Season of Annual Town Meetings Continues in Two Island Forums
In Tisbury
If Tisbury residents approve more than $2.2 million in proposed
expenditures on top of the town's $14.5 million operating budget,
taxes for the average homeowner will increase by $160. But the
possibility of higher taxes is just one of the issues voters will
confront at Tuesday's annual town meeting, at the Tisbury School
gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that it has
reached an agreement with R.M. Packer Co. for fines and compliance after
the company violated the Clean Air Act by releasing literally tons of
harmful pollutants into the air, both in Vineyard Haven and in New
Bedford.
The Packer company will now spend $300,000 to install emissions
control equipment at its Vineyard Haven terminal, and the company will
pay a penalty of $200,000 to the EPA over the next three years.
Spring Visitor Becomes Moped Casualty, Suffering Serious Injuries in Chilmark
By MANDY LOCKE
The Vineyard received an unfortunate sign of the summer
season's approach last weekend when a Mashpee woman suffered
severe injuries after her rental moped slipped off South Road in
Chilmark Sunday afternoon.
Denise Davis, 33, of Mashpee, lost control of her moped on a
straight stretch near Quansoo Road as she moved closer to the
road's edge to make room for passing cars, said Chilmark police
chief Timothy Rich.
Hospital CEO Departs; Financial Officer Takes Interim Leadership Post
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
Despite announcing last month that he would stay on until his
contract runs out in October, the chief executive officer at the
Martha's Vineyard Hospital made an abrupt exit this week after
hammering out a severance agreement with the hospital executive
committee.
Hospital CEO Kevin Burchill cleaned out his office and was gone by
the end of the day on Tuesday.
Labor Dispute Divides Agency
Staff and Administration AdoptStrongly Adversarial Positions As
Decision on Union Nears At Community Services
By MANDY LOCKE
The Martha's Vineyard Community Services labor dispute took a
step closer to resolution during National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
hearings in Boston this week as Community Services management and the
Hospital Workers Union, on behalf of 19 employees from Island Counseling
Center, agreed to extend voting privileges to all professional employees
of Community Services.
Season of Annual Town Meetings Continues in Two Island Forums
In Chilmark
By MARCUS TONTI
Chilmark residents who in recent years have approved construction of
both a new school and library will next consider improvements to another
public building, deciding this week whether to borrow $1.5 million to
expand and renovate their town hall.
West Tisbury Annual Town Meeting Decides to Remain in School
District
By JULIA WELLS
The people of West Tisbury refused to pull out of the Up-Island
Regional School District, axed a plan for a gate at the entrance to town
beach and cheered their resident historian and Pulitzer Prize winner
this week at an annual town meeting that was in many ways an example of
democracy straight up.
"I have stood here for years wearing many hats, and tonight I
wear my favorite hat of all - it just says citizen,"
declared Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter.
Glenn Hearn Is Elected to West Tisbury Board in Startling Upset Win
By JULIA WELLS
In a stunning upset that rocked the old guard political network on
the Vineyard, Glenn Hearn ousted four-term West Tisbury selectman
Cynthia Mitchell in the annual town election yesterday, beating her by
just 20 votes in a tight race that drew a huge crowd of voters.
MVC Approves Plan to Rebuild Old Inn After Main Street Fire
By JULIA WELLS
Acting with record speed and expressing open compassion regarding
the tragic fire that destroyed a historic hotel at the head of Main
street in Vineyard Haven four months ago, the Martha's Vineyard
Commission voted last week to approve a plan to rebuild the Tisbury Inn.
Inn Demolition Stirs Complaint
Fiberglass Particles and Debris Floating in Air Bring Worries from
Downtown Businesses; No Notification to DEP
By JOSHUA SABATINI
As demolition of the Tisbury Inn began earlier this week, unexpected
high winds caused bright pink shreds of fiberglass insulation and other
debris from the project to swirl through Main street, prompting
complaints from downtown businesses and beyond.
