Open House for Debate

Tuesday’s lottery for seven affordable homes in West Tisbury was a poignant reminder of the struggle ordinary workers have just to build a stable life on this Island. Though many more than seven qualified — with rigorous financial preparations made — it came down to the luck of the draw.

Edgartown Republicans

An organizational meeting to start an Edgartown Republican Committee was held in the Edgartown selectmen’s office in the town hall on Wednesday, March 17.

Cynthia E. Stead of the Cape and Islands state committee was there to get the new committee formed and tell the members what their jobs would be and how long their terms would last.

Mrs. Carolyn Flynn was immediately elected chairman; Mrs. E. Blake, secretary; and J. William H. Hudgins, treasurer, for a term of four years.

Lacrosse Ferry

The usual run for Sea Streak Martha’s Vineyard (formerly New England Fast Ferry) is from the Vineyard to New Bedford, but on April 3, a special discounted charter of the high-speed ferry will bring the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School lacrosse team and their fans to Nantucket for the traditional interIsland rivalry.

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine’s Spring-Summer Home & Garden edition, now on newsstands, has the hopeful tone of an economy rebounding. New construction featured includes a renovation after a fire, one built in Aquinnah and one in Vineyard Haven.

The magazine also takes readers inside the wine cellar of Sweet Life Café owners Susan and PierreGuérin.

Sheriff’s Meadow Hires

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has received a grant of $5,000 from Newman’s Own Foundation in support of its summer intern program, and a donation of $5,000 from a private donor to the program as well. Because of these grants, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation will be able to improve the management of its lands and offer four summer jobs in 2010.

Forclosure Help

A group of representatives of Island churches, banks, community services and Women Empowered has been meeting on a regular basis to develop ways to assist with the growing number of home mortgage foreclosures on the Vineyard. The next meeting will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Woodlawn and William streets in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, April 10 at noon. Members of other agencies are welcome.

Beetlebung Reopens

Beetlebung Coffee House will reopen today, April 2, offering free drip coffee in the morning and 50 per cent off all panini at lunch.

Owner Renee Molinari closed Beetlebung this year for the first time in five winters. For spring, the coffee house will be open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our Island Club members receive 20 per cent off the cost of all regularly priced panini and apparel.

When student council members at the regional high school set out last year to hold their own Green Week, a national initiative to turn students into stewards for the environment, they meant business.

March was the wettest on record for Martha’s Vineyard since recording began in 1946.

The National Weather Service cooperative station in Edgartown recorded a total of 8.65 inches for the month. The last wettest March was is 1983, when the total was 8.22 inches.

Three weather systems collaborated to give New England one of the soggiest months on record: A high pressure system hovering over the North Atlantic, an active southern jet stream, and slow moving soaking weather systems moving in from the west.

Work continued between bad rain storms at Morning Glory Farm over the past two weeks. The setting of the timbers for the post and beam barn, the future home for the retail store, were almost complete when a fir tree was put on the top on Wednesday afternoon.

Jim Athearn of Morning Glory Farm said he has been thinking about the design for the store for 30 years. From a slight distance the structure looks a lot like two other wooden agricultural buildings in West Tisbury.