The weekend's torrents of rain may have been too much for
beachgoers, but Island farmers were grateful for it. Yesterday morning,
Jim Norton of Norton Farm in Vineyard Haven was out under the warm sun
planting young tomato seedlings. His assistants, Julie Roza and Lisa
Schoonover, were quick to put each one of the dozens of plants into the
wet soil.
Affordable Housing Plan Wins Approval
Bridge Project for Outskirts of Tisbury Wins Approval with Strong
Vote from Island Commission
By MANDY LOCKE
After four months of review, the Martha's Vineyard Commission
approved Bridge Housing Corporation's plan Thursday night to
create 30 below-market homes on eight acres of rolling woodlands in the
rural outskirts of Tisbury.
Limits on nighttime access to the beach, except for fishing.
Expanded natural history programs and a possible new education center at a still unnamed location.
A boardwalk from the Dike Bridge to the Cedars.
Year-round bathroom facilities at Mytoi.
An extended pledge for better planning, rigorous land management and good neighbor relations.
These are the benchmarks of a new management plan for two key properties owned by The Trustees of Reservations on Chappaquiddick.
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Brought by New Bedford, but City May Sue
Again
By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer
Quoting archaic academic political scientists and pointedly avoiding
a position on any substantive issues of law, a federal judge this week
dismissed a lawsuit between the city of New Bedford and the Steamship
Authority.
Board Studies New Hospital
Audience at Open Forum Says: Don't Rush to Conclusions, and Be
Sure to Include Public in the Debate
By JONATHAN BURKE
Island health care officials urged the Martha's Vineyard
Hospital board of directors Saturday not to exclude the community at
large in a rush to develop plans for a new facility.
Community Services and Union Far Apart on Economic Issues
By MANDY LOCKE
Three weeks shy of the anniversary of the landmark vote which
brought a union into Martha's Vineyard Community Services, the
health and human services agency and 35 of its employees have yet to
nail down a first contract.
"The more difficult issues have been left for now. It's
going to be arduous," said Rob Doyle, an employe of Island
Counseling Center, one of Community Services' five programs, two
of which are unionized.
The Rev. Arlene Bodge sees life as a journey whose prime function is to establish a relationship with God. "It's not a trudge," she declares, smiling happily. "What you're doing is skipping through this garden."
But then, as she begins talking about transitions, comes an emotional moment.
"It's not an easy thing to do. Leave-taking is never easy, role change is never easy, losing anything is never easy; losing your routine - " she pauses and laughs - "or losing your mind." And the moment passes.
Voters in West Tisbury Reject Money Articles a Second Time
By MANDY LOCKE
There was something oddly familiar about the political week in West
Tisbury.
On Wednesday at a special town meeting, just as at town meeting six
weeks ago, voters approved spending items.
And yesterday, in a special town election, just as at the town
election six weeks ago, voters vetoed that spending.
The result:
* No money to continue funding a police officer position
created three years ago through a federal grant; voted down 277-99.
Teenagers who found themselves in trouble and needing a free ride home this year telephoned the SafeRides hotline at nearly twice the rate they did last year, according to statistics released this week.
The figures compiled by SafeRides of Martha's Vineyard show ridership jumped sharply compared to the numbers from last year. In the 20 weekend nights that the teen-run service operated this year, drivers picked up and drove home 177 of their peers. On average, that's about nine young people ferried home each night.
Martha's Vineyard Commission Approves Hillside Village
Housing, with Conditions
By MANDY LOCKE
The Martha's Vineyard Commission is wrestling a new kind of
development animal these days.
