A short-term land deal cut by the regional high school committee Monday night has flung open the starting gates on an ambitious $6-million plan to build an addition to Martha's Vineyard Community Services (MVCS), doubling the space at the social services agency.

"Today and tomorrow were supposed to be my days off. I got here at 5:30 this morning. My last days off were last year," Mr. Silva said, smiling even as he predicted he'd work until 9 o'clock that night.