Please Adopt Us

Hopefully there are more black cat lovers out there because the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard has two very special, beautiful all-black cats, both spayed females. Debbie is the younger of the two; she is about eight or nine months old and as sweet as can be. Misty is older but just as sweet. Both are extremely friendly and love to be cuddled. It would be hard to choose between them.

A divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday clashed over whether the technical language in a recently adopted Aquinnah wind bylaw is in synch with a townwide district of critical planning concern (DCPC) approved over 10 years ago.

In the end the commission voted 7-6 that the new bylaw — drafted by the planning board and approved by voters at a November town meeting — does not conform with the guidelines of the townwide DCPC.

Fair Poster

Submissions for the 149th Agricultural Fair poster are now being accepted. Send your 18 by 24 inch entry to MVAS, Box 73, West Tisbury MA 02557 by April 15.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday heard testimony both for and against a proposal to radically reduce the size of the Copeland Plan district, an architectural district of critical planning concern (DCPC) that includes several historic areas of town, including Ocean Park, the North Bluff and Waban Park.

Members of the Cottage City Historic District want to eliminate the Copeland DCPC from the downtown area, because they believe the protection zone is largely duplicated by the town historic district.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday unanimously approved a $1.67 million budget for fiscal year 2011 that will see a decrease in total assessments to the six Island towns, with small increases in Edgartown and Aquinnah.

A slight increase in MVC spending will be offset by an increase in revenue. Slight increases in assessments can be tracked to changes in equalized valuations in Aquinnah and Edgartown.

For the second time in two months this week the Edgartown selectmen approved a liquor license swap between two downtown liquors stores, one seasonal, the other year-round.

The owners of Great Harbor Gourmet and Provisions on Main street and Town Provision Inc. on Mayhew Lane want to trade licenses. Still subject to approval by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC), the trade is intended to allow Town Provision owner Brion McGroarty to stay open year-round, and Great Harbor owner Ben Hall Jr. to be open seasonally.