News
With the New England groundfishery now a bona fide federal disaster, fisheries managers are preparing to make drastic cuts to future allotments for cod and yellowtail flounder before the end of the year.
On Dec. 20 the New England Fishery Management Council will meet in Wakefield and is expected to cut up to 80 per cent of fishing allotments for cod and yellowtail flounder for the coming year. If they are approved, the cuts will take effect May 1, 2013.
With the cold, dark days of winter on the way, Edgartown just lost one source of solace: Espresso Love, one of the few year-round places in town to get a latte and a muffin, closed for the winter Monday.
Owner T.J. McManus said that the restaurant, which serves food, and seasonally wine and beer along with the titular espresso, will close until the spring for needed repairs and renovations. The floors need to be replaced and the roof needs to be fixed, he said, and improvements are slated for the counters and the kitchen.
Tax bills are set to go up slightly in Edgartown, as the selectmen Monday approved an estimated tax rate of $3.55 per thousand dollars of property valuation, a 12 cent increase from last year’s rate.
Principal assessor Jo-Ann Resendes said the average single-family home value in Edgartown decreased by about $15,000, going from $1,131,700 to about $1,116,800.
Thus, the average tax bill would increase from $3,882 to $3,965, about $83. The tax rate still has to be approved by the state Department of Revenue.
Facing criticism from town officials and members of the building community, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission decided last Thursday to remove a controversial “community character” clause from its checklist for developments of regional impact.
Thursday night meetings in the Olde Stone Building in Oak Bluffs have been well attended in recent weeks, perhaps a little reminiscent of 10 or 20 years ago when the Martha’s Vineyard Commission was reviewing development plans at a steady clip. But the crowds this time around, mainly made up of town officials and members of the building community, are there for a different reason as the commission conducts a biennial review of its checklist for developments of regional impact.
When Scott DiBiaso and his crew sailed the 65-foot schooner Juno out of Vineyard Haven harbor on Wednesday, Nov. 14, they had a single reef on the mainsail along with a fore staysail. Even with a conservative amount of sail exposed to the cold wind, the 25 knots of northeast breeze pushed the vessel from West Chop, down Vineyard Sound toward Aquinnah at a fast 12 to 13 knots. They were helped along by a three-knot current. It was cold and unlike summer sailing.