News in Brief
Published: April 10, 2008
Charter study plans hearings
As the Dukes County Charter Study Commission (DCCSC) approaches the end of its task and the commissioners get ready to make a final report, they will present the draft results of nearly 17 months of deliberations at three public hearings this month.
Although all the meetings of the DCCSC have been open to the public, very few persons have attended. The debates have been reported in The Times, and televised on local-access cable TV, but the commissioners have received only scattered responses from the public at large. The hearings this month offer voters a chance to participate in changes, perhaps even major changes, to the proposed new county government that will appear on the ballot in November. The DCCSC will also present their list of recommendations for changes in the county administrative code.
The meetings will be April 22 in the Chilmark Community Center at 7 pm; April 24 in the Oak Bluffs Senior Center at 5 pm; and April 28 in the Baylies Room of the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown at 4 pm.
To date the DCCSC has tentatively decided to recommend that Dukes County switch to a "board chairman" form of county government, in which the commissioners each year elect one of their number to serve as the county’s chief executive. This would replace the "county manager" form now in place. The DCCSC tentatively proposes to retain the present number of commissioners (seven), the length of their terms (four years), and the way they are elected (at large). Some of these decisions were made on close votes with several members absent, and it is possible that a big public turnout at the hearings could produce a different result.
If the voters in November reject the DCCSC’s plan, whatever it is, the present county structure will continue unchanged.
Superior Court sentences four in theft, drug cases
Dukes County Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Rup this week sentenced four men, in connection with two cases related to past thefts from Island houses. The cases were resolved as a result of plea agreements reached between the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office, making jury trials unnecessary.
Sentenced this week in connection with the burglary last summer of a home on Cow Bay Road in Edgartown was David Cabral, 26, of New Bedford, Lance Gomes, 23, of North Dartmouth, and Kenneth Hurd 4th, 21, of West Tisbury.
The men were charged with receiving stolen property greater than $250. Police also charged Mr. Cabral with trafficking in cocaine, possession of Class D drug (marijuana). They charged Mr. Gomes with trafficking in cocaine and possession of Class D drug (marijuana).
Assistant District Attorney Laura Marshard said Mr. Hurd was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution. Mr. Cabral and Mr. Gomes, both with significant criminal records, received three years in state prison, one year probation and were ordered to pay restitution. Ms. Marshard said that most of the stolen items were recovered.
Also sentenced was Tommy Joe Gordineer, 47, who, at the time of his arrest in June 2006, provided an Edgartown address. Edgartown Police arrested Mr. Gordineer in connection with the theft of more than $50,000 worth of antiques, including autographed jerseys from baseball legends Bob Feller and Mickey Mantle, from homes and antique dealers in Chilmark, Edgartown, and West Tisbury.
This week Mr. Gordineer received two and one half years in the Dukes House of Correction, 18 months to serve, four years probation, and he was ordered to pay restitution and have no contact with the victims. Ms. Marshard said that most of the stolen items were recovered.
Photo by Susan Safford
TTOR picks Oak Bluffs woman for Chappy post
The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) yesterday announced that Sarah Mello Trudel of Oak Bluffs will replace retiring Dave Belcher as superintendent of the conservation group’s Chappaquiddick properties.
Chris Kennedy, TTOR Islands regional director, said Ms. Trudel was selected from more than 60 applicants and becomes only the fourth superintendent of the Trustees Chappaquiddick properties. Ms. Trudel has worked for The Trustees for the past three years, heading up TTOR’s Islands Education and Interpretation Program. Prior to that she was employed by Zoo Atlanta as a wildlife education specialist. Also, she worked for Dave Belcher as a seasonal ranger while attending college in New Hampshire.
Ms. Trudel will begin her new duties in the next few weeks, and she and her husband, Jeff Trudel, an Oak Bluffs police officer, and their son, Taylor, will move to Chappaquiddick before the summer.
"Sarah is an incredible manager with tremendous people skills," said Mr. Kennedy. "She has a real love for Chappaquiddick, our properties and the mission of protecting these special places while opening them to public use and enjoyment."
In December TTOR announced that Mr. Belcher, long-time Chappy superintendent, would retire in May after 19 years on the job. Over those years Mr. Belcher has won the respect of Island fishermen, prime users of the miles of TTOR beach property, and residents of the small island for his calm demeanor and ability to interact with many different interest groups.
Aquinnah potluck serves up wind energy
The Aquinnah Wind Energy Committee will host a public forum and potluck dinner beginning at 6 pm Friday at the Old Town Hall on State Road to discuss the siting of a wind turbine in Aquinnah.
The forum will feature a media presentation on construction and siting a wind turbine and discussions on establishing a wind energy cooperative with Cape Light Compact, according to a press release. Maggie Downey, executive director of the compact, a Cape and Island regional energy group, will be the guest speaker.
