Elite Academy

Two Martha’s Vineyard students, Conor Smith of Edgartown and Riley Donegan of Vineyard Haven, have been awarded congressional nominations to attend United States military academies, Cong. William Keating announced during a visit to the Island this week. Conor Smith plans to attend West Point in New York; Riley Donegan will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Congressional nominations are required to attend military academies; congressmen dole out only a select few from their district each year.

The popular Circuit avenue bar Ritz Cafe was ordered to suspend operations this past week, part of a 20-day penalty meted out this summer for serving alcohol to minors. This is the Ritz Cafe’s fifth violation since 2000 from the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, the state entity that regulates and approves alcohol licenses.

When it comes to athletic opportunities, students at Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School face some tough barriers: too few charter school students to field a team of their own, and a host of logistical issues that largely prevent charter would-be athletes from playing for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School teams.

The issue resurfaced this week when high school principal Steve Nixon reiterated his previous decision to turn down a request from a charter student to play for the regional high school girls’ ice hockey team.