THETFORD HILL — They’re turning the page at the Latham Memorial Library.
On Jan. 8, a new board of trustees will assume oversight of the privately run library, following an early December election that saw more than 200 Thetford residents cast ballots to fill eight open seats.
Recently appointed incumbent trustees Andrew Cook and Steven Tofel topped the field at 168 and 163 votes, respectively, followed by six newcomers to the panel.
Meanwhile, three other, longer-established incumbents from the appointed board lost their seats.
“That is a good turnout, considering that the vast majority came to the library to vote, requiring time and effort,” veteran library director Peter Blodgett said this week. “Only a few absentee ballots were mailed in.”
The election emerged in the fallout of a summer vote by the majority of the appointed board to replace Blodgett by this fall.
Voters appeared to lean toward candidates who supported Blodgett.
Those challengers included retired chemist and longtime library patron Heinz Trebitz, with his wife, Inge, a libary patron for more than 25 years, as well as two contenders who stated in their campaign bios that they wanted to keep Blodgett.
”What happened was very disturbing,” Trebitz said on Thursday. “I have followed the developments and thought it would be useful to have me participate, to look at things in a somewhat more conservative way. .… The library has been a sanctuary where you get some quiet time and some reading done.
“We’ve always appreciated the ambience of the place, and the helpfulness of the librarian.”
During the uproar over Blodgett’s fate, the board learned that it lacked the legal authority to act on anything it had voted to do since 2017, as its bylaws require the election of members who are not appointed by congregants of the neighboring First Congregational Church of Thetford.
“In some ways, it was a fortunate event,” Trebitz said. “It turned the attention in town to the marvel that we have in our library.”
The composition of the board had been in flux since 2016, when the Thetford Selectboard removed the Latham trustees from the municipal ballot.
In response, “the board omitted to change its bylaws” to create a mechanism for elections, the board’s then-Chairwoman Marla Ianello conceded in July.
Joining Cook, Tofel and Trebitz on the new board will be retired Dartmouth College librarian Barbara DeFelice, veteran library volunteer Hedi Parafina, Eugene Tchana, retired lawyer Robert McConnaughey and former Chelsea Public Library children’s librarian Ashley Jamele.
Previously appointed trustees who finished out of the top eight in the election were Pauline Cole, Pamela Fein and Beth Fernandez.
“I am looking forward to getting to know the other board members and learning from the outgoing board members in our joint meeting in January 2020,” DeFelice said in an email.
“I am also looking forward to learning from the librarians about the support they need to serve the community, and hearing from the community about their ideas for Latham Library,” she added.
Without commenting on the composition of the new board, Blodgett said, “I look forward to working with them on a transition plan over the coming year.”
David Corriveau can be reached at dcorriveau@vnews.com or 603-727-3304.