News
Weakfish, also known as squeteague, were once common in this region, so popular a sport fish that up until 1987, they were part of the annual fall Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. Then they disappeared from these waters. They were removed from the derby after not one was caught in 1987.
It was an overtime thriller for the high school football team this week in its inaugural game in the Eastern Athletic Conference, while the field hockey battled both opponents and illness.
Football
After winning by forfeit last week against Charlestown, the football team was eager to take to the gridiron at home this week against Coyle-Cassidy in what proved to be an exciting contest that went down to the wire on Friday night under the lights.
Rent subsidy in the amount of $16,000, to be divided among five families living in the Morgan Woods affordable housing complex, was approved by Edgartown selectmen this week. The money will come from the town’s affordable housing trust fund.
The Vineyard Gazette’s total paid circulation has increased for the second year in a row, bucking the trend that has seen newspapers around the country lose circulation.
The town of Oak Bluffs has made an arrangement with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) that will allow dredging in Sengekontacket Pond to take place this fall. The town has agreed to pay for an archeological survey of the site.
The dredging project is backed by a joint committee of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown officials who want to see the pond reopened for shellfishing year-round.
Oak Bluffs firefighters responded to a fast-moving fire that swept through a single-family home on Carole avenue on Monday. No one was injured in the blaze, although the home was a complete loss.
The fire department was called to the fire at 29 Carole avenue off of County Road at 11:45 a.m., fire chief Peter Forend said. The home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, with smoke and flames coming out of the roof and back kitchen area.