New Britain
New State Budget Increases Funding For NB Schools
City Gets $15.5 Million More For Education; Lawmakers Tout Personal Income Tax Cut Staff Reports HARTFORD – The state budget for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years will increase state funds for municipal government and the city’s schools, New Britain legislators announced after bipartisan approval in the State Senate and House of Representatives on June 7th. […]
Commission Schedules Hearings Over Double Digit Rent Hikes
Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – A reorganized Fair Rent Commission voted Tuesday May 23rd, to hold hearings on rent increase complaints at a West Main Street apartment complex. Seven tenants are seeking relief over rent hikes from 22% to 43% that would take effect in June. In the case of the largest increase among the […]
Central Students Win Grants For Two Youth Serving Organizations In New Britain
NEW BRITAIN -Two New Britain nonprofits won grants from the American Savings Foundation through the efforts of students in a psychology course focusing on roles and responsibilities in philanthropy in the Spring 2023 semester. Receiving $5,000 grants are The Pathways/Senderos Center and the Opportunities Industrialization Center of New Britain thanks to grant applications submitted by students on their behalf. […]
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 […]
New Britain Leads Polish Day At State Capitol
Staff Reports HARTFORD – State leaders, honorees and a large contingent of attendees from New Britain’s Polish community crowded into the state Capitol’s North lobby Wednesday, May 3, to mark the anniversary of Polish Day At The Capitol. The event, catered with coffee and dozens of paczki (Polish donuts) from New Britain’s Roly Poly Bakery, marked […]
Democrats Invite Candidates To Run For City Offices
Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – The Democratic Town Committee (NBDTC) is seeking candidates for all municipal offices for the November 7th election. This year New Britain voters will elect candidates for Mayor, Treasurer, Common Council (15), Board of Education (3), Board of Assessment Appeal (2) and Constable (4). “New Britain Democrats believe that local government […]
Tercyak To Host Polish Constitution Ceremony At State Capitol
Ceremonies Mark A National Holiday In Poland Staff Reports HARTFORD- Polish Constitution Day (Święto Konstytucji) will be commemorated on Wednesday, May 3rd as part of the 32nd annual “Polish Day at the State Capitol.” State Representative Peter Tercyak (D-26) will host the event and will be joined by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and other Polish […]
Council To Vote On New Police Chief
Petitions Filed For Major Changes To City Zoning Map At April 26th Meeting By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The Common Council is scheduled to select a new Chief of Police at the Wednesday, May 26th regular meeting. Three members of the Police Department’s(NBPD) command staff have been selected as finalists. The vote may come […]
GoNetSpeed Wires New Britain For Fiber Optic With $5 Million In City’s Federal Covid Funds
Company Rolls Out New Internet Service At Introductory Rates To Homes, Businesses; Citywide Access Expected By Early Summer By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – A new internet service provider (ISP) is offering residential and business customers high-speed connectivity in all parts of the city thanks to a $5 million public subsidy. In June 2022 the […]
MLK Remembered At Memorial Wreath Laying To Mark Anniversary Of Assassination
Next Step For MLK Corridor Initiative Announced By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The Mary McLeod Bethune Club, the Black Ministerial Alliance and the City of New Britain joined together on Saturday, April 8th, for the annual memorial wreath laying marking the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. Evelyn […]
Alderman Ayalon Counters Mayor’s State of The City Address
Ward 3 Democrat Cites Administration’s “Extreme Partisanship”, Increasing Debt Service And Gentrification Moves By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Alderman Aram Ayalon (D-3) , the Common Council Minority Leader, responded to Mayor Erin Stewart’s widely publicized State of The City address delivered on March 8th at the only scheduled regular council meeting last month. City […]
Election of Chair, Revised Rules On Agenda At Special Fair Rent Commission Meeting, April 4
By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – The city’s Fair Rent Commission, a largely dormant city board, will hold a hastily-called special meeting Tuesday, April 4th to elect a Chairperson and revise its rules and regulations. The Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 P.M. in Room 201 at New Britain City Hall, 27 West […]
Matt Ritter’s Batterson Park Redux
State Park Status Can Bring Abandoned Recreation Area On Farmington-New Britain Line Back To Life By John McNamara Will Batterson Park, the abandoned recreation area and pond shared by New Britain and Farmington and owned by the City of Hartford, become Connecticut’s 91st state park? Last week State House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford picked up the […]
NB Progressive Seeks Nominees For Community Advisory Committee
Local news project seeks volunteers for feedback on news coverage and content The New Britain Progressive, a publication of New Britain Independent Newspaper, Inc. published online by volunteers since 2016, invites nominations for a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that is forming this spring.. CAC members will serve as an advisory group to: Advisory committee members […]
Senate Bill For Clear Language On Municipal Charter Referendums Advances
By John McNamara HARTFORD – Legislation sponsored by New Britain lawmakers to require clear language on city charter and other municipal ballot questions received a joint favorable (JF) report from the General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections Committee March 22nd. The Committee approved advancing the bill for possible floor action 14 to 5 on a […]
Legislation On Clarity Of Local Ballot Questions Gets Hearing
GAE Committee Will Consider Changes Endorsed By NB League of Women Voters Staff Reports HARTFORD – Legislation to bring “clarity and simplicity” to municipal referendum questions will be the subject of a public hearing on Friday March 10th at the State Capitol. The Legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee will hear testimony in Room 2A […]
Far Right Student Group’s Anti-BLM Film Disrupted At CCSU Campus
Protestors Call ‘The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and The Rise of The BLM’ “Hate Speech” By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Dozens of Central CT State University (CCSU) students disrupted the showing of the controversial film The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and The Rise Of The BLM Thursday (March 2) at […]
Data Shows Large Rent Increases in New Britain
Staff Reports Data from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) points to hefty increases in rental housing in New Britain. HUD data appears to show rent levels in New Britain growing dramatically in the past few years, confirming anecdotal accounts of rent increases that people are experiencing. According to one New Britain […]
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 […]
Remote Public Participation Resumes At Common Council Meetings 2/22
Staff Reports NEW BRITAIN – The opportunity for residents to raise issues at the start of Common Council meetings remotely resumes at the regular bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 22nd. City Hall Watch Remote participation was available at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but was ended by city officials for both Council members and […]