Mandate Reinforces Mission of the MVC

Vineyard Voters Back Nine Candidates with Clear Commitment to
Support Unique Role of Regional Agency

By JULIA WELLS

Marking a fresh mandate to stay the course, Vineyard voters elected
a solid slate of conservation-minded candidates - including six
incumbents - to the Martha's Vineyard Commission this week.
And for the second time in two years, two respected Island farmers were
the top vote-getters in the election for the regional land use
commission.

Islanders without health insurance will receive an invitation to
band together next year in a community-based plan that aims to open the
doors to a comprehensive health care system now out of reach for
one-fifth of the Vineyard's 15,000 year-round residents.

But many doctors and health care agencies worry that the plan may
tip the already fragile financial balance of caring for patients under a
paperwork-laden and reimbursement-stingy health maintenance organization
system.

State and Local Elections Draw Large Turnout of Vineyard Voters

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

In a characteristic display of Island independence, voters on
Martha\'s Vineyard turned out in large numbers this week to throw
strong support to Shannon O\'Brien for governor, reject an outside
initiative to change the way their Steamship Authority governor is
appointed and elect a solid slate of conservation-minded Islanders to
the Martha\'s Vineyard Commission.

In a characteristic display of Island independence, voters on Martha's Vineyard turned out in large numbers this week to throw strong support to Shannon O'Brien for governor, reject an outside initiative to change the way their Steamship Authority governor is appointed and elect a solid slate of conservation-minded Islanders to the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

On This Election Day: Votes for the Farmers and Against the State

By JULIA WELLS

They went to the polls in large numbers on a sparkling autumn day.
They said they liked two farmers best for the Martha's Vineyard
Commission. They said they were unhappy with the outside meddling of the
state legislature and the city of New Bedford when it came to the
Steamship Authority.

They got involved.

The membership of the Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club
paid tribute to two of its founding members at a dinner in their honor
on Wednesday night. W. Howard Andrews Jr., 79, and Edward G. Tyra, 85,
both of Edgartown, were treated to numerous accolades.

Club president Bob DeLisle stood before more than 60 people in the
clubhouse and talked about how Mr. Andrews and Mr. Tyra had long been
supporters of the club through good and bad times. They are directors
emeritus.

Against a backdrop of growing concern over use of alcohol and drugs by Vineyard teens, police will seek criminal charges against a West Tisbury couple who allegedly allowed underaged drinking to take place on their property during a teenage party last weekend off Lambert's Cove Road.

It's always been a one-way street: Students perform and
teachers judge. But some students at Martha's Vineyard Regional
High School can't wait to upend the system and put teachers'
performances under the microscope.

Sheriff's Department Deputies Seek Union for Employees at the
House of Corrections

By MANDY LOCKE

Complaining of inconsistent leadership and frequent deviations from
department policies, deputies at the Edgartown House of Corrections will
vote this month to seek union representation from the Massachusetts
Correctional Officers Federated Union.

According to many current and former correctional officers,
employee-management relations inside the jail have been strained for a
long time.

Thoughtful land planning, the end game in development, difficult decisions in the name of protecting the unique qualities of the Vineyard - values, values, values. These were the central themes this week when candidates for the Martha's Vineyard Commission squared off in a public forum one week before the biennial state election.