In what may portend a troubling new trend, two prominent Island conservation properties — one in Edgartown and another in Chilmark — along with a third private property in Oak Bluffs have been virtually strip-mined to provide native plants for a billionaire landowner who is building a huge home on the North Shore.

A state environmental official who yesterday inspected all the properties involved confirmed several breaches of the Endangered Species Act.

Legislation designed to protect migrating right whales could have an unintended, devastating impact on ferry services to the Vineyard and Nantucket, the Steamship Authority has warned.

Under draft rules attached to the legislation, any sighting of a right whale would trigger the imposition of a strict, 10-knot speed limit on ships more than 65 feet long, operating within a so-called “dynamic management area” with a 36-mile radius, for 15 days from the time of the sighting.

The smoke may have cleared from the controlled burn performed by the U.S. Navy last Wednesday on Noman’s Land, but questions remain this week as to whether more could have been done to alert the public and prevent the confusion that led to a barrage of calls to the Island communications center.

Officials at the Dukes County communications center last week received between 50 to 100 calls while the fire burned on Noman’s, the small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Chilmark.

With requests for financial aid from the state falling on deaf ears, the Dukes County sheriff told the county commission this week that he is out of money. “My main concern is payroll. I was totally out of funds as of April 30. I haven’t paid invoices since March,” Sheriff Michael McCormack told members of the county commission at their regular meeting Wednesday.

In a move that sets the stage for the town of Oak Bluffs to break ranks with the controversial Boston Big Game Fishing Club Monster Shark Tournament, a divided board of selectmen on Tuesday voted to deny a one-day liquor license for shark tournaments.

Following the vote, tournament organizer Steven James said the town’s action provides grounds for a lawsuit. He accused selectmen of discriminating against the popular fishing tournament and fishermen in general.

Opting to be good neighbors, Aquinnah voters agreed to go along with the traditional regional assessment formula for the up-Island regional school district at their annual town meeting this week.

Voters also approved wine and beer licensing for two Aquinnah restaurants, authorized selectmen to trade or sell a 3.6-acre parcel of town-owned land worth more than $600,000 and accepted a new pay structure for town employees.

This time last year the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School had no budget. Following months of acrimonious debate, Oak Bluffs had voted for a state tax formula which saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars, but cost other towns considerably. This sent the high school committee budget makers back to the drawing board.

Montessori Fundraiser

Big Night Out, a fundraiser for Vineyard Montessori School, will be held Friday, May 16 at Farm Neck Golf Club from 6 to 10 p.m. The evening will feature gourmet hors d’oeuvres, desserts by Rickard Bread Company and live and silent auctions. Some auctions to be auctioned will be trips to Nevis and Costa Rica, shopping sprees and a cow. Yes, a cow. Tickets are available on ticketsmv.com, at the door, or by calling 508-693-4090.

In a surprise move, Oak Bluffs selectmen on Tuesday unanimously agreed to extend last call and closing time at town bars and nightclubs by one half hour on a trial basis, meaning patrons can now get a drink up until 1 a.m. and stay in an establishment until 1:30 a.m.

Dukes County government will receive only minor polishing and not a complete overhaul, if voters heed the recommendations of the county charter study commission.

With less than three weeks left before they make their final recommendations public, the study group voted unanimously last Thursday to keep much of county government just as it is.