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Category: Event Recap

  • Rocky Hill Democrats Honor AG Tong and other public servants

    Rocky Hill Democrats Honor AG Tong and other public servants

    Rocky Hill Democrats met in June to honor Democratic changemakers and community servants within Rocky Hill and the State of Connecticut.

    Connecticut Attorney General William Tong receives the Billiy Ciatto Award

    a man in a suit speaks into a microphone

    Attorney General William Tong was the keynote speaker. He urged everyone in the room to fight against the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. Tong also shared a story of why he remains hopeful. “Let me tell you in this difficult moment what gives me hope. What gives me hope is I walked in here and Joe Cohelo pulled me aside. He said, ‘I remember your parents ran a restaurant on the Silas Deane Highway, and I remember you, as a little kid, working in the kitchens, working side by side with your parents.’ 

    “Growing up in a Chinese restaurant isn’t easy. It’s not easy to watch your parents work seven days a week, twelve to fifteen hours a day. It’s not easy to watch them sacrifice so much, and to see them suffer. And it’s not easy when, in sixth grade, when business starts to go the wrong direction, and when your parents do the only thing they can do: they call their children off the bench. Friday, Saturday, nights and weekends, I was in that restaurant working side by side with my parents in that hot Chinese restaurant. But in one generation I went from that hot restaurant in Wethersfield to being the Attorney General of the state of Connecticut. That is the enduring strength and beauty of our country.”

    Other award winners included:

    Democrat of the year: Allan Smith

    Allan Smith is a candidate for mayor of Rocky Hill. Allan is a long time resident, vice chair of the Rocky Hill Democratic Town Committee, and member of Rocky Hill’s Affordable Housing Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Economic Development Commission. Allan was recognized for his tireless community service and passion for improving the town.

    Town Service Award: Recipients Joe Cohelo, Sandi Kelly and Ken Goldberg between them share more than a century of service to town boards, commissions, and advisory bodies. 

    Unsung Heroes: Residents and community servants Shilpa Gohil and Maria Librio Judge were recognized for their long term public service. Shilpa and Maria have embodied public service through philanthropic work and volunteering. 

    Young Democrat of the Year: Logan Prentiss was recognized for his service in the National Guard and his focus on supporting Democratic campaigns. 

    three men and a woman hold awards and smile at the camera in front of a blue backdrop
    a young man smiles, a blond woman prepares to hand him an award
  • Reading in silence to build community: Silent Book Club, three months in!

    Reading in silence to build community: Silent Book Club, three months in!

    Rocky Hill’s third monthly Silent Book Club was this past Sunday and was another great success.  In addition to our “screen-free” time, the club builds  community, and supports  a local business, Still Hill Brewery, at a time when supply chains are uncertain, and normal channels of procurement are anything but normal. 

    Unlike a conventional book club, the crux of a Silent Book Club is that you are reading at the meeting, and a book of your choosing, for about an hour. During this time there is no conversation; the point is to focus on that book that you’ve been meaning to read, and to enjoy a beverage in the company of others. After the reading time, there is socializing with spirited discussions. On Sunday, for example, we focused on the “pros” but mostly “cons” of public transit in Connecticut, some insight on the various progressive groups in the state, and last week, we learned about the struggles of Covid-era State Executive Order compliance, and the complexity of public health versus that of business health.

    Silent Book Clubs are meant to help build community and break down the isolation that dominates modern life. They are also meant to support local businesses. There is a sense that our small breweries are struggling. This is the result of a  combination of factors: the aforementioned operating and inventory costs, a popular influx of spirits and spiked seltzers now flooding the market, and a downward trend in dining out, in general; all with negative impacts on the scrappy small local brewery.

    When Claudia Baio and I launched this project in late January 2025, we both named Still Hill immediately.  It is a friendly spot, with a friendly host and proprietor and we knew that its location off-the-beaten-path can absorb a big group. We have brought in 10-14 patrons for each of our visits, often doubling the existing head count of patrons. The group has attracted 35 unique attendees overall, from four different towns. Not everyone comes to every meeting, so the depth of the group helps to guarantee at least a dozen members each visit. As a courtesy to Still Hill, we ask that attendees make at least one purchase. Non-drinkers have a wide variety of options, and the house favorite, the hot pretzel, is perfect for our “between meals” 4:00-5:30 time slot. An occasional on-site food truck is another fun factor. 

    We look forward to growing this movement with our “phones down” & our “BYO book” with meditative reading, and community camaraderie.

    Read with friends in Rocky Hill

    Silent Book Club®️ Rocky Hill, CT

    Co-hosts Alan Baglia and Claudia Baio

    instagram.com/silentbookclub_rockyhill

    Upcoming dates  

    Sundays May 18, June 8, July 13, August 10 and more

    4:00-5:30pm

    Late arrivals welcome

    Still Hill Brewery 

    1275 Cromwell Ave (in the Shunpike Business Center)

    Rocky Hill, CT