News
Responding to vocal protest from hotel and restaurant owners, the Edgartown selectmen voted this week to drop two articles from the annual town meeting warrant that would have increased the rooms tax and added a meals tax in town.
Allowed under a local option provision in state law, the town was considering increasing the room occupancy tax by two per cent, and imposing a meals tax of .75 per cent.
Next week is school vacation, the quietest week of the year on the Vineyard, but in Oak Bluffs it will be anything but quiet as the sound of hammers, saws and heavy equipment fills the air.
Construction workers are scrambling to complete several major building projects before spring turns to summer in a few short months.
There are an unusually high number of new projects in Oak Bluffs this year.
West Tisbury selectmen this week voted to appoint Sgt. Daniel Rossi as acting police chief beginning in April for six months, while a search is conducted to find a replacement for outgoing chief Beth Toomey.
Selectmen Richard Knabel and Dianne Powers approved the appointment at their weekly meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter, also a sergeant on the police force, abstained.
The town of Oak Bluffs has received a $102,000 state grant that will be used for improvements at East Chop Drive, which has been plagued by coastal erosion and drainage problems in recent years.
The money will be used to install a modified gravel wetland system along the road to reduce untreated storm water that discharges into the town harbor. The improvements are also aimed at eliminating a large puddle that often occurs near the East Chop Beach Club after storms.
Dean’s List
Sagitta Woodman, of West Tisbury, made the dean’s list at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. A sophomore majoring in international social work, she is the daughter of Mara Coleman of West Tisbury.
The Island Affordable Housing Fund announced this week that the copresidents will step down, one immediately and one in the spring.
Robert Wheeler will resign immediately and Candace daRosa will stay on until the organization’s spring annual meeting, a press release stated this week. At that time a new president will be selected by the board.
Mrs. daRosa intends to stay on as a board member while Mr. Wheeler will leave the board, according to the release.