SSA Leaders Study New Bedford Service

Fast Ferry Link to Vineyard Terminals in 2004 Requires Majority
Backing from Top Boat Line Governors

By CHRIS BURRELL

WOODS HOLE - Year-round fast ferry service between the
Vineyard and New Bedford could become a reality by next year if
Steamship Authority governors approve a recommendation made by senior
managers at yesterday's monthly meeting in Woods Hole.

These uncertain days are proof that for the most part the Vineyard real estate market thrives both in good times and bad.

"People see this as a safe place to be and a safe place to put your money," said Alan Schweikert of Ocean Park Realty.

Sharon Purdy of Sandpiper Realty said, "People want a safe haven and Martha's Vineyard is a safe haven. If you live in a place like a city and can retreat to a place like the Island, that is a really special thing to be able to give to your family."

It's not heartless developers or steel wrecking balls that scare a group of historic preservationists in Oak Bluffs, but a combination of other factors that sound far more innocuous - low interest rates, a new sewer system and a surge in real estate values.

These ingredients set the stage for a building and renovation boom that, left unchecked, could ruin the town's architectural legacy.

These are the voices of an Island in a nation at war:

"I don't think we had much choice." - Charles Felder, manager of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club.

"I honestly don't know of anyone who is supportive or ready for this." - Annelies Spykman, employee at Mocha Motts in Oak Bluffs.

"They should just go in there and take care of business. They let [Saddam Hussein] go the first time, and I think that was a mistake." - Craig Tankard of Oak Bluffs, at the Vineyard Haven A&P.

Outbreak of War Against Iraq Will Curtail Student Travel Plans to
Countries Overseas

By CHRIS BURRELL

If war in Iraq breaks out before April vacation, students at the
Martha's Vineyard Regional High School can forget about their
travel plans to Ireland, Costa Rica and England.

That was the message this week from the regional school committee
whose regular monthly meeting Monday night drew a crowd of nearly 50
people - parents, students and at least three teachers who tried
to sway committee members to reconsider their hard-line stance on
travel.

After a Walkout, Consequences

By CHRIS BURRELL

They demonstrated against war and demanded peace, then walked out
the doors of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School to
underscore their point.

In the eight days that followed, the 190 students who took part in
the high school's first ever walkout have now undergone an unusual
lesson in crime and punishment.

SSA Supports New Ferry Plan

Boat Line Managers Recommend Private Firm for High-Speed, Year-Round
Service Between New Bedford and Vineyard

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

Senior managers at the Steamship Authority are expected to recommend
today that the boat line issue a long-term license to New England Fast
Ferry LLC to operate year-round, high-speed passenger service between
New Bedford and the Vineyard.

Texas Pollsters Open Oak Bluffs Campaign on MVC Withdrawal

By JULIA WELLS

Oak Bluffs voters began receiving calls this week from a Texas
polling company in what appears to be the opening salvo for a heated
political campaign prior to a special town election on possible
secession from the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

On May 13 Oak Bluffs voters will be asked to say yes or no to town
withdrawal from the MVC.

Report Calls for Changes to Strengthen Future Role of Island
Planning Agency

By JULIA WELLS

Overhaul the review process for developments of regional impact.
Encourage districts of critical planning concern. Forge better working
relationships with the Island towns. Improve staff work. Improve public
relations. Planning, planning, planning.

These are the central themes in a comprehensive report card on the
Martha's Vineyard Commission released this week by commission
executive director Mark London.

The lobster fishery in the waters around Martha's Vineyard has
collapsed. Today a new minimum size for lobsters goes into effect. The
increase, a tiny fraction of an inch, it is being imposed in an effort
to protect juvenile lobsters. Another increase will take place on July
1, but many fisheries experts concede these steps are too late, the
horse is already out of the barn.