TEMPLE – Retiring Temple Selectman and Fire Chief George Andrews was honored at the annual town meeting Monday night.

State Rep. Thomas Saviello, I-Wilton, presented Andrews with a certificate from Gov. John Baldacci in honor of his service, declaring March 12, “George Andrews Day.”

Andrews, who has been Temple’s fire chief for 39 years and selectman for 16 years, intends to remain part of the Fire Department.

“I’m going to stick with the Fire Department,” he said, adding, “It’s time for some younger people to get involved.”

Saviello, the architect of the tribute, gushed unabashedly with appreciation for Andrews. “George is a great guy,” he said, “he’s done so much for this community.”

The Farmington Public Library was a topic of major discussion during the meeting. In an article originally proposed by resident Jo Josephson, the town voted to allocate $200 toward the purchase of library cards for Temple families. The program, based on a similar one in Industry, would allow families to have free access to the library.

“Children in Temple, and adults as well,” Josephson said, “don’t have access (to the library) unless they pay $25 per year (for library cards).” Most of the discussion focused on need for the program.

Several residents pointed to the fact that the University of Maine at Farmington’s Mantor library is free to all Temple residents. In the end, though, the voters decided that the libraries differed enough to warrant testing the program for the coming year.

Aside from voting not to allocate $200 to the Greater Franklin Chamber of Commerce, Temple residents passed all other articles with little or no discussion.

These articles included $17,800 for town salaries and $103,350 for snow removal.

In elections, Austin Foss bested Janine Winn to claim Andrews’ selectman’s seat. Foss was also elected assessor and overseer of the poor. Lou Brackett beat Diane Dunham in a race for town clerk and was also named excise tax collector.

Tony Andrews was elected treasurer and tax collector and Ray Nile retained his position of road commissioner.

Andrews said he was not surprised by the lack of contention among the meeting’s attendees.

“This is the first time there’s been any contest,” he said, referring to the selectman and clerk races.

The meeting was held in the basement of the Town Hall at 7 p.m. It was moderated by Steve Bull.