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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
March 17 - March 23, 2005 Edition
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in Brief March 17, 2005 County legal bills approach $200,000 The Dukes County commissioners will have a hefty financial gap to bridge this budget season, due in large part to the legal dispute between the county commissioners and the manager and assistant manager of the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. As of last month, the county had accrued $99,775 in legal bills to defend its position in that case. E. Winn Davis, county manager, said that number does not include this month’s bill, which the county has not yet received. The figure also does not include approximately $73,500 in bills that the airport commission has accrued in the legal battle. Mr. Davis said he expects that amount to rise as much as $20,000 in the next month. However, the airport budget, which is entirely supported by airport revenues, does not affect the county’s operating budget. According to a draft county operating budget issued last June, the county only budgeted $25,000 for legal fees this year. Mr. Davis said that it will not be easy to fund the growing legal bills. “It will be a little bit of a task, but we will have to deal with it. This is what happens when you are a named defendant in a lawsuit,” he said. Mr. Davis said he is currently preparing a draft fiscal-year 2006 budget. He said he hopes to have a preliminary budget ready by early next month. The lawsuit, subsequent legal bills, and the county budget were the subject of a request that the West Tisbury selectmen sent to the county last week. In a letter dated March 8, the selectmen wrote, “The board of selectmen would like to have a greater understanding of the county’s funding of its current lawsuit against the airport commission. Reports indicate that the county has spent close to $100,000 defending this case. In the past year the county has had to cut program budgets, and has turned to a separate (and contested) billing for the county veteran’s agent. “We would like an understanding of where the funding for this lawsuit has come from to date, and further where any additional funding will come from to resolve this case.” As of yesterday, the county had not provided a response to the selectmen’s request. Plumber’s license revoked The state division of professional licensure and the Massachusetts board of registration of plumbers and gas fitters revoked the license of an Oak Bluffs plumber this month. According to a state press release issued on March 3, the state revoked James Moreis’ journeyman plumber’s license after it determined that Mr. Moreis had entered into an agreement to install a plumbing and heating system for $18,500, but failed to completed the work or refunded the sum that he was paid for the work. The decision stems in part from an incident last fall. In September 2004, Tisbury police applied for a criminal complaint against Mr. Moreis for larceny over $250. According to the police report narrative, Mr. Moreis, who was the gas and plumbing inspector in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, was hired to do some plumbing and heating work for Carol Salguero of Tisbury in the spring of 2004. On May 4, Mr. Moreis signed a contract, and Ms. Salguero gave him a personal check for $16,000. Ms. Salguero said that Mr. Moreis told her that he would start work by mid May, but he never did. Ms. Salguero said that following the criminal complaint Mr. Moreis eventually repaid the money, but that her building project remained behind schedule because of the incident. Mr. Moreis could not be reached for comment this week. Chamber of commerce director will leave job Valerie Cini Richards, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, has announced she plans to leave her job late next month in order to spend more time with her ten-month-old son. “I am doing this purely for personal reasons,” she said. “I have been in this job long enough to know that it requires a fulltime commitment to do it right.” Ms. Richards said the executive board has created a search committee and she would continue to assist the chamber in order to see the upcoming Jaws Fest through to completion. Ms. Richards said the decision to leave was very difficult because she values and respects the work the chamber does in the community, but ultimately she had to do what was best for her family.
