Chief of Police Is Nominated in Oak Bluffs

By JONATHAN BURKE

Erik Blake was appointed acting police chief in Oak Bluffs by a
unanimous vote of the board of selectmen Tuesday night.

Shifting Hotel Plans Ignite Controversy

By MANDY LOCKE

A flurry of phone calls, letters, accusations and denials shook
Tisbury this week - tremors that followed public suspicions that
construction plans for the Mansion House differ from architectural
drawings the Martha's Vineyard Commission and the town zoning
board of appeals approved in the spring of 2002.

A $1 million project to upgrade and expand the Massachusetts State
Lobster Hatchery in Oak Bluffs is on hold while the state addresses its
fiscal crisis. Massachusetts state lobster hatchery director Mike Syslo
he is not surprised, given the budget cutting going on in Boston.

Two months ago, the hatchery's saltwater pumps were shut off.
Jim Rossignol, the assistant hatchery biologist, has moved back to the
mainland.

For the first time in more than two decades, Larry Mercier is
sleeping past 4:45 a.m. And as snow blanketed the Island Tuesday
morning, Mr. Mercier watched through the window of his North street home
instead of through the windshield of one of Edgartown's snowplow
fleet.

Retirement is a big change for the veteran Edgartown highway
superintendent, who stepped down from his post in early December.

Jail Employees Vote Union Membership After Long Dispute

By MANDY LOCKE

The lowest ranking jail employees offered Massachusetts Correctional
Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) a seat at the county negotiating table
Tuesday afternoon, as seven deputy sheriffs cast votes inviting the
union into the facility.

"Everyone is relieved, but we're anxious to know where
we go from here," said deputy sheriff Phill Fuentes.

County Faces Political Crisis

Leaders Schedule Second Meeting to Wrestle with Turmoil Caused By
Departure of Top Manager; Commissioners Seek Answers

By JONATHAN BURKE

The Dukes County commissioners this week held their first meeting
since the abrupt departure of county manager Carol Borer, and went home
without taking action to address the crisis.

Who needs Broadway when you live year-round on Martha's Vineyard? Turn the camera lens back on the last year, and you can spot enough drama for a dozen plays, both comedies and tragedies.

Ideal grist for the mill, money and power spurred much of the political intrigue and battles of 2002, whether the stage was the Steamship Authority, the Martha's Vineyard Hospital or the southern woodlands, which lived another year in its wild state - free of golf balls and putting greens.

Looking back over 2002, the Island's economy showed strength during a year of uncertainty and possible war.

Land, the Island's most formidable asset, held its value. According to James Lengyel, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank, land and housing values grew in 2002. Land bank revenues for the six-month period from July 1 to Dec. 31 were up 12 per cent over the first six months of 2001. Transactions were up four per cent.

Now that heavy rain and snow have arrived, last year's dry
summer is a distant memory. In fact, the Island ended up with more
rainfall than usual in 2002.

Organizers of Last Night, First Day, the Island's own New
Years celebration, were feeling good about their success yesterday.
Valerie Richards, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard
Chamber of Commerce, said: "I was thrilled. The turnout for most
of the events was fabulous. The fireworks were fabulous. Whoever parted
the clouds and the fog deserve a great thanks."