January 7, 2009

Klapatch steps down, swears in her successor

Shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, longtime Republican Registrar Ellie Klapatch read the oath of office to her successor, Sharon Krawiecki.
As about 30 people watched in the City Council chambers, Krawiecki repeated the time-honored words and, with that, took over the job that Klapatch has held since 1970.
Krawiecki, who's served as a deputy registrar for several years, said she's looking forward to the new job.
But, she said, she's not going to stick around for as long as her predecessor.
Klapatch served the city with "such diligence and grace," Krawiecki said. "The town's a much better place for having someone like that."
The city has two full-time registrars, one from each party, who are elected every two years in what amounts to an uncontested election.
The registrar's office's major job is to keep tabs on who is eligible to vote, about 34,000 people locally.
Klapatch, 82, said she could have worked another decade. She said she's healthy and sharp enough o handle it, she said, but she wants some time for family and friends.
She said she knows she'll "miss the people here at City Hall," whom she said have always been friendly. "Nobody ever made me feel unwelcome," Klapatch said.
Krawiecki is one of two full-time registrars at City Hall, earning about $46,000 annually. The other is Democrat Bob Badal, whom Klapatch praised as a nice man who works hard.
Klapatch, the first woman to run for mayor, an unsuccessful bid in 1987, said she is "very delighted" to have Krawiecki take her place.
"She's worked with me for three years. She's learned firsthand so she's experienced" with the many rules that govern voter registration and elections, Klapatch said.
"She and Bob will work very well together," Klapatch said, continuing the nonpartisan tradition of the office.
Klapatch said she's proud of helping so many people over the years – and pointedly mentioned that she never asked for anyone's political affiliation before offering a hand.
"Ellie's been a model in cooperative, bipartisan manner," said Mayor Art Ward, a Democrat. "She stands for what he voting process is about and the encouraging of people to become registered voters."
Former Mayor William Stortz, a Republican gave Klapatch a big smile after the ceremony.
"As they say in New Britain," Stortz said, "you done good."
Klapatch first served as the Republican registrar in Bristol in 1952, when it was a part-time job. She said it proved so much work that she didn't run again until it was made a full-time position.
In GOP circles, Klapatch has long served as a sort of mother hen, the expert to rely on for information on decades of city politics and arcane election rules.She's met every Republican president and presidential contender since Thomas Dewey in 1948 and is friends with
governors, senators and scores of political figures across the state.
Klapatch was the first woman to run for mayor in Bristol, a long-shot bid in 1987 that she made because she didn't want Democrat John Leone to get a free ride for re-election. She constantly pleads for her party to make sure it has candidates in every possible race so that voters have a choice.
Klapatch said Wednesday that she isn't going away. She said she'll continue to attend party functions and take an active role in GOP politics.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy retirement, Ellie. We'll see you around town, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Is this news? Who gives a damn about any of these losers?

Odin said...

Ellie was a harsh opponent of Democrats but I give her credit: she served her party and her City long and well. She is a role model to a generation of people who can't be bothered to give back to the community that made possible everything they have.

Anonymous said...

Ellie did a lot of work as registrar, but I am not aware of anything that she did outside of politics.

Anonymous said...

God, Stortz again? Whats that washed up has been pressing the flesh for this time? How would he know who "done Good" ?

Good luck Ellie. It will be interesting to see how the "republican powerhouse" vacum shakes itself out now.

Anonymous said...

Ellie was not as well respected statewide as the Bristol RINOs, etc. like to think.

Anonymous said...

The fact that these registrars jobs pay $46,000, with benefits, if that is accurate, is a complete travesty.
Will Sharon be adding her whoe family to the city benefit package, something Ed was unable to do as Corp Counsel?

Anonymous said...

At least Stortz took the time and made the effort to compliment Klapatch after all those years of serving the public.


Did you?

Anonymous said...

Ellie and her crew did little to build the GOP. I doubt SK will do much better, but at least the GOP is moving forward...finally.

Anonymous said...

Now if Mocabee and Schaffrick will follow her, as they did in the past, maybe the GOP will move into the future.