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Harriet Juel: Giving Back to the Town She Loves in Many Ways

Harriet Juel has called Clinton home since she was born. Throughout her 69 years in town, she has enjoyed seeing the town grow, raising her four children, and giving back to her community.

“It’s charming, the people are wonderful, it’s friendly, and it’s beautiful, even with the warts that it has,” says Harriet.

Even when she was a working mother to four children, Harriet still found time to give back. She spent years as a Brownie troop leader and a Girl Scout leader when her children were young. She was also the deputy registrar of voters for 15 years.

“I always did something,” says Harriet. “I contributed four children to this town and this school system—you have a responsibility to do things and give back. You get back much more than you put in.”

Harriet worked as the office manager of Clinton Country Club before retiring five years ago. She knew that she wanted to get more involved in volunteering once she wasn’t working full-time.

She has been a member of several committees to plan town events, is a member of the Lions Club with her husband Richard, is serving on the board of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce for her second year, and is a co-founder of the Pretty Committee.

“One thing led to another to another. You just start getting involved,” says Harriet. “I’m feeling very retired—I love it. It’s my own schedule. Nothing is ever too big a drag or a drain. You have to keep busy.”

Harriet was a member of the 350th Committee that planned the celebration for the town’s 350th anniversary, and part of the William Stanton Andrews Memorial Town Hall Renovation Committee.

“We did the Town Hall over in the past couple of years,” says Harriet. “We had a great deal of input with meetings at Town Hall with the first selectman, the builder, and the contractor. That was a fun thing. Now that it’s done, I’m sorry it’s been disbanded because it was a real feel-good thing to do because it’s such a beautiful building.”

Harriet has always enjoyed the Christmas in Clinton event and became involved in the organization of the festivities, which include decorating the town, visits with Santa, vendors along the street, entertainment, and more.

“It’s a great day in Clinton,” says Harriet, who also enjoys traveling with her husband. “People really enjoy it and it’s growing every year.”

The Lions Club is a service club that is known for focusing on eye care. The club send donated glasses to third-world countries. It also presents scholarships, hosts an annual golf tournament, serves hot dogs at the Memorial Day parade, and donates to local causes, most recently contributing funds to the Hull Library for a robotics kit.

While Harriet enjoys all of her volunteer work, she has a special place for the Pretty Committee, which she co-founded with Jane Scully Welch. The two have been friends since grade school.

“We always talked about doing something that makes Clinton better, something that makes Clinton look better and we came up with Pretty Committee,” says Harriet. “It’s wonderful and so rewarding. I really do like it and she does, too. Now we have a wonderful group of people we work with and have fun while we do it.”

Welch is quick to credit Harriet, not only for her hard work to form the Pretty Committee, but also for her devotion to the community as a whole.

“I always get the credit [for forming the Pretty Committee], but it really would not have come to be without Harriet by my side,” says Welch. “Harriet is involved in many things, but most of all she loves this town of Clinton like no one else.”

The two friends and members of the Pretty Committee focuses on the downtown area and has contributed by doing “a lot of weeding,” trash pick-ups, and discussing issues with Public Works and First Selectman Willie Fritz.

“I believe us to be a catalyst to a number of improvements to the downtown area and that’s been very rewarding,” says Harriet, who has 11 grandchildren. “I’m proud of the way it’s come along and how much we’ve been able to do for the town.”

For information on the Pretty Committee, contact Jane Scully Welch at 860-510-2991.