WRENTHAM - With the stock market slide and many requests, it again will be a tough year making decisions on who gets money from the town's main trust fund.

Some $98,536 in requests have come in looking for help from the Sweatt Fund. However, only about $65,000 is available, not including $14,000 in a separate account for special projects.

"We received quite a few requests," advisory committee Chairman Bill Jones told selectmen.

The fund has about $1.3 million, and each year up to 5 percent is able to be disbursed. A year ago, the fund had $1.5 million.

"It dropped about 10 percent. That's not too bad," Jones said. "I think the bank did a pretty good job considering the economy." The requests include:

The town common landscape memorial committee requested $45,000, $30,000 of which would be for reconstruction of the wall at Sweatt Park downtown. The remainder would be for tree planting and maintenance on the common.

"There was significant damage uncovered," committee member Kathy McDonald said of the wall, for which a low bid of $53,000 came in for the work. The committee has money to cover the difference.

The recreation committee requests $24,500, $12,000 of which would be for a new fence at Sweatt Beach on Lake Pearl to replace a rusted and broken one dating back decades. Other requests are for $6,500 for summer concerts on the common, $4,500 for trees at the William Rice Recreational Complex, and $1,500 for Wrentham Day entertainment.

"We definitely need a new fence," Recreation Director Jeff Plympton said.

Fiske Public Library is looking for almost $10,000, which would be used for a tree project, for extra copies of best sellers, family programs, museum passes and to scan documents.

The historical commission has put in a request for $10,000, half of which would be used for an updated guide to historical homes, and half for display cases for the Old Fiske Library Museum Gallery.

Other requests are for $6,000 for Council on Aging programs, such as arts and crafts and bus trips; $2,000 for nutritional supplemental drinks given out by public health nurses; $1,200 for seminars by the open space committee to promote green space; and $200 for eradication of nonnative weeds in Crocker Pond off Myrtle Street.

The advisory committee in the coming weeks will return before selectmen with their recommendations.

STEPHEN PETERSON covers Wrentham for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0377 or at speterson@thesunchronicle.com.