Carrie White Named Director of Support Services

In early September, Carrie White joined the staff of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services as director of the Women’s Support Services program.

Ms. White joins staff members Sally Callahan and Erika Dowling in providing domestic violence and rape crisis support services.

After arriving on the Vineyard seven years ago, Ms. White accepted the position of special officer for the Oak Bluffs Police Department. After receiving special training in sexual assault and domestic violence, Ms. White was soon handling the majority of those cases, in many cases working closely with the staff of Women’s Support Services.

Her special studies on serial killers and serial rapists led her to take on the tracking of sex offenders on the Island and she soon joined the Cape and Islands Sex Offenders task force. In her role as special officer, she was also assigned as the school officer in both Oak Bluffs and the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

More information is available by calling Community Services at 508-693-7900, extension 374.

Food Sanitation Classes Scheduled for October

ServSafe food sanitation classes will be held in October for anyone who requires the certification to meet the regulations to be a person in charge in a restaurant or other food service establishment.

Cynthia Barletta and Alice Robinson of Public Health Network Services will teach the classes, sponsored by the Oak Bluffs Association.

The class begins Oct. 9 and runs for three consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

To have materials on hand for all participants, pre-registration is requested. Registration fees begin at $250 with discounts for additional employees from the same establishment and Oak Bluffs Association members.

For more information and to register, call Ms. Barletta at 508-624-4808 or Ms. Robinson at 508-693-4555.

Vineyarders to Discuss Food, Sustainability

Elizabeth Germain, vice president of Martha’s Vineyard Slow Food, will head a panel discussion at the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs National Conference, scheduled from Nov. 3 through 5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Newport, R.I.

The panel discussion is titled, Buy Local, Connect Community, Promote Sustainability.

Panel members scheduled to represent the Vineyard at the conference include Ali Berlow, executive director of Island Grown Initiative; Jan Buhrman, chef and owner of The Kitchen Porch; Melinda DeFeo of The FARM Institute; Daniele Dominick of The Scottish Bakehouse, and Rebecca Miller of North Tabor Farm. More information about the conference is available by visiting womenchefs.org.

Endowment Fund Invites Grant Proposals

The Permanent Endowment Fund, the Island’s community foundation, is accepting grant requests for programs addressing Island needs and issues.

“We have unrestricted funds able to support a wide range of programs being developed and planned by local non-profit organizations and public charities,” said Debbie Hale, the fund’s chairman.

In addition, she noted, the fund is seeking requests dealing with health care and maritime issues.

“We have specific funds that provide grant support for these two issues,” she said. Applications and more detailed information regarding these funds may be obtained at the fund’s Web site at permanentendowmv.org.

Applications for these grants have changed for 2007 and applicants must use the correct form to be considered. Along with being available online, applications may also be obtained via mail by getting in touch with Gail Craig at 508-627-3754. Grant requests must be complete, including necessary backup documentation as outlined on the forms, and must be received by the fund no later than Sept. 30.

Neighborhood Convention Sets Meeting

On Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 10:45 a.m., the Neighborhood Convention will meet at First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven. The Reverend Roger Spinney will conduct the worship service. The program is Vineyard Healthcare Access with Sarah Kuh. Bring a bag lunch; dessert and beverages will be provided by the host congregation. More information is available by calling Mary-Jean Miner at 508-696-8589.