DIXFIELD – Longtime Dixfield librarian Justy Nazar came to work Monday only to learn that the town manager had terminated her employment.

However, rather than be concerned about her immediate future, Nazar, whose 14-year career as Ludden Memorial Library’s head librarian ended officially at 5:50 p.m. Monday, worried more about who would take over her administrative duties.

That and her Laugh It Up At Your Library summer reading program, which concludes Friday, Aug. 1, with yet-to-be-decided awards for the children, and a performance by a famous marionette artist.

“This is putting a terrible, terrible, terrible stress on the people here in the library,” Nazar said Monday following a meeting by the Board of Selectmen who, citing town personnel policies, refused to address the matter.

Nazar said she needed at least a week – time she won’t get now – to tie up loose ends and administrative matters that involve securing funding for the library.

“This is a really bad way to end the summer reading program. It’s not in the best interests of the children,” she added.

Ironically, Nazar had submitted her retirement notice – effective Aug. 29, 2003 – to Town Manager Nanci Allard, the Ludden Memorial Library Board of Trustees and the Board of Selectmen earlier in the day on Monday.

She said she chose that date to allow other library employees to take scheduled vacations without creating staffing problems.

However, selectmen, when broached angrily on the matter by several residents prior to going into executive session to discuss contracts and a personnel issue refused to deal with the issue.

“You’ve got a problem that’s going to hit the press like a ton of bricks,” yelled William DeVries.

Another woman said the public has a right to know what all was involved in Allard’s decision to terminate Nazar’s job.

When those present, who patiently waited 60 minutes for a chance to speak to the board as members of the public, became incensed, Allard repeatedly said the matter was a personnel issue and the board could not address it.

Nor could they note it in Monday night’s meeting because it was not present on their agenda.

“We can’t even talk about it in executive session because it must be noted in our agenda,” said Chairman Hugh Daley.

Further attempts to berate selectmen and Allard into talking about the matter were muted by Daley and Allard, forcing an upset exodus prior to the executive session.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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