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News
in Brief
The Martha's
Vineyard Times
May 19, 2005
Photo by Diana
Waring
|
In
time for spring celebrations
A crew from Associate Roofing Inc. had a bird’s eye view of
the steeple while replacing the leaking 20-year-old roof on the
Old Whaling Church in Edgartown last Thursday. Chris Scott, executive
director of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, said
the job’s quick completion in two days prepares the church
for the start of a busy summer wedding season. Mr. Scott noted that
the church is the site of more than 40 weddings every summer.
Coast Guard airlifts car crash victim
An Edgartown man was airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital trauma center
early yesterday morning after the car he was driving crashed on
State Road in Vineyard Haven. He was ejected from the vehicle.
According to Tisbury police, Mathew Lyons, 21, of Edgartown was
driving a Ford Mustang convertible west on State Road with three
passengers at about 11:15 pm when he lost control of the car. Police
said that the vehicle crossed the centerline, slammed into a utility
pole, and crashed into a stone wall before finally coming to rest
near the base of Camp Street.
When police arrived at the scene, Mr. Lyons was lying in the road.
He was transported to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, but his serious
injuries required further treatment off-Island.
At 1 am the U.S. Coast Guard transported Mr. Lyons from the hospital
to T.F. Green Airport where an ambulance was waiting to take him
to Rhode Island Hospital. A coast guard press release said that
Mr. Lyons had sustained spinal injuries in the accident.
According to police, Mr. Lyons was traveling with three other passengers,
including Patrick Medeiros, 20, of Edgartown, and two juvenile females.
Because of their ages, police did not release the females’
names. According to the police report, two of the passengers required
medical treatment, but the nature of their injuries was unknown.
Ted Saulnier, Tisbury police chief, said the accident remains under
investigation, and that charges appear likely against Mr. Lyons.
Chief Saulnier said that speed was definitely a factor in the crash.
According to the accident investigator, Mr. Lyons was traveling
at least 54 miles-per-hour when he lost control of the Mustang.
The posted speed limit on the section of State Road where the accident
occurred is 20 miles-per-hour.
Police also found two beer cans in the car, and one can on the road.
They also found a small brass pipe that appeared to have marijuana
residue in it, Chief Saulnier said.
Two crashes in West Tisbury
Drivers were cited in two separate pickup truck wrecks in West Tisbury
last weekend. Neither driver was seriously hurt in the single-vehicle
crashes, but both trucks were demolished.
According to West Tisbury police chief Beth Toomey, at 4:40 am on
Saturday morning, Brad Tucker of West Tisbury went off New Lane
on his way home and crashed his Dodge Dakota into a tree, where
it caught fire. The West Tisbury fire department put out the fire,
but the truck was destroyed. Mr. Tucker refused medical treatment
at the scene. Officer Erica McGrath cited Mr. Tucker for speeding.
Late Saturday night, West Tisbury police Cpl. Matthew Mincone and
Massachusetts state police trooper Zack Johnson responded to a crash
on State Road near Cronig’s Up-Island Market. According to
state police lieutenant Robert Moore, James Monteith of Vineyard
Haven rolled his Ford F-250 and hit a tree. The force of the impact
separated the cab from the rest of the truck. Mr. Monteith refused
treatment at the scene.
Although Corporal Mincone was first on the scene, Trooper Johnson
handled the arrest so that Corporal Mincone could continue to patrol
the town on the high school prom night, Chief Toomey explained.
Trooper Johnson cited Mr. Monteith for marked lane violation, speeding,
and operating under the influence.
Interim superintendent named interim Edgartown School principal
Paul Dulac, now the interim superintendent of Vineyard schools,
will take over as interim principal of the Edgartown School next
fall, when Edgartown principal Edward Jerome retires after 33 years.
The Edgartown School committee voted unanimously at a meeting on
April 29 to appoint Mr. Dulac, effective Aug. 15, 2005, through
June 30, 2006. Mr. Dulac’s salary will be $104,000 annually,
prorated for the 10.5-month period to $91,875.