Judging from the interest and the number of people taking advantage of free health screenings, the annual Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Health Fair was a big success. Rachel Vanderhoop, hospital director of development, said the turnout was very good and the participants were kept very busy. “It was a huge success,” she said. Brookies, browns and rainbows arrive Some look for the first crocuses pushing through the soil, but fishermen take the arrival of the state stocking trout as a sure sign of the arrival of spring. Weather permitting, the state will stock Island ponds with a mixture of brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Steve Hurley, Mass Wildlife biologist, said the Vineyard would get between 800 and 1000 fish, depending on fish size. He said one problem he has encountered on the Cape has been the presence of ice. If conditions are right in the first of two seasonal trout stockings, a truck loaded with trout will stop at Duarte’s Pond, Seth’s Pond, and the Mill Pond in West Tisbury, and Old Mill Pond at the head of Upper Lagoon Pond in Oak Bluffs. Fishermen 15 years of age and older must have a freshwater fishing license. There is a daily bag limit of eight fish. Chappy ferry parking hearing is Tuesday A public hearing to discuss various possible solutions to the vehicle congestion at the Chappaquiddick ferry line is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22. The town’s working group for transportation and traffic has drafted a number of possible options to ease the traffic problem, one of which is leaving the staging the way it is now, with cars queuing up on Simpson’s Lane. The other options included staging cars at the Kelly Street parking lot, using part of North Summer Street, using both Kelly Street and Dock Street, and using the parking lot at the Edgartown School. The Edgartown selectmen expressed some support for the Edgartown School plan at a meeting last month, but did not take any action on the proposal. People interested in weighing in on the traffic staging issue can attend Tuesday’s meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm at the Edgartown School. Hospital program provides for safe disposal of syringes For people with medical needs that require an injection, such as diabetics, having a way to safely dispose of syringes is an important issue. A new Martha’s Vineyard Hospital program is meant to provide a safe means of needle disposal using “sharps” containers, red plastic needle proof containers. On Monday the hospital will hold a public forum from 5 pm to 6 pm in the South Side conference room to describe the program. Beginning in April, on the first Tuesday of every month people can bring filled sharps containers to the hospital for safe disposal between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm. “We want to keep needles and syringes out of the trash,” said nurse Donna Enos, program coordinator. The hospital program is free. Ms. Enos said the containers should be filled only two-thirds and be tightly sealed. A limited number of sharps containers will be available at the forum. The containers are for sale at Island pharmacies. For more information on program details, call Ms. Enos at 508-693-0410, extension 141. Lampost gets new owners After more than three decades as the owner of one of Oak Bluffs’ iconic Circuit Avenue establishments, Peter Martell will sell the Lampost. James Hayes, who has worked for Mr. Martell for many years, will become the new manager, and Adam and Janet Cummings, who have also worked for Mr. Martell, will be the principals. The Oak Bluffs selectmen approved the transfer of the business license to the new owners at their meeting Tuesday night. Mr. Martell, who bought the business in 1969, said he decided to sell the Lampost so that he could “semi-retire.” He told the Oak Bluffs selectmen, “After 35 years I’m getting tired of staying up until 1:30 in the morning.” Mr. Martell expressed overwhelming confidence in the new owners. “They have all worked for me in the past. They started out in security and worked their way up through being bartenders to being managers. They are very familiar with the operation, and they definitely know how to run a business. I think it is going to be a boon,” he said. Mr. Hayes said he hopes to make some “cosmetic” improvements to the interior in the next year, but that he has no plans to make any major changes to the bar. Community Care hits a brick wall Community Care is a volunteer organization which could get needed help to an estimated 250 to 300 Vineyard adults with chronic, debilitating illnesses. Already there are trained volunteers ready to provide companionship, transportation, recreation, help with errands, and referrals to Islanders 18 to 65 who suffer from long-term illnesses such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, chronic heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. At present, Community Care is a pilot project of Island Health Inc (IHI). The organizers have refined the mission, designed and printed a brochure, trained potential volunteers, and identified potential clients. But the project has hit a brick wall and may have to shut down entirely. The problem is that Community Care has no one who can give it the time it needs to get started. Until such a person can establish 501(c)(3) status and successfully apply for grants, Community Care has no funding and no liability insurance, without which it can’t send out the volunteers who have been trained. It will take someone with grant-writing experience about a year of his or her life to get the ball rolling. This coordinator would create a paying job for himself/herself once funding is established, but Marni Lipke, the current co-chairman of the Chronic Illness