In a town well known for spirited and lengthy town meetings, Oak Bluffs voters may have set a new benchmark this year, as intense scrutiny of town finances coupled with often emotional debate on a wide range of topics pushed the political season to 12 hours spread over four evenings.

High housing costs and new federal certification requirements have led to teacher shortages at Island schools. Staffing problems are currently limited to the subject areas of math, computers, special education and foreign languages, but school leaders are nevertheless worried and taking steps to address the problem.

At a meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School District Committee last week, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss announced a concerted effort to address the lack of interest for prospective teachers at the high school.

Several years of effort to restore the dwindling Island bay scallop population finally paid off this year; scallop landings Islandwide increased 23 per cent over the previous year.

“There are probably still millions of dollars of shellfish in Chilmark waters,” shellfish constable Stanley Larsen said this week. The town’s annual bay scallop harvest grew for the fourth straight year.

Fares for both cars and passengers on Steamship Authority ferries will go up beginning May 1 as a result of soaring world energy prices.

Passenger fare increases on both the Vineyard and Nantucket routes were recommended by boat line management at the April governors’ meeting in New Bedford on Tuesday. The fare hikes are expected to raise an extra $1.5 million in revenue to offset fuel price increases.

But after a long discussion, boat line governors called for raising vehicle rates as well, to provide a further financial cushion of some $575,000.

Proposed fare raises from the new owner of the Chappaquiddick ferry have drawn complaints from dozens of residents.

Peter Wells has asked permission from selectmen to raise cash prices for round-trip journeys from $3 to $4 for foot passengers and from $10 to $12 for cars.

To date 35 letters against the proposed hikes have come into the Edgartown selectmen’s office from the sparsely populated island.

The 527-foot trip, which generally takes between one and two minutes, is the only way on and off the island for most residents.

With a green light from both the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Chilmark planning board, the Middle Line Road affordable housing project has moved two steps closer to breaking ground.

Middle Line, which has been in the works since 2004, will be the first town-sponsored affordable housing project in Chilmark, with six rental units and six resident homesites.

At its meeting last Thursday night the commission voted 8-2 to approve the project, which was under review as a development of regional impact (DRI).

Sparks flew briefly in the Chilmark town hall this week after the zoning board of appeals approved a plan to turn the long-established Inn at Blueberry Hill into a members-only private club.

The zoning board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the plan by Lifestyle Development Company, a New York-based for-profit organization. The inn must keep its restaurant open to the public and must allow 25 per cent of the inn guests to be from the general public.

Voters will have three strong-minded candidates to pick from in Aquinnah in a race for selectman to be decided May 14 in the annual town elections.

First-term incumbent and current chairman Camille Rose will face off against John Walsh and Roxanne Ackerman for the three-year term.

Mr. Walsh is currently a member of the town finance committee. Ms. Ackerman is Aquinnah’s representative on the Up-Island Regional School committee.

West Tisbury selectmen welcomed a new board member and settled into new roles this week.

Shortly after Richard Knabel was welcomed to his seat following victory over Glenn Hearn in the annual town election last week, Jeffrey S. (Skipper) Manter took the gavel as chairman. “It looks a little different from this side of the table,” Mr. Knabel said, thanking his supporters.

Felix Neck Schedules Day

For Volunteers to Assist

The Massachusetts Audubon Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary is inviting volunteers to come to the sancturary from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 26 to help the sanctuary prepare for the season.

Volunteers will reinvigorate Felix Neck’s butterfly garden by planting, cleaning and pruning, and by building picnic tables and benches for the outdoor program area. The effort is part of Mass Audubon’s annual statewide volunteer day.