News
A Vineyard Haven man already facing rape charges in Dukes County superior court was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday for allegedly soliciting the murder of a prosecutor.
David L. Thrift was indicted by the grand jury on two counts of solicitation to commit a felony as well as charges of aggravated rape of a child and aggravated rape of a child with force.
Thimble Farm is now expected to go on the market after a community coalition that had formed last year to buy the farm failed to raise enough money.
The group was called the Martha’s Vineyard Farm Project and the goal was to buy the 37-acre farm that is currently leased by Whippoorwill Farm owner Andrew Woodruff.
But farm owner Eric Grubman, a seasonal resident of Katama, confirmed that the coalition was unable to realize a plan to buy the farm and turn it into a nonprofit food-producing operation.
Voter turnout may have been low at the Aquinnah town election and annual meeting this week, but those that did turn out came prepared to approve large expenditures and voice their disapproval of the Oak Bluffs roundabout.
A total of 54 voters, or 14 per cent of registered voters, went to the polls Wednesday to approve a $175,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override for the annual budget. The override passed 33 to 19. Aquinnah was the only town on the Island to seek a general override this year.
There’s a spring awakening — of commerce, new beginnings and friendship — on Winter street in Edgartown.
In one storefront, Michael Hunter has started a pop-up outpost of his cool, eclectic Oak Bluffs shop, Piknik. Next door, Recep Dinli has traveled considerably farther to open his store, Kissmet, which sells brightly-colored, handmade wares from his native Turkey.
Both men said serendipity brought them to this corner of Edgartown near Nevin Square, a block away from Main street.
Opinion in five of the six Vineyard towns is running strongly against the proposed roundabout at the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs, the results of a recent nonbinding referendum show. Aquinnah this week was the last of five towns to vote on the nonbinding question that appeared on every annual town election town ballot except Oak Bluffs this spring. In Oak Bluffs there was no ballot question, but an article on the annual town meeting warrant saw strong voter support in a voice vote.
LEED House
Squash Meadow Construction Inc. has completed Vineyard Haven’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified home. The home, owned by John and Anne Grandin and designed by Sullivan-O’Connor Architects, is the first to be certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in Vineyard Haven. LEED is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance homes that use less energy, water and natural resources and create less waste. Squash Meadow also built Oak Bluffs first LEED home in 2009.