New Nutrition

Josh and Prudence Levy of Edgartown are the new owners of Vineyard Nutrition. After 24 years, Denise Guest has sold her practice to focus on her Be My Guest Granola product line development.

The Levys recently moved back to the Island to raise their two young boys close to family. “It has always been our dream to own a private nutrition counseling practice together. Buying Vineyard Nutrition has brought us back to family and community and the kind of life we were yearning for,” Mr. Levy said.

The fate of the historic Tea Lane Farm will come before Chilmark voters for a fourth time at a special town meeting on Monday. Voters are being asked to decide whether the town should enter into a long-term lease with a tenant farmer.

The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. Moderator Everett Poole will preside over the special session.

Most Island towns will be footing approximately the same share of high school costs next year, except for the two up-Island towns that contribute the smallest percentages of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s nearly $13.59 million in expenses, the regional high school committee reported this week.

Chilmark’s share of the budget is increasing by about 36 per cent compared to last year, while Aquinnah’s portion is set to decrease by 30 per cent. The two towns account for less than 7 per cent of the apportionments.

Robert Whritenour, who has served as interim town administrator in Oak Bluffs since September, has been permanently appointed to the position by the town selectmen.

At a meeting Tuesday Mr. Whritenour earned glowing praise from the selectmen, who voted unanimously to appoint him. After the vote, the selectmen and an audience of about 10 people applauded.

Mr. Whritenour, the former Falmouth town manager, was chosen from a pool of 31 applicants, with four candidates selected for a final interview round.

Spring Awakening

Never mind what the groundhog predicted. Spring is on the way.

Peter Herrmann of Edgartown reports that crocuses are blooming in his yard at 12 South street. Mr. Herrmann said four crocuses are already in full bloom as of Wednesday, with several more not far behind. “They’re lovely,” he said.

Voters in all six Island towns will now have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the Oak Bluffs roundabout this spring.

Selectmen from five of the six towns have agreed to place a nonbinding resolution on their town ballots. The resolution asks voters whether they approve of the proposed roundabout at the blinker light intersection in Oak Bluffs.

In an abrupt about-face from a decision made just a week ago, the West Tisbury selectmen unanimously voted on Wednesday to destroy two dogs that had killed a neighboring farmer’s chickens. It was the first order to do so in the town in at least 20 years.

Dukes County manager Russell Smith announced this week that he will resign after four years on the job.

Mr. Smith announced his resignation in public at the county commission meeting Wednesday night, although the plan for him to step down was discussed in executive session with the seven-member elected commission on Jan. 31. Minutes from that meeting were made public this week.

His resignation will take effect on May 1 when his current contract runs out.

On a recent Monday morning, visiting nurse Kristine Cammorata attended to Marcia MacGillivray at her home in Vineyard Haven to check on a melanoma recently removed from her shin. Mrs. MacGillivray had called the Vineyard Nursing Association (VNA) the previous weekend because she thought the wound was looking too red and puffy.

“See how it’s bleeding? Bleeding is good, that means it’s nice and healthy tissue,” Ms. Cammorata told her patient. Ms. Cammorata has been visiting Mrs. MacGillivray a few times a week to help with the wound.

Edgartown wastewater plant manager Joseph Alosso resigned Tuesday, bringing to an end a tenure that culminated in a scathing report from special counsel last week alleging Mr. Alosso had acted with “reckless disregard” for Edgartown taxpayers through lax billing practices at the plant.