News Analysis
By John McNamara http://nbpoliticus.com City officials and residents focused on forming neighborhood watches at a…
News
By John McNamara http://nbpoliticus.com City officials and residents focused on forming neighborhood watches at a…
Community News
“More than 2,700 lives were lost in New York City on 9/11. Since then, more…
Featured Journalism
by John McNamara Sponsors and attendees at the New Britain Public Library’s (NBPL) 10th Annual Fundraiser on…
Opinion
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection must more closely regulate the Oxford Compressor Station…
Community Announcements
By Friends of the New Britain Public Library The Annual Textbook Sale, sponsored by the Friends of the New Britain Public Library will be held from August 29 – September 19 this year, on the Main floor of the library on 20 High Street in New Britain. It will be open during library hours (visit […]
Flooding Series
History
By John McNamara Saturday, March 7th was one of those days when New Britain lived…
Latest News and Opinion
By John McNamara http://nbpoliticus.com City officials and residents focused on forming neighborhood watches at a September 3rd joint meeting of Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) committees organized by leaders of the East Side and North Oak NRZs. Mayor Bobby Sanchez and Police Chief Matthew Marino fielded questions on traffic safety, homelessness, the use of red light/speed […]
“More than 2,700 lives were lost in New York City on 9/11. Since then, more than 8,000 first responders and survivors suffering from illnesses related to toxic exposure — like lung cancer, blood cancer or respiratory illnesses — have died.” By John McNamara NBPoliticus A full contingent of New Britain’s first responders appeared at Central […]
New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez (D) has announced that the city is opening the 2006 small business microgrant program. “This microgrant program is about investing directly in the entrepreneurs who are investing in New Britain by helping local businesses grow, creating new opportunities, and building a stronger local economy for the future,” said Mayor Sanchez. […]
Atty. Rivera Is Sworn In As Judge Of Probate
Democrat Begins First Term After Taking Oath At CCSU Ceremony by John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The office of Judge of Probate for Berlin and New Britain changed hands for a third time in two years on January 3rd when Attorney Bill Rivera was sworn in to a four-year term. Rivera, an attorney in New […]
Council Considering Tax Reduction for Apartment Development
A City Council committee is holding a hearing and meeting on a proposal to provide a tax reduction for a planned conversion into apartments of a former Stanley Black and Decker office building. The proposed Council resolution, submitted by Ald. Robert Smedley (R-4), concerns plans by Amit Lakhotia, managing partner of Avon Towers, LLC, to […]
Happening in New Britain Jan 2nd to 8th
New Britain city meetings and community events coming up during the week of Monday, January 2, 2023 to Sunday, January 8th include… [MEC id=”30208″] Editor’s note: If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed, here, feel free […]
Top 10 of 2022: #1: Federal COVID Aid to City Boosts High Profile Capital Projects
The quantity of federal aid given to the city as part of the federal pandemic relief, and how it was spent, may have seemed mundane news in the moment, but its impact in terms of local projects — and politics — has been profound. In 2022, Republican politicians attributed federal spending in the form of […]
Top 10 of 2022: #2: Attorney Bill Rivera Is First Hispanic Elected To Probate Court
New Britain appears to have made history in the state by electing the first Latino as Judge of Probate. It is a proud moment, not just for Attorney Bill Rivera, but for the New Britain community, as well as for Berlin. Judge-elect Rivera, who was, in the past, the Majority Leader of the New Britain […]
Top 10 of 2022: #3: Property Revaluation
Property tax revaluations in Connecticut communities are producing higher than ever appraisals for tax purposes. New Britain is no exception and the impact on city residents and the municipal budget will hit home in 2023 when they take effect. Connecticut’s main system for local taxation, property taxes, are regressive, meaning that people tend to pay […]
Top 10 of 2022: #4: CCSU Honors DeFronzo’s Public Service To City And State
In October, CCSU recognized former Mayor, State Senator and State Commissioner Donald DeFronzo for his public service career, a history of service that deserves to be recounted and honored. DeFronzo’s long career of leadership, spanning decades, includes union leadership in AFT, leading the city as Mayor, representing New Britain, Berlin and neighborhoods in Farmington as […]
Top 10 of 2022: #5: Hayes, Other Democrats Win Big in New Britain
