With two vacancies to fill on the Calvert County Board of Library Trustees and seven applicants to choose from the county commissioners had two difficult decisions to make.

In the end, the Calvert County Commissioners selected longtime library devotee Martha W. Graham and former Calvert Chamber of Commerce CEO Carolyn McHugh for the vacant seats. However, both votes were divided, 3-to-2 in both cases.

“This is a big dilemma,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R] after Graham was nominated by Commissioner Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R]. “This is an extremely important board. Mrs. Graham has dedicated many years to the library.”

Shaw stated that while she admired Graham’s dedication, she felt that since the nominee serves on other library-related panels she couldn’t support the nomination, desiring instead to involve other members of the community.

Commissioners’ President Pat Nutter [R] said Shaw made “a good point.” He also commended Graham for her dedication.

After Graham was approved, Commissioner Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark [R] nominated McHugh for the other vacancy. Slaughenhoupt noted McHugh is a resident of the Second Election District and the Third Election District has no representation on the trustees’ board. “Being from the Third District I have to take the parochial viewpoint,” said Slaughenhoupt.

In addition to Graham and McHugh, the applicants for the board vacancies were Gladys L. Jones, Dennis Vogel, Joseph M. America, Stewart B. Cumbo and Charles A. Judge. Cumbo, a member of the Chesapeake Beach Town Council, was the lone applicant from the Third Election District.

“All of the people on this list are people I admire,” said Shaw.

The Calvert Board of Library Trustees consists of seven members. The panel governs the local library system. Members are appointed to five-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

Graham and McHugh will replace longtime board Chairman M. Kiplinger “Kip” Hine, who is term-limited and member Nick Garrett, who decided not to seek a new term. The two new members will join holdovers Maureen Cunningham, Karen M. Eggert, Celeste Fort, JR Mathers and Terese D. Wells.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com