News and Events

community, elections

Support for the school budget, July 8 referendum

Below is a letter to the editor that appeared in HKNews and The Source.

June 26, 2025

I am writing to express my strong support for the RSD17 School Budget. The Board of Education has approved a responsible budget with unanimous consensus.

Until now, the Board has been able to make cuts that have avoided direct impacts on student learning. However, we are now at a critical point where further reductions could adversely affect our children. We have seen other districts lose essential programs such as middle school sports, art, and music programming. It is my belief that we should protect these valuable offerings in our schools.

It’s worth noting that each budget referendum costs our towns approximately $5,000 to $7,000 and the July 8 th referendum will be our third this cycle. Investing in our children’s education is both a financial decision and a profound commitment to the future of our Killingworth community as a whole.

By voting Yes to pass this budget, we continue our commitment to invest in the promise and potential of all our young learners.

The referendum on the school budget will be held Tuesday, July 8th at KES. Voting hours are 6 AM through 8 PM. Absentee Ballots may be obtained at the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall during office hours. (Due to the shortened time, Absentee Ballots will not be mailed out but must be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office.)

Vote yes for Killingworth’s future. This school budget does not increase our mill rate, but it does uphold our educational standards.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Amoia
Killingworth, Ct. 06419

community, elections

School budget referendum June 6

As you probably know, a second referendum on the school budget is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, June 6, 2025. 

There are arguments about specific expense lines, and you can read the Board of Ed’s responses and explanations to many of them here. Thank you to the Board of Ed for putting out this information.

It’s hard to compare statistics across districts—budget categories are different; staff functions are divided up in various ways; student populations have different needs. The bottom line is that our school board members spend many, many hours trying to provide as good an education as possible for as reasonable cost as possible. Since our schools are highly successful and our per pupil costs are well within the range of other Connecticut districts, I trust that the board made careful choices in constructing the budget. They have continued to refine it, and they will monitor it throughout the year. 

Please join me in voting yes for a strong education for the next generation. 

Every vote counts!

Cathy Iino
Chair, Killingworth Democratic Town Committee

community, events, volunteer

Bake Sale May 10

The Killingworth Democratic Town Committee is holding its Annual Bake Sale on Saturday, May 10, 8am until  2pm, Recycle Way.

Sourdough bread! Fresh muffins! Sticky buns! Homemade preserves!

Cookies, brownies, cakes, and more . . .

All homemade and perfect for Mother’s Day

HALF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE HK BACKPACK PROGRAM

Donations of baked goods happily accepted!

activism, events, volunteer

Hands Off National Day of Action April 5

Grassroots organizers nationwide are mobilizing for HANDS OFF, a day of action on April 5th in response to the alarming policies and decisions coming from the federal government.

Now is the time for us to stand up and make our voices heard. We are calling on all members of our Democratic Town Committee to take part in this effort—whether by attending rallies or amplifying our message online and in our community. Our collective action is crucial to defending democracy, protecting our rights, and pushing back against harmful policies. 

Here’s a brief list of local events and links to more information. 

9-10am – Peaceful sign-waving rally on the sidewalks in front of Deep River Town Hall. 

10-11am – Hands Off! Middletown, register for more information.

11am – 1pm – Hands Off! New London at the New London Superior Court

12-1:30pm – Hands Off! New Haven on the New Haven Town Green

3-6pm – Hands Off! Hartford at the Connecticut State Capitol.

Learn more: https://handsoff2025.com/

activism, community

Democracy in Unprecedented Times

Whether this is your first visit or one of many, we want to assure you that there are things we can do to save our democracy in these unprecedented times. Our Town Committee acts on the principle that good policy and politics begin on the local level. With that in mind, we seek out and put forward municipal candidates we believe will best serve the Killingworth community and support democratic principles, locally, statewide, and nationally. Our municipal elections will be held this November 4, 2025. There will be more about our candidates and our election activities from late spring through early fall.

With the White House and the GOP-controlled Congress throwing us into chaos, it is easy to be discouraged. But we can do many things to let legislators know how we feel and to make sure they know that they will be held accountable for bad faith actions. There are groups out there fighting legally and morally to preserve the rule of law under our Constitution. We may not be able to stop every unlawful act or terrible policy, but we can surely try to win a few battles.

There are many organizations you can support with donations and/or actions. A few suggested at our last KDTC meeting were:

  1. Common Cause
  2. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
  3. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

A statewide organization that has national affiliations is DWA (Democracy Women in Action). You can find the group’s mission statement and learn what they do at info@dwaindivisiblect.com.

Calling and texting your national legislators, The White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer becomes part of a chain of such calls. It is never just one voice. They all have websites and local offices.

In the coming months we will be posting relevant articles from legislators and others that explain what is going on and how the Democrats are planning action going forward. We hope you find them useful. And, of course, you can join us on the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee or stop in for one of our meetings. KDTC meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7 pm, in the Killingworth Library meeting room.

Our Connecticut national legislators’ phone numbers are:
Chris Murphy
860 549 8463
DC phone number 202 224 4041

Richard Blumenthal
860 258 6940
DC phone number 202 224 2823

Joe Courtney
860 886 0139
DC phone number 202 225 2076

We hope you will join your own voice to so many others in support of this democracy we share.

community

Christmas at the Farm

The Killingworth Democratic Town Committee was once again happy to participate in the seasonal celebration, Christmas at the Farm. This year our cookie decorating activity included sharks as well as trees and the same smiles from children of all ages.

Christmas at the Farm is a wonderful site-wide event sponsored by the Parmelee Committee. It brings families to the farm for several free activities, including a wagon ride and a visit to Santa, and dovetails perfectly with the Historical Society’s Christmas Fair. It then all winds down at sunset with song and the tree lighting.

This is one of many gatherings in this village of ours where neighbors come together to enjoy an event, and where a corps of volunteers keeps things running smoothly. Kudos to Killingworth. May we always find reason to gather as neighbors in friendship and fun.

community, elections, events

State Rep Debate Oct. 7

On Monday, October 7, 7:00pm (Morgan High School Auditorium), the Clinton Chamber of Commerce will host a debate between the candidates for State Representative of the 35th District. The event will be moderated by Marty Hausberger.

Please come to show your support for Cinzia Lettieri, the Democratic candidate, in the debate against the current State Rep.

Hear for yourself how she will be a voice for the hard-working families of the district and address the issues that matter to our communities!