This Week in 1975 (And Robert Orne's Pet Fox)

Every Tuesday, Marblehead Patch digs through the Marblehead Messenger microfilm archives at Abbot Public Library to find out what was happening this week in local history.

In 1975:

Orne Reluctantly Parts With His Pet Fox 'Audi'

Dog Officer Robert Orne has found his pet fox, but fearful the creature might take to the road again Orne has decided to place him in a spacious Audubon Society shelter - fox display.

Residents of the Bartholomew street section of South Peabody started calling Orne a few days after the wiley 8-month-old 'Audi' disappeared because of a tag on his flea collar. But every time the dog officer got there to retrieve his pet - Audi had snuck back into the woods.

"When I got him home his feet were killing him," Orne said after the animal's 10-mile hike. "I had to soak them. He didn't want anything to eat. Just curled up and went to sleep."

Postal Service Sorry if Marblehead is Hurt

The US Postal Service is "deeply sorry" if Marblehead is offended by the issuance of the nation's bicentennial stamp in California instead of here. But it's going ahead with plans to bring out the stamp based on Marblehead's Spirit of '76 painting in Pasadena on Jan. 1 during the Tournament of Roses.

Annual Classic Gets Stuck in the Mud

The final game of the Marblehead High School football season for 1975 typified the play of the Magicians all season as the team was outplayed, but not outclassed by Swampscott's Big Blue in the annual Turkey Day rivalry 14-0.

Selectmen Pass Buck to State on MLT Use of Abbot Hall

Selectmen want the state building inspector to decide whether Marblehead Little Theater can continue to use Abbot Hall's auditorium. With close to 75 people jamming the Selectmen's Room last week, the board decided that opposing arguments raised were just "too technical" for them to decide on.

Feature Film at the Library

"The Black Pirate" and "The Thief of Baghdad," two swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks classics start at 2 p.m. Saturday at Abbot Public Library.

Were you a Marblehead resident in 1975? Do you recognize any of these names, events or locations? Let us know in the comments section below.