This year, for the second year in a row, Fairfield will not have Town Meeting at the school. Australian Ballot voting will take place on Tuesday, March 1 at the Town Offices. There will be an informational meeting on Monday, Feb. 28, at 6 pm at the Chester A. Arthur Conference Room, Town Clerk's Building. You can join this meeting in person, on Zoom, or by calling in.

Three candidates are running for Bent Northrop Memorial Library Trustee (2 year term) and one Trustee is returning for a 3-year term. Please read about the candidates below and REMEMBER TO VOTE!

Candidates for BNML Trustee (2 year term):

DIANA BAILEY
My main interest in becoming a library trustee is to get to know my neighbors in town better and be a part of town activities. I moved to Fairfield with my family in 1997. Yet I have typically worked outside of the county since then. I recently retired from being a licensed Social Worker and am excited about this opportunity to give back to my community. I worked for four years in my college library decades ago and loved it. I think libraries are critical infrastructure of a town, and I would be honored to be part of Bent Northrop Memorial Library. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

MELISSA SOUTHWICK
Hello Fairfield! My name is Melissa Southwick, and I am running for a position on the BNML Board of Trustees. My interest in serving on this board stems from the warm welcome my family and I received from the BNML when we moved to Fairfield 5 years ago. Our daughter spent many days at BMNL afterschool, we have participated in a variety of the activities offered, and borrowing books helped us make it through the pandemic! We love the BNML and all that it does for our community. Over the years, I have served on and was President of the Board of Directors at Care Partners Adult Day Center in St. Albans and am currently the Co-Chair of the BOD at Franklin County Home Health Agency. I believe these experiences, along with my professional experience with grant management, budgeting, and leadership will make me a valuable asset to the BNML Board of Trustees. Thank you for your consideration.

DIANE BELL HENDY
My name is Diane Bell Hendy and I am running for the BNML Board of Trustees. I have lived in Fairfield for 10 years and would love to contribute to our special library. I have been a nurse practitioner for 30 years, and am interested in ways of promoting health and wellness in our community. The library is a wonderful place for members of our community to gather and be able to meet one another, access information and participate in fun events. As a member of the board, I look forward to being a part of guiding the library in continuing to provide a wide range of programming and encourage wide participation in our library to grow the sense of community in our town! Thank you.

Candidate for BNML Trustee (3 year term):

SAMANTHA THOMAS
Hello! My name is Samantha Thomas and I am excited to be running for another term on the BNML Board of Trustees. When my growing family moved to Fairfield eight years ago BNML caught my eye. I was impressed by the diverse collection, quality programs for all ages, and beautiful space which I quickly came to know as a vital hub for our community. I was raised to give of myself and my time to improve the lives of others. I've had the privilege of living this value through my professional life as a psychologist at NCSS in St Albans but my time on the BNML board has allowed me to live out this value in my personal life as well. I hope to be able to continue supporting our incredible library with a second term. Thank you.