North Bluff Garage Permit Is Revoked

Next, Abutter Vows to Seek Demolition; Owner Says He Will Fight the Move; ‘Somebody's Going to Pay'

By MANDY LOCKE

The Oak Bluffs building inspector this week revoked a permit for a controversial garage built in the North Bluff.

Following advice of town counsel, building inspector Richard Mavro declared the structure illegal Tuesday, six months after he originally issued a building permit, and more than a month after he ordered the contractor to stop work on the three-story garage.

Three feet of snow blanketed the ground that day in 1977 when more than two dozen Islanders trudged into the First Congregational Church in West Ti

Transit Authority Scrambles, Fills Summer Workforce Needs

By MANDY LOCKE

Six weeks ago, Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) administrators worried they'd be forced to leave some bus riders stranded on the side of the road this summer.

Now, on the eve of the summer season, VTA officials say they have found enough drivers to meet summer demands.

Last month, the public bus system faced a 30 per cent hole in its summer workforce - the result of a decision by federal immigration officials to enforce a limit on temporary visas (H2Bs) for foreign wor

Political Veteran Elected in Chilmark

By MANDY LOCKE

J.B. Riggs Parker is back in the front lines of Chilmark politics.

Chilmark voters returned him to the thick of town affairs Wednesday, electing this longtime official to the post of selectman over political newcomer Mary Murphy Boyd. Mr. Parker secured 306 votes to Mrs. Boyd's 142.

"I'm grateful for the support of the citizens of Chilmark. I look forward to giving what I can to get things done reasonably and creatively," Mr. Parker said yesterday after his victory.

Mr.

Katama Bay Anchorage Closed to Protect Waters

By MANDY LOCKE

Boaters looking for a place to anchor for the night won't find refuge in Katama Bay this summer.

Citing a deterioration in water quality in Katama Bay over the last several years, Edgartown officials have banned boaters from anchoring overnight in the area.

"The town made a decision. Do we want two months of boating or a year-round shellfishing industry?

For Conservation Commission, a Tangled Issue in Pond Docks

By MANDY LOCKE

The West Tisbury conservation commission must now act as judge and jury for a key town leader - sorting through selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter's request to permit four docks in Tisbury Great Pond that he has been using for years.

The verdict must come down within three weeks, and the conservation commission - a board appointed by selectmen - isn't quite sure how to sort through the mess.

Here's what they know: