After a period of lying fallow, Katama Farm will be traditionally
farmed again. The Edgartown Conservation Commission on Wednesday night
agreed to lease the historic property to FARM Institute.
Their decision brings the 180-acre farm back into the Island farming
community. It also allows FARM Institute the opportunity to expand its
role of helping young people learn the ways of agriculture.
Candidate Challenge Fails in Tisbury Clash
Town Registrar Board Rules in Favor of James Douglas and Douglas
Dias's Right to Run for Selectman Post
By JONATHAN BURKE
The candidacies of James Douglas and Douglas Dias in Tisbury's
upcoming selectmen's race survived challenges Monday night.
The burden was on the challengers to prove that Mr. Douglas and Mr.
Dias are not residents of Tisbury. In each case, the town's
four-member board of registrars deadlocked 2-2, which meant the
challenges failed.
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.
