Editor’s Note: The Joint Committee on Public Service will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill No. 1627 on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 10:30 a.m. in Room B-2 at the State House in Boston. The bill would amend the Steamship Authority’s enabling act to authorize a single arbitrator to determine wages, benefits and other terms of employment for SSA union employees, if the boat line is unable to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the union within five months after the expiration of the prior contract. The boat line opposes the bill.

Author’s Note: This unpublished essay was written in April 2003. Initial and continuing military actions in Iraq, primarily by one aggressor nation, have cast the long shadow of criminal behavior that heretofore has placed civilian and military war-wagers of rogue regimes in the dock, charged and convicted of crimes against humanity.

“War is a dreadful thing, and unjust war is a crime against humanity. But it is such a crime because it is unjust, not because it is war.”

— Theodore Roosevelt,

Construction is beginning on the drawbridge at the entrance to Lagoon Pond, straddling the border between Oak Bluffs and Tisbury. I’d like to bring everyone up to date on the status of the overall project and note some of the issues that the Vineyard community will have to deal with in the coming months.

As you probably recall, MassHighway’s approach is to first build a temporary bridge alongside the existing bridge, in order to reroute traffic. Then, a permanent drawbridge will be built in the alignment of the existing bridge.

Mature Workers

The Mature Workers Program of Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands Inc. has openings in its Bridge Back to Work Program for income-eligible people 55 years of age and older.

The program offers paid work experience and training to help participants obtain employment. More information is available by calling 888-394-4630 or 508-394-4630, extensions 134 or 138.

Hello, Sydney

Holly and Erik Bruguiere of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Sydney Priscilla Bruguiere, on Oct. 29 at the Martha’s Vineyard Community Hospital. Sydney weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces at birth.

Class of 1967 Slates Reunion

Dinner at Oyster Bar Grill

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 1967 is planning its 40th anniversary reunion dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Oyster Bar Grill, Circuit avenue, Oak Bluffs.

The class has invited high school friends from 1963 through 1970 to join 1967 class members before or after dinner to listen to music and reminisce.

Community Baptist Church of Gay Head will host the Martha’s Vineyard Neighborhood Convention on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 10:45 a.m. at the tribal building on Black Brook Road. The topic will be Keepers of Our Ancient Cliffs. Please feel free to bring your brown bag lunch to the discussion. Dessert and beverages will be provided.

MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

A community center potluck dinner conversation about road names caught the attention of Tim Leland, who has a house at Wasque. Evidently his brother, Steve Leland, had been lamenting the corruption over time of the name for the pond near where they both live at the end of the island.

JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Chilmark still boasts mild weather and sunshine into November. In our hearts, however, we know this is the month that always changes things. Better get the last of those bulbs in and any outside chores done soon. The changing leaves were pretty on all the roadsides but there seem to be many trees still green.

Correction

A story in the Gazette last Friday on the Vineyard schools superintendent’s proposed budget gave an incorrect date for the upcoming meeting of the all-Island school committee. The committee meets on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. in the regional high school library to vote on the budget. The Gazette regrets the error.