[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 29606-29607]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    THE RETIREMENT OF PATRICIA LaGREGA AS TOWN CLERK OF COLCHESTER, 
                              CONNECTICUT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 9, 1999

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Pat LaGrega for 
nearly thirty years of service to the community of Colchester, 
Connecticut. Pat is more than an extraordinary public servant, she is a 
humanitarian and a personal friend.
  On November 15, 1999, Pat LaGrega will officially retire as Town 
Clerk of Colchester after more than twenty one years in the position. 
In small towns across America, Town Clerks maintain all of the records 
so vital to guaranteeing that our system functions efficiently and 
effectively. In many respects, the Town Clerk is the institutional 
memory of so many small communities across eastern Connecticut and the 
nation. Over more than two decades, Pat has worked tirelessly to ensure 
that the citizens, elected officials and business owners of Colchester 
receive the best possible service. She has supervised a modernization 
process which has computerized the Town Clerk's office to ensure that 
records will be accurate, safe and available to citizens and others in 
a timely fashion. Even before the widespread use of computers, Pat was 
well known for meticulous recordkeeping and attention to

[[Page 29607]]

detail. Thanks to her efforts, the Town Clerk's office is prepared to 
meet the challenges of a growing community in the 21st Century. Pat's 
public career in Colchester began several years prior to being elected 
Town Clerk. She served as Director of Social Services and a Tax 
Collector. In fact, she served simultaneously as Tax Collector and Town 
Clerk for a short period.
  Pat is so much more than the Town's record keeper. She is its ``jack-
of-all-trades!'' She is the person people call when they have any 
question, any problem. She is the person they contact when they don't 
know where to turn. And each and every time over the past three 
decades, Pat has come through for those individuals and the Town as a 
whole. Whenever she learned about a problem, she took steps to address 
it. It never mattered how busy she was with her duties or personal 
life, she always made time to address the needs of every resident. In 
this respect, she is a model for all of us in public service. Mr. 
Speaker, Pat LaGrega is a public servant in the very best tradition of 
our country. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of the citizens of 
Colchester and provided the highest quality service. She has also 
brought a sense of compassion to her work. And, on a more personal 
level, she has been a friend, a mentor and a trusted advisor for more 
than twenty years.
  I am proud to be able to join the residents of Colchester in thanking 
Pat for her service and commitment to the community. On November 15, 
she will retire from a public position--not from public service. I know 
she will continue to play an important role in Colchester in the years 
ahead.

                          ____________________