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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 […]
New Britain Voters Support Expanded Absentee Voting
By an unofficial 9,454 to 6,148 New Britain voters have supported a state Constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to expand absentee balloting for voters in the state. Under interpretations of the state Constitution, voters have historicially only been able to vote by absentee ballot if they had certain limited “excuses”, such as illness or […]
Claims For Flooding Damages Spiked in 2023
City Starts ‘Courtesy’ Response Service; Homeowner Flood Relief Is On Council Agenda By John McNamara More New Britain property owners are seeking compensation from the city for property damage caused by storm water flooding and sewage overflows, according to caseloads recorded by the city’s Corporation Counsel in recent years. The Corporation Counsel “handles claims and […]
Alderwoman Sanchez Condemns “Hate Rhetoric” At NYC Trump Rally
Council Democrats Deride GOP Campaign Of ‘Fear and Division’ NEW BRITAIN – City Alderwoman and Assistant Majority Leader Iris Noemi Sanchez (D-3) expressed deep indignation over offensive comments made at Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden on Sunday nine days before the November 5th Election. A speaker insulted Puerto Rico, calling it a “floating […]
Council Committees Vote Down Proposal on City Naming School Buildings and Oppose Taking Up Self Storage Rules
A proposal by Ald Sharon Beloin-Saavedra (R-1) to give the City Council control over the naming of schools, along with city buildings, was voted down Tuesday evening in the Council Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing. In speaking against the proposal, Ald Wilma Barbosa (D-3) asked, about Beloin-Saavedra, “wasn’t her name in the running for […]
Poetry From Carlos Ayala
By Carlos Ayala Hollow I lost his handHe disappeared into the crowd It’s not what I was trying to do to surviveIt’s what I was doing to die How long must we suffer The pain The lies How can we hideFrom these evil eyes The light shines But, I remain in the shadows Power All […]
New Britain Voter Registration Appears Down Compared to Close 5th CD Election in 2022; Democrats Lower And Republicans Higher
Recent New Britain voter registration figures may show troubling signs for Democrats and opportunity for Republicans in the closely contested Fifth Congressional District race between incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5) and Republican challenger George Logan. It appears that there could be nearly 2,000 fewer registered voters in New Britain than in 2022. Voter registration […]
Early Voting Set to Begin on Monday, October 21st
Voting in this year’s election is set to begin this coming Monday, October 21st, as Connecticut’s new early voting system will allow voters to cast ballots for two weeks prior to the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 election day. The election for President, United States Senate and House of Representatives, state Senate and House of Representatives […]