After a long and at times bumpy review process, the Bradley Square housing project cleared its final hurdle last Thursday when the Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals voted to grant a special permit for the plan.

The board voted 3-0, with two abstentions. Chairman Kris Chvatal and members Jane Lofgren and Peter Palches voted yes, while Gail Barmakian and Joseph Re abstained. Because the project was filed under Chapter 40B, the state affordable housing law, a simple majority vote was sufficient for approval.

Having mandated health coverage for all Massachusetts residents, the state government now is preparing to remove funding from groups dedicated to ensuring it happens, including $50,000 from the Vineyard Health Care Access program.

The $27.4 billion budget proposed yesterday by state lawmakers makes no provision for ongoing funding for the MassHealth Outreach grant program, which previously provided some $3.5 million a year to aid the operations of organizations across the state, dedicated to steering people through the complexities of health insurance.

Trading democratic squabbles for efficiency, Edgartown voters marched resolutely through a 52-article annual town meeting warrant in just over two hours on Tuesday night, stopping briefly along the way to debate the merits of renovations to the free public library and adding a finance director to the town employee roster.

Voters said yes to the library improvements and no to the finance director.

At their annual town meeting Tuesday West Tisbury voters knocked back an article that would let a minority dictate the pace of future meetings, using secret ballot voting. Then as if to prove a point, they dispensed with a 45-article warrant in a little under three and a half hours.

Voters also approved a $13 million town budget, granted two new special ways, and accepted a reduced cost of living salary adjustment (COLA) for town employees.

Last month Congress allotted $170 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — an unprecedented funding pool for the fisheries service — with the goal of creating several thousand jobs.

Warren Doty knew he wanted a piece.

“They said, we want jobs,” said the Chilmark selectman and member of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. “And I thought, okay, let’s go, I’ll give you jobs.”

Like a drunk stuck in a revolving door, Tisbury voters find themselves going around and around again because of beer and wine.

They have been stuck in that door for four years already, but at the second night of the annual town meeting on Wednesday night, they decided to go around for at least another year.

In a two-night annual town meeting, Oak Bluffs voters ratified a town budget of $24.1 million, approved a $500,000 dredge for Sengekontacket Pond and rejected a move to cut money from the schools.

Voters were in a generous mood overall, giving thumbs-up to $770,000 in Community Preservation Act projects, substantial pay raises for the town clerk and town administrator, and a three per cent raise to most town employees. They also approved a new animal control bylaw and a trust fund to provide affordable housing for low-income families.

The Vineyard Gazette office will be closed on Monday in observance of the state holiday which commemorates the battle of Lexington and Concord.

Welcome, Madelyn

Clare and Jeffrey Crowell of Edgartown announce the birth of a daughter, Madelyn Alice, born on April 10, 2009, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Madelyn weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth.

Prescribed Burn

Working in conjunction with Vineyard fire officials, The Martha’s Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership plans to conduct a prescribed burn today at the Long Point Wildlife Refuge in West Tisbury. Smoke may be visible above the south coast of the Vineyard, near the Tisbury Great Pond in West Tisbury.