Island Community Services Marks Historic Milestone
By MANDY LOCKE
Yellowing newspaper clips fill the pages of the Martha's
Vineyard Community Services scrapbook, tracing each program addition
through its 40-year history. Its history is one of growth - the
evolution of a single program in 1961 to an essential Island institution
in 2001. But the falls and flights that capture the organization's
resilience and commitment won't all be found in the newspaper
archives.
A short-term land deal cut by the regional high school committee
Monday night has flung open the starting gates on an ambitious
$6-million plan to build an addition to Martha's Vineyard
Community Services (MVCS), doubling the space at the social services
agency.
National Labor Board Sets Stage for Vote on Union in Community
Services Dispute
By MANDY LOCKE
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) set the stage for a vote
on union status in the labor dispute at Martha's Vineyard
Community Services with a May 24 ruling that expanded the pool of
eligible voters in the Island Counseling Center.
Community Services Agency Scrambles to Blunt Effects of State Budget
Cutbacks
By MANDY LOCKE
As the reality of state budget cuts trickles down to communities
across the commonwealth, Martha's Vineyard Community Services is
taking its share of hits.
"This is devastating across the board to this Island. It
shakes the foundation of the support network we've created,"
said Ned Robinson-Lynch, executive director of Martha's Vineyard
Community Services, in a conversation with the Gazette this week.
Martha's Vineyard Community Services sees the writing on the wall.
Just across Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay, the Center for Health and Human Services of New Bedford is closing its outpatient counseling operation - turning away 600 clients after not being able to pull itself out of the red.
Community Services Marks Anniversary with Tributes to Volunteers and
Staff
By MANDY LOCKE
The staff, volunteers and supporters of Martha's Vineyard
Community Services gathered together Saturday night to offer one last
happy birthday to the 40-year-old health and human services agency.
Community Services embraced middle age in style this year, and the
evening's tribute to volunteers and employees was no exception.
Laughter and money seemed to go hand in hand at last night's Possible Dreams auction in Edgartown. The better the one-liners, the higher the bids.
Fortunately, there were some pretty glib celebrities willing to
stoke the fire, and in the end, the 24th annual auction of 53 dreams had
pulled in more than $376,000. That figure fell short of last
year's take of just over $400,000.
Community Services Management Appeals Designation of Voters in Union
Dispute
By MANDY LOCKE
The Martha's Vineyard Community Services labor dispute, now
almost three months old, faced the potential of further delays today
when management appealed a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
decision to expand the pool of eligible voters for a June 20 union
election.
Community Services and Union Far Apart on Economic Issues
By MANDY LOCKE
Three weeks shy of the anniversary of the landmark vote which
brought a union into Martha's Vineyard Community Services, the
health and human services agency and 35 of its employees have yet to
nail down a first contract.
"The more difficult issues have been left for now. It's
going to be arduous," said Rob Doyle, an employe of Island
Counseling Center, one of Community Services' five programs, two
of which are unionized.
Just in time for the holidays, there is closure to the long-standing
discussion over how to dispense a $16,500 gift to Martha's
Vineyard Community Services workers.
The gift - from singer Carly Simon and author Norman Bridwell
- funded a one-time bonus to nonmanagerial employees of the health
service agency; the money was divided equally among more than 100 of
them, amounting to something above $100 each.
