Staff and colleagues at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School may have known for years about the actions of culinary arts teacher Peter J. Koines, arrested July 11 by Oak Bluffs police on charges that he stole school-owned kitchen supplies and diverted school funds to buy food for his own commercial kitchen.

A rare bacterial infection called tularemia that killed a Chilmark man three years ago appears to have hit the Island for the fourth summer in a ro

Shopping Around: In Search of Bargains

By CHRIS BURRELL

For the cost-conscious Island shopper, getting the lowest price at the grocery store often requires a nomadic approach.

"It's insane but you have to go to all three places," said Charlie Esposito of Vineyard Haven. "But we're going around to get the best deal. You have to eat and be able to afford to live here at the same time."

Mr. Esposito's tactics are not uncommon for some residents who simply can't bear the cost of groceries and decide to go hunting for relief.

Vineyard Haven harbor was lit up on Saturday evening by a fully involved boat fire. Tisbury firemen and harbor masters from two towns responded to a blaze aboard a 30-foot Catalina sailboat called Tippy Canoe, owned by Tyler Weggel of Port Washington, N.Y.

There were no injuries. The vessel, a total loss, now lies partially submerged, a black shell, in shallow water at the foot of Grove street.

Portuguese-American Festival Celebrates Vibrant Community

By Elizabeth Bomze

When Jesse Oliver attended his first Portuguese-American festival as a kid in 1963, he must have figured that his lineage would some day dictate his involvement in its future; after all, his grandfather, also Jesse Oliver, was a founding member of the P-A Club. Now, 40 years later, he is a four-year veteran at Anne-Marie Cywinski's grill booth, and he expects his tenure has only just begun.

Island Agencies Win U.S. Health Grant

Half a Million Dollars Will Address Doctor Shortage, Add Rural Clinic, Provide Brazilian Translators

By MANDY LOCKE

Three agencies on the Vineyard have won nearly half a million federal dollars to ease the Island's shortage of primary care physicians and break down language barriers for Brazilian residents seeking health care.