Monday’s town council meeting was the perfect ending to a grueling budget season. It almost felt like councilors were huddled over ledgers with visors and calculators, struggling to balance the books. When we were reviewing the meeting video to make…
With an informational session on Monday night, the Southington Public Library sort of unofficially “launched” their efforts toward a long-anticipated building expansion. We’ve heard rumors about it for years, but it looks like the push is finally on. Officials are…
William J. Pape II, longtime editor and publisher of the Republican-American, The Sunday Republican, and the Southington, Bristol, and Plainville Observers, died April 20 at 87. Many words aptly describe Mr. Pape, but foremost among them is “dedicated.” Mr. Pape…
Last Tuesday, former teacher and current Board of Education member Bob Brown inducted a new class of locals onto the Southington High School Wall of Honor. It has been almost a year and a half since the last class was…
We had to take a little time to decompress after the colorful discussion at the March 18 town council meeting with the ensuing vote to block a toll resolution. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a discussion that…
We were happy to see the town council extend their condolences to Tops Market during the March 13 council meeting and offer support for the reconstruction of the landmark business. Like council chair Chris Palmieri said, “I think our greatest…
It sounded like a bold statement when the Observer’s founder, the late Anthony Urillo, led off the newspaper’s first edition with the declaration that the Observer will be the voice of the community. “In every community there exists a need…
Journalists were up in arms last Wednesday when the White House banned four U.S. journalists from covering a dinner attended by President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. Reporters from the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, the…
We were so impressed by Southington for Transportation’s Feb. 13 informational meeting at the library that we have been talking about it in the newsroom ever since. It was so refreshing to see a group of local residents and town…
At the Wednesday, Feb. 13 Board of Finance workshop, the Board of Education presented their budget recommendations. Now comes the hard part. The BOF will consider the proposal and make a budget recommendation to the Town Council. Ultimately, it will…
