Still reeling from the tumultuous affairs at their town sewer plant that resulted in the resignation of the plant manager and criminal charges against a septic hauler, the Edgartown selectmen now must confront yet another town scandal, this one involving the stunningly irresponsible actions of Norman Rankow. Mr. Rankow, a well-known businessman and longtime town leader who as chairman of the town dredge committee was supposed to uphold the rules, had the arrogance to order the use of the town dredge last month for his own private job in Katama Bay, with no permits in hand for the work. In addition to violating environmental laws and possibly the state conflict of interest law, Mr. Rankow has given a black eye to his town, a place where he is well-liked and respected. And that really hurts.

We’re frankly mystified by Mr. Rankow’s actions. In a letter of apology to state environmental officials, Mr. Rankow made it clear that his private clients, Steven and Deborah Barnes had no knowledge of the fact that the dredging work performed at their dock on the bay was done without permits. In fact an application for a permit was pending before the town conservation commission, but Mr. Rankow saw fit to order the work done ahead of time, a clear abuse of his authority as chairman of the dredge committee. In addition to breaching the trust of the community, Mr. Rankow’s actions put at risk the hard work of oyster farmers in Katama Bay, where some 133 cubic yards of dredge spoils were discharged into the water in violation of state and federal laws.

An environmental survey of the bay will now determine whether any damage was done. Mr. Rankow,has resigned from the dredge committee and will face scrutiny from the state ethics commission, following the decision by the selectmen this week to send the matter to the commission for review. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also decide whether to impose fines as a result of the illegal dredge work.

For the moment, the town has done what it can do; it has no authority to fine Mr. Rankow, and the selectmen and town conservation commission are right not to impose fines on Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, who are technically responsible but caught in a situation that is not of their own making.

The issue of use of the town dredge for private work was clearly flagged by the Edgartown town counsel as a potential problem this week, and the selectmen were smart to bring this up for discussion immediately. If the dredge is to be used for outside private work, a protocol should be developed. But the selectmen may well decide that the dredge is town equipment and should not be used for anything but town projects.

Edgartown can ill afford another example of a town official failing to follow the rules, and citizens must be beginning to wonder who is guarding the henhouse, as the saying goes. The best we can say for the selectmen is that they seem to have learned the hard way that the best way to restore confidence is to act quickly and openly when a problem is uncovered. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, to borrow another old adage. And right now Edgartown clearly needs plenty of it.

Four Star Teams

For the first time in the history of high school sports on the Vineyard, all four of the high school’s winter sports teams—girls’ and boys’ hockey and basketball—have won enough games to qualify for postseason playoff tournaments.

With the exception of girls’ hockey, which plays in the competitive Southeastern Massachusetts Girls Hockey League, all the 2011-2012 teams have achieved this distinction playing in the Eastern Athletic Conference, a challenging league featuring schools that have larger student bodies from which to draw. Nevertheless, the Vineyard teams have more than held their own against the likes of Bishop Feehan, Bishop Stang, Coyle-Cassidy and Somerset high schools.

Each of the varsity teams has its own success story: Boys’ basketball has lost only two games the entire season; girls’ basketball qualified for the tournament thanks to a clutch, late-season victory at Nantucket last weekend; and the boys’ hockey team bounced back from a losing season last year to a strong winning record with one regular season game to play. But the most exciting story this year centers on the girls’ hockey squad, which qualified for the state tournament for the first time in the program’s history with a nail-biter win over Marshfield on Saturday. Begun as a club team in 1996, the program was granted varsity status in 1999, but this was the year that it bloomed into a contender — and now a postseason contender.

The regional high school has distinguished itself on many fronts — most importantly in academics. Sports are not for everyone, and fortunately the school offers an extraordinary range of imaginative extracurricular programs that enrich the high school experience and help prepare students for what life may bring in college and beyond. We are constantly impressed by the range and caliber of teenage talent on this tiny Island.

That said, sitting in the bleachers with school superintendent Jim Weiss as the girls’ hockey team beat the odds to clinch a berth in the States, it’s impossible not to feel as if you’ve witnessed something special. There’s a certain magic in seeing the drudgery of drills and practice turn into teamwork that ultimately translates into victory. In successfully pursuing something they love, our student athletes not only bring pride and pleasure to themselves, but offer the gift of team spirit to fellow students, parents, coaches, teachers, administrators, fans – really anyone hungry to believe that hard work and collaboration can pay off.

Congratulations to the teams. You’ve made history. Have fun in the playoffs.