SSA Votes for Hyannis Fast Ferry; Year-Round Service Starts in May

By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer

Year-round fast ferry service to and from Hyannis is coming to Oak
Bluffs.

The Steamship Authority board of governors yesterday voted 4-0 to
approve the proposal by Hy-Line Cruises Inc. of Hyannis to offer the
service. New Bedford member David Oliveira was absent.

Penalties, Deadlines Loom Over Builder

By JAMES KINSELLA

Gene Erez was in a hurry to renovate 45 Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs
so that the building would be ready for the summer season.

But the Oak Bluffs builder, who ended up demolishing the historic
structure without a permit, may be running out of time.

Mr. Erez still is trying to move as quickly as possible to get the
necessary permits in hand and start building a structure that will
largely replicate the former Army Barracks building, originally
constructed in the 1870s.

In West Tisbury, Debt Payments Pile High

By IAN FEIN

West Tisbury voters have been running up their collective credit
card balance in recent years. Now the bills are starting to pile up in
the town budget.

The proposed $12.1 million town budget for fiscal year 2006, which
will go before voters at the annual town meeting in April and takes
effect in July, includes $850,000 in debt spending - up $375,000,
or almost 80 per cent, from the current fiscal year.

The overall budget is up 11 per cent, or $1.2 million, from this
year.

A continuing rise in the cost of health insurance premiums and fuel oil is driving up the operating budget in Tisbury. Finance committee members have drafted a $16,641,797 budget for next fiscal year, a four per cent increase over this year.

"We have certain things that go up without our control, things like insurance," said Meverell (Mev) L. Good, chairman of the Tisbury finance and advisory committee.

Three Superintendent Candidates Vie for Helm of Island Schools

By IAN FEIN

After five months of searching and two different interims, the
Vineyard may have its new permanent superintendent of schools named next
week.

The all-Island school committee began a series of interviews with
three finalists on Wednesday, and will meet with the last superintendent
candidate on Monday.

Police, Library Costs Jump in Oak Bluffs

By JAMES KINSELLA

For the third year in a row, Oak Bluffs voters will be presented
with an annual town operating budget that does not require an override.

And for the first year ever, town voters also will be asked to
approve a budget that breaks the $20 million mark.

Avoiding an override took some work on the part of the town finance
committee, which sliced $450,000 from town department requests in its
budget review.

Fast Link to Hyannis Wins Public Backing

Steamship Authority Governors Poised to Decide on Hy-Line Proposal;
Year-Round Service Planned

By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer

The public likes the idea of a year-round fast ferry running between
Hyannis and Oak Bluffs. Now the question is whether the Steamship
Authority will.

Edgartown Turns to Town Voters to Pay for Ambulance, Firehouse

By JAMES KINSELLA

A laundry list of potential capital expenditures and a proposed 5.1
per cent increase in the annual operating budget await Edgartown voters
this April.

The financial advisory committee has signed off on a budget of
$21,250,025 for the coming fiscal year, $1,031,892 higher than the
current year.

Architect in Life: Banker Takes the Long View in Front Office

By JAMES KINSELLA

In his earlier years, Chris Wells thought about becoming an
architect. As it turned out, he did become an architect - not of
bricks and mortar, but of the hopes and aspirations of people's
lives.

Mr. Wells, 40, had learned what banking could mean for the people in
a community.

Against a backdrop of increasing doubt, state highway officials this week promised to complete temporary repairs to the Lagoon Pond drawbridge in time for summer boat traffic.

Plans are under way to fix the hardware that opens and closes the highly-trafficked drawbridge that connects Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, but at least one selectman and the bridge's own caretaker reacted this week with skepticism.

Tisbury selectman Tristan Israel said Tuesday night at the board's weekly meeting that he harbors serious doubts that the bridge can be repaired in time.