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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
January
27 - February 2, 2005 Edition
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in Brief January 27, 2005 Man crossing Edgartown-Vineyard Haven road killed by auto Carlos Roberto Vieira, 42, died when he was struck at approximately 6:15 pm Thursday evening by a 1995 Toyota Camry driven by Dr. Peter Laursen of Tisbury. Dr. Laursen operates a family practice at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Mr. Viera, a stonemason and native of Brazil, worked for P&P Masonry in West Tisbury. State Police Lt. Bob Moore said it appeared that the accident occurred when Mr. Vieira parked and got out of his car on the side of Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, across the street from where he lived, near the intersection of Skiff Avenue. No charges have been filed in the case, which is being investigated by the state police accident reconstruction team. According to friends, Mr. Viera leaves a wife, Marluce, and 14-year old son in his hometown of Cuparque. He has worked on the Island at various times since 1990. This week members of the Brazilian community established a fund to help with the estimated $8,000 cost of sending Mr. Vieira’s body home on a flight Friday. RMV to revoke registration for expired inspections Beginning Feb. 27, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will revoke the registration of vehicles that do not have valid inspection stickers, according to the state police. State police Sergeant Neal Maciel said that the RMV will revoke a vehicle’s registration if it is not inspected within the allowed time frame (one year), or if a vehicle fails the emissions portion of the inspection and is not re-inspected within the 60-day grace period. Vehicles that fail the safety part of the inspection do not have a grace period, and must be repaired immediately. Sergeant Maciel said that the state would allow at least a 10-day grace period before anyone’s registration is revoked to give the vehicle owner a chance to appeal. Previously, drivers faced a $50 civil fine for out-dated inspection stickers. Sergeant Maciel said that driving with a suspended registration is a criminal violation. The state also charges $50 to reinstate a suspended registration. Vineyard bounty is the subject of Chronicle broadcast The Vineyard’s natural bounty, including venison, oysters, and striped bass, is the subject of a story on “Chronicle,” a Channel 5 news magazine broadcast at 7:30 pm tonight. “The Bounty of the Vineyard” features a special Island feast prepared by Brad Stevens , chef of Zephrus Restaurant in Tisbury, complete with Vineyard venison, Island bay scallops, Aquinnah “Tomahawk” brand oysters, smoked striped bass, Ethel Sherman’s Beach Plum jelly and Chicama Vineyard wine. The show’s background music also features two original piano compositions written by Marianna Filippi, 12, a former charter school student and West Tisbury summer resident. The pianist is Dan Murphy, Minnesinger director. Planning board approves Southern Woodlands project Following a lengthy discussion over minor details of the project, the Oak Bluffs planning board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the definitive subdivision plan for the Preserve at the Woodlands, along with a list of conditions and small changes. The approval is subject to a written decision that the board instructed their attorney to draft. In June, the planning board granted a special permit for the projects as a development within a district of critical planning concern. They also granted a permit for the project under the town’s open space community bylaw. This week’s decision on the definitive subdivision plan is the last major regulatory hurdle for Connecticut developer Corey Kupersmith, who has struggled for years to make use of his property within the Southern Woodlands of Oak Bluffs. The 26-unit subdivision is the key element of an agreement signed last April between the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank and Mr. Kupersmith. That agreement calls for Mr. Kupersmith to sell 190 acres of his land for $18.63 million to the public conservation agency. Mr. Kupersmith will keep 90 acres for the subdivision, which will consist of 26 houses clustered around a common area. There were no audience members at Tuesday’s public hearing on the project, and the planning board members raised few serious concerns over the plan. One item that generated some discussion was lighting. After some back and forth over whether the board wanted lights in the subdivision, and whether they wanted the developer to submit a lighting plan, the board ultimately decided it did not want any lights. The plan has changed very little since it was originally proposed, and is nearly identical to the one that the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) approved last spring. Yesterday Brian Lafferty, Mr. Kupersmith’s agent, said he hopes to begin clearing trees in the site within three weeks. He said construction of the houses would likely begin by September. He said he hopes to have the houses ready for occupancy by September 2006. Property tax exemptions available for some taxpayers The Island County Assessors Association (ICAA) advises Island taxpayers that property tax exemptions are available for some classes of taxpayers. According to a press release, they include “veterans, blind persons, minor children with a deceased parent, elderly persons and others in special circumstances.” An exemption is granted by state law and reduces the total taxes owed by a specific amount provided the property owner meets specific statutory requirements. The ICAA advises that if a taxpayer is unable to qualify for an exemption, or if the exemption does not provide enough assistance toward paying real estate taxes, an application for tax deferral may be an option. Year-round Tisbury residents and taxpayers may be eligible for a residential tax exemption for fiscal year 2005 in the amount of $797. For more information on eligibility and specific filing deadlines, taxpayers are advised to contact their local board of assessors: Aquinnah, 508-645-2306; Chilmark, 508-645-2102; Edgartown, 508-627-6140; Oak Bluffs, 508-693-5519; Tisbury, 508-696-4206; West Tisbury, 508-696-0101. Red Cross and hospital to offer disaster training The Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the American Red Cross will offer training for health care professionals in disaster health services Feb. 11 and 12 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. The two-day course is for people interested in becoming certified as Red Cross volunteers in Disaster Health Services (DHS). According to a press release, the course completes the basic preparation to work in DHS on local and national relief operations. There is no charge for the course. For more information, call 508-696-0092. Oak Bluffs Police honored by MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) presented the Oak Bluffs Police department with the organization’s Drive for Life Award during the group’s annual awards ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Waltham Tuesday. The award, presented to only five departments statewide, recognizes leadership in drunk driving enforcement. According to a press release, Oak Bluffs was specifically recognized for “proactive drunk driving enforcement, alcohol awareness programs, traffic safety and seat belt initiatives and accident prevention initiatives.” Corrections In a News Brief in last weekıs Times entitled ³Southern Woodlands plan still up for discussion,² The Times incorrectly referred to the Preserve at the Woodlands as a 40B project. The project was actually before the Oak Bluffs planning board for approval of the definitive subdivision plan. |
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Martha's Vineyard Times 2004 - www.mvtimes.com
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