ACTIVISM AT WORK

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

White Flower Parade

Dodging a Sex Offender

Last March the West Tisbury library trustees suddenly found themselves confronting what for most small town volunteers was the dilemma of a lifetime. Disturbing reports had come about the director of the town library through the town police department. Howard Curtis, who had been hired in June of two thousand and six, was an alleged sex offender. At that point there were no charges against Mr. Curtis, only allegations.

Time Out in Tisbury

Following a passionately fought campaign about whether Tisbury should allow restaurants to sell beer and wine, voters have spoken on the matter by the most slender of margins — two votes.

A recount of the historic tie vote decided the matter last week, and Tisbury will remain a dry town.

Backers of the alcohol sales initiative, having come so close, now want to bring the issue back before the voters as quickly as possible.

But the town is weary from this campaign and needs a rest.

Planting Trees

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of May, 1933:

A conservation army, numbering 219 men, will arrive on the Island today to take up the work of reforestation in the state reservation under the federal plan for relieving unemployment. This army is one that has been through the preliminary course of training at Camp Devens and will be in the charge of a captain and two lieutenants of the regular Army, besides a detail of military police.

Holding the Sheriff Accountable

If the state takes over the Dukes County sheriff’s department — and it appears that this will eventually be the case — Islanders likely will not notice the difference. The Edgartown house of correction will still be run as the local jail and the communications center, which is so integral to the Island emergency response system, will remain the same.

What will change is the sheriff will become more accountable for his budget. This is long overdue.