The annual charity event raised more than $362,000 for Martha's Vineyard Community Services, including a record-breaking donation total.
Laughter and money seemed to go hand in hand at last night's Possible Dreams auction in Edgartown. The better the one-liners, the higher the bids.
Fortunately, there were some pretty glib celebrities willing to
stoke the fire, and in the end, the 24th annual auction of 53 dreams had
pulled in more than $376,000. That figure fell short of last
year's take of just over $400,000.
Martha's Vineyard Community Services sees the writing on the wall.
Just across Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay, the Center for Health and Human Services of New Bedford is closing its outpatient counseling operation - turning away 600 clients after not being able to pull itself out of the red.
Community Services Management Appeals Designation of Voters in Union
Dispute
By MANDY LOCKE
The Martha's Vineyard Community Services labor dispute, now
almost three months old, faced the potential of further delays today
when management appealed a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
decision to expand the pool of eligible voters for a June 20 union
election.
National Labor Board Sets Stage for Vote on Union in Community
Services Dispute
By MANDY LOCKE
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) set the stage for a vote
on union status in the labor dispute at Martha's Vineyard
Community Services with a May 24 ruling that expanded the pool of
eligible voters in the Island Counseling Center.
Community Services Agency Scrambles to Blunt Effects of State Budget
Cutbacks
By MANDY LOCKE
As the reality of state budget cuts trickles down to communities
across the commonwealth, Martha's Vineyard Community Services is
taking its share of hits.
"This is devastating across the board to this Island. It
shakes the foundation of the support network we've created,"
said Ned Robinson-Lynch, executive director of Martha's Vineyard
Community Services, in a conversation with the Gazette this week.
Island Community Services Marks Historic Milestone
By MANDY LOCKE
Yellowing newspaper clips fill the pages of the Martha's
Vineyard Community Services scrapbook, tracing each program addition
through its 40-year history. Its history is one of growth - the
evolution of a single program in 1961 to an essential Island institution
in 2001. But the falls and flights that capture the organization's
resilience and commitment won't all be found in the newspaper
archives.