There was little public discussion preceding the committee’s
decision to appoint an interim principal and hire Mr. Dulac. “We
might have done a search for a new interim principal,” said
Leslie Baynes, school committee chairman, “but with Dr. Dulac
indicating his interest, we knew he would be an interim who we already
knew and were familiar with. He is a proven quantity, with a six-
to seven-month history with the Island.”
Mr. Baynes said the decision also gives James Weiss, the Island’s
new school superintendent who must make the final decision in choosing
a new principal, an opportunity to be involved.
Mr. Jerome had planned to retire in early 2006 but moved up the
date to November 2005 after considering his retirement options.
That timing prompted Mr. Jerome and Mr. Dulac to present the committee
with a plan for an interim principal, according to Mr. Dulac.
Mr. Dulac said he and his wife Becky, a kindergarten teacher, were
pleased at the opportunity to stay another year on the Island. “I
told the committee I would also be interested in being a candidate
for the job after the interim term,” said Mr. Dulac.
He said he is looking forward to returning to an elementary school
setting, which he said he enjoyed earlier in his career.
West Tisbury selectmen make appointments
In the absence of selectman John Early, vacationing at the races
in Barcelona, Spain, chairman Jeffrey “Skipper” Manter
and selectman Glenn Hearn moved through a short agenda in 30 minutes
on May 11.
Leonard Jason of Chilmark was appointed an assistant building inspector
for the purpose of inspecting the renovations to the West Tisbury
town hall. Ernest Mendenhall, town building inspector, is also project
manager for the project. Although Mr. Mendenhall said that the state
has told him he could inspect the project as well as manage it,
he felt uncomfortable with even the appearance of a conflict of
interest. Mr. Jason is the building inspector in Chilmark and Edgartown,
as well as the acting inspector in Oak Bluffs.
The board made several routine reappointments in a single vote.
Executive secretary Jennifer Rand explained that the batch of 29
names represented incumbents whom she had been able to contact about
serving another term. Other reappointments will be made at subsequent
selectmen’s meetings, when she can determine their willingness
to serve. The selectmen have not indicated that they plan to replace
anyone willing to be reappointed. However, sometimes people do decline,
and in cases where an opening must be advertised, there will be
a longer process.
The batch included: Bob Schwier to the board of appeals; Judith
Crawford, Tara Whiting, Peter Rodegast, and Patrick Phear to the
conservation commission; Ann Maley and Norman Perry to the personnel
board; and Mr. Manter and Ann Nelson to the council on aging.
John Alley was reappointed cemetery superintendent, and Howard Wall
and Mr. Hearn as his assistants. The board also reappointed Beth
Toomey as truant officer, Manuel Estrella III as fire chief, Richard
T. Olsen as superintendent of streets, and John Gadowski as both
Dutch elm disease and insect control officer. Mr. Early will once
again represent the West Tisbury selectmen on the Dukes County financial
advisory board.
Policemen reappointed were Det. Daniel Goldrup, Cpl. Matthew Mincone,
and Sgt. Daniel Rossi. Special police officers reappointed include:
Mr. Early, Tim Carroll, Jonathan Klaren, Sean Slavin, Judith Sibert,
Timothy Rich, Mr. Estrella, Mr. Olsen, and Jeff Day.
In other business, the selectmen acknowledged a gift of $70 to the
Animal Control department in appreciation of animal control officer
Joan Jenkinson . The law requires that the gift be made to the town
at large, but Mr. Manter was clear that Ms. Jenkinson will decide
how to spend it.
Aquinnah voters elect Camille Rose
In a close decision Wednesday, May 18 Aquinnah voters elected Camille
Rose to fill the vacant seat on the Aquinnah board of selectmen.
Ms. Rose, the only candidate whose name appeared on the ballot for
selectman, received 131 votes. Write-in challenger Faith Vanderhoop
received 111 votes. The two were vying for the seat formerly filled
by Carl Widdiss, who decided not to seek re-election.
In the aftermath of her victory, Ms. Rose said she was grateful
to the voters and would work to open up the workings of town government.
Ms. Rose said there is a new energy in town that was evident at
the annual town meeting.
She said she would also work to improve relations with the Wampanoag
Tribe by pressing for an open and honest dialogue.
In the only other contested race, incumbent Michael Stutz won re-election
to a three-year term on the board of assessors, defeating a challenge
from Richard Lee, 140-93.
