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Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
July 14 - July 20, 2005 Edition
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in Brief July 14, 2005 Looking back, planning ahead at Union Chapel Christopher Scott (left), executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, and architect Patrick Ahearn, AIA, were among the speakers yesterday morning at historic Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. The gathering brought together preservation trust board members and supporters, members of the chapel’s congregation, and Oak Bluffs residents and business people. It was held to announce progress on the trust’s plan to restore the unique 1871 structure. According to Mr. Scott, the Edgartown-based preservation trust has raised an impressive $250,000 towards the project’s cost, representing half of its capital campaign goal. He said that extensive research, which included studying dozens of photographs and drawings of the building from over many years, shows that the chapel was once ornate and that much of the original detail has been lost. A number of these images were on display yesterday. The preservation group is hoping to have raised necessary funds and secured bids by next summer, after which work can get underway. As is the case with all of the organization’s properties, the restoration process will aim to be faithful to the building’s original design. Look for more coverage in next week’s edition of The Times. Drawbridge committee will ask towns to pay $14,000 for second opinion The Lagoon Pond drawbridge committee voted yesterday morning to ask Oak Bluffs and Tisbury to each pay $7,000 to pay for an engineering firm to examine the condition of the ailing Lagoon Pond drawbridge. As part of the examination, the committee wants the engineers to draft a set of recommendations for a replacement or repairs, as well as a contingency plan if the current bridge fails. The request comes after the committee received two responses to a request for quotes (RFQ) from engineering firms on Tuesday. Lichtensten Consulting Engineers, Inc., in Natick was the low bidder at $11,700. Bergmann Associates, based in Jersey City, N.J., bid $13,500 for the consulting contract. The committee voted to ask the towns for $14,000 to cover additional costs that are not quoted in the companies’ proposals. The drawbridge committee is required to select the low bidder, unless the company cannot meet all the requirements in the RFQ. At yesterday’s meeting, the committee did not vote to select either of the firms. They said they would wait until the two boards of selectmen vote on the request for funds. The request for another look at the bridge comes as MassHighway continues to move forward with its plans to replace the drawbridge — first with a temporary structure, and then with a permanent bridge. While the bridge committee voted to endorse the state’s two-bridge solution last year, in recent months a growing number of committee members have questioned the plan. Tristan Israel, Tisbury selectman who has expressed his opposition to MassHighway’s two-bridge plan, spoke in favor of hiring an engineer, at yesterday’s meeting. He said, “I think that a contingency plan could also be used for looking alternatively at this whole situation.” Melinda Loberg, bridge committee chairman, said that another review of the bridge would give the towns “more ammunition” for dealing with MassHighway. Steve Berlucchi, county engineer and a member of the drawbridge committee disagreed. He said another examination of the bridge would give the towns little new information, and would do little to sway MassHighway to alter its plans. “Everything that this RFQ requires has already been done. All the inspections have been done. The project has been reviewed by over a dozen structural engineers… I think this is a waste of money,” he said. Off-season schedules on agenda for SSA meet The Steamship Authority (SSA) board is expected to vote on the upcoming winter and spring schedule at its July monthly meeting at the Hyannis boatline terminal Thursday, July 21. Wayne Lamson, SSA general manager, said the timing of the vote is earlier than has occurred in the past in order to give people more time to make advance plans. Last year, the schedules were not set until December, creating an inconvenience for customers. Mr. Lamson said he would not be recommending any fare surcharge at next week’s meeting. The issue came up at last month’s meeting after management described the increased pressure placed on the operating budget as a result of a drop in anticipated passenger revenue during the winter and spring months and rising fuel and insurance costs. The board is also expected to take action on several proposals originating from Nantucket, including changes in reservation procedures designed to make it easier for disabled people, or those with medical appointments to secure a reservation. Mr. Lamson