New Britain
Common Council Recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month; Events Include CCSU Student Art and History Exhibit
By John McNamara nbpoliticus.com Latino and Hispanic residents are being recognized in a Common Council resolution for “Hispanic Heritage Month” at the September 23rd meeting. Honoring Latino culture and community includes the raising of a Hispanic Heritage flag at Central Park that occurred on September 16 and an Open House at New Britain City Hall […]
How to Form a Neighborhood Watch is Topic At Joint NRZ Meeting
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 […]
New Britain Remembers 9/11
“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 […]
Soccer Forward Fest: New Britain Hosts Community Day on World Cup Weekend
By John McNamara – nbpoliticus.com New Britain’s Osgood Park was host to a “Soccer Forward Fest” on July 17th at the start of World Cup Finals Weekend “to celebrate the power of soccer to bring people together.” The event brought youth and young adult players, coaches, families and soccer fans together from Greater Hartford. The Community Day […]
Batterson Park Reopens: Nature Awaits This Summer
By John McNamara – nbpoliticus.com FARMINGTON – Batterson Park, closed and unused for more than a decade, will be open to all visitors this summer as a place for picnicking, short hikes, birding, bald eagle watching, kayaking, fishing, splash padding or just communing with nature on the New Britain-Farmington line. Officials from Farmington, Hartford and […]
Resource Fair Creates Access to Community Services for Spanish Speakers
by John McNamara Access to community and social services in a city as diverse as New Britain increases when language and cultural barriers decrease and awareness of those services spreads by word of mouth among residents who may need them most. Last winter first-term Alderwoman Jessica Vargas (D-1) hosted a constituent meeting in her ward […]
Common Council Update: City Upgrades Cyber Security, Recognizes Earth Day & OKs Road Paving Funds
Common Council OKs New Cybersecurity System The Common Council appropriated funds for new cybersecurity services at its April 8th meeting in the wake of a January “ransomware” attack on the city’s information technology operations. Approved was a three-year agreement with Cowbell MDR (Managed Detection and Response) for information technology (IT) systems at City Hall as part of […]
10th Annual Public Library Fundraiser Will Mark Growth, Expanded Community Engagement
by John McNamara Sponsors and attendees at the New Britain Public Library’s (NBPL) 10th Annual Fundraiser on Friday, April 10th will enjoy food, music and camaraderie with NBPL patrons, staff and volunteers right next to the book stacks and reading areas this year. The event will be held at the High Street main library to showcase recent […]
100% Democracy Author to Speak at New Britain LWV Forum on April 20th
Making The Case for “Universal Voting” and Voter Access Miles Rapoport, a former Secretary of the State and co-author of 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting, and Evelyn Mantilla, former legislator and longtime Latina advocate, will lead a discussion on democracy and election reforms on Monday, April 20th, at New Britain City Hall’s Community Room, […]
Stanley’s 183-Year Legacy Ends: Cost-Cutting and Closures
By John McNamara News of the end of the line for making Stanley tools in New Britain came early on February 26. By the afternoon Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) officially announced the closing of its Myrtle Street facility where up to 300 workers will lose their jobs later this year. The dominance of the […]
City Seeks $5 Million Grant For Allen Street Stormwater Project
By John McNamara City officials confirmed last week they are seeking a major grant to close the gap in the funding of the Allen Street Utility-Road Phase II project where flooding and sewage overflows have caused problems in the neighborhood for decades. The regional Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) received the New Britain application for $5 million to […]
Council Fills Ward 3 Vacancy…City Backs Immigrant Rights…Events Mark Black History Month
News briefs for week ending February 14, 2026 By NB Politicus Council fills Ward 3 vacancy Democrat Alberto Borrero, a Concord Street homeowner, is the new Alderman from Ward 3 on the New Britain Council succeeding State Rep. Iris Sanchez (D-25) who was elected to the state House of Representatives in a January 6 special election. The Common […]
Lawmakers Discuss Issues on Tap for 2026 Legislature at LWV Brunch
By John McNamara School aid, affordable housing and countering unlawful Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were key topics discussed at a January 31 Legislative Brunch organized by the New Britain area League of Women Voters (LWV). State Representatives Rebecca Martinez (D-22) of Plainville and Iris Noemi Sanchez (D-25) and David DeFronzo (D-26) of New Britain […]
Iris Sanchez sworn in as State Rep for New Britain’s 25th District
State Rep. Iris Sanchez (D-25) has been sworn in as the State Representative from New Britain’s 25th District. The swearing-in ceremony occurred in the House Chamber on Tuesday, January 13th. The 2026 Legislative Session is set to begin on February 4th, 2026. Rep. Sanchez, a multi-term member of the New Britain Common Council from Ward […]
New Britain Prof Pens Book on Eastern European Roots
Dr. Lisa Wisniewski’s Book Shares Oral Histories from Communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts So Migrants’ Culture and Heritage Will Not Be “Forgotten” By John McNamara The migration of Eastern Europeans to New Britain and other U.S. destinations after World War II is a story Professor Lisa Wisniewski, PhD, has wanted to tell from the beginning […]
CCSU Offers Free Health Screenings
Free Community Health Clinic Open To City Residents Central Connecticut State University’s (CCSU) Nursing Department is offering health screenings for New Britain area residents as well as faculty and staff members of the University at the Community Health Education Clinic. The walk-in clinic, located on the ground floor of Nicolaus Copernicus Hall, 180 Paul Manafort, Sr. […]
Hearing On Batterson Park Study Set For Thursday (12/7) At NBPD Community Room
A public hearing on the feasibility of Batterson Park’s revitalization as a state park will be held Thursday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the New Britain Police Department’s Community Room, 10 Chestnut Street. The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is taking public comments on the study at three separate meetings in Farmington (December 4), Hartford […]
NBPD Publishes Arrest Log Online After FOI Controversy
A July controversy over the City’s and New Britain Police’s denying access to arrest logs to the New Britain Herald without formal Freedom of Information requests has led to the New Britain Police Department (NBPD) posting a weekly arrest log online at https://pd.newbritainct.gov/safety-prevention/police-blotter. The link shows arrests made in the city for one week — […]
“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 […]
State School Aid to New Britain Up 56% Since 2012; Grant Will Reach $115.5 Million By 2025
“Flat Funding” Claim By Mayor Stewart Is Contradicted By The Actual Numbers By John McNamara The new state budget adopted last month brought increases in Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) funds to the New Britain School District over the next two years. The $11.9 million increase approved by the legislature and Governor will bring the total […]