Network, reports that there is no one available in IHI who can afford to tackle this start-up, essentially on speculation, as there will be no salary until the funding has been found. There are potential sources of funding, many of them connected with specific diseases, others just from good-hearted Vineyarders who think that the same services available to children and seniors should also be provided to the age group in between. According to Ms. Lipke, Community Care will need an annual budget of about $60,000, including a paid coordinator, insurance, office space, equipment, supplies, and training fees. The telephone number for Community Care is 508-693-5090, extension 3. A. Douglas Stewart of Tisbury dead A. Douglas Stewart of Vineyard Haven died Tuesday, March 15, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was the devoted husband of Kathryn Stewart. A graveside service will be held Saturday, at 11 am, at Oak Grove Cemetery, Vineyard Haven, the Rev. Roger Spinney officiating, with full military honors by the Veterans of Martha’s Vineyard. Visiting hours will be on Friday, from 6 to 8 pm at Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home. A Masonic service will take place Friday at 7:30 pm at the Oriental-Martha’s Vineyard Masonic Lodge. Donations may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund, PO Box 806, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. A memorial service will be held in June, after renovations are completed to the First Baptist Church. A complete obituary will appear in a later edition of The Times. Visit www.ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and obituary. Chilmark proposes harbor fee hike At their regular meeting Tuesday night, Chilmark selectmen supported a recommendation from harbormaster Dennis Jason to increase transient dockage rates by 25 cents per foot. Mr. Jason said the rate charged boaters for dockage in Menemsha Harbor had not changed in several years, and even with the increase the town would continue to be at the “low end” of the scale when compared with nearby town harbors. He said the harbor generated $174,000 in revenue last year and estimated the new rate would result in an 11 percent increase. The cost of dockside electric power is not included in the current rate. Selectmen and Mr. Jason briefly discussed the need to recover the actual cost of supplying visiting boats with electrical service, which varies depending on the size and grandeur of the vessel. Adding a philosophical dimension to the discussion, Warren Doty, chairman of the board of selectmen, said he objects to people who come to a harbor where the wind blows and run air conditioning, often because the boats do not come equipped with windows they can open. “It drives me nuts,” he said. Before the selectmen can vote on the new rate, the town must hold a public hearing, and one is scheduled for April 5. In other business, following a presentation by Bill Wilcox about the state estuary project, a study of coastal ponds, the selectmen agreed to join with the town of West Tisbury and support spending up to $41,000 for a joint study of Tisbury Great Pond. Free health screening offered for men The Vineyard Nursing Association (VNA) of Cape Cod Community Services will provide a free health screening for men on Monday, April 4, from 9 am to 2 pm by appointment at the Island Health Care clinic in Edgartown. The screenings are for uninsured or under-insured Island men age 18 to 64 and are sponsored by the VNA of Cape Cod and funded by the state Dept. of Public Health. Qualified men must register by March 30 so blood work can be completed by April 4. The session will include screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose, and prostrate screening for men over 50, or over 40 if there is a family history of the disease or for African Americans. Call Marti Baker, program coordinator, at 1-888-557-9994 to register. Senator O’Leary will counsel seniors, hold office hour On Tuesday, March 22, Senator Robert O’Leary will speak to seniors about possible tax deductions through the state’s Circuit Breaker tax credit during a visit to the Tisbury Council on Aging on Tuesday from 3 pm to 4 pm. This senior tax credit was adopted by the Legislature in 1999. Senator O’Leary will answer questions from seniors regarding the application process and qualification guidelines, according to a press release issued by his office. “Each year, many constituents contact my office with questions about the Circuit Breaker refund,” said Senator O’Leary. “Many seniors are not even aware that they qualify for the tax credit; it’s important to continue getting the message out there.” To be eligible, a property owner must be a Massachusetts resident, age 65 or older; own or rent residential property in Massachusetts as his or her primary residence; and the property must have an assessed value of less than $441,000. The tax refund can be as much as $820, according to Senator O’Leary. Earlier in the same afternoon, Sen. Robert O’Leary will meet with residents or community groups by appointment to discuss any legislative or policy issue. The senator, who was recently appointed chairman of the joint committee on higher education, will be present from 1 to 2 pm at the Dukes County administration building located at the entrance road to the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. Call 617-722-1570 to schedule an appointment. Corrections In last weekıs Doing Business supplement, the number of information packs sent by the Chamber of Commerce in 2004 was reported incorrectly. The correct figures by category are as follows: Hotel, 2,850; Rental, 240; Travel, 120; Honeymoon, 90; Wedding, 195; Meeting, 570; Relocation, 75. |
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