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New Britain Ranks Low for Tree Canopy Cover: What are the Consequences and What Could be Done?
A 2013 report “New Britain Urban Forest” prepared for the City of New Britain by the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (CCRPA) found that New Britain has one of the lowest tree canopies comparing to other cities in Connecticut. While Connecticut cities had an average tree canopy of 49% and overall town coverage average of […]
There is a large Gap between New Britain municipality employee diversity and the diversity of the City’s Population
According to WalletHub report New Britain has the 30th most diverse population among all cities in the United States. The diversity measure includes ethnic diversity, ethno-racial diversity, linguistic diversity, and birthplace diversity. Within these categories, New Britain stands out as 12th in the nation in language diversity (https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-most-and-least-ethno-racial-and-linguistic-diversity/10264). According to the census, New Britain’s racial/ethnic […]
New Britain’s Union Organizing History Is Worth Retelling On Labor Day 2023
1991 Saturday Night Club Paper Recounts City’s Labor Movement Past By John McNamara Labor Day is not a time to be nostalgic about the struggles of the last century to organize factory floors that turned New Britain into a “union town” with its many thousands of factory jobs, most of which have been long lost […]
Lowell Weicker’s Victories Dashed The Hopes of Liberal Democrats Throughout His Career
Reflecting on the Politics of Connecticut’s Three-Term Senator and One-Term Governor By John McNamara The first time I and many viewers (outside CT) saw and heard Lowell P. Weicker was watching the U.S. Senate Watergate Committee hearings in 1973. I was paying attention every day from my perch in the newsroom of the Lynn Sunday Post where […]
“Bleibol!” Exhibit Features New Britain’s Springer Family At Museum for Culture and History
¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues Opens Aug. 12 and Runs Though November 5 By John McNamara The Connecticut Museum for History and Culture’s exhibition “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas“ that opens on Saturday, August 12 celebrates baseball through the experiences of […]
Prof. Jannette Carey Is Commencement Speaker At CCSU Saturday
Alumna Is Prominent Researcher in Biophysical Chemistry; Advocate For Access To STEM Education By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Scientist Jannette Carey, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at Princeton University, will address Central Connecticut State University’s graduating class for the Schools of Engineering, Science and Technology and Education and Professional Studies on […]
‘Taste of Ramadan’ Event At High School Calls Attention To Yemen’s Civil War
Ethnic food and culture shared before the month-long religious observance begins for Muslims By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Students and teachers filled the New Britain High cafeteria on March 15th for an after-school “Taste of Ramadan” event with ethnic food and observances of Muslim traditions and customs before the start of Ramadan on March […]
Ed Vargas Is New Public Policy Chair At CCSU
Former Hartford State Rep, Union Leader Succeeds New Britain’s DeFronzo By John McNamara Former State Representative Ed Vargas, Jr. is the new holder of the Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) succeeding Don DeFronzo, a former New Britain Mayor, State Senator and state […]
Legislators Get ‘Rennied’ for Bill On Mandatory Voting
Universal Voting Will Get A Hearing At General Assembly’s GAE Committee by John McNamara Courant Columnist Kevin Rennie has skewered the co-sponsors of a bill that would “institute mandatory voting” to “incentivise civic engagement” not once but twice this month. Raising Rennie’s ire is legislation that would require voters to cast a ballot or provide […]
City Charter Question Sparks Bill For “Clarity” In Wording Of Local Referendums
Local And State LWV Backs Proposed Legislation At GAE Committee By John McNamara HARTFORD -Legislation to ensure specific wording on local referendum questions has been proposed by New Britain lawmakers in the 2023 Connecticut General Assembly. Proposed Bill 862 “to increase the clarity and simplicity of the language presented to voters in municipal referendum questions” […]
Coalition Pushes For Rent Stabilization
2023 Legislation would cap rent increases to stem gouging, homelessness By John McNamara HARTFORD – A statewide “Cap The Rent” coalition kicked off a campaign to enact rent stabilization legislation in Connecticut this year at an online meeting of tenants, fair housing advocates and legislators on January 12. More than 225 participants heard calls for […]
New Britain Has Close To 34K Voters Eligible For State Election on Tuesday
Redistricting Means New Polling Places For Some Voters in 2022; Polls Open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – November 1 was the last day to register to vote across Connecticut to be officially on the rolls before the November 8th state election. In New Britain, Registrars of Voters counted 33,731 voters as of […]
CCSU Honors DeFronzo’s Public Service To City And State
Former State Senator And Mayor Ending Tenure As Gov. William O’Neill Endowed Chair Holder Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) recognized former State Senator and State Commissioner Don DeFronzo for his public service career at an October 13th luncheon organized by the Center for Community Engagement and Social Research (CCESR). DeFronzo, […]
Ukraine, Polish Relations Focus of Senator Murphy’s Meeting With “Little Poland” Audience
Murphy Briefs Constituents After Trip To Warsaw Security Conference At City’s Pulaski Club by John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) returned to familiar turf on Monday, October 10th, at a town meeting style forum with 75 constituents held at the PD Club (formerly the Pulaski Democratic Club) in the heart of […]
In Lieu of Early Voting CT Has AB Voting Option
The land of “steady habits” is one of four states without early voting but fear of COVID gives residents another way to vote without going to the polls in 2022 By John McNamara A pandemic-inspired change in CT’s Absentee Voting Law will be the closest residents will come to early voting in the November 8th […]
Why Trump’s Party Rallies In New Britain
Mayor Stewart’s former campaign HQ is one of 20 “RNC Community Centers” in the nation where “Stop The Steal” workshops are occurring By John McNamara Ronna McDaniel, the national Republican Party’s Chairperson and Donald Trump sycophant, made her way to New Britain this week to blast not one Democrat but all Democrats as favoring “greed, communism, and […]
Attorney Geragosian Remembered As Passionate Defender, Advocate For Social Justice
For Geragosian, alongside his wife, Realtor Harriet Geragosian, social and economic justice have lasted a life time.
COO Patronage Job, End To Elections Of Clerk and Tax Collector Are On The Nov. 8 Ballot
Fuzzy Charter Question Will Keep Many Voters in the Dark by John McNamara New Britain voters will be deciding much more than who should be the Governor and making their picks for other elective offices on November 8th. City charter revisions will, if approved, make the biggest changes in a generation as to how Connecticut’s […]
Early Voting Referendum Is A Priority for New Britain Area League of Women Voters
An Agenda For Citizen Involvement in 2022 Discussed at July 11th Annual Meeting By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The New Britain Area League of Women Voters (LWV) held its 49th annual meeting on July 11th and made passage of a referendum allowing early voting in CT a focus of voter education activities. The November […]
Dr. Ghannam’s M.F. & E. Investigative Services Offers Investigative Tutoring Services
Dr. Yvette Ghannam’s M.F. & E. Investigative Services announces that it is offering Investigative Tutoring Services and other instruction.