Two incumbent Oak Bluffs selectmen — Duncan Ross and Ron DiOrio — held off a strong showing by challenger Hans von Steiger yesterday in the annual town elections, as each won a second term on the five-member board.

All three candidate campaigned on a platform of fiscal reform and economic development, a theme which dominated both the special and annual meetings held earlier this week and to be continued in a third night meeting set for Monday at the Oak Bluffs school.

Tom Pachico

On one side, there’s the “together we can change” candidate, and on the other, the “straight talk” express. We’re talking not about Obama and McCain here, but Kristal and Pachico.

Tom Pachico is the one positioned as your straight talk guy. If he sometimes comes across as a little combative, well, at least you know where he stands.

Consider this example, from Wednesday this week, as he talked about the race for selectman.

Aquinnah selectmen this week raced to prepare language for a new bylaw aimed at regulating wind turbines that is due for review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission early next month and for voters at the annual town meeting on May 13.

A public hearing is scheduled before the town planning board on May 5; the commission will hold its own public hearing on May 8.

The draft bylaw is aimed at creating regulations for a townwide energy district of critical planning concern (DCPC) which went into effect last December.

The moon and Mars appear as a pair tonight. Both are in the zodiacal constellation Gemini. Mars is a dull reddish color and appears to the right of the moon.

The Dukes County Sheriff’s office expects to see a $620,000 shortfall this year.

The news comes just days after Sheriff Michael A. McCormack learned the state is refusing to send its annual supplementary funding for the county corrections facility.

On April 1, Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan sent Sheriff McCormack a letter of notification. Supplementary funding from the state amounts to nearly 20 per cent of the sheriff’s annual budget.

Forum Will Help Groups

Seek, Apply for Grants

A forum to help municipalities and nonprofits apply for federal grants is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, April 11 at the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority meeting room, 11 A Street, Edgartown.

Islanders, do you have an old snapshot lying around, tucked in a drawer or stuffed in a book? A Vineyard artist wants to borrow your photos.

Valerie Sonnenthal opens her Snapshots: Collective Memory exhibit on Friday, May 2, at Featherstone Center for the Arts. Photos of all shapes and sizes will make the project come alive. This is a new exhibit, though the format premiered last year at Featherstone.

Temperature: Precip.

Day Max. Min. Inches.

Fº Fº

April 4 49 34 .34

April 5 49 40 .73

April 6 49 40 .00

April 7 43 38 Trace

April 8 43 37 Trace

April 9 50 37 .00

April 10 53 42 .05

Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 46º F.

Margaret Serpa held on her seat as Edgartown selectman yesterday evening, beating out challenger Bob Fynbo 504-397 votes in the closest contest for selectman in more than 25 years.

A total of 915 voters turned out, 31 per cent of the 2977 registered voters, on one of the first full days of sunshine this year.

Richard Knabel unseated two-term incumbent selectman Glenn Hearn by a vote of 380 to 294 in the annual town election yesterday.

“The town wanted to make a change and they did. I’m delighted with their confidence and support. We’re a big community and we’re all in this together,” Mr. Knabel said after the votes were counted last night.