KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

How can we not like this weather? The only problem is Mother Nature loves to tease us and we know this is short-lived until June. So we have to enjoy it while we can. Donaroma’s is looking like Oz again following the arrival of the pansies, daffodils and hyacinths. Everyone who comes in says they were looking for something to brighten their day and give them hope for spring.

Joe the Clam Eater

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of January, 1948

Not conquering perhaps, but a hero just the same, Joseph H. Silva returned this week to his home in Edgartown. He went west as the Vineyard’s champion clam-eater, seeking a prize as the nation’s capacity consumer. Mr. Silva has won local fame for his capacity for steamed clams, boiled clams, fried clams and just clams.

In an extraordinary outcome, a Tisbury town referendum on whether town restaurants should be allowed to sell beer and wine with meals ended in a tie vote this week, 690 in favor and 690 against.

Following the annual town election Tuesday, which saw a record turnout, supporters of beer and wine sales have called for a recount of the votes, citing the possibility that improperly marked ballots wound up in the count.

The machine count recorded 21 blank ballots.

In a town well known for spirited and lengthy town meetings, Oak Bluffs voters may have set a new benchmark this year, as intense scrutiny of town finances coupled with often emotional debate on a wide range of topics pushed the political season to 12 hours spread over four evenings.

High housing costs and new federal certification requirements have led to teacher shortages at Island schools. Staffing problems are currently limited to the subject areas of math, computers, special education and foreign languages, but school leaders are nevertheless worried and taking steps to address the problem.

At a meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School District Committee last week, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss announced a concerted effort to address the lack of interest for prospective teachers at the high school.

Several years of effort to restore the dwindling Island bay scallop population finally paid off this year; scallop landings Islandwide increased 23 per cent over the previous year.

“There are probably still millions of dollars of shellfish in Chilmark waters,” shellfish constable Stanley Larsen said this week. The town’s annual bay scallop harvest grew for the fourth straight year.

Fares for both cars and passengers on Steamship Authority ferries will go up beginning May 1 as a result of soaring world energy prices.

Passenger fare increases on both the Vineyard and Nantucket routes were recommended by boat line management at the April governors’ meeting in New Bedford on Tuesday. The fare hikes are expected to raise an extra $1.5 million in revenue to offset fuel price increases.

But after a long discussion, boat line governors called for raising vehicle rates as well, to provide a further financial cushion of some $575,000.

Proposed fare raises from the new owner of the Chappaquiddick ferry have drawn complaints from dozens of residents.

Peter Wells has asked permission from selectmen to raise cash prices for round-trip journeys from $3 to $4 for foot passengers and from $10 to $12 for cars.

To date 35 letters against the proposed hikes have come into the Edgartown selectmen’s office from the sparsely populated island.

The 527-foot trip, which generally takes between one and two minutes, is the only way on and off the island for most residents.

With a green light from both the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Chilmark planning board, the Middle Line Road affordable housing project has moved two steps closer to breaking ground.

Middle Line, which has been in the works since 2004, will be the first town-sponsored affordable housing project in Chilmark, with six rental units and six resident homesites.

At its meeting last Thursday night the commission voted 8-2 to approve the project, which was under review as a development of regional impact (DRI).

Sparks flew briefly in the Chilmark town hall this week after the zoning board of appeals approved a plan to turn the long-established Inn at Blueberry Hill into a members-only private club.

The zoning board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the plan by Lifestyle Development Company, a New York-based for-profit organization. The inn must keep its restaurant open to the public and must allow 25 per cent of the inn guests to be from the general public.