain City Hall’s Community Room, […]
May 18th is Last Day for Most Stanley Workers
New Britain Residents Hold More than Half of 300 Jobs Being Eliminated By John McNamara (NBPoliticus.com) The last day of work for most employees at Stanley Black & Decker’s (SBD) 600 Myrtle Street manufacturing facility in New Britain will occur by May 18th, according to the company’s official notification to the state Department of Labor […]
Council Sends Municipal ID Card Proposal to Committee
The Common Council’s Committee on Administration, Finance, Law and Public Services (AFLPS) will consider a feasibility study for a municipal identification card program at its meeting on April 1st.A resolution proposed by Ward 2 Alderwoman Yadira Maldanado (D-2) calls for exploring municipal IDs “for the purpose of evaluating” their “potential to improve access to municipal services, support […]
Irish Parade, Taste of Ramadan Affirm New Britain as City of Immigrants, Diversity
By John McNamara Saturday, March 7th was one of those days when New Britain lived up to being known as a “city for all people” with two annual faith and cultural celebrations In the morning the city’s contingent to the 54th Greater Hartford Saint Patrick’s Day Parade organized by the Central Connecticut Irish Cultural Committee […]
Stanley’s 183-Year Legacy Ends: Cost-Cutting and Closures
By John McNamara News of the end of the line for making Stanley tools in New Britain came early on February 26. By the afternoon Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) officially announced the closing of its Myrtle Street facility where up to 300 workers will lose their jobs later this year. The dominance of the […]
City Seeks $5 Million Grant For Allen Street Stormwater Project
By John McNamara City officials confirmed last week they are seeking a major grant to close the gap in the funding of the Allen Street Utility-Road Phase II project where flooding and sewage overflows have caused problems in the neighborhood for decades. The regional Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) received the New Britain application for $5 million to […]