Marblehead renews sister city partnership

MARBLEHEAD – Marblehead and a French town found common ground when they reactivated their 24-year-old sister city relationship in France nearly two weeks ago.Grasse, France officials, led by Senator-Mayor Jean-Pierre Leleux, visited Marblehead in May and earlier this month Marblehead and Massachusetts representatives visited Grasse. The visit of several days of ceremonies included an art exhibit and an observance of Admiral de Grasse Day, commemorating the birthday of the French Revolutionary War hero, whose bust can be found in the selectmen’s meeting room at Abbot Hall.Miryam Zuber, chairman of the Marblehead-Grasse Sister City Committee, and Selectman Jackie Belf-Becker led the visitors, who included Alan Hoffman, president of the Massachusetts Lafayette Society, and 86-year-old Marvin Gilmore of Cambridge, an African-American veteran of D-Day, who lied about his age so he could join the Army and serve in World War II. Gilmore received a French medal last May for his service.Belf-Becker, who spoke in French about countries finding common ground during the ceremonies, said she was “honored” to represent the selectmen. “The senator-mayor really appreciated our being there,” she said.Hoffman spoke about the French aid General Washington’s troops received during the American Revolution. “If it hadn’t been for them we’d all be singing ‘God Save the Queen,” he said.A French official whispered to Belf-Becker, “If it hadn’t been for the Americans and D-Day, we’d all be speaking German.””It was very moving,” the selectman summed up.Grasse is in southeast France, about 12 miles from Cannes.