Voters passed all three ballot questions, including a non-binding
resolution that asked if voters favored the creation of a housing
bank to be funded by a one percent fee on the seller of any property
over $750,000. The final vote was 175 yes, 44 no.
Voters also approved two questions that asked if the town should
appoint rather than elect the town tax collector and town treasurer.
The questions passed 123-102 and 122-102, respectively.
Among the uncontested races: Audrey Jeffers-Mayhew was re-elected
town treasurer; Sarah Saltonstall was re-elected to the board of
health; Nancy Delaney was re-elected to the board of library trustees;
Camille Rose and Peter Temple were re-elected to the planning board;
and write-in candidate Carolyn Feltz, who has served as the town’s
temporary executive secretary for the past several months, won the
position of town clerk. Jeananne Jeffers, Aquinnah’s longtime
clerk, did not seek re-election.
A total of 248 voters, or more than 60 percent of the town’s
registered voters, turned out to cast their ballots.
Old Glory cleaned for free
Takemmy Drycleaning and Clothing in Vineyard Haven will clean any
American flag for free as long as it will fit on the cleaning press.
The tradition of free flag cleaning was started by former owner
Ed Belisle and is being maintained by the new owners. Call 508-693-7389
for more information.
Seniors get silly for dress up week
A group of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School seniors strike
a pose on togas Tuesday, a part of a tradition known as senior dress
up week.
Ben Gramkowski is standing in the back. In front of him from left
to right are Derek Nagengast, Meg Leland, Morgan Anderson, Keidy
Toomey, Jenny Stone, and Adam Petkus. Eric Herman, Audrey Furlong,
and Kara Rosenthal are in front.
Rotary Club seeks host families
The Rotary Club of Martha’s Vineyard is searching for Island
families to host a 17-year old female exchange student from Colombia
who will be attend Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School during
the coming school year.
According to a rotary press release, three families are needed to
serve as host families, and the student will reside in each host
family’s home for approximately three months.
The student visit is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Martha’s
Vineyard. For more information, contact John Rancourt, International
Service chairman of the Rotary Club of Martha’s Vineyard at
508-696-6122 or via e-mail to mvrotaryclub@yahoo.com.
SSA traffic volumes continue low
Four months into 2005, Steamship Authority traffic volumes of passengers
and freight are lower than for the comparable period in 2004. Passenger
traffic is down 5.9 percent between the Vineyard and the mainland,
and 1.1 percent between Hyannis and Nantucket. That’s 5.3 percent
for the year as a whole.
Auto traffic is off 5.1 percent for the Vineyard, 4.5 percent for
Nantucket and five percent overall.
The good news is that freight is up sharply to both islands, 15.9
percent for Nantucket, 9.7 percent for the Vineyard.
Lower passenger and auto volumes means that budgeted revenue targets
will be missed, and indeed, passenger revenue is down about $86,000,
or 7.3 percent, while auto revenue is off roughly $319,000, or 11.4
percent.
Freight revenue increases offset the passenger and auto shortfall.
Freight income rose 11.1 percent, or $416,000.
Edey Foundation announces 2005 grants
The Edey Foundation, which provides grant money for non-profit conservation
organizations on Martha’s Vineyard, announced its 2005 awards
this week.
The foundation, which was started in 1988 by Maitland Edey of Seven
Gates Farm, awarded the following grants this year:
• $2,500 to the Friends of Sengekontacket for research on pond
activities to supplement the Massachusetts Estuaries Project.
• $29,800 to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to expand
its task force on water quality and to expand information and outreach
programs.
• $5,000 to the Nature Conservancy for management of sand plain
grasslands, specifically the summer burn program.
• $1,400 to the Polly Hill Arboretum for a study of lichen
and vascular plants on Nomans Land.
• $10,000 to Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation to support land
acquisition activities.
• $7,500 to the Vineyard Conservation Society to support its
web-based information program.
Corrections
A report in last weekšs News in Brief about a homebuyer workshop sponsored
by the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority incorrectly associated
attorney Marcia Cini with The Bank of Marthašs Vineyard. Ms. Cini
is in private practice. |
