Two Island Trash Districts Consider Partnership

By MANDY LOCKE

A decade after Tisbury and Oak Bluffs pulled out of the Islandwide trash district in the midst of a bitter political battle, officials from both districts are discussing a renewed partnership.

Two Boards Urging State: Slow Bridge

Oak Bluffs, Tisbury Selectmen Suggest Island Might Be Better Off Without Temporary Structure at Lagoon

By ALEXIS TONTI

The boards of selectmen in Oak Bluffs and Tisbury are urging MassHighway officials to make plans now for a permanent replacement for the Lagoon Pond drawbridge and to consider ways to avoid a temporary replacement - including the closure of Beach Road for a period of time.

Sixteen Feet Is the Magic Length for Determining Extra Ferry Fee

By JULIA WELLS
Gazette Senior Writer

New Year's note to travelers who drive their cars on Steamship Authority ferries: Do you know how long your automobile is?

If not, and the car is longer than 16 feet - welcome to 2004, and please get out your wallet.

New rules went into effect at the boat line on Jan. 1, among them a rule that imposes an extra fee on cars and trucks that are over 16 feet in length.

Moments before seven Island teenagers set to sea this June in a 28-foot wooden vessel bound for the Hudson River, the students speculated that the

Advocate for Summer Housing Pushes for Property at Airport

By ALEXIS TONTI

A leader in the push to build group housing for summer workers on the Vineyard is calling for the Martha's Vineyard Airport commissioners to reconsider a plan to site the housing on county land near the airport business park.

"This is a great Island initiative and it shouldn't fail because of shortsightedness," said Norman Rankow, chairman of the Summer Workforce Housing Task Force. "I plan to do whatever I can to bring the airport commissioners on board."

Vineyard Ushers in 2004 with Festive Air

Fireworks in Tisbury Mark Celebration of Last Night, First Day

By ALEXIS TONTI

Tisbury's Last Night, First Day festival offered Islanders both the intimacy of a dinner party and the spirit of a large-scale celebration. And at a time of year when people tend to look back and to look ahead, it was refreshing to stop, for a few hours, and simply enjoy the best of what the Island had to offer.