News in Brief

Posted December 29, 2005

Oak Bluffs raffle winners...

Oak Bluffs Santa Sweepstakes winner Alyssa Fitzpatrick of Oak Bluffs (left) stands with Holly Nadler, owner of the Sun Porch Bookstore on Circuit Avenue (center) and Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Alyssa's sister and the person responsible for her winning the grand prize of approximately $3,000 in merchandise contributed as part of the holiday shopping promotion. Caitlin wrote her sister's name on what would be the winning ticket.

Other winners included Paul Legge of Litchfield Park, Arizona, Mary Johnson of Edgartown, Luanna Pinkham of Vineyard Haven and Ronald Roberts and Anne Cummings of Oak Bluffs.

Winners for the best holiday storefront decorations were also announced. Abode, located at 42 Circuit Avenue, was chosen as "Most Beautiful" and Vineyard Lights received the award for the "Most Unusual." Winners receive a free membership to the Oak Bluffs Association for one year.

And Tisbury Holiday Give Away winners announced

The following are the winning ticket numbers from the Tisbury Business Association's Holiday Give Away. The winning tickets were drawn Friday afternoon. If you are one of the lucky ticket holders, call Stephen Perlman at 508-693-1066 to pick up your check.

1st Prize Ticket Number: Red 190032, received at LeRoux at Home; 2nd Prize Ticket Number: Red 186515, received at Bunch of Grapes; 3rd Prize Ticket Number: Blue 7709207, received at LeGrenier; 4th Prize Ticket Number: Red 185593, received at Bunch of Grapes; 5th Prize Ticket Number: Blue 8244238, received at Beach House.

Edgartown Council on Aging selects architects for school building use study

The Edgartown Council on Aging (COA) this month hired a Cape based architectural firm to complete a feasibility study that will examine using the old Edgartown School for a senior day program and affordable housing. The study will include future COA uses for the Anchors building on Edgartown Harbor.

The council selected Brown Lindquist Fenuccio and Raber Architects of Yarmouthport. The firm has experience building similar facilities in communities in southeastern Massachusetts. The cost of the contract, which was approved at the annual town meeting, is $35,000.

According to the COA, the site analysis and assessment of existing condition including the conceptual design and cost estimates will be completed on or before March 1. Final reports to town departments are planned by April 1.

School transportation manager hired

James Flynn, a special teaching assistant and supervisor of the Edgartown School transportation system, has been hired as the Martha's Vineyard Public Schools transportation manager, starting on Jan. 3, 2006. His salary will be $62,500.

"Mr. Flynn has a long history of transportation experience on the Island and brings a lot of years of driving and educational experience to the job," said James Weiss, superintendent of Martha's Vineyard Public Schools.

Mr. Flynn worked as a tour bus driver, school bus driver and manager for Martha's Vineyard Transportation Services from 1986-97. From 1997-99 he served as a vice president, secretary, school bus manager and driver instructor for Dukes County Transportation, and from 1999-01 as the chief executive officer, owner, school bus manager and driver instructor for JCF Transportation. Mr. Flynn has worked at the Edgartown School for the past four years.

He was one of four finalists for the position chosen by Mr. Weiss and an all-Island school committee search committee. James Maseda, the acting transportation manager since the beginning of the school year, also was a finalist. Mr. Maseda is the special education and athletic transportation coordinator at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School.

"We went through a lot to find the proper person for this position," said Robert Tankard, transportation committee chairman. "Jimmy Flynn came out as the guy. I hope we all embrace this decision and move on."

The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School district committee and up-Island regional school committee assumed responsibility for the school bus service at the start of the school year on Sep. 7. The move came after MV Coachlines abruptly backed out of its transportation contract with the Island school districts.

Instead of turning the service over to the only other bus company that had bid on the contract, Island Transport, the school committees voted to run the bus service themselves, at least on an interim basis.

About six weeks later, the all-Island transportation subcommittee voted to recommend to the school boards that they continue to run the service themselves for the remainder of the school year. The school boards voted to support the recommendation on Oct. 11.

Although the school system has elected to operate the school buses in-house this year, no decision has been made about running the service long-term.

