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City Council Leaders, Legislators To Hold Constituent Meeting January 25th
Common Council leaders from New Britain’s Wards Four and Five will hold a constituent meeting on Saturday, January 25th, with the city’s state legislators to discuss municipal and state issues. The meeting will be held at Spottswood A.M.E. Church, 25 Crestwood Lane from 10 a.m. to noon. Common Council Majority Leader John McNamara (D-4) and […]
Rep DeFronzo Appointed to Key Legislative Committees; Community Meeting to be Held with Council Members and Legislators
Newly elected State Rep David DeFronzo (D-26) has announced that he has been appointed to several key legislative committees in his first term. Rep DeFronzo is to serve on the legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee, as well as the Education Committee and the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “I am honored to be appointed to […]
Ndaba Mandela, Grandson of Nelson Mandela to Speak at CCSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium & Day of Service
Central Connecticut State University has announced that Ndaba Mandela, grandson of the celebrated human rights activist Nelson Mandela, will speak at the University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium & Day of Service as Keynote Speaker. CCSU says that, “As co-founder and chairman of the Mandela Institute for Humanity, Mandela aims to teach Nelson Mandela’s […]
Rep Dave DeFronzo Takes Office Representing New Britain’s 26th District
State Rep Dave DeFronzo (D-26) was sworn into office for his first term after being elected in last November’s election. “I am grateful to the voters of New Britain who supported my candidacy,” Rep DeFronzo said, “and I am eager to get started.” DeFronzo is the successor to former Rep Peter Tercyak (D-26), who retired […]
Rep Bobby Sanchez Announces Candidacy for Mayor
Surrounded by dignitaries and cheering supporters, New Britain Democratic State Rep Bobby Sanchez (D-25) announced that he is running to be Mayor of New Britain. Speaking to a crowd of 200 cheering Sanchez supporters, Lt Gov Susan Bysiewicz (D) introduced Sanchez, saying that she and Gov Ned Lamont (D) were endorsing his candidacy. She praised […]
New Britain Rep Bobby Sanchez to Announce Candidacy for Mayor
Rep Bobby Sanchez (D-25) is set to announce that he is running Mayor of New Britain this week. Sanchez, who has represented New Britain’s Twenty-Fifth Assembly District in the state House of Representatives since 2011, has organized a campaign committee to seek the highest office in the city. Retiring State Rep Peter Tercyak (D-26) is […]
It’s Time For State To Address Stormwater Crisis In More Hard Hit Neighborhoods
State Aid Needed To Implement Allen Street Capital Improvements In New Britain By John McNamara The damage to homes and properties caused by intense rains has accelerated over the last two years in New Britain and other communities across Connecticut. Public stormwater and sewer systems built a century ago are routinely overwhelmed whenever a hard […]
Happy New Year from the New Britain Progressive
From our families to yours, Happy New Year from the New Britain Progressive. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2025!
Top Ten Stories of 2024
As we get ready to start 2025, the New Britain Progressive editors look back at some of the important stories the New Britain Progressive covered in 2024, and also news analysis and opinion published in the New Britain Progressive during the year, that are this year’s Top Ten Stories of 2024. If you would like […]
Longest Night Service Remembers Lives Lost in 2024
Friendship Center’s Cold Weather Triage Program Is Open To Help Unhoused NEW BRITAIN – A “Longest Night Service” was held at South Church in the Downtown District December 20th to remember individuals who died here in 2024 after experiencing homelessness. The late afternoon service that is observed each year as the “homeless persons’ Memorial Day” was held […]
Vision Zero Task Force Sets Goals To Reduce Traffic Fatalities
Safety Plan Can Lead To Federal Implementation Grants By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The Common Council approved a resolution on December 11th setting long-range goals to “reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by 50% by 2035 and to reach ‘Vision Zero’ by 2045.” A Vision Zero Task Force, announced by Mayor Stewart last May, […]
CCSU names new O’Neill Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics
CCSU announced Dec 4, 2024 Gabe Rosenberg, a distinguished state government official, has been appointed chief of staff and general counsel at the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State, as the next Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics. His appointment follows a national search by the Connecticut […]
Resident Shares Letter to Gov Lamont on Allen St Drainage Improvements Project
To: Governor Lamont, Chief of Staff Brokman, Mayor Stewart, Chief of Staff Dorsey, State Legislators, Flooding Victims, City and State Officials We have sent this letter to Governor Lamont pleading for his help with the funding for the Allen St. Project Phase 2. To date we have not received a response. It is now crunch […]
“Justice for Katherine” Protesters Interrupt Stewart at Christmas Tree Lighting
With signs harshly criticizing Mayor Erin Stewart (R), “Justice for Katherine” protestors interrupted Stewart at the city’s official Christmas tree lighting Tuesday evening. The Justice for Katherine campaign has included a series of protests and advocacy since New Britain Police officer Connor Reinsch struck and killed Katherine Colon with the police car he was driving, […]
Mayor Erin Stewart Pandemic Record – a tale of failed leadership
The Coronavirus pandemic created great challenges to leadership around the world.In order to best meet this crisis local, state, and federal governments all needed to contribute their share to minimize fatalities and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Local towns and cities played a key role during the pandemic. Mayors had the power to set and […]
Can we change ?
Hello New Britain Progressive readers. My name is Carlos Ayala and this is going to be the first article of a series of articles and podcasts called; Can we change? So the first topic is: Can we change the bias and stigma associated with mental health in our community? Stigma and mental health bias can […]
City Spent $25,239 on “Beehive Bridge Festival” in 2024
In a report to the City Council, the city disclosed that it spent $25,239 on the “Beehive Bridge Festival” in September, 2024. The report was in response to a Council petition filed by Council Majority Leader, Ald John McNamara (D-4). In New Britain, Council petitions are a process by which individual Council members can require […]
Post Election: Countering Fear and Exclusion Begins Here
By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Campaign promises threatening “mass deportation”, use of the military and law enforcement to go after political opponents (“the enemy within”) and rollbacks of policies for the common good dominated Trump on the stump in the closing weeks of 2024’s campaign. And so the Trump victory on November 5th is […]
Democrats Win Big in New Britain in 2024 Elections
Democrats won by large margins in New Britain in the 2024 elections, as part of wins for Democrats in the major elections in Connecticut, according to unofficial vote totals published by the Secretary of the State. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D) and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (D), received more votes than Republicans Donald […]