Special town meetings are supposed to be tame housekeeping
affairs, but Thursday's session in Oak Bluffs will steer voters
into some dicey territory — asking them to reconsider the ban on
smoking in bars and to release $110,000 to settle unspecified
lawsuits against the town.

State Forest Gets Help

By JOSHUA SABATINI

The Department of Environmental Management's Division of
Forests and Parks has begun to implement a new management plan
for the 5,000-acre Manuel F. Correllus State Forest.

Concerned about the risk of forest fires, DEM, the state
agency responsible for managing the forest, has focused its
energies on clearing firebreaks or "safe zones" on the land's
perimeter and interior, a plan discussed for several years.

SSA Hears from Public

By JULIA WELLS

Invite more public participation. That was the message to
the Steamship Authority board of governors last week from a
small gathering of Vineyard residents.

"I would like to encourage you to reconsider your policy of
only permitting public comment at the end of your meetings.

Pneumonic tularemia is back. Confirming this year's first case of the pneumonic form of the disease, public health officials said yesterday they are prepared to call in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate.

Gus Ben David, director of Massachusetts Audubon's Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, takes a four-wheel-drive vehicle out into the field by the osprey pole that is visible from the entrance road to the sanctuary. Accompanying Mr. Ben David, in the passenger seat, is longtime cohort Tim Baird of Edgartown, an Island electrician. They are transporting Mr. Ben David's' 20-year-old golden eagle, named Chameli, in the back of the vehicle. The eagle acts as the lure in what is about to transpire.

The Vineyard's summer rental market is soft this season.

How low the market has slumped, reasons for the dip and long-term projections have yet to be determined, but real estate agents across the Island feel the hit.

Some companies slowed slightly this season while others experienced as much as a 20 per cent fall. Real estate brokers feel the pinch in a variety of ways — dollars, volume of inquiries, length of vacation stays — but all are reporting a downward turn.

Many of the agencies see a correlation between a jump in rental prices and the slowdown.

Playhouse Launches Campaign

By MANDY LOCKE

The home of the Vineyard Playhouse stood strong through
nearly two centuries of Vineyard life. Leaders and friends of
this small professional theatre want to ensure it stands secure
for centuries to come.

Built in 1833 on a pasture donated by Capt. William Daggett,
the Playhouse wears the scars of time. A survey of the building
reveals rotting, chipping and holes.

"It looks like somebody didn't do anything for 20 years,"
Playhouse managing director Josh Sommer said.

Casey Sharpe, the executive secretary in Oak Bluffs, has
announced she will resign her position effective Sept. 30,
leaving selectmen to search for yet another top manager to guide
their town.

Clash Over Fast Ferries

By JULIA WELLS

Steamship Authority leaders clashed openly yesterday over
whether to develop multi-million-dollar high-speed ferry service
from the port of New Bedford to the Vineyard — and how the
public boat line is going to pay for it.

"This high-speed opportunity from New Bedford has the
potential to be the most profitable run in the whole Steamship
Authority.

Summer of Public Transit

By MANDY LOCKE

The Vineyard Transit Authority is dedicated to making it
easy to leave the car at home and ride the bus through the busy
summer season.