Town leaders are examining the feasibility of establishing a wind turbine in one of three proposed locations, behind Town Hall off of State Road, the Gay Head Cliffs area and the beach parking lot at the loop road by the cliffs.
The results of the recently completed wind analysis by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative will also be presented.
In December the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) approved the designation of a town-wide energy district of critical planning concern (DCPC) in Aquinnah. The town has one year from the date of designation to come up with regulations, have them approved by the MVC at another public hearing, and then vote on them at town meeting, where approval requires a two-thirds majority.
For more information on the public forum, contact the selectmen’s office at 508-645-2300.
Martha's Vineyard Commission, Edgartown protest wind farm decision
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) will join the town of Edgartown in opposing a permitting process that could open the door to Cape Wind’s plans for a 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound.
This week the Martha's Vineyard Commission was preparing to file a petition before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, adding its voice to the Edgartown board of selectmen’s petition before the same agency.
Earlier this year, the Cape Cod Commission, which is similar to the Martha's Vineyard Commission, denied Cape Wind’s plan to bring transmission lines ashore in Falmouth. The lines would carry electricity generated by the proposed wind farm.
Cape Wind’s route to appeal the Cape Cod Commission’s ruling is through the Energy Facilities Siting Board. But that board had already approved the plan before the Cape Cod Commission even considered it. The procedure sets up a dispute over whether a regional agency’s decision can be trumped by a state agency.
At the direction of the selectmen, Edgartown town counsel Ron Rappaport filed a motion on April 1 to intervene as a limited participant with the siting board.
At the Edgartown annual town meeting Tuesday Mr. Rappaport responded to a question from a voter concerned that the town was taking a stand on Cape Wind, absent a public hearing or town vote and could incur significant legal costs.
Mr. Rappaport explained that the town is asking to participate for a limited purpose, to protect the authority of local boards.
The Martha's Vineyard Commission and Edgartown are concerned that if the regional commission’s ruling is circumvented, the ability of the Martha's Vineyard Commission and local selectmen to regulate projects which have a significant local impact would be weakened.
"It allows a developer to just bypass a regional commission," said Mark London, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Commission. "That would seem to be a very unfortunate precedent."
Both the Martha's Vineyard Commission and Edgartown selectmen face a large procedural hurdle. The deadline for such petitions has long since passed. The two local agencies must first get permission to file a late objection.
Saturday morning car crash sends man to Boston hospital
Oak Bluffs police said that a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck operated by Jesse J. Smith, 24, of Edgartown crashed at the intersection of Barnes Road and Oriental Avenue at approximately 1:30 am Saturday morning.
According to a police press release, Mr. Smith was driving west on Barnes Road when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree. Mr. Smith sustained serious injuries and was transported by Med Flight to Mass General Hospital in Boston. A passenger, James R. Greer of Oak Bluffs, sustained minor injuries.
Police said Mr. Smith faces several charges including operating under the influence of alcohol second offense, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation.
Oak Bluffs home rehab program now underway
The 2007 Oak Bluffs Regional Home Rehabilitation Program is under way. The program uses grant money awarded in July of 2007 to help low and moderate income homeowners in Tisbury and Oak Bluffs to fix code, safety, and/or health issues in their owner-occupied residences.
The money originates in Washington, D.C. at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and goes to the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Each year towns, or groups of towns, submit grant applications to DHCD vying for the limited funds.
The Resource Inc (TRI), a non-profit company from Dennisport, administers the program on behalf of Oak Bluffs and under the direction of Alice Boyd of Bailey Boyd Associates, the grant administrator. Ted Amaral is the program manager on the Island for TRI. He can be reached at 508-696-3285.
The first successful grant expended funds on the Island in 2003. At the close of 2008, the total funding will total $3,700,000 and will have addressed rehabilitation needs on 161 residential units.
There are HUD-mandated income qualifying limits for participation and limits to the scope of any individual project. Some situations are too costly for the program to tackle. The philosophy is to help with modest rehabilitation needs, in order to maintain local housing stock.
Island homeowners who currently holding applications should return them to secure the few remaining openings for this year, and new prospects are encouraged to inquire and complete applications to possibly make this year’s schedule, or to be on a waiting list for next year’s grant, if the application is successful.
Business Briefs
Verizon extends wireless broadband to Vineyard
Verizon Wireless has announced the expansion of wireless broadband service to Martha’s Vineyard. According to a press release, Verizon Wireless customers can now access e-mail and the Internet on their laptops and PDAs, and download video and music to their wireless phones.
"This latest network investment provides more Massachusetts residents and visitors the ability to surf our high-speed wireless network, send and receive e-mail, and take their desktop experience with them on-the-go," said Ken Dixon, president of Verizon Wireless’ New England region.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
