Headlines
New Britain NAACP Chooses 2017 Leadership
Press Pool Story While state and national elections took center stage, there was another election in New Britain in November, as the NAACP New Britain Branch elected its leadership for 2017. Nominees for officers and Executive Board members were made in the Fall and NAACP members voted on November 9th. The election returned Ronald P. […]
Opening Day 2017 at the State Capitol
January 4th was the opening day of the 2017 regular legislative session, the start of the term for state legislators newly elected and re-elected in last November’s voting. Opening day at the State Capitol is a day of ceremony that marks the moment when legislators must roll up their sleeves for the legislative session ahead. […]
Stewart-Proposed High-Level Bureaucrat and Department Head Residency Requirement At Issue
Republican Mayor Erin Stewart will ask the Republican-dominated City Council to approve her choice to lead the “Human Resources Department”. The new high-level bureaucratic position was created when the Council approved Stewart’s proposal to increase the number of city departments to fifteen, including the creation of the Human Resources Department. Who her choice is for the position […]
New Britain Youth Theater Stage Combat Workshop
In preparation for the spring production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, NBYT is offering a Stage Combat and Fight Choreography Workshop on Sunday, January 22. The workshop will cover some basic training of stage combat including safely fighting, falling, and using fake stage weapons. Connecticut actor and fight choreographer Rob Richnavsky will lead the workshop […]
New Britain School Officials Speak at School Absenteeism Summit
New Britain school Superintendent Nancy Sarra and Attendance Officer Joe Vaverchak were presenters at the national virtual summit sponsored by the United States Department of Education, building on the Obama Administration’s Every Student, Every Day Initiative to eliminate chronic absenteeism in the nation’s public schools. During the 90-minute summit on December 7, Sarra and Vaverchak […]
New Britain Youth Theater Auditions for ‘Peter Rabbit Is Lost!’
News Brief New Britain Youth Theater (NBYT) is looking for young aspiring actors for its production of the play ‘Peter Rabbit Is Lost!’ and will hold auditions in January. The play is an adaption of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s books including The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, and others. […]
City Hall Watch: Stewart Wants More Money For Tilcon Watershed Study; Costs To Exceed $350K
By John McNamara The Stewart administration is seeking an additional $17,500 for an environmental study of Tilcon Inc.’s long-term plan to lease city watershed for trap rock mining. The extra cost is up for consideration at the December 14th Common Council meeting and follows the June 2016 Common Council approval of a $337,000 no-bid contract […]
Proposal on Affirmative Action Strikes Out Many Provisions
Press Pool Story The Republican-dominated City Council is considering a proposal by Mayor Erin Stewart on the city Affirmative Action Plan that proposes numerous deletions of text. On Wednesday, December 7th, the Council’s Administration, Finance and Law Public Committee will consider a resolution by Republican Council members Kristian Rosado and Louis Salvio to approve the […]
Jr. Hurricanes Win Game 1 in Championship Playoffs
Press Pool Story The 11U Jr. Canes football team won their first round game over Tyler Hurricanes of Texas 24-6. The game, on Monday, December 5th, was part of the playoffs of the American Youth Football (AYF) Championships. The Jr. Hurricanes team, with community support, traveled to the AYF Championships in Kissimmee, Florida to compete. On Wednesday, December […]
New Britain Election Postscript: “If Trump wins will I have to leave the country?”
By John McNamara “If Trump wins will I have to leave the country?” The question was asked of me by a Holmes School student when I was leaving the Masjid Al Taqwa mosque on Arch Street on a Sunday evening in August. It didn’t matter that the 5th grader has probably lived in New Britain […]