Tisbury students help hospital operating room

Tisbury school students and teacher Gregory Coogan posed with a check for $2,381, which they raised to benefit the Martha's Vineyard Hospital operating room.

The money was used to purchase a surgical positioner for patients needing hip and other joint replacement procedures. This marks the fourth year in a row that Tisbury School students, staff and family members fundraised to purchase a piece of much needed equipment.

Teacher Anne Williamson coordinated the fundraising effort which began with students collecting contributions using coin jars placed throughout the school, beginning in November and culminating in a Pizza Night, with face painting and a raffle, just before the holidays.

Former Vineyard Studio soon to be TTOR office

The barn on State Road just west of the lower entrance to Lambert's Cove Road was once known as the Tweed Barn, then the Vineyard Studio/Gallery where Douglas Parker owned a nonprofit art gallery in the 1980s and 1990s.

The building will soon have a new identity as the Island office of The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) education and conservation programs.

Before he died, Douglas Parker, the property's owner, donated the house, barn and land to The Trustees, the oldest private conservation organization in the state, for use as housing for conservation professionals and a facility for conservation and education programs.

The change to an office will begin soon. The barn will be taken down and be rebuilt in a similar style. When completed, the office will house the Trustee's administrative, education, and ecology departments.

According to a press release, The Trustees' Claire Saltonstall Education Program (CSEP) provides hands-on, place-based environmental education programs to Island schools and the public. Thousands of children have grown up participating in the CSEP, reaping the benefits of The Trustees' conservation work. The Island Ecology Program includes rare species and habitat inventories and monitoring, a prescribed burn program, land-use history research, and shorebird protection programs.

"These programs will thrive with the conversion of the Parker Barn into offices. Working space for interns, researchers, educational equipment and staff will allow these programs to grow and continue to benefit the community," said Christopher Kennedy, Islands Regional Director.

For more information, on TTOR go to www.thetrustees.org or call 508-693-7662.

Philip Rollins, former Cape and Islands DA, dead at 70

Philip A. Rollins of Mashpee, retired after long service as Cape and Islands district attorney, died Dec. 25 while visiting his daughter and her family in Ipswich. Mr. Rollins was 70 years old. He persuaded the Massachusetts legislature to create a district attorney's office for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket in 1975. Before that, the Bristol County DA, based in New Bedford, handled Cape criminal business. Mr. Rollins was a native of Brookline.

Tisbury police offer citizens an inside look at the job

The Tisbury Police Department will host a six-week citizen police academy on Wednesday nights, beginning Jan. 11, from 6 to 8 pm. Classes will be in the Tisbury Police Station at 32 Water Street.

The academy provides a unique opportunity for community members to gain a better understanding of law enforcement and its challenges.

"In addition to community members, I would like some of the town employees and officials to attend and find out what we do. It's very informative," said Theodore Saulnier, chief of police.

The classes will be taught by police officers according to their specialty areas. The curriculum includes community policing, firearms safety, constitutional law, domestic violence, criminal investigation and more.

One night is set aside as a practicum night for patrol procedures, with students riding along in police cars and practicing mock car stops in a parking lot.

"The officers act as a person being stopped, and students act as police officers," explained Chief Saulnier. "They found that to be eye-opening last year."

He said that Tisbury's first citizen police academy in 2005 generated a lot of positive feedback. "Everybody that attended the class learned something. They went away from the class satisfied and more knowledgeable about what we do, how we do it, and why," said Chief Saulnier.

For more information, call the Tisbury Police Department at 508-696-4240 or pick up an application at the station. The deadline for signing up is Friday, Jan. 6.

Drivers wanted, meals in motion

Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands' has issued an appeal for Meals on Wheels drivers for Martha's Vineyard. Eighty six clients receive home delivered meals.

There are five routes out of Oak Bluffs and one route out of Edgartown. Meals are picked up, Monday through Friday, between 10:45 and 11 am, and it takes approximately 40 minutes to one hour to complete the deliveries. Drivers are needed immediately for up-Island, Oak Bluffs including Woodside, and Vineyard Haven.

Permanent, substitute, and seasonal drivers are welcome to volunteer.

Call Betty Jane Bailey at the Martha's Vineyard office of elder services at 508-693-4393.