Contract negotiations between the All-Island School Committee and school secretaries have stalled and will go to mediation at the end of the month, Vineyard Schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss announced this week.

“It’s taking far too long,” Mr. Weiss told Island newspapers on Monday afternoon. “This is my second negotiation with these groups, and we’ve never even come close to mediation with any other group. This is a unique circumstance.”

Talks have been under way between the two sides for seven months.

The Aquinnah selectmen this week granted a town oyster farmer a reprieve and a conditional lease to continue her work in Menemsha Pond. Roxanne Ackerman’s five-year lease was revoked by the selectmen in June due to bags and debris washing ashore on private and public beaches, but at their meeting Tuesday the board took a slightly softer approach.

After some time spent discussing process and failed communication on all sides, selectmen agreed to give Ms. Ackerman, a longtime oyster farmer, a second chance.

All except board chairman Camille Rose.

School enrollment on the Island remains relatively flat with last year, according to a census released this week.

The school census is done each year on Oct. 1 for the five elementary schools and one regional high school.

Total enrollment is 2,019, the same as last year, although enrollment is up and down at various schools.

Chilmark, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and Edgartown all have more students. The most significant increase is in Chilmark which has 13 more students for a total of 53 students in the K through 5 school.

The Vineyard Gazette’s circulation fell slightly in 2010, following the trend seen in newspapers around the country.

Total average paid circulation for the Gazette this year was 8,648, a drop of 2.7 per cent from last year. Circulation had increased slightly in 2008 and again in 2009.

Correction

In a story about last week’s Oak Bluffs selectmen’s meeting a quote about the prospect of installing parking meters along Ocean Park was incorrectly attributed to Bill McGrath. It should have been attributed to Steve Auerbach. Additionally, a quote criticizing Oak Bluffs’ budget shortfall was attributed to Steve Auerbach. It should have been attributed to Bill McGrath. The Gazette regrets the error.

Announcing Helena

Renata Goncalves and Gilmar Goncalves Barbosa of Oak Bluffs announce the birth of a daughter, Helena da Silva Goncalves, born on Sept. 28 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Helena weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, and joins sister Taynara and brother Lucas.