News
Community Activists Organizing for City Budget Hearing
Community activists are organizing city residents to turn out and make their views known at today’s hearing on Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s proposed budget. Stewart’s proposal has been criticized for increasing property taxes despite her claim of “no tax increase”, as well as for freezing the city’s annual education allocation and continuing to rely on increased city […]
Sun Shines on Little Poland for 2018 Festival
The morning’s rain broke and blue skies and sun came out to greet the thousands of people who gathered for the 2018 Little Poland Festival on April 29, 2018. The Festival, which has been held annually each spring since 2011 continued the successful attendance that it has grown to in just a few years. New Britain’s […]
Monument Dedicated to Honor 65th Infantry Borinqueneers
New Britain is now home to the largest monument on the U.S. mainland to the highly decorated 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers. The new monument, at the corner of Washington and Beaver Streets, prominently graces the main route from the north into the city’s center. Governor Ricardo Rosselló. Frank Gerratana photo. The dedication ceremony was held on April […]
Council Approves Hiring Freeze, With Republicans Opposing
The City Council has approved a hiring freeze on all city positions except for public safety and temporary seasonal parks and recreation positions. All five Council Republicans in attendance voted against the hiring freeze. The resolution was approved, with nine votes in favor and five in opposition. With the exception of police, fire, emergency dispatch […]
Council Democrats Propose Freeze on Hiring and Promotion
The nine Democrats on the City Council are proposing, “an immediate hiring freeze and promotion freeze on all positions in the City,” citing, “fiscal challenges facing the City.” The proposed Council resolution says that, because of budgetary challenges, “it is necessary and desirable to achieve cost savings by appropriate measures to ensure the funds of the […]
Community Comes Together for North Oak Neighborhood Clean Up
An estimated two hundred neighborhood residents, other community members and elected and other officials volunteered in the North Oak neighborhood clean up on April 21st. The event began with a breakfast for volunteers, provided by Central Connecticut State University. Volunteers then divided into teams who cleaned up trash in different parts of the North Oak […]
Republican Accusations Thrown Out: Merrill Gay Vindicated
The State Elections Enforcement Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by New Britain Republicans against 2017 Democratic Mayoral candidate Merrill Gay, saying, “the facts do not support the allegations.” As the 2017 mayoral election was heating up, Republican Party Chair Anthony Cane filed a complaint with a series accusations that sought to tie Gay with […]
City Council Budget Hearing to Be May 1st
The New Britain City Council has announced that it will hold its annual budget hearing on May 1, 2018. The hearing is to allow the Council to hear people’s opinions on the city budget before the Council makes its decisions. “During the public hearing,” the Council’s press release says, “residents are encouraged to voice their concerns regarding […]
Stewart Proposes “Huge Tax Increase” Despite Claiming “No Tax Increase”
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s budget includes what is being called a “huge tax increase,” despite her own claims that her budget is a “no tax increase” budget. Stewart’s press release on her budget proposal says that she, “presented to the Common Council a $237.72 million budget for 2018-19 that calls for no tax increase and […]
Firefighters on the Scene at the April 8th Arch Street Fire
By Antonio C. Lavoy, Sr. Video Journalist
Proposal Would Bring Back Department Head Local Residency Requirement
The Council Majority Leader, Ald. Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. (D-5) and Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3) have introduced a proposal that would bring back the requirement that city department heads be residents of New Britain. The proposed ordinance (local law) would reinstate the requirement that city department heads be or become residents of New Britain within one year […]
School System Publishes 2018-2019 School Calendar and Looks Ahead to Next School Year
Students and parents may be thinking about the end of school this June, and the beginning of summer vacation, but the school district is already preparing the next school year. As it released its calendar for the 2018-2019 school year, the Consolidated School District of New Britain wants to let people know about upcoming educational strategies that […]
Honoring Martin Luther King’s Work for a Better Future
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was honored in New Britain in a memorial commemoration to the great leader who was assassinated as he fought for civil rights, equality, economic equity and peace fifty years ago. The commemoration was held by the Mary McLeod Bethune Club, led by President Cheryl Niccolls. Rev. Brian Riley, […]
Ramanauskas Monument Halted
Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3), who had been opposing plans for a monument to Lithuanian militant Adolfas Ramanauskas in Walnut Hill Park, received word from the office of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart that the plans will not be moving forward. Ayalon received word on Friday from Stewart ‘s office that Ramanauskas will not be honored with […]
Ald. Ayalon Presses Commission to Halt to Ramanauskas Monument
Ald. Aram Ayalon (D-3) has officially requested that the New Britain Parks and Recreation Commission take up his City Council petition requesting, “a temporary halt of the building of a monument to commemorate Lithuanian militant, Adolfas Ramanauskas, until further research has been conducted to help confirm the history behind the man being memorialized.” On December 15, 2017, […]
Hartford Deputy Chief, Raul Ortiz, Proposed as New Britain Fire Chief
Hartford Deputy Fire Chief Raul Ortiz has been nominated to be New Britain’s next fire chief. Ortiz has been Deputy Chief in Hartford since December 2017. He has served as the Hartford Fire Department’s Public Information Officer and Executive Officer since 2014. Republican Mayor Erin Stewart has announced that she has nominated Ortiz and will […]
Council Petition Would to Halt Ramanauskas Monument, Pending Investigation
Ald. Aram Ayalon has introduced City Council petition requesting, “a temporary halt of the building of a monument to commemorate Lithuanian militant, Adolfas Ramanauskas, until further research has been conducted to help confirm the history behind the man being memorialized.” Ayalon cites concerns regarding accusations about Ramanauskas and the parts of the Holocaust that occurred in […]
Sen. Blumenthal, City Council Members Support Business of Family in Sanctuary from Deportation
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ald. Eva Magnuszewski (D-AL), the New Britain City Council’s President Pro-Tempore, and other members of the Council gathered with other community members to encourage people to buy from the business of a New Britain family facing deportation who have been given sanctuary at an Old Lyme church. On March 30, 2018, Blumenthal […]
Council Approves Scaled-Down Version of Stewart Borrowing Plan
The City Council has approved a $99 million, scaled down version of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s original plan to borrow $115 million to push city debt into the future. While tension had risen last week, after reports, called, “misleading,” and, “inaccurate,” that a debt deal had already been concluded, discussions reportedly continued right up to […]
Sen. Blumenthal Visits New Britain Family Facing Deportation Taking Sanctuary in Old Lyme Church
Sen. Richard Blumenthal visited Malik Naveed bin Rehman and Zahida Altaf, to show support for the New Britain family and community business owners facing deportation who have been given sanctuary at an Old Lyme church. When Sen. Blumenthal visited the couple, on March 25, 2018, he said that, “I am here, today, to renew my […]