said the Oak Bluffs SSA terminal would likely come up for discussion at the August board meeting. He said management is currently reviewing alternative options based on the Oak Bluffs conservation commission’s resistance to any use of the north bluff area. Marc Hanover, SSA chairman and Island member, said he would meet with Oak Bluffs selectmen on July 26 to discuss the terminal plans, which at one stage included leasing the old town hall as a ticket office, renovations to the rest rooms and a staging area along the north bluff. One option would be to downscale the long-delayed project to improve the terminal staging area, at an estimated cost of more than $10 million, and simply concentrate on the much needed reconstructions of the slip and dolphins at far less cost. An increasingly frustrated Mr. Hanover said the original plan was designed to turn the terminal into a town gateway and improve the existing conditions but that requires town support for an expensive capital project that must still be approved by the SSA board. “It just does not seem to be coming together,” said Mr. Hanover. Thursday’s meeting begins at 9:30 am. Driver charged with OUI after flipping truck A Tisbury man faces a number of charges, including drunk driving, after he allegedly crashed his pickup truck into a stonewall and flipped it onto its roof just before 10 pm on Friday. Tisbury police chief Ted Saulnier said that Jonah Talbot, 22, of Tisbury was driving his Dodge pickup truck north on Main Street, when he went off the road, crashed into a stonewall, swerved back onto the road and flipped the truck onto its roof, just after Tashmoo Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, the driver was not in the truck. After searching the area around the crash they found Mr. Talbot hiding nearby in the woods. Chief Saulnier said that Mr. Talbot tried to evade officers and that he became combative. Police arrested Mr. Talbot and charged him with operating under the influence of alcohol, marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of an accident, resting arrest, speeding, and wanton destruction of personal property. In other business, Tisbury police are investigating a number of recent break-ins. In two separate incidents a thief or thieves broke into a home, stole cash and other items, and then took the homeowner’s car to flee the scene. In one case the vehicle was returned to the home, and in another incident, the car was abandoned on Beach Road. Police have arrested a 14-year-old male in connection with a third break-in at a condominium unit near Mink Meadows Golf Club. Police would not release the boy’s name because he is a juvenile, but Chief Saulnier said that he faces charges for stealing $460 in cash, a cellular phone, and liquor from the home. Chief Saulnier would not comment on whether the boy was involved in the other two break-ins, but said that all three incidents are under investigation. West Tisbury legal costs soar West Tisbury executive secretary Jennifer Rand told the selectmen last week that the town needs more money to pay legal expenses in FY05 and FY06. At a special town meeting in November, voters will be asked for $83,000 to pay FY05 legal expenses incurred for May and June, as the town defended itself in a lawsuit by William Graham, who is contesting the assessed value of his real estate. Because the case promises to continue into the summer, Ms. Rand said she will ask at the same town meeting to enlarge her legal budget for FY06 as well, probably by $30,000 or $40,000. Mr. Graham is appealing the assessed values of his north shore properties. He says the values set by the town for his property are out of step with other assessments in West Tisbury. Mr. Graham first appealed to the West Tisbury board of assessors. The assessors reduced Mr. Graham’s assessment in response to his appeal, but not enough to satisfy him. He then sought relief in a legal action before the Massachusetts appellate tax board in Boston. “No one expected the case to go on this long,” Ms. Rand said. The Vineyard Gazette reported this week that the case is already the longest residential tax appeal in the history of Massachusetts. After a two-week recess, the hearing will resume on July 26. Town hall sentiment supports the assessors’ determination to fight the Graham appeal. Interviews with town officials last week found agreement that the town must defend itself, even if the cost is high. