Ruling throws MVC housing jurisdiction into flux
Updated April 23. A recent ruling by the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee (HAC) has thrown the Island’s governing guardrails for large affordable housing developments into uncharted territory. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, April 21, has deemed that the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC), the regional regulatory authority that has reviewed large housing developments for decades, is…
Will cell towers come to Chilmark?
Chilmark voters may have the opportunity to usher in infrastructure for better cellular connectivity soon. Chilmark has 34 warrant articles to consider for its upcoming annual town meeting, which is scheduled to be held on April 27 at the Chilmark Community Center, starting at 7 pm. Among these articles is a set of seven ballot…
Tisbury voters to consider elimination of short-term rental cap
Tisbury voters will be considering various potential amendments to zoning bylaws, one of which proposes the elimination of a cap on short-term rentals, at the town meeting next week. Tisbury is scheduled to hold its annual and special town meetings on April 28 at the Tisbury School gymnasium at 7 pm. The annual warrant consists…
Chief nurse named at the hospital
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has announced that Renee Clancy, the longtime executive director of nursing, was appointed the new chief nursing officer. The role was previously held by the new president and chief operating officer, Claire Seguin. Clancy has been a member of the hospital’s nursing leadership team for six years, according to a press…
Judge hands Vineyard Wind a victory over GE, at least for now
A federal judge gave officials at Vineyard Wind 1 what they wanted late last week and, potentially, Massachusetts residents the energy they need, when he ordered the project’s central contractor GE Vernova to stay on the job, and not be allowed to break their contract on the offshore wind farm. Judge Peter Krupp, associate justice…
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Environment
Public briefing on aerial deer survey
Tick Free Martha’s Vineyard (Tick Free MV) is hosting a public briefing and panel discussion on the aerial deer survey results later this month. Panelists include Martin Feehan, deer and moose biologist at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), and Patrick Roden-Reynolds, public health biologist and director for the MV Tick Program. The…
Health
Martha’s Vineyard Medical to launch Tick Center
A new medical initiative plans to expand care, especially through holistic approaches, to serve Islanders who experience health issues caused by ticks. Martha’s Vineyard Medical announced Tuesday that the practice will open the Tick Center, a specialty center for patients who suffer from tick-borne illnesses and alpha-gal syndrome, in May. The aim of the center…
Housing
Christian camp’s housing proposal faces pushback from neighbors
Homeowners in West Tisbury are sounding an alarm over a recent workforce housing proposal for what they say is one example of a change in character in residential areas by housing developments and the resulting potential environmental damage to local ponds. The proposal, which went in front of the West Tisbury Zoning Board of Appeals…
Education
High school building costs for year-rounders sharpen into focus
Updated April 21. A new tool for calculating an individual homeowner’s tax increase from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) building project went live last Friday, clarifying how each town’s differing policies impact the cost burden on year-round residents. The Times published the first look at tax burdens for all property owners in March…
Politics
Chilmark meets its candidates
A large crowd packed into the Chilmark library on Monday evening to hear from candidates running for a seat on the town’s select board, just over a week before the town’s annual election. The candidates’ forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard, gave candidates in town a chance to introduce themselves.…
Cops and Courts
Island resident sentenced in rape case; one detained by ICE
Two Brazilian nationals accused of child rape were convicted on Tuesday, April 7 at a Dukes County Superior Court hearing at the Edgartown Courthouse. One defendant, whose child rape charge was dismissed but was convicted on a lesser charge, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as she left the…
Immigration
Island family stranded in Canada after visa renewal denial
Updated April 17. An Island family, stranded in Canada for the past six weeks due to a denied visa renewal following a family ski trip, has been forced to seek documentation in order to try to return home. The family’s status continues to remain uncertain after federal border officials rejected Michael Freeze’s work visa renewal…
