Government
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced in a ceremony at the Gay Head Cliffs Wednesday morning that it had named the Gay Head Light to its 2013 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
The arts took center stage in Vineyard Haven this week as three cultural organizations received grants from the state. Selectmen also voted to approve creating an application to form the Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District.
On Monday, the Vineyard Playhouse, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center were awarded capital grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. Of the 10 projects funded in the southeast region, three are in Vineyard Haven.
April Steamship Authority traffic was down slightly from the same period last year, though summer numbers are showing improvement.
At the Steamship Authority board of governors meeting Tuesday in Nantucket, general manager Wayne Lamson said April passenger traffic was down 3.3 per cent from April 2012.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded the county a $75,000 grant to help finance a beach rehabilitation project, Dukes County manager Martina Thornton informed the county commissioners last week. The money will be used to move sand from Eastville Beach in Oak Bluffs to Joseph Sylvia State Beach, which lost a considerable amount of sand during Hurricane Sandy.
The grant will not completely cover the sand transport, but would give the county “starting seed money,” Ms. Thornton said.
After years of financial struggles, Oak Bluffs is poised to make up a $600,000 deficit in free cash by the end of June, town administrator Robert Whritenour announced to the selectmen last week.
“If we only collect [the same revenue in June] as we collected last June . . . we will meet that goal,” of “wiping out” the deficit, Mr. Whritenour said.
A complicated arrangement that will require the town of Edgartown to put additional land under a conservation restriction in exchange for expanding an old hangar at the Katama Airfield was back up for discussion this week, with the town counsel asking for further thought about the deal.