If there's a religious holiday that seems to encourage letting your hair down, it must be Hanukkah. At least that's how things looked over at the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center.

At least six deer carcasses were illegally dumped in the Oak Bluffs
harbor last week, sending bacteria levels sky-high and prompting closure
of the harbor to shellfishing two days later. Police have no suspects
but said they are confident they will find those responsible for what
one environmental official has called a hazardous waste site.

Edgartown Christmas Weekend Kicks Off Season of Festivities

By BRETT FERRY

A stroll down Main street in Edgartown during the past week might
not have brought to mind many thoughts of Christmas.

Despite the garland-wrapped lampposts and the door-hung wreaths with
red bows, the few pedestrians that were out wore short sleeves. And the
local UPS man was working up a sweat delivering boxes of inventory to
local shops - wearing shorts. The sidewalks have been anything but
crowded and parking has been a cinch.

Main Street Project Takes Shape in Tisbury

By JOSHUA SABATINI

Tisbury's department of public works voted last week to have
residents decide at town meeting next April the fate of seven components
of the Main Street Project.

The project - a joint effort of the department of Public Works
and the Tisbury Business Association - would take advantage of the
opportunity for infrastructure improvements created when roads are dug
up for sewer lines.

Vineyard Loses Super Bowl Heartbreaker

By JOSHUA SABATINI

Despite coming into the Division 6 Super Bowl with incredible
momentum - having won seven straight games in which they outscored
opponents 206-38 - the Vineyard football squad hit a brick wall
Saturday afternoon, suffering a 12-0 defeat at the hands of Marian, a
private Catholic school in Framingham.

A bitterly divided Dukes County Commission shuffled the power
structure of the Steamship Authority governing board this week in a
surprise vote to replace J.B. Riggs Parker, the embattled Vineyard boat
line governor. The majority of the commission turned instead to a
newcomer to the Vineyard political scene - Kathryn A. Roessel, a
Tisbury resident and retired attorney.

The vote was 4-3 to appoint Ms. Roessel.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank Commission is no longer
actively negotiating with Corey Kupersmith for the possible purchase of
his property in the southern woodlands, but in a letter to the
Martha's Vineyard Commission this week, the executive director of
the land bank did not rule out the prospect of future talks.

You know exactly who they are - your son's second grade teacher, your neighbor whose spouse left last year, the EMT who revived your father last month. It's the regional high school class of 1997.

This is but a snapshot of the nearly 2,000 faces of those unfortunate enough to struggle month after month, year after year with the lack of affordable housing on Martha's Vineyard.

You've heard their stories dozens of times, but do you know just how severe the affordable housing problem is?

Fran Resendes lit the tree of lights on Wednesday.

A long-time friend of Martha's Vineyard Hospital and its
volunteers, Mrs. Resendes flicked the switch at dusk before a small
gathering, and hundreds of red and white lights lit the familiar 30-foot
tree at the entrance to the hospital. Anyone driving past this holiday
season has an opportunity to remember friends, both here and gone.

"You should have seen their faces at the end of the
testing," said regional high school history teacher Corinne Kurtz.
"They were skeletons."