Edgartown police chief Tony Bettencourt told selectmen at their Tuesday meeting that the New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration went off without a hitch at the Harbor View Hotel.
During planning of the event, there was discussion about whether to stage the fireworks at midnight, or at 9 pm.
“I think it was a good call doing it at midnight,” Chief Bettencourt told selectmen. “If we had done it at 9 pm, we could have had a bigger crowd that I would have had to deal with. By doing it at midnight, it was basically the people who are already in town. We didn’t encourage anyone to move.”
Chief Bettencourt said if the resort sponsors fireworks next year, he would recommend the celebration remain at midnight.
Also Monday, selectmen voted to grant a seasonal alcohol license to the Main Street Diner located behind Edgartown Cinema. The local eatery is giving up its annual license, and will close down during part of the winter.
“We’ve been open for the last four years throughout the winter,” owner co-owner Glen Ward said. “Unfortunately the business is just not there.”
He said on several days last winter, the restaurant had no customers at all. “We’ve lost money every year. It just has not worked out for us.”
Selectmen also authorized removal of an unhealthy tree from property owned by Gene Courtney at 8 South Water Street. Mr. Courtney agreed to replace it with a similar shade tree.
