Vineyarders Join Nation in Aiding Hurricane Relief

By IAN FEIN

Vineyard Haven neighbors Laura Kimball and Ashley Brede planned to spend a good part of their Labor Day weekend selling lemonade outside their Skiff avenue homes. But when news spread of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast region, the pair found a new focus for their end-of-summer stand.

Environmental Hazards Found on Island

By JAMES KINSELLA

Recycling is driven by a desire to better protect the environment.

But a tour of Vineyard transfer stations over the past week revealed instances where recycled materials might have been hurting rather than helping.

The tour by a Gazette reporter and photographer found broken fluorescent light bulbs and car batteries resting on the ground, oil leaking out into puddles and metals stored on bare ground. All are violations of state rules governing the handling of recyclables.

In the first week of August, four towns on the Vineyard sent 345 tons of garbage to the mainland.

Hospital Campaign Sees More Pledges

Capital Fundraising for New Building Inches Up from $20 to $25 Million; Trustees to Target More Donors

By JAMES KINSELLA

When seasonal Edgartown residents Robert and Sheila Hoerle were asked to donate money to help rebuild the Martha's Vineyard Hospital, they were happy to oblige.

Red Cross Will Sponsor Training for Volunteers

In response to a surge of calls from Vineyard residents wanting to help with disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Martha's Vineyard Chapter of the American Red Cross will offer a special training session for volunteers on Saturday.

The all-day training will be held tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging on Wamsutta avenue. Spanish-speaking trained personnel are needed. For more information call 508-696-0092.

Simmering Labor Dispute Leaves Bussing Unsettled for Start of School Year

By RACHEL KOVAC

Vineyard schools superintendent James Weiss fielded his first controversy this week when a simmering labor dispute between bus drivers and the company under contract with the school district bubbled into the public arena.