Land Plan for Ice House Pond Stirs Heated Commission Debate

By IAN FEIN

Angry exchanges and charges of bad faith erupted during a Martha's Vineyard Land Bank meeting called this week to discuss the draft management plan for Ice House Pond Preserve.

Land bank commissioner Michael Stutz of Aquinnah said the plan has numerous inconsistencies and huge holes. He called for additional study of the pond this summer, and criticized what he said was an unprecedented effort to rush through the management process.

Enough already.

Amid the piles of sawdust and wood shavings, beyond the planks of white pine, black locust and silver bali, heritage and history are rising from the ground once again in Vineyard Haven.

At the Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway, Manny Palomo chisels and planes the keel of September, a 26-foot sloop. Mr. Palomo crawls around the ribbands and hull molds of the ship's skeleton, fine tuning the frame for the garboard and rest of the planking.

Selectmen Order Referral to MVC

Illegal Teardown of Old Army Barracks Now Goes to Commission as a DRI; Building Owner Answers to Board

By JAMES KINSELLA

The Oak Bluffs selectmen directed their town building inspector this week to refer the reconstruction of the old Army Barracks building on Circuit avenue to the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

At their meeting Tuesday night, the selectmen voted 4-0 to require building inspector Richard Mavro to refer the proposed project to the MVC. Selectman Richard Combra was absent.

Superintendent Field Narrows to Three

By IAN FEIN

Two of the five finalists for superintendent of Vineyard schools withdrew their names from consideration this week.

Despite the drop in numbers, school officials remained optimistic about the remaining candidates, each of whom has substantial administrative experience in New England schools.

"We're down to three people," school board member David Rossi of Edgartown said at the committee meeting Tuesday night. "And the cream rose to the top."

Under pressure from the U.S.