Few workers in Warren Town Hall have seen as much as Town Clerk Julie Coelho, who is retiring from the job after 30 years of service to the town.

Ms. Coelho, who plans to spend most of her time helping raise her seven grandchildren, said Wednesday that while she is leaving with mixed emotions. While she will miss the many people she works with every day, "I'm going to be too busy to think."

Ms. Coelho is still officially the town's clerk, but she left the office the week after the election in an effort to use up her accrued vacation time. Her last day will be Thursday, Dec. 31 and until then, deputy town clerk Sandra Speroni is filling in for her.

"I miss the people (and) I miss the work," Ms. Coelho joked Wednesday. "What I won't miss is getting up and coming in."

Ms. Coelho has served as Warren's town clerk since 2007, but prior to that held many other jobs at town hall including office clerk, deputy town clerk and tax assessor. One of her favorite parts of the job was preserving valuable older records and organizing the town's vault, and over the years she was instrumental in many research projects including the Warren slave history research project and others. Though she said Wednesday that she'll be very busy with her family in the coming months and years, she told members of the Warren Town Council earlier this month that "when you need something researched, or something looked up, I loved that part so give me a call."

Council members presented Ms. Coelho with a bouquet of flowers, and councilors and several members of the town's legislative delegation all took turns congratulating her on her retirement.

"Your commitment to the Town of Warren is greatly appreciated," council vice president John Hanley said.
Mr. Hanley's rise in Warren politics was partly due to his sister, he said, as "back in the early 2000s she inspired me to get involved. I learned a lot; just the way she serves the town makes me very proud for what she has done over the past 30 years."

"I don't know where those 30 years went," added Senator Walter Felag, who said he was proud to work with her over her many years in public life.

This week, Warren Town Manager Kate Michaud said she has placed advertisements on the open position in publications, and expects to hire a replacement shortly after the New Year.