Two Island Members Balk at Ferry Plan for Freight Service

Testing the power of their weighted vote for the first time
since the board was expanded, the two Island Steamship Authority
governors yesterday blocked a proposal to launch seasonal freight
service between New Bedford and the Vineyard next summer, calling for
more study.

"As we develop New Bedford service, I feel it's more
important to do it right than to do it right now," declared Vineyard
SSA governor Cassie Roessel.

Shellfish Constables Set for Scallop Season; Early Harvest Forecasts Remain Uncertain

Lagoon Pond has millions of baby bay scallops. On Tuesday afternoon,
David Grunden, shellfish constable for Oak Bluffs, was out moving some
of them around. There is a gold mine of baby bay scallops out there.
While this doesn't help the fishermen of today, it may be a sign
of a good year to follow.

MVC Closes Hearing on Golf Plan; Developers Press for Immediate Vote but Agency Will Decide Wednesday

The developers of the Down Island Golf Club made their final chess
move last night in the quest to win approval for a luxury golf and
housing project in the southern woodlands, unveiling a hasty
eleventh-hour plan for public play and urging the Martha's
Vineyard Commission to vote on the project immediately.

Mark London Takes Over as MVC Director

From Montreal to Martha's Vineyard, from two languages to one, from urban to rural, from one island to another. Just two days into his first week on the job as the new executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Commission, Mark London has developed a keen appreciation for plastic boxes.

Tisbury Center Plan Is Delayed

Tisbury Center Plan Is Delayed

Failure to Issue State Permit Snags Main Street Sewage Project; Town
Officials Raise Public Safety Concerns About Work

By JOSHUA SABATINI

On the eve of the planned groundbreaking for the Tisbury sewage
project, two Island officials raised serious safety concerns regarding
the renovation plans even as the town faces a snag in starting
construction work due to a delay at the state level.

Harvest Festival Honors Farming Tradition

There is something comforting in the connection between old-fashioned, farm-grown accomplishments, community pride and simple pleasures. It connects us to the land and to each other. The Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society's fourth annual Harvest Festival conjures vintage images of farm life and country fairs and invites Islanders to celebrate the Vineyard's rich agricultural tradition at the fairgrounds in West Tisbury Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the Columbus Day holiday.

Island Doctor Shortage Prompts Renewed Efforts to Ease Problem

Becoming a patient in a primary care physician's practice is
now almost impossible for Islanders and visitors, but medical personnel
are making an effort to alleviate the situation.

Primary physician practices, in the strictest sense, are closed to
new patients, leaving those in search of a doctor in limbo.

Tim Walsh, who became the Martha's Vineyard Hospital's
chief executive officer in August, said the lack of primary care
physicians is a problem.

State Officials Confirm Probe of Doctor in Island Prescription Drug Abuse Case

Officials at the state medical licensing board confirmed this week that their agency last year began investigating allegations that a Vineyard physician was abusing the highly addictive prescription drug, OxyContin, and writing excessive prescriptions for the drug.

Town and Wireless Telephone Company Clash

The Edgartown planning board criticized wireless phone companies Tuesday night for claiming space on the North street telephone tower.

"When is enough enough? When do we get to say enough is enough?" asked planning board chairman Norman Rankow of representatives from AT&T Wireless.

The standoff took place during a public hearing for AT&T's request to replace three antennas, add six cables and install an air conditioner and radio equipment at the North street tower site - one of only two in Edgartown.

Cruise Liners Bolster Harbor

The Oak Bluffs harbor is a money machine for the town, but the question facing leaders after yet another record-breaking year of revenue is whether they can squeeze more cash from the operation.

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