Finding a Home for Freddy Can the Patron Saint of Commercial Street Find a Home in Provincetown?

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WEBVTT STREET IN PROVINCETOWN. ANTHONY EVERETT WONDERS, FOR HOW MUCH LONGER? ANTHONY: HIS IMAGE HOVERS OVER THE SCRATCH TICKET AT THE LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE. IT IS FRAM BEHIND THE BOX LUNCH REGISTER. IT STARES FROM ART GALLERY WALLS. MOSTLY, YOU WILL FIND FREDDY OUT AN ABOUT ON THE STREETS OF PROVINCETOWN, BOMBING SMOKES -- BUMMING SMOKES ARE BREAKING OUT IN SONG. >> SMILE, YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA. ANTHONY: FREDDY IS THE PATRON SAINT OF COMMERCIAL STREET. >> LIKE THE ANDREW WYETH PAINTING CHRISTINA’S WORLD COMMERCIAL STREET IS FREDDY’S WORLD. HE GETS ALONG HERE. PEOPLE KNOW HIM AND HE IS A BELOVED CHARACTER. HE IS A FIXTURE. >> WE HAVE TIME FOR COFFEE. WE ARE ON A MISSION. >> HAVE FUN. ANTHONY: A FEW YEARS AGO, PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID BEGAN TAKING PICTURES OF FREDDIE. HE HAD NO IDEA SOMEDAY, HE WOULD BE TAKING HIM AND.>> THAT IS A B THAT IS A TEMPORARY FIX. ANTHONY: A FEW MONTHS AGO, FREDDIE WAS EVICTED FROM HIS LIFELONG HOME. THERE WAS TALK OF SENDING HIM TO A HOMELESS SHELTER IN HYANNIS. DAVID COULDN’T BEAR TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. >> HE DESERVES BETTER. HE IS A HUMAN BEING AND THIS IS HIS TOWN AND THERE ARE NO SERVICES. ANTHONY: DAVID DEVOTED HIMSELF TO FINDING A WAY TO KEEP FREDDY HERE IN HIS HOMETOWN. CALLING SOCIAL SERVICES, APPEALING TO TOWN AGENCIES. >> THIS IS FREDDIE’S WORLD. HE HAS LIVED. HIS WHOLE LIFE. I BELIEVE HE IS ENTITLED TO LIVE HERE. ANTHONY: FREDDY’S PAST IS A MYSTERY. SOME SAY THERE WAS A BRAIN INJURY MANY YEARS AGO. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] ANTHON WHATEVER HAPPENED, FREDDIE HAS FOUND HIS SAFE PLACE UP AND DOWN COMMERCIAL STREET. >> IT IS A SMALL TOWN. ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS OF A SMALL TOWN IS HOW WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. WE TAKE CARE OF FREDDY. ANTHONY: FROM TIME TO TIME, FREDDIE IS INVITED INTO THE WEST END SALON FOR A TRIM BY THE OWNE DOUG. >> I HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR 40 YEARS. WE GIVE HIM A FEW DOLLARS, WE GIVE HIM A CUP OF COFFEE AND A KIND WORD. >> HE IS LIKE OUR SHAMAN. HE HAS A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS. ANTHONY: THIS PHOTOGRAPHE GREW UP. >> EVERYBODY IN TOWN KNOWS FREDDIE. HE IS A CHARACTER. AS I’M SURE YOU HAVE FOUND OUT. >> HE IS A HUSTLER, MAN. YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE TENACITY. ANTHON IF FREDDY ATTAINED A PSEUDO-CELEBRITY STATUS, IT IS DUE IN NO SMALL PART T THE PHOTOGRAPHER. HE USED FREDDIE AS A MODEL IN A PHOT SPREAD FOR BRITISH ESQUIRE MAGAZINE. >> THEY ASKED IF I WOULD DO A FASHION STOR WITH TIMBERLAND SPONSORING. I SAID YES BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO USE PRETTY MODELS. >> FRIDAY AS AN INSPIRATION. HE NEVER STOPS. HE IS LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY. ANTHON JULIE OWNS THE BOX LUNCH, A POPULAR SANDWICH SHOP CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. DAVID’S PORTRAIT OF FREDDY TAKES PLACE BEHIND HER REGISTER. >> HE IS KIND AND CARING. HE INSISTED ON BUYING ME A CUP OF COFFEE THE OTHER DAY. I THINK GAVE HIM THE MONEY AN HOUR BEFORE. ANTHON WHEN FREDDY IS PRESENTED BY NEW BOOTS DONATED BY THE OUTREACH COUNCIL, HE TRIED’S -- HE TRIES TO GIVE ONE TO DAVID. >> HE BUYS TO HAVE EVERYTHING, ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU. MY HEART OPENED UP TO HIM. I DON’T WANT TO CRY ON CAMERA, TH ISN’T BARBARA WALTERS, BUT HE IS A GENEROUS, BIGHEARTED GUY. ANTHONY: IN THE MEANTIME, FREDDIE’S FANS CONTINUE THEIR FIGHT TO FIND HIM HOUSING, CONVINCED PROVINCETOWN WILL LOSE ANOTHER PIECE OF ITS SOUL IF FRED IS SHIPPED TO A HOMELESS SHELTER 50 MILES AWAY. >> I FEEL LIKE THE TOWN OWES IT TO HIM. MAYBE I AM BEING NAIVE THAT I THINK TAKING FREDDIE OUT OF THE TOWN WOULD BE A TRAVESTY. >> FREDDIE IS LIKE A JOHNNY APPLESEED TO ME. HE WILL BECOME LIKE FOLKLORE. SHAYNA: WHAT A STORY. FREDDIE’S SIBLINGS NO LONGER LIVE THERE. THEY SAID THEY COULDN’ UPKEEP -- ALL FOR THE UPKEEP ON THE FAMILY HOME. THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT FRIDAY’S SAFETY. A BROTHER IN CONNECTICUT SAYS THEY CONSULTED WITH SOCIAL SERVICES, WHO SAID LITTLE COULD BE DONE AS LONG AS FREDDY LIVED INDEPENDENTLY. HE IS ON A HOUSING LIST IN PROVINCETOWN BUT THE WEIGHT COUL

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