Now that the Island Health Plan has received a green light from officials on Beacon Hill, leaders of this grassroots affordable insurance program must turn their attention home - enlisting doctors and Island business owners to sign on to this experimental project.

"We all want this to work. Now is the time for all the players to translate their words into action," said Tad Crawford, chairman of the Dukes County Health Council.

A bare quorum of Chilmark voters agreed without dissent this week to borrow another $200,000 to pay for a mounting list of problems in the physical

When Robert Breckenridge started teaching Spanish three years ago at the Tisbury School, the seventh and eighth graders eyed him with understandable skepticism. To them, Señor Breckenridge was just the latest in a long line to stand at the blackboard and say "Hola."

Business Leaders Want to Say: Boat Reservations Are a Mess

By ALEXIS TONTI

The Steamship Authority vehicle reservation system is broken.

That was the take-home message this week at a forum that started as a focused debate about the boat line's new guaranteed standby policy and expanded to a broad indictment of the way the SSA books passengers.

The forum, hosted by the Dukes County Commission, was held Wednesday at the Vineyard Transit Authority administration building.

It's like gardening, William Wilcox and Paul Bagnall explain, but with a twist. All the planting is done underwater.

The Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group will be offering treats from Island waters at the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust's Taste of the Vineyar