Fast Ferry Plan Gets Approval

Would Link the Vineyard With New Bedford Next Summer; Meanwhile,
Schamonchi Has Woes this Year

By JULIA WELLS

Steamship Authority governors danced a cha-cha this week over ferry
service between New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard, taking one step
back as they announced a delay in the start date for the passenger ferry
Schamonchi this year - and one step forward as they voted to move
ahead on a plan to develop high-speed passenger service for next year.

County Report Cites ‘Offensive' Behavior, but Sees No
Illegality

By JONATHAN BURKE

Though he found instances of improper treatment by Dukes County
officials, including "inappropriate and offensive behavior"
by one commissioner, a human resources expert concludes in a report
released yesterday that there was no unlawful treatment of Marsha
Smolev, county employee.

Capping off the Vineyard season of annual town meetings and
elections, voters in Aquinnah this week delivered an upset victory in
their selectmen's race, handing the post to challenger Jim Newman.

Oak Bluffs Heads to Polls; Commission Vote Casts Fate of Town and
Island

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Oak Bluffs voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in a
crucial special town election whose outcome will set a clear course for
the town - and also the entire Vineyard - for many years to
come.

A simple majority of voters will decide whether to stay in or get
out of the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

In a surprise vote late last night, the Martha's Vineyard Commission narrowly failed to approve plans by Island Elderly Housing for a five-unit apartment building for low-income elderly on their Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road property in Tisbury.

Commissioners stopped short of a vote to deny Hillside Village III, deferring the decision for further discussion at the MVC's next meeting Thursday.

Stalled Negotiations in New Bedford Endanger SSA's Schamonchi
Service

By JULIA WELLS

Stalled lease negotiations between New Bedford city officials and
the owner of the Billy Woods Wharf in New Bedford may force a delay in
the start date for spring service on the passenger ferry Schamonchi
- or worse, a shutdown in the service altogether - Steamship
Authority managers said yesterday.

On Monday morning the ferry Martha's Vineyard will arrive at
the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority terminal. The landing will be without
fanfare, although it marks a milestone on the path to a new Island
summer.

When the Oak Bluffs dock workers and crew of the vessel exchange
lines for the first time, the season of summer can be said to begin. The
Steamship Authority's new summer schedule opens, and with it come
seasonal fare hikes for travelers to and from the Island.

Minnesingers Bring Broadway to Island

By NIS KILDEGAARD

It's been a common shorthand for years to describe the
Minnesingers, the elite performing ensemble of the Martha's
Vineyard Regional High School, as a singing group that also dances. This
past weekend's show at the Performing Arts Center left fans
groping not only for new superlatives but even for new ways of
describing the group. Perhaps it's best to call Minnesingers a
powerful weapon of mass entertainment, and leave it at that.

Aquinnah voters have much to talk about before their annual town
meeting on Tuesday, May 13. There is a race for selectman between the
incumbent Karl Burgess and a challenger, Jim Newman, 65, a former
educator. Both candidates have a history with the finance committee.

It’s 10 p.m. on a Thursday night. Steve Durkee, the Gazette graphics director, is in Dick Reston’s office, his head stuck out the open skylight, smoking a cigarette. Dick is at his computer, writing headlines.