Principal Steven Nixon’s decision to cut five and two-fifths positions at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, potentially an unprecedented measure, met with very little opposition at a public hearing on the school budget Monday night.

The hearing was attended by about 50 Vineyarders.

If the school committee votes to certify the budget at its meeting Monday, as now appears likely, the $16.5 million budget, a 1.7 per cent increase on 2008, will reflect a significant tightening of purse strings.

The Gazette reception desk will be open until noon today. The office reopens on Monday morning.

Remember shotgun season for deer begins Monday.

NANTUCKET - - - The Vineyard high school football team defeated Nantucket 43-22 on a frigid, windswept field Saturday to bring home the Island cup for the sixth straight year. Senior quarterback Mike McCarthy threw for three touchdowns including a spectacular 40 yard pass in the second quarter to wide receiver Doug Asselin. Vineyard coach Donald Herman emptied his bench at the start of the first half. Whaler quarterback Chris Welch threw for two touchdowns late in the game but the outcome was never in doubt. The Vineyarders play next in the divisonal playoff on Dec. 2.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

Nov. 14 61 48 .03

Nov. 15 63 56 .45

Nov. 16 64 53 .63

Nov. 17 54 40 .01

Nov. 18 49 37 Trace

Nov. 19 44 28 .00

Nov. 20 33 22 .00

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 49º F.

Six people — three from the same Vineyard Haven family — were arrested on felony drug charges earlier this week following one of the largest heroin busts in Island history.

Members of the Martha’s Vineyard Drug Task force executed a search warrant at the Garde home on Spring street in Vineyard Haven just after 6 p.m. Tuesday and seized nearly $70,000 in heroin, cash and other drugs. Officers arrested three members of the Garde family and three other suspects for alledgedly running a drug operation out of the home.

Help With Benefits

Donald Brown, director of the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, is now offering regular office hours on the second Wednesday of each month at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, to assist Island residents in applying for benefits. Call 508-862-6600 for information.

When I was a young boy my family gathered for Thanksgiving at my grandparents’ house on Long Island. It was usually a fairly small affair, perhaps a dozen or so family members and an occasional friend. When my grandmother died suddenly my grandfather decided that without her help he would give up hosting. By that time my parents had divorced and lived mostly overseas, so for a while I bounced around among various relatives.

Officials from the Cape Light Compact are holding meetings on the Cape and the Vineyard in November to discuss their proposed 2009 energy efficiency plan. The Vineyard meeting was held last night at the high school.

Nov. 22, 1963: Pat and I were living in Paris; Sperry Gyroscope Co. had sent him there on business. One night in November we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner. The door was opened by our host and his wife who looked very serious and said, “Have you heard the news.” They said Kennedy had been shot and that it happened in Texas. They invited us in to listen to the television for more information. Before long Kennedy was pronounced dead and we were a very sad little group. Pat and I decided we wanted to go down to the American embassy.

I have the best chocolate cake recipe. Besides five squares of chocolate, it calls for brown sugar, sour cream and hot coffee. I have made it every year for my husband’s birthday and, once or twice I think, even for my own.