By Alan Burke
Staff writer
August 28, 2008 05:33 am MARBLEHEAD — Good news! You don't have to pay your property taxes. Well, maybe that overstates the case. But there are programs that offer assistance when the wolf is at the door. The Council on Aging is the place for learning your options. "Come in and fill out an application," Director Pat Roberts urges. She expects to see more need this winter as seniors grapple with heating costs. A program allows seniors to work off some of their taxes by laboring for the town. At the same time, there is additional aid. "People have donated to a fund," Roberts says. Money is dispersed based on need. "It's not just for the elderly, but the disabled, too." Currently, there is $14,000 in the fund. Generous Marbleheaders could start looking beneath the couch cushions to add to that figure. The COA can also point people to fuel assistance. Meanwhile, Roberts is making allowances for body heat with a $29,000 grant from the Shattuck Fund transforming a seldom used woodworking room into an exercise area with treadmills and stationary bikes. There are no plans to hook the exercise machines up to the electrical grid, Roberts says. That's the spirit! Ghost hunter Nicholas Smith will reschedule his appearance before the selectmen. The board did not meet last night and will gather next on Sept. 10. Meanwhile, Smith, who wants permission to search for paranormal activity at Fort Sewall, is a busy Green Mountain College freshman. Marblehead is Smith's favorite summer haunt. In fact, he plans to be back in town on Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. to give a talk at the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society. The subject is "understanding the paranormal," according to Director Pam Peterson. Remember the Constitution! The world's oldest commissioned warship visited Marblehead in 1997, commemorating both its 200th birthday and a narrow escape in 1814. Back then, the frigate, chased by larger British warships, ducked into Marblehead Harbor beneath the protective guns of Fort Sewall. On Sept. 18 at 4 p.m., a committee including 1997 Selectman Tom McNulty, former Constitution Capt. Dave Cashman and Fred Goddard, will place a plaque at Fort Sewall marking these visits and an earlier one in 1931. "The public is invited," stresses Selectman Jackie Belf-Becker. A private citizen in 1997, she remembers, "It was like history coming alive." Former Selectman Diane St. Laurent and Bill Purdin, part of the board that brought the ship here, were surprised no one from the town has kept them informed regarding the plaque. "It was a highlight of my term on the board," St. Laurent said. "It meant a lot to Marblehead. It meant a lot to so many people. ... I'll never forget it." "It was my proudest moment as a member of the board," Purdin said. Bill Conly and Reed Cutting also served on that board. The visit drew nationwide television coverage. Spies among us Some of this town's most upstanding citizens are covert operators. Well, at least back about 1775, they were. The town's secret past will be part of Judy Anderson's walking tour on Monday, Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society, the walk includes sites associated with Revolutionary War Gen. John Glover and costs up to $15. Walkers will meet in front of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. The wealthy Lee has a special role on the tour. Not too many realize, Anderson says, "Lee was directly involved in covert activities."
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