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” said finance committee (fincom) chairman Sharon Estrella. Members of the fincom who attended the selectmen’s meeting agreed that it is not possible to anticipate the need to defend a huge lawsuit. However, Peter Costas, a member of the fincom, suggested that the town might begin setting aside $25,000 per year in a special fund for such a purpose. Monster Shark Tournament is this weekend Following last month’s Jaws Fest, which drew crowds for Bruce, the mechanical shark from the movie Jaws, sharks will once again take center stage on Martha’s Vineyard, although this time they aren’t mechanical. This weekend, Oak Bluffs Harbor will serve as the headquarters for the annual Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament, sponsored by the Boston Big Game fishing Club. The best time to view any sharks is late Friday or Saturday afternoon from 3:30 pm at the weigh station next to Our Market on the harbor. Like last year, the all-sports television network ESPN will be on the Island filming the shark tournament. Last year the network produced four one-hour programs on the event. Katama closing update In the spring of 2004, Edgartown selectman closed Katama Bay — locally known as “down harbor” — to overnight anchoring, a controversial decision contested by the Army Corps of Engineers as well as disgruntled boaters. A year-and-a-half later, Edgartown harbormaster Charlie Blair is happy with the results. According to Mr. Blair, before the closing, 80 percent of the harbormaster’s calls concerned Katama Bay activity, where 80 boats anchored on a given night. “We had a small city down there,” said Mr. Blair. The transients included 130-foot yachts with dishwashers, macerators and helipads. According to Mr. Blair, smaller powerboats were often abandoned for weeks at a time, noise complaints were frequent, and the grey water discharges, which are only regulated on the Great Lakes, were damaging shellfish crops. “We had a big oyster kill. The shellfish guys were going nuts,” he said. This year the harbormaster’s department has had no calls so far from the outer anchorage, and the complaints about the lack of access have dropped from an all-time high that featured anti-Charlie Blair web sites to the current low, in which Mr. Blair is receiving few, if any, complaints. Mr. Blair also said that in a strong northeast blow, the only time the anchorage off Chappaquiddick in the outer harbor doesn’t offer protection, boaters can check with him and usually get permission to use the more secluded Katama anchorage. But when the blow stops, they have to go. “They still have refuge down there if they need it,” said Mr. Blair. Mr. Blair added that all the traditional boating access is still in place, including small anchorages such as Fisherman’s Landing on the Edgartown side, and the working skiffs on stern lines at the Katama launching ramp. Recreational use of Katama Bay, said Mr. Blair, hasn’t dropped off at all. CIA hosts hazardous waste collection The Chappaquiddick Island Association (CIA) will host a hazardous waste drop off at the Chappy community center Saturday from 7 to 9 am. Items that may be brought to the collection site include batteries of any kind, chemicals, oil based paints, gasoline, kerosene, paint thinners, dry wall compound, rimless tires and used oil. There will be a charge of $1 per tire and at $1 per gallon of oil. Propane cylinders will not be accepted. According to a CIA water resources committeepress release, the collection is designed to make it easier for Chappy residents to dispose of hazardous waste and protect water quality. Red Cross launches summer blood drive to bolster low supplies The American Red Cross will hold its Summer Blood Drive on Tuesday, July 26 at the Masonic Lodge on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs from 12:30 to 5:30 pm. Since Memorial Day, national supply levels across the country have reached a critical low point, according to the Red Cross, which is appealing to all eligible people to donate blood. The national organization is particularly interested in collecting Type O, Type A-negative and Type B-negative, the bloods types currently suffering the greatest shortage. According to a press release, the Red Cross is eager to recruit new donors. Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age and weigh over 110 pounds. In most cases, donors may give if they are on medications, but should know the names of these medications. People who would like to donate and cannot make it to the Masonic Lodge by 5:30pm, or for more information about the drive, should call Grace Smith, blood services coordinator, at 508-693-8859 or the Martha’s Vineyard Chapter at 508-696-0092. FARM Institute hires new farm manager A man with roots in Iowa recently took over management of The FARM Institute at Katama Farm in Edgartown. Before he arrived on Martha’s Vineyard, Matthew Goldfarb was the livestock manager biology teacher at Scattergood Friends School in West Branch, Iowa. According to a press release, his role will be to lead the farm into another exciting phase of growth and relevance in the Island community. “Based on the saying, ‘There are no strangers in the garden,’ I look forward to building a network around the farm that will further strengthen our community by bonding us together,” he said. John Curelli, Executive Director of FARM said, “We are pleased to welcome Matthew as our new farm manager. His broad experience with agriculture and engaging hands-on teaching