The old wooden sailboat up on blocks inside the shed at the
Martha's Vineyard Historical Society in Edgartown doesn't
look like much.

The white lapstrake boat, less than 20 feet in length, has not been
in the water since it was brought to the society in December 1936 from
Menemsha Creek. The paint has come off in many places. There is little
chance she will ever float again.

The question of how cod stocks fell so low in the waters off New
England is almost as perplexing as the question of how to bring about
recovery.

The favorite reason - too much fishing pressure - is
followed by other explanations, including changes in ocean temperature
and degradation of the environment. Perhaps it is a combination of these
things.

Pinpointing the cause or causes of plummeting cod stocks is key to
their rejuvenation.

The legend of the codfish is woven with many well-worn tales in New
England, where a century ago schools of cod swam so thickly they could
be scooped up in baskets from thigh-high water near shore. Cod was the
symbol for New England and for the rich fishery that was the backbone of
the regional economy. Vineyard fishermen built wooden boats that they
named after Noman's Land, the island where they salted and dried
their codfish catch on the rocks in the sun before taking it to market.

Emergency Responders Report Moped Accidents Down Again

By BRIEN HEFLER

Moped accidents were down again on the Vineyard this summer, and
emergency responders cite better public safety education as a possible
factor.

Preliminary numbers compiled by the four ambulance departments on
the Island show that the departments responded to an average number of
calls during the summer months, with a slight increase in the
down-Island departments.

But across the board the number of moped accidents saw a significant
drop.

Steamship Authority chairman Marc Hanover was not looking for
support from the Dukes County Commission Wednesday in his continuing
battle with the Tisbury board of selectmen over ferry fee money. But he
got it anyway.

An evolving plan to manage and restore the Manuel F. Correllus State
Forest is set for its first public airing tomorrow, when state
environmental officials will come to the Vineyard to discuss efforts to
alleviate fire danger in the forest and to undertake the largest
ecological restoration project in the history of New England.

Attorneys Seek a Legal Ruling in Case Against Oak Bluffs Man

By James Kinsella
Gazette Senior Writer

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has moved for
summary decision in its complaint against the supervisor of two Vineyard
municipal sewage plants for allegedly violating state septic rules at
his own house in Oak Bluffs.

Vineyard Downs Carver in Home Opener

By MAX HART

With just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter of the
Martha's Vineyard Regional High School football team's
season-opener Sunday, it seemed somewhat odd that the Vineyard
cheerleaders were still throwing candy to fans in the crowded stands.

For a weekend anticipated to be a washout for fishermen, it was an
active three days at Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish
Derby headquarters in Edgartown.

Boatline Governors See Proposed Fare Increases Across Board Next
Year

By James Kinsella
Gazette Senior Writer

HYANNIS - Islanders and summer visitors alike will pay more to
travel on Steamship Authority ferries next year.

The only question now is how the rate increase will be divided up
among passenger, car and truck fares.