Retiring Town Clerk Laurie Fuller honored at her last meeting

Recreation Department Chief Laura LaBarge presents Laurie with a plaque that will hang on the town hall lobby wall, commemorating her many years of excellent service to the town and its residents. (McClelland photos)

Retiring Town Clerk Laurie Fuller and her successor, Mary Kay Kucipeck Strack, on the last evening they will sit together, chronicling the actions of a town board.

Retiring Town Clerk Laurie Fuller was honored by the Tupper Lake Town Board and her colleagues both at the town hall and around the region at her last town board meeting Thursday.

Before the meeting a town clerk from the Town of Franklin appeared briefly. Lauren LaFave, who is a member of the board of directors of the New York State Town Clerks’ Association, extended to Laurie the thanks of her organization to Mrs. Fuller for her many years of service to it over the years. Tupper Lake’s town clerk served on the association’s board of directors for six years. With the commendation came some attractive wind chimes.

Mrs. Fuller also received a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of Jameson whiskey from the members of the town highway department, all appreciative of her efforts helping them over the years.

Laurie has been attending town board meetings taking accurate minutes of the deliberations and resolutions at each since she was elected town clerk in the fall of 2002, following the resignation of Beth Bierwirth, whose family left town that year. Laurie had served as Beth’s deputy clerk for about two years before her election. Beth, a former town councilwoman, succeeded the town’s long serving clerk, Aluva Marconi about two years earlier.

During Mrs. Fuller’s time as town clerk, she has also served as the town court clerk, a position she will continue to hold in the new year.

The retiring town clerk said this week she loved her job, and very much enjoyed working with the public and with her fellow employees and past and present board members.

“Our office staff was always excellent-” making for a great place to work, she noted.

Laura LaBarge of the town recreation department presented the outgoing town clerk with a wooden plaque with her photo on it which will hang in the town hall with plaques of her predecessors. The message was “Thank You, Laurie J. Fuller for your hard work and dedication, that will never be matched. You have set the standard for all! Years of service: 2000 to 2023.”

Laurie was also presented with a glass award for her own keeping, carrying the same message of the one that will hang in the town hall lobby, next to one of Aluva Marconi.

At the close of Thursday’s meeting the outgoing town clerk thanked everyone she has worked with over the years. “I’ve worked with some wonderful people.”

She named Town Attorney Kirk Gagnier, in particular, who she said helped her through some of the legal dealings of her job.

“It wasn’t a job to me. I loved coming to work every day. I’m sure I am going to miss it...thank you all.”

Town Councilwoman Tracy Luton, whose last meeting after eight years was also that night, called Laurie “amazing” at her job.

She said during Laurie’s grave illness several year ago she was deeply missed at the town hall and officials there were so happy upon her return to work. “Happy retirement to you!”

Others around the board table offered that same wish too, and applause for her erupted at the close of the monthly meeting.

Former councilwoman and the new mayor, Mary Fontana, whose last meeting at the town board table was last month, attended Thursday’s session to recognize and thank Laurie for all her contributions to the town.