Voters in at least two Island towns will see contested races for town selectmen when they head to the ballot box this April. Races are shaping up in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, two of four Island towns that finalize their annual town election ballots this week. Others towns have no contested races.
The 4-1 vote clears the way for brothers Greg and Dan Martino to begin a pioneering aquaculture venture. There were complaints from abutters and concerns about navigation, but the town strongly backed the project as a boost to the shellfishery.
Oak Bluffs is working to recover payments owed to the town for parking mitigation following the discovery of lapse in collections for the account.
A town bylaw in effect since 2004 allows B1 businesses to pay into an account in lieu of providing the required off-street parking spaces for their customers.
The popular Circuit avenue tavern is undergoing renovations following a change in ownership. The new owners are Larkin and Jacqueline Stallings, longtime seasonal residents.
The seaward side of East Chop Drive will remain closed until further notice, as the bluff beneath continues to experience erosion. Selectmen voted this week to restrict traffic on the scenic drive, making this the first time the road has been limited to one lane during the summer.
The Oak Bluffs Council on Aging is facing possible reorganization of personnel following a months-long investigation that found mismanagement of a fund operated in connection with the senior center.
Following an outpouring of criticism, selectmen announced Tuesday that the dredge spoils deposited at Inkwell this spring will come off before summer. A small group of protesters had picketed at the site one day earlier.
With Memorial Day close at hand, town officials in Oak Bluffs are scrambling to remedy a situation at Inkwell Beach where dark sediment has been deposited as part of a beach nourishment project.
