Season of Annual Town Meetings Continues in Two Island Forums
In Chilmark
By MARCUS TONTI
Chilmark residents who in recent years have approved construction of
both a new school and library will next consider improvements to another
public building, deciding this week whether to borrow $1.5 million to
expand and renovate their town hall.
West Tisbury Annual Town Meeting Decides to Remain in School
District
By JULIA WELLS
The people of West Tisbury refused to pull out of the Up-Island
Regional School District, axed a plan for a gate at the entrance to town
beach and cheered their resident historian and Pulitzer Prize winner
this week at an annual town meeting that was in many ways an example of
democracy straight up.
"I have stood here for years wearing many hats, and tonight I
wear my favorite hat of all - it just says citizen,"
declared Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter.
Glenn Hearn Is Elected to West Tisbury Board in Startling Upset Win
By JULIA WELLS
In a stunning upset that rocked the old guard political network on
the Vineyard, Glenn Hearn ousted four-term West Tisbury selectman
Cynthia Mitchell in the annual town election yesterday, beating her by
just 20 votes in a tight race that drew a huge crowd of voters.
MVC Approves Plan to Rebuild Old Inn After Main Street Fire
By JULIA WELLS
Acting with record speed and expressing open compassion regarding
the tragic fire that destroyed a historic hotel at the head of Main
street in Vineyard Haven four months ago, the Martha's Vineyard
Commission voted last week to approve a plan to rebuild the Tisbury Inn.
Inn Demolition Stirs Complaint
Fiberglass Particles and Debris Floating in Air Bring Worries from
Downtown Businesses; No Notification to DEP
By JOSHUA SABATINI
As demolition of the Tisbury Inn began earlier this week, unexpected
high winds caused bright pink shreds of fiberglass insulation and other
debris from the project to swirl through Main street, prompting
complaints from downtown businesses and beyond.
Fred C. Raskin: Meet New Head of the Boatline
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
Two days on the job - actually not even two days - and
already the message slips have begun to litter the desk like fallen
leaves.
A skateboard park, a new $3.8 million library and locker rooms for the ice arena - Oak Bluffs voters this week gave all three a resounding hurrah, affirming a commitment to Island youth and the literacy of their townspeople.
Oak Bluffs voters swept their incumbent leaders back into office
yesterday, giving both Richard Combra and Michael Dutton fresh
three-year terms on the board of selectmen.
In a marathon annual town meeting, Edgartown residents voted down
the Martha's Vineyard Commission's designation of
Chappaquiddick as a district of critical planning concern (DCPC).
Voting 195 to 134 not to establish the boundaries of the
Chappaquiddick district, the town eliminated the district designation in
one fell swoop.
The eminent biographer and historian who is a year-round resident of the Vineyard, won the Pulitzer Prize this week for his biography of John Adams.