It all started with a water bill.
Thirty years ago, a young Sharon Mattison walked into the Clarkson Town Hall on a wintery morning to pay her water bill. After an exchange of pleasantries, Fran Wilcox, the town clerk at that time, said, “You know we have an opening for a Justice Court Clerk, and I think you’d be perfect for the job.” Sharon hadn’t heard about the opening or even considered working outside the home.
She was married to local farmer Mark Mattison, owner of Ridgecrest Turkey Farm, and a young mom to two of her eventually three children, when she decided to call Fran back, intrigued by the opportunity. Fran passed Sharon’s name on to the judge, and she was called in for an interview. She nervously met with the late Honorable Stanley Progroszewski at the old courthouse. The outgoing court clerk was Grace Culhane, who was quite well-known and left some big shoes to fill. The judge started the interview, “Well I don’t have a lot of questions for you, I just know you are a hard-working farm girl, and if you will put in that same effort here, we’d love to have you as our court clerk.”
And so the journey began.
Some may remember the old Clarkson Courthouse located behind the Town Hall, almost on top of the creek, at the entrance to the rear parking lot. Court was in session one evening when the main support beam gave way, and the floor began to buckle seriously. One by one, the defendants and attorneys were evacuated to safety. As any good captain of a sinking ship, Sharon and Stan were the last to leave, and the building was declared beyond repair.
Sharon quickly learned the job and oversaw the building of the current courthouse across from Hafner Park, appropriately named Stanley Progroszewski Justice Court years later. She stayed in this position for 18 years and secured several court-related grants.
When Fran Wilcox retired in 2007, Sharon was the logical replacement. Fran shared with Sharon how important the town clerk position is to the town as it is “the face of Clarkson,” and that running for office was arduous. In fact, Fran shared that her first election was won by only one vote.
The transition to the new Town Clerk appeared effortless to the public. Sharon won the election and has held that position for 13 years – serving her fourth four-year term. She has worked with three supervisors. Current supervisor Christa Filipowicz said, “No matter what the challenge is, Sharon is the ‘go-to’ person in the Town Hall with wisdom and a historical perspective of the town. She has always taken care of our residents and visitors, spending as much time as needed with each to ensure that their needs have been met.”
In 2010, Sharon began collecting Brockport Central District school taxes, a task not required but which eased the taxpaying process for residents. Two years ago, she brought tax processing fully back into her office, eliminating potential bank fees of thousands of dollars annually.
Sharon is delighted to have been Clarkson’s marriage officer and has coordinated the Umpteenth Annual Children’s Christmas Party, rabies clinics and blood drives with Monroe County, and hosted numerous food drives at the town hall. She’s been behind the scenes at large celebrations like Good Neighbor Days and the 2019 Bicentennial. She has continued to pursue records management grants, the processing of passports, hunting and fishing licenses, and the ability to accept credit cards for payment. She’s a founding member and active volunteer for Seymour Library’s After Hours Fundraisers and has served on the Garland Cemetery Board.
With all that she’s done, it’s a good bet that Sharon knows most of the residents by name, their families, where they live, and probably their dog’s name too. She’s a professional that will be greatly missed, especially by Clarkson residents who have come to depend on her for solid service and advice. Sharon’s last day on the job was August 28.
As she enters retirement, Sharon plans to enjoy her new home, her grandchild, and traveling.
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