Tisbury voters today approved the sale of beer and wine in the town’s restaurants.
Proponents of beer and wine sales have been pushing the measure for five years. When it last was put to a ballot, two years ago, a first count scored it 690 votes all. A subsequent recount found two more no votes.
This time however, the margin was clear, if not overwhelming. There were 876 yes votes and 741 no votes.
Tisbury selectmen now will be empowered to issue as many as 19 year-round licenses and an unlimited number of seasonal licenses for the sale of beer and wine.
In order to get support for the measure, proponents agreed to various conditions. To be licensed a restaurant must seat at least 30. Beer and wine can be consumed only by patrons seated at tables, drinking with substantial meals.
While the outcome on that question, the first of six on the ballot, will please the selectmen, the voters’ judgment on the second question is going to cause them difficulties.
They had sought approval to levy an extra $225,000 in taxes, to fund a new, arbitrated contract with the police union.
But a substantial majority of voters apparently think the police are paid enough already. They voted the question down, 928 to 602 votes.
Another spending measure on the ballot also went down. By 773 to 760 votes, town opted against spending $120,000 for a new refuse truck.
Three other smaller spending questions were handily approved. They involved spending $20,000 to replace a road sander body, $20,000 to paint the outside of the senior center, and $75,000 to partially fund a new school generator.
A three-way race for one position on the board of selectmen was won by the incumbent, Tristan Israel. Mr. Israel, a 17-year veteran on the board and its current chairman, attracted 860 votes. His two challengers, a retired business lawyer, Bruce Lewellyn, and Tisbury assessor Angela Cywinski, received 542 and 165 votes respectively.
The only other contested position on the ballot was a two-way race for a position on the board of Health.
Long term board member Kenneth Garde was trounced by his challenger Michael Loberg, 1,258 votes to 255.
This article appears in April 23, 2010.
Congragulations to Mr. Israel. Let’s hope that by the time his new term is served, that he will realize that his dedicated public service is at an end and that he should pass the torch to another eager newcomer who may infuse the
Board with new ideas and viewpoints. Also, it would be a nice public gesture, in the mean time, if he would choose to relinquish his healthcare benefit.
You must remember this in the land of the blind the one eyed man rules. Just look at the famous overlook in Tisbury where on one side you have right to a public view and the on the other side of the street you have a DUMP. As far as the benefits go, its everyone else who should sacrifice not the rulers.
so dear “concerned”, would you care to work hard for many years and serve the public and then give up your medical benefits as a gesture? i really think you should.
and i really think we should elect a newbie to the board of selectmen. someone who is clueless as to what goes on in our town and has no experience with the many regulations and problems that one has to handle. then he or she can be mr. beer and wine’s “yes man”. that would work.