Appraisal Company President Sends Out Missive on Tax Case
By IAN FEIN
The head of Vision Appraisal Technology Inc. has stepped into the
fray surrounding the Graham property tax case against West Tisbury
assessors.
Defending his Northboro company, Vision Appraisal president Kevin
Comer sent to clients across the commonwealth last week a letter that
criticized press coverage of the case and comments attributed to West
Tisbury resident William W. Graham and his attorney.
Study Pinpoints Source of Pond Pollution
By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL
The primary reason for the decline in water quality in Lake Tashmoo
and Lagoon and Sengekontacket ponds is nitrogen coming from septic
systems.
With a wide grin and a deep laugh, Matt Rivers would be the first to
say that he is not the most athletic kid on the court.
Beacon Hill Lawmakers Debate Housing Bank at Legislative Hearing
By IAN FEIN
BOSTON - With an affordable housing crisis spreading across
the commonwealth, state legislators on Beacon Hill this week took up a
controversial bill to create a Martha's Vineyard Housing Bank.
Senators from western Massachusetts to the Cape and Islands debated
whether the Vineyard housing predicament warrants special legislation.
Edgartown Businessmen Plan Luxury Club
By James Kinsella
Gazette Senior Writer
A high-end Edgartown investor group is proposing to build a
members-only recreational facility in Katama as part of an ambitious
effort linked to the reconstruction of the Navigator restaurant on the
town harbor, and a wider revival of downtown Edgartown.
Highway Officials to Close Drawbridge
Four-Day Shutdown Begins Tuesday to Repair, Replace Concrete
Decking; Alert Goes Out to Island Motorists
By MAX HART
Against the backdrop of a visit last week from the Massachusetts
Highway Commissioner and pledges of greater cooperation with the Island
community, state highway officials announced abruptly this week that the
Lagoon Pond drawbridge will be closed to traffic for four days while
repairs are made to the aging structure.
West Tisbury Voters Acquiesce on Bills
By IAN FEIN
West Tisbury voters at a special town meeting this week reversed
their previous opposition and agreed to pay $150,000 in legal bills
associated with the Graham property tax case against town assessors. The
vote came almost exactly two months after a town meeting where voters
rejected payment.
Abandoning Draft Pact, Town, Tribe Call Summit
By IAN FEIN
Town and tribal officials in Aquinnah this week agreed to set aside
a preliminary but controversial document that had outlined an unusual
joint land use regulatory venture. The two governments will instead
start anew and work together in an open forum to set out mutual goals
for their small town at the western edge of the Island.
The students manning the phones at the Hebrew Center on this January night are there to kick off the first night of the 2006 SafeRides season. The student-run program provides a free and confidential ride home to any student of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School who is not in a condition to drive safely or who wants to avoid being a passenger with an unsafe driver.
Property Tax Bills Out, Also Up in Four of Six Vineyard Towns
By IAN FEIN
Property tax bills are out - and up - in four of the six
Island towns. But property owners in Edgartown and West Tisbury will not
see their new assessments or tax bills for another few months, as town
assessors work to determine values in the wake of previous appeals from
large landowners.
