To her credit, Paula Heyde seemed embarrassed to become the center of attention. Heyde, who is retiring as city clerk, received a ceremonial key to the city and was honored with a reception after a recent City Council meeting. Her tenure was remarkable: more than 40 years at City Hall, including roughly 38 as city clerk responsible for maintaining public records. It serves as a reminder that government is a lot easier to hate in the abstract. Most of them, like Paula Heyde, are people you’d like if you met them.