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MEXICO — The town has found a way to keep the Mexico Library open without its director.

At the selectmen meeting Tuesday, Town Manager John Madigan said that with the assistance of Tracey Daigle, a part-time librarian at the Rumford Library, all hours at the Mexico Library are now covered.

Director Valerie Messana, who held the position for more than 14 years, resigned effective Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, Wednesday is the deadline for applications for an interim library director to serve until June 30, 2016. The deadline had to be extended because the newspaper advertisement did not appear when anticipated.

Assuming there will be applications, Madigan said four people on the library advisory board expressed interest in being on the interview committee. Madigan and Board of Selectmen Chairman Richie Philbrick will also serve on the committee.

Daigle is working at the library from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. Fridays.

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Sharon Madore, a part-time library employee and library advisory board member, is working from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 

At the Sept. 15 board meeting, Selectmen Byron Ouellette and Albert Aniel said they saw Messana’s resignation as an opportunity to save money. The library budget of $67,861 for 2015-16 includes $24,905 in salaries and benefits.

Ouellette wanted to change the position to no more than 29 hours without benefits, with perhaps a part-time person to assist.

Madigan said the savings on health insurance would be $16,000.

Aniel also was in favor of eliminating the benefits and wanted to explore other options, including regionalization.

Selectmen Reggie Arsenault and Philbrick favored keeping the position the same, but in the end Philbrick compromised, saying, “We have to get something out or we’re going to lose (the library).”

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Library advisory board member Betty Barrett and others said taxpayers OK’d the library budget in June and the will of the voters should be granted.

In other business Tuesday, the board voted 3-0 to approve a state snowmobile grant through the town to Mexico Trailblazer project director Nick Brown.

Aniel and Ouellette were absent from the meeting. 

Madigan said the grant, from snowmobile registration fees, would be around $13,000. He said Brown wrote that the club has scheduled work, including grooming, clearing and bridges totalling $48,247 over 25 miles of trails. A lot of the expense is covered by volunteers, he said.

Madigan said the town has received an insurance check for $2,085 as a result of the fire summer that the town gazebo behind the fire station last summer. He said repairs will start soon by Brown Bear Construction, the lowest of two bidders.

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