Seven vie for four seats on Marblehead cemetery oversight board

MARBLEHEAD – Marblehead has some good neighbors.That became evident when selectmen interviewed five more candidates Wednesday evening for the Old Burial Hill Oversight Committee.There are now seven candidates for the at-large seats on the committee, which will include one member of the Cemetery Commission and four at-large members. The committee will study needs and authorize repairs to the gravesites at Old Burial Hill, the 1638 cemetery where weather and vandalism have taken a toll over the years.Christopher Dowley, Susan Hogan and Town Historian Bette Hunt all live near Old Burial Hill and walk there frequently. They have seen the deterioration first-hand.Richard Holbrook, a Navy veteran and former library trustee, has taken a more active interest in renovation. He held a dinner last year to discuss the problems and has spoken with Fannin-Lehner Conservators, a historic preservation consulting firm which specializes in gravestone repair and trains and assists volunteers in cemetery conservation. Holbrook said he was ready to recuse himself if the committee chose another consultant. Pam Peterson said Old Burial Hill has suffered due to budget constraints and she was ready to help with fund-raising to get the work done.Due to scheduling conflicts, Zeke Peach was interviewed July 14 and Emmy Hahn will be interviewed Aug. 12. An eighth candidate, Judy Anderson, has withdrawn.