It has been billed as a native forest restoration project unlike any
ever seen, aimed at promoting biological diversity and preventing
catastrophic wildfires while improving the health and appearance of the
Manuel F. Correllus State Forest.

But for Island conservationist Robert Woodruff, several key issues
need to be addressed before the first tree is felled in the new plan to
clear away more than 500 acres of dead and dying pine trees from the
heart of the Vineyard.

Vineyard Brokers Report Sales Up Across the Market

By ALEXIS TONTI

With the turn of the season from summer to fall there are signs that
the Vineyard real estate market has turned also, picking up the pace as
it rounds the corner after a slow stretch.

"Sales are absolutely up," declared Judith Federowicz,
the owner of Landmarks Real Estate in Vineyard Haven.

Quick's Hole is a narrow passage that lies between the islands
of Pasque and Nashawena, a treacherous passage lined with boulders on
either side that earned its name from the swift currents running through
it.

The hole lies seven miles northwest of Menemsha. Vessels traveling
between Menemsha and New Bedford use this channel to thread the chain of
the Elizabeth Islands. Rocks are visible along the shoreline, and many
more dangers lie below, charted and uncharted.

Dr. Kriner Cash Resigns Superintendent Position After Nine Years on
Job

By JULIA WELLS

Vineyard Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash announced
unexpectedly this week that he will leave his post after more than nine
years to take a job in Dade County, Fla.

Mr. Cash will leave the Vineyard in two weeks; Oct. 15 will be his
last day on the job.

Harvard Forest Expert Describes Clearing the Way for Restoration

By TOM DUNLOP

It will be the largest ecological restoration project in the history
of New England, said David R. Foster of Harvard Forest.

Mr. Foster and his colleague Glenn Motzkin authored a study five
years ago that formed the basis for the hugely ambitious new plan to log
528 acres of planted trees in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest.

News that the state has begun to explore ways to clear the
plantations in the forest surfaced last week.

Election season has put Cong. William Delahunt in a dark but feisty mood.

Beverly Wright was walking through the National Mall in Washington, D.C., last week during the opening ceremony for the National Museum of the American Indian when a familiar face caught her eye. As she made her way through a sea of thousands of strangers, she was suddenly confronted by a huge image of her friend, Berta Welch, staring back at her.

Breaking West Tisbury's Three-Year Streak, Tisbury
Firefighters Take Top Prize in Muster

By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL

Tisbury firefighters were the winners in Sunday's annual Dukes
County Firefighter's Muster, besting Oak Bluffs by half a second
in tight competition. More than 150 people turned out for the popular
muster on a warm and sunny day that was marked by watery fun and skilled
firefighting at Waban Park in Oak Bluffs.

County to Offer Training Class for Students Seeking the GED

By ALEXIS TONTI

Following the recent elimination of an established general education
diploma (GED) preparatory program on the Island, the Dukes County
sheriff's department announced that it will sponsor GED classes
for Vineyard residents.

State Finds Code Infractions in Oak Bluffs

By CHRIS BURRELL

An eight-month investigation by the state's environmental
enforcement agency has confirmed that the Oak Bluffs board of health and
a Tisbury engineering firm violated several state health regulations
when they signed septic permits for a new house belonging to Joseph N.
Alosso, an Island official in charge of two municipal sewage treatment
plants on the Vineyard.