The flash of golden shovels against piles of autumn leaves heralded the first phase of the Island Housing Trust’s newest affordable housing project in Vineyard Haven, as groundbreaking for the Lake Street project took place last Thursday.

Steamship Authority management confirmed this week that an investigation is under way involving three former employees who may have been skimming money from parking receipts at the Palmer avenue lot in Falmouth.

SSA general manager Wayne Lamson said yesterday that the three employees under investigation, who have not been named, were fired. Information has been turned over to state police and no arrests have been made, Mr. Lamson said.

An Edgartown man has been charged for the second time in the last month with illegally practicing law and taking money from a client.

John C. McBride, 62, was arraigned last Friday in Edgartown district court on charges of larceny over $250, removed attorney practicing law and unauthorized practice of law. Not guilty pleas were entered and a pretrial hearing was set for Nov. 21.

Edgartown Lacks Quorum

Falling 20 voters shy of a quorum on Tuesday night, the Edgartown special town meeting was rescheduled for this Tuesday, Nov. 1.

The 15-article warrant contains a number of key issues, including a request for money to commission an appraisal for the Capt. Warren House with an eye toward a possible sale, and a request to convert the old silos at Katama Farm into cell towers.

The meeting Tuesday will reconvene at 7 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church.

Edgartown selectmen issued a stern warning to the owners of Sophia’s Market this week after the convenience store was caught selling alcohol to minors twice in one month over the summer

At a public hearing at their weekly meeting Monday, selectmen said the owners of the market at the Mobil Station on Upper Main street could keep their license as long as they work with the police to avoid future situations.

From an “Interesting Vineyarders” column:

Capt. Edward A. Perry of Oak Bluffs, a descendant of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, is one of the survivors of the era of wooden ships

The Vineyard is too beautiful for its own good, at least when it comes to climate change. It’s hard to look past the shimmering goldenrod and deep autumn ocean to see growing cracks in the Island’s foundation.

The soil, trees and plants — the powerful roots of wispy beach grass — keep this Island afloat. The land and sea provide food and shelter. Clean air and water sustain our human health. The beaches and parks, forests and farms, vast water views and bold hydrangeas are the fuel that fire the local economy. This is our foundation.

TO MARKET

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I’ve just come from the first winter farmers’ market at the Agricultural Hall (what a perfect venue) and we are so lucky to have such a resource. The range of food from soup and baked goods to winter squash, potatoes, pork sausage, beets, beautiful dried flowers (Sue Silva, of course), jams and jellies, greens, cheese and yogurt was amazing.

Edgartown

Like each sea captain’s home must be surrounded

by the white picket fence of a whale’s jaw full of teeth

over which morning glory vines grow like scrimshaw.

Like the White Cliffs of Dover must be rebuilt to welcome ships,

where houses stand like blocks of marble on Main Street,

and the glass fan window is a pale British Sunrise of sorts.

Roundabout Rethink

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The roundabout application for the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs is not the first controversial issue the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has faced in its existence, but it is surely a seminal one, and could fix public attitudes, for better or worse, toward the regional planning agency for a long time to come.