Remy Tumin
Coast Guard senior officers told the Chilmark selectmen this week it will be at least two years until the government agency can begin rebuilding the historic Menemsha boathouse that was destroyed in the July 12 fire.
All physical evidence has been collected for the investigation, and demolition of the charred boathouse is set to begin Sept. 15, Capt. Verne Gifford (commander for Southern New England), Cmdr. Will Smith and Menemsha station chief Jason Olsen told the selectmen on Tuesday. Also attending the meeting were special agents Robert Ditolla and Joe Green.
The emergency response to Hurricane Earl was praised and questioned by the Chilmark selectmen this week. At the selectman’s meeting Tuesday, town emergency management director Bill Smith reported that things had gone smoothly up-Island, and police Chief Brian Cioffi concurred, saying there had not been the same confusion about road closures as there had been down-Island.
Edgartown police chief Tony Bettencourt promoted four officers to the sergeant class on Tuesday afternoon before families, friends and the board of selectmen. Craig Edwards, Jonathan Searle and Thomas Smith were promoted to sergeant, and Chris Dolby to detective sergeant.
Fully loaded backpacks, freshly organized binders, new outfits and wide smiles could only mean one thing at the West Tisbury School on Tuesday: school is back in session. As the first yellow bus pulled up a little after 8 a.m., parents, teachers and staff were ready to greet eager students and welcome them to the new school year.
“Welcome back!” announced one teacher. “Happy school year!” said another.
Instead of the usual display of gorgeous jewelry in the window at C.B. Stark on Main street, Vineyard Haven, last Friday customers were greeted with plywood shutters that read “Dear Earl, please be a pearl and go away. Love, C.B. Stark.” Inside the store, similar messages for Hurricane Bob, Gloria and Hugo could be seen on the reverse side of the panel. Boarding up for hurricanes was nothing new for Ms. Stark, but being asked to close in the middle of the day on a holiday weekend was another story.
Vineyarders shook the sand out of their towels one last time this week before returning to work and school, and now comes the time to look back and count the numbers. No doubt boosted by endless hot and sunny days, it was a good summer, most Island businesses report.