What Republicans sought and Democrats feared never happened. The anticipated 2022 Republican wave victory fizzled out and Democrats rolled to big wins in New Britain. Republicans had high hopes nationwide. Buoyed by predictions of the “red wave”, they were blaming President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats for the runaway inflation that was much more caused […]
Top 10 of 2022: #6: More City Debt To Pay For Stewart Annual Budgets
On topic, again, of a newspaper’s role as the first draft of history is what is probably the most historically enduring legacy of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart — annual budgets being floated by debt to be paid for by taxpayers long after she is no longer Mayor. It has been called formal-sounding terms, like, “debt […]
Happening in New Britain Dec 26th to Jan 1st
New Britain city meetings and community events coming up during the week of Monday, December 26, 2022 to Sunday, January 1, 2023, include… [MEC id=”30205″] Editor’s note: If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed, here, feel […]
Top 10 of 2022: #7: Charter Changes: New City Power Jobs, Transparency Concerns and Minority Party Council District System
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart and her newly elected Republican City Council supermajority set right away in 2022 to change the City Charter in a raft of different ways. Some of the changes were widely viewed as innocuous, while Council election changes raised concerns and new, powerful appointed positions and other changes, encased in an opaque […]
Top 10 of 2022: #8: Council Districting Raises Racial Gerrymandering Concerns
It is said the journalism is the first draft of history. And part of the mission of any real newspaper, including the New Britain Progressive, is to record contemporary events well for the future judgment of history. In 2022, the city hall of Republican Mayor Erin Stewart approved a plan for new City Council districts […]
Top 10 of 2022: #9: A New Schools Superintendent
In 2022, New Britain saw the retirement of Schools Superintendent Nancy Sarra and the selection and installation of Anthony Gasper as the new head of the city’s school system. In April, the Board of Education named Dr. Anthony J. Gasper, Ed.D as the new schools Superintendent, who came to lead the New Britain school district […]
Top 10 of 2022: #10: New Britain Support for Ukraine
The suffering of the Ukrainian people has been a major concern for many people in New Britain as Russia carried out a war of aggression against its neighbor. The invasion has drawn widespread condemnation from people across New Britain, as well as support for the people of Ukraine affected by the largest war in Europe […]
2022 Campaign Activists Recognized At New Britain Working Families Party Celebration
WFP Ballot Line Boosted U.S. Rep. Hayes in 5th Congressional District Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – The Connecticut Working Families Party (CT-WFP), the union-backed third party instrumental in U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes’ (D-5) narrow victory in November, celebrated election year wins across the state at a fundraising reception on December 20th at the Five Churches […]
Happening in New Britain Dec 19th to 25th
New Britain city meetings and community events coming up during the week of Monday, December 19, 2022 to Sunday, December 25th, include… [MEC id=”30088″] Editor’s note: If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed, here, feel free […]
Happening in New Britain Dec 19th to 25th
New Britain city meetings and community events coming up during the week of Monday, December 19, 2022 to Sunday, December 25th, include… [MEC id=”30088″] Editor’s note: If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed, here, feel free […]
Council Restricts Locations, Adds New Fees for Street Vendors and Food Trucks
Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – The Common Council revised an ordinance and the fee schedule for outdoor vendors and food trucks doing business in the city at its final meeting of the year on December 14th. Under the revised ordinance vendors will be restricted to seven designated areas called “public way green zones”. Under the […]
Wreaths Across America “Escort to Arlington” Convoy To Make Stop in New Britain
Wreaths Across America “Escort to Arlington” Convoy is to make a stop in New Britain for a ceremony on Tuesday. Wreaths Across America of New Britain says that, in New Britain, “the 50-plus vehicle convoy, including at least a dozen 18 wheelers, makes the first of only two scheduled stops in the Nutmeg State on […]
Happening in New Britain Dec 12th to 18th
New Britain city meetings and community events coming up during the week of Monday, December 12, 2022 to Sunday, December 18th, include… [MEC id=”30001″] Editor’s note: If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed, here, feel free […]