The state online newspaper CTNewJunkie reports that Republican Mayor Erin Stewart changed the name of Paul Manafort Dr. to Paul Manafort Sr. Dr.
CTNewsJunkie reported that Stewart ordered the change, which was carried out with a change in street signs early in the morning on on Wednesday, August 15th. CTNewsJunkie quoted Stewart as saying that the change is, “just clarifying which Paul Manafort the street is after so CNN stops writing fake news articles.”
Paul Manafort Dr. is named after former Republican Mayor Paul Manafort. Manafort served three terms as mayor. He was a World War II veteran, who was active in civic life in the city. He served in numerous political offices and was active in Republican politics.
But CTNewJunkie also reports that there may be questions about whether Stewart had the legal authority to change the street name.
Amid those questions, Ald. Eva Magnuszewski (D-AL), the Council’s President Pro-Tempore, said that, “I wish the Mayor had extended the courtesy of letting Council members know about the street name update.”
Magnuszewski continued, “Adding Sr. to Paul Manafort Drive will hopefully clarify who the street is named after.”
For more than two years, the street’s name has become a focus for public debate and ire directed as the former mayor’s son, also named Paul Manafort.
In April of 2016, as the younger Paul Manafort became the head of Donald Trump’s campaign, members of the Ukrainian-American community held a protest near the street.
As Contributing Columnist John McNamara wrote at the time,
The Hartford area’s Ukrainian-American community, including members of three church congregations in New Britain, is speaking out against a city native with a well-known name among Republicans — Paul Manafort, the son of a former mayor, longtime Washington lobbyist and now campaign manager for the GOP’s unlikely frontrunner, Donald J. Trump.
With Tuesday’s Connecticut Primary just ahead, local Ukrainian Americans are calling on the Trump campaign to dismiss Manafort for his representation of and campaign work for Victor Yanukovych, the former president of the Ukraine, whose regime is reported to have “ordered the shootings of more than 100 Ukrainian protestors” and “who stole tens of billions of dollars from Ukraine before fleeing to Russia.”
More recently, as criminal charges have ground on against the former Trump campaign manager by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, a petition has been circulating online calling for the street to be renamed in honor of New Britain native and World Series winner and MVP George Springer.
The organizer of the petition, Dan Russell, said that,
In June 1994, the street was named after Paul J. Manafort, one of four brothers who inherited their father’s New Britain demolition business. The street currently bears the same name as his son, Paul J. Manafort, a New Britain, CT native who was recently indicted on twelve federal criminal charges, including conspiracy against the United States.
This street next to New Britain’s featured university should honor a better name.
The petition goes on to laud the accomplishments of Springer as a baseball player and his charitable good works, in advocating that the street be renamed in his honor.
Ald. Magnuszewski invited residents to comment, saying, “I would like to hear from more residents to see if they would like a complete name overhaul.”
