Polls were open early Thursday in West Tisbury.
Alison L. Mead

Polls Open Thursday in Three Island Towns for Annual Elections

<p>Voters in three Island towns will head to the polls Thursday for annual town elections. There are few contested races, and voters will be asked to weigh in issues ranging from fluoridating town water to town spending.</p>

Voters in three Island towns will head to the polls Thursday for annual town elections. There are few contested races, and voters will be asked to weigh in issues ranging from fluoridating town water to town spending.

Oak Bluffs voters will decide a contested race for the board of selectmen, with five candidates vying for two seats on the board. Incumbents Kathleen Burton and Gregory Coogan face challenges from newcomers Brian Packish, Abraham Seiman, and Raymond Taylor in the only contested race on the ballot.

Voters will also be asked to decide whether to stop fluoridating the town water supply. Oak Bluffs is the only town on the Island to fluoridate its water supply, but the board of health is considering ending fluoridation, and seeks guidance from voters.

Polling hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the meeting room at the town library.

Edgartown voters will head to the town hall meeting room from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the annual town election. There is one race on the ballot; incumbent parks commissioner Joel Graves faces a challenge from Kevin Searle. Arthur Smadbeck is running unopposed for his third term on the board of selectmen.

Voters will also be asked to approve Proposition 2 1/2 debt exemptions that would allow the town to exceed the tax levy for paving Meetinghouse Way, funding a new superintendent’s building and the purchase of a new building for the Dukes County Center for Living. All three of those spending items were approved by town meeting voters Tuesday.

There are no contested races on the West Tisbury ballot, although four-term incumbent selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd will be challenged by write-in candidate Benoit Baldwin. West Tisbury voters will be asked to weigh in on debt exclusions to fund the Center for Living and repairs to the West Tisbury school and whether to approve funding for the Up-Island regional school district assessment and a new playground at West Tisbury school. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the public safety building.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 13:40

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ellen harley 40 meetinghouse way edgartown

We are opposed to paving Meetinghouse Way in Edgartown without speed bumps. Even before paving, summer drivers speed down the dirt road, careening around curves with Jeeps and other over-sand vehicles packed with passengers. People riding horses already have difficulty with the speed of traffic. There is a major curve just 1/4 mile off Tisbury Road. Accidents will likely abound for those who don't know the road at such high speeds.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 14:08

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doug shine

I work on meeting house and as it is i see people speed down the road.a road full of blind spot corners.if it is paved it will become a cut through to the beach in the summer..one day a drinking tourist will die and it could have been avoided by just adding more dirt road maintenance...i am sorry to hear of this.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/21/2015 - 14:35

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Amy Wales Edgartown

I drive on Meetinghouse Way every day. I am appalled at how fast some people drive even though the road is bumpy,rutted and like a washboard in places. I think the town needs to grade and maintain the road more often but I do not see paving as a solution. This will only encourage even faster driving,and it will become a short cut to South Beach. I also ride horses on and across this road, I am already fearful, paving will only increase the danger! I agree with Doug that fatalities may be avoided by keeping this road unpaved. Lastly, more and more of our beautiful Vineyard is being overcrowded, overcommercialized and overused. Why do we want to pave paradise?

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