Worth the Wait: Teens Transform Center to Room of Their Own

By SIMONE McCARTHY

The banter of ping-pong paddles and the whirring of foosballs
mingled with exuberant shouts and groans from the teenagers playing and
watching the games.

Others clutched sodas and munched on pizza and cupcakes while
swaying in tune with the music or conversing energetically on a big,
squishy couch.

Island teenagers left no doubt Saturday night that the new teen
center which opened up in the Cottagers Corner building in Oak Bluffs
was the place to be.

In a sharply split vote that came after nearly two hours of polling
among board members, the All-Island School Committee last night selected
James H. Weiss as the next superintendent of Vineyard public schools.

Mr. Weiss, who has been superintendent of the Sanborn regional
school system in New Hampshire for the last seven years, is expected to
take over leadership of the Island's six public schools on July 1,
replacing Vineyard interim superintendent G. Paul Dulac.

Boat Line Terminal in Oak Bluffs Awaits Redesign and Overhaul

By JAMES KINSELLA
Gazette Senior Writer

Revised plans for reconstruction of the Steamship Authority terminal
in Oak Bluffs were presented to the town's board of selectmen
Tuesday.

Steve Cecil of the Cecil Group, one of the designers of the project,
said the intent of the proposed reconstruction is to lessen congestion,
improve safety, and enhance the appearance of the terminal. The project
would cost $10 million, down from the prior estimated cost of about $13
million.

Selectmen Delay Middle Line Vote to Address Questions, Concerns

By MAX HART

The Chilmark housing committee this week unveiled a revised design and a $3.5 million price tag for the ambitious Middle Line Road affordable housing project.

But with the new details came more questions, and the town selectmen ultimately put the brakes on the project, which until now had been on track for a vote at annual town meeting in April.

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.