skills will strengthen our commitment to our mission and the community.” For more information on The FARM Institute, go to www.farminstitute.org or contact John Curelli at 508-627-7007. USCG licensing scholarships available The Permanent Endowment Fund for Martha’s Vineyard, in connection with the Seafarer’s Friend Harriet Goldberg Trust, will provide a limited number of Coast Guard licensing scholarships for Vineyard residents interested in taking courses approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. A wide variety of courses are being offered at a number of Southeastern New England locations over the next several months. Individuals currently seeking to obtain a U.S. Coast Guard license or improve upon a current license should contact the Permanent Endowment Fund at 508-627-3754 to obtain a scholarship information packet. Solar Open House Tour Saturday The Vineyard Energy Project will sponsor a solar open house tour, all within walking distance of the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market on Saturday, from 9 am to noon. Four homeowners will be available to answer questions about their systems: why they went solar and how they have liked it. Information will be available about both solar electric and solar hot water systems and the current subsidy money available to all Vineyard homeowners. The sites are: Susan and Bob Wasserman on Music Street, Art and Gay Nelson on Factory Brook Road, The Vineyard Energy Project at 1085 State Road, and Glenn and Linda Hearn at their booth on the south side of the Farmer’s Market. Yellow balloons and signs will mark the sites, which are all within walking distance of the market. Sail MV annual dinner and auction is a success More than 300 guests helped Sail Martha’s Vineyard raise better than $100,000 at the nonprofit’s dinner and auction Saturday evening at the Tisbury Wharf Company. The annual seafood buffet, known widely as a great party, helps to fund ongoing operations for Sail Martha’s Vineyard, whose mission is to “celebrate the maritime heritage” of the Vineyard. “We still have some calculations to make, but it appears that we will net just over $100.000, which is enough to sustain the free Island youth sail training program and start to reach out to a broader audience ,” said Tom Rancich, executive director. “However, I am more interested in judging success based on the excitement in the room. I received a great deal of comments, questions and advice on the expanded focus of Sail Martha’s Vineyard. People were very supportive of the merger effort with Vineyard Voyagers and the energy from the launching of Grace [a volunteer-built rowing gig, one of two that will be crewed by Islanders in rowing competitions] certainly carried into the seafood buffet. People like the idea of adding programs and encouraged me to reach more people and to increase the attention on maritime heritage.” Sail Martha’s Vineyard’s total expenses were approximately $184,000 in fiscal 2004. Seventy-one percent of that funded the free Island youth sail training programs or supported the high school sailing team. Twenty-six percent of the remaining overhead was attributed to mandatory insurance. Mr. Rancich said this deployment of funds testifies to the organization’s sharp focus on delivering service to the community and not wasting money on overhead. “As SAIL MV begins to grow,” Mr. Rancich explained in a press statement, “this virtue is central to the planning process.” John Christensen, chairman of the Sail MV board, was delighted by the festive evening. “I think the auction went very well, and the raw numbers look good, but I think that Sail Martha’s Vineyard has gotten to the point where we can no longer count on one event to sustain us. For years, we’ve been scaring ourselves with the threat of a three-day northeaster on the day of the auction, so that, combined with our growth, plans have us looking at diversifying our events and providing more value rather than begging for more money. “The important thing here,” Mr. Christensen said, “is that with very little advertising, our attendance was strong. People are interested, and even if they can’t throw down large chunks of cash they still want to be involved, and they like being around people who like being involved.” To accommodate the interest of so many, Sail Martha’s Vineyard will reopen the Seafarers Center in Vineyard Haven to support local maritime activities and transient boaters. The nonprofit plans another fun effort at the Agricultural Fair and looks ahead to sponsoring more events on the water. People interested in volunteering or otherwise being involved should call 508-696-7644. Corrections Of course, Donald Widdiss is the chairman of the Wampanoag Tribal Council. Carl Widdiss is the former Aquinnah selectman. The Times editorial of July 7, which concerned the tribe and its chairman, and the current selectmen of Aquinnah, transposed the two. |
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